India finds peace with fast bowling depth

These are interesting times. By brazenly condemning and rallying against Demonetization, opposition parties are openly supporting corruption. In America, under Donald Trump Presidency; the definition of "Democracy" is all set to be revamped. And India have bowlers who could intimidate the opposition with pace.

India which is in the 85th year of its cricketing journey has produced every kind of cricketer, right form Vijay Hazare to Sachin Tendulkar - legendary batsmen, and from Erapalli Prasanna to Harbhajan Singh - distinguished spinners. But an outright fast bowler has been missing.

Zaheer Khan, India's second highest wicket-taker (in fast bowling category) used to constantly clock up to 90mph at the start. But a career plagued by injuries never enabled him to maintain those standards in terms of speed and Kapil Dev - arguably - the nation's - greatest fast bowler was more of a swing bowler.

For the first time in Indian Cricket history, it looks, that a "set" comprising of fast bowlers is starting to form and Mohammed Shami is the leader of the set.

It is not that in those 84 years India has not produced fast bowlers. There have been few - Munaf Patel when he first burst into scene was a bowler capable of bowling mid 140s (in kph) but due to coaches advice and injuries he changed (or was forced to change) into a mere line-length bowler. The story is the same with RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Balaji etc. India is a country paradigm of producing fast bowlers and then losing them. When, after 2015 World-Cup Mohammed Shami was sidelined from cricket due to an injury, for almost a year, it seemed that same old story will be reiterated. The tale was the same, the result different.

In June, Shami made a successful comeback against West Indies. Virat Kohli said Shami believes that injury was 'blessing in disguise' for him.

Indian seamers have shown that they are no longer just a buttress to spinners

Rightly so, Shami has looked a different bowler since his comeback - a bowler with all weapon in the arsenal. Along with Umesh, Shami forms a formidable bowling pair. Nowadays, they not only bowl quick but also bowl with accuracy. There is a plan in their mind to which they run in relentlessly to pursue. Take the instance of Alastair Cook wicket in 1st innings of 2nd test match, knowing that at start of his innings Cook struggles outside off and his foot remains rooted at crease, Mohammed Shami lined up Cook by two deliveries that curled away to the slips and then by creating a gap between bat and pad Shami routed Cook's offstump by a sensational nipbacker - all this was done to a man with over a hundred tests and over 10k runs.

The upright seam position when Shami bowls present a picture of pure serenity. When he dismissed Rashid on 2nd morning of 3rd test the seam was upright even after taking the outside edge of bat. The upright seam enables the bowler to exploit, if at all, there is any help from the pitch. Also the slingy action of Shami and Umesh means the bowl will skid off the surface (i.e it will come quicker after hitting the pitch).

Both Shami and Umesh are brilliant exponent of reverse as well as conventional swing.

In Virat Kohli, they have a leader who understands them and in Anil Kumble, a coach, who guides and is aware of their management. 

And then there is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a wily customer, who in last 6 months has done no wrong whenever he had got a chance. Sensing some help from pitch, team management picked Kumar for Kolkata test against New Zealand and he responded with a fifer. A fifer based on swing bowling. Same was the case a month back against West Indies. Ishant Sharma - the man with most test caps for India is yet to play a test match this home season. Tall, hit the deck and a experienced seam bowler whose best years are ahead of him. Uncapped seamer Shardul Thakur is also in selector’s radar and there is an audacious Varun Aaron capable of consistently bowling over 145kph but lacks control - only bound to improve.

Indian seamers have shown they are no longer just a buttress to spinner. Even in India when pitch aid spinners they can be potential game changers. Whenever Virat Kohli senses that a partnership is building he falls back to his (now) trustworthy fast- bowlers. In Mohali when Ashwin and Jadeja were not able to go past the defense of Woakes and Hasseb, Virat went back to Shami, who bounced out first Woakes and then Rashid to tilt the game in India's favour. 

In Virat Kohli, they have a leader who understands them and in Anil Kumble, a coach, who guides and is aware of their management. The assignment will be a lot different when India tours abroad, the focus and onus will be on them but as of now they can silently work in obscurity.