In the first Test match against Bangladesh, Virat Kohli will most probably include three seamers in the playing 11.
The first Test match of India vs Bangladesh series is going to start after two hours at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. This is a two-match series. This is Bangladesh’s first Test series in the World Test Championship.
As this series is a part of WTC, both teams will try hard to win the series. India will look to win the series by 2-0. Bangladesh is the underdog and it will be shocking for the Indian fans if the Kohli and CO end the series without a clean sweep.
In the first Test, most probably India will include three fast bowlers (Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav) in the starting 11. Virat Kohli loves to play with three fast bowlers. The question is why Virat Kohli is fond of playing with three fast bowlers in Test cricket.
#1. More capable of taking 20 Wickets
The Indian fast bowlers are more capable of taking 20 wickets in a Test match as compared to the spinners. In Test cricket, to take 20 wickets is the most important thing for any team. Every team wants good bowlers so; that they can win a match by taking 20 wickets.
Since 2018, India is performing really good in Test cricket and this because of the evolution in India’s fast bowling unit. Currently, India has three quality spinners (Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav) in Test cricket. They can take at most 15-16 wickets in a Test match on spinning track but; they can’t take more than 10 wickets on a good batting pitch or seaming track.
On the other hand, the Indian fast bowlers are able to take 20 wickets on any track. The latest example of this is India’s home series against South Africa in October 2019. Indian seamers took more wickets than spinners in that series on slow pitches.
#2. Preparation for the foreign tours
In 2018, Indian fast bowlers performed really well in three away (South Africa, England, Australia) Test series. India is very strong at home. The big challenge that India faces in Test cricket is away tours. India’s upcoming away Test series’ is in New Zealand (2 matches) and Australia (4 matches). These series’ are the part of World Test Championship. Indian bowlers are preparing on the Indian pitches so; that they can bowl better on the away tours.
#3. Good Balance in the bowling lineup
The three fast bowlers give more balance in the bowling attack. A spinner can easily bowl 15-20 overs consecutively in a Test match but; for a fast bowler, it is very difficult. A good fast bowler can bowl at most 8-10 overs consecutively in a Test match.
Good rotation of the bowlers is very important for any captain and that’s why Kohli likes to include three fast bowlers in the playing 11. With three pacers in the playing 11, it is easy for the captain to rotate his bowlers and put more pressure on the opposition.
