- By Namrata Vijay
- Fri, 08 Aug 2025 02:59 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs ENG: India's pace attack has undergone a transition, but a smooth handover from the golden generation doesn't look guaranteed. Jasprit Bumrah still spearheads this attack, but his availability has been increasingly reduced. Ever since he made a comeback to international cricket after his back surgery in 2023, he has featured in 18 Test matches and has bowled in 513.2 overs. During this time frame, Mohammed Siraj has stood up to the occasion more than once by bowling in 581.4 overs and has become the team's go-to workhorse in all formats.
Bumrah, who is currently 31 years old, has his workload tightly managed due to his history with injuries, hectic schedule, and his importance in all formats. Siraj, who is 31 as well, doesn't have the same luxury. He has featured in 24 of the last 27 Test matches and has also led the pace attack from the front whenever Bumrah wasn't available.
Although Bumrah was the only star performer during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, Siraj had become England's tormentor-in-chief in the recently concluded Test series, and this highlighted his growth. But questions will be raised about his long-term sustainability if his workload isn't managed just like Bumrah's.
The next line of fast bowlers hasn't been convincing. Bumrah made his debut in this format way back in 2018, and back then, just five Indian pacers had played in 20 or more Test matches- Siraj, Shami, Ishant, Umesh, and Bhuvneshwar, and now four of these are inching closer towards their retirement. The performances in domestic tournaments haven't been convincing yet, where top Ranji performances like Gaurav Yadav and Mohit Avasthi aren't even discussed among the national selectors.
The other names in contention are Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, and Harshit Rana, but their injuries and inconsistent performances have affected their momentum. They are capable, but are they ready to lead the pace attack? Not really.
The country's fast bowling lineup is not going through a crisis, but its weaknesses have become evident. And since both Bumrah and Siraj are above 30 years of age, the real question is who will lead the pace attack next?
Akash Deep
After he had made his debut in the longest format, he was instantly compared to Mohammed Shami due to his physical appearance, which includes the receding hairline, the beard, and also he had the same bowling action. But it wasn't just the appearances; his attacking style was quite similar to that of Shami, too.
In Birmingham, Akash repaid the faith of the selectors. He took a ten-for and bowled with intent by controlling his line and length. He also used the crease brilliantly and created the angles by combining skiddy pace and subtle seam movement. On a surface, which slowed down, he adapted well and posed a stiff challenge continuously to the host.
The pitch conditions also helped him like they did during the Ranchi Test last year, where he had put up brilliant performances yet again. During the next two matches, he was able to take just three wickets. He also picked up a few niggles which affected his rhythm, and the pitches also didn't assist him.
Irrespective of all this, Akash showed that he can perform well in overseas conditions and also perform brilliantly under pressure situations during his debut overseas Test series. With the help of his stump-to-stump accuracy and natural skid, he might play regularly in India's home Test series and might also sometimes surpass Prasidh Krishna in the playing XI.
But questions will be raised about his effectiveness with the older ball and performance in pressure situations during the second innings on a slow surface. But so far, Akash has proved his worth and can be a part of the team's long-term pace-attack plans.
Prasidh Krishna
His performance during the Test series against England did show promising glimpses, but some areas also needed improvement. He did play a huge role in helping India win the fifth Test match at the Oval, where he took eight wickets and controlled his speed on a pacer-friendly surface.
But during the series opener at Headingley and especially in the first innings, he was seen struggling as he conceded lots of runs and couldn't pile pressure, which was quite important in those conditions.
Although the initial surface didn't provide him any assistance, there were some technical issues as well. Ex-England pacer Steve Harmison, who did have a word with Prasidh in the series, observed his weaknesses, especially his inability to consistently produce seam on full-length deliveries, and that also affected his swing.
During the fifth Test match at the Oval, however, he was at his absolute best. Since the surface produced bounce and movement, he was able to hit the deck hard and bowl tighter lines. This reminded everyone why he was once considered an upcoming prospect, as he is tall and was able to produce natural seam movement.