Indian all-rounder Shivam Dubey presented a brilliant example of playing more comfortably against fast bowling by playing a stormy innings of 65 runs in 23 balls against New Zealand on a pleasant night in Visakhapatnam. He credited this to his improved ‘mindset’ which made him a ‘more intelligent’ cricketer. No doubt Dubey’s 29 runs in one over off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi will get more headlines, but his three sixes against fast bowlers Jacob Duffy and Matt Henry were equally important. It was a clear indication that he no longer just targets the spinners but can also play big shots on the fast bowlers. Are. He said that playing cricket consistently at the top level helped him in this. Dubey told reporters after India’s 50-run defeat in the fourth T20 International against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam, ‘All this is the result of my hard work. Playing matches continuously and batting in such conditions is improving my mentality. So here I have started understanding what will happen next and what the bowler will think and bowl for me. Dubey has also bowled regularly in this series but he was not handed the ball in this match because India had fielded with five main bowlers and even all-rounder Hardik Pandya did not get a chance to bowl. Dubey said, ‘This is the important thing for both my batting and bowling. I am able to bowl because of Gauti Bhai (Gautam Gambhir) and Surya Bhai (Suryakumar Yadav). He has given me a chance to bowl. So, when you bowl, you become a little smarter. I am also working on this and trying to develop some more skills.’ Dubey admitted that getting a chance to play regularly has made him wiser as a cricketer in the last few months. ‘I have worked really hard,’ he said. I have got a chance to bowl, bat and do everything. So, there is such a thing as experience and I have got it and it is moving in the right direction. People improve in many things.’ This all-rounder said, ‘All players and teams keep improving themselves. In such a situation, how can I remain the same as before? I try to be a little better and smarter in every next match. So I’ve learned to be a little smarter. I have understood what my strong points are and how I can focus on them.’ Dubey believes that playing more comfortably against fast bowlers helps him put more pressure on the opposition team. ‘It is very important,’ he said. My job is to keep the strike rate high in the middle overs. I always focus on this. Be it a spinner or a fast bowler. What is certain is that I know that playing the spinners well is my strong suit and at that time I can put pressure on the opposition team. So then my mindset is very clear.
