`Ashes to ashes dust to dust, if Lillee won’t get you Thommo must’ — Aussie b

Srinath has been around in international cricket for ten years now while Prasad has spent nearly six years bowling for India. After Srinath’s supposed "retirement" from ODIs and the cold shoulder by selectors to Prasad, there remains a doubt whether the two will ever bowl together for India again. µ In an era dominated by One Day cricket, their records may not be much to boast about but see how their absence has left a void in India’s bowling ammunition and you realise how much they meant to Indian cricket. After them, Ajit Agarkar is the most experienced fast bowler while the next best is Thiru Kumaran, who has barely played five ODIs and no Test yet.

Srinath was the more aggressive of the two. He had the pace and with his nice high-arm action, before his shoulder injury made him go slightly round-arm in the latter part of his career, he had the nip and ability to make the ball cut and kick up from good length. Again, his record, hampered somewhat by the poor Indian slip catching, is not reflective of the respect batsmen around the world have for Srinath.

For years he toiled on the docile sub-continent cricket. But, Srinath was never the one to complain and always featured prominently in India’s graph. His dislike of limited-overs cricket was too apparent though. He confessed he could have bowled better in Tests had he been sparingly used in limited-overs cricket.

Prasad was more in the classical mould. Though he started his international career rather late, his ability to swing the ball was an added asset whenever India played abroad. His first Test series against England in England (’96) and on the South African tour the same year Prasad showed how his partnership with Srinath could develop such deadly proportions. Prasad also added a leg-cutter and slower balls to his repertoire which made him a dangerous customer in limited-overs cricket.

Both Srinath and Prasad were hit by injuries too. It had as much to do with India playing too much one-day cricket as the duo’s apprehensions for gym training. Unfortunately, they woke up to that need pretty late.