India have not added any extra player to their squad ahead of the third Test against New Zealand and also does not have any plans of resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah before the upcoming long five-Test series against Australia Down Under starting in November. Amid reports that the team management had called up Harshit Rana to train and bowl for the team ahead of the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium, there was expectation that Rana could be added to the squad just like Washington Sundar was called up just before the second Test in Pune as the Delhi medium pacer is one of the bowlers picked in the Australia tour squad.
But on Wednesday, India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar clarified that not extra player has been added to squad while also confirming that they have no plans of resting Bumrah despite it being an inconsequential Test as New Zealand has already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. There has been concerns regarding the workload of Indian pacers in the last few years as many of them have broken down even during a series.
Bumrah has a history with injuries and thus there was hope that the team management would like to keep him fresh ahead of the Australia series. But Nayar said the team management is aware of his workload but feels that the seasoned pacer from Gujarat has not bowled too many overs in two Tests, which incidently ended prematurely, thus giving him some extra rest days.
“I think in the two Test matches he’s (Bumrah) bowled around 20, 25 overs. So he’s not bowled a lot. Yes, there’ll always be a thought process about his workload. Also, we played two games where we not at 5k cricket, it’s been more three, three-and-a-half days, so he could have rest. But Booms is very important to us and the workload will always be something on our mind,” Nayar said in a pre-match press conference at the wankhede Stadium here on Wednesday.
Another reason for the team management opting against resting Bumrah is that the Wankhede pitch is expected to help seamers in the first hour or so every day.
“I always believe that Wankhede will always give pace a chance no matter what, especially when Mumbai winter doesn’t feel like it. But in the morning there will be a bit of moisture, there will be a bit of dew around. So you will expect the first sessions to have a bit of swing. I’m not sure of the pitche yet because it’s covered, but if the pitch is hard, then there will be a bit of swing as well. But at Wankhede, you will always see fast bowlers with a bit of a smile on their face in the morning,” said Nayar.
He said the Indian team needs do some self-reflection after losing a home series in more than a decade.
“Firstly, I will start with giving a lot of credit to New Zealand for the way they played and countered spin in the two Test matches. I feel that though the conditions will be different with a red-soil pitch. The last time we played on a red soil, which was in Chennai, a lot of the guys have been a lot of local cricketers and they understand what these conditions are and how the pitch is going to pan out. I think it’s more about, at this level, self reflection for every player to go in and understand their game plans,” he said.
“So for us, it’s more about self reflection and what we can do as a team. There’s always advantages, but I always believe that what you’ve done in the past doesn’t really matter in the present. It’s about how you turn up on that particular day,” he added.
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