'Batters are now used to pitches that are flat'

Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar believes Indian pitches and modern batting attitudes may be tilting the balance back in favour of quality bowling.

- Samreen Razzaqi

In the last year, India’s recent losses, especially at home, have raised questions about the batters’ ability to face quality bowling and adaptability to spicy pitches.

Despite the availability of data, analysis and unprecedented exposure to conditions, the 35-year-old believes modern batters still struggle the moment the ball does anything largely because they are now used to Indian pitches that are increasingly batting friendly.

“In T20s, everyone wants to hit sixes. For that, the ball has to come straight onto the bat,” he explained on the sidelines of his app Cricgiri’s launch. “Whenever there is swing or turn, batters are not in favour of it. The moment the bowler gets anything, whether swing, bounce or turn, batters struggle. it is either down to the bowler’s class or the batsman’s inability to tackle it.”