Ever since his debut for Team India in the Test series against the West Indies in 2023, pacer Mukesh Kumar has gone on to play 21 more matches for the country, across all formats. He has been impressive in the two Tests he has played, bagging six wickets at an average of 18, and a strike-rate of 35.
What’s even better, Mukesh looks like a certainty in the India squad, if not in the playing XI for now. He’s a much-improved bowler, from his first match for the country, to now. And by his own admission, staying in touch with someone like Jasprit Bumrah is working wonders for him.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Mukesh said, “Bumrah bhai keeps advising me on the yorker in particular. He says, ‘Tu bahut acchha yorker daalta hai. Jo kar raha hai, bas wahi karta jaa’ (You bowl the yorker well. Just keep doing what you have been). We talk quite regularly and he gives me other suggestions as well, which are obviously invaluable.”
Mukesh candidly added, that he is working on a slower one too, on the advice of bowling coach Paras Mhambrey. “Paras sir’s advice on the slower one, too, is something I’m working on. So yes, I’m just looking to sharpen my skills further in terms of bowling yorkers and the slower one, especially in T20 cricket.”
Camaraderie Among Pacers
The pace unit looks like, is a close team, and the results show too. Even Mukesh looks like the part of that unit now. “It’s quite similar to what myself, Akash (Deep) and Ishan Porel used to do in Bengal,” Mukesh added.
“Here also we discuss our respective roles: who will go on all-out attack and who focuses on keeping things tight with maiden overs. In Cape Town, Bumrah bhai was telling me to keep bowling those dot balls as that would add to their (Proteas) pressure (in the second innings).
“Such was the situation that I had to bowl those, which eventually proved to be beneficial for the team.”
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