T20 World Cup 2024: “It’s the first time bowling has won India every match” – Navjot Sidhu

Former Indian batter Navjot Singh Sidhu has shed light on India’s positives in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Sidhu reckons it’s the first time that bowling has won India every match. India’s bowling battery has been right on the money in the ongoing T20I showpiece.

Indian bowlers were able to skittle out Ireland for a paltry score of 96 runs in the opening match of the tournament. The bowling unit was then able to restrict Pakistan to 113-7 in the run-chase of 120. Subsequently, India kept the USA at 110-8 in their last match in New York.

Jasprit Bumrah bagged the Player of the Match award in the first two matches against Ireland and Pakistan for returning with impressive figures of 2-6 and 3-14 respectively. Arshdeep Singh was the star of the show against the USA as he bagged figures of 4-9 in his quota of four overs.

“India’s batting has been winning us matches for such a long time. However, it’s the first time bowling has won India every match. The positive for me is that the Indian team is playing as a herd. The wolves will always hunt in packs. Now it’s no longer a pair, it’s now become a pack. It’s a herd of five or six people and someone or the other raises his hand every time,” Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Star Sports.

Sidhu hailed Arshdeep Singh for providing two crucial breakthroughs in the very first over against the hosts and lauded the collective effort of the bowling unit.

“We talk about Bumrah every time but Bumrah becomes doubly strong when Arshdeep bowls from the other end. Once Arshdeep took two wickets in the first over, they (USA) could never emerge from there. Bumrah alone and Arshdeep alone are nothing, it’s the combination of Hardik Pandya and then those two spinners,” Sidhu observed.

India will now play their matches in the West Indies and conditions will change but Sidhu feels the team has an answer to every condition.

“When you will go to the West Indies from here, the conditions will change and it will be the turn of the spinners. Then the four spinners you have will have to come to the forefront. I feel the situations will change but India have an answer for every situation,” he said.

Sidhu reckons India was miles ahead of other teams who played their matches in challenging conditions in New York.

“It’s a team that is emerging. Wins are never achieved without a cohesive unit. That’s the point that I want to take. It’s Team India that is performing to the epitome. There is only one team that has dominated this pool (matches in New York). South Africa have done to an extent but they had very close matches. India – miles ahead,” Sidhu stated.

India will next take on Canada at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida on Saturday.