With Bumrah's Presence, India's Got The Ammunition Needed To Level The Series: Bangar

After Arshdeep Singh: Ahead of the fourth Test between India and England, former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar shared his thoughts on Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion in the playing XI, saying with the pace spearhead's inclusion, the team has got the "ammunition needed to win the match and level the series."

To manage the workload of Bumrah, it was decided that he will play only three Tests on the tour. With the pacer having already featured in Leeds and London, the ace pacer will play the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

"Bumrah playing the fourth Test is good news. One good thing is that the itinerary is spaced out — especially when you’re playing back-to-back Test matches. The gap between the third and fourth Test is enough for any player to recover. Jasprit Bumrah increases the strength of any team, especially the Indian team. Every time he has played in recent times, his overseas record in Tests has only gotten better. With his presence, I think the Indian team has got the ammunition needed to win and level the series.

"Because the series is on the line, India needs to get back into it. If there is one bowler who can exploit any conditions, it’s Bumrah. By all accounts, the series was much easier in the first three Test matches as far as batting was concerned. But the conditions are likely to be more bowler-friendly in this particular Test. That would mean that we may not have to bowl a lot of overs — and we can certainly help India dismiss the English batters quite cheaply," Bangar said on JioHotstar.

To manage the workload of Bumrah, it was decided that he will play only three Tests on the tour. With the pacer having already featured in Leeds and London, the ace pacer will play the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

"Bumrah playing the fourth Test is good news. One good thing is that the itinerary is spaced out — especially when you’re playing back-to-back Test matches. The gap between the third and fourth Test is enough for any player to recover. Jasprit Bumrah increases the strength of any team, especially the Indian team. Every time he has played in recent times, his overseas record in Tests has only gotten better. With his presence, I think the Indian team has got the ammunition needed to win and level the series.

"Because the series is on the line, India needs to get back into it. If there is one bowler who can exploit any conditions, it’s Bumrah. By all accounts, the series was much easier in the first three Test matches as far as batting was concerned. But the conditions are likely to be more bowler-friendly in this particular Test. That would mean that we may not have to bowl a lot of overs — and we can certainly help India dismiss the English batters quite cheaply," Bangar said on JioHotstar.

After Arshdeep Singh, who has been ruled out of the Manchester Test, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was sidelined for the remainder of the series, pacer Akash Deep will also miss the fourth Test at Old Trafford due to a groin niggle, opening the door for uncapped Haryana seamer Anshul Kamboj to make his international debut. But, all eyes will be on whether Kamboj makes his debut or if Prasidh Krishna returns to the mix in Manchester.

Reflecting on Prasidh vs Kamboj selection dilemma, Bangar said, "It is going to be a tough call for Shubman and Gautam Gambhir to pick between Prasidh and Anshul. That’s probably the reason they’ve delayed the decision right up to the start of the Test match. I believe Prasidh has done enough, and in the next Test match, you need a bowler who can extract bounce from that Manchester track. I feel Prasidh is slightly ahead of Anshul for this particular Test. He challenges the batters in a different way — and let’s not forget, he has picked up important wickets as well. Yes, he has been expensive, but where there is pace, there is bounce — both in this Test match and the next.

"So it would be good if Prasidh plays back-to-back games. That will mean that, at the end of the series, there will be clarity on Prasidh Krishna — whether he can be a regular Test match bowler. But if you don’t play him now and wait till the Oval, you can never really make up your mind about where he stands in terms of the team’s plans. If he has the experience and has already been picked for a number of Test matches, it would suit the team’s direction better to let him play both games — so that the team can draw inferences at the end of the series.”

Apart from Bumrah's availability, the other good news for India was that vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who had suffered a finger injury at Lord's, came through a training session that lasted over two hours.

"So it would be good if Prasidh plays back-to-back games. That will mean that, at the end of the series, there will be clarity on Prasidh Krishna — whether he can be a regular Test match bowler. But if you don’t play him now and wait till the Oval, you can never really make up your mind about where he stands in terms of the team’s plans. If he has the experience and has already been picked for a number of Test matches, it would suit the team’s direction better to let him play both games — so that the team can draw inferences at the end of the series.”

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"In fact, I’ve seen many players perform better even when carrying a niggle, simply because their focus sharpens. As for wicketkeeping, it’s a role that keeps you engaged throughout the match. And if Rishabh is ready to take it on, it suggests he has healed well — because the Indian team wouldn’t risk playing someone who’s not fit enough," said Bangar on Pant’s return as wicketkeeper.

Article Source: IANS