Indian pace attack comes off age
Indian cricket had always been at the receiving end when it came to facing good quality fast bowling. It was more of a usual phenomena to see an Indian batsman getting hit on the helmet or being beaten by sheer pace. And what made it even worse was to come to terms with the fact that we did not have an out and out fast bowler who can give it back in the same manner.
But the prayers seemed to have been answered with the likes of Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron coming up the ranks who are quick on and off the pitch and hit the bat hard. Gone are the days when all we could have done is to sit back and take the chin music and curse our luck for not having a fast bowler.
Indian bowling seems to have come off age in the on-going Champions trophy with all the three seamers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma coming good when it mattered the most.
The English conditions have always favoured good quality swing bowling and Bhuvneshwar Kumar seems to have mastered the art with his precise length and line. Swing has a lot to do with the wrist position and Kumar at the moment is right on the money. He is making the ball talk, almost at will which is making life increasingly difficult for the batsman.
His spell of nine overs in the semi-final, conceding only 18 runs was a fine exhibition of swing bowling which even saw the likes of Sangakkara and Jayawardene playing and missing every other delivery. He can only improve and get better from here on and hopefully will continue the good work and not get lost like other swing bowlers. In India we have a tradition of finding good bowlers who only last a couple of years.
Umesh Yadav on the other hand is a completely different bowler and hits the deck hard. However his biggest asset is his pace which can be lethal at times. There is no substitute to having raw pace and to have somebody like him in the side will always keep the opposition on their toes. WIth that pace you don't need to be an Einstein to find out that he has the ability to catch you napping. Probably, the perfect foil for Kumar.
Ishant Sharma has been around for quite some time and has the potential to lead this attack. If Ishant can stay fit and avoid injuries he also can bowl the heavy ball and can hunt in packs. The Champions Trophy has turned out to be a real success for the Indian seamers which will hold them in good stead in the near future.
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