New Delhi: India are caught in a massive selection dilemma following the crushing loss against Australia in the Day-Night Test at the Adelaide Oval. Rohit Sharma’s men were humbled in the second Test, losing the pink-ball contest inside three days as Australia levelled the series 1-1 with the dominating 10-wicket win.
One of the main reasons behind their loss was the lack of support for Jasprit Bumrah, who was the lone warrior with the ball in hand for the visitors.
Bumrah’s dominance and lack of support in Adelaide
In the post-match press conference on Sunday, India skipper Rohit Sharma jokingly remarked “Jasprit Bumrah cannot alone take responsibility. You don’t expect him to bowl from both ends”. Rohit’s blunt message to the rest of the Indian bowling attack was a clear indicator of his unhappiness with the Indian bowlers, who failed to take advantage of the pink ball under the floodlights.
Watching the lack of support for Bumrah, Rohit even indicated that the “door is very much open” for Mohammed Shami to join the squad.
Shami’s potential return and associated risks
Shami, who hasn’t played international cricket since the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, is in the final stages of his rehabilitation in India from a serious ankle injury. The veteran pacer made a comeback to competitive cricket in the Ranji Trophy last month and is currently playing for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 competition.
While there have been no serious concerns for the pacer since his return to action, it’s still unclear that he could go through the rigours of Test cricket.
Despite all this, Shami has been tipped to play a key role in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
While Shami would bolster the Indian pace attack led by Bumrah, who has picked up 12 wickets at an average of 11.25 in the opening two Tests, including the Bengal pacer in the paying X1 would be a massive risk as he hasn’t been cleared yet by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to return to international cricket.
BGT: Team India faces a crucial selection dilemma after their crushing defeat against Australia in the Day-Night Test at the Adelaide Oval. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
