2024-09-16 06:15:14
Chennai: Over the years, Indian teams have relied heavily on match practice. Nothing has changed even after Gautam Gambhir took over the coaching responsibility. The team is selecting net bowlers with special skills to help the batsmen prepare for the Bangladesh series starting here on September 19. One of the fast bowlers called for the four-day camp in Chennai is Punjab’s Gurnur Brar who has played five first-class matches so far.
Gurnur has played for Punjab Kings
Gurnur Brar was also with Punjab Kings during IPL 2024. Gurnur’s first-class record is not good. But what has worked for this 24-year-old player is his six feet 4 inches tall stature and his ability to bowl at a fast pace. It is believed that Gurnur has been specially called for the bowling action of Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana, who recently took five wickets in the Test match against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Nahid Rana troubled Pakistan
The specialty of Nahid Rana’s bowling is that due to his height of six feet five inches, he got bounce and in the second test against Pakistan, he bowled in a straight line. It is believed that in the presence of two excellent new ball bowlers Jaspreet Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj, India is unlikely to play on a ‘turning pitch’ and the Chepauk pitch can be such where both fast bowlers and spinners will get equal help. But the bounce on it can be more, so Bangladesh’s tall fast bowler Rana can also get a chance.
Many more net bowlers were called
India’s new bowling coach Morne Morkel was seen giving advice on how to bowl to the star batsmen. Mumbai off-spinner Himanshu Singh was also a part of the nets. Tamil Nadu left-arm slow bowler S Ajith Ram also sweated it out in the nets. On the second day at the nets, fast bowlers Akash Deep and Yash Dayal bowled more than the main fast bowling pair of Bumrah and Siraj.
After a month’s break, the senior batsmen are now trying to get back into form. The Bangladesh team will arrive in Chennai on Sunday. There will be tight security for the guests coming just after the unrest in Bangladesh and the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In fact, the new head of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Farooq Ahmed, told reporters in Dhaka last Thursday that BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has assured him of the necessary security arrangements.