Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull identified an unnoticed and "clever" plan from Australia to keep India quiet during the impending Border-Gavaskar Test series, which will begin on November 22 in Perth. Doull revealed that Australia's entire plan centered around their “biggest threat” Jasprit Bumrah.
Heading into the series against Australia, which will comprise five Test matches, the talk around the Indian team has been their humiliating whitewash at home against New Zealand and need for batters, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to bounce back. Most experts have in fact backed Rishabh Pant, who was the highest run-getter for India following the series against Bangladesh and the Kiwis, to pull off another unforgettable show in Australia, where three years back, he had carved out an iconic show, including a series-winning 89 in Gabba.
Despite the talk around the batters, Doull, speaking to JioCinema, reckoned that Australia's entire plan for the summer has centred around keeping Bumrah quite and India desperate for bowling options.
He then pointed out that Cricket Australia, in a rare move, scheduled the series opener in Perth, followed by a Pink Ball Test in Adelaide and a Boxing Day match in Gabba, implying that India will be tested on one of the hardest and fastest pitches in world which would increase the dependence on Bumrah. And with no Mohammed Shami in the line-up, Mohammed Siraj struggling to find his rhythm and Akash Deep into his maiden tour Down Under, India could be left in a precarious spot as they go deeper into the series.
“What Australia have done smartly is scheduling. They know that while batters are going to be key in some shape or form, but 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. 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,” he said.
How Jasprit Bumrah has fared in Australia so far?
{{/usCountry}}“What Australia have done smartly is scheduling. They know that while batters are going to be key in some shape or form, but 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. 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,” he said.
How Jasprit Bumrah has fared in Australia so far?
{{/usCountry}}Bumrah was part of both the historic series for India - 2018/19 and 2020/21 - playing seven Test matches in all. While he played all four matches in his debut tour, he incurred an injury in the Sydney game a year later, resulting into him missing the Gabba finale. Overall, he picked 32 wickets at 21.25 with one five-wicket haul. His best performance came in Melbourne, where he finished with 6 for 33 in the first innings in the 2018 match, and completed a nine-wicket haul in the match.