India's fast bowling reserves: Arshdeep Singh could be all-format weapon; Umran Malik a T20 wild card

India's fast bowling reserves: Arshdeep Singh could be all-format weapon; Umran Malik a T20 wild card (BCCI Photo)

What the Test series in England showed was that India can no longer depend on Jasprit Bumrah as trump card on a regular basis across the three formats. If India’s finest fast bowler is to do maximum damage, his appearances will have to be rationed. With concerns over Mohammed Siraj’s workload as well, and Mohammed Shami no longer being considered for Test selection, who are the players India need to be looking at in future? Here, we look at four of them, two potentially for the Test side, and the others capable of taking a place in the white-ball units.

Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh

Was perhaps unlucky not to play a Test in England, especially when Anshul Kamboj – who wasn’t even part of the original squad – got a game. His brief foray into county cricket two seasons ago works in his favour, as do the variations he can bowl at lively pace. Since Zaheer Khan retired over a decade ago, India have yearned for a left-arm pacer who could swing the ball while being accurate. Needs to have a good first-class season to really make a claim in overseas Tests.

Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel enjoyed modest success in the white-ball formats for India, and is one of the few contenders with several first-class outings under his belt. A record of 60 wickets in 22 games is far from extraordinary, but the left-armer’s angle and the ability to bowl a heavy ball count in his favour. Has been on the fringes of selection for a while.

Mohsin Khan

Mohsin Khan

Someone whose career has been blighted by injuries, especially each time it looked like he might be breaking through. Has played only one first-class game, but is vastly experienced in the white-ball formats, having an outstanding average (20.35) and economy rate (7.60) in T20s. If he can stay fit, he could be an option for the T20 World Cup squad early next year.

Umran Malik

Umran Malik

The real wild card in the pack. The excitement that surrounded his early matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad – when he was pushing the speed gun to 150kmph and beyond – has largely dissipated after some inconsistent seasons. Working with Dale Steyn at Sunrisers was supposed to take him to the next level, but that hasn’t happened yet. Still has the raw pace, but needs much more control and some variations to be a factor in international cricket.