Wellington, November 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India fast bowler Gurnoor Brar admitted that his expensive outings at Lord’s and Guwahati, where he conceded 97 and 85 runs respectively, had left him disheartened. However, he said reflecting on those performances and learning from his mistakes helped him return stronger.
Brar made the remarks after claiming career-best figures of 4-30 in the rain-affected second ODI against New Zealand at Henry Stadium on Saturday. He was named Player of the Match as India secured a four-run victory under the DLS method to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
“As far as Lord’s and Guwahati games are concerned, obviously that means it’s wrong for any bowler to concede that many runs. But if you learn from there and come back, so in my mind, obviously it was a little demotivating. But more than that, thinking about how I can do better helped me a lot,” he said at the post-match press conference.
After taking 3-44 in the series opener in Auckland, Brar emerged as India’s leading bowler in Wellington. All four of his wickets came through back-of-length deliveries or bouncers, helping India dismiss New Zealand for 134 in 41 overs.
Brar credited senior pacer and Punjab teammate Umesh Yadav for some of his learning, recalling their conversations during the Ranji Trophy. He said Yadav advised him to consistently hit a particular area and use variations in length to make his bowling more effective.
Brar said the Indian fast-bowling group had kept its plans simple, focusing on natural lengths and backing individual skills. He also stressed the importance of using his effective bouncer selectively rather than overdoing it.
“The feedback was the same — hit my natural length and line. I have to hit that only. More full deliveries or more short balls – I don’t have to pre-plan about anything, and I have to pay a lot of attention to the fields,” he said.
The pacer said he enjoyed bowling on a surface that offered assistance to fast bowlers, particularly after the batter-dominated West Indies series. He added that bowlers needed to focus more on their lengths on such pitches because conceding runs could make the target difficult for the batting side to chase.
Brar also said the main adjustment between the Auckland and Wellington grounds involved their dimensions, with the shorter sides and longer front boundary influencing his lengths.
Recalling his exchange with New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell, Brar said he deliberately tried to disturb the batter’s concentration before his dismissal by Axar Patel in the following over. He added that applying pressure as a bowling unit was important in restricting the opposition to a low total.
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