‘To itne saal se kya kr rha tha’ – Fans react as MI bowling coach says ‘will work on’ Arjun Tendulkar’s pace

In the 35th match of the Indian Premier League 2023, Gujarat Titans beat Mumbai Indians by 55 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. While chasing 200+ MI crumbled against the Spin bowling attack of GT as Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed clinched five wickets giving away just 64 runs in eight overs. The only positive for the five times champions was Arjun Tendulkar.

The man who bowled brilliantly in the run-fest while smashing some runs at the end was Arjun. Tendulkar junior made a strong return against Gujarat Titans just four days after being destroyed for 48 runs, including 31 in one over against Punjab Kings, and finished the game with numbers of 1/9 in two overs on Tuesday. Notably, He has clinched three wickets in the last four games.

While the left-arm seamer has wowed everyone with his movement and accuracy, his pace isn’t fast enough to keep the batters moving. Arjun’s bowling speeds have ranged between 126 and 130 kph, although MI bowling coach Shane Bond has stated that he will concentrate on boosting his speed. Bond commended Arjun for coming back to bowl two decent overs against Gujarat Titans after being brought to the cleaners against Punjab Kings.

Bond Said, “He did well today, obviously after what happened in the last game. It’s never easy to step out onto the ground that is a Colosseum with a big crowd. We will work on increasing his pace, but he did all that was asked of him today,” Bond said at the press conference after MI’s 55-run loss to GT.

Gujarat Titans outplayed Mumbai Indians in the game 

MI chose to bowl first and conceded a massive total of 207/6 on the board. GT’s batsmen included Shubman Gill (56 off 34), David Miller (46 off 22), Abhinav Manohar (42 off 21), and Rahul Tewatia (20* off 5) starred with the bat for the defending champions. In response, the five-time champions scored 152/9 in their allocated 20 overs. It was a dismal batting performance, with no one in the lineup reaching a half-century. Nehal Wadhera led the way with a 21-ball 40.

Speaking on the game Bond further said, “When you chase 208, the only plan is to keep going. We tried to ride the storm as the ball swung differently. Look at the way Hardik and Mohammad Shami bowled, not giving us free balls to hit. We had to try to manufacture something. Thus, the score at the end of the powerplay reflected how they bowled on a wicket, which they did the same to RR,” Bond said.

“The first six overs were tough for both teams, as it would get difficult for the bowling team because of the dew factor. We were trying to stop the damage to our run rate, which has taken another big hit tonight”, he further added.

Here is how fans react to Shane Bond’s comments on Arjun Tendulkar: