Bhuvneshwar Kumar: On the comeback trail

With India set to play their one-day international series against England, they will be buoyed by the return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He missed out on India's tour of Australia due to an injury and did not feature in the England Tests.

The Indian pace attack has been in the news for all the right reasons in recent times. The likes of Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini have all stood up and delivered on a tough tour Down Under.

We can add others like Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed etc. to the list. These youngsters are always on the brink of selection into the Indian team.

Competition for spots is a great sign for any cricket team, but the pressure of performing consistently can take its toll on the players. They have to be at their peak consistently to ensure that they are within touching distance of a national call-up.

The pressure of performing is always high in competitive sides

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was an all-format regular until a couple of years back. A few months back he would've been a sureshot selection in the Test squad, if not the playing XI. However, a spate of injuries and the rise of new bowling talent have now relegated him to limited overs cricket.

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar has still a lot to offer to this Indian team

Team India will need Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the future

A grand total of 236 international wickets in a nine-year career for India made him stand in good stead with respect to Indian pace bowling options, but it was his Test performances which made Bhuvneshwar Kumar an enticing option for the Indian team management.

The last time he featured in a Test series, Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up 10 wickets against South Africa in 2018. This was supplemented by some decent batting in a series where Indian batsmen were found lacking in application and technique.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was declared the Man of the Match in the Third India-South Africa Test in 2018

Bhuvneshwar’s Test record in India is also worth taking a look at. In 11 Tests in India, he has picked up 27 wickets.

These numbers are boosted by two exceptional Test performances in Kolkata.

In the 2016 Test against New Zealand, he picked a five-for to ensure a 112-run lead in the first innings, then returned to perform with the bat and also managed to get a wicket in the second innings.

A proven performer across the formats

The next year against Sri Lanka, he had the figures of 8 for 96, which won him the man of the match award. Though inclement weather ruined India’s chances in the game, it won him high praise from his skipper Virat Kohli.

To add to all these numbers has been his performance in English conditions. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 19 wickets in five Tests in the 2014 Pataudi Trophy which included a match-winning performance at Lord’s. Despite the fact that his main role was that of a bowler, he also crafted 247 runs with the bat.

An all-round hero in England

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has also found success with the Dukes ball in general. In 2016, he toured the Caribbean and helped India secure a win at the Gros Islet Test by picking up a match figure of 6 for 46.

His form in the Limited Overs format has improved over the years, no doubt due to his experience at Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, where he is the leader of the attack along with Afghan spin maestro Rashid Khan.

Improvement in recent years

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has become a solid backup option for Jasprit Bumrah in the One-Day and Twenty20 Internationals. With his return from injury, Indian team management and fans will hope that he is able to give his best for the remainder of his international career.

Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammand Siraj make an exciting quartet for the World Test Championship final and the subsequent Pataudi Trophy in England. However, we must not forget that Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the missing element in these conditions when India last toured the country in 2018.

If he maintains his fitness and shows good form, it would be in the team’s benefit to see Bhuvneshwar Kumar play red-ball cricket in the summer of 2021.