Windies vs India: Navdeep Saini asked to stay back as cover for Test series

Navdeep Saini, the Indian fast bowler, has been asked to stay back with the national team for the upcoming Test series versus the Windies. The Delhi speedster made an impressive debut in national colours, getting the Player of the Match award in the first T20I at Lauderhill Florida. He picked up three wickets and also bowled a maiden in the 20th over of the Caribbean innings.

Saini has been in the reckoning for quite a while after first being picked for the one-off Test versus Afghanistan last year in June. He was also Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s cover in the 2019 World Cup. For the forthcoming red-ball fixtures, he will be one of the net bowlers. It has been learned that the talented fast bowler is set to be groomed with an eye on the future.

Navdeep Saini has the pace, and ability to hit the deck

“Yes, Navdeep Saini has been asked to stay back by the team management for the Test series. He will stay back primarily as a net bowler, they want to groom him for the Test format keeping an eye on the future,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying in The Times of India (TOI).

Saini has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit after making his first-class debut for Delhi back in December 2013. In 43 matches in red-ball cricket, Saini has 120 wickets with three five-wicket hauls. He has also got a lot of backing from Gautam Gambhir, the former Indian batsman.

“Saini has been a performer in red-ball cricket for the past few years. He has the pace, and ability to hit the deck, move the ball both in air and off the pitch. If he is groomed well, it will only increase our pool of fast bowlers for the top tier cricket. That’s how the team management is looking at him,” the official remarked.

It is believed that if Saini stays back then bowling coach Bharat Arun will get more time to polish the speedster. “One can’t ignore the effort that Arun has put in to make India’s fast bowling unit the best that has emerged from the country. Rather than playing domestic cricket, he now needs to be in and around the international scene and learn the tricks of the trade for the next level,” he added.

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