Sanjay Manjrekar rates Indian Pacers abilities ahead of World Cup
Former cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar rated India’s pacers based on skills and performances in Test, ODI, and T20I. This is because the pacers are expected to play an important role in winning the World Cup campaign.
Bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rated 10 out of 10 because of his skills, street smarts, and he is calm under pressure.
“You know he is a 360 degrees bowler as he has got all the tools in his box. He can bowl the Yorker, bouncer, he can bowl at 145 kmph and can get the new ball to move off the pitch. He also started bowling the out-swinger. He is street-smart and is calm under pressure. India is blessed to have a bowler like Bumrah,” said Manjrekar in an interview with ESPNcricinfo.
On the other hand, Manjrekar rated right-arm medium bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar with a 6 out of 10 because he has not played much cricket in the last year because of his injuries.
“In 50-overs cricket, we don’t quite see the best of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He has a great attitude and is someone who isn’t gifted. He has worked against all odds to make a contribution. He tends to strain at times in the death during 50-overs cricket due to his lack of pace and strength.”
The former batsman added that India is likely to drop Kumar for all-rounder Hardik Pandya because of his batting ability. “India is likely to drop Bhuvneshwar and get Hardik Pandya in because of the batting ability. He is a kind of bowler the world has seen a lot of.”
Meanwhile, Manjrekar rated bowler Mohammed Shami with an 8 out of 10. This is because until 2018, Shami was not part of the selection for the ODI team, until he rose through the ranks with his great wickets.
“Until the last year, Shami used to blow hot and cold. Earlier, he would bowl innocuous spells throughout the day and then suddenly bowl a great spell and get a couple of wickets in Test cricket. That has changed in the last 18 months as since then he has only blown hot and never cold,” said Manjrekar regarding Shami’s performances.
“I’ve never seen him bowling so consistently. He has lost a bit of weight, he is looking lean and his run-up has been the same right through. Shami has given the Indian bowling a different dimension,” continued Manjrekar.
India will start their World Cup campaign on July 5 against South Africa.
