The Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series has been a challenging one for the Indian cricket team this time, with the players on tour getting their patience, integrity, resilience and skills tested on various occasions.
During this tour, the Indian side faced media scrutiny and isolation as some of its players were accused of flouting Covid-19 norms. Apart from the media scrutiny, the players endured racial abuse during the Sydney test match. Another big concern for the side is that it has been plagued with injuries throughout the series.
With the last test match of the series remaining to be played and a series win on the line for India, the team has to choose its playing XI very wisely. However, the string of injuries and the commendable performance put up by the Indian team in the Sydney test indicate that India will have its share of struggles to overcome before it can look at winning the final match in Brisbane to clinch the series.
On January 12, the Indian team faced another setback as pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the Brisbane test match due to an abdominal strain that made him unfit to bowl. With the absence of Bumrah, the Indian team will lack the necessary firepower in their bowling attack to take down the Australian batting side in the last match of the ongoing test series.
The bowler has been rested as the Indian team management does not want him to play with an injury and aggravate it as it would affect the chances of him playing in the upcoming test series against England.
Bumrah’s injury is not the first one to have undermined India’s chances of winning the Brisbane test. Mayank Agarwal, who was supposed to be Hanuma Vihari’s replacement has injured his hands during practice which might have resulted in a hairline fracture.
On the other hand, Ravichandran Ashwin, the leading Indian bowler who has the responsibility of delivering wickets during crucial matches like the upcoming one has been suffering from back spasms and the possibility of him playing the final test of the series are considerably slim. Ashwin was part of a long-standing partnership with Hanuma Vihari in the Sydney test and stayed on the crease for three hours, which unfortunately aggravated his back pain.
With so many experienced players out of the game due to injury, the responsibility of effective bowling in the Brisbane match now falls on the newer members of the team such as Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur and T Natarajan. With Bumrah rested, T Natarajan is all set to make his international test debut in Brisbane.
Apart from the fear of a toothless, inexperienced bowling attack in the upcoming match, the Indian team is also lacking a solid middle order in its batting line-up after KL Rahul and Hanuma Vihari’s injuries.
It will indeed be a tall order, but certainly not impossible, for the weary and injury-plagued Indians to end the series on a winning note.
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