Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath says India’s bowling attack remains a “world-class” one despite the recent debacles against New Zealand and blamed the under-whelming performance on factors such as injury lay-offs and toss.
India lost the opening Test against New Zealand, in Wellington, by 10 wickets.
While Ishant Sharma returned a five-wicket haul, his pace colleagues Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami got just a wicket each as New Zealand posted a match-deciding first innings score of 348 despite being 216 for six at one stage.
“I still have total faith in the Indian (bowling) line-up. They had a few injuries of late. Sharma is coming back and he did get five wickets. Bumrah had a couple of injuries and he is coming back,” McGrath told reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday.
“So, yeah, I think the Indian bowling attack is world-class and there is no doubt about that,” he added.
“I don’t have any issues with the bowling attack; you don’t lose form overnight. It was just one of those things where the toss made a huge difference (in the first Test in New Zealand), but you still got to get and score runs.”
McGrath praised Ishant for “reinventing” himself and also lauded Shami and Bumrah.
“…the way he’s (Ishant) come back in the last couple years, it’s been impressive. I thought his career might have been finished at the international level, but he has reinvented himself and he is bowling well,” said the 50-year-old, who is in the city for a Tourism Australia event.
“Shami bowls good pace and is deceptive in the pace he bowls; he can move the ball around and is very experienced, just knows the game so well.
“Jasprit is unique with the way he goes about it… short run up, powers through the crease, can swing the ball; good control and good pace (in) second third spells. And then on top of that the other quicks and spinner.”
According to McGrath, the pitches in Australia and New Zealand are different and advised the Indian bowling unit to be patient.
“You’ve got to bat really well and on those pitches that are doing a bit, as a bowling unit, you have to do less. Just be patient, just get the ball in the right area,” he said.
