Australia vs India 2020-21: Our Batsmen Must Tire Out Jasprit Bumrah, He Is The Key - Josh Hazlewood

Australian fast bowler, Josh Hazlewood believes that Jasprit Bumrah is the key factor in the Indian bowling attack. He demands the batsman to tire the Indian pacer in the first couple of games.

Australia will host India for six limited-overs games and four Test matches. The 3 ODIs commences on 27th November followed by 3 T20Is.  The high-intensity Border-Gavaskar series will begin on 17th December with a pink-ball day-night Test in Adelaide followed by the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, New Year’s Test in Sydney, and the last Test match in Australia’s fortress, Brisbane.

Australia-India rivalry is up there with the Ashes: Josh Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood, in a recent interview, said that the loss in the home series to India a couple of years ago was painful. However, that will serve as a motivation for the players who endured that difficult time and are ready to compete again.

Hazlewood opined that the India-Australia rivalry is as good as the England-Australia rivalry in the Ashes. Australia retained the Ashes in England for the first time in 18 years when they drew the series 2-2 last year. The lanky pacer feels that India has taken the competitiveness level a notch higher with their maiden series victory in Australia on their previous tour.

As quoted by Hindustan Times, Josh Hazlewood said, “They won last time, and we don’t lose too many series in Australia. That certainly hurt at the time. We know the guys who were in that time. I will remember that. It gives motivation this time around.

“Australia-India rivalry is up there with the Ashes. India have probably added to it, the last time when they came here and won. That was some tight series.”

Jasprit Bumrah is probably the standout: Josh Hazlewood

The 29-year-old acknowledged that the Indian bowlers had the upper hand on Aussie batters last time and managed to bowl them out several times. He reckons if Ishant Sharma is fit, it will add more strength to the already menacing looking attack. India has included the likes of Navdeep Saini and Mohammad Siraj to Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Umesh Yadav in the pace bowling department.

Hazlewood said that for the last decade and a half, Indian seamers had improved a lot. He calls for Australian batsmen to be prepared to tackle a threatening bowling attack. The NSW pacer feels that Jasprit Bumrah is the standout bowler in the Indian team because of his unique action and ability to rack up the pace throughout the day with a short run-up.

The Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood further says Bumrah is the key as he can take wickets with the new and the old ball. He tells that Aussie batters should tire out the spearhead of the Indian bowling in the first couple of matches.

They out-bowled us the last time they came. That went a long way for them in winning the series. They have most bases covered with their quicks. If Ishant Sharma gets here at some point it will add to their strength.

“They are all a little bit different. For the last 10-15 years, Indian pacers have kept improving. Our batters will have to be on their toes to counter that.

“Bumrah is probably the standout. He is unique with his action. He maintains pace very well throughout the day, and the whole series. He is probably the key. He can take wickets upfront or with the old ball. I guess it’s about getting lot of overs into him, try to tire him out in the first couple of games. That will be the key,” Josh Hazlewood  added.

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