Bharat Arun, the former India bowling coach and current bowling coach of Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2026, has strongly defended India's young pace unit against recent criticism. The makeshift Indian bowling attack without Jasprit Bumrah struggled on flat pitches against an in-form, explosive West Indies batting unit led by Shai Hope. Apart from Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, the pace unit lacked experience across the white-ball series, prompting observers to describe the bowling as toothless.
Arun objected to this viewpoint, noting how the Indian bowling unit successfully defended a total in the third T20I against West Indies on a flat pitch with short boundaries. He emphasised that it is unfair to dismiss the current crop of bowlers without recognising their potential and the circumstances they faced.
"I feel, if you look at the overall Indian pace attack, it looks pretty healthy to me. It is just a question of the combination. When one bowler comes into the team. When somebody exprienced like Bumrah walks into the team, the whole bowling attack looks totally different. When they are trying out, this is the question that is most asked, different bowlers in different circumsances, one is they are gaining in experience. Yes, it is okay for a bowler to get hit. In sport, you are allowed to fail. But the failure to me is an investment to tell me how do I reinvent myself. So, if that is going to be the case, if the bowler is going to understand where he stands and if he is going to reinvent himself, I think that is great preparation for the big event. And I hope the team management is doing just that," Arun said while answering CricTracker's query during an interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network.
Arun highlighted that the absence of experienced bowlers like Bumrah significantly changes the composition and effectiveness of the attack. He stressed that young bowlers gaining experience through different circumstances is a natural part of their development, and setbacks should be viewed as learning opportunities rather than failures. Four pacers have recently made their debuts, while an experienced group remains available, though heavy rotation has been necessary due to workload management and fixture congestion.
Arun also pointed out that there are enough young bowlers in India who can swing the ball, and it falls to the selectors and team management to identify and nurture those talents. The T20I series in New Zealand begins on October 22, providing the young Indian pace unit with an opportunity to apply lessons from their recent experiences and demonstrate their capability on a fresh stage.
Arun reflected on India's recent tour of England, where the Men in Blue lost both the ODI and T20I series, and mentioned how that experience shapes the team's approach to conditions in New Zealand.
"New Zealand picking predominantly a pace attack, they could be taking a leaf out of what India fared in England. But also, it is an experience for this Indian team for the conditions that were prevalent in England. They will be thinking how they could have used the conditions much better than they did in England. Then there is going to be a really, really good battle there. I think these teams learn pretty fast these days," Arun said.
"And that is going to be the biggest challenge for any team is to understand different conditions and adapt to it. So, yes, England was an experience for this Indian team. But you cannot write them off just because the England experience didn't go too well. They can use that same experience to do better elsewhere," he added.
