IND vs ENG 2021: From Jasprit Bumrah to Mohammed Shami - Ranking India's impressive pacers on Day 1 of the 1st Test

India's bold decision to pick four pacers in their playing XI for the first Test paid off as the visitors bowled England out for just 183 in the first innings on Day 1.

It wouldn't have been easy for India to bench Ravichandran Ashwin, who has been the team's lead spinner in Test cricket for several years now. The off-spinner was even the Man of the Series against the same opposition earlier this year at home and recently picked up a six-wicket haul for Surrey in the County Championship.

But India placed their trust in Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami on the green deck at Trent Bridge as Ishant Sharma missed out with a reported injury. The move paid dividends as all four pacers bowled testing lengths and got themselves among the wickets.

Here, we rank India's pacers based on their performance on Day 1 of the first Test against England.

---

#4 Mohammed Siraj

England v India - First LV= Insurance Test Match: Day One

Coming on as the first change in conditions expected to favor his style of bowling, Mohammed Siraj saw himself carted for three fours in an over by England skipper Joe Root. However, the pacer had already made an impact by scalping the wicket of Zak Crawley.

Siraj rapped Crawley on the pads with a sharp inswinger, with captain Virat Kohli's review going in vain. However, in the very same over, he bowled another delicious inswinger, one which kissed the edge of Crawley's bat before making its way to the gleeful gloves of Rishabh Pant. Pant convinced Kohli to go for the review, handing Siraj his first wicket of the series.

Overall, Siraj could've been a touch more consistent with his lengths. When he tried to pitch it up and extract swing, Root and Jonny Bairstow capitalized. But it was a decent showing from the 27-year-old.

---

#3 Shardul Thakur

England v India - First LV= Insurance Test Match: Day One

Picked as much because of his batting as his ability to swing the Dukes ball away from the plethora of right-handers in England's playing XI, Shardul Thakur gave a good account of himself in Nottingham.

Thakur was wonderfully consistent in his first spell as he tested the outside edge and brought the English batsmen forward. Eventually, a smart bowling change saw him come into the attack and send Root back with the first ball of a new spell - a tasty outswinger. The 29-year-old dismissed Ollie Robinson in the same over before being taken for a few boundaries by Sam Curran and Stuart Broad.

Thakur bowled well as the fourth pacer in the team, justifying his selection and scalping the most important wicket for India.

---

#2 Mohammed Shami

England v India - First LV= Insurance Test Match: Day One

Taking the new ball ahead of Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami was the pick of the Indian bowlers during the first two sessions on Day 1 of the first Test. Seaming the ball both ways and switching up his lengths smartly, he dismissed Dom Sibley shortly after lunch to tilt the balance of the second session in India's favor.

Shami took two more wickets in another impressive spell. He trapped Jonny Bairstow in front of the stumps by executing India's clear plan against the right-hander before strangling Dan Lawrence down the leg side.

Shami conceded only three boundaries in the 17 overs he bowled and has a case to be named as the best Indian pacer on display on Day 1 at Trent Bridge. However....

---

#1 Jasprit Bumrah

England v India - First LV= Insurance Test Match: Day One

Jasprit Bumrah emphatically returned to form after a period of struggle in the Test format! India's premier pacer took the new ball and set the tone for the match by rapping Rory Burns' pad in the very first over.

Bumrah was the quickest Indian bowler on Day 1 as he swung the ball both ways and lured the English batsmen into smart traps. He had Jos Buttler in all sorts of trouble before scalping his wicket for an 18-ball duck and consistently troubled Root.

Bumrah's most important contribution arguably came in the final session of the day as he wrapped up the tail quickly. The 27-year-old sent down two accurate yorkers to dismiss Stuart Broad and James Anderson, and kept Sam Curran on his toes as the youngster tried to shepherd the tail.

Bumrah ended up with four wickets in a simply superb display of technical skill, pace and variety.