Jasprit Bumrah aside, Indian bowling unit has chinks in its armour

Thank Jasprit Bumrah for saving the day for Team India. Virat Kohli knows how even a score of 337, known to be a mammoth at any cricketing ground around the world, was nearly chased down by Black Caps here on Sunday night.

The visitors had a terrific start and their entire middle-order clicked on a day the three-match One-day series was to be decided. But then what was Indian attack doing? Apart from Bumrah who came good in the death overs and single-handedly saved the game by giving just 24 runs in his 18 balls, there was no other bowler in the Indian armoury who could have been trusted under testing conditions.

Kohli should realise that he has his cup full of woes the way his best all-rounder Hardik Pandya or for that matter Bhuvneshwar Kumar were treated by the New Zealanders. Had there been a little dew on the ground, which Kane Williamson expected before asking India to bat first on such an easy track, the hosts would have got into more trouble.

Bhuvi, in particular, started off with 19 runs in his very first over before finishing his quota for 92. Had it not been the part-timer Kedar Jadhav who chipped in with eight overs at a crucial time for 54, Kohli would not have Bumrah left for death overs.

And mind it, this was not the first time in the series where Indian bowlers struggled to defend high score. In Mumbai's first ODI, Black Caps chased down India's 280 with one over to spare. That was despite visitors losing way early on with three wickets down. There also Indian bowlers failed to contain Ross Taylor (95) and Tom Latham (unbeaten 103).

However, India vice-captain Rohit Sharma doesn't believe that the team is facing crisis in bowling department. Ask him if India are short of bowlers, apart from Bumrah, to keep opponents in check during death overs, and Sharma replies all is well in the camp.

"You're talking about the two best death over bowlers in the world. Because of Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah, the game could be pulled towards us," Sharma defended his bowlers.

He carried on with an excuse which was never there on display here at the Green Park. "It wasn't so easy for the fast bowlers as there was a lot of dew on the field. Ball was wet and to be able to defend 30 runs (off three overs) on that kind of wicket and considering so much dew on the field, and two set batsmen," Sharma added.

Having a look and feel of the Green Park inner field, the dew was either negligible or non-disruptive through out the game. Otherwise, how could have Bumrah bowled nearly all 18 of his last deliveries at yorker length?

Even Kanpur's senior groundsman (not willing to be named) admitted after the game that "there was no dew on the ground".

"These are early days for dew factor to come into the play here. Indian bowlers were fortunate to have not faced dew issue tonight otherwise the result would have been different," said the groundsman after the match.

Indian team management has been trying to ignore bowling crisis to justify their decision to keep Ravindra Jadeja out of the squad. Even the local lad Kuldeep Yadav, who was eager to play before his home crowd, was ignored to try out Axar Patel one more time.

The Indian selectors have repeatedly ignored other top spinner R Ashwin. With changes in playing conditions and 2019 World Cup in mind, Indian think tank has decided to go ahead without Jadeja, Ashwin and Amit Mishra for now after their failure in the Champions Trophy final loss to Pakistan.

Since the start of the 2015 World Cup till Sunday's Kanpur ODI against Kiwis, India has played 58 ODIs, but Ashwin and Jadeja have featured in less than half of those games.

But then Kohli and his thinking partners need to build their attack beyond Jadhav or Pandya who could well be used sparingly.