Gurnoor Brar could be India’s X-factor in Bumrah’s absence, says Maharoof

Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof said Gurnoor Brar could be India’s X-factor in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka starting in Galle on Saturday. Maharoof added he would be tempted to hand the 26-year-old pacer his Test debut for the series.

India return to Test cricket following their home series defeat to South Africa and will be without Jasprit Bumrah for the tour. Mohammed Siraj is expected to lead the pace attack, with Brar competing with Prasidh Krishna for a place in the XI.

Maharoof highlighted what he sees as the specific void left by Bumrah, saying: "The ability to reverse-swing the ball, especially with the older ball, is something Bumrah brings, and that is going to be a massive miss for India." He added: "That is where I think they could lack some wicket-taking ability. Mohammed Siraj is a good bowler, with all due respect to him, but when you compare the two fast bowlers, there is a bit of a difference."

Maharoof said Brar caught his eye in India's warm-up game, troubling several batters with pace and bounce. On Brar he said: "I really like Gurnoor Brar. I think he can be the X-factor. He has the bounce, the pace and the fighting spirit. He can be nasty," and added: "If I were in the Indian think tank, I would be tempted to give Gurnoor a go. I know he has only played white-ball cricket for India, but he brings that X-factor. In short, burst spells, when you want to break a batter's rhythm, he can be a lethal weapon."

Brar has played only a handful of first-class matches but was picked in India's Test squad. His international white-ball returns include 11 wickets in six ODIs, and he claimed a 10-wicket haul for India A in Galle last month.

On the spin options, Maharoof outlined a three-spinner scenario: "I see three spinners for India. Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and either Suthar or Jain," noting both Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain have recent performances in their favour. Suthar took seven wickets on his debut against Afghanistan, while Saransh Jain picked up seven wickets and an unbeaten 70 on India A's tour of Sri Lanka. Maharoof said: "Ideally, you would like an off-spinner for variation, but I would not be surprised if Manav Suthar plays because his ability to get bounce off the surface could be very handy in Galle."

Maharoof backed Rishabh Pant despite modest scores in the warm-up, pointing to the wicketkeeper-batter's match-changing ability after he made 2 and 28 in India's warm-up win over Sri Lanka Cricket XI. "If I were in the Sri Lankan dressing room, I would be very worried about Rishabh Pant. He is a player who, within half an hour or 45 minutes, can completely change the game," he said, adding: "He has that X-factor and has been given the licence to play his natural game."

Maharoof predicted a closely fought series, forecasting a 1-1 draw, and singled out Prabath Jayasuriya as Sri Lanka’s likely key threat. He said: "The biggest challenge for Indian batters will certainly be the spinners. I certainly feel Prabath Jayasuriya will be the biggest challenge for the Indian batters," and: "He knows how to bowl with the wind, and the wind is going to be a major factor in Galle because of the drift the spinners can generate." The India tour of Sri Lanka will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV.