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Hunting in pairs - the Bhuvi-Sran duo
19 Apr, 2016
Hunting in pairs - the Bhuvi-Sran duo
19 Apr, 2016
Hunting in pairs - the Bhuvi-Sran duo
Together they shared the responsibility of bowling with the new ball, together they created a dent in the Mumbai Indians batting line-up and together they rejoiced each wicket. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Barinder Sran took the onus of bowling up front for their side against the batting might of Mumbai Indians. While Kumar displayed a fine specimen of swing bowling and created the early breakthrough, Sran banked on the early jolt and created further inroads picking up three wickets.
The duo thrived on the conditions on offer, swung the ball to good effect and in the process helped the team restrict Mumbai Indians to 142. David Warner led by example and guided his side with a match-winning unbeaten 90 to register the first win of their season. Warner later applauded his bowlers’ efforts and gave them equal credit for the win. Quite obviously the Sran-Bhuvi duo was all smiles with the result and were more than willing to talk swing, new ball bowling, and their bowling partnership in a chat with IPLT20.com. Read on to find out more.
Winners are grinners
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: After losing the first two games, you are under pressure to get that first win of the season under your belt. We were very keen to get a win at home today. We wanted to win and get a comprehensive win. We are very happy with the result.
Barinder Sran: Winning is always a good feeling. It has been a great experience for me with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. It is my first IPL season and the atmosphere in the team is really good. I have great company in my fellow bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar and some seasoned campaigners like Ashish Nehra who are always there to advice my on my bowling. The coaching staff too has been really helpful who are there to guide me when it comes to fielding and bowling.
New ball joy
Kumar: New ball bowling is a big responsibility for any bowler because there are always expectations from you to give breakthroughs early on in the innings. As a new ball bowler if you can get a couple of wickets in the first six overs of the match, it rattles the opposition and they take time to recover from those early jolts. I enjoy bowling with the new ball because it is a challenge and you work hard towards being successful in it. It has been an enjoyable experience to bowl with Sran with the new ball. I hope this is the start of a new bowling partnership and we continue to do well for our team.
Sran: I enjoy bowling with Bhuvi with the new ball because he is someone from whom I learn a lot. I try to feed off him when it comes to swing bowling because we know that he can swing the ball really well. I try to learn about seam positions and the right lines and lengths to bowl with the new ball. I am still learning as much as I can from him when it comes to bowling early on in the innings.
Meetings and plan executions
Kumar: The plan is always to pick wickets with the new ball but a lot depends on what you strengths are as a bowler. Sran and myself both have the ability to swing the ball and I believe we didn’t quite swing the ball in the previous game. It was about realising that fact, talk it out in the team meeting about bowling to your strengths and execute your plans perfectly. If not for the complete duration of six overs, there is definitely swing in this pitch for the first two to three overs at least. There was a tinge of grass and if you couldn’t get the swing off the air, you could definitely get it off the pitch. The complete focus was towards swinging the ball in the first few overs and getting quick wickets to put them on the back foot. It feels good when your plans work out.
Sran: Our main plan was to pitch the ball in the right areas and concentrate on swinging the ball in the first few overs. Every team in the IPL has a strong batting line-up and you make different plans for different set of batsmen. Today was no different and it was all about executing what you had discussed as a team.
Sran - A young talent spotted early
Kumar: When we all saw him bowl at the nets, we always felt that he was talented and had the ability to swing the ball with a good height. To swing the ball from a good height is always an advantage. Then, when he played a few games in Australia and we saw him during those practice sessions, we could understand that he is capable of bowling at the international level as well.
Sran: For me, the tour of Australia was a great learning curve. You learn from each match you play be it in the domestic circuit or with the Indian team or the IPL right now. When you have someone like Bhuvi alongside you, it always helps a bowler in his growth.
Bhuvi’s piece of advice on the field
When Sran is bowling, I make it a point that I am always around mid-on or mid-off to tell him what kind of deliveries you can bowl, the batsman’s strengths. Small things like how the pitch is behaving and what are the areas you need to pitch the ball at. He is learning and will only get better with time. Tonight, all his three wickets were a treat to watch. I feel Jos Buttler’s wicket was pretty crucial because when Sran came to bowl in that 11th over, there could have been a possibility that they could score somewhere close to 160 had Buttler hung around.
Sran’s need of the hour - variations
The slower delivery is something that I am working on but the more I use it, I know that even the slower deliveries will be read by the batsmen well. I understand that I would have to add more variety in my bowling to be successful in the T20 format.
