AUS vs IND: Who should be India’s third pacer in Ishant Sharma’s absence?
With the recent closure of the limited-overs tour, the most anticipated Test series of the year 2020 is all set to take guard on 17th of December in Adelaide which also earmarks India’s first away and overall second day-night fixture. However, with plenty of injuries plaguing both the camps, their leaders will have to make tough choices.
To put things in perspective, there’s already a bigger set-back in the form of Virat Kohli who will only be taking part in the first Test of the series. Then there’s the injury of Rohit Sharma (has cleared fitness test but will miss the tour partially) and Ishant Sharma who are yet to confirm their presence for the entire four-match tour. Another notifying concern for the Indian camp is the concussion injury of Ravindra Jadeja who is most likely to miss the first Test.
So out of all the agonizing setbacks, it’s the absence of Ishant Sharma which has fretted the Indian camp. It’s not only because of Ishant’s staggering form since 2018 it’s because of the trio of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami who have perhaps been the hallmark when it comes to India’s overseas success.
The candidates
When it comes to restoring Ishant’s place as a third seamer then India only has three options which include: Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj. Out of the three seamers, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj did play the 1st Practice match at Sydney. In the 2nd practice match, Navdeep Saini and Siraj had a go.
Joe Burns is out for a duck … and Will Pucovski was fortunate not to join him back in the sheds!
All happening at Drummoyne: https://t.co/MfBZAvzAkr #AUSAvIND pic.twitter.com/xYPiJCex5v
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 8, 2020
Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj are yet to make their Test debut and hence picking them as a third seamer can be a bit of a wager as it can be a test of courage or can become a perilous ordeal to face. Umesh Yadav, on the other hand, has thrice been part of the Indian team when it comes to touring Australia for the Test matches which makes him the most experienced candidate out of the three.
By looking into Umesh Yadav’s overall record, he has an aggregate of 144 wickets from 46 Test matches so far and often has been India’s preferred seamer at home mainly because of his ability to swing both the new and old ball. But when it comes to touring overseas then his career average drops from 30.47 to more than 42 which has mainly been the reason why he often warms the bench.
He also maintains a below-par record in Australian conditions as the speedster has only managed to grab 27 wickets from eight matches. His bowling average stands close to 46 which isn’t invigorating by any sorts.
However, his recent outing in the first practice match does tell an exemplary story as the seamer grabbed three crucial wickets in the first innings including the dismissal of both the openers which is a very convincing start from someone who might play the entire series. At this point in time, Umesh Yadav seems set to be India’s third seamer at least for the first Test.
