ENG vs IND | This is India's best bowling line-up ever, declares Aakash Chopra
After India's emphatic win at Lord's, Indian cricket expert Aakash Chopra has termed their present bowling unit as the best they've ever had. He also lavished praise on India's opening pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma and stated they have been unreal in the ongoing Test series so far.
India's pace quartet of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma played a pivotal role in the team's memorable win over England at Lord's. England's batting might have been vulnerable, but it still required something extraordinary to bundle them out within 60 overs on the final day of the second Test. But India's pace attack started spitting fire right from the word go and sustained relentless pressure throughout 51.5 overs to bulldoze the hosts and script one of the most remarkable comebacks in Test history.
Indian cricket expert Aakash Chopra reckons it's quite simply India's best bowling attack ever as they lacked quality pacers in the past, but that's not the case any longer.
"This is India's best Test bowling line-up ever. There is no doubt about that. It is because when Bhajji and Kumble were together, two great spinners, we did not have four or five fast bowlers.Along with Zaheer Khan, there was Ajit Agarkar sometimes, and Ashish Nehra or RP Singh on other occasions. But four or five of this level together - that along with Bumrah you get Shami, Ishant, Siraj, Shardul and there are still fast bowlers sitting out. This is insane, the depth we are seeing," Aakash Chopra said in a video shared on his Youtube channel, reported India Today.
One of the major factors behind India's great show in the ongoing Test series has been the performance of their openers. Both KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma have given India starts of 97, 34, 126 and 18 in the first two Tests. The duo's opening stands provided ample belief within the changing room but also ensured that the middle-order wasn't exposed as they had been in previous tours.
The former Indian Test opener lauded Rahul and Rohit and stated that when the openers get the team off to such solid starts, the teams always remains in control of the situations.
"They did a very good performance at the start in the last match as well. You had lost the toss, the opposing team had opted to field, there was some moisture and the overhead conditions were quite heavy. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul is a new opening pair. If your opening partnership becomes so strong consistently, you will never be looking back. First Rohit Sharma dominates, after that Rahul dominates. An opening partnership of more than 100 with that kind of class, panache, potential, promise and pedigree. It was just unreal."
He added that the duo has shown their class and been reliable enough to walk the tough path for the team.
"The way Rohit is batting, of course he played the pull shot to get out in the second innings, but Rohit's class is beyond doubt and KL Rahul showed his range. Whenever you want, you can call upon either of them and you will find that they are very very good, efficient and effective," quipped Chopra.