Ready to step up and be counted

By including pacers Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna in squad for SA, India have their transition programme in place 

- Vivek Krishnan

If Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara's exclusion from India's Test team for the tour of South Africa points to a change of guard in the batting department, the pace bowling unit is also in the throes of a gradual transition.

It may not be as apparent because Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are at the peak of their powers, preying on deficiencies in the opposition collectively and skilfully as part of a three-pronged pace attack.

But beyond the tried and tested trio, India are in the process of finding a fresh crop of pacers - depth in this department is essential to sustained excellence in this format.

The first steps in this longdrawn-out transition were taken in January 2022 when Ishant Sharma - 105 Tests old - was dropped after India's previous tour of South Africa. And now with Umesh Yadav also falling out of favour - the last of his 57 Tests came at the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval in London in June - it has become imperative for the Indian think-tank to seek new options. Also remember that Shami is 33 while Bumrah is 30 and essential to India across all formats.