Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Mumbai
Being the former bowling coach of the Indian team, Paras Mhambrey has seen the current crop of fast bowlers from close. Before India embark on a potentially gruelling five-Test tour of Australia after the disappointment of the home series against New Zealand, Mhambrey spoke to RevSportz about the prospects of this bunch and more. The following are excerpts:
Q: Let’s start with a question on the Australia series. There are five fast bowlers in the squad, plus three travelling reserves. Is that too many, considering that India have rarely travelled with eight fast bowlers?
A: When you select a squad, you also look at the venues you play in. Generally, the wickets in Australia have good bounce, on a flatter side. There’s not much of a role of spinners out there. So, you need to travel with seam bowlers. You also need to be prepared for injuries.
If you look at the squad, Jasprit Bumrah is experienced. Mohammed Siraj also has experience now. But it’s not the same with the rest. So you need a number of back-ups. Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana have done well at the Ranji Trophy level. The selectors, the coaches must be having confidence in them. Also, you need variety in the attack. Bumrah is different from Siraj and Akash. Prasidh is the tall kind of a bowler who can hit the deck hard.
Also, it’s a five-Test series. You can’t possibly have Bumrah for all five games. You have to be smart enough to understand that bowlers might need a break. Looking at all aspects, this is the best combination to go there with.
Q: This fast bowling unit may be lacking in experience, but it’s a promising bunch. What do you think?
A: I agree. Other than Bumrah and Siraj, the fast bowlers might be lacking in experience. But going by the potential they have shown, this is a good line-up. You have to go with the best available right now. Fingers are crossed over Mohammed Shami. He may be there for a period. I’ve been reading that he’s planning to play two Ranji Trophy matches before that. We have to address the longevity and injury issues, other than form. I think we have ticked all the right boxes. Having Shami in the mix is important because if you need to give Bumrah a break, then at least the other senior bowler is there. Others can rally around him.
Q: The Australian pitches and grounds are harder than the ones we come across in India. What are the biggest challenges for Indian fast bowlers over there?
A: The wickets are hard. There’s a lot of hard clay content. So, there is a lot of wear and tear (on the body). You have to bend your back in the first 30-35 overs because the seam of the Kookaburra ball isn’t that prominent after that period. That’s the real hard work, to maximise the ball and how you use it in the first 30-35 overs. That’s the challenge, to take two-three or even four wickets in that phase.
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Q: How do bowlers who have not played in Australia encounter this challenge?
A: For those who have not played in Australia, just to be there is a challenge. Only Bumrah and Siraj have played there. It’s a tough place to travel. They must adapt early to the conditions. If we look at the performance of the Indian teams in the last few overseas tours — England, Australia or South Africa — the fast bowlers haven’t done badly. The last tour of Australia (2020-21) may be the biggest example. I think we have an all-weather kind of an attack.
Q: Being a former bowler and the former bowling coach of the Indian team, how pleased are you to see this pool of fast bowlers? They are not just one or two. There are many. This must be heartening for someone like you.
A: Yeah, 100%. A lot of this has got to do with the system, started five-six years back. The idea was to give them an opportunity to travel abroad, play under different conditions, with different kinds of balls. Some of these balls, particularly the Kookaburra, behave differently from SG balls we have in India. The idea was, you don’t feel unfamiliar with these factors. Most of the bowlers we have now went through that programme. It’s great to see that these bowlers have progressed and made it to the Indian team. Except for Bumrah who is around 30, most of them are young. They have a lot of cricket left in them. It’s good to see a lot of talent out here. The more opportunities they get, they’re going to get better.
Q: It was surprising to see Bumrah get just 14 overs in the second Test in Pune, where the Indian team bowled 150 overs. Akash Deep bowled six overs in the first innings and none in the second. Didn’t this effectively reduce the strength of the team to just three bowlers?
A: It’s about the captain’s instincts as well. That’s why Rohit Sharma is one of the better captains. You look at the percentage record that he has in Test cricket. These things depend on what his gut feeling is. Yes, sometimes, when you have five bowlers, there is a possibility that one of the bowlers will be under-utilised. You have to have a quiet chat with him and explain to him why. Also, everyone has played enough cricket to understand the requirements in a given scenario. It can happen. I will not dwell too much into it.
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