India vs New Zealand: 'He needs to work on the basics', Former cricketers criticise Arshdeep Singh for repeated no-balls

Hosts India suffered a 21-run defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the first T20I in Ranchi on Friday, with the Men in Blue having failed to chase down a target of 177 on a pitch that offered a lot of turn and bounce. Having won the toss, India asked the Kiwis to bat first, and one stage, the hosts looked set to restrict the Black Caps to a modest total, but Arshdeep Singh’s final over of the Kiwi innings proved costly, as he conceded 27 runs to let the visitors reach 176/6. Arshdeep’s no-ball concerns continued in this game, and he began the 20th over by overstepping the line, as Daryl Mitchell lofted over long-on for a six. Mitchell then used full use of the free-hit ball, going over deep backward square leg for another maximum. Mitchell then followed that up with another six, off the second legal delivery of the over, to reach his fifty off just 26 balls, and in the third delivery, Mitchell collected a four. Arshdeep finished with figures of 1/51 from four overs, and faced criticism for his bowling. Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar noted that the 23-year-old was far from effective. “Arshdeep wasn’t much effective today. He has been known for those wide yorkers that trouble the batters but today, he bowled mostly in the slot. I think he needs to think about his bowling a bit and make decisions wisely. It’s a journey. You may have a good start but there will be games where your skillsets will be tested. It depends upon you how much you believe in yourself and work on the basics. If he works on these factors, he might come out as a better batter,” Bangar said, during a discussion on Star Sports. Former India batter Mohammad Kaif, who was also part of the discussion panel, felt Arshdeep should try shortening his run-up. “Arshdeep has a longer run-up which itself means he might face stepping issues. He’s also wasting energy there. So, the main reason behind those over-stepped no-balls is his long run-up. And as he changes side too much, sometimes round the wicket, sometimes over. So, he needs to work on the basics and stay a bit relaxed. He is a good bowler but didn’t have a great day,” the 42-year-old said. Bangar agreed with Kaif’s opinion. “Arshdeep has a longer run-up which itself means he might face stepping issues. He’s also wasting energy there. So, the main reason behind those over-stepped no-balls is his long run-up. And as he changes side too much, sometimes round the wicket, sometimes over. So, he needs to work on the basics and stay a bit relaxed. He is a good bowler but didn’t have a great day,” the ex-India batting coach said. India will now hope to level the series, when the two teams faceoff in the second T20I in Lucknow on Sunday. Read all the  **_Latest News_** _,_  **_Trending News_** _,_  **_Cricket News_** _,_  **_Bollywood News_** _,_  **_India News_**  and  **_Entertainment News_**  here. Follow us on  Facebook_,_  Twitter and  Instagram_._