Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha was surprised to see Jasprit Bumrah coming out to bat as a nightwatchman after the wicket of Prithvi Shaw late in the day’s play on Day 2. As it started he was the first wicket to fall on Day 3 as India had a rare batting collapse being bowled out from 7 for 1 to 36 for 9. Mohammed Shami got injured on his right hand and it was when Indian skipper Virat Kohli decided to declre the innings leaving Australia 90 to win the first test.
Talking to Sports Today, Ojha said that he would have not sent Bumrah at that position with India having proper batsmen in the shed. He thought exposing Jasprit Bumrah against the likes of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins was not a good idea.
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Jasprit Bumrah The Nightwatchman
“Bumrah with the ball is a bigger asset than going out there and batting. I would not have sent him (as the nightwatchman). Maybe I would have sent somebody else but not Bumrah because he is your number one bowler,” Ojha said on the channel.
Meanwhile, Deep Dasgupta, former Indian wicketkeeper thought otherwise. He thought sending the bowler at that position was sensible from India saving their best batsmen for a fresh day.
“I agree with the decision because defensively he is your best option unless you want to send Ashwin. The whole concept of a nightwatchman is to protect the batsman who’s out in there and those who are going to come after that,” Dasgupta said.
Meanwhile, the visuals of the Indian batting collapse was not a sight that the Indian cricket fan would have liked. From 7 for 1 at stumps on Day 2, India were brought down to 19 for 6 inside the first half-hour of day 3 and were 31-9 after the fall of Hanuma Vihari for 8. India finally declared on 36 for 9 after Mohammed Shami coped up with an injury on his bowling arm. This was also India’s lowest ever total in Test Cricket.
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