Young India pacer Gurnoor Brar relished bowling in New Zealand, saying the extra bounce and pace on offer helped him exploit the conditions with his hard-length deliveries as he played a key role in the visitors’ four-run win over the hosts in a rain-affected second ODI on Saturday.
Brar, with his four-wicket haul, was instrumental in bundling out New Zealand for a paltry 134 but the visitors had to work hard before securing a victory through the DLS method to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. “I really enjoyed it. Bowling here in New Zealand, the bounce and the pace really helped me, so I enjoyed it,” said Brar, who has impressed with his pace and ability to extract bounce. Explaining his approach, the pacer said the extra bounce in New Zealand allowed him to stick to his natural strengths rather than rely on the hard lengths required on relatively flatter Indian pitches.
“Obviously, in India the pitches are quite flat, so we have to bowl that hard length. But here, there’s that extra bounce. So I was just bowling to my strengths, and it worked,” he said.
Brar, who bowls in the 140-142 kmph range, said aggression was important for a fast bowler but knowing one’s limitations was equally crucial. “If you’re a fast bowler bowling at an average of 140 or 142, you have to be aggressive as well. But you have to know your limits too. I just enjoy it and keep bowling,” he said.
He also explained his use of the bouncer, saying he preferred keeping it around shoulder height rather than bowling it too high. “I just try to bowl that hard length, the lengths where batters try to pull. I don’t want to bowl it very high; I just keep bowling at shoulder level,” he added.