Shivam Dube's bowling lacks confidence: Ex-India batter wants India to fix key issue
India Today
T20 World Cup: Aakash Chopra warned that Shivam Dube's bowling is becoming a concern for India. Ahead of the must-win clash against West Indies, fixing the sixth bowling option could prove crucial to their semi-final hopes.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has warned that India must address their sixth bowling option after Shivam Dube’s expensive outing against Zimbabwe. Despite India’s commanding win, Chopra felt Dube’s lack of control with the ball remains a concern ahead of their must-win Super 8 clash against West Indies.
India’s batting powered them to a massive 254 against Zimbabwe in Chennai, but the bowling performance was far from flawless. Zimbabwe, led by a strong 97-run knock from Brian Bennett, still managed to reach 184 for 6 after a slow start, exposing gaps that stronger teams could exploit.
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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said India cannot afford uncertainty in their sixth bowler, especially with West Indies’ explosive hitters awaiting them.
“Shivam Dube has conceded 113 runs in seven overs in the last three games. He conceded 46 runs in two overs in this game, 32 runs in two overs in the previous game, and 35 runs in three overs in the game before that. The problem is that he is needed to bowl because he is the sixth bowler,” Chopra said.
“Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma's bowling is not going to work here. So Shivam Dube being so expensive as the sixth bowler is a problem. That means no one can have a bad day because you want only five bowlers to be used. If you need a sixth, Shivam Dube has no confidence whatsoever right now,” he added.
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