Shikhar Dhawan has called Bhuvneshwar Kumar the best death bowler in the world and credited India’s pace attack for getting the job half-done after a comprehensive six-wicket win over New Zealand in the must-win second One Day International at Pune.
Bhuvneshwar’s 3/45 led an inspired Indian bowling effort to restrict the Black Caps to a modest 230/9 after Kane Williamson opted to bat first at the MCA Stadium on Wednesday.
“230 is not too much in these times. The bowlers bowled really well and the fielders backed them up well. The bowlers had done half the job actually for us. The pressure of chasing 230 is naturally always less compared to chasing 300. It’s good that we are on a winning run,” the opener said at the post-match conference.
Dhawan made an 84-ball 68, and together with Dinesh Karthik (64 off 92) finished the chase in 46 overs.
The batsman further lavished praise on Bhuvneshwar who did the damage with both new and old ball in Pune, and got the important wickets of openers Martin Guptill (11) and Colin Munro (10) early. His dismissal of Munro with a stunning knuckleball was especially noteworthy.
“He has raised his bar and I feel he is at a very high level,” Dhawan said of Bhuvneshwar. “His control over his bowling is very good, not just at the start but other variations. Even when he bowls the slower ball and knuckle ball, he makes sure he lands it in the right area. The way he got that left-hander out [Munro], it was because he pitched that ball in the right area,” he added.
“Even when comes in the death overs, he is the best bowler in the world I guess, the way he bowls yorkers. I have seen him in the IPL and in the Indian team, he has bowled consistently well. He has improved a lot and I feel that he has got a lot of belief in himself, that’s what is showing out there,” he said.
The batsman expressed surprise at New Zealand’s decision to bat first given the Pune track’s history, but insisted that it was not an easy pitch either. The MCA track was caught in controversy hours before the match after a sting operation by a TV channel.
“There was no seam movement when India bowled, that’s what I think. I guess we played their pacers better than they [played our pacers]. I was a bit surprised with their decision to bat first because there could be dew in the evening usually during this time.
“But it wasn’t a bad track to bat on even in the first innings. When we were batting we thought it slowed down a bit, the ball wasn’t coming that nicely, the way it should,” Dhawan said.
The opener also praised fellow half-centurion Dinesh Karthik, who made an unbeaten half-century.
“He has worked hard and scored so many runs in domestic cricket that he is being rewarded and has made a place in the team again. He is one of the best middle-order players with the skills and shots he has, and he is proving himself. The way he played the knock today and in the last game when the team was in trouble, his 30-35 runs, were beneficial,” he said.
