5 instances when India's fast bowlers overshadowed their spinners on home soil
When you think of Test matches in India, you usually tend to think about either dusty surfaces which aid the spinners right throughout or flat pitches which are good for batting on most days and crumble on the last couple of days.
Since pitches with live grass are a rarity in India, the team's fast bowlers generally act as support bowlers. With the new ball not swing much on subcontinental conditions, they only come into the game when the ball starts reversing.
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Thus, the bulk of the wickets are taken by the spinners on most days and it is no secret that India relies on their spinners to deliver victories. However, there have also been occasions when the Indian pacers overshadowed their spinners by taking more than 60 percent of the wickets. Let us take a look at five such instances.
#5 Against New Zealand in Kolkata (2016) – 12 wickets (60%)
Ahead of the second Test at the Eden Gardens, there was a visible layer of grass on the pitch. After opting to bat first, India started off badly as they were reduced to 46/3. However, important knocks from Cheteshwar Pujara (87), Ajinkya Rahane (77) and Wriddhiman Saha (54) helped them reach 316.
Indian bowlers responded brilliantly on a track that was offering plenty of assistance to the pacers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar ran through the middle order by picking up 5/48. Mohammed Shami supported him well by contributing three wickets. The visitors were bowled out for 204.
India scored 263 in the second innings with Rohit Sharma (82) and Saha (58*) compiling hard-fought fifties. Defending 376, the Indian bowlers routed New Zealand for 197 to surge to an unassailable 2-0 lead. Shami (3/46) and Bhuvneshwar (1/28) played major roles in India's triumph.