As the Indian cricket team faces a potential whitewash against New Zealand, having lost the first two matches of the series, captain Rohit Sharma has received a bold suggestion to rest star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Despite being widely regarded as the country’s finest pace bowler, Bumrah has struggled to make an impact on the spin-friendly pitches against New Zealand.
Former India wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik has urged the Indian team management to give Bumrah a break ahead of the upcoming tour of Australia. “Jasprit Bumrah definitely needs a rest without a doubt,” Karthik told Cricbuzz. “That is happening, and you will see Mohammed Siraj come in.”
Karthik believes that Bumrah’s absence will not significantly alter India’s batting lineup, despite their poor performance in the first two matches. However, he anticipates that Siraj will replace Bumrah in the bowling attack.
“I can’t think of any other change unless someone has a niggle,” Karthik added. “I don’t see any reason why the batters who played this game or the bowlers should not get an opportunity.”
Washington Sundar emerged as India’s top performer with the ball in the Pune Test, which was dominated by spinners. However, India failed to level the series, suffering a second consecutive loss to trail 0-2.
While the Indian team is unlikely to make drastic changes ahead of the must-win Test in Wankhede, some adjustments are expected to be made to the XI, keeping the World Test Championship in mind.
Karthik acknowledged the disappointment of the defeats but emphasized the need to remain focused on the upcoming match. “The loss and the disappointment of the defeat are still weighing very heavily on my mind,” he said. “I am not able to think very clearly about what the XI will be. It’s too short a notice to be honest. But if I had to think straight away, I would say rest Bumrah and bring back Siraj.”
