Gopalganj, Bihar-born pacer Mukesh Kumar has come out as a major revelation for the Indian Test team since falling under the spotlight during the IPL 2023 for his accurate and disciplined Test-type line length for the Delhi Capitals. Since then, he has been a part of every Indian Test side and he has given some credit to captain Rohit Sharma for his recent rise.
Mukesh Kumar made his Test debut last year in July during India’s 2-match Test series in West Indies. He was a standby player along with Yashasvi Jaiswal during India’s 209-run loss against Australia in the World Test Championship final at Oval, a month before he earned his debut cap.
After his debut in the 2nd test against West Indies, Mukesh did not have to wait for too long to make his white ball debut. His T20I and ODI debuts came on the same tour and was also selected in the squad that toured South Africa last month.
He has played 11 ODIs and 6 T20Is already but is yet to fix his spot in the Test team. He was left out of the 1st test in Centurion where India lost by an innings and 32 runs but came in for Shardul Thakur in the 2nd test in which India produced a terrific turnaround to win by 7 wickets.
In that match, Mukesh Kumar bowled at his strength, showed his skills, and gave a glimpse of the things to come. In the 1st innings during Mohammed Siraj’s 6/15, Mukesh took 2 wickets as South Africa were bowled out for 55 runs. Out of the 23 wickets that fell on Day 1, the right-arm pacer was lucky to have his name there.
Then in the 2nd test, Mukesh produced his best performance yet as held on to an uncomfortable line against the Proteas batters. He will remember the Newlands Test not just because he was part of an Indian team that won a first-ever Test match there but also because he was the one to remove Dean Elgar who was playing his farewell Test match.
“He Is Always There When We Seek Feedback”, Mukesh Kumar On Rohit Sharma’s Guidance
The 30-year-old gave a little insight into what goes on when bowlers are practicing in the nets. Mukesh Kumar stated that Rohit Sharma is always watching over the bowlers and shares his input whenever one needs it. He claimed that Rohit advises the bowlers on the type of balls and lines they can hit which can trouble batters, especially in foreign conditions.
“He always tells us about areas to bowl when we seek feedback in the nets. He would tell us If you pitch the ball in this particular length and channel, you can trouble us,” Mukesh Kumar told PTI.
“Plan Was To Bowl Back Of Length Deliveries”, Mukesh Kumar Reveals Plan Against South Africa
Knowing the fact that South African pitches are nowhere similar to Indian pitches, Mukesh also mentioned the game plan heading into the 2nd Test. He said that if the bowlers bowled fuller deliveries then there are chances of a big shot and that’s why the game plan was to bowl in 6-8 meter length and wait for the surface to produce bounce on its own.
“If you bowl fuller in India, the ball moves in the air but here if you try to bowl full, you’ll get smashed. So we decided that we will bowl between 6 to 8 meter length and since there is a lot of bounce on offer, you can get wickets,” Mukesh concluded.
Mukesh Kumar has a great First Class record, picking up 155 wickets in 41 matches. He has performed well in the International circuit until now although his best is yet to come. The only thing that the Indian team will hope for is Mukesh goes on to become their frontline bowlers like Bumrah, Siraj, and Shami.