Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has cautioned the BCCI and selectors to prepare a pool of 7-8 quality pacers and urged them to keep them Test match ready for whenever the need arises.
Pathan’s latest comments about Team India not having depth of quality and experience came following Prasidh Krishna’s disappointing Test debut in Centurion.
In the absence of the injured Mohammed Shami, Krishna was picked in Centurion for his hit-the-deck bowling style, but he was all over the place, returning with figures of 1/93, at an economy of 4.65 as India let the game slip away.
The back-ups in Centurion weren’t just ready: Irfan Pathan
On a pitch that gave help to the seamers, Shardul Thakur and Krishna couldn’t back up after superb opening spells from Bumrah and Siraj, and the Protea batters batted India out of the Test match, eventually winning the game by an innings.
India’s next major overseas Test series is in Australia later this year – a five-Test series where the fast bowlers will need to be rotated. Irfan Pathan reckons the selectors should start preparing a pool of fast bowlers as backup to the likes of Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj.
“India needs to build a good fast-bowling unit. Look what happened in South Africa. The back-ups weren’t just ready. I won’t say that they lack quality, but since they weren’t ready, you felt Shami’s absence. So that means, God forbid, if something happens to Bumrah, who we have seen has suffered from an injury owing to his bowling action, we won’t find any bowler of his quality. So India needs to prepare a pool of 7-8 fast bowlers either through talent hunts or through Ranji Trophy,” Pathan said on Star Sports.
Jasprit Bumrah was sensational vs SA in the first Test but found little support – is the fast bowling talent pool in India currently a concern? #SAvsIND pic.twitter.com/neDrj9zVT2
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) January 2, 2024
Skipper Rohit Sharma came in the defence of Krishna on the eve of the second Test. Rohit said: “I still have faith in Prasidh Krishna and believe he has ability to succeed at this level.”
The second IND vs SA Test in Cape Town starts on Wednesday.
Also Read: https://thecricketlounge.com/ind-vs-eng-english-bowlers-most-test-wickets-vs-india/
