Navdeep Saini reveals Martin Guptill as the most challenging batsman he has ever bowled to

Indian fast bowler Navdeep Saini has made giant strides as an international cricketer in the limited opportunities he has got in One-day and Twenty20 International cricket. His penchant to crank it up a furious pace with the requisite discipline is what puts Saini in the league of special talents.

The Karnal-born fast bowler is steadily making a mark in his International cricket and pushing consistently for the third seamer’s slot in the Indian white-ball set-up. So, which batsmen does Saini find the most challenging to bowl at? The youngster revealed that it is none other than the swashbuckling Kiwi opener Martin Guptill.

“I think Martin Guptill is an aggressive player and is a challenge for me,” Saini said as quoted by DNA. Guptill spearheaded New Zealand’s batting in the second game with a run-a-ball 79 and along with Henry Nicholls proceeded to give the home side an ideal start as New Zealand eventually racked up a match-winning total of 8-279.

Navdeep Saini played a near match-winning cameo in Auckland

Saini went wicketless in Auckland but he more than made up for it with his brilliant 49-ball 45- an innings which included five fours and two flat-batted sixes over backward point. The right-hander accumulated 76 runs with Ravindra Jadeja for the eighth wicket but could not take the team past the finishing line, something he admitted he will regret when he sees the video of his batting.

“I will regret it when I go back and see the video. If I hadn’t got out, maybe the result could have been different. Will regret that I took it so close and maybe could have gotten closer,” Saini said at the post-match press conference.

Saini added that the wicket was flat and all he and Jadeja were thinking was to take the game to the end. “We felt the wicket was flat and if we could stay till the end, the match could go close. So we were trying to contribute as much as possible and take the match to the end.

Jadeja had told me that if you get a boundary ball hit it. Otherwise, take singles or doubles, try to keep patience and we can take the game to the end,” said Saini.

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