Come what may, India must unleash Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj in tandem against Pakistan
An India-Pakistan contest always brings forth a variety of narratives. On some occasions, it is about rivalries (read healthy between players but not so healthy between their fans), and on other instances, it is just about how a particular side will line up, considering this is a game neither wants to get things wrong in.
Pakistan, in that regard, seem the more settled outfit (for a change). They named their playing eleven a day out, and have retained the players that served them well against Nepal on Wednesday. India, though, have a few selection quandaries to solve – none as pertinent as how their bowling attack will eventually look.
Jasprit Bumrah, back in the fold, is a shoo-in because well, he is perhaps the best fast bowler on the planet. Kuldeep Yadav would also consider himself very unlucky if he were to not play. Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja cannot be dropped either because of the all-round abilities they bring to the table.
That leaves two spots in the bowling line-up, and three incumbents – Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur. In terms of pure bowling pedigree, Shami and Siraj are miles ahead of Shardul, despite the latter being India’s leading wicket-taker since the end of 2019.
Despite that, there have been murmurs that Shardul might get the go-ahead, largely because of what he contributes with the bat, and because they are slightly worried that seven batters cannot do the job. While having greater batting depth is never a problem (there is a reason England are reigning champions in both white-ball formats), it should also not come at the expense of pure bowling dexterity.
No one is saying that Shardul is a bad bowler. In the recent past, he has done things that only he can. But whenever he bowls, he is expensive. For example, if he were to bowl his entire quota, he would concede 61-62 runs (calculated based on his overall economy rate) and pick up two wickets (again, calculated based on his overall strike rate).
Add to that the runs he can possibly score at the back end, and you will feel he is un-droppable. India, though, already have two established all-rounders in Hardik and Jadeja, who can perhaps perform the role of contributing in various suits better than Shardul and are potentially greater match-winners.
So it makes sense to have more specialists, especially because bowlers, as the old adage goes, win you tournaments.
Coming back to the little mathematical equations solved earlier, Siraj, using the same yardsticks will, on average, concede 47-48 runs and pick up two wickets. Shami, meanwhile, will give up 56 runs but bag two wickets – all while retaining that threat of wreaking havoc with the new ball.
That is the other reason why India must unleash Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj in tandem. The fixture between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka highlighted that there is help for the new-ball bowlers. The assistance also lasted more than 12-14 overs too.
Couple that with new balls being used from each end, and there is a very high chance that whoever comes in first-change, whether it be Bumrah, Shami, or Siraj, can exploit the conditions.
Shami and Siraj are also excellent against left-handers, averaging 22.71 and 14.35, respectively, thus giving the Men In Blue more options, not just against Pakistan but every outfit they will potentially face over the next two and a half months. Shardul, on the other hand, averages more than 37 against left-handed batters.
Plus, in the middle overs, the ball was sticking in the surface, as it might do during the World Cup in India, meaning that spinners like Jadeja and Kuldeep, and a hit-the-deck bowler in Hardik’s mold, can shoulder the middle-overs burden, with the three frontline pacers chipping in from time to time.
Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj have never played an ODI together for India
Thus, despite the obvious value that Shardul brings to the team, it does seem that he is slightly redundant because of what others in the India team can do around him. Shardul, of course, is also a wicket-taker and he has the third-best strike rate among India bowlers (minimum 20 innings bowled in). The two ahead of him, though, are Shami and Siraj, and that sort of sums things up.
It is not that Shardul is a bad cricketer or has not performed for India. It is just that they have better and world-class alternatives in Shami and Siraj. Yes, the batting depth might get reduced with Shardul absent but if India start picking bowlers for their ability to bat, it might not end well.
Whatever extra runs Shardul might score at the end, the likes of Shami and Siraj will definitely save when bowling. At least that is what their record says, and they have played cricket long enough for that to be the right indicator of their abilities.
Come what may, India must unleash Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj in tandem. It has not happened yet in ODI cricket, and it might seem a little unfair on Shardul, but if these three feature against Pakistan, well, you cannot really argue.
Each is a world-class bowler, and each poses a different challenge to the batters. After all, tournaments are won by bowlers, and India have three of the very best.
If they do not play them, they will not optimize the vast potential this troika has. And that will definitely feel like a missed opportunity.