‘We have a cluster of fast bowlers who have got exposure in white-ball cricket and are not far away (from Test call-up)’, says Paras Mhambrey

Paras Mhambrey’s tenure as India’s bowling coach ended with the T20 World Cup triumph in the Caribbean. Having come into the fold as part of Rahul Dravid’s support staff in November 2021, Mhambrey took over a strong attack and oversaw the pace department going through a transition. In an interview with Venkata Krishna B, he talks about his tenure and the evolution of the pace attack across formats.

Excerpts:

Q: When you came in, India had a settled attack at its peak. How do you assess your two-and-a-half year tenure?

Paras Mhambrey: When I just came in, we were just about entering the transition phase in the fast bowling department. We had to move on from Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav with an eye on the future. Both of them had played a lot of cricket together. In Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, we had three frontline pacers. So we had to look ahead and that was the conversation myself and Rahul (Dravid) had. We wanted to build a team, look four years ahead. With youngsters, it helped a great deal that I had seen most of them at the NCA, at India A and Under-19 levels. We have given them the exposure the world over in white-ball cricket because that is what they were lacking. So the next time they go overseas, they would be familiar with the conditions. We saw how good Arshdeep Singh was at the T20 World Cup. And beyond him we have Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar. In two back-to-back World Cups, the bowling unit performed exceedingly well. We were a bit unlucky in terms of injuries, but overall it has been satisfying. To end it by winning the World Cup is truly special.

Q: At the T20 World Cup, India fielded three left-arm spinners in the XI ,which is unheard of in T20s. How did you plan that?

Paras Mhambrey: We knew how the pitches would behave in the West Indies. Because of so much cricket being played, we knew they would have enough wear and tear. The US was completely alien because they were using drop-in pitches and it was challenging for everyone. 100-120 were winning totals there. But in the West Indies, we knew what to expect. We knew it would turn and you needed someone to attack the stumps. And with Axar (Patel) and Ravindra Jadeja, both of them could bat and that gives depth in both batting and bowling. Even with match-ups, being left-handed batsmen, they brought in an advantage. We knew their roles. They were a brilliant package. And then there was Kuldeep Yadav, who brought in a different aspect. Also full credit to Rahul and Rohit (Sharma) to pick four spinners because without even one of them, we would have struggled.

India’s Axar Patel reacts after bowling a delivery during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final cricket match between India and South Africa at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. (AP)

Q: You spoke about transition. Arshdeep and Avesh still haven’t graduated to Test level. Are they still work in progress?

Paras Mhambrey: Avesh and Khaleel have gone back to the domestic level and bowled a lot overs there and done well. They are showing they have the longevity to bowl for long periods. But it is about waiting for the right opportunities. India already have three quality pacers and at home, only a couple of them get to play. So because of squad balance, there isn’t a need for a fourth seamer. So they have to wait for their moment. These guys are performing well and their form isn’t a concern. More importantly, they went through a full season without getting injured, which is a very good sign. Even if it’s a long series, you don’t need to worry about their fitness. We have a cluster of fast bowlers who have got exposure in white-ball cricket and are not far away. When the team travels overseas, they should be in the frame.

Q: You missed Bumrah for a majority of your tenure. How is it to plan without a bowler of his calibre?

Paras Mhambrey: First thing is acceptance. We accepted he wasn’t going to be around. Of course, we were monitoring all that he was doing and co-ordination with the NCA was really commendable. He came in and again got injured… and it was definitely not easy because we were looking at him for the WTC final, where conditions were just apt for him. It could have been a different story altogether if he was available. But we knew how long he would be out and we had the World Cup around the corner. We had a clear pathway and it was to gradually get him back into the fold by starting with T20s. Simultaneously, it allowed us to develop someone like Siraj. He took the responsibility and took charge of the attack. It was good to see some competition.

Q: And Siraj did go on to be the No.1-ranked bowler in ODIs during that period. How has he evolved as a white-ball bowler?

