3 reasons why India should also rest Jasprit Bumrah for the 3rd ODI against Australia
Having wrapped up the series with a game to spare, India will look to complete a 3-0 sweep of Australia by winning the third ODI at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday.
The game marks their final international fixture before the ICC Cricket World Cup. India will begin their campaign against Australia themselves with the two teams set to square off in Chennai on October 8.
Having rested a few of their players for the first two ODIs, India will be at near full strength for the Rajkot game. Jasprit Bumrah is one of the returnees and is expected to slot back into the playing XI after being given a break from the second game in Indore to visit his family.
He also flew out to Rajkot on the eve of the third ODI with Test veteran Cheteshwar Pujara posting a story on Instagram where he was flanked by Bumrah and Rohit Sharma on either side.
There's merit in thinking the fast bowler ought to be given a break for another game though, especially with India having sown up the series already.
Let's assess three reasons then as to why Bumrah should be rested for the 3rd ODI:
#1 Bumrah has already achieved the major objective since his comeback
Ever since his return to competitive cricket after a long injury layoff, the focus with regards to Bumrah was on his rhythm, pace, and match fitness. It was of utmost importance considering that back stress fractures are potentially career-threatening injuries.
To his credit, Bumrah hasn't missed a beat since his return. A Player of the Match-worthy performance in the first T20I in Ireland was a testament to the same as he took just two deliveries to strike.
While he didn't start off bowling necessarily quickly in that game, he has only built his pace progressively with each passing appearance. The ace pacer was at his lethal best at the Asia Cup and was in fine rhythm in the first ODI in Mohali too.
Bumrah remains one of the most important pieces of India's World Cup jigsaw. He has wasted no time in reiterating the same in the last few weeks and having done so, can certainly rest from the third ODI to keep himself fresh.
#2 A long few weeks lined up
The team is slated to play two warmup matches against England and The Netherlands in Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram on September 30 and October 3, respectively, before their World Cup opener against Australia.
India will not be playing two round-robin games at the same venue and that's a lot of travel in store for the players. Rest and recuperation time is limited for players like Bumrah who are expected to play every game. With a schedule of this kind in store, keeping him ready for the entire event is of utmost priority.
Having him rest the Rajkot ODI is certainly not a bad idea to allow their lead fast-bowler to put his feet up before firing at full tilt at the World Cup where his workload is bound to be hectic.
#3 Gives India another opportunity to try out the others
After being rested from the playing XI for the first two matches, Mohammed Siraj is expected to return for the third ODI with Shardul Thakur handed a rest. There's also the added factor of Kuldeep Yadav returning to the squad for the game in Rajkot.
One cannot rule out the possibility of India fielding three spinners on Wednesday, with Hardik Pandya capable of donning the third seamer's role. This could allow Ravichandran Ashwin another opportunity to stake a claim for a berth in the World Cup squad with Axar Patel continuing to miss out with injury.
As for the seamers, Siraj's return and a chance to give either Mohammed Shami or Prasidh Krishna - if not both with a tweaked combination elsewhere - another run is tempting enough.
Once the World Cup starts, squad rotation will not be a luxury and India will want to ensure their backups have enough overs under their belt should they either break into the squad or get a look-in at some stage.
With this in mind, resting Bumrah, who is a no-brainer in the first XI in any case, is not a bad option at all.
Should India rest Jasprit Bumrah for the third ODI against Australia in Rajkot? Have your say in the comments section below!