Indian cricketing legend and former World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev hailed the Indian fast bowlers’ performances in Australia, that has given the side its best chance of a series win Down Under ahead of the fourth and final Test in Sydney.
Speaking at a function in Chennai, the legendary all-rounder said, “In the last 50 years no other (Indian) team have done so well in pace bowling what this team have done. It is unbelievable.”
Kapil Dev added he was impressed by the culture of fast bowling in the country and said it is bound to inspire the next generation of cricketers too.
“I have never seen this culture of an Indian fast bowler coming out and playing so hard. It is good to have a change of culture. It is the fruition of the last 15-20 years of hard work. We have set the benchmark very high and now you will find more fast bowlers coming through.”
In 2018, the Indian fast bowlers picked up 179 wickets in 14 Tests at an impressive average of 23.7 with Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shammi and Jasprit Bumrah accounting for 136 of those.
When asked on what impressed the most about the Indian fast bowlers’ efforts that have helped them outshine their Australian counterparts, Kapil said, “I think when you come as a group of fast bowlers, there is not much time to relax for the opposition team. If there is one fast bowler, they will play him out. Back then West Indies had four fast bowlers and you didn't have time to relax for even five minutes.”
“When every bowler is coming out and attacking, it is about how much temperament a batsman has. You are playing with his temperament and that’s what happened.”
Widely considered one of the best Indian captains, Kapil also said he had no issues with Virat Kohli’s aggression that has come under criticism saying, “As long as he is performing on the field, giving good results, it is fine. I judge him based on the performance on the field. As long as India is winning, that's what I look for.”