Second string, first class

When Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh 8212; undoubtedly India8217;s best seamers over the last one year...

When Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh 8212; undoubtedly India8217;s best seamers over the last one year 8212; were forced to opt out midway through the Australia tour, India8217;s bowling attack, it appeared, had been rendered inexperienced and immature.

Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar were on their first overseas assignment and Sreesanth had reached Australia only after the Test series. This meant Irfan Pathan 8212; who had played two of the four Tests 8212; remained the only bowler who had spent enough time Down Under to adapt to the conditions.

To think that the likes of Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting and Symonds would massacre the attack seemed logical, and therefore what followed 8212; the four pacers grabbing 44 wickets among them 8212; was the biggest thrill as Team India went on to claim the title.

8220;Injuries keep happening but the team had a lot of faith in our abilities. We planned our game and executed it well. Not just the bowlers, it was a great team effort. Sachin bhai and Dhoni batted extremely well,8221; says Sreesanth, being uncharacteristically modest.

In terms of economy rate, Kumar turned out to be India8217;s best. Pathan and Sreesanth, given the new ball, were the only bowlers to give away more than five runs an over, but complimented it with 20 wickets between them.

Praveen played only the last four matches of the series and ended up with 10 wickets, which he says has given him his career8217;s biggest high until now. 8220;It was nice to have the captain believing in you. I was quite confident of what I needed to do, and thanks to the Ranji Trophy, I was in good rhythm too. It was just a matter of maintaining the right line,8221; he says.

With the exception of Ishant, who has been advised by doctors to rest until the pain in his left toe and right forefinger subsides, the others are keenly awaiting South Africa8217;s arrival for the Test series. Currently, Sreesanth and Pathan are taking absolute rest, as advised, to focus on regaining strength and are confident of coming back to where they belong in a few days8217; time. Sreesanth is busy either 8220;sleeping or watching movies8221; before the action begins again.

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8220;The Test series, the Perth victory and, more than anything, losing the Sydney Test made us very desperate for success. We wanted to prove ourselves in the toughest of circumstances. At times it seemed we were fighting against all odds and it is a great feeling to come back victorious,8221; says Sreesanth.

Kumar, meanwhile, has no qualms that he went through a physically demanding tour. 8220;I am used to bowling continuous spells in domestic cricket. The Australian tour was demanding but we kept working on our fitness and tried to relax whenever it was possible. Fitness is something that we as bowlers need to work on throughout the year,8221; he says.

These bowlers will be joined by RP Singh, who is back to full fitness. RP played two Ranji one-dayers earlier this month, bowled 20 overs and took four wickets. Zaheer, his bowling partner, has been in touch with the selectors from South Africa where he is working on recovering from his ankle injury. He will be ascertained fit only after a test following his return.

In a country where the lack of quality fast bowlers was always a problem, India have a surprisingly big talent pool to choose from at the moment. Apart from Zaheer, RP, Praveen, Sreeanth and Irfan, the likes of Munaf Patel, VRV Singh and Pankaj Singh are also bowlers the selectors can turn to.