Virat Kohli comments on India's bowling woes

[TNAmarkFrmIndia]

India's top half averaged 52.57 per wicket to Australia's 51.45 this series. Four Indian batsmen scored at least one century to Australia's three. M Vijay left alone 234 balls, which is better than the next two put together: 230, between Steven Smith and Chris Rogers. No Indian batsmen other than Virat Kohli had played a Test in Australia before the series began. The Australian batsmen have been playing here all their lives. By all accounts India batsmen matched Australia in the batting department. Yet it all came down to India's batting collapses and a bad session each in every Test. In Adelaide and Brisbane the bad sessions were horrible. In Melbourne and Sydney India managed to arrest those bad sessions. They lost Adelaide and Brisbane, and drew Melbourne and Sydney. To say that those sessions was where the Tests were lost or saved would a be a tad harsh on the batsmen. It is a fair criticism that India should have batted Australia out in Brisbane and Melbourne after the starts they got, but sometimes the batting can do with some support. Australia got that support, India didn't. It can be argued that India were hurt more by their inept bowling on second day in Adelaide than the collapse on the final day. Same with letting Mitchell Johnson score all those runs before the batting came undone on the final day in Brisbane. Had India lost Melbourne it would be down in same measure to the poor bowling against Brad Haddin as the folding up that was avoided on the final evening. In Sydney, India should never have had to bat out 90 overs; it was only thanks to 251 conceded on the fourth day. The Indian hierarchy tried to talk up the bowlers before the start of the series, defended them through it, but the end of it they knew they had been let down again. Kohli, who has promised aggressiveness taking over as captain from the much-maligned MS Dhoni, has begun to realise the problems Dhoni faced. "The reason we have done well at home is we have taken 20 wickets," Kohli said. "The spinners have bowled really well. The fast bowlers know how to bowl in home conditions with reverse-swing. They have a fair idea of the areas they have to bowl in. But when we come out, they get too excited with the bounce. Actually we need to figure out which are the best areas to bowl to each batsman and work on those areas. "You run up to bowl and you can pitch six balls on the same spot. Only then can you set the right fields as the captain to set up a batsman and get him out. The consistency bit is something we really need to work on." Lack of experience cannot be an excuse. Kohli saw Josh Hazlewood make his debut and know right away how to take Test wicket. "Certainly a lot to learn from the Australian bowlers," Kohli said. "Especially someone like Josh Hazlewood who is playing his first few matches. He put the ball in the right spots in all three matches. That's something we need to learn big time if we want to win Test matches. Eventually you have to take 20 wickets to win a Test match. That's how simple and plain it is." If Hazlewood knows what to do, why can't India's bowlers maintain any sort of pressure? Is it a lack of skills, fitness, or poor plans? Kohli's answer was instructive. Possibly he hasn't seen the same amount of effort in the bowlers' later spells. "It might be a mixture of a lot of things," Kohli said. "The skill is there. If it wasn't, they wouldn't be playing for India. That's a given. You need composure and character to go out there and say, 'I'm tired, but I need to take two wickets for my team, so I need to bowl at the same pace as my first spell.' "That's where character counts. When you're tired and you're down and your team expects you to step up. That's something we've not been able to do in the last couple of years. At Lord's Ishant did it for us. We need guys stepping up with more performances like that to win Test matches. Those crucial moments after tea, at the end of a day's play, we need to strike and we haven't been able to. It's to do with wanting to bowl that second and third spell for the team, and that's something we need to consistently work on, tell the guys to step up and bowl their hearts out for the team eventually." With what Kohli says, though, you get the impression he is less likely to change his captaincy style to suit ordinary bowling - something Dhoni did - than trying to force the attitude of the bowlers towards Test bowling. There are encouraging signs in what Kohli says. "The main criteria now would be to scout guys who we feel - along with these fast bowlers - have the potential to play in the future, and groom them and nurture them and monitor their fitness, their consistency and their skills. That's how we want to develop our Test team, and that's something we really want to do going ahead in the future." Now begins the tussle. How long before the India bowlers break another captain down? Or will this captain's ambition be able to bring about a paradigm shift? http://www.espncricinfo.com/australi...ry/819763.html

[Old guy]

Please add link to article ..

[StriKe]

Please add link to article ..

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2014-15/content/story/819763.html

[Old guy]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2014-15/content/story/819763.html

Thanks :two_thumbs_up:

[rkt.india]

That fluke Ishant spell at Lords has done more harm than good to our bowling. Now they think bouncer is cure to every ailment. Kohli too think that was some kind of a great spell.

[MK55]

That fluke Ishant spell at Lords has done more harm than good to our bowling. Now they think bouncer is cure to every ailment. Kohli too think that was some kind of a great spell.

Exactly. At Lords it was more of their batsmen throwing it away. Nor was he bowling any quick bouncers for it to be used as an example for our bowlers to maintain their intensity levels in later spells. The English batsmen just dint play it well

[CG]

Kohli has to understand first of all he has diff types of bowlers hazelwood is a typical line and length bowler his forte is accuracy.But they have guys like starch,johnson,harris also.A attack needs all type of bowlers bhuvi is the most accurate on indain seamers ,shami ishant yadav have to improve accuracy ,aaron is out and out quick strike bowler even yadav. what we really need is kohli to first get some good slippers ,if you drop 10-12 regular catches in slips no matter what bowling attack they will get demoralised.A new bowling coach is must who can work with these guys.

[rkt.india]

Also, regarding finding new bowlers, there is no bowler in domestic cricket who can bowl 135+ and is really accurate whole day.

