England vs India: India no longer a one-pacer team as it was during Kapil, Srinath’s times, says Ishant Sharma

India are no more a side with a lone ranger in their fast bowling department as it was during the times of Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan and have a pool of eight to nine fast bowlers ready to make them a good Test side, feels the squad’s current bowling spearhead, Ishant Sharma.

The lanky pacer, who will make India’s pace battery with the likes of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami in the upcoming five-Test series against a formidable England side, said British daily Daily Telegraph in an interview, “Everybody used to say that India can’t produce fast bowlers.

Now we have probably eight to nine good fast bowlers, anytime who can play Test cricket for India. We have a pretty good chance to win a series in England and Australia, because of the kind of attack we have.”

It’s really good for me to be a fast bowler

The 29-year-old fast bowler who played a key role in India’s victory in a Test at the Lord’s in 2014 – their last success in the longest format in England so far – by taking 7 wickets for 74 runs, said on a lighter note during the interview that whatever he did was always his choice. “I can’t really blame anyone why I didn’t become a spinner and why I’m a fast bowler,” he said.

“Fast bowling, obviously it’s a difficult thing to do, a lot of toll on your body. But it’s a really enjoyable thing as well. It tests your character, tests your strength. It’s really good for me to be a fast bowler. Even in India I’m still happy,” Sharma, who had a successful stint in county cricket this year ahead of the England series, also added.

Sharma has 238 Test wickets in his kitty in 82 games in an international career which has been 11 years long. Though often hit by injuries during his career, Sharma has been a witness to the change in India’s training methods that have produced one of the finest playing unit in recent times.

“We have become so much fitter because there is so much knowledge, and there is so much contribution from everyone. If you want to play a good amount of cricket for the country, you need to work hard. You can’t just bowl or just bat. You need to go into the gym, go running, look after your recovery system, your diet and everything,” Sharma said.

The pace bowlers’ views were not off mark since India indeed have seen the emergence of a deep pool of fast bowlers, something which was quite unusual in India. In the past, Javagal Srinath had to bear so much of bowling responsibility on his shoulders that he perished, leaving India without a spearhead for a long time.

That sounds unbelievable today.

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