Former New Zealand seamer Tim Southee believes that his national team knows how to counter Indian ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the forthcoming two-match Test series, which will commence on November 19.
It’s worth noting that Bumrah has scalped only nine wickets in five Tests against New Zealand. However, he has better numbers in New Zealand, picking up six wickets in two Tests. Speaking on Bumrah’s threat in the two-match Test series, Southee asserted that Black Caps play Bumrah well in Tests.
“I think New Zealand have played Bumrah incredibly well in Test cricket. I don’t think Bumrah has played in an Indian team that has beaten New Zealand. So, I think New Zealand play him exceptionally well in Tests,” Southee said.
On the other hand, Southee backed Mohammed Siraj to do well and achieve success if he gets his lengths right on the New Zealand tour. Notably, Siraj has scalped five wickets in three Tests against New Zealand, while he is yet to play a game in New Zealand.
“I’m a big fan of Mohammed Siraj and the way he bowls. If he can get his length right in New Zealand, he could be a handful. The energy he brings, the way he runs in all day, the type of bowler he is, there’s no reason why he can’t have a lot of success in New Zealand conditions. There’s a lot to like about him in particular,” he added.
India’s Test squad vs NZ: Shubman Gill [C], Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul [VC], Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant [WK]*, Dhruv Jurel [WK], Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Note: *Subject to fitness clearance
Test Series Schedule:
First Test, 19-23 November, Wellington
Second Test, 27 November-1 December, Christchurch
