Zaheer building up to full fitness

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More... On a comeback trail, Zaheer hits his stride Sanjjeev Karan Samyal, Hindustan Times Cuttack, November 30, 2011 When his first ball was fired way down the leg side, it was obvious Zaheer Khan was feeling a bit edgy. It is natural to be riddled with doubts when one is making a return to the game after undergoing a surgery. On Wednesday, Zaheer was bowling for the first time in a competitive game since he broke down at LordÃÔ on July 21. The left-arm seamer is considered crucial to IndiaÃÔ chances in the Test series against Australia that a fully-fit Zaheer will double the teamÃÔ bowling strength. He had been bowling in the nets for a month but he was aware that a match situation will be the real test. Zaheer would be pleased with how things went on the first day. Opening the Mumbai bowling in the Ranji Trophy tie against Orissa, he struck with his fifth delivery and bowled six overs on the trot, finishing the day with a wicket for 20 runs. Fellow pacers Dhawal Kulkarni (4) and Aavishkar Salve (2) took over from there to leave Orissa reeling at stumps. Promising start The start will do his confidence a world of good. His body is used to the kind of workload he had in WednesdayÃÔ six-over spell, but the litmus test of his fitness will be how he copes with the third and fourth spells. The chief examiners were out there, national selector, Surendra Bhave, and India physio Ashish Kaushik. The verdict that Zaheer was looking to hear desperately came. Ÿell bowled, Zak? said Kaushik, as the bowler walked back at stumps. The national selector was watching from the scorerÃÔ box and was overheard saying, ÅÉe looked good. Zaheer started erratically with most deliveries drifting towards the leg stump. But importantly, he got a wicket that proved the catalyst for the spell. It was the first ball he had managed to pitch on target. Orissa opener, Bikas Pati, pushed at the length delivery on off-stump to offer a comfortable catch to Suryakumar Yadav at gully. Swinging deliveries In his third over, he switched to round the wicket and settled into a better line. He largely bowled within himself, and was getting the shape of the ball but not enough to trouble the batsmen. The movement became more pronounced towards the end of his spell. His spell proved he has recovered from the ankle surgery. Now it is about his fitness level. Mumbai coach Sulakshan Kulkarni said Zaheer will take a lot of heart from the dayÃÔ play. Å¢ new ball bowlerÃÔ first spell is generally of six overs and Zaheer bowled the 36 balls at a stretch with ease. He was in good rhythm, and most importantly picked up a wicket. /

[cowboysfan]

He needs to bowl more in the next match,6 overs an inning is nothing.

[saneindian]

He needs to bowl more in the next match' date='6 overs an inning is nothing.[/quote'] 12 overs in the first innings and 10 in the 2nd innings so far, a total of 22 overs and 4 wickets. Good enough comeback. Could have bowled more had the opposition not been bundled out for low scores.

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Odisha faces innings defeat More... Odisha faces innings defeat CUTTACK, December 1, 2011 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Odisha's plucky eighth wicket pair of Lagnajit Samal and Basanta Mohanty managed to postpone the inevitable to the fourth and final day of the Elite Group â' Ranji Trophy match at the DRIEMS Stadium here on Thursday. Following on after dismissed for 93 in the first innings, Odisha ended the third day at 163 for seven in reply to Mumbai's first innings total of 529 for eight declared.The host still needed 273 runs to avoid an innings defeat.Zaheer Khan, watched by the selector Surendra Bhave, acquitted well on the third day's play delivering 16 overs in three spells. The spell in Odisha's second innings in the final session showed Zaheer in full flight. Zaheer, returning to active cricket after a few months, began the day with a six-over spell in Odisha's first innings on Thursday morning and scalped Dipak Behera and Basanta Mohanty to end with three for 31 from 12 overs.Forced to follow-on in the first session itself, Nayar reduced Odisha to 21 for two after the two openers, Bikas Pati and Natraj Behera easily negotiated Dhaval Kulkarni and Avishkar Salvi.Zaheer came onto the field in the second session after Mumbai had bowled four overs and both Niranjan Behera and Biplab Samantaray were well settled. BEST BALL And then Zaheer produced the day's best ball. An angled delivery from over the wicket pitched slightly short of length around the off-stump and climbed sharply on Samantaray. The batsman's hurried push landed in Jaffer's hands at the second slip.Thereafter Ramesh Powar picked up the next four wickets in a row. Haladhar Das, Niranjan Behera and Deepak Behera fell for the lofted shots and were taken by substitute fielder Nikhil Patil. Abhilash Mallick played Powar into the short-leg fielder's hands. Scorecard

