Former England international Nick Compton believes the credit for India’s current pace attack displays should go to former coach Duncan Fletcher.
Indian pacers have come on leaps and bounds over the past couple of years with the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav developing into a formidable attack in overseas conditions.
The India pace attack claimed 19 of the 20 England wickets to fall in Trent Bridge in the visitors’ 203-run win with their excess speeds in comparisons to their English counterparts particularly catching the eye.
Compton believes Fletcher’s role as India coach between 2011 and 2015 deserves major credit for the way the pace attack has shaped up.
“India’s pace attack hasn’t come together all of a sudden. It has taken time and it has happened one by one, as all of these bowlers took their time coming off age,” Compton told the Press Trust of India (PTI).
“India didn’t have so many pacers at once earlier, but now they do. And all (most) of them, at some point have played under Fletcher, so it is a credit to him. This process (of building a pace attack) started long ago and it has come together for India now.”
Fletcher had a four-year tenure as coach of India.
He added: “The difference from the past is that these bowlers do not compromise on pace. Like James Anderson and Stuart Broad, they retain the ability to move the ball at pace. Pace. That’s the keyword. You have to consider why the likes of Anderson and Stuart Broad have been so successful in their careers.
“They have a thousand wickets between them in Test cricket because they move the ball at pace. And it is no coincidence that both of them started their England careers under Duncan Fletcher.”
Zimbabwe-born Fletcher had enjoyed an eight-year tenure as coach of the England team between 1999 and 2007 before taking charge of the Indian team in 2011. During his team with England, the side recaptured the Ashes from arch-rivals Australia after a gap of 18 years in 2005.