[ThePhenomenal1]

We haven't tried ishwar pandey who is supposed to be a good accurate pacer with decent pace, can hit the deck a bit

[ThePhenomenal1]

tearaway seamers should be aaron and yadav more accurate but pacey - shami and ishant, ishwar pandey line and length - bhuvi

[vvvslaxman]

He is spot on.. atleast talking about it . Dale Steyn always steps up right after tea. Usually one would expect bowlers to get tired and go for lot of runs post tea. But that is where Steyn puts in lot of effort. He has the ability to bowl 4 or 5 incisive overs. Inability to step up at the key moments is one of the reason why we keep allowing tail to wag. Those bowlers are identifiable. They would bowl with swagger, confidence and a plan. Sreesanth at times exhibited that trait. Pushing himself for one last spell. Zak has done that many times like he bowled 11 probing overs in NZ on the trot. This is where our 5th bowler comes into picture. If you have 5 solid players you can rotate them in such a way they don't take foot of the gas.

[express bowling]

Also' date=' regarding finding new bowlers, there is no bowler in domestic cricket who can bowl 135+ and is really accurate whole day.[/quote'] Bumrah would come close.

[rkt.india]

He is spot on.. atleast talking about it . Dale Steyn always steps up right after tea. Usually one would expect bowlers to get tired and go for lot of runs post tea. But that is where Steyn puts in lot of effort. He has the ability to bowl 4 or 5 incisive overs. Inability to step up at the key moments is one of the reason why we keep allowing tail to wag. Those bowlers are identifiable. They would bowl with swagger' date=' confidence and a plan. Sreesanth at times exhibited that trait. Pushing himself for one last spell. Zak has done that many times like he bowled 11 probing overs in NZ on the trot. This is where our 5th bowler comes into picture. If you have 5 solid players you can rotate them in such a way they don't take foot of the gas.[/quote'] Sreesanth never did that. He lacked stamina. He was usually done by that time of the day. Remember, WC 2011 final, he was running out of breath after first 3 overs. Also, he didnt play enough to warrant any such opinion. He was awful in 2010 SA series in Capetown when they needed intensity and we could have won that test. In fact, both Zak and Sreesanth were out of gas. Sreesanth was barely clocking 125 and Zaheer was hitting mighty 115k. In fact, I have never seen any Indian fast bowler maintain that intensity. Zaheer has never been that fit after 2005. You need to be extremely fit and great stamina to do that.

[rkt.india]

Bumrah would come close.

How consistent he will be is questionable. He also to me isnt a test material, has very unorthodox action. Will do well in LOIs. For tests, you need conveniental bowlers.

[CG]

He is spot on.. atleast talking about it . Dale Steyn always steps up right after tea. Usually one would expect bowlers to get tired and go for lot of runs post tea. But that is where Steyn puts in lot of effort. He has the ability to bowl 4 or 5 incisive overs. Inability to step up at the key moments is one of the reason why we keep allowing tail to wag. Those bowlers are identifiable. They would bowl with swagger' date=' confidence and a plan. Sreesanth at times exhibited that trait. Pushing himself for one last spell. Zak has done that many times like he bowled 11 probing overs in NZ on the trot. This is where our 5th bowler comes into picture. If you have 5 solid players you can rotate them in such a way they don't take foot of the gas.[/quote'] There are only two bowlers in recent history of indian pace bowling who can maintain pace aaron and yadav.Sreesanth on odd occassion when he was new did maintain pace and ishant too but these 2 guys can hit 140ks even in last spell.

[express bowling]

Kohli said quite a few right things -- 6 balls on the same spot needed. -- Our bowlers don't know which area to bowl outside the subcontinent. -- Bowlers get excited by bounce outside the subcontinent. -- The need to step up during important moments in a match. Wanting to bowl then. -- Sustaining pace in later spells. -- Searching for and grooming new talent who can sustain pace late in the day and step up during important moments. I get the impression that he has the tendency of wanting to groom young bowlers and considering the temperament aspect also.

[CG]

Kohli said quite a few right things -- 6 balls on the same spot needed. -- Our bowlers don't know which area to bowl outside the subcontinent. -- Bowlers get excited by bounce outside the subcontinent. -- The need to step up during important moments in a match. Wanting to bowl then. -- Sustaining pace in later spells. -- Searching for and grooming new talent who can sustain pace late in the day and step up during important moments. I get the impression that he has the tendency of wanting to groom young bowlers and considering the temperament aspect also.

These are generic statements. On the contrary we started the series bowling too full with new ball. Pace was sustained even in last few overs of the day by yadav,aaron,even shami in last spell got wickets. we really need some proper guidance with a new coach and better slip fielders.

[express bowling]

How consistent he will be is questionable. He also to me isnt a test material' date=' has very unorthodox action. Will do well in LOIs. For tests, you need conveniental bowlers.[/quote'] Whenever I have seen him bowl in 4 or 5 day matches...he has been very accurate and bowled to a plan. Sustained pace too.

[express bowling]

These are generic statements. On the contrary we started the series bowling too full with new ball. Pace was sustained even in last few overs of the day by yadav,aaron,even shami in last spell got wickets. we really need some proper guidance with a new coach and better slip fielders.

Speedgun reading- wise pace may have been sustained but the bowlers often stopped hitting the deck hard and bowled insipid half-trackers. Sustaining pace means hitting the deck hard even in the last spell. We have either bowled too full or too short. Both are not the right length. Our bowlers should realize that pitching up does not mean too full , especially when there is not enough swing. Completely agree on the guidance and slip fielding parts.

[rkt.india]

These are generic statements. On the contrary we started the series bowling too full with new ball. Pace was sustained even in last few overs of the day by yadav,aaron,even shami in last spell got wickets. we really need some proper guidance with a new coach and better slip fielders.

Yes, they got far too full in Adelaide, but main issue was width.