India could prefer Gurnoor Brar for Galle Test. Image Credits: Sri Lanka Cricket
For India, Mohammed Siraj will lead the pace attack in the Sri Lanka series in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. The bigger question is who should partner him as the second seamer: Prasidh Krishna or Gurnoor Brar?
Both are lanky pacers, but they bring different skill sets and bowling methods. Krishna has gradually established himself in India’s Test setup in recent times, while Brar is yet to make his debut in the format.
Should India prefer Gurnoor Brar ahead of Prasidh Krishna?
For starters, Gurnoor Brar has some experience of playing in Galle, the venue for the first Test against Sri Lanka. He was part of the India A squad on their Sri Lanka tour last month and bowled exceedingly well in the second Test at the same venue.
Brar took 10 wickets in the match, four in the first innings and another six in the second, to help India A secure an emphatic victory. He later featured in the warm-up fixture in Colombo, where he once again bowled with good pace and intensity with the old ball.
Also Read: The Galle Test: Spin, Reverse Swing And Sweep Shot
In the first innings, the pacer picked up a solitary wicket while conceding 49 runs at an economy rate of 4.10 from his 12 overs. He then dismissed two batters in eight overs in the second innings.
Prasidh Krishna, meanwhile, did not feature on the A tour in July. Even in the warm-up game, he managed only one wicket across the two innings and was wayward at times.
That, by itself, does not suggest that Krishna is unsuited to the conditions, but he certainly does not have as much recent experience in Sri Lanka as Brar does. More than anything, the question is which pacer can find the right lengths quickly in a game where their spells are likely to be relatively short, with spin expected to do the heavy lifting, particularly as the match progresses.
Gurnoor's attributes
Gurnoor Brar's lengths in the warm-up game
Gurnoor Brar can bowl at high speeds from hard lengths, which could be crucial in several ways. The Kookaburra ball is likely to soften relatively early, making old-ball skills such as bowling short and mixing it with high-pace length deliveries to extract reverse swing particularly important. Brar’s natural attributes fit both requirements nicely.
His stock lengths are short, and his high release point allows him to generate additional bounce even with the old ball. During the warm-up game, Brar bowled 35.53% of his deliveries back of a length and another 21.48% short.
Morne Morkel has also emphasised the need to employ shorter lengths in Galle. He wants his bowlers to be quick and smart during their spells.
“When the ball goes soft, what is our next step? We have to be street smart in terms of how we're going to use the crease or how we're going to use our short ball. We need to be able to do some of that quite quickly.”
Only 33.05% of Brar’s deliveries were on a conventional length, while another 9.09% were full. Combined with his high pace, that gives him the tools to generate reverse swing as the ball gets older.
His ability to maintain intensity in short spells is another handy factor in his favour. During the warm-up game, Brar bowled 20 overs across five spells, including two five-over spells, one four-over spell and two three-over spells. He also bowled 34 overs across two innings against Sri Lanka A last month on his way to a 10-wicket haul.
Ability to move the new ball
Gurnoor Brar's spells in the warm-up game
In Galle, the best opportunities for a pacer often come with the new ball, both early in the innings and again later in the day. With the new Kookaburra, there is a brief window for seamers to extract lateral movement. The strong coastal breeze around the open Galle ground always aids conventional swing early in the innings.
Gurnoor Brar’s skills are not limited to the old ball, though. He is among the fast bowlers capable of moving the new ball at high pace. During the ODI series against Afghanistan, he generated an average swing of 1.03° in the first 10 overs despite being the quickest pacer from either side, averaging 144.13 km/h.
Consistent morning rain in the lead-up to the game could add another dimension. With the pitch potentially retaining some moisture after being under covers, the new ball could offer more unpredictable sideways movement while also skidding through the surface. Brar’s high pace makes him particularly suited to the latter, as he can get the ball to zip off the pitch, giving batters less time to adjust.
The cooler, damper conditions could also slow the deterioration of the ball, potentially allowing it to retain its shine and swing for longer. That gives Brar another avenue to make an impact with the new ball, even if much of the discussion around Galle centres on how the surface will behave as the Test progresses.
And there is some value with the bat too. Brar showed his lower-order hitting ability in the warm-up game, smashing 36 at a strike rate of 200, including four sixes. It may not be a decisive factor in selection, but it certainly adds another dimension to his case, one that the current management certainly values.
Also Read: Mohammed Siraj To Be Benched? Shubman Gill Drops Him From Press Conference Plaudits
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