IND vs SL 2023: If you are coming after an injury, you should not be playing an international game – Gautam Gambhir on Arshdeep Singh’s no-ball issues

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir lashed out at Arshdeep Singh for bowling five no-balls against Sri Lanka in the second T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Thursday after the home team suffered a 16-run loss. Indian bowlers bowled a total of seven no-balls and they conceded 27 runs on free hits.

Singh had missed the first T20I due to illness and he was making a return to the team as he replaced Harshal Patel. However, the left-arm seamer bowled a hat-trick of no-balls in his first over, which went for 19 runs.

The youngster dismissed the Sri Lankan captain in the penultimate over when Shanaka was on 30 runs but Singh had once again overstepped the popping crease, giving a reprieve to the right-hander. Shanaka then went on to score 56 runs from 22 balls as that no-ball hurt India. Singh had an awful day at the office, conceding 37 runs in the two overs he bowled and also went wicketless.

India’s stand-in captain Hardik Pandya also said bowling no-balls at the International level is a crime.

Gautam Gambhir said on Star Sports, “Imagine seven balls, it’s like bowling more than 21 overs. Everyone bowls bad balls or plays bad shots but it’s about the rhythm. If you are coming after an injury, you should not be playing an international game.”

“You should be going to domestic cricket and getting your rhythm back because no-balls are not acceptable. Whoever is injured and there is a long layoff, he has to go back to domestic cricket, bowl 15-20 overs, come back and then play an international game, and that was squarely seen when Arshdeep Singh was struggling with his rhythm.”

In his short career, Arshdeep Singh has bagged the unwanted record of bowling the most no-balls (14). Gambhir went on to add that this thing is not acceptable as Singh failed to bowl legal deliveries on a consistent basis.

“As I just mentioned, you can have a shocker. Fielders can have a shocker, batters can play bad shots, bowlers can bowl those shocking deliveries but this thing is not acceptable. You might be doing it in the nets, during the practice sessions, that’s the reason you do it in the match as well.”

Gambhir wants the bowling coach Paras Mhambrey to work with Arshdeep Singh to sort out his no-ball issues.

“So it’s up to the bowling coach to probably work on that as well because you have got to be harsh in the practice sessions. You just can’t blame something else. Yes, it is tough for the captain to set fields. Seven no-balls and imagine conceding 30-odd runs in those seven balls was a massive difference.”

The third T20I will be played in Rajkot on Saturday.