Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggles for India’s comeback, Ashwin points to major concerns: ‘I thought his pace dropped’

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (BCCI Photo) Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the Indian T20I setup did not go as planned, with former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin giving a scathing assessment of the veteran pacer’s performance in the third T20I against New Zealand.Bhuvneshwar, who returned to the national team after almost four years, has been struggling to make his mark in the ongoing five-match series. The 36-year-old has conceded 139 runs in 12 overs in his first three matches, claiming just one wicket at an economy rate of 11.58.His struggles continued in the third T20I where he finished with figures of 0/40 in four overs as New Zealand posted 199/5. India chased down the target and took a 3-0 lead in the series.

‘Very big miss’: Ashwin questions Bhuvneshwar’s performance

Speaking to SonyLIV after the match, Ashwin described Bhuvneshwar’s latest outing as a “mistake”, pointing to a noticeable drop in pace and the absence of his signature swing.“Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t bowl for me in his third match. Look, anyone can go for runs. I’d actually take Bhuvi’s previous two matches. I thought he played really well up front. He swung the ball in the previous match and bowled the third over,” Ashwin said.Ashwin acknowledged that conceding runs is part of the bowling game but felt that Bhuvneshwar was way behind his best during the third T20I.“So, it’s very understandable to have one bad game in the back half, but in this game I thought his pace was off. He lacked swing. He didn’t look like he was running into the crease as well as he could have been. He looked a bit out of sorts and I think that was a very big mistake,” he added.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s numbers in New Zealand T20I series

The numbers underscore the challenges the veteran seaman has faced since his return. Bhuvneshwar conceded 49 runs without a wicket in the opening T20I, followed by 50 runs and one wicket in the second match. He then lost his wicket again in the third game and gave away 40 runs.His expensive start raised questions about his effectiveness in the bunch, especially when India already had a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.