Former Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman and cricketer Ramiz Raja has made a bold assertion regarding India's bowling attack following their victory over New Zealand, claiming that they have constructed it in a similar fashion to Pakistan's.
After posting a colossal score of 234/4 in 20 overs, India steamrolled the visiting team's batting order in Ahmedabad, bowling them out for a meager 66. Shubman Gill (126*) and Hardik Pandya (30 & 4/16) were the stars of the night, with the former earning the Player of the Match award for his outstanding performance with the bat.
The Indian team played without its star duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in T20Is this year; both had been rested, but there have been growing speculations about their future in the format. Nevertheless, Hardik Pandya led the side with aplomb in both T20I series in 2022, with India's bowling attack rising to the occasion under the 28-year-old captain's guidance. His leadership and tactical acumen enabled the team to perform admirably in the absence of their two star players.
The performance pleased former PCB Chairman Raja, who took to his YouTube channel to proclaim, as reported by the Hindustan Times, that the Indian team had studied Pakistan's bowling attack and adopted a similar approach. The former cricketer further highlighted the similarities between Umran Malik and Haris Rauf to bolster his assertion.
“I often feel India took a look at Pakistan and designed their bowling attack the same way. Umran Malik has pace just like Haris Rauf, Arshdeep brings the left-arm angle like Shaheen Afridi. Wasim Jr. chips in during the middle-overs and so does Hardik Pandya, both have the same pace as well. Shivam Mavi also plays the role of a supporting bowler,” Ramiz said on his official YouTube channel.
“India's spin department is a bit better than Pakistan. I always look at what Pakistan need to improve whenever I see both sides playing,” the former PCB chairman further said.
India's bowling performance bodes well for the team in the upcoming ODI World Cup year. The highly anticipated 50-over tournament is scheduled to take place in India in October-November 2023, and the team is sure to be ready to take on the challenge.
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