Will Young Anticipates Thrilling Test Series Against India with Bumrahs Return

Mount Maunganui, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : New Zealand batsman Will Young has expressed that the return of Jasprit Bumrah to the Indian team will make the upcoming two-match Test series, starting November 19, a significant challenge for the hosts. Young believes that New Zealand’s bowlers are well-equipped to give the visiting team a tough fight.

Bumrah, who missed the Sri Lanka tour in August due to a knee injury, is now available for this crucial Test series. This matchup marks the first Test between the two teams since New Zealand’s impressive 3-0 victory over India in 2024.

During a press conference, Young stated, “The Test series we played in India a few years ago feels like a thing of the past. We face a completely new challenge—two important Test matches against India on our home ground. These matches will take place in Wellington and Christchurch, which are among New Zealand’s premier Test venues. This is why the challenges will be quite different this time.”

He added, “As you mentioned, Bumrah’s return brings new challenges. He is one of the best bowlers in the world. This makes our task more difficult, but I believe we also have some fantastic bowlers. Therefore, Indian batsmen will need to adapt to our bowling. As I said before, this two-match Test series is going to be very interesting.”

Both teams are strong contenders for a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval next year. The 2021 champions, New Zealand, currently sit second in the WTC points table, while South Africa leads. India, a two-time runner-up, is positioned fourth.

When asked if New Zealand’s series win in India in 2024 would impact this series, Young noted that the entire team’s confidence had significantly increased from that tour. He recalled how the team regrouped after a defeat against Sri Lanka before heading to India.

“I think it will definitely have an effect. That series was very beneficial for the whole team and boosted everyone’s confidence. Before going to India, we lost 2-0 to Sri Lanka, but we strengthened our mindset. We devised specific plans against each bowler, trusted ourselves, played openly, and always aimed to make positive choices,” he said.

Facing world-class bowlers is a formidable challenge, which is inherently a good thing. However, this time the context is different. The series is taking place in New Zealand, so conditions will vary. Young pointed out that wind played a significant role in recent matches, a factor not always present in India. Spending ample time with the team helps batsmen understand what the bowlers can do. On match day, regardless of the conditions, players can utilize their skills effectively.

Before the Test series, the final match of the ODI series is set to take place. Praising India’s fast bowling attack, Young remarked, “I think their bowling lineup is quite balanced. They have a left-arm bowler in Arshdeep who can swing the ball both ways. Aaqib Nabi has also shown he can move the ball in both directions. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to face Kamboj, but he seems like a great bowler as well. I’m sure we will see more of them in the Test series. Then there’s Barar, who has a lot of passion.”

Young concluded, “Gurnoor Barar has a very effective short ball, as we saw throughout the series. To be honest, most New Zealand teams have bowlers like Barar who can bowl accurately and extract some life from the pitch. Therefore, looking at the seam bowling attack India has brought for this ODI series, it really seems like a very balanced attack.”