One of the biggest problems for Team India in this IND vs AUS series has been, the lack of support for Jasprit Bumrah. Till now, the pacer has bowled 126 overs in the series, and picked up 26 wickets at an average of 13. The next best has been Mohammed Siraj with 14 wickets in 4 matches. But then the problem with the latter has been, his inability to control runs and inconsistency.
Mohammed Siraj & Akash Deep Not Good Enough
Bumrah, for now, has been managing the attack alone, that has rendered Siraj ineffective. On the same wicket, where Bumrah gets bounce and deviation, Siraj somehow manages to find ways to leak runs, and wickets definitely come at a premium. He has an economy rate of 3.91 in the series, and an average of 31, that is in stark contrast with the leader of the pack, Bumrah.
While for the Aussies, they have been hunting in pairs, it seems like India has just one bowler who can pick wickets. Pat Cummins has 17 scalps in 4 matches, at an economy of 3.58. Following him closely is Mitchell Starc with 14 wickets in as many matches, and an economy of 3.52. The story doesn’t end there, as their third and fourth pacer have been equally good.
Prasidh Krishna Should be Picked for IND vs AUS 5th Test
Scott Boland in 2 matches has 7 wickets already at an average of 20. Josh Hazlewood, who is out injured, has six wickets from 2 matches at an average of 13, and an economy of 1.97. In comparison, India’s third and fourth pacers have been poor. Akash Deep in two matches has five wickets, at an average of 48. Harshit Rana had four wickets in two matches at an average of 50. So that has been the difference between the two teams.
Now, it is clear, that India needs to get rid of not only Siraj, but Akash Deep as well. For Sydney, a tall Prasidh Krishna is a must, where scoring runs will be easier, but his height will be of great advantage to the Indian team. And he has shown, he can do well in Australia. In the IND A vs AUS A two matches, he returned with 10 wickets. In the second match, he also scored some valuable runs lower down the order — 14 and 29, that make him a must for the fifth Test.
