IND vs SA | We will miss Jasprit Bumrah but we have good back-up, says Sachin Tendulkar
Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar believes India will miss Jasprit Bumrah against South Africa but are fortunate to have good back-up. India will start the home leg of the World Test Championship on Wednesday when they host South Africa in the first of three Test matches at Vishakapatnam.
India will start the home leg of the World Test Championship (WTC) on Wednesday when they host South Africa in the first of three Test matches at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Sachin Tendulkar believes that the concept of the Test championship makes the series all the more interesting.
Even as the Indian team gears up for the opening game of the Test series, they will miss their strike bowler in Bumrah as he is out with a stress fracture.
"In the fast bowling department, we have got good back-up with plenty of experience now so we are in that fortunate position where even on the bench we have got very good options. We will miss Bumrah but not to the extent where if he had been playing for some other country where if you didn't have many fast bowlers, you would miss your strike bowler. When it comes to spin bowling, the combination we have has delivered for a number of years and so, I feel that our bowling should be able to create that pressure on South African batting," Tendulkar was quoted as saying by Times of India.
The Indian team is still looking for someone to fill the boots of Zaheer Khan, and Tendulkar feels that having a left-arm seamer definitely helps to not only bring in variation but also create rough for the spinners in the latter stages of a Test match.
Coming to the Test championship, the little maestro believes that it brings more context to every game and things will heat up in the last six months as every team will want to finish at the top of the table.
"I think the World Test Championship is important, more so for spectators as they would be following each and every match. I believe the last six months are going to get really exciting because many numbers will come into play. WTC means a lot to everyone and that includes cricketers also. I know cricketers will go out to win each and every match and at no stage the rubber will be dead,” he said.
Tendulkar explained how generally if a team won the first two matches in a three-match series, the third game would not be followed by people. But now, to bag full points, every game will be important.
When asked about the likes of Virat Kohli promoting the longer format and making their love for Test cricket known, Tendulkar said players advocating Test cricket is a wonderful thing and this "will encourage spectators to come and watch upfront fast bowling and some great batting.”
But the legendary Indian cricketer also feels that the wickets being prepared for the games for the Championships should be of good quality.
"I feel this WTC would have a greater meaning if the games are played on good Test cricket wickets, otherwise, as we have seen earlier, you feel stagnated and you feel that the game is not going anywhere. That becomes slightly boring to watch. But if played on good wickets, it will generate good matches for spectators," he opined.
India at home have been almost invincible in recent times and the master feels that South Africa will have their task cut out, especially with the Indian bowlers putting the SG ball to great use on Indian pitches.
"This series is going to be a decent series. South Africa have very few batters who have come here and played in the longer format. So, somewhere they will have to make a lot of adjustments and change their thinking and game. There is no option but to be positive in mind.
"The Indian bowlers know exactly how to use the SG ball and there are stages during those 80 overs that the ball does peculiar things and that is something which our team understands very well. That is going to be a key factor as in when the ball starts moving and stopping. How long it has that zip off the surface, all that factors come into play,” he signed off.