Ahead of the BGT 2024 Boxing Day Test against Australia, which begins on Thursday at the MCG, experienced batter Cheteshwar Pujara has expressed worries about Team India’s bowling lineup, questioning their capacity to capture 20 wickets in the Test. Cheteshwar Pujara believes that the current combination is inadequate in comparison to the demands of a test match.
Apart from Jasprit Bumrah’s 21 wickets and Mohammed Siraj’s 13 scalps, the rest of India’s bowling arsenal has struggled to fulfill expectations. Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Akash Deep, all touring Australia for the first time, have managed just 10 wickets collectively.
India’s performance till now in BGT 2024-25
Cheteshwar Pujara felt that Nitish Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja are not able to do the job of being the side’s fourth and fifth bowlers. The Indian team in Australia lacks a bowling attack that is good enough to take 20 wickets in a Test, Cheteshwar Pujara said on Monday and called it the side’s biggest concerns heading into the last two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The five-match series is currently levelled at 1-1 with everything to play for in the Tests in Melbourne and Sydney. The visitors have been relying heavily on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah to get them wickets and while he has been a great success with both the red and pink ball, the peerless fast bowler has not received enough support from the other end, something that has plagued India besides their top-order batting woes.
Going into the fourth Test in Melbourne, there are a few questions on the combination India would opt to play. With senior spinner R Ashwin retiring after the Brisbane Test, there is a hole in the spin department in terms of experience. Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara raised his concerns over the bowling. While he said three pacers pick themselves, who follows them would be the concern.
Cheteshwar Pujara opens up on India’s weakness heading into 4th BGT 2024-25 Test
Veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara reckons that the visitors’ bowling line-up is weak, which could hamper their chances against Australia in the last two Tests of the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). He pointed out that India will find it difficult to leave out all-rounders Nitish Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja from the playing XI, but he added that the two might not be good enough with the ball.
The five-match BGT 2024-25 is currently level at 1-1. Team India won the first Test in Perth by 295 runs, while Australia clinched the pink-ball Test in Adelaide by 10 wickets. The rain-affected third Test at The Gabba ended in a draw.
While analyzing India’s performance in the Test series so far, Cheteshwar Pujara opined that bowling is their weaker link even though the batters, except KL Rahul, have also struggled. The seasoned batter told Star Sports:
“My biggest question and the reason for a little bit of concern is that the Indian bowling is looking a little weak. Batting is a little better, like the top five didn’t do well, but the middle order and lower middle order, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish (Reddy), and even tailenders, Bumrah and Akash Deep contributed with the bat.
“Now, there is a weakness in the bowling, so what will you feed the team? That is the biggest question, because you can’t drop Nitish, you can’t drop Jadeja, so what will be the team combination?,” he wondered.
Pujara doesn’t believe that two spinners will play in Melbourne and did not have an answer as to how India can strengthen their bowling for the Boxing Day Test. He opined:
“[Ravichandran] Ashwin has taken retirement, so two spinners, I don’t think they will play in Melbourne. So, how will you strengthen the bowling? Because the three seamers are very good, but their supporting role, fourth and fifth seamer, Nitesh Kumar is the fourth seamer and Ravindra Jadeja is the fifth bowler. If you add both of them together, the bowling is not that good.
“We will have to think about that, because if you want to win a Test match, then you have to take 20 wickets, and the ability to take 20 wickets is not that good, the supporting role of the other bowlers is not good, so we will have to improve that as soon as possible, and how that will be, I don’t know, but that is a big question,” Pujara concluded.
Meanwhile, according to reports, Mumbai all-rounder Tanush Kotian is all set to join the Indian team for the last two Test of BGT 2024-25 as a replacement for the retired Ashwin.
Lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been exceptional for India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series, with 21 scalps from three Tests at an average of 10.90, with two five-fers and one four-fer to his credit.
Among others, Mohammed Siraj has picked up 13 wickets at an average of 23.92, with a best of 4-98. Harshit Rana has four wickets from two Tests, Akash Deep three from one, Reddy three from three and Washington Sundar two from one. Jadeja went wicketless in Brisbane, conceding 95 runs in 23 overs.