Former Indian captain Kapil Dev brushed aside concerns over the below-par performance of Indian captain Virat Kohli and strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand.
Kapil was speaking on the sidelines of an event of the HCL Foundation (HCLF), the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of HCL Technologies. The event was organised by HCL Foundation to announce the recipients of the fifth edition of HCL Grant, with grants being given to NGOs working in the fields of environment, education and healthcare.
He said that the duo’s class is permanent and it is just a matter of time before they get back to scoring runs and taking wickets respectively. “Why should we be worrying at all? Virat is a great player and great players come back much stronger. He will bounce back. I have no doubt,” said Kapil.
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“When you go through injury it takes time,” he said about Bumrah. “He is a very fine bowler. I think it won't take him very long to come back. As we say in cricket, for a batsman it takes it takes just one good innings and for a bowler one good spell to be back in form.”
He said that NZ offered tough conditions for any visiting team and overcoming them was never easy. “NZ is a difficult place to play in. The grounds are crooked and not straight or oval-shaped.” However, he praised the Kiwis for a fine show at home. “They are one of the teams who do not have big names but as a team they are a very committed group of players.”
The Indian batsmen were found wanting against the short-pitched bowling of the Kiwi pace quartet of Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Colin de Grandhomme and Kyle Jamieson. But Kapil dismissed it saying, “Haven't we won on bouncy wickets before, in Perth or Melbourne?” But he acknowledged that the Indian batsmen’s failure to counter seam and swing in the Wellington Test did lead to their downfall. “That’s why they lost the first Test. If they had worked hard on that, they wouldn’t have lost the match. But they are professional players and will come back stronger in the next Test. If not, then we must give credit to New Zealand for playing the way they did.”
On the issue of former skipper MS Dhoni’s future and possible return to India squad for the T20 World Cup later this year, Kapil was clear that even if Dhoni does well in the upcoming edition of the IPL, it need not necessarily guarantee him a place in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. “Dhoni is not the lone player who will be playing the IPL. I look for younger, exciting talent who can come through and play for India. Dhoni has played for last 10 years and is in the last leg of his career.
“As an MSD fan, I would like to see him play [for India]. But, as a cricketer, I know it depends on the team management. He has not played cricket for a full year. What do you expect selectors to do?”
The Haryana Hurricane did not agree with Kohli’s views on scheduling. The skipper had criticised the packed scheduling going into the NZ tour, saying it was reaching a point where players were landing at the stadium from one series to another. “No, that’s not true. If they think so, then don’t play IPL.
“Representing your country is a different feeling all together. You cannot choose club over country. I am not looking into the players’ pockets to see how much they earn but if they feel they need a break then don’t play IPL.”
