The Indian cricket team will find itself at a bowling crossroads when Shubman Gill’s new-look team plays England at Edgbaston in the Second Test of Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy starting on Wednesday.
Bowlers often win Test matches and our bowling cupboard, so full of exciting options, both pace and spin, until some months ago, suddenly looks bare at this time and taking 20 wickets in a Test match even in English conditions, seems to be a bit of an ask. Specially if Jasprit Bumrah sits this Test match out, as part of his workload management.
Unless someone else really steps up and has an outstanding game with the ball.
The Pacers Dilemma
Not so long ago, Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj, with Umesh Yadav as the fourth seamer, made up one of the most potent new ball attacks overseas, with Ashwin and Jadeja waiting to pick up the slack when the ball got older and the wicket started to turn.
Teams were wary of giving us green tops, even in their own backyard, like we routinely gave them turners at home. Not anymore though.
Now suddenly when injuries and retirement have taken those stalwarts out of the firing line, we are left with no one except Bumrah.
When we play at home we often prepare big turners where our spinners are nearly unplayable. That strategy backfired badly on us for the first time when New Zealand beat us 3-0 at home. Then Australia beat us 3-1 Down Under, after a hugely dominant 10-wicket haul by Bumrah at Perth won us the first test with ease.
But then we lost three of the next four Test Matches on that tour, and now we are down 1-0 after the first Test. So basically we have lost seven of our last nine Test Matches and surely need to pull out something from the hat very quickly.
We should have groomed bowlers to replace Shami, Bumrah etc, however difficult that may be, but that has not been the case and minus Bumrah, it now looks difficult for us to bowl out a Test side twice!
Kuldeep, Arshdeep Needs Backing
Hopefully if Kuldeep Yadav returns to the side for the Second Test, and maybe if Arshdeep Singh also comes in with him, it could be an interesting combination to have, one that might easily make a big difference.
Specially, if Arshdeep gets some of the left armer’s natural inswing early on from over the wicket and Kuldeep who is an attacking, wicket taking bowler, is able to extract subsequent purchase from the rough outside the right hander’s off stump, created by his footmarks on the follow through.
Much like what Mitchell Starc often does for Nathan Lyon.
In that situation, if Bumrah does play in this game, it could create a lot of pressure from the two ends on the English batters.
If however, he sits this one out and the bowling remains as toothless as it was in the First Test, we could end up digging ourselves into a hole from which recovery would be very difficult, in this series.
Middle-order Needs To Step Up
The Indian top order was in imperious form in the last game and we should see more of that this time around. Hopefully, the lower middle order will also hold up. We have enough batting depth at our disposal and in Test Cricket, which is basically a war of attrition and resilience, and at some stage this young team must, and should be able, to tell itself, that they won't lose from there.
And make sure that they don’t, by sheer determination and mental strength.
The good thing is that the England bowling attack too, does not look very incisive at this time, although with Jofra Archer set to make yet another comeback, things could be a little different here.
Edgbaston was the venue where Brian Lara scored his world record 501 against Durham 31 years ago. And the surface is still expected to be flat and full of runs. It is also one of smallest Test match grounds in the world, in terms of the length of its boundaries.
There will therefore, be a temptation to go aerial for the Batters. And for the spinners to bowl flat and quick. Kuldeep if he plays, must not succumb to this temptation and bowl with his normal attacking intent. Specially when the wicket starts to turn a bit, from the third day onwards.
Edgbaston is also the venue where England chased down India’ s 378-run fourth innings victory target, three years ago, with Joe Root and Johny Bairstow putting on an undefeated 269 runs for the 4th wicket.
Earlier in the same match, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja with 146 and 104 respectively, had stitched together a wonderful 222 -run 7th wicket partnership in the first innings, as India recovered from 98-5.
They would all be looking at trying to repeat those heroics again.
And England on their part, seem to be making a habit of big fourth innings successful run chases against India since then.
One that India must learn to negate.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author. The author is a veteran Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force, who has played Ranji Trophy for Services.
