India named their 15-member squad on Tuesday. A squad on the expected lines with Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna from those who’ve travelled with the team to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup.
While the keyword from the press conference of captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar was that the squad is ‘balanced’, former Australia cricketer Tom Moody believes India’s success in the marquee tournament will depend on the fitness of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.
“Yes, I think they have a side that’s good enough to win the World Cup. I think home advantage will be a big one for India, but I bring that point around the fitness. The fitness of Bumrah and Shami is absolutely key to me as both of them are high-quality new ball bowlers,” Moody told Star Sports.
Furthermore, the Australian added on how Bumrah, who’s just marked his returned to international cricket after a year-long hiatus, will be a key component.
“I think a lot of it depends on the fitness and longevity of Bumrah. I think he holds such an important key for India because he has such high quality and impacts the game early and also closes the innings. And I see that it’s basically going to be a difficult World Cup with regards to making sure that you keep your bowlers fit. It’s a long campaign, but India certainly have got the diversity in their side. It’s just the case of them making sure they have their key players fit, particularly their bowlers,” Moody added.
Bumrah had returned back to donning the Indian colors during the recent India tour of Ireland, leading the men in blue to a 2-0 series win while also finishing the series as the leading wicket taker.
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The 29-year-old, who featured in the Indian XI against Pakistan, wasn’t part of the team that played against Nepal as he had flown back home on Sunday to be with his wife for the birth of their son on Monday. Bumrah would share the new on Monday via his social media.
Shami on the other hand, bowled a seven over spell on his return in Indian colors since the WTC Final as he nabbed a wicket against Nepal in a 10-wicket win.
