Team India started winning Test cricket with the help of bowlers under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly when Zaheer Khan was leading the attack. And from there on, it has been all about making steady progress and Zaheer reckons that there is no doubt that this team under the leadership of Virat Kohli has one of the best bowling attacks in world cricket.

Speaking to IANS ahead of the start of the home leg of the World Test Championship against South Africa, Zaheer said, “These are exciting times to be a fast bowler in India. The likes of Bumrah, Shami, Ishant, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Navdeep Saini among others have proven the fact that the current Indian team is a powerhouse of bowling and it is by far the best bowling attack in the world. It feels fantastic as a fast bowler.”

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India has been leading the Test rankings has a lot to do with skipper Kohli’s love for Test cricket and the emphasis he puts on thriving in red-ball cricket. One of the few to have had the fortune to play under Ganguly, MS Dhoni, and Kohli (in the IPL), Zaheer reckons that the current India skipper is a lot like his first captain in international cricket – Ganguly.

Zaheer elaborated, “Sourav made us believe that we can win oversees and inspired us to play with a lot of aggression. Dhoni was calm through tough situations, yet aggressive in his approach. Virat is a lot like dada (Ganguly), he is expressive, bold in his decisions and always pumps the team up through crunch situations. His sublime batting form is always reflective of the way he leads the team on the field. I wish to see him lift the World Cup for India one day.”

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While Bumrah is, unfortunately, missing the upcoming series against South Africa due to a stress fracture, any talks with Zaheer is incomplete without discussing the bowler he has seen literally grow up and come through the ranks.

“I have tracked Jasprit’s progress from a very young age. Since his early days with Mumbai Indians, he was extremely talented and I am happy as to how over the years he has been able to nurture himself well and brought out some stellar performances for his team.

Commenting on Rohit Sharma’s promotion as an opener in Tests, Zaheer said that considering the batsman’s current form, it was important to draft him into the XI.

Zaheer explained, “You can’t really keep a player of his caliber out of the playing XI, especially after the kind of form he has shown in the last six months. We will have to wait and see if he has the skills although I have no doubts.”