India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has indicated that the team is inclined to include pace ace Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI for the crucial fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. With India trailing 1-2 in the five-match series following losses at Headingley and Lord’s, the upcoming game is a must-win for the visitors.
Ten Doeschate confirmed Bumrah is likely to play only one of the remaining two Tests due to workload management. A final decision will be made closer to the match, he said in a pre-match press conference.
“We will make that call in Manchester. We know we have got him for one of the last two Tests. It’s pretty obvious that the series is on the line in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him, but again, we will look at all the factors, (like) how many days of cricket are we going to get up there, what do we feel is our best chance of winning that game, and then how that fits in together with Oval and looking at the last two games as holistically as part of the series.”
“We’ll Use Him Smartly” – Ten Doeschate on Bumrah’s Spells
At the press conference, Ryan ten Doeschate was questioned about England skipper Ben Stokes’ lengthy bowling spells on Day 5 of the Lord’s Test. A reporter asked him to draw a comparison between that and the way India is managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload.
Ten Doeschate praised Stokes’ effort but stressed that Bumrah is best used in short spells in red-ball cricket. Stokes bowled 24 overs in the innings, including a 9.2-over spell on Day 5, and took three wickets.
“That was super impressive for Ben to come out in the last and bowl the amount of overs he did and with the intensity. Obviosuly, he bats and fields as well. We are not trying to compare our bowlers to individuals from other teams. We have our own strengths, and we know what Jasprit does in shorter spells, which he prefers bowling in.”
“Some bowlers are like that, you get the best out of them in the seventh, eighth or ninth over, but not everyone has to be the same as that. In consultation with Jasprit, how we use him is the best way for the team,” he added.
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