India has made it a habit of winning tests in overseas conditions. They won a historic series in Australia earlier this series. They followed that up with absolutely decimating England at home. They are currently touring England and in the second test, most historic Indian test cricket followers had not expected a win but India produced a majestic win. On the final day, in the last two remaining sessions, India needed 10 English wickets to win the game and they pulled off a talismanic performance to achieve that.
Indian fans who have over the years only known one way to win tests, which is batsmen scoring a mountain of runs, could not fathom how India could pull of the win. However, all credit lies with the Indian bowling attack which has become lethal and incisive in the last two years. Under Kohli’s captaincy, this bowling attack hunts in a pack. Ishant Sharma, Bumbrah, Siraj, Shami, Umesh Yadav, and Shardul Thakur can challenge any team in the world.
Adding Ashwin and Jadeja to the mix and Indian bowling looks the best in generations. We look at the performance of the top 5 pacers this year.
1. Mohammed Siraj
The bowler debuted on India’s tour to Australia. His chance came when Umesh and Shami got injured in the first two tests. By the last test, Siraj was the leader of the attack. He has shown great skill and character in his first 6 months of test cricket. Always looking to take wickets and wanting to make things happen, Siraj has picked a total of 22 wickets up until now. His performance in England has been phenomenal.
2. Jasprit Bumbrah
Bumbrah had a slight drop in form and could not create his magic in the WTC finals against New Zealand. Many critics questioned his longevity in the team but he was quick enough to silence them. He picked a fifer in the first test against England and was unplayable in the second test. He is the attacking option for Kohli and has picked 19 wickets so far.
3. Ishant Sharma
The veteran fast bowler has played for 14 years for India. However, since 2015, it has been a different Ishant Sharma that we know. His line and length are far sharper and he has become much more attacking. Hardly giving away runs, he continues to run in at 135 kmph and bowl tirelessly. He is the major workhorse for India and has picked 14 wickets for India.
4. Mohammed Shami
Another vital part of the pack is Shami. His dedicated bowling with little error in line and length has been a major reason for India’s overseas success. Shami’s ability to wipe off the batting tail without wasting much time is another reason for his utility in the team. Shami is fast and on the mark always. He has picked 11 wickets in this year for India.
5.Shardul Thaur
Thakur came into his own in Sydney this year. He was brilliant with the ball. He could swing it both ways. He was unwavering with his line and length and kept running in hard at the batsmen. He picked vital wickets in the middle order and broke partnerships. His batting was another aspect of India’s famous win at Gabba. This year, Thakur has picked up a total of 11 wickets.
