Bhuvneshwar Kumar started out as a medium pacer who could swing the ball, but after a lot of work, he has added enough pace to his arsenal to be a threat in all conditions, across formats.
In 2014, after India’s ill-fated tour of England, Kumar emerged as the one big positive – his 19 wickets at 26.63 and three half-centuries meant his stocks couldn’t be higher. Yet, in nearly two years since that final Test at The Oval, he played just the one Test, against Australia in Sydney in early 2015.
An ankle injury first put him on the sidelines, and on his return, a more worrying problem seemed to crop up – an inability to swing the ball, which was always Kumar’s USP.
There was more pace, yes. A steady 130s bowler, he touched the 140s frequently after his return, but if that was coming at the cost of his gift of swing, was it worth it?
Kumar’s career could come full circle in August when England host India in another Test series. The importance of the tour is not lost on the Indians – Virat Kohli, the captain, has already stated his desire to play county cricket in preparation for the tour, while the likes of Pujara and Ishant Sharma have already begun their county campaigns.
Asked if he would consider a similar approach, Kumar was coy. “I really don’t know, I haven’t thought about it. Once the IPL is done, whatever offer is there, we’ll see after that,” he said. “It’s a long tournament, and I know I will be tired after that. I’ll rest and recover, and then see about that, see how my body is, see what the situation is.”
Whatever he decides, one thing is for certain – the swing is back, there is decent pace, he’s slowly grooming himself into a leader, and it could all come to a head in England.
