New Delhi:
Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav took 14 out of the 20 Bangladesh wickets during the Indore Test against Bangladesh. Shami once again showed that he was the star in the second innings with 4/31 and Umesh displayed his swing and pace in grand style with a consistent display in both innings. Ishant plugged away and got the early breakthroughs as India put on yet another display of bowling. The performances by Ishant, Shami and Umesh once again displayed the changing face of bowling when it came to pitches in the sub-continent but Bharat Arun, the Indian team bowling coach, highlighted what made them special.
"The hunger to do well. Shami has always had the speed. It's not fair to compare but if you look at bowlers all around, Shami's got probably the best seam position. There is a perfect balance between fitness and the bowling he does. I think that works very well for Shami and that's the secret behind it. Ishant is probably the most experienced bowler we have. He felt that he needs the batsmen to play a lot more. It was about him trying to experiment with different angles. What he's doing now, suits his bowling best. Umesh showed a lot of character in coming back. But then that's also an embarrassment of riches," Arun said in the post-match press conference.
However, Arun believes the impact that the pacers have created over the last 20 months has left a lasting impression. "I think at present we are the no. 1 team in the world. Getting there is difficult, staying there is even more difficult. I think to do that over a period of three years, you need to stay constantly hungry," Arun said.
Even after the end of the match, Ishant, Umesh and Shami had a good conversation where each bowler fed on the strength of the other to compliment each other. "The more we get tired, the better fun we have. We push each other. We try to enjoy each other's success. I bowl alongside Ishant and Umesh as well. That makes it easier for me. I focus on my length and have been able to execute it well," Shami said.
Umesh added that he realised what his strengths were and credited his father for his current success. "I learnt from my father in my childhood to be strong. He made me run a lot. I try to maintain the strength. Earlier, the new ball was doing a lot for pacers. We know our strengths. We try to take wickets with the new ball and make it easier for spinners," Umesh said. When it came to Ishant, the Delhi pacer was far more relaxed and joked quiet a lot. "I am not treated as a senior, we don't have anything like that. We always enjoy each other's success, speak with each other and try and share our plans. The bowling is taking a toll on my body, but I'm enjoying it, trying out different variations," Ishant remarked.
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The Indian pace trio will be determined to inflict more pain on Bangladesh during the Pink Ball Test that will be played in Kolkata on November 22.
