Has India’s Test Bowling Lost Its Bite Since Virat Kohli Stepped Down?

India has always been a country that has been dominated by batsmen, with players coming from the First-class to the International format, etching their names in history. There have been a number of known stars, such as Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, and many more, who have shone with the bat.

But over the past decade, the Indian team has also shone with the ball, as the bowlers have been able to showcase their strong performances at both home and overseas conditions. Players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and various others have spearheaded the team’s bowling attack in Tests over the last decade.

Once a former Indian coach said, “Pitch ko nikalo game se. Bhad me gaya pitch. Whether it is Joburg or Auckland or Mumbai or Melbourne, we need to take 20 wickets.” It seems that the Indian team has started to forget this mentality in the Test format lately, with the bowlers struggling to take wickets.

As a result, the team’s bowling performances have deteriorated to a great extent over the past few years. A number of players who were once dominating with the ball now face issues such as age factor and form, while others, such as Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav, have been dropped. Let’s take a look at the reasons that have led to a decline in India’s bowling attack in red ball cricket.

Captaincy Shifts

The Indian team has gone through a number of changes in its captaincy over the past decade. Virat Kohli, who is also regarded as the greatest Test captain for India, led the team to new heights in the Test format under his captaincy. He led the team from January 2015 to January 2022, where the team dominated in both Home Tests and Away Tests.

Following his step down from the captain post, Rohit Sharma was appointed as the new captain of the team in this format. Although he was overall a great captain, Rohit wasn’t able to carry the legacy created by Kohli in the Test format. Rohit recently announced his retirement from the Tests in May 2025, after which Shubman Gill was announced as the new captain ahead of the England tour.

Under Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli was known as the bowlers’ captain, as his main objective in the Test format was to get the 20 wickets as soon as possible. Regardless of the conditions, he helped his bowlers a lot by boosting their confidence and giving them the freedom to set the field according to their needs.

Player	Matches	Innings	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Average	Economy
R Ashwin	61	116	2618.1	552	7082	316	22.41	2.70
RA Jadeja	45	86	1818.1	459	4398	187	23.51	2.41
Mohammed Shami	46	87	1323.3	269	4116	168	24.50	3.10
Ishant Sharma	44	81	1115.5	253	3102	124	25.01	2.77
Umesh Yadav	41	82	1036.3	191	3461	116	29.83	3.33
Jasprit Bumrah	27	52	971.4	238	2583	113	22.85	2.65

The Indian spinner duo, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, surely did dominate for the team in both overseas and home conditions. Both of them combined took more than 500 wickets for the team, also acting as an X-factor in the matches played at Home. From 2016 to 2022, the Indian team didn’t concede 450+ runs in any Test innings. It was not just the spin attack that led to India’s dominance in the Test format; it was also Kohli’s full pace bowling line-up.

Under Other Captains

The other captains that the Indian team had after Virat Kohli have not been the bowler captain like him. Although their tactical aspects have been better, the bowling line-up has not been great. A few bowlers who played under Virat Kohli’s captaincy didn’t remain a part of the team consistently, with issues such as age, form, etc. Players like Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav were removed from the team under Rohit’s captaincy.

Player	Matches	Innings	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Average	Economy
R Ashwin	22	42	762.1	129	2406	107	22.48	3.15
Jasprit Bumrah	19	36	509.2	115	1533	97	15.80	3.00
Ravindra Jadeja	24	44	727.4	130	2166	91	23.80	2.97
Mohammed Siraj	25	46	579.1	92	2174	66	32.93	3.75
Kuldeep Yadav	6	12	171.4	22	621	30	20.70	3.61
Mohammed Shami	7	14	183.4	36	676	20	33.80	3.68

With two main pacers and two spinners, the bowling line-up has definitely lacked the power that it held for a long time under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. Bumrah is surely able to take wickets when needed, but Siraj has struggled with the economy rates. In the spin attack, Jadeja delivers consistently in home conditions, while Ashwin announced his retirement from this format. On the other hand, Kuldeep Yadav and Shami have not played consistently for the team.

