England tour was game-changer for Indian pacers, says Javagal Srinath

India suffered a 4-1 loss in the Test series against England which left a sour taste in the mouths of the Indian players at the end of the UK tour earlier this month. While the batting department shared most of the blame for the disappointing series loss, the fast-bowlers were spared the blushes due to their impressive performance during the course of the five-match series.

"The planning and execution is what we saw the Indian pacers do in England. Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah looked like they were going for wickets. Yes, the pitches and conditions in England were quite conducive for pacers. But they stood up to the occasion and delivered most of the time. There was the odd occasion when they could not get the tail, but that happened with both teams," Javagal wrote in his column for TOI.

"I would say Bumrah was on top all the time. He brings tremendous variety to the attack and his deceptive action is highly appreciated. I’m glad he hasn't changed himself over a period of time. He knows the variety of bowling which is needed, and there is conviction in his action. When he delivers the ball, it is a huge question mark which bothers the batsman. Bowlers like Bumrah have to believe in themselves and stick to their natural skills. 

"Another heartening factor of India’s pace attack was Ishant. He’s put his experience to good use and is sticking to the right line and length. He is pitching the ball up, that's been very pleasing to see. Ishant was the senior he needs to be on the field. He came in and out in those extra couple of overs, looked for the right breakthroughs and he identified (Alastair) Cook as one of his wickets.