Ex-India Selector Reflects on Bumrah's Performance in Adelaide

New Delhi, Dec 9 (NationPress) India squandered the chance to build on their 295-run victory in Perth, facing a ten-wicket loss in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide.

During the match at Adelaide Oval, Australian bowlers consistently delivered fuller pitches compared to the Indian bowling attack in the first two days, laying the groundwork for their ten-wicket victory and leveling the five-match series at 1-1.

Jatin Paranjape, a former cricketer and national selector for India, pointed out that India's inability to bowl fuller deliveries, unlike Australia, was a significant factor in their defeat.

“I believe we didn’t bowl as effectively as in Perth. The Australians bowled significantly better than the Indian team. In my view, Bumrah was slightly off his game,” stated Paranjape.

“I don’t think they pitched the ball as far up to the batters as they should have. This is a primary reason why Australia managed to secure a 150-run lead. The pitch in Adelaide provided ample assistance to the bowlers, and failing to bowl effectively was a major setback for India,” he told IANS in an exclusive discussion.

India's bowlers also did not take advantage of Travis Head's vulnerability against short balls, allowing the left-handed batter to score an impressive 140 runs. Paranjape, co-founder of KheloMore and a member of the BCCI Cricket Advisory Committee, believes India's bowling strategy against Head in the upcoming three matches will be crucial for the series outcome.

“Travis Head plays with his own style, and his technique is quite unique, making him a formidable opponent. He scored 140 runs off 141 balls on a challenging pitch. If he gets off to a good start, India needs a solid strategy to bowl to him. If not, the series could quickly slip away from us.”

Another significant factor in India's defeat in Adelaide was their diminished batting time of 81 overs across both innings, compared to 183.7 overs in their win in Perth. Paranjape emphasizes the need for Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul to bat for extended periods in the remaining matches.

“We definitely need to bat for longer. I thought Shubman Gill was on track for a good innings in the second innings until he was dismissed by a stunning delivery from Starc. Jaiswal, Gill, and KL Rahul, who is no longer a youngster, must step up as senior players on this tour by scoring big runs. Like Jaiswal did in the first Test, we need one of them to score a couple of hundreds in the next three Tests - it’s essential.”

Amidst the challenges, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has emerged as a bright spot, being the top scorer in three of India’s batting innings with scores of 41, 42, and 42. “I was very impressed with his performance in the two Tests. He definitely has the potential to excel further.”

“He has been playing his game in Australia against the top bowling attack in the world, indicating a promising future. He could potentially be a serious alternative to Hardik Pandya,” Paranjape added.

He concluded by stating that the ten-day break between the first and second Tests disrupted India’s momentum. During this time, rain limited India’s two-day pink-ball practice match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra to a limited-overs format.

“That ten-day break did not benefit the Indian team. After a Test match victory, you usually want the next match to come quickly. This break has somewhat dampened the team’s preparation,” he remarked.

“Additionally, this was a pink-ball Test match, which the team isn’t very accustomed to. With the next Test scheduled for the 14th, we need to regroup – it’s essential.”