IND vs SA: If India Wants To Win ODIs, Tournaments, And World Cups, They Need Wicket-Taking Bowlers In The Middle-Overs – Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has said that the Indian team need to have wicket-taking bowlers in the middle overs to win the One Day Internationals and ICC Tournaments.

India lost the second ODI of the three-match ODI series against South Africa by 7 wickets. Defending the target of 288, Indian bowlers looked clueless against the Proteas batting unit and they picked the first wicket at the score of 132.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former spinner said that the Indian team need to figure out which spinners will get them wickets in the middle overs. Harbhajan Singh said:

“I have been saying for years that if India wants to win ODIs, tournaments, and World Cups, they need wicket-taking bowlers in the middle-overs. This happened in the World Cup (presumably the 2021 T20 World Cup), where we lost because we couldn’t take wickets in the middle overs.

“Whenever your spinners or other middle-overs bowlers won’t take wickets in the 15-40 overs, the match will slip out of your hands. I believe Team India needs to figure out which spinners will get them wickets. Even if they give 60 runs in 8 overs or 70 in 9 overs, doesn’t matter, but they should get three wickets. You won’t be successful without taking wickets in the middle-overs.”

Harbhajan Singh added that winning the third game of the ODI series against South Africa is very important for the Indian team for a bit of inner peace. He asserted:

“Now, winning the third match is very important for the Indian team because when you play a tournament and you know you have lost, winning the last match for a bit of inner peace feels good. I hope the Indian team brings some changes in the bowling department and bring in bowlers that try to take wickets and not stop runs.”

Asking him to bat at No.5-6 is a difficult thing for him – Harbhajan Singh on Venkatesh Iyer

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh opined that the all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer needs to open the innings for the Indian team whenever he is part of the playing XI as asking him to bat at No.5-6 is a difficult thing for him.

He added that batting at No.5-6 and finishing the matches is not an easy job and Harbhajan also mentioned that India have still not found the replacements for Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni.

“There’s been a lot of talk about whether Venkatesh Iyer should play or not. I feel that if you want to play him, get him to open the innings because he’s an opener. Asking him to bat at No.5-6 is a difficult thing for him because if you are expecting him to bat how he did in the IPL then you are forgetting that he did that as an opener.

“There’s a different pressure at No.5-6 that’s why MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh are such big players because they have won so many matches from those positions and perhaps India still hasn’t found their replacement.”

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