World Cup 2019: Who should be India's second pacer - Mohammed Shami or Bhuvneshwar Kumar?

India v Australia - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019
India v Australia - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

India bowled brilliantly in the match against Afghanistan; most believe it was the best bowling performance displayed by the Indian side in the World Cup 2019 so far. Mohammed Shami, playing in place of the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar, bowled particularly well and picked up four wickets, which included a hat-trick too.

Shami and Jasprit Bumrah completely dismantled the Afghanistan batting lineup, and India scraped through to a win by 11 runs.

Bhuvneshwar has been down with a hamstring niggle, and bowled just 2.4 overs against Pakistan before he had to leave the ground. But he returned for practice sessions on Tuesday; although he wasn't able to go on the ground due to rain, he practiced along with Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Vijay Shankar in the indoor nets.

Bhuvneshwar returning to bowling is an indication that he is recovering well, but it's unlikely that he will play against West Indies on June 27. He will, however, most likely be available for selection against England on June 30.

The big decision for India to make now is picking the second fast bowler. Bumrah is the premier choice and he will play every game for India in the World Cup. But picking between the other two is not easy.

Bhuvneshwar took two wickets at the crucial time against Australia and helped the team register a convincing win over the defending champions. On the other hand, his replacement Shami grabbed the opportunity to play with both hands and played a major role in the victory over Afghanistan.

The Indian team management is more likely to go with Bhuvneshwar as he is more experienced and can also score some handy runs for the team whenever needed. But is it justified to drop a bowler who has taken a hat-trick in the tournament?

Shami can bowl over 140 kmph consistently and at good lengths too, while Bhuvneshwar can move the ball in both directions at a pace slightly lower than 140 kmph. The ideal solution would have been to pick both, but with the spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal both doing well too, it would be difficult to drop either of them.

India are at the third position in the World Cup standings with nine points from five matches. They have four more matches to play - against West Indies, England, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It remains to be seen whether Bhuvneshwar or Shami plays a majority of those games.

Also read – World cup 2019 highlights

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Edited by Musab Abid