Tough ask for Indian bowlers
Posted on Sep 15, 2006 at 19:12 | Updated Sep 16, 2006 at 11:59
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Tags: cricket, india, australia
Mumbai: Grace, art and Sachin Tendulkar are all fine but does team India have the wherewithal in bowling to win the DLF Cup? His mien betraying high concern, captain Rahul Dravid did not mince words during Thursday’s post-match conference when he said, “We won’t win too many if we bowl like that.”
As India take on Australia in the third match of the DLF tri-series, Dravid will address on priority the profligacy of his bowlers. The economy rates of Irfan Pathan (11), R P Singh (9.75) and Harbhajan Singh (7.50) in the first match must have given him enough cricks in the neck.
Indian bowlers, to say the least, looked like pedestrian peashooters. Chris Gayle used his bat as if he was swatting away flies in sleep. Only Munaf Patel, of the lot, stood out with his niggardly length.
Against West Indies (on Thursday), Pathan clocked 132 kph – a rarity given his prolonged slump of form.
So much so that one wondered if the speedometer installed for the match was prone to typos. But it was refreshing to see him charging in and gnashing his teeth as if to suggest: “Critics, you wait. I run in to answer.”
But you can only perform within the force and compass of your talents. Fact remains that Pathan is proving to be expensive yet again.
With Australia pencilling in greenhorn PA Jaques to partner Simon Katich, Munaf might well hurl the new cherry. But don’t rule out the possibility of Matthew Hayden taking guard first up.
Though Ricky Ponting’s men haven’t faced Munaf and R P before, the latter could get the heave-ho, at least, for the time being. Singh, who seems to have somewhat lost his bearings in ODIs, might make way for Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.
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