India vs Sri Lanka: Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, and the development of India's fast bowling unit

Defending a total of 162 is never easy, but India's bowlers just about did the job as they registered a narrow two-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the series. 

But two bowlers stood out more than others – Umran Malik and Shivam Mavi. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A superb spell on debut for Shivam Mavi 👌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSL</a> | Scorecard: <a href="https://t.co/fYd8oHsjcI">https://t.co/fYd8oHsjcI</a> <a href="https://t.co/oJ2WlmPlRi">pic.twitter.com/oJ2WlmPlRi</a></p>&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1610319590411624452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Malik made history with his delivery to dismiss Dasun Shanaka, as it clocked in at 155 km/h – the fastest ball ever bowled by an Indian in international cricket. 

As for Mavi, he was on debut but showed minimal nervousness and ended the match with figures of 4-22 in his four overs. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">⚡ UMRAN EXPRESS! A top notch spell from the pacer tonight.<br><br>👏 Well bowled!<br><br>📷 BCCI • <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UmranMalik?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UmranMalik</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SLvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SLvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BharatArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BharatArmy</a> <a href="https://t.co/7DXfSeiQj1">pic.twitter.com/7DXfSeiQj1</a></p>&mdash; The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/thebharatarmy/status/1610318678985441280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Both impacted the game in very different ways, but their performance results speak to a better long-term future for the Indian team in the pace bowling department. 

For Umran, this was a chance to spread his wings and show his capabilities while showcasing his apparent improvements. 

One of the major criticisms levelled his way was that he would only sometimes be errant with his lines and lengths despite possessing a searing pace. 

That wasn't the case this time, and it was proven by the ball he bowled to get rid of Shanaka, which was in many ways right on the money. 

The length was slightly fuller than usual, but the pace of the ball was such that it suckered Shanaka into a lull that he could smash the ball to the boundary. 

That is why he went for an attacking shot – but the ball climbed onto him so quickly that he could not see it correctly time it and holed out to Yuzvendra Chahal. 

Chahal still had to take a difficult catch to complete the dismissal, but it would not have even been a catch if it wasn't for Malik's pace. 

As for Mavi, he might not have the express pace that Malik has, but he can still crank it up to the mid-140s and thus make it challenging for batters to play him when he gets to swing. 

It also helps considerably that he has a couple of slower ball variations that he can use to good effect to mix things up. 

The good news for India is that two young fast bowlers in the team can compete internationally. 

The Indian pace battery desperately needs depth, and the emergence of these players and Mukesh Kumar, who is yet to make his debut but is in the squad, means India has multiple options.

This was recently the case, wherein a sudden injury to one player could often lead to a scramble to find a replacement. 

But Mavi and Umran, India have two pacers who, if managed well, can do wonders for the team in the long run.