Bhuvneshwar "Dev" Kumar?
By Gaurang
July 21 2014
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is on track to join Kapil Dev as the only other Indian all-rounder to score 250 runs and take 20 wickets in a 5 Test series.
The legendary Kapil Dev acheived this milestone twice in his career first scoring 278 runs and taking 32 wickets against Pakistan in 1978-79 and then again scoring 318 runs and taking 22 wickets versus England in 1981-82. Both these series were 6 Test series. Bhuvneshwar kumar has already scored 209 runs and taken 11 wickets in less than two Tests at a batting average of 70 and a bowling average of 16. He needs 41 more runs and 9 more wickets in rest of the series including England's second innings and the remaing 3 Test matches to reach that impressive milestone. If India go on to win the second Test at Lords, his contribution will have been amongst the most vital, but even if the match is drawn or England somehow manage to win the match, he can hold his head high for his personal contributions to the match.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar does not have the build or physical stature of Kapil Dev, but his uncomplicated bowling action and his orthodox batting with a strong mix of defense and attack all played with a Lara-esque high backlift bring Dev like value to his team. One area where Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kapil Dev are very similar is in their never say die attitudes and stomach for the fight when things get tough. There is always a danger in comparing a newbie to a legend of the game, but one feels in the case of this lad from Uttar Pradesh that he unlikely to be phased by such comparisons and will just go on doing his best to emulate the one and only Haryana Hurricane.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the past has ruefully lamented the lack of a genuine pace bowling all rounder in his side. If the young lad from Merut keeps handling the willow with the consistency he has shown recently, he may be the answer to his captain's wishful thinking. In any case a promotion up the order to number eight or even seven from his current number nine in the batting order seems a logical move. Such a move would open up a slot for another genuine bowler either a spinner such as Ravi Ashwin or a pace bowler like Varun Aaron or Umesh Yadav to strengthen the bowling to 5 genuine wicket taking bowling options.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:08:17:16:33:58 by Birbal.
guilty minds?
Bhuvi wont take much wickets in this test..but can score runs on this patta to boost his runs tally..
here he has to bowl 5 balls in an over on one spot and maybe one variation delivery
24 needed with a bunny coming in at 11? No problem!
He looks spent, but is still way better than other Indian bowlers like Shami, Pankaj, Spinners or even Ishant..
In SA Bhuvi 100 odd runs at 34 and 10 wickets at 20...while Show Pony Pandya 100 odd runs at 19... and 3 wickets at 54...
Someone compared Pandya to Kapil... well he must first be good enough to compare to Bhuvi...never mind the LEGENDARY Kapil Dev....