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The World Test Championship (WTC) final showed that the Indian Test team required a bit of a transition. One of the main reasons India have been able to compete away from home in Tests has been their excellent bowling attack over the past few years.
The likes of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and others have been part of some famous Indian Test wins. However, inconsistent bowling in the WTC final probably meant that the pace attack needed to feature some new names and new match-winners.
On that note, let's take a look at three such players who deserve a string of chances to prove their mettle in the Test team:
#3 Jaydev Unadkat
Veteran Indian left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has played just two Tests and has picked up just three wickets so far in his career. However, the gap between his two Test appearances (2010 and 2022) was almost 12 years, which speaks a lot about the number of hard yards Unadkat had to put in in domestic cricket.
His tenacity was rewarded with a call-up back into the Test setup last year, but the left-arm pacer is yet to get a consistent run of chances. The West Indies series next month could be the beginning of a deserving run of games for the 31-year-old.
#2 Mukesh Kumar
One name that looks more and more likely to make his India debut next month against the West Indies is Mukesh Kumar. The Bengal pacer has been a prolific wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy and has also stepped up in crucial moments during the Duleep Trophy and the 'A' tours.
Kumar did go to the 2023 WTC final as a standby player, but he could take the new ball for his country in the two-match Test series against West Indies next month. The team management might look to begin the transition phase gradually and 29-year-old Kumar making his Test debut by replacing Umesh Yadav in the XI could be the first step.
#1 Arshdeep Singh
One Indian bowler who really has the potential to become a superstar across formats is left-arm pacer, Arshdeep Singh. His ability to swing the ball both ways during the T20 World Cup last year made many wonder whether he could bowl with the same control in red-ball cricket.
However, Arshdeep already has 29 wickets in 8 first-class games and at the time of writing, he is also playing County cricket for Kent. There is a possibility that the team management is grooming Arshdeep for the future and is currently letting him gain as much experience as he can in County cricket.
