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Former Australian cricketer and IPL-winning coach Tom Moody believes Gujarat Titans bowlers have lost their form "at the wrong time", a factor that could prove costly towards the business end of the 18th season of the cash-rich league.
Known for their disciplined and precise attack, Gujarat's bowling unit appears a shadow of its former self, considering its sharp decline in form. Since the resumption of the tournament, GT has lost twice out of three after standing triumphant in eight out of 11 before the suspension. Considering their recent exploits at the crease, Gujarat's bowlers have lost their attacking tenacity. The Titans have combined to leak 664 runs in the last three fixtures while scalping 10 wickets, a stark indicator of their sluggish ambush with the ball. "It is a concern that a number of their bowlers are losing form at the wrong time. Coming into the finals, one area of your game you want to be absolutely confident with is your bowling attack and everyone not looking over their shoulder but looking to take responsibility themselves. And I look at their attack, and really there's only one bowler that's bowling well, and the rest are trying to find form," Moody said on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out show. After receiving a thumping 83-run defeat in their home den against bottom-placed Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad, Moody identified left-arm orthodox spinner Sai Kishore as the only bowler who has returned with a wicket in GT's last three games. Prasidh Krishna, who is in second place in the race for the Purple Cap with 23 scalps and Mohammed Siraj, Gujarat's premier weapon with the ball, have contributed in patches but have been scratchy in their recent outings. "And that's probably being a little bit harsh on Sai Kishore because I think he's been quite consistent, but it's nearly like his bowling has been swept away along with many other bowlers purely because they haven't been able to build the most important thing, and that's those partnerships with the ball," he added. India's legendary ball tweaker, Anil Kumble, echoed Moody's views and sentiments. He highlighted that Gujarat lacks cutting-edge sharpness in the powerplay, which has increased the pressure on the bowlers in the middle overs. "When things have not started off well for GT in those first six overs, the pressure on the bowling attack has been pretty obvious. That's where the Rashid wicket-taking ability is sort of missing now, and that's why they're probably struggling," Kumble said. (ANI)
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