IND vs ENG 2021: Rating India's bowlers based on their performance in the Test series
Ravichandran Ashwin has been India's biggest Test matchwinner in the recent past. He is arguably the best red-ball spinner in the world and definitely one of the greatest of all time. But even without Ashwin, India managed to pick up 20 wickets three times in four Tests against England.
The stat is a clear indication of just how well India's four-pronged pace attack and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja bowled over four challenging Tests. The first-choice pacers, as well as the replacements who came in for the fourth Test, consistently put the England batsmen under pressure with their accuracy and lateral movement.
Here, we rate (out of 10) the performances of India's bowlers in the Test series against England.
Note: With the second phase of the 2021 Indian Premier League expected to resume on September 19, the rescheduled fifth Test is unlikely to be played in the near future. If it does, this article will be modified accordingly. Also, Jadeja's showing has been discussed in this article.
How did India's bowlers fare in the Test series against England?
Shardul Thakur: 9/10
At the start of the series, few would've expected Thakur to play a big role for India. Ashwin had bowled well in the World Test Championship final and Thakur was probably last in line among the pacers. But his batting ability found favor with Virat Kohli's template, and he played two of the four Tests in the series.
The man with the golden arm, Thakur picked up seven important wickets at an average of 22. He also chipped in with a counter-attacking fifty in each innings of the fourth Test to swing the contest - and the series - in India's favor. A niggle kept him out of the second and third Tests, but he was undoubtedly one of India's best performers.
Umesh Yadav: 8.5/10
When Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma were ruled out of the fourth Test due to niggles, Yadav finally got a chance to impress. Having been on the sidelines for several months, the pacer was understandably rusty to start off. But he quickly found rhythm to pick up three wickets in each innings.
Yadav scalped the important wicket of the red-hot Joe Root in the first innings before cleaning up the England tail in the second essay. He generated movement in both directions and bowled with good pace, and even contributed a handy 35 runs in the match.
Jasprit Bumrah: 9.5/10
The leader of the Indian pace attack, Bumrah finished with 18 wickets at an average of 20.83. He came into the series on the back of some indifferent form, but he quickly made a statement by proving why he's one of the most lethal all-format bowlers in the world.
Bumrah got the ball to move prodigiously in both directions and hit the deck hard when there wasn't much on offer for him. The 27-year-old put a lid on the run-scoring each time he came into the attack and bowled India to victory with a lethal spell on Day 5 of the fourth Test.
Bumrah scored an incredible 87 runs in the series, doubling his career Test tally and proving that he has made massive strides with the bat. His 34* in the second Test helped India put the game out of England's reach.
Mohammed Siraj: 7/10
Another workhorse who played all four Tests, Siraj tirelessly ran in to perform what was a slightly thankless role as a support bowler. He picked up 14 wickets to finish as India's second-highest wicket-taker, although his average - 30.71 - was slightly on the higher side.
Siraj did bowl the odd spell where he leaked runs, but he provided key breakthroughs and consistently asked questions of the England batsmen. Importantly, his supreme fitness levels helped him send down almost 127 overs over the course of the series.
Mohammed Shami: 7.5/10
Shami has historically been very unlucky in England, having beaten the bat repeatedly without much reward in the form of wickets. That changed in this series as he collected 11 wickets at an average of 27.54 over the first three Tests.
Shami's seam movement and accuracy were almost impossible to contend with. While he didn't have the new-ball impact he'd have liked, he was unplayable in spells.
Shami's standout performance came in the second Test, where he scored an incredible second-innings fifty - his second in Test cricket - to help India take the lead in the series.
Ishant Sharma: 4/10
Expected to be the leader of the Indian attack as one of the few out-and-out swing bowlers in the side, Ishant couldn't come to the party in England as often as his peers. He scalped only five wickets over the course of three Tests at an average of 34.8, with his nightmare outing in the third match still fresh in memory.
However, Ishant is still a key member of the Indian Test team. He will look to banish the demons of what has been a rare bad series and return stronger in future assignments against New Zealand and South Africa.