Naman Dhir, the emerging right-arm spin-bowling all-rounder who recently earned his first ODI call-up for the West Indies series, addressed the media ahead of the third ODI in Mullanpur. With India already holding an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, the final encounter is set for Saturday, October 3, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
Ravindra Jadeja, the seasoned left-arm orthodox spinner and all-rounder, has been offering valuable guidance to Dhir as he navigates his initial steps in international cricket. Dhir highlighted the practical advice he has received from his senior teammate, emphasizing its impact on refining his bowling approach.
“I have spoken to Jaddu bhai. He has given me simple plans to bowl according to the batsman. Like, I can bowl in an attacking manner if I have to get wickets, or if I have to contain the batsman, then I can have simple lines to bowl to them. The batting is always in my mind, irrespective of what the game is,” Dhir remarked during the pre-match press conference.
In the second ODI, Dhir recorded figures of 0/38 across 6.1 overs as West Indies compiled a total of 405/7. Despite the challenging circumstances, the young all-rounder remains focused on continuous improvement, applying Jadeja’s principles of simplicity and adaptability rather than experimenting with overly complex techniques.
“It was good that we won the match by chasing a huge total. As far as bowling is concerned, I had a big side while bowling to the right-hander, so I was using that. I was trying to bowl with simple plans and see what it would yield and not try to do anything on my own,” he added.
Dhir noted that his dedication to bowling development intensified after joining the IPL, especially within the Mumbai Indians setup, where he encountered diverse match scenarios and bowling requirements. This experience has deepened his understanding of the subtleties of international cricket and reinforced the importance of devising clear, situation-specific bowling strategies tailored to individual opposition players.