Glenn McGrath happy with the way pacers are shaping in India

Gone are those days where India was known as the spin-heavy team with a normal pace bowling attack, gone are the days where we did not have many acclaimed fast-bowlers. The emergence of bowlers such as Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah in the recent years has made the pace battery of the Indian team a one to look out for.

In the recent times, the Indian team has had one of the world’s best bowling line-up, in comparison with the bowling attack of South Africa and Australia. Umesh has stepped up each and every time Virat Kohli has asked him to, and Bhuvaneshwar has impressed every time he touched the ball in the Indian Premier League and as far as the case of Burmah, he has been the best player for Mumbai Indians in the bowling department.

Australian legend Glenn McGrath says that it was good to see a crop of quality fast bowlers emerging from India, with the over-reliance on the spinners not anymore the case.

“To see so many fast bowlers come through (from India) is wonderful. To be a fast bowler in India is the toughest job in the world. The wickets here are conducive to spin and batting. One has to really work hard as a bowler, especially a paceman. To see (many) people bowling at 140 kph-plus, high 140s (kph) is promising,” McGrath told PTI in an interaction.

The 47-year-old pacer, who also is the director of the MRF Pace Foundation is in Chennai to interact with the trainees. The former pacer has appreciated the MRF foundation for the emergence of pace bowlers like Bumrah and Yadav in the country.

“They are going well. Umesh (Yadav) is doing exceptionally well at the moment, bowling at a good pace and picking up wickets too. (Bhuvneshwar) Kumar knows his game pretty well, gets it in the right areas; swings it at a recent pace.” added the pacer.

Jasprit Bumrah: A force to reckon with

Bumrah too has been no less, with excellent performance in the IPL to back up the good start to his International career.

The Australian legend commended the way that Bumrah was operating in the IPL and said that “Jasprit Bumrah, we have done a little bit of work with him, has a unique action and is a unique bowler. He has done well in the shorter versions of the game, the T20s and ODIs and bowls at the death. He is very intelligent with the way he bowls at the death. I have been impressed and he can get better. The Indian team’s bowlers are looking very good.”

He also felt that Bumrah could be given an opportunity in the Test format where he guarantees that the right-arm pacer would succeed, with some more hard work. McGrath ended the interview saying that Bumrah’s Yorkers are world-class at the moment and a little more experience would make him the best.