Before the landmark series victory in Australia in 2018-19, India’s travels Down Under were usually stories of misadventure. Most of the batters would struggle with the steepling bounce at venues like Perth, while there was never a pace pack potent enough to challenge the hosts.
There were one-off highlights, like Kapil Dev’s 5-43 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), while hobbling with a hamstring injury, and Ajit Agarkar’s bolt-from-the-blue 6-41 against Steve Waugh’s side in Adelaide (2003). But more often than not, India’s frontline pacers would make a mark before the inadequate back-up released the pressure valve. The nadir was probably reached in Perth in January 2012, when Vinay Kumar came on first change and proceeded to bowl floaters clocked in the low 120s.
David Warner rampaged his way to 180 off 159 balls, a score greater than India managed in either innings. When the tables were turned seven years later, it was Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami that were the best bowlers on view, with Ishant Sharma often providing telling breakthroughs.
It was a very different story four years ago, when no Indian bowler took more than Mohammed Siraj’s 13 wickets. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were the pick of the bowlers, but Australia’s insistence in not rotating their star trio meant that they were quite out of puff by the time Rishabh Pant unleashed his series-winning heroics at The Gabba.
What India did do exceptionally in 2020-21, while battling a swathe of injuries, was covering for each other. Bumrah took 11 wickets in three Tests, Shardul Thakur starred with seven at the Gabba, while T Natarajan and Navdeep Saini also summoned up telling spells when asked. With R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja also bowling beautifully, India’s bowling patchwork quilt did what was needed.
Shami was a notable absentee then as well, but how well-placed are India to replace him and form a penetrative trio for what will be an arduous five-Test slog? Despite his struggles on Indian pitches, Siraj surely shares the new ball with Bumrah, especially given how he bowled Down Under in his debut series.
But, what next? Harshit Rana has the raw pace, but next to no experience. That he didn’t play either of the first two India A Tests suggests he has been taken only as back-up. Akash Deep is the next in a long line of Indian pacers whose methods are best suited to the subcontinent. In his limited opportunities so far, he has done little to suggest he could be a game-breaker with the older ball.
Which brings us to Prasidh Krishna. One of the most celebrated spells by an Indian pacer in Australia – though it fetched only one wicket – was Ishant Sharma’s at the WACA in Perth in January 2008. He had Ricky Ponting fending, flailing and getting hit before finally putting him out of his misery. The beanpole-like Ishant was able to hit just the perfect length, not too full for Ponting to unfurl his drives, and not too short for him to play those crunching pulls.
Also Read: Why flamboyant India will miss the guts of Vihari in Australia
Prasidh, on his good days, is capable of hitting that bat-jarring length and at lively pace. That India A’s second Test against their Australian counterparts lasted three days was largely down to splendid batting from Dhruv Jurel and spirited bowling from Prasidh, Mukesh Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed. When Prasidh accounted for both Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft in the opening over of Australia A’s pursuit of 168, it certainly livened up proceedings. But it wasn’t just the wickets. He probed away diligently in a long spell, and it needed an innings of substance from Sam Konstas – touted as Australia’s next great batting hope – to see the side home.
Prasidh played two Tests in South Africa a year ago, and was a huge letdown on a pace-friendly surface at Centurion. Even as South Africa’s quicks took 19 of the 20 wickets to fall, Prasidh and Shardul just leaked runs, providing neither wickets nor control. Many an Indian cricketer has been dumped after such a false start, but Prasidh shouldn’t be. Given the lack of standout options at the moment – Mayank Yadav is again injured – it may not be a bad thing to take a punt on his height and ability to extract bounce.
As India showed on their last tour, you don’t always need five-wicket hauls to win Tests. If Prasidh can hold down that third seamer’s slot, and chip in with useful runs as he did in the India A game, he could just be the answer to India’s problems.
For More Sports Related Content Click here