The performance of the Indian pace quartet has been the most heartening aspect in the two warm-up matches in lead to the Champions Trophy
Mohammed Shami
India's Mohammed Shami bowls during Champions Trophy warm-up match vs Bangladesh in London on Tuesday. Pic/AFP
The performance of the Indian pace quartet has been the most heartening aspect in the two warm-up matches in lead to the Champions Trophy.
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There were concerns about the excessive workload due to non-stop cricket for over six months having effect on Umesh Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bhumrah and to some extent Mohammed Shami.
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In English conditions and white ball cricket, the pacers are bound to play an important role. In such circumstances, the bowling unit hitting their straps early has been a heartening development for the team management.
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It was a sight to behold when an Indian pacer like Umesh could generate the amount of pace and bounce in the warm-up games, and the wily Bhuvi thriving in overcast conditions. Shami, who has returned from injury and played only a handful games for Delhi Daredevils in the recent IPL, too, has found his rhythm at the right time. With skipper Virat Kohli preferring to use him as a first-change bowler, it has given a formidable look to the pace battery.
Probably, the only concern India have at the moment is Bumrah, who is finding it difficult to control his line and length in swinging conditions. After his exploits in the IPL where variations are the key, too much experimentation in English conditions could become counter-productive. His first priority should be line and length and the rest will follow.
Hardik Pandya was not only upbeat about his performance but also praised the pace bowling unit’s performance.
"Both Bhuvi (Kumar) and Umesh (Yadav) bowled really well. It was pretty amazing to see the ball flying like that and batsmen getting beaten like that. They are adapting pretty well. They have played here before, so they knew what lengths to bowl to get wickets," said Pandya.
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