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Team India endured yet another disappointing end to a World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, losing to Australia by 209 runs in the final at the Oval last weekend.
While India remains the only team to have qualified for the final on both occasions, they suffered their second successive defeat in the summit clash. Despite the disastrous finish, Rohit Sharma's men have generally been consistent in the longer format over the last few years, evidenced by their WTC final qualification and the number one position in the ICC Test rankings.
However, along the way have been some cracks starting to rear their ugly head in the Indian Test team. The core of the side does not have age on its side, and several of the key members were injured at key moments, costing the team severely in the end.
A point in case would be the injury to Jasprit Bumrah that led to an undercooked Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur being entrusted with critical roles on for the WTC final. The pair struggled to find the mark in their first spells, resulting in the Aussies posting a match-winning 469 on the board in the first innings.
With the possibility of injuries to the bowlers increasing due to the thankless cricket calendar and a few of the players getting on in years, It is paramount that Team India identity a pool of Test bowlers right at the start of the next WTC cycle.
The importance of continuity and role clarity cannot be stressed enough, and both those issues have come back to bite the team at the most crucial moments in ICC events.
India will start their 2023-25 WTC cycle with two Tests against the West Indies in the Caribbean and should look to build a solid young core, especially in the bowling department.
With that in mind, let us look at three young Indian bowlers who should get a chance for the Tests against the West Indies.
#1. Mukesh Kumar
Mukesh Kumar, 29, has been among the most consistent performers for Bengal in first-class cricket. The right-arm-pacer has been impressive over the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, paving the way to his selection in the Indian Test team as a standby for the recently-concluded WTC final.
Mukesh has also been part of the Indian ODI and T20 squads, but is yet to make his international debut in any of the three formats.
Although he only played five matches in the 2022/23 Ranji Trophy, Mukesh picked up 22 wickets at an average of 22.27 for Bengal. His exploits helped the team finish on top of Elite Group A and reach the final.
The talented pacer also impressed in the Irani Cup earlier this year for the Rest of India squad, bagging two wickets in each innings to lead them to a crushing 238-run victory.
His impressive show in domestic cricket enticed the Delhi Capitals to buy him in the mini-auction last year for a whopping ₹5.5 crore for the 2023 season. Mukesh picked up seven wickets in the ten matches he played for the Capitals in IPL 2023.
Having been part of the Indian Test squad and with tremendous domestic success, the 29-year-old should debut in the West Indies series.
#2. Avesh Khan
Bustling Madhya Pradesh seamer Avesh Khan is another star in domestic cricket that could get a go in the Indian Test team for the West Indies series.
Having already played T20s and ODIs for India since 2022, the 26-year-old will be looking to break into the Test squad as well. Avesh was one of the standby players for the 2021 WTC final and the subsequent Test series against England.
The right-arm pacer was a vital cog in Madhya Pradesh's impressive performance in the 2022/23 Ranji Trophy, helping the team finish atop the Elite Group D on the points table.
Avesh picked up 38 wickets in eight matches at an average of 20.13, including three five-wicket hauls.
The young seamer has been among the best performers in first-class cricket, with 144 wickets in 36 matches at an average of 22.49, including an incredible nine four-wicket hauls and seven five-wicket hauls.
Avesh Khan has also played in numerous high-pressure games, having been part of the IPL since 2017. Playing for the Delhi Capitals and then the Lucknow Super Giants, the 26-year-old has picked up 55 wickets in 47 games.
#3. Kumar Kartikeya
Madhya Pradesh spinner Kumar Kartikeya has become a household name among Indian fans, thanks to his association with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
However, the 25-year-old boasts an outstanding first-class record, with 99 wickets in 23 games, including seven five-wicket hauls.
Despite Shams Mulani being the inarguable best spinner in domestic cricket over the last couple of years, Kartikeya's ability to bowl left-arm-chinaman could tip the nod in his favor.
Kumar Kartikeya has picked up 65 wickets in the last two Ranji seasons, including 33 scalps in nine matches at an average of 21.27 this season.
Despite India already having three world-class finger spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, the former two are in their mid-30s. This makes grooming a wrist spinner in Kartikeya instead of a slow-left-arm orthodox in Mulani a more viable option in Tests.
The talented spinner also picked up eight wickets for Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinal defeat to West Zone.
Kartikeya has also been impressive in limited opportunities for the Mumbai Indians, picking up ten wickets in 12 matches over the last two seasons.
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