Towards the end of the Indian team’s practice session at Ageas Bowl, he was seen knocking a bat with a ball. Batsmen usually do that, to find out the sweet spot, that part of the willow which makes maximum impact when it comes in contact with leather. Come the next few matches of the World Cup and the team will be keen to see how he does in the other role. He was Mohammed Shami.

With Bhuvneshwar Kumar out for a while after pulling a hamstring in the Pakistan game, Virat Kohli has no choice but to fall back on the fast bowler whose omission from the XI in the first three games had raised eyebrows. But he had a reason. Having opted for two spinners, there was room only for one of Bhuvneshwar and Shami. So he went for the bowler known for his ability to swing the ball.

The door finally opening for him, Shami was busy at the nets on Wednesday. Checking his bat only at the end of a long session during which he went full tilt, he looked every inch a bowler keen to make up for the time spent warming the bench.

Having developed the dubious reputation of being someone prone to frequent breakdowns to becoming a bowler who has hardly had fitness issues for about a year, this is a reincarnation of sorts.

India’s strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu gives all the credit to the bowler from Uttar Pradesh who represents Bengal in the domestic circuit.

“Failing fitness tests in the past worked as a blessing in disguise for him. He came back a man determined to erase that track record. His entire training regime changed. Food, training, taking rest and repeating that cycle with total focus, he did that all. This Shami 2.0 you see today is the result of what he did himself.”

Given India’s fast bowling resources and that the World Cup is held in England, the move to have three specialists in this department with three spinners was surprising. But that was a conscious decision and does not change the fact that for the first time in the history of Indian cricket, there is a pool of bowlers capable of clicking 140 kmph or more on a consistent basis. This is the biggest and perhaps the most significant change in the game in the country over the last few years.

Instrumental in this change and someone who has been working behind the scenes in the period over which it happened, Basu says the process started four years ago.

“What you see now is the culmination of what began in 2015. What we did can be called lifestyle conditioning. It involves diet and nutrition, training, rest and recovery and following a routine.

"It didn’t happen overnight. But now, the players have become aware. They do most of the things on their own these days.”

Other than the injury to Bhuvneshwar, Indian fast bowlers have been a fitter lot in the recent past. Jasprit Bumrah grabs limelight more often than others because of what he does, but all of them have been available for selection despite playing almost nonstop, including the IPL. That, according to Basu, is an achievement.

“During IPL the cycle changes because of the late nights. We had about 10 days between the IPL final and our departure for the World Cup. That we managed to come here without injuries shows that the boys were doing the right things.”

If as a unit they do the right things, chances are that they will also make the right noise. That’s what India’s fast bowlers have been doing. But the job and test has just begun. To see if everything has been alright one has to wait a few more weeks.

Injury cloud hanging over Bhuvneshwar Kumar

There is also a cloud of uncertainty over Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The opening bowler came off the pitch after bowling 2.4 overs in the game against Pakistan.

He has a hamstring problem and the team is waiting for an update on him. It has been said that he will be out of at least 2-3 matches. The team is yet to seek a replacement for him. “He is being monitored,” said Subramaniam.

The team has a back-up option in Khaleel Ahmed, who is travelling with the squad as a net bowler. Selection committee chairman MSK Prasad is here, with colleagues Jatin Paranjpe and Gagan Khoda.

However, sources indicated that the team will wait a little longer before taking a call on Bhuvneshwar. He came for training on Wednesday but wasn’t seen bowling.