There is a lot of chatter around the much-hyped Border-Gavaskar Trophy. For the first time in three decades, India and Australia will square off in a five-match Test series.
The schedule seems to be grueling with five games to be played in the span of six weeks. The longest gap is between the first and second Test which is 10 days as there could be a two-day pink-ball practice game for the touring Indian team.
The fitness of the fast bowlers will be the key, especially for India. Given the inexperience in their attack, Jasprit Bumrah is going to be absolutely vital. The 30-year-old pacer has played seven Test matches in Australia and has returned with 32 wickets at an average of 21.25. He played a key role in India winning the last two Test series’ down under.
However, with India missing Shami, Bumrah’s role will be crucial and his workload may be one to keep an eye on. Hence, former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull believes that Australia are trying to cook Bumrah early on the tour. The current commentator thinks that the schedule is such that the ace India fast bowler will have to bowl long spells on hard and fast pitches early in the series.
“What Australia have done smartly is scheduling. They know that while batters are going to be key in some shape or form, their biggest threat is Jasprit Bumrah. So they have gone with the three hardest and fastest surfaces, plus the Pink-Ball Test. They are trying to cook Bumrah. They will cook him in the heat of Perth, where he will have to bowl a lot of overs. Then he is going to have to go and bowl a lot of overs in that second pink-ball Test match in Adelaide. And then you’ve got to go to Brisbane where generally, first up, the seamers are quite good as well,” Simon Doull was quoted saying on JioCinema.
First three Tests could see fast bowlers doing the bulk of the work
The first Test will be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The pink-ball Test in Adelaide is the second. After which, the Gabba in Brisbane will host the third Test. Two of out these three pitches will be fast, bouncy and command a lot of bowling from the pacers and the other one is a day-night Test where pacers get appreciable movement.
That’s something that Doull feels could work against Bumrah. Playing three games in a row and bowling a lot of overs may well force India to make a change going into the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
“So, we’re going to cook Bumrah in the first two, three Test matches, make sure he bowls a lot of overs. And then they’re going to have to make a change. They’re going to have to go to someone else. So, I think the scheduling from Australia’s point of view has been quite smart because very rarely do they start a series in Perth,” Doull added.
Apart from Bumrah, only Mohammed Siraj has the experience of playing Test cricket in Australia among the fast bowlers. Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy are currently taking part in the India ‘A’ games. Meanwhile, Akash Deep and Harshit Rana are the other pacers in the 18-member squad. Rana and Reddy are yet to make their Test debuts. Hence, it’ll be a significant challenge for India heading into Australia.