Paras Mhambrey: That’s something we constantly worked on and that’s where data and communication come in. We had a lot of one-on-one chats so that he sticks to a plan. It won’t come straight away. We told him what we expected from him. And it was wonderful to have Rohit also buy into the plan. Once Rohit trusted the plan, the bowler wasn’t going to be reluctant. He was given the time and Rohit trusted him because we saw the potential in Siraj. And with the help of data, we were able to pass on the right message to him. Mistakes did happen, but with every game, he was progressing. From red ball to white ball, he had to work a lot on his lengths and show control and discipline for long periods. Siraj had everything – pace, variations and control. He could generate something off the surface. We used T20s to good use because he has less margin of error in the format and once you get the control there, you take that into ODIs as well. That is what Siraj did. It was all about cutting down the margins.

Q: Be it the 2022 T20 World Cup or 50-over World Cup, Shami was a last-minute entrant as he didn’t play many bilateral series. Was he always part of the plan or was it desperation?

Paras Mhambrey: Shami was always there. But in bilateral series, you had to build a team as well and needed to factor in a lot of things like form and workload. Because of squad strength, he missed out. As far as the World Cup goes, Hardik (Pandya) was the fourth seamer in the squad and when it was clear he would be able to bowl his full quota of overs, he was going to be the third-choice seamer in the XI behind Bumrah and Siraj, who had an outstanding Asia Cup. So leaving out Shami was never an easy choice. Our combination didn’t allow him. But once Hardik was injured, Shami just came in.

Q: Arshdeep had a couple of good T20 World Cups but suddenly started to struggle and again had an outstanding World Cup this time. What was going on with him?

Paras Mhambrey: I’ve seen Arshdeep from his Under-19 days and I’m really happy with how he has progressed and how focused he is. He has shown good maturity in terms of his plans in T20s. Be it bowling in the Powerplay or at the death, he has full clarity. If you look at his body language, he is really pushing and that is a big plus. He is ready to handle pressure. You can see his potential in T20s and the idea was to make him a regular in the format and then make the progression to ODIs. We wanted him to play as much first-class cricket as possible just to get control over his skillset. To consistently execute your skills, you need to play Ranji Trophy. Play a full season and you will automatically get the control. It will test everything. When he got a County opportunity, we sent him because we needed a left-arm seamer to make the attack rounded. That is why we even brought in Jaydev Unadkat. Since Zak (Zaheer Khan) retired, we haven’t had a left-arm pacer making a Test debut. And unless he plays red-ball cricket, Arshdeep can’t get there. He is very keen to play all formats. That is the reason we sent him… to assess where he stood in terms of fitness and skill level. County cricket isn’t easy and as we expected, he came back as a different bowler.

Q: In an interview with The Express, Arshdeep said he wants to play Tests. Is he ready?

Paras Mhambrey: It depends on the conditions. Maybe in Australia if we play four seamers, he has a chance. To get one in India will be very difficult at the moment. But I feel he just needs a little more game time in first-class cricket, just to get control over his swing and also know how to use reverse-swing, which will be very handy. He has the swing that works for him. It is about maintaining fitness and working on it. At the moment, he may not be a starter in Tests, but isn’t far away.

India’s Arshdeep Singh, right, celebrates with teammate Suryakumar Yadav after the dismissal of United States’ Shayan Jahangir during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between United States and India at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Westbury, New York, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Q: Umran Malik created plenty of excitement. But we haven’t seen much of him in the last couple of years. What has happened to him?

Paras Mhambrey: I think one has to build talent. Someone having express pace is a rare commodity and you see potential in him. When he burst onto the scene bowling 145-148 (kmph) — I’m not someone who get carried away with the speed gun showing 160kpmh because I don’t think it is real – you realise pace was his strength. He was definitely quick and was hitting the high 140kmphs regularly. To bowl consistently at that pace is good and he has done that. But how does he do that? In T20s, if you are not having control, you will struggle. Once you do that, you will lose the faith of the captain. So one has to gain control and that will happen only if he plays Ranji Trophy. That is why we are pushing him to play Ranji Trophy because when he goes through a season, even under pressure, he will be able to execute his skillset.

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