IND vs ENG | Bhuvneshwar is the most skillful white-ball bowler in the world, claims Michael Vaughan
Bhuvi picked up two wickets in the ODI series opener
|BCCI
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has heaped praise on India's experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and termed him the most 'skillful bowler' in shorter formats of the game. He also feels that it has been a remarkable return by him at the top-level post injury and he makes batsmen think a lot.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been one of India's best white-ball bowlers over the years. But frequent injuries have deterred him from playing regularly for the country. Returning back from injury in the T20I series against England, the swing bowler impressed one and all as he had a brilliant economy rate of 6.39 and picked up four wickets, showcasing a good rhythm with the white ball in hand.Â
Even in the ODI series opener, the England openers had their share of difficulties against him when they were able to hammer all the other Indian bowlers with ease. He was the most economical bowler in the first game and ended up with decent figures of 2/30 in nine overs.Â
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has termed the seasoned Indian pacer the most 'skillful white-ball' bowler in the world. He feels that the Indian pacer has all the tricks up his sleeve to trouble the batsmen.Â
"Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the most skillful white-ball bowler in the world. I can't think of any other that bowls at 80-odd miles an hour and has that white ball moving as he does. There's no one I know that can just get the ball to subtly move like Kumar can. Whether it's outswinger, the inswinger, the cutters. He can bowl the yorkers and the bouncers,"Â Vaughan said on Cricbuzz, reported HT.
"Not often but when he wants to unsettle a batsman, he'll bowl a bouncer. I don't know of a more skillful bowler. At that pace around the world. When you think he's coming back from an injury, a remarkable comeback for Bhuvneshwar Kumar," he added.
The 2005 Ashes-winning English captain also reckoned that facing a genuine fast bowler is easier than facing someone like Bhuvi, who makes the batsmen think a lot with his top-notch skills.Â
"Give me someone bowling 90-odd miles an hour any day of the week. I'll face them with my eyes shut because I just like the pace. But with someone like Bhuvneshwar, you have to think so much. Everything has to be spot on in your timing. Because you know he'll be probing that front-foot, moving that ball either way. He can out skill you.Â
"He can bowl the balls that you necessarily can't prepare for. When you're facing real quick bowling, it's just your instincts taking over; you can just react and play. When you are facing someone like Bhuvneshwar, you really have to think hard as a batsman," concluded Vaughan.
