'Best new-ball pair in the world' needs support - Srinath

[Mr. Wicket]

ticz, Srinath never said our bowling lineup is the best. Just that our new ball attack is the best, and that it needs support. This is a fair point (hard to pick between Steyn/Ntini and Ishant/Zaheer right now), but the difference is that Steyn/Ntini have Morkel, Kallis and now Harris (who took a few huge leaps ahead in his last series in Aus) to back them up. Our quicks have Harbhajan and no fixed third seamer. Sreesanth can be too expensive, RP and Irfan too inconsistent, and Munaf unreliable because of his fitness.

[Cricketics]

ticz, Srinath never said our bowling lineup is the best. Just that our new ball attack is the best, and that it needs support. This is a fair point (hard to pick between Steyn/Ntini and Ishant/Zaheer right now), but the difference is that Steyn/Ntini have Morkel, Kallis and now Harris (who took a few huge leaps ahead in his last series in Aus) to back them up. Our quicks have Harbhajan and no fixed third seamer. Sreesanth can be too expensive, RP and Irfan too inconsistent, and Munaf unreliable because of his fitness.

that 2nd line of the article "Srinath rated...." made me say that. but ya i kind of agree with you. The support as a third bowler which Morkel provides to Steyn/Ntini is way better then what our 3rd seamer provide us. We basically don't have clue who is going to be our third bowler. Since Sreesanth is always wandering outside the squad and RP singh is on rehab most of the time and Irfan offcoruse has been pretty poor to be given a chance in tests.

[Mr. Wicket]

"Srinath rated Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma as "the best new-ball pair in the world"" That's all he said. Nothing about best overall attack. I'm really hoping one of the young guys like Dhawal or Sangwan can stand up, or that somehow Balaji can find his pace and become a serious 1st change bowling option if Munaf doesn't click here. It'll do wonders for the test team to have a consistent, reliable change seamer who can build on Zaheer and BLOODY LEGEND's opening spells.

[Cricketics]

I'm really hoping one of the young guys like Dhawal or Sangwan can stand up, or that somehow Balaji can find his pace and become a serious 1st change bowling option if Munaf doesn't click here. It'll do wonders for the test team to have a consistent, reliable change seamer who can build on Zaheer and BLOODY LEGEND's opening spells.

True. I was sort of wanting to have Dhawal in odi squad too after hearing that he was picked in test squad. Since test are after twenty20 and ODI'S, so had he played in few odi's, he would have gained bit of knowledge of bowling on those NZ wickets and might have been picked for first test too rite away.

[cowboysfan]

True. I was sort of wanting to have Dhawal in odi squad too after hearing that he was picked in test squad. Since test are after twenty20 and ODI'S, so had he played in few odi's, he would have gained bit of knowledge of bowling on those NZ wickets and might have been picked for first test too rite away.

dhawal has already been to nz and performed pretty well there(U-19)

[Cricketics]

dhawal has already been to nz and performed pretty well there(U-19)

arey bhaiya. but it's good to play again na before going in test where they would not have any practice games.

[Mr. Wicket]

FWIW cowboysfan - Dhawal actually comprehensively outperformed Ishant in the one 'test' where they played together in NZ. http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/114/114623.html

[cowboysfan]

arey bhaiya. but it's good to play again na before going in test where they would have any practice games.

ofcourse.it would interesting to see whether they would pick him ahead of balaji is munaf gets injured.

FWIW cowboysfan - Dhawal actually comprehensively outperformed Ishant in the one 'test' where they played together in NZ. http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/114/114623.html

thanks salil

[coffee_rules]

i can't understand why he didn't mention God :mad:

How can he mention God in the same sentence having mere mortals in it.

[EnterTheVoid]

He's right Remember how the pitches for the BG trophy were as flat as airport runways? There was absolutely nothing in it for the bowlers and you had Ishant reverse swinging the ball and demolishing the Aussie batting order I remember watching an interview Dhoni gave for the CB series in Australia where he said "Swing against Australia and seam against Lanka" Our main strength is swing bowling. No wonder our attack is loaded with swing bowlers - ishant / zak / balaji

[fineleg]

bharat, Ashish Nehra!? where did he drop from!?

[Mr. Wicket]

bharat, pull back your hook and bait please. Too many fish biting. :haha: :haha:

[Feed]

