You will say why this discussion when India has the won the world cup, IPL showed us some good bowlers…But are these bowlers the best ?? May be the answer is No..And there are some reasons to say “No” . India is called the best batting line up in the world but never known for great bowlers and because of that batting line up only India makes it, even if some time the bowling is really going bad.
Yes, we do have Zaheer - the best bowler of current decade. He has improved drastically in last 2/3 years, from a regular bowler to the best, match winner bowler. But I don’t think he always has support at the other end. He has Nehras, Munafs, Sharmas, Yadavs and Praveens. But are these guys enough?
We all know about Nehra and Munaf what they can do if opposite side is needing 15 in the last over. We can’t rely on them. Praveen is getting better and better day by day. Turning out to be the best swing bowler after Irfan. Yadav known as the find of Australian Tour has the pace that we missed from a century but he has to be groomed. He also has to learn the right lines n lengths. Though having these almost perfect bowlers we don’t have a perfect one. There is fire power missing who can bowl those yorkers in the death overs, who can beat the batsman with the quick pace, who can bounce the batsman up, who can rattle the lower order. There is always a problem for India when opposition is 150/6 and ends up with 250 on the board or opposition is 160 in 43 overs and ends up with 240 at the end.
What are the other options then? I can think up is Irfan Pathan and RP Singh in the experienced guys who has some abilities but not able to make a comeback in the side due to various reasons. Specially Irfan who can help you out as the best all rounder at the current situation when the elder brother is not able to provide it with bat or bowl. Both can swing and swing big, provided very good figures in the past and have something in them. Or we have to find a hidden talent from somewhere, as the said best in domestic cricketers like Jaydev Undakat,Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun may have a great talent but they are also missing those perfect Yorkers and the speed.
Talking about spinners now. India do have Harbhajan who has been awarded as the best spinner India have at the current moment but is he at his best like what he was when he entered in the world with the “turbanator “ tag against Australia. I would like to mention a tweet from the legend Hasrha Bhogle “I also think sometimes that harbhajan needs to go back to school to ask why he is still potentially a great bowler but not yet a great one.” which says it all. He is the material of a great one but not delivering great. Yes, he is still good but not as good as he has the potential.
With him there are options for Chawala, Pragyan, Mishra, Rahul and Ashwin. There is may be forgotten guys like Ramesh Powar and Murli Karthik are also there in ranks. All 4 mentioned in the 1st line are very promising guys but they need the experience and exposure before the time when they can replace or even come closer to replacing the Jumbo – Anil Kumble. So right now what India can do in spin department is trying and giving chance to each of these and probably to the likes of Iqbal Abdulla as well. And find the perfect one.
Yes, there are some issues in bowling specially in the fast bowling but selectors, bowling coaches and also the coaches at domestic levels have to work hard to get the best of Indian talent and make Indian team known as the great bowling line up.
Yes, we do have Zaheer - the best bowler of current decade. He has improved drastically in last 2/3 years, from a regular bowler to the best, match winner bowler. But I don’t think he always has support at the other end. He has Nehras, Munafs, Sharmas, Yadavs and Praveens. But are these guys enough?
We all know about Nehra and Munaf what they can do if opposite side is needing 15 in the last over. We can’t rely on them. Praveen is getting better and better day by day. Turning out to be the best swing bowler after Irfan. Yadav known as the find of Australian Tour has the pace that we missed from a century but he has to be groomed. He also has to learn the right lines n lengths. Though having these almost perfect bowlers we don’t have a perfect one. There is fire power missing who can bowl those yorkers in the death overs, who can beat the batsman with the quick pace, who can bounce the batsman up, who can rattle the lower order. There is always a problem for India when opposition is 150/6 and ends up with 250 on the board or opposition is 160 in 43 overs and ends up with 240 at the end.
What are the other options then? I can think up is Irfan Pathan and RP Singh in the experienced guys who has some abilities but not able to make a comeback in the side due to various reasons. Specially Irfan who can help you out as the best all rounder at the current situation when the elder brother is not able to provide it with bat or bowl. Both can swing and swing big, provided very good figures in the past and have something in them. Or we have to find a hidden talent from somewhere, as the said best in domestic cricketers like Jaydev Undakat,Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun may have a great talent but they are also missing those perfect Yorkers and the speed.
Talking about spinners now. India do have Harbhajan who has been awarded as the best spinner India have at the current moment but is he at his best like what he was when he entered in the world with the “turbanator “ tag against Australia. I would like to mention a tweet from the legend Hasrha Bhogle “I also think sometimes that harbhajan needs to go back to school to ask why he is still potentially a great bowler but not yet a great one.” which says it all. He is the material of a great one but not delivering great. Yes, he is still good but not as good as he has the potential.
With him there are options for Chawala, Pragyan, Mishra, Rahul and Ashwin. There is may be forgotten guys like Ramesh Powar and Murli Karthik are also there in ranks. All 4 mentioned in the 1st line are very promising guys but they need the experience and exposure before the time when they can replace or even come closer to replacing the Jumbo – Anil Kumble. So right now what India can do in spin department is trying and giving chance to each of these and probably to the likes of Iqbal Abdulla as well. And find the perfect one.
Yes, there are some issues in bowling specially in the fast bowling but selectors, bowling coaches and also the coaches at domestic levels have to work hard to get the best of Indian talent and make Indian team known as the great bowling line up.
