Harsh Dubey emerges as India’s long-term spin-allrounder project despite England snub Cricket News
CHENNAI: Every successful Indian team has finally discovered an all-rounder who calmly solves many problems at once. In Dubey toughIndia believes that they could have found another such cricketer for the future.The 23-year-old left-arm spinning all-rounder is still at the start of his international journey, but early signs have already convinced the team management that he is a player worth investing in. Shubman Gillthe words of India, who see Dubey as an important addition to India’s all-rounder pool.“If we look at the pool of all-rounders, especially left-arm spinners who can bat, he is one of those players. He is very young and it is important that we show confidence in players like him. He is someone who can bowl 10 overs for us and if required can also do the job with the bat in situations where you need 80 runs in the last 10 overs,” said Gill.Those comments came before India’s squad for the England ODI series was announced. However, despite Gill’s endorsement and a promising start at international level, Dubey did not find a place in the team as Axar Patel returned to the side after being rested for the Afghanistan series.Still, his omission is unlikely to change the long-term plans India seem to have for him. With Ravichandran Ashwin retirement and India manage the workload of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar, the team management has already started grooming the next generation of spin-bowling all-rounders.The selectors had named Dubey in both the Test and ODI squads against Afghanistan, signaling a long-term investment rather than a short-term experiment.This faith was further underlined in the first ODI when Dubey was preferred to the more experienced Kuldeep Yadav. On his debut, the youngster was under pressure in his opening but responded impressively, showing temperament and finished with figures of 3-47 from five overs and ended his two-match ODI stint with four wickets. While his economy rate of 7.08 remained on the higher side, he was able to strike in crucial moments and showed the ability to bounce back under pressure.While his bowling credentials are already well established, his batting potential is an unexplored area in the series. India believe there is more to come from him with the bat, particularly as he possesses the ability to finish innings and contribute valuable lower-order runs.His numbers across all formats further strengthen his case. In the IPL, he took eight wickets in eight matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad at an average of 28.50. In List A cricket, he took 35 wickets in 32 matches and scored 296 runs in 17 innings, including two half-centuries, at an average of 26.50 with the bat.His first-class record is even more impressive. In 27 matches, Dubey claimed 133 wickets at an average of 23.26, including nine five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls.
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