Kane Williamson is more prepared to take risks than he was in 2019: Sunil Gavaskar. Gavaskar emphasized Williamson’s deft footwork and smart approach, projecting his ability to manage hurdles with grace, notably against Kuldeep Yadav.
Cricketing luminaries shared insights into crucial players’ strategy and prowess in an exclusive conversation with Star Sports ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final showdown between India and New Zealand.
Sunil Gavaskar, a former India cricketer, voiced confidence that Kane Williamson prepared for the return from injury, underlining that the New Zealand captain’s great skills outweigh any concerns over a recent hiatus. Gavaskar emphasized Williamson’s deft footwork and smart approach, projecting his ability to manage hurdles with grace, notably against Kuldeep Yadav.
Aaron Finch, a former Australian cricketer, delves into the craft of India’s speed spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah. Finch stressed Bumrah’s unusual ability to swing the ball back into the left-hander, which makes him a formidable opponent for top-order batsmen like Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. Despite the unusual approach, Finch compared Bumrah’s bowling to poetry, praising the seam position and accuracy that made it a riveting spectacle on the field.
Finch also discussed Daryl Mitchell’s batting strategy, emphasizing the need of dismissing him early
Recognizing India’s prowess in capturing powerplay wickets throughout the tournament, Finch emphasized the need of getting Mitchell out early to prevent him from dictating terms later in the innings.
Gavaskar discussed Kane Williamson’s recovery from injury and his plans to face India in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final.
“It makes no difference. He’s such a fantastic player that it doesn’t matter if he’s coming off a huge break and scoring runs. As a result, I doubt it will make much of a difference. He utilizes his feet very effectively to get down the pitch to smother the turn if necessary; he then uses the crease as well. As a result, he’s a really good player. I don’t believe he’ll be bothered by playing Kuldeep; he’ll know how to handle him. “If necessary, you don’t want to hit him for boundaries; just work it away for six singles,” he explained.
“Then, six runs per over is a good scoring rate by any standard, so that’s what he’ll aim for. ” When the boundary ball comes along, he will hit it, demonstrating his willingness to take more chances. We may not have seen that side of Kane Williamson in 2019, but we have seen him take the aerial way here. “He got out on a shot for a hundred the other day. He got out on 95, but that’s because he took the aerial route. He’ll probably look to do that again against Kuldeep Yadav. ” He continued.
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Aaron Finch, commented about Bumrah’s ability to swing the ball in to the left-hander.
“Yeah, of all the quick out there, Bumrah’s ability to swing it back into the left-hander is so important because then you can’t just worry about the ball going across and maybe getting a little bit of width now and then. ” You have to be on the lookout for balls that swing back. Especially with two left-handers in the top order, Conway and Rachin. Bumrah is a sight to behold. When he’s racing up to the crease, it doesn’t appear like poetry, but once he releases the ball, the seam location and angle to swing it back down the line against the left-hander is just poetry; it’s incredible.”
Finch also discussed Daryl Mitchell’s chances of staying at the crease.
“You have to get him early.” That’s what India has been strong at all tournament: grabbing powerplay wickets and exposing middle orders against fresh new balls. If Mitchell can bat till the 20th over, he will be able to play on his terms,” he remarked.
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