Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel feels young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be ready to bowl more short bowling as his international career progresses. The teenager, who impressed during IPL 2026, has struggled to make the same impact against England, scoring 14 and 13 in the last two T20Is. England’s bowlers have consistently attacked him with short deliveries, a tactic Patel believes will continue. According to Patel, England’s approach is not surprising because teams had already identified this strategy during the IPL. Speaking to JioHotstar, he said, “Not just Jofra Archer, I think anyone who has watched the IPL would not be surprised that there was a deliberate plan to bowl short to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. It was not just the wicket ball, the previous ball was also short. In the first game, on the pitch he hit for six, it may not have bounced as much, but the line was the same.”Patel believes all teams will continue to test the youngster with pace and bounce.“As Vaibhav Sooryavanshi progresses in his international career, he will continue to face this type of bowling, with short pitches and over 145 kmph. So, the question will definitely be how he copes against short pitch bowling, because all bowlers will look to target him there,” he added.Patel also urged India’s batsmen to show more patience after being bowled out for just 78 in the third T20I. He said players should take time to adapt rather than attacking from the start, especially in English conditions where the pitches and ground dimensions are different.“I would like to see a better understanding of the game and a bit more awareness of the game from the Indian batsmen in Bristol. Yes, there are 200 runs on the board but these are all experienced T20 batsmen and in this format you have a bit more time than you think,” he said.“You can afford to do one or two laps to see. The conditions are different, the wickets are not as flat and you have to get used to the dimensions of the ground and the pace of the wicket. So it is very important that you give yourself some time,” added Patel.India will now look to bounce back in the fourth T20I, while England will look to close out the series with another win.
