As the T20 World Cup is underway in the Americas, there has been a lot of talk around India's opening combination but none around who will be the bowling options which the managment and the coaching staff must address. The question arises who will be the partner for India's top pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
India's Bowling Options
Former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath feels that Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc are going to be the two top bowlers in the tournament who can be counted on to pick up wickets and rattle batters. In the case of Mitchell Starc, he has several bowling partners to pick up the wickets around him. This includes Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood. There is also the option of Mitchell Marsh who is a decent pace bowler in his own right. In the case of India, apart from Bumrah, India have Arshdeep Singh and Mohammad Siraj as the two frontline fast bowlers. Apart from them there are also Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube who are fast bowling all rounders.
Glenn McGrath Weighs In On The Situation
Glenn McGrath has suggested that while Bumrah strikes fear into the opposition batters, there needs to be someone who is there to take the load off Bumrah.
"We saw Starc at the end of the IPL. He came into his own, which was good to see. Bumrah just seems to be the one bowler that batters find it hard, even in T20s, to get on top of. So, I think if Australia is to win this World Cup, Starc has to bowl well. A lot of it relies on him. And Bumrah for India, but then it is who's going to take wickets around Bumrah and who's going to bowl well around him," McGrath said at the MRF Pace Foundation ground.
"You got Jasprit Bumrah. He showed just how good he is throughout the IPL. But it is like having a left-right opening combination for batters. It also depends on how they are bowling. In T20s, you do not have much time to be ready. If you take an over or two to warm up, the game is already over. If you have got a good opening-bowling combination, that is where you are going to win matches," he added.
McGrath feels that Arshdeep could prove to be a better partner for Bumrah in comparison to Siraj during the tournament.
