Best fast bowling pairs in Indian cricket history

It is said that fast bowlers generally hunt in pairs.The best example to prove that statement is Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who picked up loads of wickets while bowling together at the international level. India, too has produced several very good fast bowlers, who have found support from others along their careers.Here’s a look at the best Indian fast bowling pair of all time (in no particular order):

#1 Mohammad Nissar-Amar Singh

Mohammad Nissar played for India between 1932 and 1936. He was one of the India's fastest bowlers at the time and was fortunate to find a partner-in-crime in Amar Singh. Nissar had a very good partnership with Amar Singh, picking up 25 wickets in 6 Tests during India's inaugural Test tour to England in 1932.

Amar Singh also had a fruitful while bowling in tandem with Nissar, picking up 20 wickets in 6 matches at an average of 35.84. The duo may not have helped India win a Test match, but they certainly were vital to India's bowling attack at the time and were the first fast bowling pair India had.

#2 Kapil Dev-Roger Binny

Kapil Dev was India’s premier fast bowler for more than fifteen years. Durin those fifteen years, he found several bowlers who shared the workload with him to a certain extent.But among them all, Roger Binny was the most successful.

Kapil played 27 Test with Binny and picked up 120 wickets with a best of 9 for 83 that he recorded against the West Indies in Ahmedabad.He also played 65 ODIs with Binny picking up 87 wickets with a best of 5 for 43 against Australia at Trent Bridge in the 1983 World cup.

Roger Binny made his international debut in 1979 and played 27 Tests with Kapil Dev, picking up 47 wickets with a best of 6 for 56 against Pakistan in 1987. He was one of India’s main bowlers in the 1983 World cup winning campaign and in all played 65 ODIs with him and picked up 68 wickets.

#3 Javagal Srinath-Venkatesh Prasad

Javagal Srinath made his test debut for India in 1991 and soon established himself as one of India's best fast bowlers. Kapil Dev retired in 1994 and that meant that the responsibility fell on Srinath to help India matches. Fortunately for the Mysore Express, he found an able partner in Venkatesh Prasad who made his debut in 1996. Srinath performed very well in tandem with Prasad, picking up 100 wickets in 21 tests that included an 8 wicket haul against Pakistan in 1999.

Srinath had an equally good time, partnering Srinath in ODIs, picking up 123 wickets in 97 matches.

Venkatesh Prasad made his Test debut for India in 1996 and impressed one-and-all with his skills set in his very first season in Tests, picking up a five -wicket haul against South Africa at Durban. He also picked up his career-best figures of 6 for 33 against Pakistan in Chennai.

However, it was in ODI cricket that Prasad had a larger impact while playing with Srinath.Prasad picked up 117 wickets in 97 ODIS that he played with his fellow Karnataka teammate that included 2 special performances vs Pakistan- the first one in the 1996 World cup quarter-final at Bangalore, where he picked up 3 for 45 and was involved in an fiery incident with Aamir Sohail.

The second effort came in Manchester in 1999 World Cup where he picked a five-wicket haul and helped India maintain the winning streak against Pakistan in the mega event.

#4 Javagal Srinath-Zaheer Khan

Srinath's final few years in international cricket, India was finding it hard to find a fast bowler who would remain injury-free and would partner him on a consistent basis. For the period between 2000 and 2002, Srinath had a young Zaheer Khan to give him the much-needed support in the bowling attack. The duo only played 14 Tests together and Srinath picked up 40 wickets in the period that included a five-wicket haul against the Sri Lankans at Galle in 2001.

In ODIs, he had a much better partnering with Zak, picking up 24 wickets in 20 matches at an average of 20 that included a spell of 4 for 23 against New Zealand at Auckland in 2002.

Zaheer must be very thankful that he found the ideal mentor in Srinath early on in his career. He picked up 41 wickets in the 14 Tests that he played with the Mysore Express with a best of 4 for 41 that he picked up against the West Indies in Mumbai.

In ODIs, Zak picked up 32 wickets in the 24 ODIs that he played with him at an average of 28.12. He did particularly well in the 2003 World cup, picking up 18 wickets and leading India to the final.

#5 Zaheer Khan-Ashish Nehra

Once Srinath retired in 2002, it was up to Zaheer to take up the responsibility and become the leader of the fast bowling unit. However like Srinath, he too needed support and one man who gave him that support albeit a little inconsistently was Ashish Nehra. Zaheer played 12 Tests with Nehra as his partner and picked up 39 wickets at an average of 32 that included a best bowling figures of 5 for 29 against New Zealand in 2002.

