With the series opener at Headingley conceded, the availability of Jasprit Bumrah becomes even more crucial, who is expected to play only three games of the five-match ENG vs IND series in a bid to manage his workload.
While it is still unknown which games specifically the Indian management will opt to play the talismanic pacer, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar gave a crucial disclaimer.
Given that India failed to defend 371 in the fourth innings, Manjrekar feels the Indian batting unit will face an uphill task in Bumrah’s absence and will need to score in 500s to balance it out.
Writing in his column for Hindustan Times, Manjrekar opined, “Bumrah must play the second Test come what may, only because of how England chased down 371. Without Bumrah, India will have to get 500s to compete and that’s an unfair expectation from this batting line-up. As a bowler he has reached such heights that even a 40% fit Bumrah will make this Indian bowling attack look better than one without him.”
ALSO READ:
While Bumrah delivered the goods with a fifer in England’s first innings, he didn’t get any rewards out of the 19 overs he bowled in the second. The numbers further highlight that with the pitches in England getting progressively slower and batting conditions getting easier, it becomes extremely difficult for Bumrah to bowl 40-50 odd overs with the same intensity in a span of two days.
This is where Manjrekar feels that Kuldeep Yadav can make a difference. With only one spinner spot in the playing XI, India opted to go with Jadeja in the first Test, given his credentials. However, Jadeja didn’t utilise the conditions to his best and given Kuldeep’s wicket-taking abilities, Sanjay Manjrekar India should play the wrist-spinner irrespective of conditions.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
