The Indian Test team’s unprecedented overseas success in the past decade has been largely due to a fast bowling attack that has performed well in any conditions, but the same cannot be said of the fast bowlers of the team that went to play a two-Test series in the West Indies. . Every team goes through a phase of change at one point or the other, but in India’s case this phase was quickened due to injury to star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and absence of Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav.
Bumrah will be missed
When Virat Kohli was the captain, he preferred to go with five bowlers and then the Indian fast bowlers always performed well. After losing two consecutive finals of the World Test Championship, it would be right to plan for the future. Shami may play in another cycle of the World Test Championship but the same cannot be said for 35-year-old Umesh Yadav. The team would love to have Bumrah’s services but there are doubts whether he will be able to face the challenges of the longer format on his return. In such a situation, India has very few options for fast bowling at present.
Siraj will take care of fast bowling
Mohammed Siraj has been India’s most successful fast bowler in recent times and the Hyderabadi lad, who has played 19 Tests so far, will lead the pace attack in the West Indies. Is the team looking at 31-year-old Jaydev Unadkat, who returned to the Test team after 12 years in Bangladesh last year, as an option. Navdeep Saini, who has been battling injuries in the fast bowling department, and Mukesh, who is yet to play a single Test match Kumar is also included. Another fast bowler, the famous Krishna could have been tried in the West Indies but he is also injured like Bumrah. 24-year-old Shivam Mavi, who has done well in the Duleep Trophy, is still young but he is not a part of the team touring the West Indies.
India’s squad for Tests in West Indies: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Akshar Patel, Mo. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.
