Dubai: His bowling role is restricted in the IPL due to the ‘Impact Player’ rule but Shivam Dube aspires to be a full-fledged all-rounder for the Indian team backed by head coach Gautam Gambhir and helped by bowling coach Morne Morkel.
Having scalped 3/4 in two overs in the opening Asia Cup game against the UAE on Wednesday, Dube spoke about the role played by Morkel in his improvement as a seam bowler.
“Morne has been working with me since I came back into the Indian team for the England series. He has given me certain specific advice and I worked on them,” Dube told mediapersons after India’s nine-wicket victory.
“He told me to bowl a line that is slightly outside the off-stump. He also worked with me in developing a slower delivery and tweaked my run-up a bit. The head coach and the skipper had told me that my bowling will have a role to play.”
Post IPL, Dube, who doesn’t figure in other two international formats, got two months of time to work extensively on his all-round game as well as fitness. Dube is used more extensively as a power-hitter in the IPL by his franchise Chennai Super Kings.
“For the last two months, I have worked a great deal on my fitness. As far as my batting is concerned, I know I have a role to play (as a power-hitter) in the middle overs. I know over the years, bowlers targetted me with short balls and I have worked on increasing my range of shots,” he said.
“As tournament progresses, wicket will get slower and I know my slower (ball) will be effective and I also know how to bat in middle overs,” he added.
Asked if UAE batters were clueless when it came to reading Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy from their hands, Dube said he won’t be able to tell that. “...also I can’t be saying that about opposition team. It doesn’t look good. All I can say is that mystery bowlers are very difficult to pick. Even I fail to pick Varun and Kuldeep while batting against them in the nets.”
As a seam bowling all-rounder, Dube at times is pitted against Hardik Pandya but the Mumbai all-rounder stressed that there is no competition.
“Hardik is like a brother from whom I tend to learn a lot as he has way more experience both in IPL and international cricket compared to me.
“...my only endeavour is to learn as much as I can from his vast experience,” he said.