Rohit Sharma plans to strengthen bowling depth for Border Gavaskar Trophy

The Test season that began with the Bangladesh tour is set to gain momentum for India as the team now hosts New Zealand for a three-match series. After this home series against New Zealand, India will head to Australia for the much-anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy. Unlike previous editions, which featured four Tests, this season will see India and Australia playing five matches in the series. Furthermore, the Border Gavaskar Trophy precedes the 2025 World Test Championship Final, where India currently stands as a strong contender for qualification. With eight matches remaining in this WTC cycle, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma shared insights on the team’s bowling strength and the importance of having backup pace options.

India aims to develop a strong pace backup ahead of Border Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit Sharma

Speaking ahead of the India vs New Zealand Test in Bengaluru, Rohit Sharma provided key updates on the team’s preparation before their away series in November. On home soil, India’s formidable spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have proven more than capable of handling opposition threats. These spinners have been instrumental in maintaining India’s dominance at home over recent years. However, for overseas series, the team must build a squad robust enough to meet different challenges, including ensuring a full-strength pace attack.

Fast bowlers are often considered fragile assets, and India is no exception. The absence of their ace pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, due to injury during the 2023 WTC Final, significantly affected their performance as they lost to Australia. Currently, India is also without another key fast bowler, Mohammed Shami, who has been out of action for almost a year. Shami last played in the 2023 ODI World Cup Final and has since missed the series against England, Bangladesh, and now New Zealand. Rohit recently revealed that Shami is dealing with swelling in his knee, an issue that is likely to keep him out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as well.

With Shami’s availability uncertain, the team management is bracing for possible injury setbacks and managing player workloads. This forward-thinking strategy prompted the selectors to name four traveling reserves when they announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming India vs New Zealand Test series, which is set to begin on Wednesday in Bengaluru. According to Rohit, these reserves could also join the team in Australia next month for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, with the potential for some to make their Test debuts.

"When it comes to batting, there are a lot of options. We want to create the same in bowling as well. We want to build bench strength so that if anything happens to anyone, we’re not concerned," Rohit explained while outlining the team’s vision for strengthening its pace attack. "We don’t want to rely too heavily on just a few individuals. That’s not the right approach. We need to think about the future and make sure we bring in the right players," he added.

Rohit Sharma regards Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy as promising prospects for India

Rohit’s comments came amid concerns over Shami’s fitness, as the pacer is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, who was initially selected for the Bangladesh series last month, is also out due to a shoulder injury. Given these challenges, it wasn’t surprising when the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee opted to include four reserves for the New Zealand series: fast bowlers Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Rohit further explained that the Indian team management values keeping these fringe players close to the main squad so that they can step in seamlessly when required. Additionally, the skipper highlighted Harshit Rana and Nitish Reddy as exciting talents for India’s future.

"Sometimes you have to fast-track certain players. That’s in the best interest of Indian cricket. We want to develop players who can step up quickly in case of injuries. Nitish (Reddy) and Harshit (Rana) are both highly skilled, and they will provide a lot of stability in the future. It’s always good to have them around and observe their mindset," Rohit said.

Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy made their debuts for India in the T20I series against Bangladesh, where they delivered impressive performances. Reddy, in particular, played a remarkable innings, scoring a sensational fifty in the second game. While Harshit Rana is yet to make his debut, he has remained closely involved with the team, consistently featuring in the white-ball squad since the conclusion of the 2024 T20 World Cup.