India’s current bench strength is the envy of the cricketing world.
Over the last four months or so, Indian debutants have provided dazzling entertainment in their first matches.
These players have taken four five-fors at astonishing averages, hit a fastest fifty on ODI debut by any player, and returned the best bowling figures for an Indian on ODI debut.
Their startling performances have awed even Pakistan cricket legend Inzamam-ul Haq who usually doesn’t think highly of Indian cricket.
‘I think India have set up some sort of machine to manufacture new players,’ Inzy said on his YouTube channel.
‘I’m noticing since the Australia series that in every match or format, a youngster turns up and gives outstanding performance. Seniors have their role, but when juniors perform like this, then it speaks a lot about the side,’ Inzy said.
‘India’s performance has been this good in the last six months because of their youngsters,’ the former Pakistan cricket captain added.
Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Prasidh Krishna, T Natarajan have all left their mark in the first match/series that they have played for India.
After Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan proved their mettle in the T20Is against England, Krunal Pandya and Prasidh Krishna stole the show in the first ODI on Tuesday.
‘The difference that happened in the match was because of K L Rahul and Krunal Pandya. That was the turning point,’ Inzy said.
‘If India had scored 270-280, then England would have chased it, but that 30 runs difference came in the total because of Krunal Pandya, who scored 58 off 31 balls. That’s why I’m saying that there’s a machine in India now,’ Inzy added.
The cricket great didn’t forget to praise fast bowler Prasidh Krishna who picked up 4 for 54 on his debut.
‘And when India needed wickets, this young boy Krishna, who was playing his first match, picked up four wickets,’ Inzy said, adding, ‘Again, I’d say that India have found a machine to produce players for every format.’
‘When the youngsters of the team perform so well,’ Inzy pointed out, ‘then it leaves no choice for the seniors to up their level.’
‘The kind of cricket, the quality of cricket that India are playing nowadays, they are making it look easy against an opposition like England,’ he added.
‘It was looking like it’ll be tough for India after England’s opening partnership, but later on Indian bowlers didn’t allow them the space to breathe.’
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