- PACERS:
One wouldn’t be wrong in saying that this looks to be India’s most competent pace battery ever going into an ICC event. Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been in mesmerising form over the last couple of years. Bumrah at the death has been a revelation and Kumar with the new ball in England has always been a class apart. Remember the previous ICC Champions Trophy, and how Bhuvneshwar Kumar made it a habit to get rid of the opposing openers?
Another boon has been the return of Mohammad Shami into the ODI setup. His last ODI was against Australia in the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2015 in Sydney. Making his comeback after more than two years into the format in which he prospers the most, is some news for Indian fans. With 87 wickets in just 47 ODI’s, Shami has been India’s best pacer ever since he set the arena ablaze in late 2013.
India however, will have a massive headache in determining the best playing XI. While they will be tempted to play Hardik Pandya and the two spinners, this will mean that just one of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav will feature in the XI, considering Bumrah to be a sure shot starter. This is an issue which will need to be addressed soon. If conditions permit, however, then India could field four pacers including Pandya, with Jadeja being the only spinner.
All in all, this is a fantastic pace attack full of proven match winners. With conditions likely to support them, now only the matter of maintaining the right mindset remains. With such a dominant squad named, don’t be surprised if India defends their title successfully!