3 Indian bowlers to watch out for in the England Test series
The Indian cricket team's bowlers have been mightily impressive in the longest format of the game over the last few years.
While spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been in the top ten of the ICC Bowling Rankings for most of the time, the pace battery has single-handedly won matches for the team both at home and overseas.
Even in the recent tour of Australia, India's depth and bench strength in the bowling department was on full display. Bowling coach Bharat Arun and the rest of the support staff deserve a lot of credit, and the fruits of their toils will be seen in the upcoming 4-Test series against England as well.
Chennai and Ahmedabad are expected to assist the pacers early on, before slowing down and giving the spinners ample turn and bounce. India's fearsome bowling attack will be licking their lips at going up against England's inexperienced batting lineup.
Here are 3 Indian bowlers to watch out for in the upcoming 4-Test series against England.
#3 Kuldeep Yadav
As the second-choice spinner in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav will have ample opportunities to prove that he is one of the best in the country. The left-arm wrist-spinner hasn't played a Test since 2018, and desperately needs a few good performances under his belt to get his confidence back.
Kuldeep's flight, dip and variations are perfectly suited to Test match bowling, and if not for the generational performances by Jadeja and Ashwin, he would've probably become a regular by now. He is under pressure to perform, but the conditions at Chennai and Ahmedabad should assist him.
Kuldeep has the backing of the Indian team's coaches, and we might see him make an inspirational comeback in this series.
#2 Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma suffered an injury during last year's Indian Premier League, and missed the subsequent tour of Australia as a result. The veteran speedster, who is only 3 Tests away from becoming the 11th player to play 100 matches for India, returns to the squad for this series.
Ishant has been accurate and penetrative in the longest format of the game since his county stint at Sussex with Jason Gillespie. He has scalped 14 wickets in his last 2 Test matches, and is in prime position to add more to his impressive tally.
With many other pacers like Mohammed Shami, T Natarajan and Shardul Thakur bowling inspired spells, Ishant will be keen on reminding fans what he's capable of. The 32-year-old will be firmly in the spotlight over the next month or so.
#1 Jasprit Bumrah
17 Tests into his career, Jasprit Bumrah has donned the whites in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, West Indies and England. But for the first time, the Indian speedster will play a Test match on home soil.
In the absence of Mohammed Shami, Bumrah will lead the pace attack. Ishant Sharma has made a return to the squad, but there are a couple of concerns regarding his fitness for the 1st Test.
Likely to be part of a two-player pace attack, Bumrah will have to replicate the performances Umesh Yadav and Shami have dished out at home over the last two years. Swing with the new ball is expected to be available, while he will also look to get the older cherry to reverse.
All eyes will be on Bumrah in India's upcoming series against England.