On the brink of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, India’s pace bowling will have more chinks in their armour compared to the last tour down under.
A Mohammed Shami-less India will arrive in Australia, as the Indian speedster was in a race against time to be fit for the first Test in Perth, which starts on November 22.
Now, Shami hasn’t gotten fit on time. In that case, India might have to be overdependent on Jasprit Bumrah and expose the inexperienced speedsters with underperforming Mohammed Siraj in front of a classy Aussie batting line-up.
India’s major issue is selecting a promising fourth seamer as Shami isn’t fit and Bumrah is injured or rested.
They have been unable to find any promising pace bowling gems who could perform in the toughest format of the game.
India has given a chance to Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, which gives an indication that the pace cordon is not looking anything like last tour down under.
Harshit Rana celebrates a wicket. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
In the last three years, the Indian team has only tested three pacers in Tests, debuting Akash Deep (against England at home in 2024), Prasidh Krishna (in South Africa 2023-24), and Mukesh Kumar (in West Indies in 2023).
Since the historic victory over Australia at The Gabba in 2020-21, the Indian team has left out a barrage of bowlers, leaving blank spaces to cover the absence of Bumrah and Shami in Test cricket.
In the squad announced for the upcoming series, a lot of promise has been invested in new and upcoming seam-bowling all-rounder Reddy ahead of last tour all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
The 21-year-old all-rounder made his international debut against Bangladesh in T20 where he notched a brilliant 74 but apart from that he looked inexperienced.
In the last Border-Gavaskar series win, left-arm pacer T. Natarajan and right arm pacer Navdeep Saini played a huge role in filling in the playing XI and performed decently well.
However, Saini and Natarajan were discarded from the Indian pace bowling set-up after the series victory, creating a lack of left-arm fast bowlers.
Thirty-one-year-old Saini, who featured in just two games of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, might make a comeback in the side after a four-year exile.
He has been included in the India A squad to face Australia A in two tour matches in Mackay and Melbourne, probably a shot in the dark to select an express pace option, but has been kept in reserves with others.
The build-up to the upcoming series is very much focused on the Indian batting line-up taking on Pat Cummins and co.
Test matches are won by taking 20 wickets, but India’s pace bowling looks sluggish.
With fewer pacers in the current Test circuit, Indian cricket has also cut off experienced Umesh Yadav and stalwart Ishant Sharma.
Yadav, who last played in the World Test Championship final against Australia in 2023, might not return to the side after a string of poor performances across the domestic season.
In tough conditions like Australia, a bowler like Bumrah, who usually hits 140-145 km/hr, has always troubled Australian batters with his action and bowling intellect but might not have a partner hitting more than 135 km/hr.
India might have to choose out of Mukesh Kumar and two left-arm pacers, Yash Dayal and Khaleel Ahmed, with average bowling speed of 130-135 km/hr, out of India A.
On Australian bouncy and pacy wickets, pacers like Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, and Yash Dayal might not be very successful with their bouncers and bowling skills with an old Kookaburra ball.
The 31-year-old Mukesh has only picked up seven wickets in his three-Test career, averaging 25.57, having played games in the West Indies, India, and South Africa. The stats indicate that India might rule him out as the fourth seamer.
But right-arm pacer Akash Deep might start in the XI of the first Test in Perth after he has done decently in Indian conditions and has been given plenty of rope by Indian team management, where he has shown he can bowl a pleasing spell with both the new and old ball.
But another pacer, Krishna, has only played two tests for India, picked up only two wickets, and been out of the cricket circle after a series of injuries, which doesn’t give much confidence going into a big series.
Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Then, who can replace Bumrah if he gets injured or who will play as a fourth seamer if the conditions permit it, like the pink-ball Test?
If the Indian team could have groomed someone like 150 km/hr bowler Mayank Yadav, who set the stage on fire in IPL 2024 with his express pace, the case could have been made, but he is struggling with an injury after his making his India debut.
It is a big question for the Indian management to answer.
Australia looks bloodthirsty to beat India in the massive rivalry after winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ten years ago.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy:
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed
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