Team India are preparing for the second and final Test against South Africa in Cape Town, which hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the two-time WTC finalists and an interesting clip came out of their training on the eve of the match on Tuesday, January 2. Jasprit Bumrah, who was the best bowler for India in an otherwise forgettable outing for the visitors in the series opener in Centurion, tried his hand at off-spin as he mimicked one of the greatest ever, R Ashwin.
Ashwin was seemingly giving him his tricks of the trade of his off-spin and Bumrah bowled a few deliveries casually while looking to copy one of the best-ever offies to play the game. The video was shared by the broadcaster Star Sports on X (formerly Twitter) and has gone viral on the internet.
Watch the video:
It will be a huge occasion for Bumrah to return to the very venue where he made his Test debut five years ago. Although he was part of the team when they faced South Africa in 2022 in the third Test and picked up a fifer, India lost the match as South Africa chased down 212 runs without any discomfort.
On the other hand, Ashwin, who played the Boxing Day Test is likely to be left out of the series decider given Ravindra Jadeja, who is now declared fit, will walk into the playing XI. There is a possibility of a change in the pace department too after Prasidh Krishna’s flat debut in Centurion but the team management is known to trust its players, especially given that it was his very first outing in whites for his country.
All will depend on Bumrah yet again for India with the ball even though it was a collective failure in all the departments from the side in Centurion, as they look to leave the South African shores on a high.