India all-rounder Shivam Dube credited the team management’s support for his growth as a dependable bowler, saying their faith in him has been instrumental in his recent success. The 32-year-old repaid that trust on Thursday, playing a key role in India’s 48-run win over Australia in the fourth T20 at the Gold Coast.
Initially selected for his power-hitting abilities, Dube made a greater impact with the ball, dismissing Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh and the dangerous Tim David to tilt the game in India’s favor. The victory at Carrara Stadium gave India a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, with the final game set for Saturday in Brisbane.
Dube revealed that since India’s Asia Cup triumph, bowling coach Morne Morkel and captain Suryakumar Yadav have provided him with a clear plan, while head coach Gautam Gambhir has given him the freedom and confidence to execute it.
“It was mostly about understanding how to bowl on different types of pitches,” Dube said. “Gauti bhai told me, ‘Don’t worry about the runs — bowl freely. We are backing you.’ That really gave me confidence.”
India posted 167 for 8, and their bowling strategy focused on forcing Australian batters to target the longer side boundaries.
“The boundaries were over 80 meters, so we knew hitting big shots wouldn’t be easy,” Dube explained. “It’s T20 cricket, and anyone can attack, but we planned it well for this ground and were confident of restricting them.”
