Former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar could have been a bit nervous on his return to action for India in the first T20I against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Thursday.
The swing seamer conceded only four runs in his first over after Shreyas Iyer decided to bowl first. However, he was taken for 17 runs in his second over by Finn Allen and Tim Seifert. Kumar eventually went wicketless in his four-over spell and conceded 49 runs in his quota of four overs, including two wides and as many no-balls.
Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube Channel, “He deserves to be in the team. Everyone had a bad day, and it was a small ground. There would have been some nerves as well. No matter how much cricket you have played, the nerves are there when you wear the Indian colors on a comeback. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert are explosive batters who would not let anyone settle down easily.
“It is very important to have Bhuvi because you need experience. It will take a little bit of time for him to get used to international cricket. But as he plays, you will see that his performance will keep improving.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled two no-balls in his four-over spell, and former Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik feels the no-balls led to the pacer’s costly spell.
He said on Cricbuzz, “It was the no-balls that did him in. He’s not somebody who generally bowls no-balls. I am not sure why, but it may have been a bit of nerves. Two no-balls in a game is unheard of for him. So I would put it down to the fact that he’s not as ready as he would want to be. But if we look closely, his first and last overs were very good. However, the second and third overs had no-balls in it and that reflects in his analysis, as those were huge overs.”
The second T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Saturday.
