All eyes on Bumrah’s comeback
Pacer will look to prove match fitness against Kerala; Mumbai’s Shaw, Rahane and hopeful Surya take field
MUMBAI: In normal circumstances, a Gujarat versus Kerala game will evoke little interest but the presence of Jasprit Bumrah for Wednesday’s Ranji Trophy encounter means the Ranji Trophy game starting on Wednesday in Surat will be keenly followed by the Indian cricket fans.
Bumrah is making a return to action after a long injury lay-off following stress fracture of the lower back. The controversy over conducting his fitness test, with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) declining to take responsibility, has added to the interest level around his return. Last week, Bumrah had bowled full tilt in a training session ahead of the second ODI against the West Indies in Visakhapatnam but there’s no better way to test a player’s fitness than in a match situation. After being picked in the India’s limitedovers team, the ace pace bowler will be looking to clear all doubts when he leads Gujarat’s attack. Among those in attendance to monitor Bumrah’s performance will be chief selector MSK Prasad. The Gujarat bowler has been out of action since September and was on Monday named in the India squad for the home T20s and ODIS against Sri Lanka and Australia, respectively. He had last played for India during the Test series in West Indies.
All eyes will be on his contest with Kerala’s batting star, Sanju Samson, who is part of India’s T20 squad. The attacking batsman has warmed up for the contest with a hundred in Kerala’s last game against Bengal.
Another India cricketer looking to make an impression on his return from injury is Shikhar Dhawan, who will be opening for Delhi against Hyderabad.
Picked in the India team for the upcoming series, left-hander Dhawan is under pressure to prove his form after KL Rahul excelled in the opening role against West Indies in Dhawan’s absence, owing to a deep gash on the knee.
After a poor start to the tournament, Delhi will also be bolstered by the presence of in-form pacer Ishant Sharma.
You’ve got to follow your process, you just can’t think of going there. If you do the small things right, which I’ve been doing lately, national selection will come SURYAKUMAR YADAV, Mumbai captain
In the Ranji Trophy encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, Ajinkya Rahane and Prithvi Shaw will be the star attractions in Mumbai’s match against Railways. After serving suspension for a failed dope test, Shaw has begun his comeback with a bang, hammering a scintillating double century (202 off 179 balls) against Baroda.
The Mumbai pace attack will be led by Shardul Thakur, who played a starring role in India’s ODI series win against West Indies, and he will love the sight of the green Wankhede track on offer for the match.
Also, looking to make a statement will be captain Suryakumar Yadav after being ignored by the selectors yet again. Yadav has been in prolific form in the shorter formats and has started the Ranji campaign with a hundred in the opening game against Baroda. A place in the India A team for the New Zealand tour will be little consolation for the dashing batsman. With Kedar Jadhav going through a lean patch, Yadav would have fancied his chances of breaking into the one-day team, his wait, however, continues. “It’s a little difficult, because at the back of my mind, I keep thinking that I’ve got to play for India. However, at the end, I have to stay in the present. If it (the national call) has to come, it will come automatically,” said Yadav on the eve of the match.
The support for Yadav’s selection is growing with former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh questioning the selection criterion. “I keep wondering what’s wrong @surya_14kumar hv done ? Apart from scoring runs like others who keep getting picked for Team india india/a india /B why different rules for different players ???,” Harbhajan tweeted.
Yadav is seeking motivation from all the support he is getting. “I’m really happy that when I meet people off the field, they tell me that they’re thinking about me. It’s a really positive sign and that motivates me as well.
“You’ve got to follow your process, you just can’t think of going there. If you do the small things right, which I’ve been doing lately, that (national team selection) will automatically come,” added the Mumbai skipper who has scored 4920 runs in 73 first class matches and 2311 runs in 88 list A games.
His best chance now lies in proving himself in the India A match in New Zealand.
“The New Zealand series is in my mind but keeping that aside, currently my full focus is on this (Ranji) game, which is more important.”