‘We now have a dream combination of fast bowlers.’ No, this isn’t a quote by the Australian or South African captain. Neither the English. It was by Virat Kohli, Former Indian captain. To hear such words from the Indian skipper would have perhaps been a dream for many Indian fans all these years ago. But it has now transformed into a reality due to the presence of 4–5 fiery fast bowlers.
India, right from when cricket started growing in the country, has been a hub for batting greats. From Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli, India has produced several World-Beating, champion batsmen. India has also been blessed with crafty spinners who have managed to spin a web around the best of batsmen and be successful.
However India had very few fearsome fast bowlers. This was not just because of the nature of pitches and lack of infrastructure, but also genetically Indians aren’t as tall and well built as perhaps the West Indians. And in the absence of natural ability, guidance is very important, which was missing too.
This led to the lack of genuine pacers in India, which was also another reason India suffered overseas on the fast, bouncy tracks. While the emergence of the great Kapil Dev provided a glimmer of hope, there never really emerged anyone apart from him in his generation.
Rise to a new dawn
A number of good fast bowlers Like Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan did come through, but individuals rarely win you Test matches. A group, which could hunt in a pack, was yet missing.
The onset of the new decade in 2010, gave rise to a new dawn, when a bunch of raw and genuinely fast Indian pacers, easily clocking 140 km/h, started making their way through the circuit.
But they were inexperienced, and their rawness needed direction. And under Virat Kohli they found the perfect man in 2015, who shared their passion for fast, aggressive fast bowling and was someone who wanted to take on the World, using fast bowlers.
Let’s have a look at how things have dramatically turned around and why today Indian fast bowlers have been regarded among the best in the world.
Captain Kohli’s influence
When Virat Kohli assumed full-time Test captaincy in 2015, he made it very clear, he wanted to win overseas. He wanted to be captain of a team that not only won at home but became a champion side even out of their comfort zone. For that, he knew he needed to have a strong core of Indian fast bowlers. And this is how he went about achieving that goal.
Firstly, Virat Kohli infused a fitness culture in the Indian team like never before. Dhoni had initiated it, but Kohli raised standards to the next level, leading by example.
Harder fitness tests like the yo-yo test were made compulsory which would directly influence selection. The bowlers benefitted immensely from these new fitness standards, as it made them stronger and increased their endurance levels, assisting their bodies to bowl long spells overseas.
Kohli and fast bowlers’ partnership
Virat identified and backed the bowlers he believed in. Under him, Umesh Yadav discovered his penchant for reverse swing. Ishant Sharma, who had lost his way due to injuries and inconsistent performances made a strong comeback.
He identified Jasprit Bumrah as a potential ace in the pack and handed him his test debut cap in the first game of the away tour in South Africa in 2018 against popular opinion, and backed Mohammed Shami even after he failed the yo-yo test and was going through a tough time personally.
Siraj also sharpened a lot under Kohli as Kohli was the one who always believed in the pacer’s ability since their Rcb days together. And as the name suggest ‘Lord Shardul’ also had his own growth, now also sort of becoming a regular starter for this Indian side wherever they play.
Fire for fire
Ishant Sharma explained this when he said, “Look during Dhoni’s time, some of us didn’t have that much experience. Also, the fast bowlers would be rotated a lot, that’s also a reason that consistency as a group couldn’t be achieved.”
Apart from these objective reasons, Virat Kohli in general has been an aggressive captain. Unlike many past Indian captains, he is someone who likes attacking through pace rather than spin. Fire for fire. And his investment in a few trusted men paid rich dividends during the recent overseas cycles of India.
Relentless efforts
Indian cricket has seen a meteoric rise in the last 4–5 years — especially in Test cricket — wherein Virat Kohli and boys have not only dominated on home soil but have also done well overseas.
While the team was unable to win Test series in England and South Africa, the Indians put in commendable performances in both countries and finally managed to cross the line in Australia as they became the first Indian team to register a Test series win Down under
Indian pacers have not only performed on tracks that have offered them assistance, but they have been relentless on unresponsive wickets, showcasing the world their ability to take wickets on any pitches on offer.
From 2010 to 2019, Indian pacers’ average and strike-rate both have witnessed a drastic turnaround. If we look at the numbers at the start of the decade, Indian pacers took a wicket every 57.63 deliveries at 35.83 runs per stick in 2010 whereas, in 2019, they took a wicket every 30.45 deliveries at staggering 14.74 runs per stick. And the numbers have only gone better with the years followed.
Since the start of 2018, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami and Ishant Sharma have between them taken a wicket for every 22 runs conceded. With the addition of Mohammad Siraj to this lineup, there are absolutely no easy overs on offer.
A bowling juggernaut
The quality and depth in India’s fast-bowling stock weren’t discovered overnight though. The management has invested considerable time, money, and personnel into developing a system that not only produces these bowlers but also ensures they are ready to compete at the highest level whenever an opportunity knocks.
India has truly assembled a bowling juggernaut capable of winning a Test series anywhere in the world right now. It helps that their emergence has coincided with many teams around the world dipping significantly in quality.
But that shouldn’t take away from the fact that this is one hell of an attack — one that Indian fans growing up had only learned to envy Australia, South Africa and the West Indies for.
