Bend it like Brar: The fiery Gurnoor heats up Wellington

India bowler Gurnoor Brar (AP) WELLINGTON: Gurnoor Brar is the perfect recipe for a fast bowler. Standing at 180cm, the 26-year-old has a repeatable action and his ability to consistently hit that pesky hard length has rightly earned him the X-factor label.However, the lanky pacer enjoyed his fair share of matches in the ODI series against the West Indies and England, where he ran out twice and conceded close to 100 runs twice in his short career. Questions were raised about its lack of consistency and it was clear that no matter how well the ingredients were measured, the final dish needed a proper stir – which came when it arrived in New Zealand.For Gurnoor, New Zealand was the right opportunity for his genetic gifts and hard work in the nets to count, while also silencing critics who questioned the need for fast pace over the spinner. Indian skipper Shubman Gill has been vocal about favoring tall fast bowlers to come through during the mid-overs and the skipper will be very pleased with the way Gurnoor bent his back in both Auckland (3/44) and Wellington (4/30).The conditions were helpful for the pacers but the ball still needed to be placed in the right areas and Brar did it with confidence. He didn’t get carried away by the extra bounce, mid-air movement or pinch from the surface. Instead, he adapted well to the “trampoline” uneven bounce and run from the board and ran through the opponent with a lot of heat.Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner and Nathan Smith were all lost for pace and extra bounce. A double-wicket haul in the 20th over was enough to put the home team on the mat as Gurnoor relentlessly continued the pace without compromise. That was exactly what Gill wanted at this stage: to prevent the opposition from forming a partnership. He finally got results from the baller he worked on for a long time and supported him through difficult times.“My plan was simple – hit my lengths and get back to my skills. Every day is learning to improve and make sure I adjust. I tried to play full early and then use my backhand at the right time,” Brar said later in a press conference.

Gurnoor Brar (Photo by Sahil Malhotra of TimesofIndia.com)

“Backing is very important for any player. In India, there were flat tracks, but even there (the) management supported us. They asked me to support my lengths and said khul ke ball daal (toss freely). Shubman Gill supports everyone, he doesn’t judge by performance. He himself is hungry for himself and the team,” he added.However, the real test will come on pitches that offer nothing for the bowlers. The fast bowler vs spinner debate will once again be in the limelight, but if there is enough spice on the surface, Gurnoor is ready to cook up a storm and has shown that in both matches so far.There is method behind the madness and the subtle changes in release points and use of groove width further make it unplayable on courses like Wellington. Not to forget the occasional length change he used to keep the batsmen guessing at the Hnry Stadium.Gurnoor answered many questions. He will put a lot of faith in the dressing room and it is now up to the think tank to figure out how to handle him in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup, where the pitches at the start of the season are expected to be better than the roads Gurnoor encountered earlier this year at Lord’s and Guwahati.