Dinesh Karthik believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar's two no-balls affected his bowling figures against New Zealand.

The former Indian wicketkeeper urged fans to be patient with the veteran pacer on his return to international cricket after almost four years.

India began their five-match T20I series against New Zealand with a thrilling four-wicket victory at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. After winning the toss and electing to bowl, the visitors conceded 225/4 in 20 overs, with Glenn Phillips smashing an unbeaten 82 off 40 deliveries.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar endured a difficult outing on his return to international cricket after almost four years, conceding 49 runs without taking a wicket. During the innings break, former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik assessed the veteran pacer’s performance and highlighted a costly issue in his spell.

Dinesh Karthik highlights Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s no-ball concerns

Speaking on Cricbuzz during the match commentary, Karthik pointed out that Bhuvneshwar’s two no-balls in his second and third overs had a significant impact on his figures. He suggested that nerves might have affected the experienced seamer, who rarely commits such errors.

“It was the no-balls that did him in. He’s not somebody who generally bowls no-balls. I am not sure why, but it may have been a bit of nerves. Two no-balls in a game is unheard of for him,” Karthik said.

Bhuvneshwar began with an economical four-run over but conceded 17 and 14 runs in his next two overs. Although he showed better control in his final over, a boundary off the last delivery took his figures to 0/49.

Karthik backs Bhuvneshwar after expensive spell

Despite acknowledging that Bhuvneshwar was not at his best, Karthik urged fans to be patient with the veteran pacer following his international comeback. Bhuvneshwar’s expensive spell contributed to India’s challenging chase of 226 runs.

“A lot of fans may be critical, but it’s his first day back in international cricket. So cut him some slack. But he has to be aware that no-balls are not a habit he wants to develop. He knows he’s better than that. But was he as good as he could be? Definitely not,” Karthik added.

However, Sanju Samson’s 67 off 33 balls and Abhishek Sharma’s 29 off 12 deliveries gave India a flying start with a 93-run opening partnership. After a middle-order wobble, Shreyas Iyer scored 42 off 28 balls before Naman Dhir’s unbeaten 42 off just 15 deliveries sealed the victory. Dhir struck a six with two runs needed off three balls as India reached 230/6 in 19.4 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.