India vs South Africa: Bhuvneshwar Kumar should be treated as the main striking bowler, says Javagal Srinath

With nine consecutive Test series victory over the past two years, Virat Kohli-led India has established itself as the No.1 Test team in the world, according to ICC rankings. But in spite of the accomplishments in the longest format, there are still doubts whether the team is ready for the South African challenge. The side has not played much cricket in overseas conditions and with Indian batsmen struggling in conditions presented by bouncy pitches in Kolkata and Dharamsala against Sri Lanka, analysts believe India might not be ready for fast South African pitches.

In six tours to the country since 1992, India have never registered a victory in the country, which is another fact which may bother the traveling side. But, in spite of the odds, former Indian paceman Javagal Srinath said it is India’s best chance to win a series in the country.

Speaking in an interview to Cricbuzz, Srinath said India’s strong bowling line up can take them to victory against Proteas. “This is the best fast bowling combination in India at the moment,” the 48-year old said. The former right-hand bowler also vouched for Bhuvneshwar Kumar to lead the side’s bowling unit. “I go by what I’ve seen in the last one-and-a-half years. I strongly feel Bhuvneshwar (Kumar) will be the strike bowler – or at least he should be treated like one. He should be used economically and in short spells. Over the past few months, he has been outstanding.”

The-bowler-turned-referee further added that he may trouble the opposition’s batsmen with his pace and bounce. “Bhuvneshwar swings the ball both ways and at (an) alarming pace. With the kind of pace he gets, he can be a great asset for the team on South African wickets which usually have bounce and carry.”

But Srinath added that Indian bowlers need to adapt to red Kookaburra bowl quickly to gain an advantage in the series. “The bowlers are champions with the white Kookaburra ball, but the red ball is very different. They have to get used to it as soon as possible. Winning these Test matches will depend a lot on how quickly they get used to the ball and how well they read local conditions. There has to be a minor adjustment in the way they pitch the ball,” he said.

Srinath, who was part of Indian cricket team when they reached 2003 World Cup final in South Africa, further added that Kohli’s squad is used to handle pressure. “When it comes to handling pressure, I think, the IPL has fast-tracked players. In the IPL, they always play under pressure and players tend to learn more when under pressure. In that sense, I think they are all experts in handling pressure,” he said.

The first Test between India and South Africa will start from January 5, 2018.

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