3 Reasons why India must consider recalling Bhuvneshwar Kumar in Tests

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been one of the bst Indian pacers since his debut. the star pacer has not had a great time post pandemic. The challenge for the right-arm pacer has been to maintain his form which has not been good. At his peak from 2013 to 2019, Bhuvneshwar was an irreplaceable entity in Indian cricket. Kumar possesses terrific skills as a pacer. The 33-year-old is one of those pacers who has the required skills to succeed in all the formats of the game.

Not many bowlers have the capabilities to perform in different formats. With the new ball, the star pacer can get the ball to swing eaither ways. With the old ball, the swing bowler has cutters, knuckle balls, and a terrific yorker to defend runs and get wickets. At his prime, Kumar was consistently delivering at a pace of over 135 kmph. However, his pace has gone down a lot in recent times. It was one of the main reasons behind his snub in limited overs cricket. 

However, it might not be a huge issue in Test cricket, giving his abilities to swing the ball either ways. Given the issue in Indian cricket regarding the form of the pacers, here are the 3 reasons why India must consider recalling Bhuvneshwar Kumar in Test Cricket.

Also check: 3 uncapped Indian players who should have gotten maiden Test call-up in series against England along with Dhruv Jurel (mazaplay.net)

3. Lack of Pace bowling All-rounder

India is a team that does not have as many pace bowling rounders as other teams. Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Venkatesh Iyer, and Vijay Shankar are some of the options in the batting Rounders department. Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar are some of the options in the bowling All Rounders department. However, none of them seem to have what it takes to be a permanent option in Indian cricket for a long time. But Kumar promises that.

In the past, Bhuvneshwar had established himself as a good Bowling pace All-rounder. It was exactly what was needed for the team. With the bat, he could add some runs and with the ball, he is an entity himself. Yet, for some unknown reasons, Kumar was neglected in Test cricket despite performing well. Given the inconsistency in All Rounders lately, India can go back to its premier performer, particularly in away tours, where his role would be highly necessary.

2. Comeback in Domestic cricket

Bhuvneshwar had a terrific comeback in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024. In the match against Bengal, Bhuvneshwar returned to domestic cricket in a resounding way. With the red cherry in his hand, Kumar seems to be back at his best. The star pacer got the ball to move either way and troubled the batters big time. In his spell, Bhuvneshwar claimed a whopping 8 wickets and singlehandedly kept Uttar Pradesh alive in the game. It has given him a huge confidence.

In the upcoming days, the challenge for Kumar would be to maintain the good form. If he can manage to do that, the selectors might well think about picking him in the Test squads for the upcoming tours. Given the point that the Indian pacers have been struggling to give their best outside the home conditions, Kumar can be a good option to try. Some of the pacers have been getting injured and the tight schedule means that Kumar can be given a go.

1. Experience

In sports or any other field, there is no substitute for experience. It is nothing different in cricket where experience plays a key role in the success of the players. Bhuvneshwar is an experienced player and can give it his best go. At his prime in the late 2010s, Kumar was terrific as a bowler. Even with the bat, he was very useful. In both home and away conditions, Bhuvneshwar was very good. In the away tours of 2018 in South Africa and England, he did well.

Kumar has the experience of succeeding well in the away conditions, where not many have succeeded in the past from the Indian subcontinent. particularly in recent times, not many have done well. Kumar has done well with the bat as well. In February, Kumar will turn 34. India needs the star pacer in its lineup considering how well he has performed for the side whenever he got chances. Back in time, India might not have needed him. But they currently need him in Tests.