” Well-Balanced Attack”: Sachin Tendulkar On India’s Bowling Arsenal Against South Africa

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has praised the Indian bowling attack which has been selected for the upcoming Test series against South Africa. India play a three-Test match series in the Rainbow Nation, the first of which starts from December 26 in Centurion.

Previewing India’s chances in South Africa during an interaction on the chat show Backstage with Boria, Tendulkar said about India’s bowling arsenal.

“It is a well-balanced attack. The fast bowlers that we have are all different types of fast bowlers. (Jasprit) Bumrah comes at a different angle, (Mohammed) Siraj has developed into a fantastic bowler, Shardul (Thakur) upfront likes to swing the ball.”

The Master Blaster also said that India will need to pick a bowling attack based on the conditions and the fitness of their players.

Don’t Waste The New Ball: Sachin Tendulkar

“It all depends, on that given day, who is also fit. The number of games we play and the number of injuries that we have had, a couple of spinners are missing out… It is about understanding the bowlers’ rhythm. There is lot of fire in our bowling attack to pick 20 wickets. Ashwin’s experience, the way he has been able to use his variations, has really impressed me.”

Tendulkar said that the Indian bowlers will need to target the off-stump and not too many wide deliveries. Making the batsmen play is another point that he touched upon.

“When it comes to hitting the right areas, a lot depends on the the dampness of the surface and the overhead conditions. If the ball is swinging, I would encourage the bowlers to bowl around off-stump, not outside it because it makes batters’ life easier for easy. Don’t waste the new ball. The new ball in South Africa becomes really important.”

The Indian bowling attack consists of Jaspriot Bumrah and Mohammed Shami who will lead the attack. Apart from them, there is Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, as the backup pacers. Ravichandran Ashwin and Jayant Yadav are the two specialist spinners in the squad.