Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar applauded the team management for handling veteran pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s workload well for the important Test series in New Zealand. He has dealt with fitness issues over the years, including a recent knee injury that kept him out of the Test series in Sri Lanka as well.
He said to the 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,” he added again.
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Sanjay Bangar also believes India should go with a four-pronged pace attack, including Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep, in the Test series in New Zealand as well.
“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.
Sanjay Bangar also lauded Dhruv Jurel for becoming a solid Test batter ahead of the crucial two-match series in New
Zealand. He also enjoyed an excellent start to his Test career in his debut series against England in 2024 as well.
“It settled down quite well. If you think once Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) were not part of the scheme of things, it took some time, which was quite understandable. Dhruv Jurel has been a good addition, and he has batted well even as a specialist batter,” he added.
“If you look at the 6 batters that might play, they do seem to have the experience of performing well in all conditions, and add to that if (Ravindra) Jadeja plays at 7 and then you follow it up with 4 fast bowlers, or whether they play 3 fast bowlers and 1 pace-bowling all-rounder. 6. So, that is the most critical part. That number 7 and 8 spot, and more so the pace-bowling all-rounder, becomes critical to India having a good New Zealand series,” Bangar concluded.
