S.O.B - Save our bowlers

Are they ready to fill the void?

When you know you’re using perishable energy, digging for alternative sources beforehand is the smartest thing to do. Albeit slightly late, the BCCI did keep an eye out for batsmen who could replace the Fab Four. Three of them have left, leaving only Sachin Tendulkar. He was the first to come and will be the last to leave among this elite group. It speaks volumes of the man’s tenacity, endurance and love for the game. But sooner or later he too will make a nation weep as he takes his beautiful straight drive and leaves. India shouldn’t be too worried about the batting resources though.

Virat Kohli has already shown he is capable of facing up against quality bowlers in Test cricket. Cheteshwar Pujara did so on the first day of the first Test against New Zealand. Although the conditions and the bowling attack did not test his technique too much, he hardly played a false shot apart from one mistimed hook. Ajinkya Rahane has looked good in the shorter forms of the game while Badrinath deserves a chance to at least fail and then be dropped. He seems more equipped than Suresh Raina and is a better fit at number 6 in Tests.

Unfortunately for India, the machine that’s running on reserve energy is the bowling unit. Despite the scientific advances in using solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy, the BCCI finds itself with a bowling machine that’s running on smoke. Apart from Zaheer Khan, the bowlers often end up being lambs to the slaughter. When they bowl in India, the unhelpful conditions are blamed and abroad, the opposition batsmen are just too good. India’s management of fast bowlers has been atrocious to say the least.

Ishant Sharma, recovering from surgery, has been picked for the New Zealand series but not for the first Test. He has been bowling well, but wickets continue to evade him. Umesh Yadav is still young and can only get better but the question is ‘when will he be able to spearhead an attack without Zaheer in it’. Varun Aaron hasn’t impressed much. His wrist position is always pointed towards fine leg indicating he should be able to swing the bowl in, but unfortunately it seems it will be quite a while before he stops spraying the ball down the leg side. If injuries have their way that might never happen. The India A tour didn’t throw up many prospects either. Shami Ahmed and Parwinder Awana, who was only selected because of an injury to RP Singh, are prospects. RP Singh himself is another casualty of the poor man-management skills of the BCCI.

The problem of paucity of fast bowlers had been previously overshadowed by the presence of some quality spinners. In recent times however, India has experienced a drought in that area too. The advent of T20 seems to have stolen the art of flight and guile. The recall of Harbhajan to the T20 team for the World T20 without any noteworthy performance to back his selection smacks of desperation. It sends a message to the younger spinners that the BCCI doesn’t trust them enough to deliver on the big stage. The saddest part is that one can’t blame the BCCI either. The spinners have done precious little to cement their places in the team. Harmeet Singh has looked good in the U-19 World Cup so far, but graduating to the senior level is a long and arduous process.

In a bid to find suitable batsmen in place of the Fab Four, the BCCI must not lose sight of the existing problem. India’s bowling department is short-staffed. Before the necessity to create an ad to recruit bowlers in the Indian team comes up, start now. SOB – save our bowlers.