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India quicks getting the thoroughbred treatment

December 12, 2018 14:54 IST

I think fast bowlers are a precious commodity and they need to be taken care of like what you do with a racehorse, says India bowling coach Bharat Arun who also likens R Ashwin to fine wine.

Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah took 14 of 20 wickets at Adelaide Oval in a fine debut as a pace trio on Australian soil that helped fire the tourists to a 31-run win on Monday

IMAGE: Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah took 14 of 20 wickets at Adelaide Oval in a fine debut as a pace trio on Australian soil that helped fire the tourists to a 31-run win on Monday. Photograph: AAP/Dave Hunt/via/Reuters

India are treating their pace bowlers like prize-winning thoroughbreds after the series-opening win over Australia in Adelaide while cautioning them against straining too hard at the reins when the second match gets underway in Perth.

Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah took 14 of 20 wickets at Adelaide Oval in a fine debut as a pace trio on Australian soil that helped fire the tourists to a 31-run win on Monday.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan wrote on Twitter that India skipper Virat Kohli and actress wife Anushka Sharma had given up their business class seats to two of the quicks for the 3.5 hour flight from Adelaide to Perth on Tuesday.

 

India coach Ravi Shastri said all three were being spared net duties on Tuesday in a bid to freshen up before day one of the second Test starting at Perth Stadium on Friday.

"I think fast bowlers are a precious commodity and they need to be taken care of like what you do with a racehorse," India bowling coach Bharat Arun told reporters in Perth on Wednesday.

"And that's exactly what's happening."

India's players celebrate the wicket of Shaun Marsh 

IMAGE: India's players celebrate the wicket of Shaun Marsh. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Friday's Test will be the first played at the new Perth Stadium, which has a drop-in pitch and succeeded the WACA as the city's premier venue for internationals.

Perth Stadium curator Brett Sipthorpe is keen to produce a fast, bouncy wicket that would not be out of place at the WACA.

Arun said India's bowlers would welcome that prospect following the relatively unhelpful track served up at Adelaide.

"Definitely with a little help from the wicket, obviously the bowlers would love that sort of a wicket," he said.

"Again, whatever is in the offing, we are happy with it."

However, he said he would urge his bowlers to stick to the same recipe that brought success in Adelaide -- consistency and sustained pressure.

"You can be carried away with the extra pace and bounce but again you need to understand that on any responsive track, what is really going to be successful is your consistency," he said.

"And that's exactly what we're going to work with the bowlers."

While the quicks were akin to racehorses, Arun likened spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who took six wickets and bowled a huge load at Adelaide, to a fine wine.

'Ashwin has been really good and the last match he helped us to control -- he gave us the control, bowling close to 90 overs for 147 runs and six wickets. You can't ask anything better' 

IMAGE: 'Ashwin has been really good and the last match he helped us to control -- he gave us the control, bowling close to 90 overs for 147 runs and six wickets. You can't ask anything better'. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

"Spinners mature a lot with age, maybe they're like wine," he said.

Ashwin has been really good and the last match he helped us to control -- he gave us the control, bowling close to 90 overs for 147 runs and six wickets. You can't ask anything better. He allowed the fast bowlers to take turns and he could control from one end. That's the job he was interested in. I think he did that exceptionally well.

"It's important that a spinner discovers the things he can do. For that to happen, a coach can give the necessary feedback because most often what the bowlers think they're doing and what they're actually doing can be two different things. If you can bridge that gap, that's when the bowlers can grow,” he added.

Arun also had word of advise for his bowlers.

"On overseas wickets, especially like in Perth, you can be carried away by the extra pace and bounce, but again you need to understand that on any responsive track what is really going to be successful is your consistency. And that is what we're going to work on with the bowlers,” he added.

When asked about Australian attack regaining potency on the fast and bouncy Perth wicket, the coach said, “We quite expect this. Each time you're on foreign soil the wickets are a lot more conducive to suit the home bowlers and our batsmen are also aware we would be faced with wickets where there would be bounce and pace. They've worked really hard at that." 

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