Indian medium pacer Harshal Patel has always been his captain’s go-to bowler whenever the call for a wicket has been felt. Either for RCB, Haryana or Indian cricket team, he always raises his hand whenever the captain searches for a bowler to break a partnership. Harshal has now become a T20 mainstay in Indian XI, irrespective of where they play, which track is used.
Harshal started off the T20 series vs South Africa on a bad not, leaking over 40 runs in 4 overs in Delhi. The track at Feroz Shah Kotla was fast and it did not support his style of bowling. But Harshal made a superb comeback in the next two games, giving just 17 runs in 4 overs at Cuttack while finishing with 4 wickets in Visakhapatnam.
Off from Vizag with a win _ _
On-to Rajkot with a warm welcome _ _#TeamIndia | #INDvSA | @Paytm pic.twitter.com/QHokrgNMcT
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 15, 2022
Ahead of the all-important 4th T20 vs South Africa at Rajkot, Harshal was asked his opinion on competing with a pacer like Umran Malik, who is known for building up pace over 150 kph consistently. To this, Harshal said that he never compared himself with Umran, who is a completely different bowler.
“I cannot worry about that (comparison) because I cannot bowl as fast as Umran (Malik). It is plain and simple so I have to develop skills to render myself effective at international level. I have never been an express fast bowler although I can go near 140 kph. But I have never been a express fast bowler. So my focus has always been to develop skills around my bowling. At the end of day, does not matter how you do it, winning the game is the ultimate goal,” the 31-year-old bowler told journalists ahead of the T20 on Friday.
India play the 4th T20 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. The Rishabh Pant-led side is trailing 1-2 in the series have two games to try and win it.
