Former Indian cricketer and celebrated commentator, Navjot Singh Sidhu, has highlighted significant positives for Team India from their first three games in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team defeated the USA in their Group A match and qualified for the Super-8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 on June 12 in New York. Analyzing India’s performance at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, Sidhu pointed out a shift in the team’s dynamics.
Navjot Singh Sidhu Hails India’s bowling heroics in T20 World Cup 2024
He said that Team India has been traditionally reliant on their star-studded batting line-up, but this time their bowling has emerged as the match-winner in the mega ICC event. Sidhu praised the collective efforts of the Men in Blue, comparing them to a herd, where every member contributes to the team’s win.
He emphasized the strength of bowling partnerships, particularly highlighting the synergy between Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. The commentator pointed out that Arshdeep’s early breakthroughs in the matches, like his two quick wickets against the USA, set the tone and complemented Bumrah’s impact from the other end in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
Navjot Singh Sidhu said about the positives for India at the T20 World Cup 2024 so far on Star Sports: ‘India’s batting has been winning us matches for such a long time. However, it’s the first time bowling has won India every match. The positive for me is that the Indian team is playing as a herd. The wolves will always hunt in packs. Now it’s no longer a pair, it’s now become a pack. It’s a herd of five or six people and someone or the other raises his hand every time.’
However, Sidhu acknowledged India’s historical focus on individual stars like Bumrah, but he highlighted newfound strength in combinations, saying not only Bumrah and Arshdeep are not winning games for India, but contributions from all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and spinners strengthen their competitive edge in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
India’s team effort augurs well for their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign: Sidhu
He noted that a transition from reliance on star individuals to a balanced and potent team effort augurs well for India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, as the Men in Blue are aiming to end their ICC trophy drought this time by winning the prestigious cup in Barbados. India will play their final Group A game against Canada on June 15 in Florida.
Sidhu further said, ‘We talk about Bumrah every time but Bumrah becomes doubly strong when Arshdeep bowls from the other end. Once Arshdeep took two wickets in the first over, they (USA) could never emerge from there. Bumrah alone and Arshdeep alone are nothing, it’s the combination of Hardik Pandya and then those two spinners.’
As the Super-8 matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in the Caribbean Islands, the former Indian cricketer said that the conditions will change in the West Indies and it will be the turn of the spinners to come into the action.
Sidhu mentioned that the four spinners India picked for the tournament will have to come to the forefront and win the matches for the team in the next round of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. He signed off by saying, ‘I feel the situations will change, but India has an answer for every situation.’
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