India’s pace-bowling unit is going to play a major role when it comes to the World Test Championship final. It will be played in first half of the English summer, when conditions usually complement swing and seam. So, fast bowlers are going to be of utmost importance.
Look at the prospective Indian line-up. Five batters, wicketkeeper and then five bowlers. Four of these bowlers will have to be of the quicker variety. Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are certainties. Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat are in the squad. All of them have been afflicted by minor niggles or major injuries. None of them are certainties. Mukesh Kumar is on standby.
This situation probably makes a case for Ishant Sharma. He hasn’t played for India since November 2021, and was told that he was unlikely to be picked again. But Ishant has shown in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that he is not done yet. He has steamed in, looked fit and shown the wherewithal which made him a precious commodity for the Indian team for a long time. Plus, he has shown cleverness. He has used his mind. It has not just been about the body or brawn.
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So why not not have Ishant in the squad for the WTC final? Shami and Siraj will be there. Who after them? Umesh is not exactly the kind of bowler who thrives in English conditions. He hits the deck hard, profits when the surface in hard and makes good use of that. England is not exactly his kind of territory. Swing will be more of a factor there than bounce. That is not quite his forte. Umesh is someone who has better chances of success in Australia than England.
Is Ishant a swing bowler? The answer is no. He prefers hitting that back of the length and make the ball move off the seam. He has that innate inward slant, and later on, he developed the delivery that straightens after pitching. That one confuses the batters the most. They prepare for that incoming one, shape up for that and then see that it is not coming in.
More than that, Ishant is a fast bowler. He can still get it up to 140 km/h and above. He has a very deceptive bouncer. India rode on these traits to win a Test at Lord’s in 2014. In fact, that was a match where Ishant’s shorter deliveries made the difference between victory and defeat. He was fast, on the body and forced batters into awkward positions.
Look at the present situation. You do not have certainties after Shami and Siraj. Mukesh, the standby, is potentially a good prospect in English conditions. He pitches it up, relies on his out-swingers, and generally, does quite well. But he is inexperienced. He has not played at this level before. Throwing someone in at the deep end of the pool is not a bad idea, but this is a big match!
So why not have Ishant in the mix? Let us not go by the IPL performance. That’s a different game altogether. But even in this format and conditions, Ishant has shown that he can think batters out. This is something he did not have in the earlier half of his career. Now he has it. He has developed, matured and learnt how to make the best use of his body and mind.
And this is a one-off match. Not a look into the long-term picture. You have taken Ajinkya Rahane, who is also not a long-term solution. Following similar logic, Ishant deserves a look-in. Jasprit Bumrah is out. Umesh, Shardul and Unadkat will head to England with little bowling in the legs. So go to Ishant. Trust his abilities. He can do it.