Mumbai: The hosts’ bowling attack is the best that former England captain Michael Atherton has seen in India colours following seven consecutive victories at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
India became the first team to book their spot in the Cricket World Cup semi-finals as their pace attack ran riot in an emphatic 302-run triumph over Sri Lanka.
Jasprit Bumrah immediately had Sri Lanka on the ropes in their challenging chase of 358 runs when he dismissed the in-form Pathum Nissanka with the first ball of the innings.
Mohammed Siraj then struck three times in two overs to have Sri Lanka 4/3 and all but out of the contest, while also sending a warning shot across the rest of the tournament.
"They've looked the best team by a country mile,” Atherton said on the latest episode of The ICC Review podcast.
"They've got the best bowling attack. That's really the thing that has stood out for me," he said.
“They're a very good all-round side, obviously, but to watch them tonight against Sri Lanka here in Mumbai, and then the way they bowled against England in Lucknow, those seamers are making early in-roads and then making life much easier for the spinners,” Atherton said.
While Bumrah and Siraj did the early damage, Mohammed Shami finished off Sri Lanka with 5/18 from five overs.
Shami now has 14 wickets from three matches at the Cricket World Cup after only being called into the side when all-rounder Hardik Pandya was sidelined with an ankle injury.
The right-arm quick now has the most hauls of four wickets or more at Cricket World Cups with seven, and the most wickets for India at the tournament with 45, while returning to be a crucial part of arguably the best attack at this event.
"It's a fantastic attack. I think the quality and depth of the Indian pace bowling is the thing that's changed dramatically, really, since I played here,” Atherton said.
"I'm not sure I've seen a better pace attack than the one India are putting out right now," he said.
"Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, when I played, were very good, Zaheer Khan obviously. They've had very, very good bowlers but this three, backed up by the two spinners, it's a really top quality all-round attack right now," Atherton said.
India have surged into the semi-finals with an unblemished record so far, but could still lose top spot in the standings in their upcoming clash with South Africa on Sunday.
The Proteas have six wins from seven matches, including a shock loss to Netherlands, but a superior net run rate to India with five comprehensive victories by more than 100 runs each time they have batted first.
The battle between India’s attack and South Africa’s powerful batting line-up looms as a key dual in a mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash that could well be a preview of a match-up when the stakes are at their highest.
"It's going to be a taster of what may be to come in the knockout stages,” Atherton said.
"Whether the players can hold their nerve, whether South Africa can still bat as aggressively and as well against India's pace attack, that remains to be seen. It'll be a good pointer to what's to come,” he added. (UNI)