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Since that World Cup match at Centurion in March, 2003, every India-Pakistan encounter is seen through the prism of Sachin or Sehwag, if yo...

Since that World Cup match at Centurion in March, 2003, every India-Pakistan encounter is seen through the prism of Sachin or Sehwag, if you will vs Shoaib. Those who play it safe broaden the spectrum to India8217;s batsmen against Pakistan8217;s bowlers.

Maybe it8217;s time to change that. Especially after one look at the tour party: It8217;s the first time Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan 8212; India8217;s best bowling quartet in a long time 8212; will play against Pakistan.

Their effect on India when together is in no doubt: Of the six Tests the pace-spin combination has played as a quartet, India have won five.

In tandem, the spinners have conclusively proved that they are the best. They shared 34 wickets in the last Test series against Sri Lanka and their combined tally when India hosted Pakistan last year was 27.

8216;8216;This quartet has the perfect balance8217;8217;, says Mumbai coach Karsan Ghavri, a former fast bowler who toured Pakistan in 1987. 8216;8216;Two world-class spinners and two high quality pacers and Ajit Agarkar as the third seamer. These guys have done well internationally and home.8217;8217;

What is that helps them click when they take the field together?

For one, a fit Zaheer is more effective than say Agarkar with the new ball. And with Irfan at the other end, India has two genuine frontline bowlers opening the attack. And, despite the fact that they are both left-arm pacers, they bring variety to the attack.

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HOW ZAK GOT HIS GROOVE BACK

From stardom to the wilderness to rich pickings on the domestic circuit and eventual Test recall, Zaheer Khan has travelled a long way in a few months. MRF coach TA Shekhar on how the new, improved Zaheer was created
Because of constant injuries we had been trying to remodel Zaheer8217;s action and run-up. The busy schedule made it tough for him to make these changes but the break certainly helped. In the month and a half he was at MRF, Zaheer and I spent a lot of time on the computer going through actions and reactions.
Actually the human body isn8217;t made for fast bowling. Every time a bowler jumps, at the time of delivery, he joints below the hip take an extreme load 8212; 8 to 10 times the body weight at each jump!
So, as a bowler ages, he needs to change his style. With his original, high jump, Zaheer8217;s knees would buckle so he ended up using his shoulder to generate most of the pace. A short run-up, a slower delivery stride and a lower jump have helped him bowl faster, get his rhythm right and be less prone to injury.
The changes have been borne out by his performance on the field in the Ranji Trophy. I think he8217;ll have a similar impact in Pakistan.

Zaheer8217;s wicket-taking delivery is the away-going ball to the right-hander, which has accounted for 60 per cent of his 111 wickets caught behind. While Pathan8217;s 8216;killer ball8217; 8212; 44 of his 73 wickets 8212; is the one that keeps it8217;s line or comes in that to either bowl the batsman or trap him plumb in front.

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This will certainly be effective against the new Pakistan opening pair of Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt, though they will have to watch their line and length given Pakistan8217;s left-right opening combination.

The variety and potency of this attack simply increases Rahul Dravid8217;s options, especially when he has to deal with the ultra-strong Pakistan middle order. Long partnerships, which they are expert at, will be easier to break if he can constantly juggle between attack and defence, spin and pace.

Zaheer and Harbhajan are temperamentally similar and so is their bowling style8212; outward aggression and expansive lateral moment. Their bowling in tandem will mean not just a change in pace but the batsmen having to deal with the away-going faster ball from one end and the in-coming slow ball from the other.

At the same time Irfan and Kumble show controlled aggression and subtle but precise ball movement.

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One pair attacks, one pair defends, to suit the situation. And with just one left-hander in the middle order 8212; Asim Kamal 8212; the bowlers wouldn8217;t need to change their line often.

The weakest link in this plan is Zaheer, returning after a lengthy lay-off because of poor form. But MRF pace foundation coach TA Sekhar 8212; the man who helped Zaheer out of the slump see box 8212; believes the talented but profligate left-hander has got over his ghosts. 8216;8216;The hectic international schedule doesn8217;t allow players to fine-tune their skills. Zaheer spent the past five months in domestic cricket ironing out a few flaws. And you can surely see the results,8217;8217; he says.

You certainly can: 50 wickets from the 8 first-class matches he8217;s played this season.

The other doubt is whether the spell Irfan cast over Pakistan two years ago still holds. His credentials certainly took a dent during the home series, when he finished with just six wickets from three Tests.

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Sekhar offers a reason for that. 8216;8216;In these days of computer analysis players get sorted out very fast. You can have one great series but it8217;s tough to follow that up against the same opposition.8217;8217;

The silver lining, he says, is Pathan8217;s current form, especially against Sri Lanka.

The other thing that excites Shekhar about the prospects of the two MRF pacers is the type of pitches they will get. 8216;8216;I am sure Pakistan will play to their strength. They will have pitches that are bouncy and will suit the fast bowlers.8217;8217;

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar qualifies his admission of the quartet8217;s damage potential 8212; 8216;8216;they will certainly be quite formidable8217;8217; 8212; with the belief that all four might not play together. 8216;8216;Chances are that India might go for three fast bowlers in the first Test considering the pitch and the winter months.8217;8217;

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It8217;s a long tour, and a tight series where every session will be crucial. Four top bowlers in good form might just swing things India8217;s way.