Former Sri Lanka All-Rounder Feels 26-Year-Old Star Could Be India’s X-Factor In 2-Match Test Series

Former Sri Lanka star Maharoof feels rookie pacer Gurnoor Brar could be the ‘X-factor’ in Bumrah’s absence and says he would be tempted to hand the 26-year-old his Test debut.

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Farveez Mahroof feels Gurnoor Brar could be India’s X-factor against Sri Lanka. (Picture Credit: X/@BCCI)

The Indian men’s cricket team is currently in Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series against the hosts. However, India will be without the services of world No. 1 Test bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who has been ruled out of the away series due to a knee injury.

In Bumrah’s absence, the BCCI selectors included 29-year-old Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi Dar in the squad earlier this month. Sarfaraz Khan was also drafted into the squad in place of B Sai Sudharsan on Sunday after the left-handed batter failed to recover in time.

The two Tests against Sri Lanka are must-win matches for India if they are to keep their hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final alive. Ahead of the start of the series in the island nation, former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof feels rookie pacer Gurnoor Brar could be the ‘X-factor’ in Bumrah’s absence and says he would be tempted to hand the 26-year-old his Test debut.

Mohammed Siraj is expected to lead India’s pace attack in Sri Lanka, but there has been speculation over whether the inexperienced Brar could make his Test debut in place of Prasidh Krishna, who played in India’s last Test against Afghanistan.

“The ability to reverse-swing the ball, especially with the older ball, is something Bumrah brings, and that is going to be a massive miss for India,” Maharoof said on Tuesday.

“That is where I think they could lack some wicket-taking ability. Mohammed Siraj is a good bowler, with all due respect to him, but when you compare the two fast bowlers, there is a bit of a difference.”

At the same time, Maharoof said he would be “tempted” to hand Brar his debut, particularly because of the tall Punjab pacer’s raw pace, bounce and aggressive approach. Brar impressed during the warm-up match, where he troubled several batters from India’s Test squad and hit a few of them on the body.

“I really like Gurnoor Brar. I think he can be the X-factor. He has the bounce, the pace and the fighting spirit. He can be nasty,” Maharoof said.

“If you watched the warm-up game, some of the deliveries he bowled to batters who are in the Test squad made them quite uneasy, and he even hit a couple of players on the body.”

“If I were in the Indian think tank, I would be tempted to give Gurnoor a go. I know he has only played white-ball cricket for India, but he brings that X-factor. In short-burst spells, when you want to break a batter’s rhythm, he can be a lethal weapon,” he added.

About the Author

Harshit BishtSenior Sub-editor

Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist at CNN-News18, where he has been covering cricket, football, and major sporting events from around the world since July 1, 2024. Driven by a passion for storytelli…Read More

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Original source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/