T20 World Cup 2022: "We do not have a bowler who can stop Jos Buttler" - Aakash Chopra on Team India's bowling lineup
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that England captain Jos Buttler will fire with the bat against India in the crucial semi-final of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022.
While discussing the conditions in Adelaide on his YouTube channel on Tuesday, November 8, Chopra emphasized that the bowlers aren't expected to get much swing with the new ball. Citing the example of Bangladesh's Litton Das, who made it tough for India at the Adelaide Oval with his quick-fire knock of 60, the 45-year-old predicted that India would struggle against the English batters in this case.
He pointed out how the Men in Blue don't have a speedster in their lineup who could trouble the opposition with pace, which is why they might find it difficult to stop Buttler:
"When there is swing, they have done really well. We saw how Litton Das batted against us. What are we going to do if Jos Buttler does the same? Alex Hales will also be there alongside Buttler. I expect Buttler to play a big knock. We do not have a bowler who can stop Buttler.
"There is not going to be much swing in Adelaide, and we do not have any other strategy apart from that. The side boundaries are on the shorter side. But we don't have any bowler who can bowl at 150 kph."
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian side will take on England in the second semi-final of the showpiece event to be played at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, November 10.
"Our bowling has been just okay" - Aakash Chopra on Indian bowlers
Chopra went on to say that the Indian pacers have succeeded only in conditions where there has been some swing on offer. He claimed that the bowling unit hasn't done wonders in the tournament, deeming their performances as "okay".
He expressed concern that the English batters could win the battle against the Indian bowlers if there is no assistance for the seamers on the wicket in Adelaide.
Chopra explained:
"To be very honest, even India's bowling has not been outstanding. The mirror doesn't lie. Our bowling has been just okay. If there is some help from the surface, our bowling becomes really effective. But otherwise, the bowlers could be taken to the cleaners by the England batters."
Job done! Looking forward to Thursday🇮🇳❤️ https://t.co/tVN9KNjJuN
Notably, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has proved to be the pick of the Indian bowlers so far in the T20 World Cup 2022. The talented youngster has 10 scalps to his name in five outings along with an impressive economy rate of 7.83.