India will return to red-ball cricket this month, with the Duleep Trophy scheduled in Bengaluru and Anantapur. Rohit Sharma’s side will start their home international season, by playing 5 Tests—2 against Bangladesh and 3 against New Zealand. But the toughest task ahead is trying to retain the Seema Gavaskar Trophy on their upcoming tour of Australia, a crucial step in their bid to reach the final of the World Test Championship for the third time.
As the tour of Australia approaches, less than 100 days away, more attention is paid to the reserves of India’s fast bowling, with a lack of depth raising concerns over Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Dashmi and Mohammad Siraj giving time all India has in recent years to remain a reliable 4th or 5th fast bowler struggle.
Bharat Arun, the former India’s bowling coach said: “According to me, we need at least half a dozen bowlers in Australia to play five Test matches. You already have three. Four is good for you. It’s not fair on my part to name just a few bowlers, but all I can tell you is there are enough bowlers who have promised quite a bit and who are capable of playing for India in the longer format. But the biggest challenge is to bowl enough number of overs in the Duleep Trophy and in the competitions leading up to the Test matches for them to be match fit and ready.”
Concerns Over India’s Fast Bowling Reserves
The upcoming Duleep Trophy, which starts on September 5, presents an important opportunity to test India’s fast bowling options, especially with Bumrah resting, Shami recovering from an ankle injury and Siraj sidelined due to illness. The matches in Bangalore and Anantapur will come under the microscope as the selectors look for fast bowlers who can boost India’s momentum in overseas Tests.
From 2023, India has introduced more fast bowlers to Test cricket, including Mukesh Kumar, Prasiddha Krishna and Akash Deep. Besides, Avesh Khan has gained valuable experience in foreign conditions through the ‘A’ team series, and Arshdeep Singh is waiting for a chance to play Test cricket Despite the challenges, India are confident that bowling there is an abundance of fast-paced talent. But experts, including Arun, stress the importance of these bowlers gaining more red-ball experience before making the move to Australia.
India’s lack of depth in backup seamers for the longer format has been subtle but growing. As the team enters the pivotal phase of Test cricket, it is imperative that the experienced and up-and-coming players rise to the occasion. They will have to face the country’s fast bowling head-to-head by delivering a tough game starting with the Duleep Trophy in the coming months.
