Harshal Patel reveals go-to weapon for T20 World Cup 2022 amidst ineffective death bowling claims

Harshal Patel in action for India (Source: Twitter)

India’s pace bowling attack has been severely criticised on their lead-up to the T20 World Cup 2022. The team sustained back-to-back shock defeats to Pakistan and Sri Lanka to crash out of the 2022 Asia Cup in UAE.

Even though the ‘Men in Blue’ won their subsequent home series against Australia and South Africa, their pace attack was severely exposed on the high-scoring Indian tracks.

Team India will now head into the tournament without their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who continues to recover from his back injury.

Amidst the rising concerns regarding India’s pace attack, Harshal Patel has given his take on how he can tackle the conditions in Australia to his advantage.

Harshal Patel looking to out-fox batters with slower ones

Harshal Patel is one of the finest exponents of the slower-ball. The speedster rose to prominence during the 2021 IPL season, where he emerged as the ‘Purple Cap’ winner of the tournament while playing for the RCB.

Patel made his international debut later that same year, and has represented the side in 23 matches thus far. While he is yet to play a single game in Australia, the 31-year-old seems to have laid out his plans in order to tackle the challenges he will be facing in the country.

The right-arm bowler is looking forward to sticking to his strengths by bowling his special slower-ones at the showpiece event.

While speaking with ESPNCricinfo, Patel said:

“It (slower balls) works on better pitches with better bounce, where even if you fail to deceive the batter in the air, sometimes what happens is, it sort of just kicks enough on you [as a batter] and that doesn't allow you to get timing and trajectory in the shot - it goes higher rather than flatter.”

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