Adelaide, Dec 6 2024-
Ahead of the day-night Test match against India at the Adelaide Oval, Australia’s left-handed batter Travis Head said he’s not too stressed about facing fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah with the pink ball.
Bumrah, who turns 31 on Friday, picked up eight wickets, including a deadly five-wicket haul, in the first Test at Perth Stadium which helped India beat Australia by 295 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
“He looks to attack the stumps a lot. He uses the short ball. He doesn’t give you much to score off but I feel like if you are proactive around your feet and where will he mostly get you out, lbw or caught behind.
“I try and concentrate on that, and react to everything. He is one of the best, but he is another bowler, and it is the same old pink thing coming down at me. So I’m not too stressed,” said local lad Head to broadcasters Channel Seven ahead of the match.
Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar said he’s looking forward to seeing Scott Boland bowl in Adelaide with the pink ball. Boland comes in for Josh Hazlewood, who is out of the match due to a side strain, and is playing a Test match after 18 months.
Boland has played only one Test at Adelaide Oval, where he took 3-45 against the West Indies in 2022.
“He will like to bowl with a ball that will move after pitching. We have seen there is a fair bit of grass on the surface as well, I think he will be a different proposition. He has the height as well, like Josh Hazlewood had.
“So I think that’s a big blow as well that Hazlewood is not playing because he really bowled superbly. Before the series started, I picked him as the man who have the most impact on the Australian side because he has the ability to get the ball to climb off a length and if he (Boland) can do that, he will be amongst the wickets,” he said. (Agency)
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