Asia Cup 2023 | India’s workload management plans in focus against Bangladesh; Shami may get a look-in
The Hindu
Asia Cup 2023: India vs Bangladesh | Indian team management might give rest to one of the fast bowlers viz. Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah or Hardik Pandya
Having already sealed a place in the final, India will be tempted to test their fringe players when they face an already knocked out Bangladesh in a Super Four match of the Asia Cup in Colombo on September 15.
The Rohit Sharma-led outfit will think deep whether to give as much game time as possible to its first-choice team or give an opportunity to some of the fringe players ahead of the World Cup at home next month.
The question of workload management is pertinent particularly in the case of bowlers.
Jasprit Bumrah has bowled just 12 overs so far in the Asia Cup — five against Pakistan and seven against Sri Lanka. He did not play against Nepal.
So, it could boil down to Bumrah’s choice whether he wants to have a crack at batsmen in one more match or take a step back and return for the summit clash on September 17.
On the other hand, Mohammed Siraj has bowled 19.2 overs and Hardik Pandya 18 overs in this tournament.
It might not appear heavy numbers but the humidity in Colombo has been energy-sapping, so the team management might just give a break to one of them.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.