Former India coach Saba Karim feels Arshdeep Singh has a “technical deficiency” in his bowling after the pacer delivered five no-balls against Sri Lanka in the second T20I on Thursday. Arshdeep’s problem with off-balls forced captain Hardik Pandya to underuse him in the match, which India lost by 16 runs at Pune’s MCA Stadium. While speaking to NDTV, Karim questioned the team management’s decision to give Arshdeep a long rest after the T20 World Cup, adding that a bowler like him needs regular playing time to keep up with him.
“Yes, it has a technical deficiency. It’s up to Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach) to figure out why he’s going overboard. There may be several reasons. It usually happens when you lose the rhythm in the race. What was the need to give him such a long rest? Why didn’t he go to Bangladesh to play some games? Has he played any domestic cricket since he returned? He is such a fluid bowler and he needs to play as many matches as he can,” Karim said.
Karim suggested that Arshdeep needs to get back to basics, which will eventually help him catch up on his lost pace.
“Once you’re on the field, you have to be on top of your brand. You can’t be rusty. But that did not happen with Arshdeep. He needs to find the rhythm in the race. If it happens from time to time one can understand. But, in a T20 game, you can’t shoot 6-7 without balls. He needs to get back to basics and I’m sure he can find a much better rhythm,” he added.
Arshdeep bowled just two overs, finishing the match with figures of 0/37, in just 2 overs.
With the series tied 1-1, India will have a job on their hands to take on the reigning Asian Cup champions in the series decider.
The third and final T20I will be played in Rajkot on Saturday, January 7.
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