I will prefer to give rest to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in some of the matches: Kiran More

Ahead of the high-profile India tour of Australia, veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Kiran More has opined that the Indian team should judiciously utilize their two pace spearheads Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. He suggested that the team should rotate the bowlers in the white-ball format and should give chances to youngsters so that both Bumrah and Shami remain fit and active for the Test series.

The two cricketing superpowers India and Australia will face each other in Three One Day Internationals and as many T20I games from November 27 in Sydney. The two teams will then fight in the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy, which will begin from December 17 in Adelaide.

Speaking about the upcoming series, More reckoned that he won’t mind India losing some limited-overs matches to give rest to the pacers. He also suggested that India should give opportunities to other young pacers in the squad.

“The only thing I am worried about is Bumrah. He is going to play one-dayers, T20s and Test matches. I think I will look at resting Bumrah, and also Shami. Preserve more for Test cricket. I will prefer to give rest to them in some of the matches, depending on the situation in the series, doesn’t matter if I lose also…Go with one guy in one T20 with two young fast bowlers, even (in) one-day cricket. I will not go with both of them, need to rest one of them all the time. Play two matches, give rest, then play two matches,” More told Times of India.

KL Rahul is a better wicket keeper than a fielder for me: Kiran More

India applied this strategy during their last tour to Australia in 2018 as they rested Shami in T20Is while Bumrah didn’t feature in ODIs. Also, there are a variety of fast bowlers including Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur and T Natarajan in the Indian squad of Australia for 2020.

India’s newly-appointed limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul will be donning the gloves for the team in ODIs and T20Is. Showering praises on Rahul, More stated that Rahul is a decent wicketkeeper and his addition in the squad will help India in playing an extra batsman.

“He is a better wicket keeper than a fielder for me. Plus, if we play him as a wicketkeeper-batsman, we can include an additional batsman or bowler. In one-day cricket, it could be a little bit tougher for KL Rahul, but I think he has managed it very well (in T20s).