Mumbai: Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Wednesday backed the rotation policy of India’s quicks by the team management. The 28-year-old was sidelined with injury during the recent England tour but made a strong comeback in the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
“The way fast bowlers are managed, the rotation policy is in a way good, as we get a break and others get a chance and the body remains fresh,” he said.
Bhuvneshwar and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested for the first two One-day Internationals against West Indies. The former also stressed on the need to have breaks. “Breaks are needed after you play a long tour. You are mentally tired, like Jasprit (Bumrah) said when you return you are fresh and are rearing to go. Hence breaks are needed, as your body gets tired,” he added.
India will be travelling Down Under next month and Bhuvneshwar, along with Bumrah are expected to play leading roles as Virat Kohli and Co chase the nation’s first-ever series win in Australia.
Despite Australia’s leading batsmen David Warner and Steve Smith missing out on the tour due to bans, Bhuvneshwar insisted that the hosts will be tough to beat: “It (the Australian tour) will be challenging, no tour is easy. But Australia will be challenging because when you play outside your home (country) you need to adapt to certain conditions. It won’t be easy for bowlers as there is hardly any movement these days,” Bhuvneshwar said.
Asked how the absence of Smith and Warner will affect Australia, Bhuvneshwar said: “I cannot say that we will overcome them. They don’t have the two batsman (Smith and Warner), who have done well over the years. (But) there are other batsmen in their place and it is not that they aren’t good.”
“Its their home conditions. For us, if the two (Smith and Warner) were there, it is a challenge, now they are not there, it will still be a challenge. If it would have been easy, we would have always won the series (in the past). It won’t be easy. Our preparation in the practice matches there will matter,” he said.
India will play a four-match Test match series, which begins at Adelaide on December 6.
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