Is this the perfect pace bowling combination for India without Jasprit Bumrah?

Harry Brook's wicket turned out to be one of the decisive factors of the final match of the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, where India made the 5-match series scoreline 2-2 after winning the Oval Test in a heroic manner. It was the bowling department that changed the direction of the match, that too without Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah was left out from the 5th match due to workload management. Which led the management to pick Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna to combine with Mohammed Siraj. Throughout the series, Siraj was the only constant figure in India's pace bowling combination. His strength of relentless bowling and never-die attitude became unmatched elements for the team. Akash Deep's performance was surprising and equally brilliant. And Krishna showed how to bounce back after facing lots of criticism day after day. 

How is the trio shaped like a formidable force? 

In short, three bowlers came with different abilities and skill sets and with one common target—win at any cost. In terms of economy rates, Siraj and Krishna were far away from the usual Test match-like numbers. But they kept faith in their strategy until the very last moment. They paid focus on length deliveries around the off-stump region, which forced batters to swing their bats. Whenever batsmen missed the sweet spot, Indian bowlers struck.

Performance trajectory and stats:

Mohammed Siraj

Who will lead the Indian bowling force when Bumrah is unavailable? It is a long-standing debate. Mohammed Siraj stood tall in the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy when India was without the service of the pace spearhead. The tireless seamer played all 5 matches of the series and bagged a total of 23 scalps. During the closing moments of The Oval Test, on Day 5, eliminating any signs of tiredness, the right-handed pacer delivered over 140 cases. After delivering 30 overs, it is never an easy task for a pacer to produce a quick, accurate yorker. Siraj bowled out England's last hope, Gus Atkinson, with a perfect yorker. 

Bowling stats of Mohammed Siraj:

India vs. England: 4/86 & 5/104 (The Oval)

India vs. England: 1/140 (Old Trafford)

India vs. England: 2/85 & 2/31 (Lord's)

India vs. England: 6/70 & 1/57 (Birmingham)

India vs. England: 2/122 & 0/51 (Leeds)

Overall, in 41 tests and 76 innings, the Hyderabad-born plucked 123 wickets at an economy rate of 3.57. 

Read More: OTD: Sanath Jayasuriya scored 340 against India, Sri Lanka registered mammoth target of 952 runs

Akash Deep

He was one of the most underrated players who travelled to England to play the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy. After missing out on the first match of the tour, which was in Leeds, Akash announced his arrival with style by picking 10 wickets (4 wickets in the first innings and 6 wickets in the second innings) at Birmingham. He made headlines again during the final assignment of the series. In the second innings of the 5th match, Akash Deep went in the middle as a night watchman and scored 66, which is now the second-best innings played by an Indian night watchman. During the series, the Indian team management had to face criticisms for their obsession over batting depth. After Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, Akash Deep's crucial knock under pressure described his all-round abilities. 

Bowling stats of Akash Deep:

India vs England: 1/80 & 1/85 (The Oval)

India vs. England: 0/92 & 1/30 (Lord's)

India vs. England: 4/88 & 6/99 (Birmingham)

Overall, in 10 tests and 18 innings, the Bihar-born bagged 28 wickets at an economy rate of 3.91. 

Prasidh Krishna 

A highly talented fast bowler who has yet to reach his full potential. Prasidh Krishna has all the equipment in his arsenal a pace bowler wishes to have. But, due to inconsistency, he was often left out of the contention. The 27-year-old attracted heavy criticism mainly during the Birmingham Test, where he offered over a hundred runs in total and was able to take only one wicket. After being sidelined for the Old Trafford Test, Krishna again found the mojo at The Oval, when the team needed him the most. His combination with Siraj turned out to be a nightmare for England. Krishna claimed 4 wickets in the first innings and another 4 in the second innings—8 wickets in total in the series decider. 

Bowling stats of Prasidh Krishna:

India vs. England: 4/62 & 4/126 (The Oval)

India vs. England: 0/72 & 1/39 (Birmingham)

India vs. England: 3/128 & 2/92 (Leeds)

Overall, in 6 tests and 11 innings, he got 22 wickets at an economy rate of 4.72.