IND vs AUS: "Harshal Patel Is A Worry If Pitches In Australia For T20 World Cup Are Flat, Bouncy" - Sanjay Manjrekar

India’s speedster Harshal Patel was taken to the cleaners by Aussies batters as the pacer conceded 49 runs in 4 overs. The pacer is coming back from the injury and hasn’t played competitive Cricket since South Africa T20I Series. The pacer’s short ball deliveries weren’t effective nor were his cutters where.

Harshal Patel is known for his death bowling but it looks like the pacer would need a little bit more time to get back into the groove. We have seen that Bhuvneshwar is not suited to death bowling and in all this chaos the performance of the team is getting ruined.

Sanjay Manjrekar on Harshal Patel

Sanjay Manjrekar was seen having an interaction with Sports18 and was asked about Harshal Patel. “Harshal is someone we’ve seen for a number of years. We’ve seen him in the IPL as well. He’s a guy who rebels when the pitch is dry when his slower ball becomes really slow and becomes very difficult to play,”  said Manjrekar

“Last time his slower balls were going at around 120kmph. So, it’s not a huge drop in pace. So, Harshal is a worry if the pitch is flat, bouncy and pacy. That’s what you’ll get in Australia. So that’s another thing that India will be mindful of, the skills of Harshal in Australia,” Manjrekar added

“The bowling issues will be easily addressed with Mohammed Shami being available and Bumrah coming back. So, there were real important positives. After the Asia cup, I was slightly disheartened and pessimistic. But after this loss to Australia, I’m not that depressed,” he concluded.

Third Seamer Conundrum for Management

We have seen in Asia Cup 2022 how Arshdeep used to be immaculate in his line & length. As Arshdeep is rested for this T20I Series, Harshal has to prove that he is still one of the best in the business else he may lose his spot in the side.

The Men in Blue would be hoping that Harshal finds his mojo quickly because he has been quite instrumental after the T20 World Cup 2021. There’s no doubt that Bhuvneshwar & Bumrah can rattle any opposition on the given day but there are ‘n’ chances that both may have an off day; in that scenario the role of 3rd seamer becomes critical.

Also Read: IND vs AUS: Hardik Pandya’s Sarcastic ‘Unhe Wahi Na Rok Lete’ Reply To Reporter’s Question On Harshal Patel After India’s Loss In 1st T20I