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Tiring out Jasprit Bumrah crucial – Josh Hazlewood | Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood says it’s crucial to tire out Jasprit Bumrah
The Australia vs India Test series has not started yet but has garnered a lot of eyeballs, already. The 2018-19 performance by the Indian team, especially Jasprit Bumrah’s 21 wickets, has the tourists believing they can perform well again.
And now after his splendid performance in IPL 2020, there has been a lot of anticipation regarding Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming Test series. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has called Bumrah probably the key player of the series in a recent interview.
“Bumrah is probably the standout. He is unique with his action. He maintains pace very well throughout the day and the whole series. He is probably the key. He can take wickets up front or with the old ball. I guess it’s about getting a lot of overs into him, try to tire him out in the first couple of games. That will be the key,” Hazlewood said.
Also read: What makes Jasprit Bumrah so special?
The Australian pacer took 13 wickets in the last series against India, though he admitted that in the last couple of years Indian pacers have improvised their skills in a significant way. “They out-bowled us the last time they came. That went a long way for them in winning the series. They have most bases covered with their quicks. If Ishant Sharma gets here at some point it will add to their strength. They are all a little bit different. For the last 10-15 years, Indian pacers have kept improving. Our batters will have to be on their toes to counter that”, he added.
Australia-India has a long history of cricket rivalry and it has been a matter of interest for all cricket fans. The last Test series was the first time that Aussies had lost a home series to India, which speaks for itself. However, this year it’s going to be tricky as the captain of the Indian team Virat Kohli has taken paternity leave after playing the first Test match in Adelaide. His aggression on the field is something that acts as a key motivation in Test cricket especially when the opposition is this strong.
“Australia-India rivalry is up there with the Ashes. India has probably added to it, the last time when they came here and won. That was some tight series. We don’t lose too many series in Australia. That certainly hurt at the time. We know the guys who were at that time. I will remember that. It gives motivation this time around,” the pacer said.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.
