Australia’s ‘Clever’ Plan to Counter Jasprit Bumrah in Border-Gavaskar Series
Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull believes Australia has devised a cunning plan to neutralize Jasprit Bumrah’s threat during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series. Doull, in a recent discussion on JioCinema, highlighted Bumrah as Australia’s “biggest threat” and suggested that the hosts are attempting to “cook” him with their scheduling strategy.
According to Doull, Australia’s decision to start the series in the scorching heat of Perth, followed by a pink-ball Test in Adelaide, is a deliberate attempt to exhaust Bumrah. This strategy could force India to rest their star pacer in the middle of the series.
“Australia has been clever with their scheduling,” Doull said. “They know that while batters will be crucial, their biggest threat is Jasprit Bumrah. So they’ve chosen the three hardest and fastest surfaces, plus the Pink-Ball Test. They’re trying to cook Bumrah. They’ll cook him in the heat of Perth, where he’ll have to bowl a lot of overs. Then he’s going to have to 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.”
Doull believes Australia’s plan is to tire out Bumrah in the first two or three Tests, forcing India to rely on other bowlers. “They’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.”
Meanwhile, legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that if Rohit Sharma is unavailable for the first Test, Jasprit Bumrah should lead the team for the entire tour. Gavaskar believes that Bumrah’s leadership would provide stability and reduce pressure on the deputy captain.
“It is important for the captain to play the first Test match,” Gavaskar said. “I have been reading that Rohit Sharma might not play the first two Tests of the Australia series. I feel that, in that case, the selection committee should appoint Jasprit Bumrah the captain of the side for the entire Australia tour, and tell Rohit Sharma that you will participate as a player in this series. For the first Test match, Rohit Sharma has to be there.”
