The Indian cricket team will begin its Test series against Bangladesh on September 19. In preparation, India has made a strategic move to counter Bangladesh’s pace attack by including a 6-foot-4.5-inch pacer in their training camp.
One of the fast bowlers selected for the four-day training camp is Punjab’s Gurnoor Brar. Although he has played only five first-class matches and was part of the Punjab Kings squad in the IPL last season, his impressive height and pace make him a notable inclusion. At 24, Gurnoor’s main asset is his height and speed, which are seen as crucial in emulating the bowling action of Bangladeshi fast bowler Nahid Rana.
With the selection of pacer Yash Dayal in the Indian squad for the upcoming home series against Bangladesh, Team India will look to overcome the absence of a left-arm pacer in their red-ball cricket since the retirement of Zaheer Khan in 2014. (0% Attitude: Virat Kohli fan shares heartwarming story from Chepauk ahead of IND vs BAN first Test)
The two-match series between India and Bangladesh will begin on September 19 in Chennai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The second Test will begin on September 27 in Kanpur. In his first Test, head coach Gautam Gambhir will be keen to secure a series win.
India have had a formidable bowling unit comprising of pacers Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma who have helped India remain unbeaten in a home series since 2013.
Since the end of World War II in 1945, according to Wisden, a total of 349 fast bowlers have bowled in at least 20 innings in men’s Tests. Of these, 49 fast bowlers have been left-handed, according to Wisden. India has had six such left-handed fast bowlers out of a total of 29 fast bowlers who have bowled at least 20 innings in Tests from the end of World War II to the present day. Two of them were Rusi Surti (45 innings and 42 wickets) and Karsan Ghavri (69 innings and 109 wickets) during the 1960s and 1970s respectively. (Will India repeat the mistake made in the 2023 World Cup final against Australia? A strange strategy for the first Test match is revealed)
After a drought that lasted till the late 1990s, there was a sudden emergence of talented left-handers in Ashish Nehra (1999), Zaheer (2000), Irfan Pathan (2003) and RP Singh (2006) in India’s red-ball system.
Zaheer turned out to be India’s only long-serving left-handed batsman, having played 92 Test matches, bowled in 165 innings and taken 311 seedings. Pathan played in 29 Test matches, took 100 wickets in 54 innings, but also proved his usefulness with the bat, contributing to his run of Test matches from 2003 to 2008.
Two other relatively short-term options are Nehra, who played 17 Test matches between 1999 and 2004, in which he took 44 wickets in 25 innings. RP’s career was also short, as between 2006 and 2011 he played just 14 Test matches, in which he took 40 wickets in 25 innings.
Since Zaheer retired, India have hardly been able to play a left-hander in Test cricket. Since his retirement in February 2014, the combined experience of Indian left-handers in Test matches is just four matches, three by Jaydev Unadkat and one by T Natrajan. Only Afghanistan has lesser Test match experience for left-handers.
While this has not affected India’s success as the spin bowlers have dominated the home conditions and India’s right-arm fast bowlers have also provided strong support, a left-handed bowler brings balance to the team. He helps break the consistency provided by the right-handed bowlers and offers a different angle to the batsman, which can prove challenging. A left-handed bowler bowling from above the wicket can help create rough patches outside the off stump of a right-handed batsman, which can help the off-spin bowlers in the second half of a Test match.
Dayal’s selection possibly reflects a shift towards a profile-first approach. During the white-ball series against Sri Lanka, head coach Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment, the Men in Blue attempted to create right-left combinations while batting throughout the series.
For Dayal, the selection has come as a redemption after the low point of being hit for five consecutive sixes in the last over of a tense run chase by Rinku Singh during the Gujarat Titans (GT)-Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) match in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
After a two-year stint with Gujarat Titans (GT) from 2022-23, in which he took 13 wickets in 14 games, lifted the Indian Premier League (IPL) title and even became a victim of Rinku Singh’s carnage during a match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Dayal had a solid season in this year’s league with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as he took 18 wickets in 15 matches and delivered the over that helped the franchise complete six successive wins after a disastrous start to make it to the playoffs.
Dayal has had an excellent career in first-class cricket, taking 76 wickets in 24 matches at an average of 28.89, with best figures of 5/48. In India B’s recent victory over India A in the Duleep Trophy, Yash took three wickets for India B, including a spell of 3/50 in the fourth innings.
Indian team for the first Test against Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel , Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah and Yash Dayal. (With ANI inputs)
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.