New Zealand coach Jacob Oram admitted that his bowlers found it hard to contain Abhishek Sharma during the IND vs NZ T20I series.
New Zealand bowling coach Jacob Oram admitted his team struggled to counter India opener Abhishek Sharma during the ongoing T20I series. The left-hander dominated with 152 runs from three innings.
Abhishek began the series with a rapid 84 from 35 balls. The knock included 5 fours and 8 sixes. He followed it with an unbeaten 68 from 20 balls in the third T20I. That innings helped India secure a 3-0 series lead.
New Zealand bowlers found it difficult to execute plans once the pressure increased. Oram said the series offered learning value despite the results. He added that such experiences would help New Zealand prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup in March.
“The answer to that is simple: it’s very difficult. When you look at his strike-rate, it’s hard, first, to identify any real weakness in his game, and then, secondly, to execute a plan against him. Execution is the hardest thing in cricket, whether you’re batting or bowling,” Oram said in the press conference ahead of the fourth T20I.
WATCH ALSO | Harry Brook Recreates Iconic Beer Smash Celebration After Hundred
“At the same time, when there is a bit of chaos out in the middle, with the ball flying everywhere, it takes real composure to stay calm, remain controlled, remember the plans and then execute them. But this is all part of the learning process. This is exactly what this series was about, and despite the results, if we come out of it better for the experience and are somewhere near the Super Eights, the semi-finals and the final in March, then this period will have been hugely valuable for us, because we will have taken so much from it,” he added.
Meanwhile, New Zealand has strengthened their squad ahead of the final two T20Is. They added Lockie Ferguson, Jimmy Neesham and Tim Seifert. Finn Allen will join for the final match on January 31 in Thiruvananthapuram.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.