IND vs PAK 2022: "It was absolute cr*p" - Gautam Gambhir on Bhuvneshwar Kumar needing to increase his pace to survive in international cricket

Gautam Gambhir believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar does not need to bowl at a lively pace to trouble international batters as long as he can swing the ball.

Bhuvneshwar returned figures of 4/26 as India bowled out Pakistan for 147 in their Asia Cup 2022 opener in Dubai on Sunday (August 28). The Men in Blue then chased down the 148-run target with five wickets and two deliveries to spare.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Gambhir was asked about his thoughts on how good the swing bowler is currently. He responded:

"How good is Bhuvi now, because Bhuvi has started to swing the ball. The debate that was there that Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs to bowl at 135-140 kph if he has to survive in international cricket, it was absolute cr*p."

Gambhir pointed out that swing is more lethal than pace in international cricket. The former India opener explained:

"His bowling is only to swing the ball. He will be extremely effective till the time he swings the new ball. He was always a good bowler at the death. No batter in the world likes swing, especially in the T20 format. They don't mind pace."

Bhuvneshwar gave India an early breakthrough in Sunday's game by dismissing Babar Azam. He got rid of Asif Ali, Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah in his second spell to derail Pakistan's innings.

---

"He always bowls at a length that tests the batters" - Gautam Gambhir on Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is India's second-highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket.

Gambhir picked the Meerut-born seamer's ability to bowl an immaculate line and length as his biggest asset. He elaborated:

"So Bhuvneshwar Kumar with his swing, always a very, very lethal bowler. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's biggest specialty is that whether you bowl him the first ball of the match or any other ball, he always bowls at a length that tests the batters."

While opining that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) bowler might not be as talented as Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, Gambhir lauded the former for knowing his limitations and bowling accordingly. The cricketer-turned-commentator said:

"He knows his limitations. He might not be as talented as Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah but to know your limitations and to stick to them, to have different game plans, can make you extremely successful and that is Bhuvneshwar's specialty."

Bhuvneshwar pointed out at the post-match press conference that he quickly realized that the conditions on Sunday were not assisting swing. The 32-year-old, therefore, opted to utilize the bounce on the surface and dismissed the Pakistan skipper with a short ball.