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Indian cricket has been blessed with great fast bowlers in recent times. In Test cricket, fans have seen a smooth transition from Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma to Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.
Former Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey talked in an interview with the Indian Express about a few white-ball players who will soon be seen in red-ball cricket.
With India's victory in the T20 World Cup, Mhambrey's time as bowling coach ended. He had taken over an impressive attack and handled the pace department during a transition after joining the team in November 2021 as a member of Rahul Dravid's support staff.
He claimed that with three front-line pacers in Test cricket — Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah — Team India doesn't need four seamers. Thus bowlers like Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, and Arshdeep Singh will have to wait for their opportunity.
"India already have three quality pacers and at home, only a couple of them get to play. So because of squad balance, there isn’t a need for a fourth seamer. So they have to wait for their moment."
Regarding their fitness and ability to bowl for longer periods, he said:
“These guys are performing well and their form isn’t a concern. More importantly, they went through a full season without getting injured, which is a very good sign. Even if it’s a long series, you don’t need to worry about their fitness. We have a cluster of fast bowlers who have got exposure in white-ball cricket and are not far away. When the team travels overseas, they should be in the frame.”
In this article, we will look at three white-ball bowlers India could try regularly in Tests.
#3 Khaleel Ahmed
Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed made his international debut in 2018. He has represented the team in 11 ODIs and 17 T20Is and recently made his international comeback in the T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Since Zaheer Khan, the Men in Blue have not had a regular left-arm pacer in Test cricket. Khaleel is one of the candidates that Team India can use.
He can bowl at a good pace and swing the ball. He has played in 12 first-class games and has 25 wickets to his name. He’s still only 26 years old and can be seen as a long-term investment for Indian cricket.
#2 Mukesh Kumar
The right-arm pacer from Bengal can swing the ball both ways. Mukesh has continued to perform consistently at the domestic level. The 30-year-old has played in three Tests, six ODIs and 17 T20Is.
Mukesh made his Test debut against the West Indies in July 2023 and picked up seven wickets in three matches. Mukesh can be an asset for a captain given his ability to ball at the right lengths for a longer period.
He has shown his skills in first-class cricket. Mukesh has picked up 166 wickets in 43 matches at an average of 20.7. He has seven fifers and one 10-wicket haul in his FC career.
Mukesh, who has been around the Indian team over the last 12 months, can play an important role in Test cricket in the coming years.
#1 Arshdeep Singh
The pacer from Punjab had a wonderful 2024 T20 World Cup. Arshdeep was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the World Cup, along with Fazalhaq Farooqi (17 wickets). He has played in 52 T20Is and has picked up 79 wickets. He also has 10 wickets to his name in six ODIs.
He has picked up 49 wickets in 16 first-class matches. Last year, Singh also went to play County cricket in England for Kent. Former Indian bowling coach Paras said in his interview with Indian Express that he might play a Test match in Australia if Team India go with four seamers.
Arshdeep has done wonders for Men in Blue in white-ball format and will be looking to make the most of his chances if he gets to play Tests. He has previously expressed his desire to play Test cricket as well.
