Bumrah says team is ‘not carrying any baggage’ from series loss to NZ

Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah has stated that the Indian team will go with full confidence against Australia in Perth and are not carrying any baggage of last month’s home series loss against New Zealand.

As India prepares to face Australia, their recent struggles in the New Zealand series add to the complexities.

The team suffered a 3-0 clean sweep at the hands of the Kiwis, capped by a 25-run loss at the Wankhede Stadium. It marked India’s first clean sweep defeat in a home Test series since 2000 and their first in a series of three or more matches.

India enters the five-match series with a clear objective: to win four matches and secure their third consecutive WTC Final appearance. “When you win, you start from zero, but when you lose, you also start from zero. We are not carrying any baggage from India.

Yes, we have our learnings from the New Zealand series, but those were different conditions, and our results here have been different,” said Bumrah in a pre-match press conference.

Bumrah, who will be leading the side in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, further said, “We have finalised our playing XI and you will get to know tomorrow morning before the start of the match.

The Indian pace spearhead also expressed confidence in team’s preparations, pointing to their historically competitive performances in Australia. The Perth pitch, known for its bounce and pace, is expected to favour the bowlers, adding an intriguing layer to the opening contest of the series.

The first Test begins on Nov.22 in Perth. Adelaide hosts the second Test starting Dec.6, followed by Brisbane on December 14. The Boxing Day Test takes place in Melbourne on Dec.26 with the fifth final Test beginning on Jan.3, 2025, in Sydney.

It will be the first time that India and Australia will be playing a five-match Test series. The upcoming series is crucial for India’s World Test Championship (WTC) Final hopes after a recent debacle against New Zealand, as India’s points percentage currently stands at 58.33 per cent, behind table-topper Australia in the standings.

To strengthen their chances to qualify for the third successive WTC final, India must win at least four of the five Tests.

Meanwhile, Bumrah is swelling with pride to lead the country for the second time in Test cricket on Friday. The speedster is set to don the captain’s hat in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who will miss the match due to the birth of his second child, in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener against Australia in Perth.

The 30-year-old will not only captain the side but also spearhead the pace bowling attack on Perth pitch which is known for its pace and bounce. Bumrah shared that it was his dream to play Test cricket for India and sees himself as the one who likes tough tasks.

“I love responsibility, I wanted to do the tough job since I was a child. You know you always want to be in the thick of things and always wanted to be thrown against tough scenarios,” Bumrah said in a video posted by BCCI on X.

Describing his leadership skills, the speedster emphasised following natural instincts rather than copybook style. “I’ve always never followed a copybook plan, I go with my instincts and I’ve always wanted to add more. This adds a new challenge to me.

“There’s no greater honour than this that as a child I always wanted to play this format and lead India in Test cricket. I’m very privileged and very happy to be in this position,” he added.

Previously, Bumrah led India in the rescheduled fifth Test against England at Edgbaston in July 2022 as Rohit was down with COVID-19. However, India lost that match by seven wickets.

Earlier in the day, Bumrah remarked that he wants to develop his own leadership style, inspired by but not copying the likes of Rohit and Virat Kohli.

“You have to find your own way as you can’t blindly copy anyone. Virat and Rohit have been very successful and have gotten results, but my way is that I have always never followed a copybook plan. And even with my bowling, you can see, that I go with my instincts and that’s how I have always played my cricket. I have a lot of faith in my guts and instincts,” he said.

When asked about the tendency of bowler-captains to overuse or underuse themselves, Bumrah asserted that being a bowler gives him an advantage in managing his workload effectively.

Agencies