India’s pace attack will be in focus when the three-match series against South Africa gets underway from December 26 in Centurion. With India registering Test wins in England and Australia in the past 12 months and considering the phase South African team finds itself in at the moment, the Virat Kohli-led side start the series as favourites.
The last time India were in South Africa, in 2018, India lost the Test series 1-2 but the tour gave an early sight into the world-class pace attack that would start dominating opponents irrespective of the conditions. Back then, South Africa also had the likes of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis in their ranks – all three of them have since retired from Test cricket – and the current batting line-up doesn’t inspire as much confidence as the retired trio.
India have six pacers in their Test squad including Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj.
Former India pacer Ashish Nehra reckons that out of these, only Bumrah and Shami are sure starters and their will be a fight for the third pacer’s slot between the vastly experienced Ishant and the fast-rising Siraj.
However, Nehra is slightly bent towards Siraj thanks to his performance during the Mumbai Test against New Zealand when he replaced an injured Ishant in India’s playing XI.
“Look, I feel Bumrah and Shami are the two automatic choices in India’s pace attack,” Nehra told Telegraph India. “Talking of the third pacer, Mohammed Siraj could be the guy. Ishant (Sharma) was injured and left out of the second Test versus New Zealand (in Mumbai), while Siraj did fairly well in that game. It also depends on the team management’s thought process and game plan, and who’s looking sharper at nets.”
“But the good thing is the number of options India have as far as their pace battery is concerned. They even have someone like Umesh (Yadav), who’s super-experienced now with the number of Test matches (51) he has played so far. So it’s a good situation the team finds itself to be in,” he added.
Nehra, who took 235 wickets during his international career, thinks that IPL has contributed towards raising the fitness standards of the Indian cricketers.
“Thanks to the changes the IPL has brought in and its overall effect as well as the fitness regimen of the players, they are stronger and fitter now. And when fitness doesn’t become much of an issue, you have more back-ups,” he said.
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