‘My pace jumped from 130 to 138’: Star India pacer has no clue how he added ‘8-10 kmph’ but can’t do it now
Unlike Pakistan, Indian cricket, traditionally, hasn’t been renowned for producing a battery of pace bowlers. And those that have come through have mostly gotten lost speed along the way, only to fade away. Think of Munaf Patel, who started as a burgeoning fast bowler, sending thunderbolts close to 150. Then came VRV Singh. However, one disappeared quicker than he arrived while the other’s pace dropped to late 120s and early 130s. Heck, let’s forget 15 years ago. How about the last two years. Umran Malik, considered the next big tearaway pacer in Indian cricket, enjoyed one breakout season and has absolutely vanished from the selectors’ radar ever since.
To be honest, barring Javagal Srinath in the 1990s and the duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, no Indian bowler could really make a career by consistently cracking up the pace. Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, S Sreesanth, all began with energy but injuries and the need to have a long career made them focus more on discipline than pace. Until Bharat Arun’s famous five changed things around drastically. Bumrah, Shami, Mohammed Sirah, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav only increased their pace, along with intensity combining to contribute in India’s success away from home during the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri era.
One name that isn’t being talked about as much as it should is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The man who enjoyed arguably the best India debut among all his peers, who can forget the sight of Bhuvneshwar’s banana swing rattling the stumps of Pakistan batters in late 2012 and early 2013.
“It was around 2015-16. Before that, my average speed used to be between 130 and 132. After that, my average speed jumped to 137-138. Almost 8-10 kmph I added but honestly I don’t know how it happened. I never tried to increase pace. Experts used to tell me but I never tried to improve pace. Always wanted it to happen but I didn’t know how to do it. Everyone said it’s very basic. Train, go to the gym. Everyone does it. So had it been this simple, everyone would have done it,” Bhuvneshwar told Ranveer Allahabadia on his show TRS Clips.
The Shankar Basu factor
Bhuvneshwar, like another other Indian pacer from the mid 2010s credit former trainer Shankar Basu for bringing about a revolution in fitness. India’s strength and conditioning coach, Basu has been mentioned by several Indian cricketers, including Virat Kohli, as to how his methods got the players in the best physical shape to date.
“Our trainer, who is now with RCB, Shankar Basu. He introduced a training known as power training. So I started doing that. And besides, I also made some changes to my bowling. So all that played a part; it was a mixture of everything. But if someone tells me to do it again, I won’t be able to do it. I think it was a bit of everything. The maturity of your body plays a part. When I started playing, I was 21-22. When I reached 25, your body also builds. All those factors clicked,” added Bhuvneshwar.