IND vs SL 2021: Bhuvneshwar Kumar reveals Rahul Dravid's reaction after India's stunning win
India's vice-captain for the tour of Sri Lanka, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, has spoken about Rahul Dravid's reaction after the team's emphatic comeback win in the second ODI. Kumar said the reticent head coach had a few tense moments in the dressing room during the game but was 'very delighted' with the result.
India, led by the No. 8 batsman Deepak Chahar's valiant 69*, chased down 277 in the final over. The win was nothing short of a daylight heist as it came from a point when the team was 193-7 after 35 overs with all frontline batsmen back in the hut. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also played a major hand with his serene 28-ball 19.
"You get tensed, especially when you are sitting outside, it's what generally happens. I didn't see him much when I was batting but when he came down he just congratulated both of us and the team. Yeah, I mean, he was very delighted especially in a win where we came from 5-6 down and then the way Deepak batted for us, he was very delighted," Kumar said in the post-match press conference.
Sri Lankan bowlers, who put up a commendable show for most of the game, had their tails up when the two bowling all-rounders were at the crease. But the seamers' inexperience in pressure situations came to the fore as they sprayed down lines and lengths in their quest to be aggressive.
Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar smartly played out the spinners and with luck favoring them, their hard strikes fell safe and plundered them some crucial runs at constant intervals.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to form with the ball
The remarkable batting display will certainly shadow the effort of Indian bowlers to once again restrict the hosts to a chasable target. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal and Deepak Chahar shared all the wickets between them, with the vice-captain shining the brightest.
The 31-year-old picked up three wickets in the innings - two of half-centurians in the middle-overs and one at the death. India will hope that the performance, which comes just two days after his wicketless outing in the first ODI, will fill Bhuvneshwar Kumar with just the right amount of confidence going ahead in the series.