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Jasprit Bumrah has been instrumental for India’s pace attack in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The 31-year-old is the leading wicket-taker in the series with 30 wickets to his name. Bumrah has troubled the Australian batters throughout the series and has remained unplayable while carrying the expectations of leading India’s bowling unit on his shoulders. Considering the fact that Bumrah has troubled the Aussies, the Australian skipper Pat Cummins has now revealed their strategy to tackle the pace sensation.
Pat Cummins reveals Australia’s strategy for Jasprit Bumrah
During the pre-match press conference, Cummins appreciated the kind of momentum Bumrah has built throughout the series and admitted the fact that the Indian pacer poses a significant challenge to the Australian team.
“Bumrah is bowling well at the moment. He is always tough. Hopefully, by the time I come in, late in the day, he has bowled quite a bit, which might make it a bit easier for me. But he is bowling well. I’ve faced him quite a bit across the world in different formats, and he always poses a challenge,” Cummins said.
Clandestinely, Cummins also remembered the manner in which Australians dealt with Bumrah’s onslaught during the previous Test at Melbourne.
“Last game, it helped as I was in the non-striker’s end. That certainly helped,” Cummins further added.
Bumrah gave a stellar performance in the Boxing Day Test match at Melbourne, which India eventually lost. During the second Australian innings, the Indian pace attack took consecutive Australian wickets to put pressure on the home side. Cummins and Marnus Labuschagne then stabilised the Australian innings and came up with the plan that the set batter, Labuschagne in this case, would play Bumrah while Cummins would take on the Indian bowler on the other end. This strategy worked and the Aussies were bailed out from a critical position of 91/6 to 148/7 before Labuschagne’s dismissal. The Aussies went on to add 234 runs in their second innings which eventually set the tone for their win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
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A must-win situation for both the the teams
The final Test match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 is a must-win situation for both the teams. While the Aussies are looking towards a historic series win against India and reclaim the title after 10 years of Indian dominance over them, India are desperate to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and get back to winning ways after their humiliating loss at Melbourne. The match is also crucial for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final to be played this year at the Lord’s. A win would automatically seal the spot for Australia in the WTC finals with South Africa, who have already qualified for the coveted title. However, India’s hope to reach the WTC finals can only remain alive if they emerge victorious against the Aussies in Sydney.
