"Should carry on with same bowling attack": Pujara sends message to India team ahead of Adelaide Test

Nov 28, 2024

New Delhi [India], November 28 : Cheteshwar Pujara doesn't want to see a change in India's bowling attack for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia next week.
The India pace trio featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Harshit Rana ran rampant on Perth's Test strip.
Throughout the Test, two of the three quicks bowled in tandem and wreaked havoc as India conquered Perth with a record-shattering 295-run victory.
Bumrah was the architect, while Siraj and Rana executed the devised plan flawlessly to script a famous win for India in one of the biggest Test rivalries.
With Adelaide offering a different sort of challenge, a change in the look of India's bowling could be on the table, which could ideally turn out to be the winning formula.
After picking up a three-wicket haul in the first innings, Rana's struggle in his second turn was quite evident. He struggled to create an opening once the ball turned older.
Rana's sole scalp in the second innings was of Alex Carey, which fell in his kitty after he managed to pierce through the southpaw's technique.
But Pujara doesn't want Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Prasidh Krishna, or even Akash Deep in place of Rana.
"In Australia, it's very easy to get carried away, and sometimes when you look at the pace of the pitch, it offers a bit more extra bounce... But he was still looking to hit the right spot, good length, try and hit the top of off, and he has that ability," Pujara said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
"So I think we should carry on with the same bowling attack. And Nitish also had a bit of a bowl. I felt that those four seamers are proper options, and along with that, Washington Sundar," he added.
Another talking point of the series opener was Washington Sundar's spell in the first innings. Pujara conceded that Sundar's opening spell started on an underwhelming note, but his ability to bat puts him ahead of Ashwin or Jadeja.
"He [Washington] didn't look really good when he started his bowling, but eventually he got a couple of wickets, he varied his pace, so Washy should be our spinner. Because he can bat well. The reason he was chosen in this squad is because he can bat. It will be important in the second Test match that, in case we lose a few wickets early if the lower-middle order needs to contribute, Washington can do that role," Pujara added.