The wait is set to be over.
All eyes will be on Jasprit Bumrah as he gets ready for his first international and competitive appearance in almost 11 months when India take on Ireland in the first of three T20Is at Malahide in Dublin on Friday.
Getting sidelined for a recurring back injury soon after returning to the field, undergoing surgery and then going through recovery sessions since that September 25 T20I in Hyderabad against Australia last year can now be put to rest. With a fresh mind now, a fresh start is what Bumrah and the Indian team management too would be yearning for.
More than taking wickets and bowling decisive spells in this series, a significant amount of attention will also be on the rhythm with which the senior pacer operates, together with his control. Moreover, he has the task of leading this Indian side packed with young players, some of whom are yet to get a taste of international cricket.
For sure captaincy will add to Bumrah’s responsibility in this series. But the bowler in Bumrah should be getting a fair idea of where he’s placed at present and how well he’s shaping up for the bigger and tougher assignments ahead, precisely the Asia Cup, which is set to begin in a fortnight, and the ODI World Cup from October.
Regular captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid must feel a lot more relieved if Bumrah bowls full throttle in these three games against the Irishmen. No wonder Team India missed him badly, especially during last year’s T20 World Cup and in the World Test Championship final against Australia in June.
Ahead of Friday’s game though, Bumrah had been seen in a BCCI video on Twitter bowling at full intensity and sending down well-directed short-pitched balls as well as yorkers. That bit should also comfort the Indian team management to an extent.
Alongside Bumrah, some focus will also be on his pace colleague Prasidh Krishna, who had last played an international game in August 2022. Having recovered from a back stress fracture, Prasidh too will be keen on putting in an impressive showing on this tour, provided he makes the XI.
India also have Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar as their pace options, both of whom featured in the recently-concluded West Indies T20Is. Avesh Khan too is there in the squad. Left-armer Arshdeep didn’t really have an exceptional series in the Caribbean, barring his three-wicket haul in the fourth game, but Mukesh certainly impressed.
What bodes well for the Bengal pacer is not conceding too many runs in the death overs. So, if India go in with three specialist quicks, it appears the choice could be between Prasidh and Arshdeep while a toss-up between Shivam Dube and off-spinner Washington Sundar for the all-rounder’s spot is also a possibility.
Among the batters, vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made a mark in the West Indies, are likely to open while it remains to be seen how the rest of the batting order is formed. Tilak Varma appears to be an automatic choice following his impactful performances against the Windies.
Rinku Singh, who was Kolkata Knight Riders’ most successful batsman in this year’s IPL, stands a fair chance of playing his maiden India game on Friday. The spotlight will also be on keeper-batter Sanju Samson, who made a mess of the opportunities in the preceding Windies T20Is.
With Vidarbha’s Jitesh Sharma breathing down his neck, it’s high time Samson comes up with a few meaningful contributions to ensure the door isn’t shut on him.
