Indian Shivam Dubey (PTI Photo)
India may have had a comfortable win over Zimbabwe, but things did not go well that night. All-rounder Shivam Dube had a tough spell with the ball, leaking 46 runs in just two overs as the sixth option bowling.
Although he had previously made useful contributions when called upon by captain Suryakumar Yadav, this outing has been far from ideal.Dobie seemed to lack rhythm and control, struggling to maintain a consistent line and length. He failed to hit the sidebar regularly and compounded matters with four crosses and a couple of balls. Fortunately for India, net run rate is no longer a factor in the semi-final equation. Otherwise, such an expensive talisman can create complications.
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Former India opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth analyzed the performance in his ‘Cheeky Cheeka’ offering, admitting it was a batting-friendly surface but raising concerns about the Dube’s accuracy.“I don’t think the bowling was a concern. It was a good batting trajectory. My only concern is the sixth offspinner. Did you see where Dube was bowling? He was bowling the sixth off stump. He was on the sixth off stump. He was on the wickets,” he said on the show ‘Cheeky Cheeka’.
Srikkanth suggested that India’s large total allowed them the freedom to experiment and bowl extra overs for Dube, as the primary goal was victory rather than boosting the net run rate.“I think they had the luxury of running backs, so they wanted to provide some bowling practice. The question of net run rate was out the window. It was just about winning the game,” he added.Looking to the future, the former skipper expressed confidence in India’s balance and depth, insisting that the team remains firmly on the right track despite the previous defeat to South Africa.“I said that even after losing to South Africa, India will win in Chennai and will be on their way to winning the trophy. They are an armed team. Arshdeep is playing well, Bumrah is good, Varun and Hardik are good. You will not need to try six players against West Indies. If need be, we can look at it when the semi-final comes,” he said.