Ravi Shastri feels the absence of Jasprit Bumrah does put India at a disadvantage when compared with the Australian pace attack that will have the likes of Pat Cummins and Mitchel Starc for the ICC World Test Championship final starting from Wednesday.
India are without a few key players including Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul for the title clash owing to various fitness concerns.
Having Bumrah would have put India on even ground with Australia, says Shastri, “I would say if you look at pace attack, if Bumrah was there, I would say it was equal with an attack of Mohammed Shami, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. But that Aussie attack with Starc, Cummins, may be the match fitness will come into play,” Shastri said during ICC’s ‘Afternoon with Test Legends’ event.
Shastri though added that playing a competitive match carries more weight than bowling in the nets and with Indian players having been involved in two months of IPL, it will be helpful.
“…you need some cricket behind you. It’s not the number of overs you bowl or how long you bat but it’s about staying at the park for six hours. It’s totally different from bowling in the nets for two hours or so. So, it depends on how Australia have prepared. On paper, if you look man to man, they have a slight edge. But that match fitness might be the key,” he said.
He picked seasoned campaigner Mohammed Shami as the key bowler who can leave an impact in the early stages.
“Like there is Shami who might just come in and do the damage in the first half an hour because he has been playing so much of cricket. He might deny someone from settling in with his line and length,” Shastri said.
India have pace options in Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat for the WTC final.
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