Former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath has been impressed with India’s pace attack, both the present and the future.
The Aussie great and all-time leading wicket-taker amongst pacers was in Chennai to train young bowlers at the MRF Pace Foundation.
Speaking about the performance of India’s bowlers in the recently concluded tour of South Africa, the master of seam-bowling lauded the pace unit but said that adding consistency in future tours to come would be the key.
“They are going well as a unit. If the bowlers can pick 20 wickets, then it’s perfect. Their pacers Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya did the job. They are confident and are a quality attack at the moment,” McGrath told the Press Trust of India.
“I think the pitches in Australia won’t be that helpful as they were in South Africa. But they will still be better for pacers than what it is in India. It is great to pick so many wickets in one series. But to be the No1 side consistently, you need to have a solid attack. Indian pacers have got the ability but they have to go out there and do it series after series consistently,” he added.
India are slated to tour Australia at the end of the year for a four-match Test series.
The Australian was also impressed with India’s U19 ICC World Cup winning pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti who caught the attention of fans and former players with his raw speed.
Nagarkoti impressed for India at the U19 World Cup.
Nagarkoti was subsequently picked up by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the player auction. The Rajasthan-born bowler is among several youngsters to have benefited from stints in the pace academy.
“It’s been a great year for these boys. Nagarkoti impressed in U-19 WC and got picked by KKR. Playing in IPL is a bonus for him. He is young and has a big career is ahead of him. But it’s up to him to work further,” McGrath said about the pacer.
“When you bowl at good pace, there will be a load on the body. It’s tough getting to the top, but tougher staying there.
“Being slim doesn’t mean you are not strong. He has good wrist, rhythm and approaching the crease well. It’s a good sign.”
