In Kolkata, it’s suddenly raining quicks

Not just Paul, but the presence of a whole host of former Team India players — Rohan Gavaskar, Devang Gandhi, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Deep Dasgupta — in the line-up is a huge plus. And then there’s the bonus — though occasional — of sharing the dressing room with Sourav (Ganguly).

It happened in Bengal’s game against Karnataka last week and, as Bose says, ‘‘What bigger motivation can there be than being with a guy who has been the captain of the country for the last 40-odd Tests? It’s a great feeling and he is also extremely helpful.’’

Playing for Bengal alone is inspiration. Bose proudly tells the story of how he got his first Bengal cap seven years ago. He refused to wear it and ‘‘would just stare at it and look in the mirror’’. But now, with so many India helmets and caps in the dressing room, ‘‘that’s what I want’’.

But that sort of motivation can only take the strapping six-foot-four outswing bowler some distance.

Beyond that, it has to be the wickets he picks up and the variations he brings into his bowling.

‘‘I am a better bowler with the old ball and have been reverse swinging quite a bit of late. Obviously there’s a lot of room for improvement; a yard or two of pace for a start. My biggest strength though is that I can bowl a line on or around the off-stump practically all day,’’ Bose says.

Add to that what Bengal coach Karsan Ghavri says about Bose being a lionheart ‘‘who is probably India’s only pacer who can bowl 10-15 over spells’’, and the potential is obviously there.

As a batsman, he has shown an ability to hang around and support his top order even if he can’t score runs. As a fielder, he is above average but, as he admits, can be better. ‘‘I am working on both with my coach (Gopal Bose) in Kolkata and I am getting better at both,’’ he says.

Running in with his long hair flowing, Bose looks like Jason Gillespie and the principles of his bowling come from the Glenn McGrath School.

For the next step up, the potential that is evident has to be harnessed, and the ‘‘10-15 per cent’’ improvements he talks about have to come in.