"When I See Jasprit Bumrah...": Sourav Ganguly Triggers Fresh Debate On Indian Pitches

04.02.2024 - 03:29 sports.ndtv.com

Jasprit Bumrah's throbbing afternoon spell on the second day of the second Test against England in Vizag on Saturday made former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly advocating for sporting pitches rather than preparing rank turners.

Bumrah homed in on Ollie Pope's stumps with a laser-guided yorker to dismiss the England batter for 23 off 55 balls, earning it a separate fan base altogether.

It wasn't entirely surprising then to see Ganguly, a lifelong supporter of pace bowling and sporting tracks, airing his views in favour of decks that keeps bowlers of all genres in the game, rather than just spinners. "When I see Bumrah, Shami, Siraj, Mukesh bowl, I wonder why do we need to prepare turning tracks in India…my conviction of playing on good wickets keeps getting stronger every game.

They will get 20 wickets on any surface with Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep and Axar (for support),” Ganguly wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

cricket India Cricket Team England Cricket Team 2024 on Ravichandran Ashwin Sourav Ganguly Mohammed Shami Ravindra Jadeja Jasprit Bumrah Australia India

With a 2-1 lead in hand, India will take on England in the fourth Test in Ranchi, hoping to clinch the five-match series. However, the hosts, who have already missed key players in three matches so far, will be without the services of Jasprit Bumrah, who was released from the squad ahead of the game, starting Friday, February 23. The decision to rest Bumrah "was taken keeping in mind the duration of the series and amount of cricket he has played in recent times." Mukesh Kumar, who was released from the squad for the 3rd Test, has been added back to the team as a cover for Bumrah.

Why Was Jasprit Bumrah Rested Despite Wanting To Play All England Tests? Report Says...

Indian cricket team fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah wanted to play all five Test matches against England in the ongoing series but was rested for the fourth game in Ranchi as part of workload management, according to a report by Hindustan Times. The report claimed that Bumrah was keen on playing all the games "influenced by the two eight-day breaks at the end of the second and fourth matches". However, with the T20 World Cup taking place in June this year, the team management decided to rest him for the match.

Jasprit Bumrah Released From India Squad For 4th Test Against England, Star Batter Ruled Out

Ahead of the India vs England fourth Test, starting in Ranchi on Friday, Jasprit Bumrah has been released from the squad, the BCCI said in a media release late on Tueday. "The decision was taken keeping in mind the duration of the series and amount of cricket he has played in recent times," the BCCI statement added. Meanwhile, KL Rahul is ruled out of the fourth Test. "His participation in the final Test match in Dharamsala is subject to fitness," the BCCI said.

England In Shambles, Jasprit Bumrah Mocks With "Maar Hi Nahi Rahe" Quip. Watch

The third India vs England Test saw the hosts climb out of tricky situations against the visitors with all the members contributing. While there was a great batting displays from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, all-round show from Ravindra Jadeja, and gritty performance from Ravichandran Ashwin, who played despite a family medical emergency, there were other contributions too. Jasprit Bumah too took two wickets to increase his tally to 17 wickets - the most by anyone.