‘One-on-one, India have better pacers’
SOUTHAMPTON: India’s bowling image has transformed from spin to pace to an extent that coach Ravi Shastri believes the current bunch is their best ever. It will not be easy for the Ageas Bowl groundsman to leave grass on the pitch for the fourth Test against England starting on Thursday because the shaky home batsmen can also be caught out. India paceman Mohammed Shami has been the lynchpin of the attack. In the South Africa Test series in January, Jasprit Bumrah made a sensational debut and took 14 wickets, but Shami was the most successful (15 scalps).
As the visitors look to continue their comeback after the huge third Test win at Trent Bridge, confidence in pace is such that Shami is happy to contemplate India fielding four specialist pacers. Shami has bowled the most among the pacers (83.4 – 8 wkts). He is next only to R Ashwin (87.5 – 8) while Ishant Sharma is third-most worked (81 – 11).
Virat Kohli will lead in his 39th Test and it is likely that for the first time in his captaincy, he may retain the eleven. Ashwin is nursing a groin strain, but he bowled and batted on Tuesday.
“We are strong whether we change or not. Changes (in pace) also help us recover, especially in Tests,” Shami told a news conference. “Our country has got such a bowling attack after a long time and if you compare one-on-one (with England or other teams), we have better bowlers. So, when we hear this (Shastri’s praise), it takes our confidence sky high. Anyone can bowl with the new ball, and it is good we have these options.
“The responsibility is on us to deliver in these conditions. (But) the attempt is not to look at the entire series but take it match by match.” India bowlers have been consistently quicker than James Anderson and Co, but Shami said line and length was the key.
“We have bench strength that is so strong we can change if we want to… This chop and change policy is good (for pacers) because it allows us to recover.”
In the England series, where India have recovered to 1-2 with two games left, Shami has banished concerns due to dodgy knees and family turmoil, after his wife’s accusations of domestic violence and other charges.
“It’s difficult. The last eight months have been tough for me with the family matter. It doesn’t matter what happened or didn’t, the period was stressful. I was disturbed about it for some time. But at some point, I had to decide representing the country came first, so I practised with that in mind.”
India pacers will target Jonny Bairstow if the England wicketkeeper, recovering from a broken left middle finger suffered in Trent Bridge, plays in the fourth Test, Shami said.
“Obviously,” said Shami when asked about Bairstow, who is likely to play as a batsman with Jos Buttler keeping wickets.