In the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, the Indian cricket team is savoring an impressive unbeaten streak, with the spotlight firmly on their formidable bowling prowess. According to Sourav Ganguly, the ex-captain of India, he doesn’t consider the current Men in Blue bowling attack as the absolute best, despite their dominating performance in the tournament.
Rohit Sharma’s team is on a fantastic streak in the current ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, effortlessly checking off all the right boxes in the tournament. The standout performers have undoubtedly been India’s pace bowlers—Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah—who have truly made their presence felt.
The Men in Blue have truly been a force to reckon with, leaving their opponents struggling to even reach the 200-run mark in the last three games. England found themselves restricted below 150 runs, Sri Lanka could only muster 55, and South Africa fell short at 83.
In this tournament, Mohammed Shami has been on fire with 16 wickets, closely followed by Jasprit Bumrah with 15 wickets, Ravindra Jadeja with 14, Kuldeep with 12, and Mohammad Siraj with 10 wickets. The Indian bowlers have been nothing short of spectacular, proving to be an unstoppable and invaluable asset for the Indian cricket team.
Despite receiving accolades from various quarters for their outstanding performance, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is of the opinion that the current Indian pace attack, comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami, doesn’t quite match up to the standards of the 2003 World Cup pacers—Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, and Javagal Srinath. Ganguly drew a comparison between the two pace trios, expressing his view that the 2003 lineup remains the benchmark for him.
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Sourav Ganguly stated that the pace attack of the 2003 World Cup pace attack consisting of Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, and Javagal Srinath was exceptional. “I can’t say this is the best-ever Indian pace attack to date. In the 2003 World Cup, (Ashish) Nehra, Zaheer (Khan), and (Javagal) Srinath also bowled brilliantly,” Ganguly told Sports Tak.
He went on to emphasize how Bumrah’s contribution significantly influenced the team’s success, highlighting the bowler’s remarkable impact.
“But yeah, it’s exciting to see Bumrah, Shami and Siraj bowl. It’s a big difference when you have Bumrah. There’s pressure from both ends as it is always about bowing in pairs. Bumrah makes a massive impact on the other two as well,” he added.
The former president of BCCI lavished praise on Shami, commending his exceptional performance in the current tournament. Despite being on the bench for the initial four matches, Shami has emerged as the top wicket-taker for the team, securing 16 wickets at an impressive average of 7.00 and an economy rate of 4.30.
“Yes, Shami should have played in the XI a lot earlier. Look at the impact he has made,” Ganguly said.
India has secured the coveted spot as the first team to advance to the semifinals in the ongoing tournament. Before diving into the knockout stage, the Men in Blue are set to face off against the Netherlands in their last group stage showdown at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, November 12.
