The revolution of Indian fast bowling under Virat Kohli

‘We now have a dream combination of fast bowlers.’ No, this isn’t a quote by the Australian or South African captain. Neither the English. It is by Virat Kohli, the Indian captain. To hear such words from the Indian skipper would have perhaps been a dream for many Indian fans all these years ago. But it has now transformed into a reality due to the presence of 4-5 fiery fast bowlers and a ferocious captain.

India, right from when cricket started growing in the country, has been a hub for batting greats. From Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli, India has produced several World-Beating, champion batsmen. India has also been blessed with crafty spinners who have managed to spin a web around the best of batsmen and be successful.

While taking nothing away from the talent and skill they possessed, batsmen and spinners have been assisted by flat and dry pitches in India where the batsman could make hay the first couple of days and after footmarks were created, spinners wreaked havoc on the last couple. Due to this style of play, one category of players suffered majorly in India- the fast bowlers.

India never had fearsome fast bowlers. This was not just because of the nature of pitches and lack of infrastructure, but also genetically Indians aren’t as tall and well built as perhaps the West Indians. And in the absence of natural ability, guidance is very important, which was missing too. This led to the lack of genuine pacers in India, which was also another reason India suffered overseas on the fast, bouncy tracks. While the emergence of the great Kapil Dev provided a glimmer of hope, there never really emerged anyone apart from him in his generation.

A number of good fast bowlers Like Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan did come through, but individuals rarely win you Test matches. A group, which could hunt in a pack, was yet missing. The onset of the new decade in 2010, gave rise to a new dawn, when a bunch of raw and genuinely fast Indian pacers, easily clocking 140 km/h , started making their way through the circuit.

But they were inexperienced, and their rawness needed direction. And under Virat Kohli they found the perfect man in 2015, who shared their passion for fast, aggressive fast bowling and was someone who wanted to take on the World, using fast bowlers. Let’s have a look at how things have dramatically turned around and why today Indian fast bowlers have been regarded among the best in the world.

The Process

When Virat Kohli assumed full-time Test captaincy in 2015, he made it very clear, he wanted to win overseas. He wanted to be captain of a team that not only won at home but became a champion side even out of their comfort zone. For that, he knew he needed to have a strong core of Indian fast bowlers. And this is how he went about achieving that goal.

Firstly, Virat Kohli infused a fitness culture in the Indian team like never before. Dhoni had initiated it, but Kohli raised standards to the next level, leading by example. Harder fitness tests like the yo-yo test were made compulsory which would directly influence selection. The bowlers benefitted immensely from these new fitness standards, as it made them stronger and increased their endurance levels, assisting their bodies to bowl long spells overseas.

He identified and backed the bowlers he believed in. Under him, Umesh Yadav discovered his penchant for reverse swing. Ishant Sharma, who had lost his way due to injuries and inconsistent performances made a strong comeback. He identified Jasprit Bumrah as a potential ace in the pack and handed him his test debut cap in the first game of the away tour in South Africa in 2018 against popular opinion, and backed Mohammed Shami even after he failed the yo-yo test and was going through a tough time personally.

Kohli has backed his fast-bowlers to the hilt. The best metric to judge that is in comparison with Kohli’s predecessor who has captained India in the most number of Tests, MS Dhoni.

Ishant Sharma explained this when he said, “Look during Dhoni’s time, some of us didn’t have that much experience. Also, the fast bowlers would be rotated a lot, that’s also a reason that consistency as a group couldn’t be achieved.”

Apart from these objective reasons, Virat Kohli in general has been an aggressive captain. Unlike many past Indian captains, he is someone who likes attacking through pace rather than spin. Fire for fire. And his investment in a few trusted men paid rich dividends during the 2018-2019 overseas cycle of India.

The result

The 2018-2019 cycle for India where they also toured South Africa, England, and Australia was a record-breaking one for Indian fast bowlers.

In 2018, Indian pacers picked up a phenomenal 179 wickets in 14 Tests. Out of the 14 Tests, 11 were overseas where they again picked up an impressive 158 wickets. The pace troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma picked up 130 wickets, equalling the record of the legendary West Indian pace attack of most wickets by a trio away from home in a calendar year. Bumrah took 48 wickets, Shami picked 45, and Ishant 37.

Ishant who has played a fair share under Dhoni and Kohli can be the biggest indicator of the change that’s taken place.

Looking at a broader image, under Kohli, in 16 SENA Tests, India picked up 263 of the total possible 310 (one innings washed out) which was an astounding 84.8%, comparing it to Dhoni’s captaincy, wherein 23 Tests, Indian bowlers took 323/460, mere 70.2%.

In particular, the pacers have done exceedingly well.

The confidence gained overseas rubbed off during the home season of 2019 as well. They picked up 95 wickets at an average of 15.16 which was the second-best ever for a team’s quicks in a calendar year while picking up 50-plus wickets. Their strike rate 31.06, was the best. Also, in a match against Bangladesh in their very first pink ball test, the pacers picked up 19 wickets and it was the first-ever Test Match in which India won a home Test without a spinner picking a wicket.

What lies ahead?

This, I would want to believe is just the start. All the bowlers have age on their side and are as fit as ever. Despite their phenomenal performance, India couldn’t win 3 of the 4 Test Series in SENA countries. I strongly believe with this kind of fast bowling group, Virat Kohli has the arsenal to become an all-conquering team overseas.

They have the potential to become a bowling line up that induces fear everywhere they go, reminiscent to the legendary West Indian pace attack of the late 70s and 80s. But till the time we can go on our next overseas cycle, and look to reverse the results, we can revel in the fact that when future generations talk about pace bowling, Virat Kohli’s pace attack will be right up there.