3 domestic bowlers who can be groomed to play the Ishant Sharma role ft. Harshit Rana 

Indian bowlers have struggled to run through the South African batting line-up in the ongoing first Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. After making 245 in the first innings, the visitors have leaked runs consistently and not looked threatening enough.

While Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been decent, they haven't found enough support from the third and fourth seamers in Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur.

On the back of Dean Elgar's match-defining 185, South Africa enjoy an upper hand in the Test and have a 147-run lead after the first session on Day 3.

Indian bowlers have rarely struggled in foreign conditions recently. Under the leadership of Virat Kohli, Indian pacers wreaked havoc. The troika of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Bumrah were one of the most lethal bowling lineups.

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While Bumrah is toiling hard in Centurion, Shami is nursing an ankle injury and hence is not part of the series. But Ishant has been missed dearly by captain Rohit Sharma.

Especially from 2018 to 2021, Ishant contributed massively to India's red-ball success. Only the second fast bowler after Kapil Dev to play over 100 Test matches, Ishant bowled long spells and varied his lines and lengths according to pitch conditions.

While it seems like the Indian team management has moved on from Ishant, who turned 35 earlier this year, certain domestic fast bowlers can be nurtured to play the Ishant Sharma role for India in Test cricket.

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#1 Vidhwath Kaverappa

Vidhwath Kaverappa after his seven-wicket haul in the Duleep Trophy 2023 [Getty Images]

Vidwath Kaverappa, a native of Karnataka, has been dominating the Indian domestic scene for the past year with his incredible bowling across formats.

The quick bowler, who has an easy run-up and effortless delivery, has seamlessly adapted his style of play and performed well in both red-ball and white-ball cricket.

Just like Ishant, Kaverappa is also above six feet in height and can induce extra bounce off the deck. The 24-year-old can also move the new ball and can be a genuine threat for batters who tend to play from the crease.

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In just 14 first-class matches, Kaverappa has picked up 53 wickets at an average of under 19.39. His career-best figures of 7/53 came in a high-pressure Duleep Trophy 2023 Final against the West Zone.

Bought by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the 2023 IPL season after his spectacular Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 (18 wickets in eight games), Kaverappa's numbers in the limited-over formats have also been a revelation.

While he doesn't have a tearaway pace and bowls in the mid-130s, Kaverappa maintains his line and length, something Ishant excelled at.

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#2 Harshit Rana

Harshit Rana for Kolkata Knight Riders [Getty Images]

Having already played eight IPL matches for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Harshit Rana is not an unknown entity.

He participated in the Emerging Asia Cup earlier this year and in five matches, claimed seven wickets at an economy rate of 5.5 but lost to Pakistan in the final.

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India are paying attention to the young pacer for a specific reason. Rana, 22, has been making waves in the Indian cricketing landscape with his raw pace and exciting bowling style.

He can regularly clock deliveries over 140 kmph, and his ability to extract bounce from the pitch adds another dimension to his attack. This combination can unsettle batters, especially on bouncy tracks, making him a wicket-taking threat.

Rana's natural aggression shines through, putting batters under pressure and potentially leading to crucial wickets. With continued development and experience, he has the potential to become a true spearhead for India's bowling attack.

In seven first-class matches, the Delhi bowler has picked up 28 wickets, while he also has 22 wickets to his name across 14 List-A games.

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#3 Ishan Porel

Ishan Porel's celebration after taking a wicket for Bengal [Getty Images]

In the pantheon of Indian fast bowlers, you'll find fiery quicks like Kuldeep Sen and Umran Malik, and then there's Ishan Porel, a towering figure whose bowling whispers menace rather than screams it.

At 6'3", Porel's tall presence itself is intimidating. He generates a good pace, regularly clocking speeds around 135–140 kmph. However, his main weapon is his smooth, rhythmic action, which produces effortless power.

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Porel's greatest strength lies in his pinpoint accuracy. He hits the seam consistently, making the ball deviate late in the air, troubling batters with both inswing and outswing.

Having won the U-19 World Cup in 2018, Porel is the senior-most among the three on the list. He has already played 40 first-class matches and has picked up 112 wickets at an average of 25.36. Apart from this, he also has 54 and 40 wickets in List-A and T20 matches, respectively.

What makes Porel threatening is his ability to exploit uneven surfaces. He utilizes the bounce on pitches, forcing batters to play awkward shots. His subtle changes in pace and swing further add to the deception, making him a challenging proposition.

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