"He's Very Much in Scheme of Things for World Cup"- Indian bowling hints at young pacer who was benched in 1st ODI vs NZ

The Indian bowling, apart from Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav, looked toothless and was taken to the cleaners by the two Kiwi all-rounders. However, India made a big change in the playing XI when they dropped the Jammu-born pacer Umran Malik and included Shardul Thakur in the team.

It came as a surprise to fans, and many former cricketers and experts questioned the decision. Thakur picked up two wickets, including the last wicket of Bracewell, but he also leaked runs at a higher economy rate. Both teams will lock horns on Saturday in the second ODI in Raipur.

And on the eve of the second ODI, the Indian bowling coach, Paras Mhambrey, came out to address the media. He also spoke on the reason for Thakur's inclusion in place of Umran in the first ODI. He said that Thakur also provides depth in the batting department, while he also stated that Umran is on the radar of the Indian team for the upcoming ODI World Cup in India.

Mhambrey said, "That (batting) is one of the reasons why we picked him (Thakur). He adds depth to the batting. The way Umran has progressed, it is very heartening to see. Pace does matter and adds a different dimension to the attack. He is very much in the scheme of things as far as the world cup is concerned."

Furthermore, the Indian bowling coach also said that Umran adds a lot of value to the team, and pace always matters a lot. In the first ODI, after losing six wickets early, New Zealand came close to the target.

When asked about the win in the first game, Mhambrey said that a win is a win, and such matches help the players learn. He also said that the team is not looking to do much chopping and changing, and there are some certain players that they want to check so that they can prepare for a big event in the future.