West Indies coach Phil Simmons says India's fast bowlers are making world cricket exciting

Indian fast bowlers routed South Africa and Bangladesh in the recently concluded Test series at home. The likes of Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav have done much damage to egos of world-class batsmen not only in India but also outside India. Add to them, the injured Jasprit Bumrah and this makes them the most potent fast-bowling attack in the world.

The Indian pacers have been doing amazingly well and have not let the spinners take the glory in recent series against Bangladesh as Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav picked 12 wickets each in the series, with them single-handedly routing the opposition in the day-night Test in Kolkata. This performance from Indian bowlers has made West Indies coach Phil Simmons quite excited about world cricket.

You have to have proper fast bowlers and proper spinners to beat India, says Phil Simmons

Mohammed Shami, along with Deepak Chahar and the returning Bhuvneshwar Kumar will face West Indies in the upcoming limited-overs series, before the Indian bowlers going to New Zealand for the full tour. The Indian team will play 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs against Kieron Pollard’s team and coach Simmons is excited with the Indian pacers doing well.

“You have guys bowling at 90 miles per hour opening and your premier fast bowler (Bumrah) was injured for this Test, so you still have him to come back. It’s exciting for world cricket. Teams know now that you have to play properly on both sides – you have to have proper fast bowlers and proper spinners to beat India. Fast bowling from anybody is exciting, so it’s great to see that happen. Hopefully, we can get back our battery of young fast bowlers to the level where we’re competing and giving people trouble,” Simmons was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.com.

Simmons feels Day-Night Tests the future of cricket going forward

He also supported Virat Kohli in his assertion that in order to promote Test cricket, it needs to be played in a handful of big centres in the country. He was also happy with the reception that the pink-ball Test match got in Kolkata, with the Eden Gardens being jam-packed for the first two days. He also called day-night Test cricket the way forward for the game.

“Virat hit the nail on the head when he said we have to promote Test cricket as hard as we promote T20. Even though T20 has more money involved, we have to promote it the same way. I think if that’s done, we can see a resurgence of big crowds in Test cricket anywhere you go in the world,” he concluded.

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