Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has reckoned that Arshdeep Singh was more deserving of the player of the match award in the first ODI against New Zealand. Notably, Anshul Kamboj was adjudged the POTM in the game, which India won by five wickets.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif pointed out that Arshdeep claimed important wickets at the top of the order and set the game up for the visitors, dismissing Will Young, Henry Nicholls, and Glenn Phillips.
“Arshdeep was more impressive. He built pressure by picking wickets at the top. Anshul got wickets later on of the lower-order batters. But Arshdeep put New Zealand out of the game by picking early wickets. His two overs at the end were bad, but he took four wickets. I think he deserved to win the ‘Man of the Match’. He set the tone of the game upfront,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Kaif also praised Kamboj for his effective bowling and skill set. At the same time, he urged the team management to give Auqib Nabi a longer run, suggesting that he should be backed for at least a couple more games rather than being dropped after just one appearance, as was the case previously. Notably, Nabi bowled six overs in the first ODI, conceding 33 runs at an economy rate of 5.50 without picking up a wicket.
“What I liked about Anshul Kamboj was his release point. The lengths that he hit and the dot balls that he bowled were because of his wrist position, that helps the ball pitch on the seam and get lateral movement. That is why he looked more effective. I would want to see Nabi in two more games. If the decision has been taken, there should not be a situation where you drop him for two games and then bring him back. It gives a confusing signal. Give enough chances before bringing someone else in,” he added.
