Former World Cup winning all-rounder Roger Binny did not mince words in criticising the Indian bowling for their performance against New Zealand in the final of the World Test Championship in Southampton.
Binny was highly critical of India’s bowling in the first innings on Day 3 of the Test where they allowed New Zealand to get to 101/2 at stumps. The bowlers had to work hard for wickets and even though India managed to pick two wickets, Binny reckons their performance was far from ideal.
“Watching the Indians bowl on Sunday (the third day of the Test), it was not the way to bowl in a Test in England. It was an absolute disgrace. What did the opposition do to you? What sort of a performance was this? They are playing a Test match,” Binny was quoted as saying by News18.
“When you bowl, you bowl in the batsman’s half. You don’t bowl in your half. They have to play the shots. The shorter you bowl, the more the ball seams. You have to attack to take wickets, not bowl defensively.”
The next day, India dished out a much-improved show with Mohammed Shami picking up 4/76 and Ishant Sharma claiming 3/48, which restricted New Zealand’s first-innings lead to 32. But it could have been prevented has India did not allow the opposition’s tail to wag. New Zealand’s last five batsmen accounted for 71 runs which proved crucial in the end.
“The Indian bowlers were bowling to contain them. I was very surprised with the way they bowled in a Test in England. The opposition knocks you over with seaming balls. All you have to do is watch them bowl and bowl the same way. You pitch the ball up. The Indian bowlers are not freshers. You are sitting and watching the NZ bowlers bowling to your batsmen. That is how you learn. Weren’t the Indians watching them how they did it?” Binny pointed out.
