The most famous empty cupboard

A month ago two hot topics in Indian cricket hogged all the limelight across leading Indian news channels. One was Yuvraj Singh’s ever growing waist size and the other, a much serious problem with India’s fast bowlers. Yuvraj had gone through the hardships behind the stage, made the comeback into the test team and even scored a quick hundred in the tour game at Colombo. Yuvraj’s story has mellowed down but the talk about the empty fast bowling cupboard has not fizzed off yet. In fact, the solicitude is growing with every passing day in India as the team has already started its test series against Sri Lanka without its leading fast bowlers, Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth.

Gary Kirsten spoke out in support of Ishant Sharma after the end of the first day’s play at Galle. He also went on to say as to how 15-16 bowlers were tried in the last 2-3 years and how many failed to make the cut despite being provided the chances. Many could come to a conclusion by looking into Indian coach’s comments about India’s bowling resources. But there is always the other side of the coin that we must also read into, before passing our judgments.

Is Indian cricket really facing predicament with its fast bowling resources? Are we giving time for the young Indian fast bowlers to grow in the international arena? How much are the Indian discards plotting their comeback into the national fold? How much has the conditions helped the fast bowlers to develop their skills and at times even be on top of their game? Who is responsible for this situation and who will make life better for India’s fast bowlers? How can things ameliorate for these aspiring quick bowlers?

INTERNATIONAL TOUR PLANS

One of the most important factors that critics must look at is the Indian cricket team’s international schedule in the past couple of years. Since the tour of Australia in 2007-08, Indian team has only travelled to New Zealand for a test tour in 2009. In essence, the team has been playing in the sub-continent for a major part of the last 30 months where pitches are always hostile for fast bowlers.

Indian fast bowling contingent is not the only unit that has had tough time in the sub continent. England’s leading fast men had a challenge to face against Tamim Iqbal and co at Bangladesh earlier this year. When they had toured India in 2008, things weren’t better because India could chase down 387 at Chennai in the 4th innings to win the test. Australians had to endure a hard time when Gambhir, Laxman, Tendulkar and Ganguly run riot a couple of winters ago. Sri Lankans had to face the wrath of Virender Sehwag both at their home and in India. Younis Khan made a triple hundred against the Lankans in a series at Pakistan when almost both teams scoring in excess of 400 every innings. Pakistani bowlers could not get past Samaraweera’s defence. South Africa was on the receiving end when Sangakkara and Jayawardene went on to string a 674 run partnership, 4 years ago. When Sehwag scored 319 at Chepauk, the best bowling unit in the world at that moment was on the mat.

It would have only been better had Mithun spent some more time in domestic arena just like how Zaheer and Ishant did before joining the national team.

So, in effect, none of the world’s leading fast bowlers have had great success as a unit in the sub continent. The pitches, historically, have been low and occasionally misbehaving on bounce and slow on pace. With quick outfields, it becomes that much difficult for fast bowlers to make an impact for long periods in test cricket. Hence, it is important to arrive at a conclusion only when Indian team starts travelling abroad.

In the next 18 months, the Indian team would be on the flight to almost all major test playing nations where the fast bowlers would get some support from the square and at much cooler conditions.

India’s leading fast bowler, Zaheer Khan is a prime example of someone who has grown in confidence by playing test matches abroad. After his test debut in Bangladesh, Zaheer started to play test cricket all around the world. In 2001, he was in South Africa and then toured West Indies (2002), England (2002), New Zealand (2002-03) and Australia (2003-04). Some of Zaheer’s best bowling performances came up in conditions that aided his style of bowling. It is not possible for Indian fast bowlers to always keep bowling in such conditions. But, it is important that fast bowlers learn bowling on different tracks all over the world early in a career.

The others, who’ve debuted after Zaheer, haven’t got too much of a chance to showcase their real skills in supportive conditions. Sreesanth was magnificent in South Africa (2006). RP Singh was a revelation during the tour of England (2007) and Australia (2007-08). Praveen Kumar grew up double quick time when he played a key role during the CB Series victory over Australia. Irfan Pathan came off age when he picked Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist in the Sydney test (2003-04). Ishant’s story (2007-08) is probably the most famous of all these young bowlers. His tryst with Ponting is one for his autobiography some years later. Where did these bowlers keep bowling after this initial success?

These bowlers spent very little time in these conditions early in their career. When they started playing on docile pitches where quickies become a defensive option, batsmen tore them apart. The only way, Indian fast bowlers will mature is by playing more matches abroad in helpful conditions. By playing around the world, a bowler would get primed to face stiffer challenges on tougher conditions.