Prasad: A strong bowling coach for the Indian team Chennai: He appears relaxed but there is no drop in his levels of intensity. The former paceman is tough without being abrasive. Venkatesh Prasad is a strong bowling coach for the Indian team. The lanky Prasad was a compelling paceman ... More... Prasad: A strong bowling coach for the Indian team S. Dinakar Venkatesh Prasad feels that the Indian team has a good bunch of pace bowlers. Chennai: He appears relaxed but there is no drop in his levels of intensity. The former paceman is tough without being abrasive. Venkatesh Prasad is a strong bowling coach for the Indian team. The lanky Prasad was a compelling paceman during his prime. His international tally (96 wickets in 33 Tests at 35.00 and 196 scalps in 161 ODIs at 32.30) reflects the quality of Prasad’s bowling. The ideal off-stump line, the pronounced leg-cut, the bounce and the change of pace were the key elements as he head-hunted. Prasad was essentially a thinking paceman. His inputs as a bowling coach have been valuable. Prasad told The Hindu on Monday: “We now have a good bunch of pacemen. The fact that men like S. Sreesanth and R.P. Singh have to wait before they receive a look-in again indicates our strength.” A crucial role In India’s surge in all forms of the game, the role of the bowling unit cannot be overemphasised. India has created the pressure with discipline; crucially, the bowlers have operated to the right line with subtle alterations in length. The 39-year-old Prasad said: “They (the bowlers) are jelling well. We have discussions on the field, between deliveries, during the breaks, after the day. Everybody chips in with fresh ideas. I tell them my ideas as well.” The experienced Zaheer Khan is the leader of the pace pack. “He knows when to hold himself back, when to push himself. Technically, he is sound,” said Prasad. The position of the wrist and the seam has been among the key areas he has worked on. “If the seam is upright then this creates a difference in pressure on either side as the ball slices through the air. This is essential for movement,” he said. “Zaheer, Sreesanth, R.P. Singh, Ishant and Balaji, they all have a good wrist position,” Prasad added. “We should realise we are not quick bowlers. It is essential that we should bowl up. The longer the ball stays in the air, the better chance it has to swing.” Prasad is pleased that the pacemen are employing the slower ball better. “We saw Ishant deliver the off-spinning slower ball in the series against Australia. Now, he is bowling the leg-spinning slower ball. In the Twenty20 game in Sri Lanka, he bowled a terrific last over of different types of slower balls. Balaji and Praveen Kumar also have a very good slower one.” He stresses the value of the slower ball, “If you take the pace off the ball, the batsmen have to really hit it and this is never easy. The batsmen lose a fraction of a second attempting to pick the ball and this affects their mind-set. But you need to disguise it with your field placings as well. If you have a long-on and a long-off, the batsman will expect a slower delivery and will stand behind the crease.” Prasad believes the bowlers are up against it in the shorter forms the game — the bouncer rule, the free-hits, the stringent rules for a wide, and the Power Plays. “It is thus essential that the bowlers continue to evolve,” he said. Ishant is someone who has grown in stature. “He reminds me of Srinath. He has the same body frame, high-arm action and bounce. The challenge before Ishant will be to be consistent with his off-stump line.” The bowling coach was appreciative of Balaji’s attitude. “Generally, when a pace bowler returns from a serious injury, he takes a while to find his bearings. But Balaji is as he was before his fitness concerns. Mentally, he is very strong and he is bowling well. I think Munaf and Irfan have also done well to get back.” Prasad is more of a friend than a coach to the bowlers. “It is very important to have one-on-one meetings with them, understand their mind.” He has immense faith in Harbhajan Singh’s ability to lead the Indian spin attack. “He is a skilful bowler, a resilient character and a great team-man.” Prasad does not want to comment on the nature of wickets awaiting the Indians on the New Zealand campaign. He is aware that one of the pacemen will have to take up the responsibility of bowling against the strong wind in the windy Wellington; this is considered among the hardest jobs in cricket. “Somebody will have to step in and shoulder the load. It’s a team game,” he reminds you.

[Pak_Forever]

No wonder its coming from a person who used to think that he was the best pacer of his time. :haha: Zaheer and Ishant are good but not yet good enough to be rated the best.

[graphic23]

Great to hear him confident. I sincerely hope that if he is selected in the test squad that he is able to move the ball off the seam at a decent pace of around 130-135. I think he can be an asset at that point.

[Guest Hiten.]

No wonder its coming from a person who used to think that he was the best pacer of his time. :haha: Zaheer and Ishant are good but not yet good enough to be rated the best.

Go find me one article where Srinath has mentioned that he was the best pacer bowler in the WORLD ? If he thought, he was India's best pacemen then there is nothing much to argue. I can find million's of articles where your phastest bowler claimed he is the last diamond pakistan has/will produce(d) :haha:

[Gambit]

No wonder its coming from a person who used to think that he was the best pacer of his time. :haha: Zaheer and Ishant are good but not yet good enough to be rated the best.

When did he say that? And while Srinath's statements are slightly OTT, they are nowhere near the kind of legendary statements issued by Pak greats. Here are some samples - Imran - "I see Malcolm Marshall in Sami". :hysterical: Imran - "Inzamam is a better batsman than Tendulkar". :bird:

[Chandan]

When did he say that? And while Srinath's statements are slightly OTT' date=' they are nowhere near the kind of legendary statements issued by Pak greats. [/quote'] Gambit, Sreinath is not going OTT here. Last night I saw him speak in the program "Harsha Unplugged" and he said all the things along with few more explanations, that he has said here. According to him, even if we have two good fast bowlers, if the third one is not upto mark, the two other seamers get overworked. This eventually leads to injuries and that takes the sting out of even good pacers. According to him, continuity of the third seamer is a big factor behind a successful attack. When all three are playing together, they understand how to complement each other and support each other. The captain can have a steady plan knowing his attack and its strength and weaknesses. But if there is no continuity, and a musical chair is being played for the third seamer, even the two settled seamers get unsettled and unsure about how to approach the match. They become unsure if they could blast for 5 overs and get a rest or will have to bowl within themselves and concentrate on long spells. It was very good program and Srinath gave a lot of insight as to how being in test squad continuously, makes the learning rampant for the young fast bowler, how important it was to play county cricket and so on.

[EnterTheVoid]

Imran - "I see Malcolm Marshall in Sami". :hysterical: Imran - "Inzamam is a better batsman than Tendulkar". :bird:

Imran said that? Imran Khan? This is something I expect that serial loony toon Sarfraz Nawaz to say. :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :bird: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: On a serious note, kudos to Prasad for all his behind the scenes hard work. The selectors / coaches never get the credit they deserve, but they are the first on everybody's hit list when the team is going through a rough patch

[Chandan]

Prasad does not want to comment on the nature of wickets awaiting the Indians on the New Zealand campaign. He is aware that one of the pacemen will have to take up the responsibility of bowling against the strong wind in the windy Wellington; this is considered among the hardest jobs in cricket. “Somebody will have to step in and shoulder the load. It’s a team game,” he reminds you.

This will be a real challenge for our rookie bowlers. Which bowler is strong enough to bowl against the wind and still be consistent in line and length?