[King Tendulkar]

He has already bowled more the Nehra has in FC over the last 5 years in 1 match. Also bowled quicker then crapthan of just 2 paces in this game. Well done ZK you have booked your ticket to aus:two_thumbs_up:

[Trundler27]

Hopefully Zak keeps getting better from here onwards. We really need him to be at his best come boxing day!! Wish you all the best Zaheer.. keep at it.

[coffee_rules]

Getting wickets against a team like Orissa proves nothing. Atleast he has proven match fitness by bowling 15 overs, and I hope he did some fielding to show fitness for a test match level.

[King Tendulkar]

All those thinking we dont need zak or should not risk him are again delsuional. Let me put in this way. If SA had same situation with Steyn and touch and go if fit for aus tour, what would they do? They would fly him out first class and cross their fingers he is ok. And yes zak is as important to us as Steyn is to SA. Zak may or may not be fit for 1st game but booking an extra ticket is worth the chance.

[King Tendulkar]

Getting wickets against a team like Orissa proves nothing. Atleast he has proven match fitness by bowling 15 overs' date=' and I hope he did some fielding to show fitness for a test match level.[/quote'] His class and wicket taking ability are not in doubt. Its the fact he bowled 15 overs is all that matters. The fact 1st test is 4 week away means imo he has enough time to get right if he stays totally injury free and can train and play at full tilt up to boxing day

[cowboysfan]

12 overs in the first innings and 10 in the 2nd innings so far' date=' a total of 22 overs and 4 wickets. Good enough comeback. Could have bowled more had the opposition not been bundled out for low scores.[/quote'] its ok for his first game back but we need to simulate an actual test match routine for him.he needs to bowl around 20 overs in a day and see if his body can hold,we dont want it to happen in Australia.

[pensionplan]

The fact 1st test is 4 week away means imo he has enough time to get right if he stays totally injury free and can train and play at full tilt up to boxing day

Now that is a big bold if.

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'Fitness test' cleared, Zak looks set for Oz More... 'Fitness test' cleared, Zak looks set for Oz Sanjjeev Karan Samyal, Hindustan Times Cuttack, December 01, 2011 Zaheer Khan celebrates after the successful run out of Australia's captain Ricky Ponting on the final day's play of their fourth Test cricket match in Nagpur. The Indian team received a boost for the Australia tour when Zaheer Khan came up with a solid performance to prove his fitness on Thursday. Playing his first competitive game since he broke down at LordÃÔ, Zaheer has so far bowled 22 overs against Orissa, including 16 on Thursday, and had a return of four wickets. The game was his fitness test and the verdict was unanimous, that he is ready for Australia. The left-arm Mumbai pacer started the day with a six-over spell and hastened the end of Orissa's first innings with two wickets. He was required to do duty immediately when Mumbai enforced the follow-on and bowled another six-over spell, three each on either side of lunch. The only special break he took was at the start of the Orissa second innings, when he missed the first four overs. It was learnt he was having a massage. It is during the post-lunch session that he bowled the best ball of the day, producing an unplayable, rising delivery from the length to kiss Bipal Samantray's bat for Wasim Jaffer to take the edge at second slip. He improved with every spell, gaining in pace and running in quicker. He was most charged up during his third spell. In the four-over spell, when Orissa's tailenders Laganjit Samal and Basant Mohanty put up a stiff resistance, Zaheer was firing on all cylinders with the experts rating his deliveries between 132 to 135 kph. On display was his full range of skills. He mostly angled it in to the right-handers from over the wicket. But the big incoming ball, his most feared weapon, came out when Mumbai were struggling against tailenders. Zaheer got it on the spot against Samal, but luckily for the batsman he got an inside edge. A pleased selector Surendra Bhave left with India physio Ashish Kaushik after Zaheer's third spell, after having a discussion with the bowler during the lunch break. Former India pacer and Orissa coach, Debasish Mohanty, felt Zaheer was in good shape. "He was bending his back fully in the final spell. He is ready for Australia."

