With the Ireland T20I series almost here, Indian cricket watchers would be keenly watching how Jasprit Bumrah shapes up on the tour.
The Indian pace spearhead, who has been out of action since September 2022, will be the cynosure as he leads the team against the Irishmen.
The Ahmedabad-born Bumrah will be the key factor in determining India's fortunes at the Asia Cup and will hold all the aces at the ODI World Cup in October-November.
With the significance he holds in India's campaign going ahead, the comeback man's workload will be closely watched and assessed by the team management and selectors.
Can Bumrah bowl the full quota?
The first thing to watch out will be if Bumrah can bowl his full quota of four overs. This will be the first barometer to measure how well the Mumbai Indians pacer has recovered and where his fitness stands in a real match scenario.
Will he use himself in short bursts of two spells in the powerplay and in the death overs or will he go full throttle at the start of the innings.
Or will he even bowl the full quota at all considering he is on a comeback and may decide on it after bowling the first or second over.
All these aspects will be crucial on getting a sense of where Bumrah stands on his recovery path ahead of the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
Will he be the old Bumrah?
The other interesting aspect to watch would be how well Bumrah bowls and if he is bowling at full tilt like the Jasprit Bumrah of the old. Those toe-crushing yorkers and unplayable bouncers and incisive good length deliveries will be scrutinised in detail as the man makes his way back in the team.
It is imperative that Bumrah by the time the World Cup comes around is supremely fit and well-oiled and bowling at his best. This is what India needs from him and without that the bowler would be a liability in the team.
There is no point playing on the basis of reputation if the bowler is not able to put in his best at crucial situations in crunch Asia Cup and World Cup games.
Experience
Bumrah's experience and know how on how to bowl against top ODI teams like Pakistan, Australia and England will count in the long run.
And it is this experience that will help the team's cause come the Asia Cup and the World Cup where dealing with some of the top batsmen in the world will require the experience and maturity of a bowler of Bumrah's calibre.
It is in India's best interests that they watch Bumrah's comeback closely and monitor his progress in detail so as to use him at his best. Anything less would be unfair to Bumrah and Team India.
