India vs New Zealand: With World Test Championship Final qualification at stake, the India vs New Zealand Test series is a do-or-die encounter for the Shubman Gill-led side. Given India’s track record in New Zealand in recent years, it is no surprise that the visitors would leave no stone unturned in order to record a series win. According to reports, the Indian team could take as many as five pacers for the two-match series. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is still waiting on Jasprit Bumrah to regain full fitness, the right-arm pacer would be the leader of the attack. But the crucial question remains: who will be the other four pacers to make up the attack?
IND vs NZ: India to Take Five Pacers to New Zealand
According to a report from Dainik Jagran, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will lead the pace attack and could feature in both Tests if fit. Their partners with the red cherry in hand would be Prasidh Krishna, Aakash Deep and Gurnoor Brar. Given the conditions in New Zealand, India could field a four-man pace attack along with a spin-bowling all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar.
While Prasidh and Aakash Deep were part of India’s tour to England, last year the surprising name from the reported pace attack is that of Gurnoor Brar. Brar, who is yet to make his debut for India in the longest format, was named in the squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka.
What could help Brar’s case when it comes to finding a place in the playing XI could be that he is capable of batting at number eight. The 26-year-old could play as the fourth pacer in the playing XI thanks to his added batting abilities.
IND A vs NZ A: New Zealand A to Host India A For 3 Matches
India A vs New Zealand A tour schedule:
1st Match: India A vs New Zealand A – 24th October to 27th October
2nd Match: India A vs New Zealand A – 31st October to 3rd November
3rd Match: India A vs New Zealand A – 7th November to 10th November
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