David Warner - a bowler’s captain
Kumar: He is totally a bowler’s captain and has never changed that outlook about himself. He leaves it completely to the thought process of the bowler and gives complete freedom. He does tell you a bit about possible changes but mostly he gives a free hand to the bowlers that gives confidence to the bowler.
Sran: He asks me to set my field, and bowl according to my plans. He always says do what you feel is right and bowl accordingly. He gives the bowlers immense confidence.
A quality you would take from each other
Kumar: I would definitely want his height (laughs)
Sran: I would want to take his ideas, the way he finds ways to get the batsman out. And, the different seam positions he uses during different stages of the game.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: After losing the first two games, you are under pressure to get that first win of the season under your belt. We were very keen to get a win at home today. We wanted to win and get a comprehensive win. We are very happy with the result.
Barinder Sran: Winning is always a good feeling. It has been a great experience for me with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. It is my first IPL season and the atmosphere in the team is really good. I have great company in my fellow bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar and some seasoned campaigners like Ashish Nehra who are always there to advice my on my bowling. The coaching staff too has been really helpful who are there to guide me when it comes to fielding and bowling.
New ball joy
Kumar: New ball bowling is a big responsibility for any bowler because there are always expectations from you to give breakthroughs early on in the innings. As a new ball bowler if you can get a couple of wickets in the first six overs of the match, it rattles the opposition and they take time to recover from those early jolts. I enjoy bowling with the new ball because it is a challenge and you work hard towards being successful in it. It has been an enjoyable experience to bowl with Sran with the new ball. I hope this is the start of a new bowling partnership and we continue to do well for our team.
Sran: I enjoy bowling with Bhuvi with the new ball because he is someone from whom I learn a lot. I try to feed off him when it comes to swing bowling because we know that he can swing the ball really well. I try to learn about seam positions and the right lines and lengths to bowl with the new ball. I am still learning as much as I can from him when it comes to bowling early on in the innings.
Meetings and plan executions
Kumar: The plan is always to pick wickets with the new ball but a lot depends on what you strengths are as a bowler. Sran and myself both have the ability to swing the ball and I believe we didn’t quite swing the ball in the previous game. It was about realising that fact, talk it out in the team meeting about bowling to your strengths and execute your plans perfectly. If not for the complete duration of six overs, there is definitely swing in this pitch for the first two to three overs at least. There was a tinge of grass and if you couldn’t get the swing off the air, you could definitely get it off the pitch. The complete focus was towards swinging the ball in the first few overs and getting quick wickets to put them on the back foot. It feels good when your plans work out.
Sran: Our main plan was to pitch the ball in the right areas and concentrate on swinging the ball in the first few overs. Every team in the IPL has a strong batting line-up and you make different plans for different set of batsmen. Today was no different and it was all about executing what you had discussed as a team.
Sran - A young talent spotted early
Kumar: When we all saw him bowl at the nets, we always felt that he was talented and had the ability to swing the ball with a good height. To swing the ball from a good height is always an advantage. Then, when he played a few games in Australia and we saw him during those practice sessions, we could understand that he is capable of bowling at the international level as well.
Sran: For me, the tour of Australia was a great learning curve. You learn from each match you play be it in the domestic circuit or with the Indian team or the IPL right now. When you have someone like Bhuvi alongside you, it always helps a bowler in his growth.
Bhuvi’s piece of advice on the field
When Sran is bowling, I make it a point that I am always around mid-on or mid-off to tell him what kind of deliveries you can bowl, the batsman’s strengths. Small things like how the pitch is behaving and what are the areas you need to pitch the ball at. He is learning and will only get better with time. Tonight, all his three wickets were a treat to watch. I feel Jos Buttler’s wicket was pretty crucial because when Sran came to bowl in that 11th over, there could have been a possibility that they could score somewhere close to 160 had Buttler hung around.
Sran’s need of the hour - variations
The slower delivery is something that I am working on but the more I use it, I know that even the slower deliveries will be read by the batsmen well. I understand that I would have to add more variety in my bowling to be successful in the T20 format.
David Warner - a bowler’s captain
Kumar: He is totally a bowler’s captain and has never changed that outlook about himself. He leaves it completely to the thought process of the bowler and gives complete freedom. He does tell you a bit about possible changes but mostly he gives a free hand to the bowlers that gives confidence to the bowler.
Sran: He asks me to set my field, and bowl according to my plans. He always says do what you feel is right and bowl accordingly. He gives the bowlers immense confidence.
A quality you would take from each other
Kumar: I would definitely want his height (laughs)
Sran: I would want to take his ideas, the way he finds ways to get the batsman out. And, the different seam positions he uses during different stages of the game.