[Stuge]

:yay:

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Zaheer finds rhythm More Zaheer finds rhythm Shamik Chakrabarty Fri Dec 02 2011 Cuttack: By tea, the result of the game was a foregone conclusion and MumbaiÃÔ big win seemed more like a formality. Following on after getting dismissed for 93 in the first innings, Orissa had lost seven wickets and the total still hadnÃÕ reached three digits. MumbaiÃÔ first innings score of 529 seemed light years away. But still, there was one man on the field who looked a shade restless. The game was approaching an early end but Zaheer Khan, back on the Ranji circuit to prove his fitness for the Australia tour, was still searching for his rhythm. He had taken three wickets in the first innings and one in the second, but he didnÃÕ look like the pacer who makes international openers look like novices by his sheer presence. With the shadows lengthening and OrissaÃÔ chances in the game diminishing, Zaheer decided to step it up and give his rusty body a rigorous work out. His final spell of four overs saw him run hard, hit the deck and mainly moved the ball away. He also got the ball to reverse swing and almost beat the defence of Orissa batsman Lagnajit Samal. Later in the spell, Abhishek Nayar failed to latch on a sharp catch to deny Zaheer his fifth wicket of the game. He didnÃÕ get any more wickets as Orissa finished the day at 163/7, but Zaheer seemed to be gradually reaching his peak fitness. The morning had seen Mumbai taking the field minus Zaheer with Dhawal Kulkarni and Aavishkar Salvi opening the bowling. The star pacer was to take field 15 minutes after the start and it was only after lunch that he was seen marking his run-up. During that second session spell, he got a wicket with a delivery that rose from a length and squared up Biplab Samantray. Wasim Jaffer took an easy catch in the second slip. It was the first glimpse of the man hitting his form. After the game there was talk around the visiting teamÃÔ dressing room that Zaheer might not play MumbaiÃÔ next game since he had done enough to prove his fitness to the selectors. But former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar felt that Zaheer should be the one to decide that. Ÿe should leave it to Zaheer about how many overs he needs in first-class cricket before going to Australia. He knows his body well. India canÃÕ afford to take on Australia without Zaheer, said Vengsarkar.

[Old guy]

lol he needs to play next match and bowl 30 odd overs in 2 innings then only i will say yes he is fit in first innings he didn't really gave his all only gave his best in 1 spell is it enough ?! no

[cowboysfan]

I am not buying this,he needs to play another ranji match.

[Deleted_User_1]

Don't worry, he is gonna break down soon!! Zakass!

[achilles]

Don't worry' date=' he is gonna break down soon!! [b']Zakass!

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: Danda, how do you come up with stuff like this? :cantstop:

[King Tendulkar]

Now that is a big bold if.

The fact you have been saying capthan shoulkd be picked and zk left behind is an untenable position. But then again you hate players who do well for india and like players who are rubbish for india. your motives are clear

[Old guy]

not enough bowlers would want him to play 1 more match bowl 15 overs per innings and bowl a long spell like 7 over spell if he cant do that he is not fit enough yes steyn would be touring but he will only play if he is atleast bowling fit