Idli 038; Biryani

INDIA8217;S non-identical pace twins Irfan Pathan and L. Balaji have one thing common: they don8217;t really have that fast bowler look. ...

INDIA8217;S non-identical pace twins Irfan Pathan and L. Balaji have one thing common: they don8217;t really have that fast bowler look. They smile more than they stare, their comments are articulate and atrocious, they actually seem to be listening to their captain8212;who is a batsman8212;and the final folly and perhaps an unpardonable crime in the fast-bowlers8217; fraternity8212;their hair doesn8217;t fly when they run in to bowl.

But then the new kids on the block, who changed the face of Indian pace bowling after a handful of international games, might now be wanting a 8216;look8217; too.

And something about them suggests that in the years to come we might turn nostalgic looking back at their present8212;the way we do watching Azharuddin in his early days during those 1985 World Series re-runs on television. Though that cliched generalization of the 8216;boy next door8217; has been religiously and ritualistically conferred on them, the two aren8217;t exactly peas from the same pod.

Pathan with his photogenic smile and the exotic dash of Vadodara8217;s Mandvi Juma Masjid background, is the obvious poster boy. The cameras love his Air-Jordan jump after taking a wicket and also his tri-colour waving henna-dyed muezzin father who as a second job sells itr outside the mosque.

In the television age, Pathan is a perfect feel-good story with haunting visuals. On the other hand, Balaji8212;though many say is equally talented as Pathan8212; didn8217;t have much to tell. He was mundanely middle-class. His mother didn8217;t need to stitch his son8217;s tattered pads and his government servant father could afford a pair of bowling spikes. Besides when the Tamil speaking parents spoke about their son leaving for Pakistan on television, the production guys had to run the translation ticker. So the boy with the 1970s hairstyle went almost unnoticed. That is until he developed that strange habit of hitting Shoaib Akhtar over the fence and that too with the contempt that God would have reserved for an atheist. Suddenly Pathan, who was always in the spotlight, had his old mate as company.

Other than the obvious 8216;left and right8217; difference, Irfan, 19, and Balaji, 23, have diverse skills with the ball. Irfan8217;s stock ball is the one that leaves the right-hander with the incoming ball used as the variation while it is exactly the opposite in case of Balaji. And as the batsmen in Australia and Pakistan have found out that it like walking in a maze when they bowl in tandem.

Irfan and Balaji did hit their highs together but they also have been around during the lows. Toiling in the sun before empty stands playing domestic cricket, sharing apprehensions and dreams while on tour with the India A team and being net bowlers to the mega stars at pre-season camps. While travelling the same arduous route they developed a bond and today when they talk about 8216;being friends8217; and 8216;healthy competition8217; it doesn8217;t quite sound rehearsed.

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Compared to Pathan, Balaji8217;s trek to the top was more strenuous8212;when one considers his forgettable international debut match against West Indies where he conceded 4/44 in 2002. And it was only after twice finishing as the top wicket-taker on the domestic circuit did he get a chance to be back in the team 2004.

Balaji8217;s Tamil Nadu teammates vouch for one thing: Bala always strikes back when his skills are being questioned. For Pathan, things were easy. Nine-wickets against the junior side of world cricket8217;s certified minnows Bangladesh meant a chance to play against the world champions Australia. Getting the national cap may have been easy but beyond that in Australia and in Pakistan now he has shown that he really deserved the break.

The rise of these young pacemen has also something to do with Pakistan. The fabled fertile land for pacers saw the birth of India8217;s greatest pacer Kapil Dev during the 1978 series. Congrats, this time we had twins.

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More