ODI World Cup: Pace alone will not make speedster Mayank Yadav a lethal bowler, and the young quick must back his speed with direction and execution of plans when he features in the T20I series in New Zealand starting on October 22, said former India bowling coach Bharat Arun.
With ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s workload being managed ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, Mayank has stepped up as a lethal alternative in terms of India fielding an express fast bowler in the shortest format. In six outings against Zimbabwe and the West Indies, Mayank has taken nine wickets in 22 overs, with the standout being a spell of 3-36 in Ranchi.
In that game, Mayank dismissed both Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer with short balls before shattering Rovman Powell’s off-stump with a 149.5 kmph thunderbolt. In New Zealand, a country where he’s never played competitive cricket, Mayank’s primary challenge remains backing his pace to rattle the batters, while maintaining his control and bowling the right lengths.
“See, I was very happy to see Mayank working out at a good pace against the West Indies. He is a bowler who dwells so much on his pace. Yes, it is good to have pace. It is also great to have pace, as not that many people can bowl as fast as he does. But even more important is the direction and the execution of your plans,” Arun, who saw Mayank as the bowling coach of Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026, told IANS in a virtual interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network on Tuesday.
“I think if a bowler is able to execute what he wants to do, of course, sport is sometimes about failing. It's okay to fail, but more often, if you succeed in what you're executing, then your pace becomes lethal, and that is exactly what Mayank should be looking to do," he said.
The famed bowling coach also shed light on the challenges Indian fast bowlers will face in terms of bowling in New Zealand, where it’s still mid-spring. Apart from figuring out how to bowl with and against the wind, the size of the ground also matters in New Zealand, considering some of them have very short boundaries.
"As far as adaptation to different conditions is concerned, yes, South Africa is totally different from New Zealand. In New Zealand, the ball gets to swing. But again, that's okay with the Test match conditions. But with the one-day matches, okay, in India, the ball doesn't swing much. It swings for about two or three overs.
"But in New Zealand, it may be done for about four or five overs at the max. That's what white ball is all about. But then success in limited-overs cricket, be it T20 or one-day, is about what different variations you have as a bowler. Because batters are quick in assessing bowlers' strengths and setting up to that. What are the surprise elements that you can bring to your bowling? That is going to be the key for any bowler," added Arun.
The addition of veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the T20I team after four years received a thumbs-up from Arun. “He can also pass on some of the experiences that he had in New Zealand to the other bowlers, which would help them plan what line of attack or bowling strategies they're going to adopt to counter New Zealand in New Zealand.
“I wouldn't look at age as a factor in Bhuvi not playing international cricket for two to three (four) years. To me, those things don't matter. If somebody is doing really well and if the selectors believe and the team management believes that he can deliver, I think they are all up for it. I am all in for going after bowlers who we believe can deliver, and Bhuvi is exactly that kind of bowler, and he's in great form at the moment.
“If you ask me, yes, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is fit enough to be playing for the next couple of years, as he's shown; his form and ability to move the ball are fabulous. Also, the experience would come a long way in Bhuvneshwar doing well.
“Even in South Africa, the conditions are quite favourable for somebody like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. If you ask me, yes, his recent form and the way he's bowling, he's worked his way back into the team. I'm not looking too far ahead, at least for the next one and a half years, Bhuvneshwar is still good enough for me,” he added.
Eyes will also be on Mohammed Siraj, who has struggled to be in top rhythm since the Test series in Sri Lanka, which came after he had a rare two-month break from action.
“This temporary loss of form, I think, be it a bowler or a batter, is bound to happen sometimes. Then he's taken time away from cricket before the Sri Lankan series; I really don't know what kind of workloads he went through and what his training programs were.
“I think yes, sometimes after a long gap for any sportsman, it takes a little while to shed those small things that creep into your game. But very soon, with his experience, Mohammed Siraj should be looking for his greatest strength: the rhythm in his bowling. So if he can work towards ways of regaining his rhythm along with his coach, I think he'll be back to what he was in the past,” he said.
Asked whether New Zealand, who have picked a pace-heavy squad for the T20Is, would borrow England's approach of shorter and back-of-the-length deliveries to counter India's batters, something which helped them get the T20I series win, Arun said, "See, I feel New Zealand are one of the most competitive sides in world cricket. Also, playing them in their conditions at home is going to be even more difficult for the Indian team.
“It's because those players understand those conditions very well, and they adapt to their conditions extremely well. So, then again, them having picked a very strong pace line-up would also indicate that most of their wickets are going to be pacer-friendly.
“Definitely, there would be that extra amount of grass on the wicket, or the conditions are going to be such that it would definitely be helpful for the fast bowlers. So, this is one thing for the Indian management also to think about. Also, if we can go there and get those kinds of wickets that we would be getting in those matches early -- if we are lucky enough to do that, then that would help our preparations much, much better.”
On Hardik Pandya's prolonged absence, as he spends time on the sidelines due to setbacks in his return to play, Arun felt sad about it. "As far as Hardik goes, he is a fabulous all-rounder, and we'll definitely miss somebody with his stature and class. But then if he's not available, there's nothing much we can do about it," he added.
Around the time India will play ODIs in New Zealand, Dhruv Jurel-led India 'A' tour will tour New Zealand for three red-ball games. The shadow tour will help the likes of Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Auqib Nabi, Washington Sundar and Manav Suthar adjust to the conditions ahead of the Test matches in Wellington and Christchurch.
Arun addressed the issue of India A tour’s clash with the Ranji Trophy first phase -- a schedule overlap that deprives state teams of their top Test players. "Well, cricket is happening throughout the year, and you have identified some players who would be future India players as well.
“In the past, it has really helped the cause where players have gone earlier to that country before the big Test series and before a big series to get acclimatised to those conditions, and that has helped in the past. I would look at it like this - if those players are going out to play for India A, more players are getting opportunities to play in the Ranji Trophy.
“So, you can look at it either way. Why don't they play Ranji Trophy here? Or you can look at it in the other sense that newer players are coming in, who are newer and challenging. I think cricket has spread far and wide into this country. More and more quality players are emerging. So, I think it's a great opportunity. Also, such tours would definitely do good for Indian cricket overall," he added.
“In the past, it has really helped the cause where players have gone earlier to that country before the big Test series and before a big series to get acclimatised to those conditions, and that has helped in the past. I would look at it like this - if those players are going out to play for India A, more players are getting opportunities to play in the Ranji Trophy.
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Article Source: IANS