Unlike past, India have many quality fast bowlers, says Ishant Rishabh has skill, temperament to do well in Tests: Dravid
LONDON: Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan were lone rangers during their best days but India now have a pool of eight to nine fast bowlers, which makes them a formidable Test outfit, feels Ishant Sharma.
With 238 wickets in 82 Test matches, Ishant is the most capped player in the longest version and along with Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami will pose a challenge to Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow when India face England in the five Test series, starting August 1.
“Everybody used to say India can’t produce fast bowlers. Now, we have eight to nine good fast bowlers anytime who can play Test cricket for India. We have a pretty good chance to win a series in England and Australia, because of the kind of attack we have,” Ishant told ‘Daily Telegraph’ in an interview.
Ishant played a massive role in India’s only Test victory during the 2014 series when he took 7 for 74 in the second innings at Lord’s.
“The weather is so nice (in England), you can bowl long spells, the conditions are helpful. The ball is nice, the wicket is favourable. There’s a lot of difference between bowling in England and India,” Ishant said.
BENCH STRENGTH
MUMBAI: Zaheer Khan believes India have sufficient bench strength to make up for the absence of injured pace bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah against England.
The selectors have named Bumrah, Ishant, Shami, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur in the squad for the first three Tests.
“Bumrah is injured for the first few matches and there has been an injury concern to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but I believe even after their injuries, the fivematch tournament is a long series,” Zaheer said.
“Whoever plays, like Umesh is doing well, Ishant is a senior bowler and has to take more lead (role) and Shami has a good record, their (Bhuvi and Bumrah’s) absence will be felt, but India’s bench strength is strong.” NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant has earned plaudits for his flamboyant batting in shorter formats but India A coach Rahul Dravid believes the talented youngster has the “temperament and skills to bat differently” in longer formats.
Pant has earned his maiden call to the Indian Test side riding on impressive knocks for India A during the recently-concluded tour of UK, where he hit crucial half centuries in four day games against West Indies A and England Lions.
“Rishabh has shown that he could bat differently. He has the temperament and skills to bat differently,” Dravid told bcci.tv.
The former India captain was also Pant’s coach during his India U-19 days and knows his ward’s game inside out.
Pant can score runs at a brisk pace in longer format but what has impressed Dravid is his ability to read match situations.
“He is always going to be an attacking player but reading of the situation when one is playing red ball cricket is required. We are glad that he has been picked in the national team and I hope he takes this maturity and builds on it,” Dravid said.
“There were three-four innings where he showed that he is willing to bat differently. We all know the way he bats. Even during the 2017-18 (it was 2016-17) Ranji Trophy season, when he got 900-plus runs and his strike rate was 100-plus and we have seen him bat similarly in IPL as well,” the former India captain added.
For Dravid, the heartening part about Pant on the India A trip was rising up to the different challenges thrown at him.
“On this trip, we challenged him a lot to bat according to the situation. He got a crucial 64 not out in the One-day tri-series final (vs England Lions), when he was the last recognised batsman.
“And also against West Indies A, he put on a 100-run partnership with Jayant Yadav (in successful fourth innings run chase).”
Dravid is of the opinion that “Shadow Tour” of India A team is a brilliant concept developed by BCCI as it can prove to be beneficial for the national team.
A shadow tour is a concept where the A team tours a nation where the senior team is going to play and it also prepares the second-string side in case of any eventuality.
Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Krunal Pandya, Karun Nair, w ho was drafted into the senior team -got a considerable amount of game time in UK conditions.
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He is always going to be an attacking player but reading of the situation when one is playing red ball cricket is required. RAHUL DRAVID, India A coach