IIPM Publication
It is the kind of cricket wisdom that perhaps predates W G Grace. For long ‘Bowlers win test matches and batsmen save Tests’ has been an adage whose truth has been held to be self evident. Every team that has had a great run in the Test arena always threw up images of a fearsome bowling attack than a set of destructive batsmen. Sure, the West Indies had a Viv
Richards but it was the pace quartet that was feared more. Australia’s true turnaround in the modern era started with the emergence of Glenn McGrath in the West Indies tour of 1994 and Shane Warne in England. Pakistan’s flashes of brilliance have always radiated from the winding run up of a Waqar Younis or a Wasim Akram. And the way the tide is currently turning (Ishant Sharma just bagged a man of the series award in a home series – a feat achieved last by an Indian fast bowler when Kapil Dev won it against the West Indies way back in 1983), it would not be far fetched to crown India’s bowling line up as best in the world.
Before you restrain me for going over the edge with an over hyped statement, let me present my defence. It would be hard to explain their recent run against the World’s no.1 test team, Australia, otherwise. Over 2008, India has a record of 3-1 against the Aussies over 7 tests, and if you exclude the controversial Sydney test, it is 3-0 over 6. That remarkable streak has been crafted particularly courtesy of some phenomenal bowling, be it Ishant Sharma’s burst
against Ponting, Zaheer Khan’s potent mix of aggression, accuracy and reverse swing, Amit Mishra’s good old fashion leg spin or Harbhajan Singh’s uncanny ability to strike when it matters. Javagal Srinath, arguably one of India’s all time great cricketers and one of its best fast bowlers wholeheartedly agrees. “I think the way they (the Indian bowlers) have turned out playing the series against Australia, that itself is evidence enough to say that it is the best bowling attack in the world at the moment,” he told TSI.
So, does this attack have what it takes to be the best in the world? Just look around and you find that post McGrath and Warne, Australia have only one spearhead, Brett Lee, and Johnson and Clark have been stock bowlers at best. Even Krejza’s debut success is a matter of statistics rather than truly great bowling. South Africa doesn’t quite have the replacement for an Allan Donald or even a Shaun Pollock as yet and Sri Lanka seem too reliant on Muralitharan and Mendis....Continue
It is the kind of cricket wisdom that perhaps predates W G Grace. For long ‘Bowlers win test matches and batsmen save Tests’ has been an adage whose truth has been held to be self evident. Every team that has had a great run in the Test arena always threw up images of a fearsome bowling attack than a set of destructive batsmen. Sure, the West Indies had a Viv
Richards but it was the pace quartet that was feared more. Australia’s true turnaround in the modern era started with the emergence of Glenn McGrath in the West Indies tour of 1994 and Shane Warne in England. Pakistan’s flashes of brilliance have always radiated from the winding run up of a Waqar Younis or a Wasim Akram. And the way the tide is currently turning (Ishant Sharma just bagged a man of the series award in a home series – a feat achieved last by an Indian fast bowler when Kapil Dev won it against the West Indies way back in 1983), it would not be far fetched to crown India’s bowling line up as best in the world.Before you restrain me for going over the edge with an over hyped statement, let me present my defence. It would be hard to explain their recent run against the World’s no.1 test team, Australia, otherwise. Over 2008, India has a record of 3-1 against the Aussies over 7 tests, and if you exclude the controversial Sydney test, it is 3-0 over 6. That remarkable streak has been crafted particularly courtesy of some phenomenal bowling, be it Ishant Sharma’s burst
against Ponting, Zaheer Khan’s potent mix of aggression, accuracy and reverse swing, Amit Mishra’s good old fashion leg spin or Harbhajan Singh’s uncanny ability to strike when it matters. Javagal Srinath, arguably one of India’s all time great cricketers and one of its best fast bowlers wholeheartedly agrees. “I think the way they (the Indian bowlers) have turned out playing the series against Australia, that itself is evidence enough to say that it is the best bowling attack in the world at the moment,” he told TSI.So, does this attack have what it takes to be the best in the world? Just look around and you find that post McGrath and Warne, Australia have only one spearhead, Brett Lee, and Johnson and Clark have been stock bowlers at best. Even Krejza’s debut success is a matter of statistics rather than truly great bowling. South Africa doesn’t quite have the replacement for an Allan Donald or even a Shaun Pollock as yet and Sri Lanka seem too reliant on Muralitharan and Mendis....Continue
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