Former India player turned commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu has picked the bowlers’ match-winning performances as one of India’s positives in the 2024 World Cup so far as well. He added that the Indian team playing like a cohesive unit has yielded them rich dividends as well.
“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,” he shared.
Meanwhile, the former India opener stated that Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh have formed a formidable seam-bowling pair and have been doing well since then. Arshdeep registered figures of 4/9 against the USA and was awarded the Player of the Match. Bumrah, on the other hand, was the Player of the Match in India’s wins against Ireland and Pakistan as well.
“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,” Sidhu further added.
Navjot Sidhu added that the conditions might be different in the Super 8 stage but he believes that India have the resources for all conditions.
“When you will go to the West Indies from here, the conditions will change and it will be the turn of the spinners. Then the four spinners you have will have to come to the forefront. I feel the situations will change but India have an answer for every situation. It’s a team that is emerging. Wins are never achieved without a cohesive unit. That’s the point that I want to take. It’s Team India that is performing to the epitome. There is only one team that has dominated this pool (matches in New York). South Africa have done to an extent but they had very close matches. India – miles ahead,” Navjot Singh Sidhu concluded.
