NZ vs IND: Ravi Shastri sees promising signs of Gurnoor Brar’s growing confidence
Gurnoor Brar’s ability to generate pace and bounce has already caught the eye, but it is his growing understanding of how to use these attributes that has impressed former India head coach Ravi Shastri.
The young fast bowler produced a match-winning performance in the rain-hit second ODI against New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday, returning figures of 4/30 in 10 overs, including two maidens, as India bowled out the hosts for 134. His performance helped India secure a four-run victory by DLS to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
NZ vs IND 2nd ODI: Highlights | Scorecard
Speaking on Sony Sports Network, Shastri was particularly impressed with the way Brar spoke about his bowling during the post-match presentation. The former India coach felt that the pacer is starting to understand his strengths and more importantly, he is learning not to get carried away by his own pace.
“I like the way he spoke in the post-match as well. He said, I know I’m quick, I have to use my pace to get a good result. But I don’t want to get carried away, I want to hit the hard lengths he did here and take wickets,” Shastri said.
“When a young player knows what his strengths are and wants to live up to it, that’s a good sign. You saw him at Eden Park. You saw him here. He’s growing in confidence and getting better.”
Finding the right lengths in New Zealand
Brar’s performance in Wellington was another indication of how effectively he has adapted to conditions outside India. The 26-year-old, who can consistently aim in the 140-142 kmph range, enjoyed the bounce and pace on offer that allowed him to attack batsmen with hard lengths.
After winning the Player of the Match award, Brar admitted that bowling in New Zealand was a pleasant experience, especially as the conditions suited his natural game.
“I really enjoyed it. Bowling here in New Zealand, the bounce and pace really helped me so I enjoyed it,” he said.
Temper also explained how his approach differs from what he normally encounters in India, where flatter surfaces often require more discipline when hitting hard lengths.
“Obviously in India the pitches are quite flat so we have to bowl such a hard length. But here there is that extra bounce. So I just bowled to my strengths and it worked.”
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Brar also spoke about the balance between aggression and control for a fast bowler operating at his pace. He believes that aggression is necessary, but understanding one’s own limitations is equally important.
“If you are bowling fast at an average of 140 or 142, you have to be aggressive as well. But you also have to know your limits. I just enjoy it and keep bowling,” he added.
He also explained that he prefers to keep his short deliveries around shoulder height rather than bowl excessively high bouncers. His intent is to get batters to commit to a shot while keeping the ball in an uncomfortable strike zone.
Patience impresses Shane Bond
Brar’s performance was part of a wider effort by India’s inexperienced pace attack, with Anshul Kamboj and Auqib Nabi also contributing to the bowling effort.
Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond was particularly impressed with the patience of the young Indian players. Having spent much of their domestic cricket on a relatively flat surface, the trio had to adapt to conditions that offered considerably more help.
Bond felt they resisted the temptation to chase wickets and instead trusted their ability to repeatedly hit the right areas.
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“I’ve really enjoyed the patience of the Indian bowling. You’ve got Kamboj, Nabi and Gurnoor who have played cricket on flat wickets here. And it’s about them running in and hitting the wicket consistently and that’s all they’ve done. They’ve carried it over,” Bond said.
He added that young bowlers can often get carried away when the conditions start to favor them, but the Indian attack remained disciplined and earned its breakthroughs through consistent bowling.
Gill supports a young bowling group
India captain Shubman Gill was also pleased with Brar’s progress and pointed out that the pacer already has the attributes needed to succeed at the international level.
“In the last match, Gurnoor also bowled really well. As he gets more experience, he will be more consistent. He already has pace and bounce. Most seamers have all the qualities. International cricket is about performance under pressure,” Gill said.
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For Brar, the Wellington show marks the next step in his early international journey. Shastri’s observations highlight that his development is not just about bowling faster or extracting more bounce, but understanding when and how to use those weapons.
India will be hoping the young pacer carries that confidence into the third ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton on November 10.
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