McGrath retains 'total faith' in Indian bowlers despite Wellington loss

The former Australian pacer maintains India has a 'world-class' bowling attack despite its performance in the Wellington Test defeat to New Zealand.

Glenn McGrath at a Tourism Australia event in Mumbai.

It hasn’t been a memorable outing for India in the Test series against New Zealand. Even as Ishant Sharma returned to action with a five-wicket haul, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah claimed lone wickets apiece as New Zealand drubbed India by 10 wickets.

However, Australia pace legend, Glenn McGrath isn’t in a mood to think too much about the defeat. For the 50-year-old, the Indian fast bowling unit still remains a ‘world class’ attack.

“I still have total faith in the Indian (bowling) lineup. They had a few injuries off late. Ishant is coming back and he did get five wickets. Bumrah had a couple of injuries and he is coming back. So, I think the Indian bowling attack is world class and there is no doubt about that,” McGrath said on the sidelines of an event organised by Tourism Australia.

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Analysing India’s defeat in the first Test, McGrath agreed that toss played a key role. “Conditions in New Zealand are different to that they are in Australia. In Australia, it's quicker, bouncier pitches. In New Zealand, it swings more, seams a little bit more. It’s more like English conditions than Australian. That first pitch had grass on the deck and India lost the toss. That's how it goes. You have got to bat really well,” McGrath said, adding: “I don’t have any issues with the bowling attack, you don’t lose form overnight.”

Talking about Ishant, who returned from an injury, McGrath said: “Ishant has a lot of experience, the way he’s comeback in the last couple years, its been impressive. I thought his career might have been finished at international level, but he has reinvented himself and he is bowling well.”

The Aussie pace icon was also all praise for Shami and Bumrah. “Shami bowls good pace and is deceptive in the pace he bowls, he can move the ball around and is very experienced, just knows the game so well. Jasprit is unique with the way he goes about it short run up, powers through the crease, can swing the ball, good control and good pace (in) second third spells. And then on top of that the other quicks and spinner.”

With T20 World Cup scheduled later this year, McGrath even picked his top teams. “It would be Australia, India, England and Pakistan,” McGrath said, making it clear that the other two teams in the contention could be New Zealand and West Indies.

Last year, England won the World Cup on the count of boundaries and McGrath found that decision a bit strange. “You wanted to be a clear winner, always. I didn't even know that you can pick a winner on the boundary counts,” McGrath said, admitting that ideally a Super Over would have been a better option to decide on the winner.