As India get ready to embark on their four-month-long tour to England, including the World Test Championship final, we analyse their well-stocked pace attack and assess their options.
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India will field a full-strength pace attack on their first tour to England since 2018, with a good mix of experience and youth in their ranks. In all, they have six quicks in their squad, with three additional seamers part of the reserves list. With a long tour ahead of them, we divide the pace contingent into different segments to figure out who’s most likely to make the cut as first-choice options.
Statistics mentioned are Test statistics in England, unless stated otherwise.
Certainty
Jasprit Bumrah
14 wickets @ 25.92, BBI: 5-85
Probably the only seamer who’s assured of a place in the XI. Bumrah has toured England for a Test series only one other time, in 2018, which was only the second Test series of his career. His tour was afflicted by injuries then, but he now spearheads the attack, having recovered from the hamstring injury that cut short his recent tour of Australia. Since his debut, Bumrah has taken the most five-wicket hauls by an Indian bowler – five, which includes a hat-trick.
Near-certainties
Mohammed Shami
21 wickets @ 47.04, BBI: 4-57
India’s most prolific quick bowler in the last three years (85 wickets at 24.02), Shami has been a vital force in India’s fast-bowling transformation of the last decade, and has travelled to England on two tours (2014, 2018). His participation on the last tour was closely followed by a failed fitness test and return to the side, and he’s made rapid strides on that front, becoming a leaner and meaner version. In swinging conditions, he could be a handful with both the new ball and the old one.
Ishant Sharma
43 wickets @ 33.90, BBI: 7-74
India’s most experienced quick, Ishant looked the part in his comeback series against England at home, his first in a year. The extra bounce he generates, coupled with his relentless accuracy, make him stand out among any group of quicks. Ishant has been on three tours, and was India’s leading wicket-taker in the last one, plucking 18 wickets at 24.27. His 7-74 in the 2014 Lord’s Test, his best career figures, helped India win their first game at the ground in 28 years.
The outside bets
Mohammed Siraj
Yet to play in UK
Overall: 16 wickets @ 28.25, BBI: 5-73
Siraj might be one of the least experienced on this list, but he poses a serious threat to the experienced ones, given how he exhibited both fresh spark and maturity on the Australia tour. With the entire first-choice attack absent, Siraj stepped up and how, picking up 16 wickets at 28.25 on wickets down under. Adjusting to English conditions might be an entirely different challenge, but Siraj’s prior experience of travelling with the ‘A’ teams might stand him in good stead.
Shardul Thakur
Yet to play in UK
Overall: 7 wickets @ 23.42, BBI: 4-62
With his career just two Tests old, Thakur might be the on the lowest rung in terms of hierarchy for his bowling, but presents the option of being a reliable bowling all-rounder, the missing link in India’s line-up this time. Hardik Pandya’s absence allows him to add more teeth to India’s lower order – an aspect of his game Thakur has improved on considerably. Beyond that, he could do well in the ‘holding’ role, and experts, including Sanjay Manjrekar recently, have picked him as their preferred third seamer for the tour.
Umesh Yadav
3 wickets @ 25.33, BBI: 2-20
In a ten-year career, Umesh has played 48 Tests, but only one in England, featuring in the Edgbaston Test in 2018. Although Umesh has improved significantly, he still tends to slip into his inconsistent, erratic mode on occasion. His brisk speeds set him apart though, and Umesh is an experienced hand that could be given a go if the side is looking for out-and-out pace in their line-up.
The back-ups
Apart from the players in the main squad, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Arzan Nagwaswalla are also travelling as reserves. While it’s unlikely that they’ll break into the main XI, the Australia tour was a good example of how quickly things can change on an away trip. Prasidh is the only capped player of the lot, but is yet to play Test cricket. He made his ODI debut in the home leg against England, picking up four wickets on debut. Avesh Khan was the pick of the young bowlers in the 2021 IPL, picking up 14 wickets at 16.50, while Nagwaswalla, yet to feature in the IPL, has taken 62 first-class wickets at 22.53.
