'Jasprit Bumrah is one of the best in the world' – Will Young braces for Bumrah challenge in Test series
India will tour New Zealand for a two-Test series starting November 19 at Wellington, with the second match set for November 27 in Christchurch. This marks the first red-ball contest between the nations since New Zealand's commanding 3-0 sweep across India in 2024. Jasprit Bumrah, India's premier fast bowler, makes his return to international cricket after missing the Sri Lanka tour in August due to a knee injury.
Will Young, New Zealand's Test batter, has reflected on the challenge that awaits his team. The upcoming assignment presents a markedly different proposition compared to the previous encounter on Indian soil. Young acknowledged that facing Bumrah and India's bowling attack would test the hosts, while also recognising that New Zealand's own bowlers possess the capability to trouble the visitors.
"I think the Test series that we had in India a couple of years ago is long gone. We've got a brand-new challenge in front of us with two massive Tests against India at home. They're at Wellington and Christchurch, two of the marquee Test venues in New Zealand, I'd like to think. So it's going to be a completely different set of challenges," Young told reporters on the eve of the ODI series decider.
How does the 2024 India tour shape New Zealand's approach?
New Zealand's 2024 success in India has provided the team with considerable confidence heading into this home assignment. Young reflected on how that experience shaped the squad's mindset for the upcoming contest. The team had extracted valuable lessons from that successful campaign, which would inform their preparation strategy.
Environmental conditions in New Zealand differ substantially from those encountered on the Indian subcontinent. Young highlighted that factors such as wind play a more prominent role in New Zealand cricket than they typically do in India. He noted that batters in the setup now possessed sufficient experience to understand what a bowler brings and then adapt those skills according to the conditions on the day.
"So it's nice in a way to have the challenge of facing world-class bowlers. But this time it's different because it's in New Zealand and the conditions are different. Yesterday, the wind was a massive factor, which isn't always the case in India. It's nice to be in the setup long enough now for batters to understand what a bowler brings and then adapt those skills according to the conditions on the day," he added.
Both teams remain firmly in contention for next year's World Test Championship final at The Oval. South Africa lead the WTC standings as defending champions, with New Zealand sitting second after winning the championship in 2021. India, who have been runners-up twice in the tournament, currently occupy fourth position in the standings.
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