Kris Srikkanth feels Virat Kohli missed the precision of Jasprit Bumrah against West Indies

The Indian team will be preparing to take on the two-time and defending T20 World Cup champions West Indies in the deciding third T20I of the 3-match series at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on December 11. The Indian team had chased down 207 runs in Hyderabad thanks to Virat Kohli’s 94*, but in the second game, failed to defend 170 runs with Lendl Simmons scoring a brilliant fifty.

The Men in Blue have faced problems with the fielding and bowling units, given that unit gave away 207 runs in the first match, while couldn’t defend a decent total on a good pitch in Trivandrum. Also, the focus has been poor fielding from the Indian side, which has dropped multiple catches and lapses in concentration have resulted in easy runs. A former India captain feels the team is missing Jasprit Bumrah.



Virat Kohli is missing the laser-like precision of Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is on road to recovery from the stress fractures he suffered to his lower back after the tour to West Indies and this meant that he has been out of action for a long time. He is, however, expected to come back on the New Zealand tour in 2020 with an eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia next year.

Srikkanth felt that Kohli is missing the accuracy of Bumrah in times of need. “At first glance, Virat Kohli is for sure missing the laser-like precision and airspeed of the speedster from Gujarat. The two games have not been easy on the bowlers. Flat tracks, dew, and poor fielding have all added to their misery,” Srikkanth wrote in his column for The Times of India.

The World Cup-winning opener heaped praise on Bumrah saying that not only he picks wickets himself, but he also helps the bowler on the other end as well. He also said that the Gujarat bowler has skills that prove conditions inconsequential and his pinpoint yorker makes him an amazing asset to have.

“If one watches closely, Bumrah also helps the bowler at the other end to strike by stifling the run rate. The captain is at liberty to use his four overs at any stage, this option makes him the most valuable commodity in the team and they have missed him dearly,” Srikkanth further wrote.

Last time the two teams met in a T20I in Mumbai, it was in the 2016 World T20 semi-final and West Indies won the match thanks to scintillating innings from Lendl Simmons, despite a valiant effort from Virat Kohli.