In ODIs, Zaheer and Nehra played together in two World cups in 2003 and 2011, wherein Zak performed very well picking up a total of 39 wickets across the two events.

Bursting onto the international scene in 1999, Ashish Nehra only played 12 Test with Zaheer picking up 30 wickets at an average of almost 46. Nehra was hampered by regular injuries during the early part of his career and hence couldn't play as many Tests as he would've liked to with Zak.

In limited-over cricket, though he had a much better time partnering Zak, taking 94 wickets in 31 ODIs that included a career-best bowling performance of 6 for 23 against England at Durban in the 2003 World cup.

#6 Irfan Pathan-Lakshmipathy Balaji

Zaheer Khan was injured during the first test of 2003 tour to Australia. A 19-year-old Irfan Pathan took his place and made an impression immediately. However, it was his partnership with Laksmipathy Balaji that really got him into prominence. Pathan picked up 18 wickets while bowling in tandem with Balaji in six tests that included best bowling figures of 4 for 100 against Pakistan in India's historic Test win at Multan.

In ODIs, Pathan played 23 matches and picked up 37 wickets while playing in tandem with the Tamil Nadu bowler with best bowling figures of 4 for 24 versus Zimbabwe at Perth.

Balaji made his Test debut for India in 2003 and played 6 Test along with Pathan picking up 26 wickets that included a five-wicket haul against Pakistan in Mohali in 2005.

In ODIs, Balaji partnered Pathan 23 times, picking up 30 scalps with a best bowling effort of 4 for 48 against Australia in Brisbane in 2004.

#7 S Sreesanth-Zaheer Khan

Sreesanth made his international debut in 2005 and made an immediate impression with his beautiful out swingers to the right-handers. He gave good support to Zaheer Khan, who did well with the Keralite for his company with the ball, picking up 65 wickets in 14 Tests that included a match-winning nine wicket haul against England in Trent Bridge in 2007. However, Zaheer played only 20 Tests with Sreesanth, picking up 22 wickets with a best of 3 for 38.

In the 14 Tests the Sreesanth played with Zaheer, he picked 54 wickets that included a fiery effort at the Wanderers in 2006 where he picked up a eight-wicket haul to help India win their first ever Test in the Rainbow nation.

In the 20 ODIs that Sreesanth has played with Zak, he has picked up 21 wickets with a best of 4 for 58.

#8 Zaheer Khan-Ishant Sharma

Zaheer Khan was the undisputed leader of the Indian bowling attack when a 19-year-old Ishant Sharma from Delhi burst onto the scene.

Zaheer had a very good time with the ball partnering Ishant, picking up 123 wickets in 31 Tests with a best bowling figures of 7 for 87 against Bangladesh in 2010. However, Zak only played 11 ODIs with Ishant and took 12 wickets.

Just like how Zaheer had Srinath as a mentor during his early years in international cricket, Ishant had Zaheer as his mentor at the start of his career.

The lanky pacer has picked up 88 wickets in the 31 Tests that he played with Zaheer with a best of 6 for 51 versus New Zealand at Wellington earlier this year. He picked up yet another six-wicket haul in the same series against the Kiwis at Auckland.

However, Ishant hasn't tasted the same kind of success while partnering Zaheer in coloured clothing, picking up 17 wickets in 11 ODIs.

#9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar- Mohammed Shami

In his short career thus far, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has become India's key man with the new-ball. His ability to swing the new ball has got him many wickets and he is a decent batsman also.

Bhuvi has found an able partner at the other end in the form of Mohammed Shami. He has had a good time partnering Shami, having picked up 18 wickets in 5 Tests that included a best bowling effort of 6 for 82 at Lords earlier this year.

In ODIs, Bhuvi has picked up 24 wickets in 27 matches while partnering Shami including a best of 3 for 29 against England at Kochi.

Mohammad Shami made his Test debut against the West Indies and had a terrific start to his International career.He has played 5 Test with Bhuvi,

taking 16 wickets that include career-best figures of 5 for 47 against the West Indies in Kolkata in 2013.

In ODIs, Shami has had a successful time partnering Bhuvi, picking up 53 wickets in 27 ODIs that included a spell of 4 for 36 against the West Indies in Delhi earlier this year.

#10 Umesh Yadav-Varun Aaron

One of the few pairs in world cricket at the moment, where both the pacers are genuinely quick, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron are to feature in Test together but have 3 ODIs. Umesh has picked up 7 wickets in those ODIs with a best of 3 for 38.

Aaron has picked up 2 wickets in the 3 ODIs that he that played with Umesh.

Both the pacers have been plagued by injuries during their careers and if they remain fit, they could well be the backbone of India's bowling attack in the future.