Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus has given Indian fans something to worry about as they look forward to the India vs Pakistan clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The Men in Blue warmed up for the game against their arch-rivals with a stunning 93-run win over Namibia in Delhi on Thursday. That victory was not without its hiccups with Erasmus picking up 4/20 in his spell.
While it was an impressive, Erasmus made headlines for his unusual bowling action. Among his variations, the spinner used a round arm action and also even bowled from behind the stumps to fox the batter. That action drew comparisons with Pakistan's Usman Tariq.
dismissed Ishan Kishan with his first ball. The left-hander was caught in the deep trying to clear the fence. He delivered just a one run over, but not without controversy. Erasmus was halted in his stride as he bowled from beside the umpire Rod Tucker. The Namibian captain argued it was among his variations but Tucker ruled it as a dead ball.
His bowling was compared to Pakistan's Usman Tariq. Tariq has been under the scanner for his stop-start run up and bowling action. Like Tariq, Erasmus' action has also been a major talking point throughout the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He bowls with a round arm angle, crouching and then bringing the ball in from a wide angle. The Indian batters were unhappy on a number of instances with his style of bowling.
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How netizens reacted to Erasmus' effort
Given Indian batters' struggle against Erasmus, many speculated they could have a hard time against Tariq in Colombo.
A few users thought facing Erasmus was good practice before the India vs Pakistan game in Colombo.
