‘Suryakumar and Gambhir told me…’: Dube's bowling spell vs UAE was not just luck, all-rounder credits ‘Morkel’s tweaks'
Since Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach, Shivam Dube has bowled in seven matches, registering eight wickets.
Shivam Dube was a vital cog in the Indian playing XI during their victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. The 32-year-old was selected for the Asia Cup squad, and was included in the playing XI for India's opener vs UAE on Wednesday. The CSK star was also given a chance to bowl, and took three wickets for only four runs in two overs.
India went with three spinners in the opener, picking Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah was included as the specialist pacer. All-rounders Hardik Pandya and Dube added depth to the pace attack.
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Having outshone Hardik in the opener, Dube credited MI star for helping him throughout his career. Speaking after the match, he said, "Hardik is the kind of player from whom I keep learning. He is like my brother. His experience in the IPL and international cricket is huge. I want to learn as much as I can from him. I keep asking him questions, even about batting. I have never thought about comparisons. All I want, playing alongside him, is to learn and use that knowledge to improve myself."
Unlike Hardik, Dube doesn't bowl much. Even in the IPL, he plays mainly as an Impact Player for CSK, contributing with the bat. Meanwhile, Hardik is a frontline all-rounder for both MI and India, often taking the new ball in the IPL.
Shivam Dube recalls Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav's words
{{/usCountry}}Unlike Hardik, Dube doesn't bowl much. Even in the IPL, he plays mainly as an Impact Player for CSK, contributing with the bat. Meanwhile, Hardik is a frontline all-rounder for both MI and India, often taking the new ball in the IPL.
Shivam Dube recalls Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav's words
{{/usCountry}}Since Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach, Dube has bowled in seven matches, registering eight wickets. "The captain and coach told me beforehand that I would bowl. ‘We have confidence in you,’ they said. My bowling coach helped me with a lot of things. I had been preparing for a long time to be ready whenever the opportunity came. What happened today was the reward for that preparation," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Since Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach, Dube has bowled in seven matches, registering eight wickets. "The captain and coach told me beforehand that I would bowl. ‘We have confidence in you,’ they said. My bowling coach helped me with a lot of things. I had been preparing for a long time to be ready whenever the opportunity came. What happened today was the reward for that preparation," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"During the England series, he (Morkel) gave me a couple of key tips. He told me to use the crease and bowl from wide of the stumps. He also advised me on getting my slower ones right. I’ve been working on that for a long time. He even helped me adjust my run-up. Because of those tweaks, I have been able to bowl well. My pace is good, and I feel confident with the ball in hand," he added.
