India skipper Virat Kohli, who will be back at the helm of the team as they start the Test series against Bangladesh in Indore today, said that the home team are likely to field three seamers in the 1st Test.
Speaking at the venue on Wednesday, Kohli said, “Looking at the pitch, it (playing three seamers) seems to be the option, because of the way Umesh has bowled. Shami obviously has been brilliant. Bumrah is not fit. Ishant, probably, has been our most consistent bowler in the last two years and the big reason for our success in Test cricket is the fact that he keeps bowling in the same areas, which allows others to come in and pick up wickets. Also, he has picked up 4-5 wickets in an innings when he is in the middle of a great spell.”
India fielded three seamers in only one of three Tests in the recent series against South Africa. Speaking about that, Kohli said that Ishant Sharma had been rested for the Ranchi Test because of the conditions on offer. India had gone in with three pacers – Ishant, Shami and Umesh – in Pune against South Africa, the only time in the series they fielded three fast bowlers. Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had played all the three matches.
