Oz tour will be tough: Kumar

Mumbai, October 17 

India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar feels the upcoming Australia tour will be challenging even though the hosts will be without David Warner and Steve Smith, their star players. “It (the Australian tour) will be challenging, no tour is easy. Australia will be challenging because when you play outside your home, you need to adapt to certain conditions. It won’t be easy for bowlers as there is hardly any movement these days,” said Kumar. 

Smith and Warner will miss out on the series as they are serving a one-year ban for ball-tampering during Australia’s visit to South Africa. Nevertheless, Kumar refrained from making any tall claims regarding India’s chances in the series. “I cannot say we will overcome them. They don’t have Smith and Warner, but there are other batsmen and they are good,” opined Kumar. “It’s their home conditions. For us, if the two were there, it would have been a challenge; now they are not there, it will still be a challenge... our preparation in the practice matches there will matter.” 

Kumar, who has been rested for the first two ODIs against West Indies, sounded quite happy with the rotation policy. “The way fast bowlers are being managed... the rotation policy is in a way good as we get a break, and others get a chance. The body remains fresh,” he said. 

Bumrah not bothered by opinions on his action 

India pacer Jasprit Bumrah says he does not pay heed to opinions on his bowling action since he is comfortable with what he is doing. Experts such as former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed feel his unusual bowling action makes him injury prone.  

“I don’t focus on what the experts are saying. I focus on what has helped me, on my body and what I need to do to keep myself fit,” Bumrah said. “There is no perfect action in cricket, tell me a bowler who has not got injured. I focus on how to improve my fitness level.” — PTI