Pujara Highlights India's Bowling Concerns

Veteran cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara recently addressed India's struggles with their bowling attack in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), stating that the team must take 20 wickets to secure victories. The series is evenly poised at 1-1 following a hard-fought draw in Brisbane during the third Test. The Boxing Day Test is set to commence on December 26 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Jasprit Bumrah has been the standout performer for India in the series, leading the wicket-taking charts with 21 dismissals at an impressive average of 10.90. His remarkable efforts include two five-wicket hauls and one four-wicket performance, underscoring his importance to the team's bowling unit.

In an exclusive conversation with Star Sports, Pujara shared his concerns about India's bowling depth in the series. 

"My biggest question and the reason for a little bit of concern is that the Indian bowling is looking a little weak. Batting is a little better, like the top five didn't do well, but the middle order and lower middle order, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitesh, and even tail enders, Bumrah and Akash Deep contributed with the bat,"

"Now, there is a weakness in the bowling, so what will you feed the team? That is the biggest question, because you can't drop Nitish, you can't drop Jadeja, so what will be the team combination? Ashwin has taken retirement, so two spinners, I don't think they will play in Melbourne. So, how will you strengthen the bowling? Because the three seamers are very good, but their supporting role, fourth and fifth seamer, Nitish Kumar is the fourth seamer and Ravindra Jadeja is the fifth bowler," he added.

Reflecting on the team's prospects, Pujara pointed out the critical need for the bowlers to take 20 wickets in a Test match to secure a win. He acknowledged the current limitations in the supporting roles of the fourth and fifth bowlers and urged the team management to address this issue promptly.

India Squad for the Boxing Day Test

• Captain: Rohit Sharma
• Vice-Captain: Jasprit Bumrah
• Players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.

Australia Squad

• Captain: Pat Cummins
• Vice-Captain: Steve Smith
• Players: Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

As the Boxing Day Test approaches, India will look to address these concerns to regain their edge in the series and capitalise on Bumrah's stellar form.