Published: Sep 11, 2011, 12:26 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 21, 2014, 09:05 PM (IST)
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
India’s fighting performance at The Oval wasn’t enough to register their first international win on the tour of England. At one stage it looked like they had a good chance of turning things around but it was England who emerged stronger. However, there were a few positives for India which would give them good confidence as they move on to Lord’s. Nevertheless, India’s negatives have had a huge bearing on the ultimate result in each game as they fritter away the positives.
The biggest reason for India’s 0-2 deficit is their one-dimensional bowling attack. In the first two One-Day Internationals (ODIs) India went in with the ‘pace’ (if one may use the word) trio of Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel and Vinay Kumar – three military-medium bowlers who pose batsmen no problems in dealing with their speed, rather the lack of it. The three of them hover around the 130-kmph mark which isn’t fast enough to rattle any batsman. Munaf may bowl the occasional delivery over the 135 kmph mark but it is evident that his days of being one India’s fastest bowlers are behind him.
India needs somebody whose pace would disconcert batsmen. They need a tearaway who can consistently bowl over 140-kmph and possibly touch the 150-mark. In the past we have seen Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma and VRV (Vikram Raj Vir) Singh carry the hopes of being the fastest in the country. However, Munaf and Ishant lost their pace over the years due inexplicable reasons and VRV Singh was left in obscurity because of poor handling and inept man-management. Thus, having young fast bowlers is one thing but to help maintain their pace and fitness is something else.
Currently, India have two bowlers in Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav who promise to deliver as genuine quicks. They are young and raw which means that handling them is of vital importance. The Indian team management has to ensure that they are not subjected to the fate of VRV Singh. They should be encouraged to bowl fast, as it is their biggest strength. Even if they have a few bad games they should be given the confidence that they won’t be axed because they can be the answers to India’s search for genuine fast bowlers.
Aaron is on the tour to England and it is good to see that the selectors are looking to pick a bowler with pace. As mentioned in my previous article, India would gamble well by playing Aaron in the ODIs. The conditions in England favor the fast bowlers and if Aaron is able to move the ball a touch at his pace, the England batsmen would find it difficult to play. His inclusion would certainly add a new dimension to India’s struggling attack.
On the other hand, Umesh Yadav has been with the Indian team on a few tours but has had limited opportunities to establish himself. His three ODIs came during the Zimbabwe tri-series last year when India sent a weakened side. He also toured with the Indian Test team to South Africa in 2010-11 but didn’t get a game. Since then he has been to Australia for the Emerging Players Tournament. The selectors need to keep him on their radar and monitor his progress. They shouldn’t make the mistake of ignoring him as it would be another addition to the long list of fast bowlers that have fallen by the wayside. He should be picked on tours so that he gets exposure to different conditions which would help his growth as a bowler.
Apart from the two, India also needs to monitor Ishant Sharma, Rudra Pratap Singh and Shantakumaran Sreesanth. They aren’t express like Aaron and Yadav but are brisk – faster than Munaf, Praveen and Vinay. Ishant was express at one time but hasn’t reached the same footing. However, there are signs of his pace returning and if he can raise it a few notches, he may be able to replicate the standard he set during the Australia tour of 2007-08. Sreesanth can bowl in the 140s on quite a few occasions (though not as consistently as Yadav and Aaron) but needs to work on hitting the right areas. The only thing that is keeping him out of the ODI set-up is his tendency to get erratic.
For the third ODI, India replaced Vinay Kumar with Rudra Pratap Singh and he looked in much better rhythm than he did during the fourth Test. RP Singh is one bowler who can bowl in the 140s when he is in his top stride. In the third ODI he touched 138 on quite a few occasions and it indicated that he was nearing his top mark. If he can continue his progress then it is a matter of time before he hits his zone of comfort. But the selectors should not make the mistake of dropping him after this series if he continues to show signs of returning to top gear. He is a very talented bowler who can bowl decently fast and move it in the air which is a lethal combination.
The current ODI series may give one the impression that India doesn’t have bowlers who can bowl fast. As a batsman going in to bat against this attack, you wouldn’t be threatened by their pace but would only worry about the movement they may get. However, if they do not get movement in the air or off the seam, the batsman would have no difficulties in working the ball around and playing the aggressive shots.
But, as we have seen there are bowlers who are genuinely fast and those who are brisk. It is only a matter of guiding them and handling them with professionalism.
There is a famous saying, “What we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.” The Indian team management is a perfect example as they are yet to learn the lessons from the past and lost quite a few genuine quicks. It is time they learn their lessons and correct their approach.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya, a 20-year-old law student, is a club and college-level cricketer. His teachers always complain, “He knows the stats and facts of cricket more than the subjects we teach him.”)