The variety, Zaheer possesses today is because of whatever he had learnt on all these tours. It is, hence, a little harsh on the current lot of Indian fast bowlers to conclude that they are spineless.

COUNTY COUNTS A LOT

I would again take Zaheer Khan’s example to tell how Zaheer grew up early, lost his sting after sometime and then came back into the team through the hard route. In 2005, he had grown oversize and could not get his swing and pace going as he did a couple of years ago. A spate of injuries did not help matters. During his time away from international cricket, Zaheer spent some valuable time at Worcestershire. One season in English county made him a world of good when he made his comeback in 2006. Even Zaheer’s predecessors, Srinath and Prasad played a lot of county cricket during their time.

Most of India’s discards could take their first step towards comeback this way. Kirsten’s comment on valuable match-time is a very valid point. Ishant and Sreesanth could have been part of the India ‘A’ team to England. Such tours always help out-of-form bowlers get into rhythm. How can we forget how Sreesanth made his test comeback?

THE YOUNG NEED TIME AND SPACE

The age group of these fast bowlers reveals that most of them are very young and are still not through even two or three full seasons of international cricket. The Zaheer Khan of 2003 and the Zaheer Khan of 2010 has so much difference. Young bowlers should be given time to cherish success and to comeback from setback. The selectors have already taken a few knee-jerk reactions by picking up bowlers who have completed only one season of domestic cricket. It would only be prudent if they persist with such bowlers and not drop them immediately after a failure now, because failures and neglect at a tender stage in their career could be really damaging.

IMPORTANCE OF PLAYING IN DOMESTIC ARENA

Ideally, fast bowlers who eventually get selected to play for India should have played 3-4 seasons of domestic cricket. This time would help these bowlers handle success and failure better. Indian conditions are well documented already and if bowlers spend valuable time in domestic circuit, it will only help them once they were India colors.

The selectors did a commendable job in 2006, when they did not bring in Ishant as a replacement in South Africa. They, instead, allowed him to grow and even kept him in the touring party to England. Mithun, though, has already broken into the team. It would have only been better had Mithun spent some more time in domestic arena just like how Zaheer and Ishant did before joining the national team. It is, in many ways tough on the whole set up when a rookie gets into the national team. Firstly, it is tough on Mithun because he has to deliver goods immediately when he has been selected ahead of many other senior bowlers in the circuit. Secondly, the selectors will be under fire if the selected rookie doesn’t perform well. Thirdly, it would set a bad precedent for those seasoned campaigners who have done really well. Someone like Vinay Kumar deserved a run in the team ahead of Mithun, in my opinion. Now the team management and the selectors should groom the youngster properly and importantly, be around to support him during his lows.

INDIA’S QUICKIES IN SHORTER FORMATS

Critics must not get carried away by the Indian performances in ODIs and T20 matches. Test matches have marginally better turfs for bowlers in sub continent, than what ODIs and T20s provide. RP Singh’s success is a telling story of how an Indian fast bowler can succeed even in T20 cricket when the conditions are balanced and not biased towards the batsmen. RP Singh looked extremely dangerous in IPL-2 and World Twenty20 (2007). IPL-3 however showed how ragged a bowler can become at the expense of entertainment. The same bowler, who bamboozled batsmen in South Africa, went for a boundary every 4 balls he bowled in the tournament.

The World Cup is happening in sub continent. So critics might say that this bowling unit will not deliver goods. If the pitches are going to be batsmen-friendly (which I am sure it will be), all bowlers around the world will have to go through this nightmare. If Asia Cup Final performance is something to go about, India has already fixed its three main bowlers for the World Cup next year. The trio of Zaheer, Nehra and Praveen isn’t bad either. These bowlers carry good street smart brain along with wealth of experience, something that is very important to succeed in sub continental conditions.

REWRITING HISTORY

Historically India hasn’t been a great fast bowling nation. In the last decade or so, we’ve got so many bowlers to try out, by Kirsten’s own admission. We never have had such a situation in the 90s when Srinath and Prasad carried bulk of the workload. Things have certainly improved in Indian cricket in the last decade. The country now has so many promising young fast bowlers to even experiment. Before we again say that India’s fast bowling is not penetrative and don’t have too many bowlers back in home, it is important to give the youngsters a very good run at the top level, provide them the opportunities to play in county cricket and allow them to play more matches in bowler-friendly conditions. There is talent in abundance but it needs time to mature. After all, even an igneous rock like kimberlite doesn’t become diamond overnight.