Published: Jul 11, 2015, 07:30 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 11, 2015, 12:04 AM (IST)
India got out of jail against Zimbabwe in the first One-Day International (ODI) at Harare Sports Club to win by four runs. Nikhil Popat relives the action just to celebrate the fact India found its best death bowler in Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
He’s no Mitchell Starc to hustle through and beat you for your pace, nor is he Trent Boult who uses the crease with movement in the air to beat the batsmen on the fuller ones. He’s medium paced, slow but he does the job asked of him and he bailed India out of trouble in the first ODI against Zimbabwe at Harare—meet the best Indian death bowler in Bhuvneshwar Kumar. READ: Stuart Binny’s all-round show, Ambati Rayudu help India beat Zimbabwe by 4 runs in 1st ODI at Harare
Kumar had a dream start to his career taking a wicket of the very first ball of his career, it was a perfect length ball outside off, little bit of swing in and Mohammad Hafeez had his off stump knocked back. Bhuvneshwar, India and Hafeez have come a long way since then.
He’s been MS Dhoni’s go to bowler in all formats of the game, it is no surprise that he has the backing of the captain, when he said: “Apart from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, we don’t have many bowlers who can control the innings and smart enough to know what is working for them.” There was a lot of talk about India not using pace bowlers but that has been the issue with India, the pace bowlers have lacked control, and you need to hone your skills to survive in international cricket.
Buvneshwar started off as a bowler, who could just be bowled at the start of the innings on helpful pitches but over the time, he has himself taken the initiative to get back to basics and learn to bowl the Yorkers. And the result was there for India to see, as he bowled the best over of his one-day career till date to bail India out of trouble. PHOTOS: India vs Zimbabwe 2015, 1st ODI at Harare
India were struggling at 87 for five when Ambati Rayudu (124) and Stuart Binny (77) resurrected India’s innings to post a good total on the board, 255. This was a second-string side but India must have backed themselves when they had Zimbabwe 142 for five at the end of 33 overs. But Elton Chigumbura was holding fort for them and managing to find the gaps and score runs at will.
It came down to 18 in 12 balls as Chigumbura neared his ton. Zimbabwe had done the hard work it was time to get past the finish line. It is a cliché in cricket when they say that you do well until you come closer to target and get the feeling that you might actually win the game, you tend to get ahead of the game and that is what seemed to have happened with Zimbabwe. With 10 needed in 7 balls, Graeme Cremer went for a reverse paddle to get the ball past short third man and for a boundary.READ: Zimbabwe will fancy their chances against ‘second-string’ India
It might have been discussed between the two batsmen but the better ploy could have been to look for the boundary and not lose a wicket but just opposite of that happened and India got an opening. 10 needed in six balls, this is Zimbabwe’s game to lose, Chigumbura has already got past his ton now, there is no way he cannot win this game but this time he was up against a skilful bowler who knew his craft well enough and played to his limitations than trying the fancy variations. READ: India tour of Zimbabwe 2015: Will the Ajinkya Rahane gamble work?
Rahane came over to have a chat with his strike bowler, this was his first ODI as Indian captain, India had just lost a series to Bangladesh, there were players from this side who were there when India lost that game, the feeling must have returned to haunt Rahane, he was dropped from the side after India lost the first ODI to Bangladesh. This cannot go the same way he must have thought. They discuss the field, Kumar has the ball.
He rarely looks flustered; he probably never likes to show much emotion. He just wants to do the job he has been asked to do. First ball, a leg stump yorker but not unlike last over that gave Chigumbura elevation to get a boundary, this was dipping, a couple taken. Eight needed in five balls.
Kumar does not try anything fancy, he knew he had missed the line, he got the next yorker right, on off, Chigumbura could only drive it hard to sweeper cover for a single. Seven needed from four balls, Chigumbura had realised by now that his best bet would be to take the rest of the balls since this was the new man Donald Tiripano, had he had Cremer he would not have worried much but that wicket, dented his hope, his trust on Tiripano. READ: Sikandar Raza: Dav Whatmore has made Zimbabwe play better cricket
Kumar then bowls another leg stump, tailing on the leg stump, he was going for the glory ball on middle, but he was not wayward, just drifted a bit and a single resulted. Chigumbura had the strike back, 6 needed in three balls; you knew this could get over with one, one hit.
Kumar was under pressure, he bowls a full toss, but again this was dipping on Chigumbura, who mistimed it to long off. No runs taken, Chigumbura knew he could not leave anything to others. He had to do it himself, he had done the very same throughout the innings. Six needed in two balls. READ: India vs Zimbabwe 2015: Visitors face batting order conundrum
Rahane discussed the field with Kumar again, they do not fancy any change, Kumar knew he needed a dot ball first to get in with a real chance to winning the game. Low full toss outside off, hit hard but straight to Rahane at cover, who leapt onto the ball to stop it. Indians suddenly felt alive in the game. Inches away and this could have been a boundary but it was not. Six needed in one ball.
There is this one thing about cricket fans, they never trust their team to come good under pressure, around social media, everyone talked about Chigumbura doing a Javed Miandad. Elton had a century, he was set, a fairy tale ending, hitting the last ball for six. Indian fans are fickle too, Rahane though would have gone to reactions of to the loss before but nothing mattered now. Kumar got a bit of advice from Rahane at mid off, probably asking him to not bowl any extras.
But Kumar knew, he knows his job. Next ball, yorker on middle and leg, Chigumbura comes down but could not get the elevation to hit it over the long on fielder. India come together, they rejoiced and Kumar disappeared in the high-fives. Rahane looked relieved at the presentation post the game. He knew, India knew they got out of jail. READ: India tour of Zimbabwe 2015: Rahane, Harbhajan and other Indian cricketers to watch out
India are still alive in the series, Rayudu got the Man of the Match for setting up the game but somewhere Kumar will sit satisfied with his day at work. He saved India the blushes, the team knows it, the ones who watched know it. He is used to getting overshadowed by the ones who bowl at more pace than him but he can control the game and hence has the vote of the captain. Next time, India want a pace bowler, they might look at everyone but him, but at the end, it is him who will quietly come in, do his job and never complain. He’ s the unsung medium-paced strike bowler of India.
(Nikhil Popat is a cricket lover and a PotterHead. He can be followed on Twitter @CricCrazyNIKS)
