Expect Indian pacers to perform better than what they've done: Glenn Turner

Hamilton: Former New Zealand skipper Glenn Turner is quite surprised that his country has its “nose ahead” in the ongoing bilateral series against India and the reason, according to him, is the underwhelming performance of the Jasprit Bumrah-led visiting pacers.

However, Turner expects Bumrah and Mohammed Shami to lift their game in the upcoming two-Test series, which begins on February 21.

After winning the five-match T20 series 5-0, India lost the ODI series 0-3 failing to defend 347 in one game and nearly 300 (296) in the final match.

“I have no time at all for T20 cricket. It’s a blot on the game. 50-over cricket, you can have a game. Technically, I felt bowling from both sides have been way below than what I had expected at international levels in both formats,” Turner told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Turner believes Bumrah and Shami’s ability to swing the ball will work to India’s advantage during the Test series.

“At the moment, New Zealand has their nose ahead but I have been rather surprised, that has been the case. India has shown in three-match series they have several whats and I am surprised that they have not performed better than they have,” he said.

Turner feels India’s problem in Tests could be the excessive white-ball cricket they have played.

“Shami has shown he is a talent and has great stamina. It’s almost in my mind, once Test matches start, a theory of how you should bowl under certain circumstances in limited-overs cricket tends to be sidelined. That being the case, I would expect the Indian bowling to be better than what we have seen,” opined the former New Zealand skipper.

Bumrah is coming back from an injury and Turner hoped that the spearhead will have the capacity to bowl 25 overs in a red-ball game.

“He has got natural talent despite being unorthodox in his bowling action. He tends to come off the pitch quicker than you would expect and has accuracy.

“He has had a good warm-up bowling 10 overs in ODIs but then limited-overs doesn’t help in building stamina for bowling 25 overs a day,” he explained.