NEW DELHI: Australia’s wicketkeeping legend Adam Gilchrist has highlighted that Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana did not perform at the expected level in Adelaide to effectively support India’s fast-bowling spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah.
Bumrah, who was instrumental in India’s 295-run victory in Perth with eight wickets, claimed 4/61 in the first innings in Adelaide. While Siraj picked up 4/98, his economy rate of four was on the higher side, and Rana, who impressed on debut in Perth with four wickets, went wicketless while conceding 86 runs.
“Coming into the series, the uncertainty for India was what the support act for Bumrah is like. Siraj and Rana did a really good job in Perth, but they just weren’t up to that same level in Adelaide. That still is the glaringly obvious part of that discussion. Bumrah is at a certain level, and the rest of them aren’t quite there,” Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket’s The Follow-On podcast on Monday.
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Gilchrist also advocated for Josh Hazlewood’s return to the Australian XI in Brisbane, provided he is fully fit after recovering from a side strain that kept him out of Australia’s ten-wicket victory in Adelaide.
“That’s the nature of the beast. I would expect if Hazlewood is fit, they’ll go back to Hazlewood, particularly at the Gabba. I think that the conditions that will suit him. I mean, either way you go, you know exactly what you get, and that’s consistency and an opposing batting order that’ll be under threat.”
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Should Hazlewood return, Scott Boland, who took five wickets in Adelaide, might make way for him. Gilchrist emphasized Australia’s luxury of having a dependable reserve bowler like Boland to step up when needed.
“The time is unfortunate for Scotty, but I just love the way he steps up. It is like plugging in a ball machine that’s got a setting on and it just cranks up again to the identical setting. I love the way the crowd embrace him and broadcasters. He’s just a fascinating story, such a humble guy, who by just going about his day at work, he can electrify a nation and 50,000 people in the grandstands.”
Reflecting on the first two Tests, which ended within four days, Gilchrist remarked that the intensity of the bowling attacks from both sides is likely to remain high throughout the five-match series, which is currently tied at 1-1.
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“As far as the workload, clearly that works in Australia’s favour, but also, the game moves so quickly (that) India didn’t exactly have to bowl a mountain of overs either. Looking at the two games, Australia has bowled more overs, but it’s been a nice spread out now, with that extended break between (the) first and second (Tests) and now an extra few days gives them near enough to a week to be ready to go.”
“So that’s just going to mean the intensity of battle is going to be high quality and continue deeper into the series. By the time we get to Sydney, the bowlers could still well be feeling reasonably not fresh, but certainly not running to the ground. So that all goes well for the series.”