Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar reckons Team India's bowling attack for England series is sharp although the absence of Bhuvneshwar & Bumrah is a clear obstacle
India pacers Jasprit Bumrah (right) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Pic/AFP
Despite having stringent fitness regimes that include the YoYo test, injuries have still taken a toll on Team India just ahead of the crucial Test series against England. Virat Kohli will miss two of his finest pace bowlers — Bhuvneshwar Kumar (aggravated lower back) and Jasprit Bumrah (thumb injury sustained during the first T20I versus Ireland) — as Team India prepare to take on England in the much-anticipated five-Test series from August 1 at Edgbaston.
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While Bhuvneshwar has been ruled out of the first three Tests, Bumrah will be available for selection from the second Test onwards depending on his fitness. The absence of the duo from the opening Test has left the bowling department a bit depleted. However, India's legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar believes India still have depth in their bowling with the likes of Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur.
"Bumrah has played three Test matches, but he would have been an integral part of the T20I and ODI series (v England). Bhuvneshwar has been one of our main bowlers in the recent past. Be it bowling in the death overs or building those critical partnerships while batting in the end. So, I think Kohli still has good depth in his bowling (department), but they will be invariably missed without a doubt," Tendulkar told mid-day on Saturday. Indian pacers (Shami, Ishant, Bhuvneshwar and debutant Bumrah) snapped up 47 wickets between them during their three-Test tour to South Africa where India lost 1-2 earlier in the year.
Sachin Tendulkar
All eyes on Kuldeep
With the English summer being a bit unusual this time around with extremely hot conditions and not enough moisture, Tendulkar expects spinners to play a major role, particularly chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, if the surfaces are dry. Kuldeep tormented the English batsmen in the limited overs series with nine wickets in three ODIs and five in two T20Is. "They [English batsmen] are not being able to read him from the grip. If the weather is very hot with dry surfaces, then Kuldeep will come into play. If they are going to leave a lot of fresh grass on the wicket for their seamers to get wickets, then it will be that much tougher for Kuldeep to bowl on the green tops. So, be it Kuldeep or Ravindra Jadeja or R Ashwin, for spinners it becomes that much difficult to bowl on surfaces which assist fast bowlers. It all depends on the kind of surfaces they will play on," he said.
The record-breaking batsman felt Kuldeep would be a match-winner if the surfaces are dry. "It (flat pitches) will help Kuldeep because as the surface will get older when it is hot and warm, it is going help spinners at some stage. Kuldeep will be a handy customer to manage at that time because if he gets going, I would say he is surely a match-winner," said Tendulkar.
The England tour is also billed as the most important series for India skipper Virat Kohli, who managed just 134 runs in five matches during the disastrous 2014 tour. Tendulkar said Kohli will be extra motivated to make the amends this time. "For a batsman, you always look to go out and score runs in every innings. It doesn't matter whether it is Australia, England, West Indies, New Zealand... whichever team that you are playing. But I am sure, looking at the kind of series it was for Virat last time (2014), he will be all geared up and he is going to go out and give his best shot. "He always does, but it will be more so this time," said Tendulkar, who amassed 1575 runs in 17 Tests, averaging 54.31 in England.
Kohli's knack for changes
Kohli has a history of tinkering with the playing XI in the 35 Tests he has led in so far, but Tendulkar said sometimes making changes is inevitable. "It all depends on the kind of surfaces we play on. If it is swinging all the time, then sometimes the change has to be made. But sometimes if you find the right balance, there is no need to change. "It all depends on the combination we want to play, the form of individuals and the length of the series. In a three-match Test series, there is not much time. A five-Test series gives one some extra time," he concluded.
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