With his unstinting belief, Mohammed Siraj was the beacon of light for the Indian team in the just concluded India-England Test series. He carried the bowling unit on his shoulders, ending up with 187 overs under his belt. All the blood, sweat, toil and tears finally came to fruition at The Oval as he uprooted the stumps to send Gus Atkinson back to the hut and take five wickets in the second innings. Not just that, the resultant outcome of that scalp was India registering a memorable series-levelling victory.
Beneath Siraj’s stellar performance in the series, there were sparks of brilliance from a couple of other inexperienced pace bowlers. At the end of a long and arduous tour, let’s look at how fringe players like Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep went about their task in England and what does the future hold for the pace duo.
Akash Deep: The Bengal pace bowler showcased wicket-taking smarts and bowled zestful spells at Edgbaston, finishing with a 10-for in the game. The salient feature of his bowling was how he cleverly used the crease to create a sense of illusion in the minds of the batters before delivering the coup de grace. With his skiddy style of bowling, he also brought the stumps into play often and troubled the batters on a track that started to stay on the lower side as the game progressed.
Basically, the prevailing conditions suited his bowling template, something that could be noticed during the Ranchi Test last year. On the downside, he couldn’t maintain his form in the subsequent two Tests, adding just three more wickets to his tally. He has had his share of niggles. The conditions too perhaps weren’t tailor-made for his style of bowling. Yet, the gutsy cricketer would take enough positives from the series.
Akash would likely find himself ahead of Prasidh in the pecking order for the home Tests as his traits are quite synonymous with the climes in India. Although there is a school of thought that he needs to work on his old-ball skills.
Prasidh: The tall seamer’s report card from the series would read like a game of Snake and Ladder. He was one of the key figures behind India’s momentous triumph at The Oval, bagging eight wickets. However, he was heavily criticised for his inability to keep the runs down in Leeds and in the first innings at Edgbaston.
Probably the conditions in the first two Tests weren’t exactly in his favour. A few other nuts and bolts in his game also might have gone missing. As Steve Harmison, the former England quick, noted – There are a few inconsistencies in his action. Incidentally, during the course of the series, he did have a chat with Harmison.
On occasions, when Prasidh bowled fuller, the ball was mostly coming out default scrambled. In other words, Prasidh wasn’t really able to succeed in his attempts to generate swing. Despite all those problems, Prasidh gave a fine demonstration of pace bowling in the crucial Oval Test. On a helpful deck, he snapped his back and extracted disconcerting bounce. He also found just enough movement, bowled with consistent pace, alongside better control.
Going forward, Prasidh would again be in contention when India tour countries like Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and England. However, it remains to be seen whether he would fit into India’s plans for home conditions.
During the series, India also tried Anshul Kamboj at Old Trafford. Kamboj, added as an injury cover for Arshdeep Singh and Akash, failed to impress in the fourth Test. Kamboj, who is mostly a line bowler, struggled to maintain his speeds: His quickest delivery in that game was over 135 kph, but during his later spells, it was around 125 kph or even lower. Kamboj might have been carrying a niggle, but it is also true that in first-class cricket, he has had a tendency to gradually lose pace over spells.
Arshdeep, the left-arm pacer, also was a part of the squad. He was definitely in contention to partake in the final Test, but on a track that offered more pace and bounce, the call to pick Prasidh turned out to be the right one. Arshdeep, who also sustained a finger injury, has the ability to swing the ball both ways. Occasionally, he can also employ the wobble ball, and he has a decent surprise short delivery.
On the flip side, Arshdeep’s numbers in first-class cricket don’t make for a great reading. His detractors point to lack of penetration with an old ball in hand.
There was also the curious case of Harshit Rana. The paceman was a late addition to the squad, but he was reportedly released from the touring party after the Leeds Test. The well-built fast bowler, who made his Test debut in Perth last year, will be competing with Prasidh during future tours abroad. The Indian think-tank would be hoping for Harshit to understand the nuances of the fast-bowling mindset and become the better version of himself with time.
Alongside the above-mentioned pacers, the Indian coaching staff would also be keeping an eye on the likes of Mayank Yadav, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan and co. The only worrying line associated with them is that they are injury prone.
Certain jigsaws of the Indian fast-bowling puzzle are missing, but Akash and Prasidh’s exhibitions of pace bowling, at Edgbaston and at The Oval, would have gladdened the hearts of the Indian think-tank. The onus is now on them and the rest of the fast-bowling pace pack to harness their skills and become Test-match regulars in the future.
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