Terming all-rounder Axar Patel a valuable asset to the team, Indian Test vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah stated that a match-fit Patel is an automatic pick to any team as he adds value not just with the bat and the ball, but in the field as well. Patel was added to the Indian squad for the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka after recovering from a shin injury. He had missed the South Africa tour and West Indies series at home but is likely to feature in the XI for the Bengaluru Test. Wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was released from the squad as Patel came in.
“Axar has added a lot of value to the team, he offers a lot with the bat, bowl and the field and whenever he is fit, he jumps straight back in the team,” Bumrah told reporters during the pre-match presser on Friday.
India lead the two-match series 1-0 and head into their third day-night Test match after decimating Sri Lanka at Mohali in under three days. India had fielded three spinners at Mohali with Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin sharing 15 of the 20 SL wickets to fall, while Jayant Yadav remained wicketless. In Bengaluru, under lights, India could alter their team combination to add a seamer at the expense of a spinner and are likely to add Patel in the mix.
Dropping Jadeja, who scored an unbeaten 175 and claimed nine wickets, to walk away with the Player of the match award, is out of the question and with Ashwin also likely to retain his place, Yadav is most likely to face the axe. With the ball under lights traditionally aiding pacers, there is a possibility of India adding a pacer to the XI in the form of Mohammad Siraj, or most likely rest Mohammad Shami to make way for the Hyderabad pacer. Bumrah, however, did not give away India’s team combination for the Pink-ball Test starting Saturday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
“We will take a call on the combination (going in with thee spinners or three seamers) today after the practice session,” he said adding that the team has to make slight mental adjustments for the day-night Test, “We are playing Pink Ball Test after a long time. There will be a few mental adjustments that we have to make. It is not natural to catch with the pink ball for us. It is a challenge that we face. We are still new to this format, so we are taking feedback from our previous game and practising them and trying and replicate them in the match,” added the 28-year-old.
