ICC World Cup 2019 | India won’t go the distance if wrist spinners don’t perform, says Monty Panesar
BCCI
Monty Panesar issued a word of caution to the Indian cricket team as he claimed that if wrist spinners - Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal - don’t perform, India won’t make it to the final. Virat Kohli & Co. succumbed to a disheartening 31-run loss at the hands of England at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Former England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar has issued a warning to the Indian management regarding the form of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. Panesar warned that if the Indian duo endures a bad day on the pitch, India will not make it to the World Cup title.
Kuldeep and Chahal were hammered for 160 runs in their combined 20 overs on Sunday, with the Haryana leg-spinner’s 0/88 in 10 overs being the worst figures by an Indian bowler in the World Cup.
“I guess, they are going to have a bad day at some point in time. It shows when both don’t bowl well in tandem then India can’t go the distance.
“For India to do well, it is crucial that at least one of the two spinners perform in all the games. If both do well, it’s great but today was a great example when England batsmen got on top of them from the start,” Panesar told PTI in a recent interview.
Panesar, who picked up 167 wickets from 50 Test matches, heaped praise on the English opening pair of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow who put up a 160-run partnership for the opening wicket.
“Bairstow and Roy were fearless. They took nice big strides, had strong base (balance) and anything flighted, they just went at it. They weren’t scared of the flight and took the aerial route.
“I know as a spinner, it makes it so difficult. Then (Ben) Stokes came in and played those 360 degree shots,” he said, referring to the 59-metre boundary on one side. You start thinking, ‘Oh, should I put two covers or one cover? Do I place a mid-wicket to stop a single or put one at the cover boundary’?” “Once you get smashed, you enter that phase of ‘Shall I do this or shall I do that, go to the captain for advice’, it disturbs your rhythm. Then you tend to go flatter, and that’s when batsmen go on top,” Panesar added.
