Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggles on India comeback, Ashwin points out major concerns: ‘I thought his pace was down’

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to India’s T20I setup has not gone according to plan, with former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin delivering a blunt assessment of the veteran pacer’s performance in the third T20I against New Zealand.Bhuvneshwar, who returned to the national side after nearly four years, has struggled to make an impact in the ongoing five-match series. The 36-year-old has conceded 139 runs in 12 overs across his first three outings, picking up just one wicket at an economy rate of 11.58.His struggles continued in the third T20I, where he finished with figures of 0/40 in four overs as New Zealand posted 199/5. India chased down the target to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

‘A very big miss’: Ashwin questions Bhuvneshwar’s performance

Speaking on SonyLIV after the match, Ashwin described Bhuvneshwar’s latest outing as a “miss”, pointing to a noticeable drop in pace and the absence of his trademark swing.“Bhuvneshwar Kumar in his third match is a miss for me. Look, anybody can go for runs. I would actually take the previous two games of Bhuvi. I thought he bowled really well upfront. He swung the ball and bowled the third over inside the Powerplay in the previous game,” Ashwin said.Ashwin acknowledged that conceding runs is part of a bowler’s game but felt Bhuvneshwar looked short of his best during the third T20I.“So, it’s very understandable to have one bad over in the back half, but in this game, I thought his pace was down. The swing was missing. Just didn’t look like he was running up to the crease as well as he could. Looked a bit off, and I think it’s been a very big miss,” he added.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s numbers in the New Zealand T20I series

The numbers underline the challenges faced by the experienced seamer since his return. Bhuvneshwar conceded 49 runs without taking a wicket in the opening T20I, followed by 50 runs and one wicket in the second match. He then went wicketless again in the third game, giving away 40 runs.His expensive start has raised questions over his effectiveness in the side, particularly with India having already taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.