As India’s players touch down in Australia for a full tour, their pace bowling attack has come in for big praise from Damien Fleming.
The former Australia fast bowler believes the current attack comprising of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav is the finest Indian pace unit to ever tour Australia.
India are slated to take on Australia in a three T20s before the highly anticipated four-Test series between the two sides gets underway on December 6.
Fleming feels India’s fast-bowling arsenal could nullify that of Australia and the Test series could come down to the batting.
“That’s as impressive a pace attack that I have ever seen India bring out to Australia. They are actually quite experienced now, too,” Fleming was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Our pace attack is great, too, so it’s going to be a shootout between two good pace attacks. It’s going to get down to those batsmen.”
Fleming is highly impressed with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Fleming, who played 20 Tests and 88 ODIs for Australia, reserved special praise for Bhuvneshwar who he feels is the best swing bowler in the world along with England’s James Anderson.
“I love watching Bhuvi because, probably with James Anderson, they are the best swing bowlers in the world. He actually has the skills where he can bowl outswingers and inswingers to right and left-handed batsmen. When he first started, he lacked a yard or two in Test cricket, but he has increased his pace a little bit in the past two years,” Fleming stated.
However, Fleming believes it is Bumrah who brings the X-factor into the Indian attack.
“He (Bumrah) is the real X-factor – 28 wickets in six Tests. I have seen him in the IPL. He has that unorthodox action, a stuttery run-up, a weird run-up but I think for batsmen you don’t get a real good sight of the ball but he has got pace and bounce and has a great yorker that I think he will utilise particularly against the tail. That’s the factor they probably haven’t had before – a pace battery that could unsettle tails,” he said.
Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah could be in action for India when they take on Australia in the opening T20 at Brisbane on November 21.
