Following the heavy defeat India suffered against New Zealand in their last series, former Indian pacer Varun Aaron has confidently stated that the Indian team will show no mercy to the visiting West Indies side. While he anticipates that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be crucial in the upcoming home series, Aaron also expressed his hope that spinner Kuldeep Yadav will receive significant game time.
The Indian team is currently dominating the Asia Cup 2025, having reached the final of the continental championship. The defending World Champions in the shorter format are set to face arch-rivals Pakistan in the final on September 28, where they will be aiming to secure their ninth Asia Cup title. Once the Asia Cup concludes, the focus will swiftly shift to the longest format. India is scheduled to host the West Indies for a two-match Test series at home.
Jasprit Bumrah might not play every match in ODI series against Australia, feels Varun Aaron
Due to workload management concerns for the star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, the team management has consistently rested him from certain matches. The last time India hosted a Test series at home, against New Zealand, the host nation suffered a shocking 0−3 series sweep.
This devastating defeat resulted in a historical negative feat that will likely haunt both then-captain Rohit Sharma and then-Head Coach Gautam Gambhir. Consequently, former Indian pacer Varun Aaron has predicted that following that nightmare series, the Indian team will be highly determined in the upcoming series and will refuse to concede even an inch to the visiting West Indies side.
“After the drubbing we got against New Zealand, I don’t think Gautam Gambhir or Shubman Gill, because it is his first home series as captain, I’m sure he does not want to give even an inch, not even a quarter. I think they are very serious about Test cricket,” Varun Aaron said on ESPN Cricinfo.
"India has made a lot of accommodation for Jasprit Bumrah," Aaron added.
Bumrah was strategically managed in the Anderson-Tendulkar series, featuring in only three games. This decision to prioritise workload management generated mixed reactions among cricket pundits and fans, yet the Indian team management stood firm on their approach. Looking ahead to the home series against the West Indies, former Indian pacer Aaron believes that Bumrah will be a consistent fixture. Aaron predicted that Bumrah is expected to be part of the Indian lineup for both Test matches against the West Indies, with his workload management likely being applied to the subsequent Australia series instead. India and Australia will play a three-match ODI series, starting from October 19.
"India has made a lot of accommodations for Jasprit Bumrah. If you are managing someone’s workload to that extent, you want him in every series. I think they might manage Bumrah’s workload in the ODIs in Australia as well. He might just play two,” he concluded.