ICC World Cup 2019 | India far better than Pakistan, believes Kapil Dev

ICC World Cup 2019 | India far better than Pakistan, believes Kapil Dev

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Prior to the Indo-Pak World Cup encounter on Sunday at Manchester, Kapil Dev has stated that the current Indian team is far better than the Pakistani side. The second-ranked ODI side enjoys a win-record of 6-1 against the sixth-ranked side across all formats in the last five years.

India and Pakistan have played 131 ODIs against each other in which the latter has an upper hand with 73 wins while the former has won only 54 games. However, things have changed drastically over the years and India is a far better team now. In the last five years, India have won six matches against Pakistan while the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side have only won one match that is the Champions Trophy 2017 final. 

Kapil Dev feels that the current Pakistani team is no match to their Indian counterparts unlike earlier times.

“But I feel when I was playing the Pakistan team was much better than us. Today I can say that if they play ten matches, India will win seven. India are far better than Pakistan,” he said, reported Scroll.

India has traditionally been a strong batting side with a weaker bowling attack, however, the pace trio of top-ranked Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami are regarded among the best in the world now. Dev feels that India has come a long way with respect to its pace bowling stocks.  

“When you don’t have something and you get it, you feel proud about that. That is what has happened to the Indian team in the last 15 years is that bowlers started coming up. Often all cricketers say bowlers win matches,” he asserted.

Jasprit Bumrah had first made his presence felt in the Indian Premier League when he made his debut for Mumbai Indians in 2013 without any domestic cricket experience. On the back of his excellent performance in the next few seasons, he was fast-tracked into the Indian team in 2016. Many experts, including Dev himself, had claimed that the Gujarat bowler won’t last long given his unique bowling action. Bumrah, however, proved everyone wrong, as pointed out by the 1983 World Cup-winning captain.

“When I saw him Bumrah for the first time, I didn’t think he’ll have this ability. I have changed my word, (which) would say that he is really fantastic. From such a short and such an awkward run-up (he can generate) so much pace. I just want him to be fit for the next five years,” expressed the 60-year-old.

When asked to compare his captaincy with that of the current Indian skipper Virat Kohli, the legendary all-rounder modestly stated that he is no match to the run-machine.

“Virat Kohli? he is too good. I don’t think I can compare myself with him. He is really good. He is the number one player in the world,” asserted the cricketer turned commentator.

MS Dhoni’s army insignia on his wicket-keeping gloves had cooked up a storm after the ICC had asked for its removal. Kapil reckoned that Dhoni himself might have not realised that it would turn out to become such a huge issue.

“It is not a controversy and he showed a feeling within him to put a logo there and we have to go with the system. I don’t think he realised that it is going to be such a big thing, you have to go through the system or the law. I respect Dhoni and he showed passion and love for his country and the army and that is nothing wrong in that,” he signed off.

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