Did the great fast bowlers of earlier years bowl fast consistently throughout a Test match spell?

[ravishingravi]

Gavaskar talked about Andy Roberts as someone who would keep coming at the batsman at the same pace and intensity through the day.

[Crookbond]

Gavaskar talked about Andy Roberts as someone who would keep coming at the batsman at the same pace and intensity through the day.

Wohi na ! Pace doesn't mean 135kmph versus 140kmph. A 140kmph outside wayward bowler is no good use. Case in point - Shaun Tait. A 135kmph who can control bowl in the right channel and seam or swing enough is deadly dangerous - Zaheer Khan, McGrath.

[rkt.india]

Mcgrath's start to his Test career was hardly prolonged though. By his third year' date=' he was taking wickets very regularly. Your post also does not make any sense. You argue that a young bowler s[b']hould bowl quick to succeed and then note that the young Mcgrath was not that successful.

Where did I say quick to succeed. Read my post again. I said quick to survive. A quick bowler will always be n the eyes of the selector whether he has done well or not initially and may take time to prove himself but because he is quick he will always be in the radar. This is what happens in most countries. Look at what happened to Trent Copeland, how easily he has been forgotten. He was decent but was not quick, so now he is no where near consideration. Once a bowler starts taking wickets regularly, attain some experience, knows how to bowl to different batsmen, then no one cares what speed he bowls because he is established and is taking wickets. One may drop pace, but if one can take wickets regularly in test matches then it is all good. Similar happened to Zaheer. When he first came he was quick, used to bowl in 140s. He was not taking many wickets consistently but was surviving due to his bright sparks here and there but as he dropped his pace, also his fitness as well as pace, he was dropped, but he came back, even when he did not have pace, he had learnt a lot of things, and started taking wickets consistently, so now no one bothers how quick he bowls, but he survived because he could bowl quick even with not so great success at the start.