India's Jasprit Bumrah bowls against New Zealand during their second ODI in New Delhi on Thursday. Tsering Topgyal / AP Photo / October 20, 2016
India's Jasprit Bumrah bowls against New Zealand during their second ODI in New Delhi on Thursday. Tsering Topgyal / AP Photo / October 20, 2016

India showing, from Jasprit Bumrah to Hardik Pandya, their pace options are proliferating



At New Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla earlier in the week, New Zealand – led by 118 from Kane Williamson, their captain – edged out India by six runs in the second ODI of a five-match series.

It was their first win of the tour, but there was no great angst in the Indian dressing room despite the botched run chase.

Despite protestations to the contrary, India usually save their high-intensity limited-overs cricket for global tournaments, where their record is impressive over the past half decade.

And with the Champions Trophy, which they won in 2013, again being held in England, the focus is very much on putting together a pace-bowling contingent that can make the most of those conditions.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who have both been rested for the first three games against New Zealand, excelled on unusually dry and slow pitches in 2013, but June in England usually requires a significant contribution from the purveyors of seam and swing.

Mohammed Shami, guaranteed a place in that squad if he stays injury-free, has also been rested for three matches after his Test series exertions, and it has been fascinating to watch the others jostling for berths.

The flamboyant Hardik Pandya celebrated his debut with three wickets in Dharamsala. Umesh Yadav, who has often been scattergun, bowled with pace and accuracy in both games.

But the biggest revelation was Jasprit Bumrah, left arm outstretched Superman style.

In Delhi, New Zealand were on course for 270 or more when Bumrah hastened the slide from 204 for three to 242 for nine.

He landed the yorker more often than not, and used pace variations cleverly, all this with an action as homespun as they come.

More importantly for India, Bumrah, Yadav and Pandya are all genuinely quick, as is Shami. Ishant Sharma spent the week playing in the Ranji Trophy for Delhi as part of his recovery from illness, and Varun Aaron, who started the domestic season with six wickets against Maharashtra, is potentially the quickest of the bunch.

The Mumbai duo of Dhawal Kulkarni and Shardul Thakur are also in the fray.

There was a time when India’s lack of pace resources was the stuff of internet memes, especially when James Faulkner clouted Ishant for 30 in an over to win an ODI in 2013.

Not many are laughing now, as a new generation sets about demolishing old stereotypes.

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