India may lack the bowling firepower to pull off a first-ever Test series win in Australia, former Test great Glenn McGrath said Wednesday.
Published: Dec 21, 2011, 08:39 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 21, 2011, 08:39 AM (IST)
Former Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath feels India would struggle if pace spearheads Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma were struck down by injury © Getty Images
Sydney: Dec 21, 2011
India may lack the bowling firepower to pull off a first-ever Test series win in Australia, former Test great Glenn McGrath said Wednesday.
McGrath, fourth in the all-time list of leading wicket-takers, said second-ranked India would struggle if pace spearheads Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma were struck down by injury.
Left-arm seamer Khan, 33, is on the comeback trail from ankle surgery that cut short his tour of England this year, while Sharma, 23, has developed an ankle injury during India’s opening tour match in Canberra.
“Zaheer Khan was a big loss for them in England and he’s obviously their main bowler,” former fast bowler McGrath told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“And Sharma bowled well… last time they were out here so he’ll be looking to find a bit of form.
“But with both those guys under injury clouds it’s not looking good. To go into a Test match without both those guys (at full fitness) it’s going to weaken their bowling line-up a lot.”
India have not won a series in nine tours to Australia stretching back to 1947, but Australia appear vulnerable after an embarrassing Test loss to lowly New Zealand in Hobart earlier this month.
While India boast a powerful batting line-up in Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman, McGrath said there were justifiable concerns about their bowling stocks.
“They’ve got an awesome batting line-up, that’s definitely their strength,” McGrath said.
“They lack a little bit in the bowling. They’re going to have to bowl well to compete with us.
“It will be interesting to see how they go out here. I saw them play England earlier this year and it was a fairly one-sided contest.” (AFP)
