'I have not seen bowling like that': Ex-India captain's brutal take on Shivam Dube

Chennai: India’s 23-run win over Zimbabwe at the Arun Jaitley Stadium may have sealed their place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals, but the gloss was taken off the performance by a horror spell from Shivam Dube that left even the team’s most decorated former captain shaking his head. Tasked with bowling the sixth over option on a belter of a track, Dube sent down two overs that cost 46 runs, including four wides and two no-balls, and rarely found the off-side cut strip as Zimbabwe’s lower order feasted on the freebies.

Speaking on his YouTube show Cheeky Cheeka, ex-India opener and 1983 World Cup winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth did not mince words. “I don’t think bowling is a concern. It was a good batting track,” Srikkanth began, before zeroing in on the all-rounder. “My only concern is the sixth bowler. Did you see where Dube was bowling? He was bowling on the sixth stump. I have not seen bowling like that.”

The numbers told their own story: 12 legal deliveries, 46 runs, and a economy rate touching 23. With India already assured of progression, captain Suryakumar Yadav opted to give Dube extra overs in a bid to sharpen his rhythm ahead of the knock-outs. The move back-fired, yet Srikkanth believes the side’s 92-run cushion rendered the experiment low-risk. “They had the luxury of runs behind them so they wanted to give some bowling practice. The question of net run rate was out of the window. It was just about winning the game,” he explained.

Despite the aberration, Srikkanth remains bullish on India’s title charge. “I said that even after losing to South Africa, India would win in Chennai and would be on the road to win the cup. It is a gun team. Arshdeep bowling well, Bumrah bowling well, Varun and Hardik are decent. You will not need to try six bowlers against the West Indies. If needed, we can look into it when the semifinal comes,” he concluded.

For Dube, the night served as a stark reminder that at this level, even a single sloppy over can invite scathing scrutiny. India will hope the harsh review is the wake-up call he needs before the stakes rise again.