Sreesanth: A vital cog in Team India’s wheel

It is amazing how this young lad has “come up from practically nowhere”, remarked Fraser who, arguably, has the complete inside know on every Indian player in the team. “That somebody like Inzamam-ul Haq sees a great fast bowler in the making in him is a tribute out of ordinary.”

The tell-tale signs on Sreesanth’s importance to the team is evident everyday. Dravid was so enthused by the young lad’s appearance as a 12th man in the tour opener against Jamaica XI on Tuesday that he kept thumping him in the back for long. Sreesanth, drinks bag slung over his shoulder, found it an effort to take every single step towards the middle but he was undeterred and it did not escape the eye of his respected leader.

Sreesanth has 22 wickets from 15 one-day games and the graph has improved to the extent that he picked up six English batsmen in Indore in April. He lured most of them with his outswingers and his ability to come back moved former England fast bowler turned writer Derek Pringle to describe him as a “thinking bowler”.