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Zaheer Khan Picks Up The Indian Pace Bowling Line-Up For The Adelaide Test
By Sandy - Dec 1, 2018 6:24 pm
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After the three-match T20I series, the hosts Australia and the visitors India are now focusing on the four-match Test series, starting on December 6. Before the Test series, the former Indian star left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan spoke about the Indian pacers.

Zaheer
Zaheer Khan

India is touring Australia with the five in-form pacers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma. The 40-year-old former Indian left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan feels that the experience will be the key factor in this tour and that’s why he wants Ishant to lead the pace bowling line-up.

Ishant
Ishant Sharma

Zaheer told Cricbuzz, “Looking at the Australia tour and at the fast bowling unit which is going there, you look at the five fast bowlers and most of them have been to Australia. If you purely look at the Test tour to Australia, you have Ishant leading the pack, who is on his fourth tour now. So, that is something which is heaps of experience which is very important as well.”

Also read: Ponting Talks About The Playing XIs Of Australia And India For The Test Series

Talking about the first Test of the series that will be played at Adelaide from December 6, Zaheer leaves out Bhuvneshwar Kumar from the playing XI. He said that the team management should focus on the other four pacers to set up the squad for the Adelaide Test.

Zaheer said on this, “The first Test match is starting in Adelaide. You expect Shami, who has been in great rhythm in England to perform. Bumrah can provide the x-factor and I hope that he plays all the four Test matches. That will be very handy. Umesh I think has been the strike bowler. You have these four bowlers (including Ishant Sharma) and the team management would be thinking of picking three from these four.”

Also read: Adam Gilchrist is excited to see the Indian pacers on the Australian soil

The former Indian pacer also gives the reason why he feels that Bhuvneshwar shouldn’t feature in the first Test. While the 28-year-old right-arm pacer relies on swing, the Australian conditions actually don’t provide the swing, rather than it provides the good pace and bouncy wickets.

Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Also read: Sanjay Manjrekar Predicts India’s Pace Attack For Adelaide Test

Zaheer added, “Bhuvneshwar will rely on swing and Australian conditions don’t really provide that. You will see good bounce and pace on the wicket. Unlike South Africa or England for that matter where you see some good sideways movement as well. Just for that reasoning, I would say that maybe for the first couple of Test matches, the Indian team will not be looking at Bhuvneshwar as first priority. The remaining four will be in contention for being a part of the playing XI.”