Speeding ahead: The rise of India’s Test pace bowling stocks at home
The current Indian team is riding on an 11-series high. The subcontinental giants have won 11 home Test series on the trot with 12th halfway through. Although the winning margins have been emphatic as ever, the modus operandi has changed. Under Virat Kohli’s leadership, we are seeing team India grow as a fearsome pace unit in Tests. The evolution from spin to speed has been a spectacular process.
Dominating the dust bowls
Cut back to November 2015, South Africa Test series. After India won the first Test and a drew the second, the teams moved to Jamtha, Nagpur for the third Test. India’s playing XI for the Test gave a clear indication as to what was expected from the pitch. India played with only one pace bowler and three seamers. It proved to be lethal as Indian spinners trumped the Proteas.
South Africa’s first innings lasted for only 33.1 overs. Out of these, Ishant Sharma bowled only two overs. His contribution improved in the second innings as he delivered 15 out of 89.1 overs although he remained wicketless. All 20 South African wickets fell to the spinners as R Ashwin led with 12 of them. The whole series was a testimony to India’s spin magic as the tweakers took 61 out of the total 69 wickets to fall.
Wicket distribution between pace and spin – Indian pacers have been dominant in the recent series.
Rise of pace
After the incredible disparity between pace and spin in the 2015 South Africa series, the balance started shifting towards speedsters. Umesh Yadav has been India’s primary pace option in home Tests. The Vidarbha Express has featured the most in India amongst the pace battery. His experience of bowling his heart out on the less-helpful domestic tracks makes him an integral part of the speed unit.
Ishant Sharma’s sterling transformation in Test cricket has been one of the key reasons for India’s success. The tall speedster is now well-acquainted with the home conditions and has enough experience to head the pace battery. A late entrant but arguably the most impactful is Mohammed Shami. The 29-year old is lethal in the first spell with the swinging ball but he becomes deadlier when the red cherry is scuffed up. Bowling with the old ball, Shami has mastered the art of reverse swing. South African legend Dale Steyn called him the best pacer in the world on current form.
Apart from these three, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been consistent in the provided chances. Astounding as it may sound, India’s best fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is yet to feature in a home Test. Once he gets fit, this Indian bowling attack promises to be World’s best cricketing artillery.
“We always enjoy each other’s success and try and share our plans. It’s healthy competition.”
Close friendships and constant encouragement has changed the face of Indian fast bowling in recent times ? https://t.co/qqwXrYWtea
— ICC (@ICC) November 17, 2019
From spin to speed
The first display of India’s belief in the pace battery came at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 2017. Against Sri Lanka, India played on a green track. The pace trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav captured all the 17 wickets that fell in the Test match while R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja went wicketless. Soon enough, the success of pace bowlers prompted preparation of good wickets which had something in it for both pacers and spinners.
In the recent tour, South Africa’s all three venues – Visakhapatnam, Pune and Ranchi were all good pitches which did not deteriorate heavily in the later phase. The Indore pitch against Bangladesh was not a turning track. In three of these four Tests, India pace bowlers accounted for half or more wickets. At Indore against Bangladesh, it was pace bowling that spearheaded the Indian attack with spin playing the support role. Shami-Ishant-Umesh combined to take 14 of the 19 wickets that were taken by the bowlers.
A proud captain
“If the fast bowlers step onto the field, thinking the spinners are going to do all the job, it doesn’t do any justice to them playing in the XI,” India’s most successful Test captain Virat Kohli said after one of India’s victories. “I think the attitude and the mindset they have created has been outstanding. Even in India, they are looking to contribute. It’s not like if it’s hot and humid, they gave up. They ask for shorter spells and they give their 100 per cent. They have been brilliant. That’s when you see guys like Shami, Ishant, Bumrah and Umesh, in the past, doing important things that we want them to do,” Virat added.
Head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun have been key figures in the transformation of India being a pace power. Their aim is to have a bowling attack which takes 20 wickets of the opposition without worrying about the pitch. Going by the current form, India seem to be there already.