Change in Conditions

There has also been a significant shift in the pitch conditions, which has led to the silent decline of India’s bowling line-up in the Test format. Earlier, the pitches were more bowler-friendly, but now they have been flatter, causing trouble for the bowlers.

Overseas

With the pitches favouring bowlers more, the Indian team was able to dominate in the overseas conditions. Whether it was England, Australia, New Zealand, or even South Africa, the bowlers were able to take wickets at a good pace, showcasing their consistency and dedication to take the team to the top.

Player	Matches	Innings	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Average	Economy
Mohammed Shami	32	59	934.0	179	2991	117	25.56	3.20
R Ashwin	27	51	1044.0	204	2952	111	26.59	2.82
Jasprit Bumrah	25	49	923.4	228	2454	109	22.51	2.65
Ishant Sharma	24	44	664.2	138	1886	82	23.00	2.83
Ravindra Jadeja	16	29	550.0	112	1530	52	29.42	2.78
Umesh Yadav	16	32	394.1	67	1484	36	41.22	3.76

The pressure of taking wickets was handled equally by all the bowlers, with Shami and Bumrah in the pace attack, accompanied by Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. But the team has suffered in overseas conditions since 2022, with the pitch conditions favouring the batsman more. Along with that, the Indian spinners have also not been able to get more favour from the overseas conditions.

Player	Matches	Innings	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Average	Economy
Jasprit Bumrah	9	16	279.3	57	855	54	15.83	3.05
Mohammed Siraj	14	27	415.5	63	1571	53	29.64	3.77
R Ashwin	6	10	207.5	44	565	24	23.54	2.71
Ravindra Jadeja	9	14	228.4	44	646	15	43.06	2.82
Prasidh Krishna	4	7	86.1	7	434	13	33.38	5.03
Umesh Yadav	3	6	87.0	15	248	9	27.55	2.85

This shows the reliance of Bumrah and Siraj for taking wickets in overseas conditions, where the Indian spinners have not been able to produce wickets. Along with that, players like Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav have also been removed from the Test team, removing another option.

Home

Even in home conditions, India maintained an unbeaten series streak under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. It was not just his captaincy that was responsible for this; it was also the unwavering support from the bowlers, even in the home conditions.

Player	Matches	Innings	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Average	Economy
R Ashwin	34	65	1574.1	348	4130	205	20.14	2.62
Ravindra Jadeja	29	57	1268.1	347	2868	135	21.24	2.26
Umesh Yadav	25	50	642.2	124	1977	80	24.71	3.07
Mohammed Shami	14	28	389.3	90	1125	51	22.05	2.88
Ishant Sharma	20	37	451.3	115	1216	42	28.95	2.69
Axar Patel	5	10	201.5	50	427	36	11.86	2.11

From 2015-22, the Indian spinners and pacers were able to easily dominate in the home conditions, taking wickets rapidly. But from 2022, it has been challenging for the Indian bowlers to find wickets, as some of the key players remain unavailable while a few have retired.

Player	Matches	Innings	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Average	Economy
R Ashwin	16	32	554.2	85	1841	83	22.18	3.32
Ravindra Jadeja	15	30	500.2	86	1525	76	20.06	3.04
Jasprit Bumrah	10	20	230.5	58	679	43	15.79	2.94
Kuldeep Yadav	5	10	135.4	13	508	22	23.09	3.74
Washington Sundar	2	4	70.5	6	226	16	14.12	3.19
Mohammed Shami	5	10	101.1	20	373	14	26.64	3.68

The averages of bowlers have fallen to some extent since 2022, and players like Shami, Kuldeep, and a few more have not been available in the majority of the games. Moreover, Ravichandran Ashwin has retired, which also makes it challenging to replace a legendary spinner like him in the home conditions.

Suffering various challenges in the Test format under a new captain, Shubman Gill, will India’s bowling line-up be able to gain back its momentum?