Mitchell Starc proved to be the difference maker in the second ODI between Australia and India, taking a five-wicket haul to guide Australia to a convincing 10-wicket win. His inswinging deliveries have always been a nuisance for the Indian batsmen, and with the retirement of Zaheer Khan, the search has been on for an equivalent of Starc in the Indian bowling attack. To fill the gap, here are 3 bowlers India can look to groom as their answer to the Aussie speedster:
1) Arshdeep Singh
The 24-year-old Indian cricketer was the highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup last year, showing off some of Starc’s skills with his incoming deliveries and a deadly arsenal of yorkers and slow balls. For Arshdeep to achieve the same greatness as Starc, the BCCI must look after his workload management and provide him with the right nurturing environment.
2) Mohsin Khan
Mohsin’s ability to swing the ball both ways was especially difficult for batters to manage in the powerplay. In the 2022 edition of the IPL, the left-arm pacer hogged the limelight by snagging 14 wickets over 9 matches for the Lucknow Super Giants. His impressive performance could have earned him a national call-up had it not been for his unfortunate injury. At 24 years old and able to consistently clock speeds over 145 kph, Mohsin can be India’s future if he stays fit.
3) Khaleel Ahmed
Ahmed is a left-arm fast bowler with all the right attributes, but despite being around in the national squad for quite some time, he has yet to live up to expectations. A skilful bowler, Khaleel can hit the deck hard and achieve steep bounce even from a short length. His last international appearance was in 2019, after his debut year in 2018. During that time, Khaleel’s appearances could have been better, and he did not manage to solidify his place in the team.
