Dew Is A Factor That India Can Take Comfort From At T20 WC: Kumble
T20 World Cup: Indias spin trio of Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and vice-captain Axar Patel have been a class apart in the build-up to the ICC Mens T20 World Cup, and former India captain Anil Kumble believes the much-discussed dew factor is unlikely to significantly trouble them during the tournament. With the World Cup set to be played in February and March and several matches scheduled for late evenings, dew is expected to play a role. However, Kumble feels Indias spinners are experienced enough to handle the challenge. Dew is certainly going to play its part, especially during the time of the World Cup in February and March, with matches being played late in the evening. Its not going to be easy. As spinners, you tend to get used to bowling with a wet ball; its nothing new, Kumble said on JioHotstar. The former spinner, however, pointed out that Varun Chakaravarthy, in particular, may not be overly affected by the conditions due to his unique skill set. One aspect that India can certainly take comfort from is that I dont think it affects someone like Varun Chakaravarthy because of the grip he has on the ball and the pace at which he bowls. I dont think dew will bother him that much. Yes, its not the same as bowling with a dry ball, of course, but with a wet ball, I dont see Varun struggling too much. Similarly, Axar Patel should also be fine. The one person who might find it a bit more difficult is Kuldeep Yadav with a wet ball because of his bowling style. Having said that, Kuldeep is also used to bowling in these conditions, he added. Speaking on whether conditions should dictate Indias team selection, Kumble stressed the importance of backing the strongest possible playing XI rather than overthinking external factors. The dew shouldnt really matter; you should still look to play your best eleven regardless of the venue and conditions. If the best eleven on that surface, against the team India are playing, requires you to go with all three spinners, then so be it. If its just two spinners, then Varun will probably be slightly ahead of Kuldeep, especially if you know its going to be really wet when India bowl second, if that happens, he said. Kumble also weighed in on Indias chances of defending their T20 World Cup title at home, acknowledging the difficulty of retaining a trophy in the shortest format of the game. The dew shouldnt really matter; you should still look to play your best eleven regardless of the venue and conditions. If the best eleven on that surface, against the team India are playing, requires you to go with all three spinners, then so be it. If its just two spinners, then Varun will probably be slightly ahead of Kuldeep, especially if you know its going to be really wet when India bowl second, if that happens, he said. Also Read: Live Cricket Score India should certainly qualify for the semifinals, and from there on, its anybodys game. On that particular day, how the team performs will eventually matter. But I genuinely believe India have a great chance to win the World Cup and make it a truly special one by winning back-to-back titles, he added. Article Source: IANS
14 C
