This bowling attack deserves more credit for cementing India’s position in the semis says senior journalist Ayaz Memon
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Hi, I am Ayaaz Memon with the World Cup Update.
00:03 Amongst the biggest talking points of this World Cup has been the tremendous form shown by the Indian team.
00:11 Six wins out of six. And not just the fact that they've gained maximum points, won all the matches, but how they've done it.
00:17 The batting has been fantastic, led by Rohit Sharma at the top, who's blazing away and scoring runs at will and at a furious pace.
00:25 Then there is, of course, Virat Kohli, the master run chaser, and also in terrific form.
00:29 But I think the story of India's success actually revolves around the bowling.
00:34 The bowling attack has been absolutely fantastic.
00:37 From the first match against Australia, where they bowled them out for 199, to the last match that they won,
00:43 it's just been one power-packed performance after the other.
00:47 And it's the completeness of the attack, the variety that is available, and of course, the skills that they bring.
00:54 And especially the fast bowlers, just with Bumrah, there were some doubts whether he'll come back strongly enough after his injury.
01:00 He was out for a long while.
01:02 There's Mohammad Shami, who was actually not in the original playing XI.
01:07 You know, he just came back, he came in the last two matches and he's taken nine wickets already.
01:12 There's no Hardik Pandya, so there was more pressure on Shami and he's been brilliant.
01:17 And then there's Mohammad Siraj, maybe not as many wickets as Bumrah and Shami,
01:22 but feisty, aggressive, energetic, Kuldeep Yadav, bowling his Chinaman and baffling and bewildering batsmen.
01:30 And then of course, there's Sir Ravindra Jadeja, accurate as ever, giving nothing away to the batsmen.
01:36 So, this is a bowling attack which actually should get more credit for taking India to this very strong position.
01:42 Remember also, and I need to emphasize this, that if you look at the last two World Cups, 2019 and 2015,
01:49 where in 2015 India didn't lose a single match till the semi-final day we lost to Australia and we were out of the World Cup.
01:55 In 2019 we lost only one match, reached the semis and we lost.
01:59 And we lost not because the bowlers fared badly in either of the matches, but because the batsmen flopped.
02:04 So, while there is so much attention on the batsmen and it's well deserved from the way Rohit and Kohli have been batting, certainly,
02:12 and the great depth that we have, but it's the bowlers who have been taking India places in ICC tournaments.
02:19 And let's not forget that.
02:21 So, I think, while we watch the Indian team and they're performing fabulously as a unit,
02:27 pay attention to the bowlers because that's where the strength of this Indian team is coming through.
02:33 Bowlers win matches, or as they say, batsmen can win matches, bowlers win you tournaments.
02:40 And therefore, I think this is the time of the tournament where the Indian bowlers will be in far sharper focus.
02:50 [END]
02:53 (dramatic music)