Indian fast bowling scenario never brighter

To say that the sight of three new-ball bowlers being picked for the Mohali Test was a welcome development is an understatement to beat all understatements. The paucity of pace bowlers has been one of the perennial weaknesses in Indian cricket, and to see three young fast bowling hopefuls making their debut in the same Test is something to warm the hearts of Indian cricket followers, particularly those able to remember the period in the 60s and early 70s when the new-ball attack was a farce. The list of those who opened the bowling for India would actually make an impressive batting line-up ­ ML Jaisimha, Salim Durrani, Ajit Wadekar, MAK Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, and even a wicket-keeper in Budhi Kunderan.

Suddenly, in the 80s, Indian opening bowlers were regularly making deep inroads at the start of an innings, wiping off the tail in next to no time, and even winning Test matches. One recalls Kapil and Madan Lal routing England at Bombay 20 years ago virtually on their own, while the first bowler to take ten wickets in a Test in England was Chetan Sharma and not any spinner.

Things started to change for the better in the mid-70s, with the opening bowlers being Madan Lal, Mohinder Amarnath and Karsan Ghavri. But there is little doubt that it was the advent of Kapil Dev that changed the pace bowling scenario in the country. Not only did he show that it was possible for an Indian bowler to bowl at a reasonably good pace over an extended period and take a lot of wickets, he also proved to be an inspirational figure. Also, thanks to him, the nature of pitches underwent a change that augured well for the faster bowlers. Whereas tracks before he burst upon the scene always favoured the spinners, those laid during the Kapil-Dev era also had a good share of bounce, and one particularly recalls some of the wickets at Chepauk that made speedsters fairly lick their lips.

Not unexpectedly, most of the young fast bowling hopefuls inspired by Kapil fell by the wayside, lacking the qualities that made Kapil such an outstanding bowler. But there were a few like Chetan Sharma and Manoj Prabhakar who, in racing parlance, proved to be stayers. Suddenly, in the 80s, Indian opening bowlers were regularly making deep inroads at the start of an innings, wiping off the tail in next to no time, and even winning Test matches. One recalls Kapil and Madan Lal routing England at Bombay 20 years ago virtually on their own, while the first bowler to take ten wickets in a Test in England was Chetan Sharma and not any spinner.

Indeed, for much of the 80s, we had the slightly unbelievable scenario of spin taking a back seat as Kapil, Madan, Roger Binny, Chetan Sharma and Prabhakar not only carried the brunt of the bowling but were also responsible for winning Test matches and one-day internationals. The role played by the medium pacers in the World Cup triumph in 1983 cannot be overemphasized.

Thanks in the main to Anil Kumble, spin bowling, relegated to a supporting role in the 80s, was back to winning ways in the 90s. But by this time, even with the retirement of Kapil, the attack had a balanced look. Javagal Srinath took over the role of spearhead, and he had the support of many promising youngsters.

In the last decade, the role of the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai in shaping young hopefuls also cannot be overemphasized. Almost every talented fast bowler who has gone on to play for the country, if not exactly a product of the Foundation, has had some association with it. Indeed, even established stars like Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Ajit Agarkar have never missed a chance to hone their skills at the Foundation. Every time they have been confronted with a problem, they have visited Chennai to get a timely tip or two from Dennis Lillee, the moving force behind the Foundation, or TA Sekhar, the former Indian fast bowler and chief Foundation coach.

Tinu Yohannan, the latest bowler to catch one's eye, is more or less a Pace Foundation product. In a short while, he has improved by leaps and bounds, and one has no doubt that he will continue to train there.Indeed, the Foundation has long ceased to be an academy for Indian fast bowling hopefuls. Young bowlers from all over the world visit periodically to further their cricketing education, and this competition is bound to stand the Indians in very good stead.

Over the last year or so, the Bangalore-based National Cricket Academy has also done its bit in furthering the cause of fast bowling in the country. There is little doubt that the Indian pace-bowling scenario has never looked healthier ­ the debut of three new-ball bowlers all at once at Mohali, the encouraging knowledge that Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Agarkar are still around, the burgeoning of young fast-bowling prospects, and the fact that Srinath's fire, even at 32, is still burning bright.