The bowling attack - the bigger questions

[Mr. Wicket]

1. Is Zaheer Khan capable of playing at the MCG? 2. Is RP Singh also fit to play at the MCG? 3. If the answer to one of those is no, can India risk Pankaj, a kid with negligible experience bowling in Australia whatsoever? 4. Or do they risk Ishant, a kid with almost no experience bowling in Australia either? 5. Or - can Irfan be picked as a frontline seamer? The situation's looking far more concerning than the batting setup. Depending on fitness, we may have to go in with one, maybe even two bowlers with only a couple of test caps behind them, almost no experience bowling in Australia in such conditions, and no recent match practice to speak of. Because of a washed out warmup game, none of the bowlers have bowled a ball in match conditions in the last couple of weeks, and we have an attack woefully inexperienced in Australian conditions. Here's the other big gamble - if Zaheer or RP isn't fit, and we can't bank on Ishant or Pankaj with their inexperience/youth/lack of match fitness - do we give Bhajji one more chance and gamble on two spinners? Too many questions/worries here. Here's hoping Australia don't win the toss and opt to bat in 2 days, as that could compound all the problems.

[Anakin]

I'd go with Pathan in stead of the noobs, there is not much hope for bowlers anyways, at least he can contribute with bat.

[msb1991]

I'd go with Pathan in stead of the noobs' date=' there is not much hope for bowlers anyways, at least he can contribute with bat.[/quote'] Irfan Pathan could play a back up seamer's role but he does not have the bounce/pace/magnitude of swing which a front line seamer must have. I am pretty sure that RP Singh will be fine for the First Test, he even said that merely 'precaution' kept him out of the Third Test against Pakistan. I would think that Zaheer Khan should open with either Pankaj Singh or Ishant Sharma (I'd go with Pankaj but it is a borderline call) with RP Singh playing the third seamer role. He did a fine job with it in England, even with Sreesanth's poor form and there is no reason that he cannot do it against Australia. This will be the truest test of Venkatesh Prasad's pedigree as a bowling coach. One or two of Pathan/Ishant/Pankaj Singh will be playing in the first Test and Prasad needs to turn them into Test match quality bowlers. Pathan clearly did not have the wicket taking deliveries, nor the long term consistency of line and length to get wickets and it is clear that Ishant does not have a proper run up nor any sort of consistent line and length. Although I have not seen Pankaj Singh bowl, I can estimate that he will have to progress quite some way, like the other two, to be up to Test level against Australia.

[talksport]

Harbhajan Singh might play

[Chandan]

Harbhajan Singh might play

Huh?? Where did you read about it?

[jacky007]

i suppose rp is definatily ready to fire. zaheer is fit so he should be introduced to the first test as the first test will be the hope for our first victory of the series. and pathan is always there to backup these two bowlers but somehow i feel pathan isnt the wicket taker anymore or partnership breaker but he will be playing as an allrounder. so all in whole, indian bowling is not as stronger as indian batting but its capable to pick up 20 wickets in a match.

[talksport]

Just my Hunch.... after reading Salils post...

[jf1gp_1]

if zaheer n rp were injured then some news would have been out by now. i would play ishant sharma in first game. he may not bat but he will get more wickets than pathan.

[talksport]

Bring it on 8 Anil Kumble (capt), 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 RP Singh, 11 Ishant Sharma/Harbhajan Singh

[King Tendulkar]

Real shame we cant launch the 3 pacers in england. Sree, RP and ZK

[DesiChap]

More Oz Media SPIN Tourists in turmoil amid calls to fly in pace ace Jon Pierik December 26, 2007 12:00am EXCLUSIVE INDIA was plunged into disarray last night when its team management sent an SOS for a fast bowler to rescue an attack in which it has little faith. The Herald Sun can reveal team management held an emergency meeting on Monday night where captain Anil Kumble called for pace ace Munaf Patel to be drafted into the squad as soon as possible. In the meeting, bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad expressed concerns at the inability of the right-arm fast bowlers on tour to trouble the gold-plated Australian batting line-up. Prasad also felt Patel, who is still recovering from injury, was the right man for the job. The strongly built Patel has taken 28 wickets in nine Tests, including the best match figures by an Indian fast bowler on debut: 7-97 against England. India will today unveil raw beanstalk right-arm quick Ishant Sharma as its third fast bowler in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. But it's understood the tourists have wavering faith in the 19-year-old - as he has played just the two Tests - prompting the plea for a replacement quick. As India's two key fast bowlers, Zaheer Kahn and R. P. Singh, are both left-armers, the selectors are loath to use Irfan Pathan, who is on tour but is another left-armer. There are already concerns about Singh, who hasn't played a Test for almost three months, while Zaheer hasn't bowled at full tilt for nearly three weeks. Young right-arm quick Pankaj Singh is also in the squad but it's felt he is here for development purposes. There is a chance Patel could arrive in time for next week's second Test at the SCG, but he almost certainly will be here for the third Test in Perth, beginning on January 16. There are concerns about his recent injury woes, but so desperate is team management it still wants Patel here. He has worked with Dennis Lillee at the MRF pace factory in Chennai and has modelled his action on Glenn McGrath. India had hoped right-arm fiery quick Shanth Sreesanth would provide some much-needed grunt and variety, but he is nursing an injured shoulder and is at home. Kumble was adamant yesterday his team had enough firepower to dismantle the Australians, but privately he is a worried man. India's fortunes in the series opener will also be heavily dictated by Kumble's own bowling, with the medium-paced leg-spinner set to have a heavy workload on what is likely to be a benign deck. The tourists have already had a disrupted campaign, with rain washing out all but 48 overs of their three-day warm-up clash against Victoria. "I think we have done whatever we could. We have got maximum out of the practice facilities and whatever game we could get in the middle," Kumble said. "We have been playing a lot of Test cricket in the past and I think we are all match-fit. "The team mood and the spirit is pretty good. It would have been ideal bowling in a match situation but, having said that, they are looking really good. "The practice match would have certainly helped a few of the bowlers to get into a rhythm and a few of the batsmen to get used to the conditions as well." http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22971935-2882,00.html

[The Outsider]

Pace Ace!!!:hysterical:

[Mr. Wicket]

Grandpa, help us!

[theguyinallblue]

Munaf if makes it to Final XI..will do a good job... He is a Gladiator who needs an arena to showcase his talent... Australia is one such place...where this style of bowling will be successful...

[Brainfade]

Pace Ace!!!:hysterical:

Not to mention "strongly built"

[beetle]

They aren't sending grandpa... :listen:called him "no show " munaf......

[Ram]

Pace Ace!!!:hysterical:

:haha: