WTC Final 2021: Simon Doull Explains Why The Indian Bowlers Weren't Swinging The Ball As Much Compared To New Zealand Pacers 

Former New Zealand seamer Simon Doull elucidates why the Indian bowlers swung much lesser compared to their New Zealand counterparts in the first innings of both teams in the ongoing WTC Final in Southampton.

By the end of Day 3, one of the pertinent doubt which baffled Indian fans was the lack of swing which their fast bowlers extracted compared to the ones which the Kiwi pacers did on Day 2, especially with the new Dukes ball in bowling-friendly conditions.

According to Cricviz, India’s new-ball bowlers – Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah – found even less than half of the swing movement in the first 10 overs which Trent Boult and Tim Southee did in that same phase.

On this matter, Simon Doull says that Indian pacers are not “genuine swing bowlers” as they are more of good length and seam movement extracting bowlers; while the Kiwi pacer bowled fuller lengths to attain the swing.

“They are not genuine swing bowlers. We know Jasprit Bumrah can swing the ball, Ishant is more of a swing bowler nowadays, coming round-the-wicket he has that angled wrist with which he takes the ball away from the left-handers, into the right-handers.

“Mohammed Shami has never really been a genuine swing bowler and he’s a seam bowler … That’s why they weren’t swinging the ball much,” Simon Doull told Cricbuzz.

“I did, however, expected the ball to seam a lot more. Shami and Bumrah at times found it but they probably weren’t just consistent enough much like New Zealand weren’t yesterday morning,” he added.

New Zealand went against England with the same preparation that India had coming into WTC Final: Simon Doull

Simon Doull further said that people are overthinking about New Zealand having an advantage over India that they have played 2 Tests matches, with England and won the series 1-0. The 51-year-old commentator reckons Kane Williamson’s side went into the England Test series with the same preparation as India came into the WTC Final.

“New Zealand went into the first Test at Lord’s against England, they had the very same preparation that India had coming into this Test – intra-squad matches, trainings, practices – and they looked pretty set and ready to go. Tim Southee bowled beautifully and Devon Conway came off ten days of the net session into a double hundred at Lord’s,” he added further.

“And I thought India would be exactly the same. I think at times you may overthink it and say, ‘Did they have enough preparation?’ I think they probably did. I am sure in the last 10-12 days they would have bowled enough deliveries to make sure they were raring to go.”

He, however, understands that the intra-squad practice match which India used as a warm-up isn’t the ideal preparation for a Test match.

“It’s hard, though, when you can’t simulate match practice. You try it in these intra-squad games but it just doesn’t work. And that’s the key – it’s the genuinely hard match practice that makes you better and gets you ready for those matchups,” Simon Doull concluded.

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