"Nothing wrong in bowling 24 slower balls in T20"- Harshal Patel's blunt reaction on bowling too many slower balls
India have suffered a bit in their pace bowling, where bowlers have leaked runs at a higher economy rate. And with Jasprit Bumrah getting ruled out of the T20 World Cup, the pressure on the other bowlers has been massive.
But to be fair, not many Indian pacers have lived up to their expectations so far in the opportunities they have got in recent times. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has gone for plenty and Harshal Patel, who is known for bowling tight overs in the death, has conceded over 10 runs per over since his return from injury.
Harshal has done a really good job in the Indian Premier League as well, with his slower balls, and has been successful in foxing the batsmen with different types of slower balls. Even in the international matches he has played, he has done a decent job.
But with some below-par performances in the latest matches, he has faced a bit of backlash for leaking runs. However, the pacer has opened up on bowling slower ones to the batters. In the latest interview on The Cricket Monthly with ESPNCricinfo, he discussed using slower ones for the different batters.
Harshal said that when a batter is trying to hit you out of the park and trying to go deep, then the slower ball becomes more effective. Although, the 31-year-old has been below-par in recent times and has faced a bit of criticism for bowling too many slower balls.
Harshal said, "At the end of the day, it's about getting the work done. If I'm bowling 24 slower balls, conceding 30 runs and taking two wickets, who's to say that it is not a good thing? And if I'm bowling 150kph and conceding 50 runs every game, which is better? The captain will obviously pick the more effective one."
The pacer will be seen next in the Indian colours for the upcoming T20 World Cup and it will be a big opportunity for him to perform in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. India are currently playing their warm-up matches ahead of the T20 World Cup. They will open their campaign against Pakistan on October 23 at the MCG.