Former Indian all-rounder Sanjay Bangar has praised the team management for managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload ahead of the New Zealand tour. Bumrah suffered a knee injury on the England tour, which forced him to miss the final ODI.
The ace pacer was then ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka. Bumrah recently played in the Asian Games but he was rested for the white-ball series against the West Indies. The gun fast bowler has also been rested for the T20I series against New Zealand.
Bangar said on Hindustan Times, “Bumrah’s workload has been managed quite well leading into this series, which is the most important series if India has to qualify (for the WTC final). Because you would expect India to do well in the home series against Australia. But if India does not have a good and successful New Zealand series, then that generally will mean that India may very well be out of contention (in the WTC).”
“India has done well overseas, even in England, Australia and South Africa, but New Zealand has been a frontier which most teams have not conquered. So, I think that is going to be a motivating factor for this group of players. The thing is that generally they play to the dimensions really well; that is No. 1. No. 2, the wickets out there, they sort of take the spinners out of the equation.”
Bangar said the Indian team has the resources to bowl out New Zealand twice.
“The support bowlers to Bumrah and Siraj will also be critical because if Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep play, that leaves the lower order a little bit thin. But I think if those four bowlers play together, India has the resources to bowl New Zealand out twice. I think the bowling depth is there. It all depends on whether everybody remains fit,” said Bangar (via the aforementioned source).
India will play two Test matches on the New Zealand tour. The opening Test will be played at Wellington from November 19 onwards.
