World Cup 2019: 3 bowling pairs that India will rely on at the mega event
World Cup 2019 is right around the corner, and fans around the world are waiting with bated breath for the action to begin.
All the 10 participating nations have already already reached England, and their preparations are in full swing. The teams are now playing warm-up games in a bid to get used to the English conditions. These warm-up games also give them an opportunity to try out different team combinations and narrow down on the final playing XI.
India have played one warm-up game so far, against New Zealand, which they lost because of a collective batting failure. Their second and final warm-up game is against Bangladesh on the 28th of May, after which they will start their World Cup campaign by squaring off against South Africa on the 5th of June.
Although India are going into the tournament as one of the favourites to win the title, they need to make sure that their batting and bowling combinations work well and play according to their potential.
In this article, we take a look at the three the Indian bowling pairs whose performance could determine where India end up at the end of the tournament. These bowlers may not be present in every match, as India might have to shuffle the attack around in order to accommodate for varying pitch conditions. But whenever these pairs bowl in tandem, they will hold the key to India's success.
#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami at the start
In the English conditions, the ball will likely swing and seam a bit in the early overs. Taking wickets with the new ball will, therefore, be crucial in determining the final outcome of any match.
Most of the teams in the tournament have good hitters in their middle and lower middle order. In that context, early wickets with the new ball will be the most effective way of slowing down the scoring rate and restricting the opposition to manageable scores.
India will most probably start with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami as their new ball pair. Bhuvneshwar's ability to swing the ball both ways will make him a big asset at the start, while Shami also has the ability of picking up wickets with the new ball.
If these two are able to take a few top order wickets, that would make the job of the other Indian bowlers much easier.
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