India vs Australia | Worried about our shorter format pace bowling unit, asserts VVS Laxman

In the last few months, the Indian team’s bowling has been decent all throughout the format, but former Indian batsman VVS Laxman feels that the Indian team lacks the required firepower in the shorter format. He feels that the team is too dependent on too few bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

"We have a settled batting unit, but I am not too sure on the bowling front. I am happy with the bowlers' recent show with the red cherry, but as for white-ball cricket I feel they are still not ready, mainly in the pace bowling department," he told TOI on Thursday.

"We have good spinners in (Yuzvendra) Chahal and Kuldeep (Yadav), but we are too dependent on Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar) and (Jasprit) Bumrah in ODIs. Whenever these two have been injured, the team has suffered." 

On India's last away tour, the Indian bowlers, particularly the pacers, took 85 of the 100 opposition wickets that were on offer from the opposition. Laxman commended the Indian pace department and said that the fitness level they maintain nowadays is something unprecedented in the Indian cricket. 

"It's not that we did not have good pacers before, but what I feel is making the difference now is their improved fitness levels," he said.

"Previously our pacers used to provide early breakthroughs but would fizzle out as the game progressed. But now I am impressed to see them firing even in their third or fourth spells. Just see how they bowled on the last day of the Adelaide Test when there was not much assistance from the pitch. They are a lot fitter unit now, which is yielding results on the field."

The Indian batting legend does not have a short supply of good spinners but  Laxman cautioned the Indian management that the availability of the spinners in the domestic cricket has declined and that is something which should be looked into. 

"When we played Ranji Trophy, each team used to have two-three good spinners. But now you hardly have six-seven spinners in the entire country good enough to play international cricket. I think T20 cricket has much to do with this. The challenge is how not to make the spinners play T20 cricket now.

"Spinners should always aim for wickets and adopt their own style. (Anil) Kumble used to bowl much flatter, while (Shane) Warne never hesitated to give the ball a loop. And they both were successful. Hence a spinner should know his style and work on that," he remarked.