Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja heaped praise on the current India bowling set-up and also hailed coach Ravi Shastri for bringing a change in the system.
The Indian bowling unit has been one of the most dominating since the past few years and has drawn praises from the legends as well as fans of the games and is the main reason why Virat Kohli-led side have been able to put up strong performances on overseas tours in recent times.
With the ICC World Test Championship final, followed by the five-Test series against England around, Team India skipper Virat Kohli will be reliable on their bowlers to put on a great show.
"India is doing what Pakistan used to do under Imran Khan’s leadership," Ramiz Raja
With the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Ishant Sharma all available for the selection, Team India has a great chance to clinch WTC final and Test series against England.
In an interaction with India TV, former Pakistan skipper Ramiz Raja lauded Team India as the best from a bowling point of view. He added that current Team India has done a marvelous job and coach Ravi Shastri deserves credit for this.
"The Indian team is currently the best from a bowling point of view. On the batting front, I believe that there's still scope for improvement. Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, and Ganguly were a part of India's golden batting era.
“But from a winning point of view, especially in overseas conditions, the current Indian team has done a marvelous job. Coach Ravi Shastri also deserves credit for this," Ramiz Raja told India Tv.
Raja said that Team India these days is fearless because of the cricketing system in Indian cricket. He added that skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri have created a winning environment in the team and new players who join the Indian set-up know what to do.
"At present, the Indian team is fearless while taking on any opposition including Pakistan. The cricketing system is also responsible for this change in Indian cricket. Virat Kohli and Shastri have created a winning environment in the team.
"Any new player who joins the Indian set-up knows demands in international cricket. So from a bowling point of view, the Indian team is better than ever. It has got variation as well as a good leader like Kohli," he said.
Ramiz Raja further talked about Virat Kohli's century drought, saying that it's just a matter of time before the 'god-gifted batsman converts his 50s into a three-figure score.
Ramiz suggested Kohli follow the basics - play straight and late - to find his rhythm. He added that temperament matters more than individual contribution in Test cricket.
Ramiz Raja says WTC should have been played in an exclusive 6-month window
"Statistics matter a lot in India's cricketing culture. Kohli might've not scored a hundred but the game isn't about individuals. If India is winning across all three formats, not scoring hundreds shouldn't bother a player like Kohli. It's just a matter of time before we see his hundred.
“If he plays straight, takes time to settle, and plays late in England, I'm sure he'll find his rhythm. When someone like Rishabh Pant scores 25 odd runs and wins a Test for India, his individual score won't matter. People see temperament in the traditional format of the game," he concluded.
The WTC final will kick start on 18th June at Rose Bowl, Southampton while the five-Test series against England will begin on 4th August.
(INDIA TV inputs)
