Why Kuldeep Yadav Played Over Ravi Bishnoi In 2nd T20I Vs SA? Sunil Gavaskar Speaks
Suryakumar Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi (Indianexpress.com)
After the first matchup of the three-game T20 series between India and South Africa got washed due to incessant rainfall, the teams clashed for the second game on Tuesday.
Interestingly, the Indian side led by Suryakumar Yadav dropped leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who recently dethroned Afghanistan stalwart Rashid Khan to become the No.1 bowler of the T20 format.
Bishnoi bagged the Man of the Series award after clipping nine wickets in the recently concluded five-game series against Australia. It was only after his heroics against the Aussies that Bishnio jumped seven places in the world rankings.
However, the recent snub during the South African series surprises many. Veteran off-spinner Ravindra Jadeja came in for Ravi Bishnoi as the team's specialist spinner.
Sunil Gavaskar Supports Bishnoi's Axing
Having said that, former Indian captain and legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar supported Suryakumar's decision. He noted that Bishnoi may be the no.1 bowler in the world, but he is not yet established in international cricket.
The leggie is still finding his footing and has a long way to go before becoming the team's regular choice for overseas tours.
Gavaskar also explained that the pitch condition of St George's Park also didn't suit Ravi Bishnoi's bowling style. He believes that if a pitch offers some turn or even the slightest amount of help to the spinners, Jadeja is an ideal choice. It's because he bowls flat, thus disallowing the batter to come down the pitch to attack him.
On the contrary, Bishnoi tends to bowl fast, which is exactly what the batters want. Fast deliveries on a good pitch are nothing less than a paradise for the batters.
"Ravi Bishnoi... still finding his feet at the international level. Yes, he is the No. 1 T20 bowler in the world but again, if you get stuck into him, sometimes you tend to see him bowl faster and quicker. The faster you bowl on a good pitch, it gets that much easier for the batters because the pace is exactly what they are looking for," Gavaskar said to the host broadcaster.
That being said, the bowling unit shuffle remained ineffective as India got hammered during the chase. In a rain-affected game, South Africa chased down the revised target with seven deliveries to spare. Ironically, Jajdeja went wicketless while leaking 28 runs in 2.5 overs.
 "Akshita Patel")
