Team India bowlers were not up to the mark as they lost the three-match ODI series against New Zealand with one match to go. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, and Shardul Thakur failed to extract anything out of Eden Park wicket where debutant Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee shed fire to win the second ODI by 22 runs to register an emphatic win after 5-0 T20I series defeat. In the wake of that, former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar slammed the Indian bowlers saying that they lacked a strike bowler.
Going into the second ODI, India brought in Navdeep Saini and Yuzvendra Chahal although it didn't make any difference. Martin Guptill gave the Kiwis a brilliant start as the bowlers failed to attract anything out of the wicket. Guptill scored 79 runs before Ross Taylor played another gem of an innings. He remained unbeaten on 73 runs while debutant Jamieson chipped in with 25 runs to post 273 runs at the end of 50 overs.
Meanwhile, New Zealand bowlers were right on the money as India never looked in line for the run chase. They lost wickets at regular intervals as India failed to stitch any partnerships. Prithvi Shaw and Kohli threw their wickets after getting settled before Shreyas Iyer played another great hand. However, he failed to convert the half-century before Ravindra Jadeja and Navdeep Saini almost took India home. But the Kiwi bowlers bounced back timely to seal the series as India fell short of 22 runs
Following the series defeat, Shoaib Akhtar slammed the Indian bowlers on his YouTube channel. Akhtar said that India lacked a strike bowler who could have picked wicket when needed and they deserve to lose.
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“India deserved this lesson. You cannot win ODIs by playing such poor cricket,” Akhtar said on his Youtube channel after the match. “No one had an answer to Taylor’s innings. I don’t understand how you can let the game slip from reducing the opposition to 7-8 down. I’m repeatedly saying India are missing a strike bowler. Chahal came in place of Kuldeep, he did well but they lacked someone who could put his hand up when they needed wickets," he added.