Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull spoke about Australia's astute scheduling for the forthcoming five-match Test series against India in an attempt to offset Jasprit Bumrah's threat. Notably, starting on November 22, India and Australia will play five Test matches against one another. For both sides, the series is crucial since it may determine whether they go to the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final.
After losing 0–3 at home recently against New Zealand, India is under tremendous pressure to win in Australia. They must win at least three Test matches there to maintain their chances of making it to the WTC final. Jasprit Bumrah, India's speed spearhead, will be one of the team's most important players during the series. He is anticipated to use his extraordinary bowling skill and lethal pace to rip apart the Australian batting order.
Simon Doull on Bumrah
However, Simon Doull claims that Australia's series schedule would force Bumrah to bowl a lot of overs in three consecutive Test matches, which will probably sap the Indian star's energy.
"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," Doull said on Jio Cinema.
India will kick off the series on November 22 in Perth, followed by the following Test in Adelaide starting on December 6 after a nine-day break, and the third Test in Brisbane starting on December 14 after a four-day break. Bumrah may be exhausted for the remainder of the series as a result of having little time to recuperate between the second and third Tests.
"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 added.
With 32 wickets from seven games at an average of 21.25 in the nation, Bumrah has been instrumental in India's two series wins down under. In their first series victory in Australia in 2018–19, he took 21 wickets from four games at an average of 17, making him the joint-highest wicket-taker.
The onus will be entirely on Bumrah to lead India to victory in Australia for the third straight series, while star pacer Mohammed Shami is sidelined due to injury. Along with young players Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, he will require strong support from his partners Mohammad Siraj and Akash Deep.
