Aakash Chopra Explains Why Gurnoor Brar Is Troubling New Zealand Batters

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has explained why Gurnoor Brar is proving difficult for New Zealand batters to handle in the ongoing ODI series, pointing to the young pacer's height and ability to extract steep bounce. According to Chopra, Brar's natural bounce makes him a challenging proposition, as the ball climbs sharply after pitching and often forces batters to adjust their shots at the last moment. Brar showcased those qualities in the second ODI in Wellington, where he claimed four wickets to help India secure a narrow victory. His ability to consistently hit hard lengths has added a new dimension to India's pace attack.

Chopra highlighted how Brar's height allows him to generate extra bounce and make life uncomfortable for batters. His deliveries rise sharply off the surface, frequently creating uncertainty and forcing mistakes.

Brar produced the best figures of his ODI career in the second match of the series, returning 4/30 from 10 overs. He dismissed Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips in the same over before returning to remove Mitchell Santner and Nathan Smith.

New Zealand were bowled out for 134 in 41 overs, with Daryl Mitchell top-scoring with 55. Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj also chipped in with two wickets apiece.

India faced a challenging chase after losing wickets at regular intervals. Shreyas Iyer's 30-run knock helped stabilise the innings, but the visitors were struggling at 113/7 in 26 overs when rain halted play.

The match was eventually decided by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, with India securing a four-run victory to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Brar's standout performances have strengthened India's pace-bowling options, with the young fast bowler continuing to impress on the international stage.

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