Cheteshwar Pujara questions India’s bowling, says team can’t afford to drop Nitish Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja

India’s veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara feels India has a weak bowling line-up and the team can’t afford to drop all-rounders – Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja – as they have delivered with the ball. While Reddy has shined with the bat in the series, Jadeja scored a crucial knock of 77 runs in the Brisbane Test to help the visitors avoid follow-on after going wicketless with the ball.

India’s bowling has looked overdependent on Jasprit Bumrah as the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep (though he was a tad unlucky) and Harshit Rana have failed to consistently deliver for the team.

Bumrah has been the pick of the bowlers as he has scalped 21 wickets in three Test matches in the ongoing BGT at an unbelievable average of 10.90.

Pujara said on Star Sports, “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, Nitish (Reddy), and even tailenders, 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?,” he wondered.

After Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement, Pujara doesn’t think India will play with two spinners in Melbourne and doesn’t know how India can strengthen their bowling unit.

“[Ravichandran] 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, Nitesh Kumar is the fourth seamer and Ravindra Jadeja is the fifth bowler. If you add both of them together, the bowling is not that good.

“We will have to think about that, because if you want to win a Test match, then you have to take 20 wickets, and the ability to take 20 wickets is not that good, the supporting role of the other bowlers is not good, so we will have to improve that as soon as possible, and how that will be, I don’t know, but that is a big question,” Pujara concluded.

The fourth Test match between India and Australia will be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground from 26th December.