Indian bowlers in Australia and England: How they have fared

Ever since the inception of Test cricket, India have failed to fire in overseas conditions consistently. Despite fielding players of the highest quality, India have managed to return as the second best side from these tours which is unacceptable. But, several experts believe that the current bunch of Indian cricketers under Virat Kohli have the potential to outsmart any opponent in any condition.

Though India have a formidable batting line up to dominate attacks outside Asia, it is the bowlers who have failed to capture 20 wickets on a consistent basis. Even if they get hit for a few boundaries, they have to back their strengths and keep bowling in good areas which should fetch them the desired results on tours which would redefine Indian cricket.

A statistical look at the W/L Ratio of countries which have played over 100 Tests abroad clearly suggests that India are one of the poorest travelers going around in the Test arena. Also, most wins abroad have come against lower-ranked opponents such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and West Indies.

Note: This list features the top 5 bowlers of the current Indian side and their performance in Test matches in Australia and England. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are yet to represent India in a Test in these conditions

#5 Mohammed Shami - 20 wickets

Mohammed Shami made his Test debut for India against West Indies at the Eden Gardens in 2013. Little did we know that he would become one of India's most-reliable fast bowlers. In his debut game itself, he castled 9 West Indian batsmen and helped India to a famous victory.

Shami has fared decently in the 6 Tests he has played in his previous tours of England and Australia. During this period, he bowled 222.3 overs and picked up 20 wickets at an average of 45.15 including a five-wicket haul.

Most recently, Shami picked up a five-wicket haul in the fourth innings of the third Test against South Africa at Johannesburg in January which ensured a solitary victory for the Indian Test side on African soil.

With his ability to swing the Duke and the Kookaburra ball, Shami will be the go-to man for Virat Kohli in the upcoming tours of England and Australia if he remains free from injuries.

#4 Bhuvneshwar Kumar -20 wickets

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of the top Test bowlers going around at the moment. In the recent past, he dismissed several top batsmen with his quality swing bowling which made him a key member of the Indian Cricket Team across all three formats of the game.

During India's tour of England in 2014 , Bhuvi made best use of the English conditions. When his counterparts were struggling to pick wickets, Bhuvi took up the responsibility of bowling at crucial junctures and emerged as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 19 scalps. Apart from his bowling heroics, he registered 3 half-centuries in that series.

However, he has tasted little success Down Under. During India's tour of Australia in 2014, an ankle injury kept him out of the first 3 Test matches. In the limited opportunities presented to him, he failed to create an impact.

With age on his side, he is expected to add several wickets to this tally and contribute heavily to his side's victories across the globe in the future.

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin - 24 wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the mainstays of the Indian bowling attack in Test Cricket. Recently, he became the fastest to reach the milestone of 300 wickets in Tests, breaking Dennis Lillee's 36-year-old record. But Ashwin's performances have been limited only to Asian conditions and he has failed to replicate similar feats outside Asia (barring West Indies).

He has represented India in 8 Tests on tours to England and Australia previously. During that period, he bowled 375.1 overs and picked up 24 wickets at an average of 52.08. Interestingly, he is yet to take a five-wicket haul in these conditions.

Having failed to retain a place in the ODI and T20I squads, Ashwin has to perform exceedingly well (both with the bat and ball) in the upcoming tours to cement his place in the Indian Test side for a long time.

#2 Umesh Yadav - 25 wickets

Umesh Yadav made his Test debut against West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla in 2011. Over the course of his career, he has impressed one and all by maintaining speeds of over 140 kmph even at the fag end of a Test match.

He featured in 7 Tests for India on tours to Australia in 2012 and 2014. During that period he bowled 236.3 overs and picked up 25 wickets at an average of 43.96 including a five-wicket haul at Perth in 2012.

On the other hand, he is yet to play a Test in English conditions. But, he is expected to fare well on fast and bouncy pitches abroad and emerge as the most potent weapon for Virat Kohli.

#1 Ishant Sharma - 45 wickets

The most experienced pacer of the current Indian line-up, Ishant Sharma would be expected to deliver the goods if he is presented with opportunities. Since the emergence of several top quality fast bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma has failed to retain a place in the side in recent times.

But, Ishant's experience of playing county cricket might come in handy if India are to put up a stiff fight against formidable opponents like England and Australia in their own backyard.

He has featured in 17 Tests for India on previous tours to Australia and England. During that period, he bowled 640 overs and picked up 45 wickets at an average of 50.31 including a seven-wicket haul against England at Lord's.

With several other fast bowlers struggling to keep themselves fit for long periods of time, Ishant might be expected to feature in few Tests and bowl India to victories.

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Whom do you think is India's most important bowler? Let us know in the comments.