India to take THESE 5 pacers for New Zealand Test series; Know here
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The NZ vs IND Test series will be played from 19th November.
India’s preparations for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand could see the team management focus heavily on strengthening their pace bowling depth. While the final squad is yet to be confirmed, some fresh reports have emerged that indicate how the Indian management could approach their fast bowling set.
The reported plan involves taking five specialist pace bowling options for the series. The combination includes both experienced pacers and young campaigners who are yet to make an impact on the international platform with the red ball. This would also leave the Indian management with the option to try several bowling combinations and settle on the most effective one.
Akash Deep and Gurnoor Brar among reported pacers for New Zealand series
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According to Dainik Jagran journalist Abhishek Tripathi, the team management wants to take five fast bowlers to New Zealand for the two-match Test series. The reported group comprises Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Gurnoor Brar.
Jasprit Bumrah remains the obvious leader of the pack. His experience and meticulous approach in the red-ball format would surely give India the edge over the host side. Mohammed Siraj, on the other hand, is India’s highest wicket-taker in this WTC and has established himself as a regular starter in team’s pace attack.
Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep were both part of India’s previous campaigns, including the England series in 2025. Both these add great variety to the bowling attack and offer different levels of challenge to the opposition batters.
However, the most interesting name in the group is young Gurnoor Brar. The young pacer has been attracting the attention of India selectors across formats and has increasingly featured in discussions around the national setup.
Gurnoor made his debut in the 50-over format during the Afghanistan series and then went on to play in the three-match ODI series against England. With an impressive first-class record and a strong Duleep Trophy performance for North Zone, Gurnoor has entered the talks for the Indian Test side.
Now, taking five fast bowlers also seems like an appropriate tactical call from India’s point of view. Not only are the conditions largely friendly for fast bowlers, but also the additional set of players will be handy in managing fitness and workload concerns of the cricketers, as India are in a bust phase of their international calendar.
Will Jasprit Bumrah be fit before the New Zealand Tests?
No official confirmations have been made on Jasprit Bumrah’s injury status, however, the pacer has been named for the upcoming India vs Afghanistan T20I series, which indicates his fitness status.
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