We have to keep an eye on Bumrah’s workload :MSK
Chief selector indicates Jasprit Bumrah will be used only for “important Test series”
NEW DELHI: Jasprit Bumrah’s emergence as ‘Test match bowler’ was India’s biggest gain during the recently concluded tour of South Africa and national selection committee chairman MSK Prasad made it clear that the Gujarat speedster’s “workload management’’ is paramount for him.
Bumrah bowled a whopping 162.1 overs across three formats, including 112.1 overs during the the three-test series in South Africa.
“I am delighted with Jasprit’s performance. We always had confidence in his abilities as he had done well for Gujarat in Ranji Trophy. But now our primary goal is to monitor his workload very carefully with so much international cricket ahead. We need to be careful that he is not over-used,” Prasad told PTI during an exclusive interview.
The chairman also indicated that Bumrah will be used only for the “important Test series” as his slinging action is one of the rarest of rare. “If you look at his action, it is a rare one and he can be prone to injuries. We need to use him for the important Test series coming ahead. For each and every fast bowler, the balance of workload is very important and the high performance team will be monitoring it closely,” the former India wicketkeeper explained.
The other big gain has been the performance of the two young wrist spinners in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who shared 33 wickets between them in India’s emphatic 5-1 win in the ODI series.
“We always believed that wrist spinners are wicket-taking investments that we had to make. Both Chahal and Kuldeep have really lived up to our expectations. The most heartening aspect has been the pool that we have managed to create. We now have five quality spinners for three formats -- Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel,” Prasad said.
He also said that the endeavour of the current selection committee was to create a proper bench-strength and they are slowly but surely inching towards that goal.
“I attribute our team’s success to the nice bench strength that we have. We have multiple players for each spot. Like we have rested Hardik Pandya for the Sri Lanka series and we want to create a back-up all-rounder in Vijay Shankar.”
For someone, who has been stressing on the aspect of communication, Prasad believes that each and every player has the right to know where they stand in terms of national selection.
He had said just after Test squad selection that current team was the “best” that have hit South African shores and now feels satisfied that he has been vindicated.
“I had said before the start of South African tour that this is our best team and I stand by it completely. The Test series was a case of so-near yet-so-far. But full marks to Virat and the team management for keeping up the energy. It was not easy but Virat led from the front as he has always done,” Prasad said. Despite the Test series loss, South Africa was a major step forward for Indian cricket. Driven by a new ‘culture’, the DNA of Virat’s team is different from previous Indian teams.
Notice the change. No Indian team has done this well overseas, not for a long time. India were competitive in Tests and outstanding in other games. Our bowling in Tests revolved round quality pace and, in the shorter format, around quality wrist spin.
The players have changed — they look like cool models with tattoos, flashy lifestyles, funky haircuts. More remarkable is the transformation of the team itself, now a close knit ‘group’ of individuals with shared values. The ‘group’ is about cricket, also about bonding, attitude and unwritten rules. Strict adherence and compliance is basic to ‘team culture’. Individuals must toe the line, not cross it — there must be no-questions-asked loyalty with no room for disagreement let alone dissent.
This new culture is scripted by Virat Kohli, captain of India, arguably the best batsman in the world. He is the high command, twice in stature compared to the person next in line.
With no seniors around (MSD does not play all formats) Virat is the supreme leader. Vice captains (Ajinkya Rahane or Rohit Sharma) and seniors (Cheteshwar Pujara and R Ashwin ) are way, way down the pecking order.
Kohli has clout and control, also clarity about which road to take in the journey ahead. Keen to make a mark in international cricket, Kohli has little time for those who don’t share his vision. Anil Kumble was unaligned, so had to make way and the BCCI did multiple somersaults to accommodate his wishes.
Kohli’s world is of yo yo tests, top fitness, high intensity and an aggressive mindset. He wants the team to do well, specially overseas, and so strong is this desire that Aiden Markram, pushed into captaining South Africa after playing one ODI, marvelled at Kohli’s ‘desperation’ to win.
In Team India, every member must buy into ‘group’ vision and confirm allegiance — just as union ministers affirm faith in the constitution while taking oath of office.
Some think this ‘team culture’ bit is overstated and not anything new.
Every cricket team of 11 players, it is pointed out, plays with one purpose and respects the captain’s vision. True, but the difference today is in the edge to this thinking, in the expected compliance and impatience towards those not meeting laid down yardsticks.
Earlier, MS Dhoni led India with distinction; he too had power and a certain vision for the team. But under Kohli, team culture is a bigger priority and seems India has adopted the Aussie cricket manual of playing cricket. This is the ‘win at all cost’ approach of aggression, cocky self confidence, on-field send offs and off-field mind games.
In a globally connected world where leagues like the IPL erase boundaries, teams insist members follow a common ‘culture’. When Kevin Pietersen refused to blend with the group, England dumped him. In Australia, Glenn Maxwell the maverick is on notice to adjust to the group.
Similar changes are happening with Team India.