BENGALURU: They are not called 'standbys' any more but 'travelling reserves' and their relevance and growth in Indian cricket is on the rise. This is especially true of the new breed of faster bowlers.
Given the fact that India play eight Test matches from now until early Jan, there has been a lot of emphasis on workload management in Test cricket. With Mohammed Shami a doubtful starter and the five-Test Australia series being strenuous, India skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday stressed on bringing the pace resources together.
For the home series against New Zealand, India have young pacers Harshit Rana (22-year-old), Mayank Yadav (22), Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) in the mix.
Meanwhile, Karnataka's injury prone pacer Prasidh Krishna, the fourth travelling reserve, is learnt to have picked up an injury during the Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh, in which he bowled just eight overs.
Barring Nitish, who has played 20 first-class matches, the other two are greenhorns in red-ball cricket and are unlikely to make the Test team soon.
"In batting, there are a lot of options. We want to create the same with the bowlers. Hence, we try to keep them within the squad. If we feel they are ready to take that role, they should be ready for it. We just want to make sure that they are monitored well. Their workloads have been taken care of. Sometimes you have to fast-track someone and that is for the betterment of Indian cricket," reasoned Rohit.
Rana and Mayank have impressed the leader. "We want to create a pool where even if there are injuries, we have someone to step in quickly. Nitish and Harshit are talented individuals. In the future, they are going to provide a lot of stability to the team. Now, we want to see what they are capable of and what they have to offer."
'BUMRAH HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN OUR LEADERSHIP GROUP'
Another pacer who may have to shoulder additional responsibility is Jasprit Bumrah, who has been named Rohit's deputy. With doubts about Rohit's availability for the early part of the Australia series, focus will be on Bumrah. The bowling spearhead, who led India in 2022 against England after Rohit tested positive for Covid-19, understands the team's requirements well, according to Rohit.
"Bumrah and I have played a lot of cricket. He understands the game well and has got a good head on his shoulders. Tactically, I can't say much because he has not captained much.
"When you are in a situation where you need a leader to step up, I think Bumrah will be one of them. He has always been in our leadership group," said Rohit.
