Watch: Bhuvneshwar Kumar uses an uncommon technique to practice yorkers
After a stellar display in Tests and winning the series historically, India lost to Australia in the first ODI down under after being comprehensively outplayed by the hosts.
Indian players are leaving no stone unturned in preparing themselves for the 2nd ODI, which is set to take place on 15th January 2019.
At the center of them all is the Indian speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was seen practicing yorkers in the nets. What was so unique about it was that he was aiming at shoes. In an interview with cricket.com.au, Bhuvi mentioned:
"It is something that I've been doing for some time. Keeping the shoes there and keep practicing that thing (yorkers).
He revealed that the toe-crushers are something he had not practiced for almost a month now. He did not play a match in Tests. In the ODIs, the yorker can come in extremely handy as batsmen find it difficult to hit the ball for a boundary when it is bowled into the blockhole.
Here is a video grab of the nets session in which Bhuvi kept shoes at the base of the stumps as aim for bowling yorkers:
A major reason for India's defeat in the first ODI was that they leaked as many as 93 runs in the last 10 overs. Bhuvi was also expensive as he conceded 66 runs in 10 overs despite picking up a couple of wickets. His cameo of 29 with the bat could also not avert defeat for the Men in Blue.
As seen in the video, Bhuvneshwar was quite accurate with his deliveries. Whether he can deliver the same accuracy in the upcoming ODI only time will tell.
An Indian bowler who is known to practice using this bizarre but effective manner (of aiming at shoes) is Jasprit Bumrah. He is a true master of the art of bowling yorkers using the older ball as well as a potent bowler with the new ball. However, he has been rested for the ODIs.
In Bumrah's absence, Bhuvi must take the onus of bowling economically at the death upon himself. With his efforts, it is likely that he will succeed in saving a few runs for his side.
While the Meerut-born player is more famous for his swing bowling, yorkers will be a valuable addition in his repertoire. In the longer run, one can only imagine how beneficial it will be for the Indians during the World Cup if both Bhuvi and Bumrah consistently execute their yorkers.