No Bumrah, No Shami, No Siraj for the Bangladesh Test Series 2024
The upcoming India vs Bangladesh Test series will be crucial from India’s point of view as it will decide the next group of the pace bowling attack. The tremendous rise of the pace bowling attack post-India tour of Australia in 2014 saw some of the greatest test spells by Indian pace bowlers in a long time.
The pace trio of Shami, Bumrah, and Siraj is one of the most lethal trio in the current scenario. However, India needs to find a backup who could perform whenever required.
Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj Unavailability for the Upcoming Bangladesh Test Series
The deadly trio of Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj will likely be rested for the upcoming series vs Bangladesh. It opens the gate for the young pace power to prove their selection and make the maximum use of the given opportunities.
Bumrah, the spearhead of the Indian pace attack, has been rested on the ground of workload management which is fair enough to keep him available for the New Zealand series and the much-awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The absence of Bumrah hopefully won’t hurt much to the Indian lineup as we have some good bowling lineup to take charge.
Shami underwent surgery that has kept him out of the team for quite some time now. Hopefully, he will be back in the New Zealand series fitter than ever. One of the main bowlers of the Indian setup, Shami will surely be missed in this series. Also, Shami has been out of the Test setup for a long time since after the WTC 2023 Final so there could be a chance if the new ones do well in the upcoming games they may be preferred over Shami.
Mohammad Siraj was included in the Duleep Trophy 2024 which is set to begin on 5th September. But BCCI recently provided an update about the exclusion of Siraj from the tournament because of illness. Siraj not playing is a big blow to team India as he is the most experienced fast bowler in the current setup after Shami and Bumrah. However, India would want him to be fully fit and not rush to include him in the team.
Possible Pace Bowlers for the Bangladesh Test Series
Mukesh Kumar
Highly rated in the domestic circuit, Mukesh Kumar can perform under any circumstances. He has been a consistent performer for the Bengal Ranji team and has impressive records. Known for his hit-the-deck bowling, he showcased his class in the South Africa series and other given chances.
Despite not having much experience on the international level, he proved his selection right in the IPL for Delhi Capitals. With Morne Morkel as the bowling coach of team India, Mukesh Kumar is most likely to improve his skills and impress us with his bowling.
Akash Deep
Another fast bowling option for team India who plays for the Bengal Ranji team. We saw his potential in the England series where he continued his impressive form from the domestic circuit and troubled the English batters with his quality bowling.
A regular member of the Bengal team, Akash knows how to perform and help his team get over the line with the ball in hand. He and Mukesh will play a crucial role in India’s opening spell and with the old ball. Morkel’s guidance will surely up his skills and turn him into a quality bowler.
Arshdeep Singh
Highly rated as a T20 bowler, Arshdeep has equally been successful in red-ball cricket. No one doubts his skill as a fast bowler and we all are familiar with his ability to swing the ball in both directions. We saw his spell in the T20 2022 World Cup against Pakistan and the 2024 T20 WC final against South Africa in the death overs.
Arshdeep Singh has been a regular member of his state team for quite some time and can be a good addition to the team. Being left-handed also gives an edge over many other players. His performances in the county cricket have been excellent where he picked up 25 wickets with an average of 24 and an economy of 3. The selectors would be tempted to go ahead with Arshdeep Singh as one of the pace bowlers in the Bangladesh series.
Impact of Duleep Trophy in Selection
As mentioned above, the selectors are likely to include these players in the squad for the upcoming series. However, the rest must not feel down as the much anticipated Duleep Trophy may have something to play in their career. With the best included in the squad, the selectors will be looking for a bowler who can challenge the batters and trouble them.
Players such as Tushar Deshpande, Harshit Rana, and many others will be eyeing for a spot in the Indian team. The pace bowling circuit of India has lot many big names and quality bowlers which makes the job hard for the selectors to pick three.
The best these players can do is give their all on the field and bowl with their hearts out. Who knows we can hear an unexpected name at last for the upcoming series.
