Enthusiasm vs Experience

8220;The Indian pacemen are eagerly looking forward to this Test series,8221; Zaheer said.

8220;We8217;ve come through nicely in a high pressure one-day series and it has given us confidence.8221;

India won a hard-fought, five-match one-day series 3-2 earlier this week, with Pathan grabbing eight wickets in the last three matches.

The attack has been bolstered with the return of medium-pacer Ajit Agarkar, who missed the one-dayers due to injury.

8220;It8217;s a great sign for Indian cricket that even when Agarkar 51 wickets in 20 Tests and I were injured, we had a couple of young seamers to take the side through,8221; Zaheer said of Pathan and Balaji.

The Indian pace attack will, however, have an uphill task to match Pakistan8217;s four-pronged pace battery led by Shoaib Akhtar, the world8217;s fastest bowler.

Shoaib, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul have taken 202 Test wickets between them for Pakistan while Zaheer, Pathan, Balaji and Agarkar have a total tally of 138, with Pathan and Balaji having played only two Tests each in Australia.

Zaheer, just back from a hamstring injury, was used as the first change bowler in the one-dayers after he struggled to assert himself early.

8220;This tour was always going to be tough on my body because I was out of competitive cricket for two months,8221; he said.

8220;But things are starting to fall into place. I8217;ve improved with every match and I8217;m confident of bowling long spells.8221;

Zaheer said he had simple advice for his fellow pacemen on how to bowl in Pakistan.

8220;In any situation, and on any track, it depends on maintaining a disciplined line and length and putting the ball in the right place,8221; he said.

Pathan, 19, is no stranger to Pakistani conditions.

He was the big success story of an under-19 tournament in Pakistan last year, grabbing nine wickets in a one-day match against Bangladesh at Lahore.

8220;We might get more assistance from the wickets this time because Pakistan are banking on fast bowlers too,8221; Pathan said in reference to the preparation of the Multan pitch. Reuters