Bhuvaneshwar Kumar : The new spearhead after Zaheer

I can still vividly remember the India – Pakistan T20 series around 18 months ago. Pakistan was playing on the Indian soil after a long time, and as usual there was a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding the series. There was a bit of rain before the start of the match and India had put up a not so daunting total on the board after batting first. The onus was on the Indian bowling line up consisting of Ishant, Jadeja and Ashwin to save the day for India.
But what followed was something that came absolutely out of the blue. A thin, unassuming young man took the new ball and literally ripped through the defence of the Pakistan top order. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar made the likes of Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal look like club players in front of his vicious inswingers and movement outside the off stump. Since that day there has been no looking back for him and the recent 6 – wicket hall at Lords against England has reinforced the fact that Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has grown as the most dependable seam bowler for India after Zaheer Khan.
But what makes Bhuvi stand apart is not just his smooth action and prodigious swing, India has had many of the same ilk in the past. The likes of Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan and Vinay Kumar have shown that they can swing the bowl at will. But what works for Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is his consistency and temperament. He has been the spearhead of Indian bowling in all forms of the game for more than 18 months and his performance has only improved. He has made sure that he works on his fitness by managing his workload and does not get bogged down by couple of bad days in between.
However, the most pleasant surprise for all the Indian cricket fans has been Bhuvi’s batting. He has silently played a crucial role in some of India’s most famous test victories in the recent past. Whether it was that famous partnership with M.S Dhoni against Australia or the two crucial half centuries in both the innings at Lords, Bhuvaneshwar has taken to the role of a lower order all rounder with utmost ease. He has shown that he has the technique to handle the green tops abroad as well as the skill to survive on the dusty subcontinent tracks.
So although it might be unfair to say that Bhuvi has replaced Zaheer Khan, given the fact that the latter is still trying to break into the side and a fit and in form Zaheer would any day be a potent weapon for the Indian team. But we can safely say that Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has grown as a bowler leaps and bounds and matured as a cricketer overall. Ultimately, what every Indian fan might wish for is both Bhuvi and Zaheer sharing the new ball and provide the fans a performance to withhold.