After outplaying T. Natrajan and Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, the young Indian bowler has been picked for the Sydney test. Saini, a very capable bowler, who has been part of Team India in white-ball cricket for a while, must utilize the opportune moment and make a permanent place for himself in the team.
Speed and bounce give Saini the upper hand over the OZs as today’s Australian team is not good against the short pitch balls as before. A few years back, Mathew Hayden and Ricky Ponting were would thump such balls with mastery. However, now most of the Australian batsmen struggle and battle against the sweet-chinners. Anyway, Sydney`s wicket is not as fast as other pitches in Australia. There is a scope to score plentiful of runs, and in such a situation there is a need for a genuine fast bowler. T. Natarajan and Shardul Thakur do not have enough speed. When a fast bowler does not get much movement in Australia, then the speed becomes his sole support. The pace becomes a laboratory for experimentation in such circumstances.
Moreover, Navdeep Saini also has the advantage of reverse swing. If footmarks are made in the pitch at Sydney, this can be aid the unorthodoxy reverse swing there. Recall that Ranji Trophy semi-final of 2017 when he bowled four players with his reverse swing in the second innings against Bengal. With this, Delhi made its way to the final. If Saini gets reverse swing in Sydney, he can prove to be very dangerous. His pace is definitely a cherry on the cake. In a nutshell, his reverse swing with good speed can prove to be very effective.
Saini can bowl longer spells with the old ball. It is good that he has got an opportunity in Sydney itself as he will get enough time to get used to Test cricket before playing at Gabba, where the old ball is more effective. Navdeep Saini is fit and very young, which will allow him to bowl consistently at 140 kmph. He does not get tired quickly even when bowling at this pace. Saini’s height and quick action give him extra bounce, which is a deadly weapon on Australian soil.
Surprisingly, cricket lovers were dismissing him because he was not performing well in a warm-up match against Australia. While Natarajan faced a lack of experience, Shardul lost pace and bounce despite a good swing. That is why the team management ignored Natarajan`s left arm bowling and Shardul`s extensive experience in domestic cricket. We shall hope that Navdeep Saini will be able to put all his efforts and qualities on his debut and mark a good beginning in Test cricket.
