Whatever success Mukesh Kumar has achieved so far in his cricketing career is through red-ball cricket. The 29-year-old quick was vastly instrumental in Bengal finishing runners-up twice in the last three editions of the Ranji Trophy.
It’s this consistent showing in Ranji which went a long way in securing Mukesh his maiden Test call-up as Team India get ready for the West Indies tour next month.
No matter how much of a familiar territory Mukesh finds himself to be in with pitches in the West Indies nowadays not being too different from those of the subcontinent, it’s still an away series after all. So, if he does get to make his India debut, he will need to make a few adjustments to keep himself well-placed for success.
“Mukesh is a bowler who has done well not just for Bengal, but even in the opportunities he has had so far for India A as well, and that too, on pitches that weren’t ideal for pacers. So he just needs to look to land the ball on the good-length spot on a consistent basis,” Bengal bowling coach Shib Shankar Paul said.
“He can bowl both the leg-cutter and off-cutter well, so that is one area that I’m quite confident he’ll be able to take care of. But if he can keep hitting that good-length spot time and time again, he could prove to be lethal as he’s capable of extracting extra and awkward bounce too. He’s close to six feet, so height isn’t an issue for him,” Paul, also a former Bengal pacer, explained.
Also, Mukesh should look to minimise the loose balls as much as possible. “In Ranji, he can still get away with a few loose deliveries.
“But this is international cricket and irrespective of who you’re playing against, the margin of error is minimal. So, that’s another area he needs to look after,” Paul advised.
Confidence-wise, Mukesh doesn’t need to worry much as just a few weeks ago, he had trained with the Indian team as a standby under the supervision of bowling coach Paras Mhambrey ahead of the World Test Championship final at The Oval earlier this month. That said, he’s also aware of the need to sharpen his skills.
“The inswinger is one delivery I’m working further on. I had discussed it with Paras Sir also in England.
“For a fast bowler, swing is equally important and that’s an area I cannot leave uncovered or unattended,” Mukesh had told The Telegraph after his selection in India’s Test and ODI squads on Friday.
Having bowled with the Dukes ball in England also bodes well for Mukesh. “Whether it’s Dukes or Kookaburra, my job is to adjust with everything and look to take wickets,” Mukesh said.
All said and done, it remains to be seen whether he gets picked in any of the two Tests when the squad already comprises Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat (all three of them being Mukesh’s seniors) along with comeback man Navdeep Saini.
“Obviously, it’s for the team management to decide. But given Mukesh’s accuracy, he should play in at least one of the two Tests if not both,” Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla said.
