(Source X)
Former Pakistan fast bowler Junaid Khan took a swipe at the Indian cricket team following their heavy 110-run loss to Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI on August 7 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
This defeat followed a strong start for new Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, who, in his debut series, led a Suryakumar Yadav-captained team to a dominant 3-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the T20I series in Kandy.
Junaid Khan ridicules India’s bowling attack following Sri Lanka’s ODI series victory.
Gambhir’s experimental strategies did not pan out during the three-match ODI series, where spin proved to be a decisive factor. While spinners from both teams performed well, the Sri Lankan spinners proved too challenging for Indian batsmen such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer.
The Indian team was dismissed in all three games, revealing their vulnerability against a strong spin attack, despite their reputation for handling spin well. In the third ODI, India was bowled out for just 138 while chasing a target of 249, resulting in a comprehensive 2-0 series loss in Colombo. This historic victory marked Sri Lanka’s first ODI series win over India in 27 years.
Additionally, India’s bowlers were underwhelming, and the absence of their key pacer Jasprit Bumrah was glaring. Bumrah, known for his crucial contributions across formats, was sorely missed, further highlighting India’s struggles.
India’s bowling attack in zero without Jasprit Bumrah: Former Pakistani pacer
Former Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan took a dig at Team India’s bowling attack, describing it as “zero” without Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah, who played a crucial role in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 victory in the USA and West Indies in June, was notably absent during the ODI series against Sri Lanka.
On the social media platform X, Junaid criticized the Indian bowlers, stating that their performance lacked impact in Bumrah’s absence, especially after their 110-run defeat in the final ODI in Colombo. He also invited fans to weigh in on whether they agreed with his assessment.
Junaid Khan posted on X: “Would you agree? Without Bumrah, India’s bowling is zero… #INDvSL #SLVSIND.”However, the former Pakistani pacer faced a wave of ridicule from Indian fans on social media for his comments about the Indian team.
Remarkably, India has lost 27 wickets to spin in this bilateral ODI series, the most by any team in a three-match series. Furthermore, Dunith Wellalage has become the first spinner to take five wickets in an ODI against India on multiple occasions, with figures of 5/40 in 2023 and 5/27 in 2024.
