We8217;ll never know the real reason why Sanath Jayasuriya, having won the toss, opted to field first on a good batting track. But, basking in the glow of yet another stellar performance from Srinath, Zaheer and Nehra, an educated guess could be that he simply wished to avoid facing India8217;s pace attack first thing in the morning.
If there is one hallmark of a genuine pace attack, it is this: no team wants to face it first up. The English regularly field first against the Aussies, any team playing at Perth avoids batting first if it can help it.
Former Indian Test opener Sanjay Manjrekar agrees with this theory. 8216;8216;Maybe Sanath thought that due to his injury he wouldn8217;t be able to face the Indian pacers all that well. The aura that the Indian pacers have built around them nurtures such negative thoughts,8217;8217; he said.
As it happened, the Lankans8217; ploy didn8217;t work. Four hours after he won the toss, Jayasuriya and his deputy eventually took guard; within half an hour, they were 15 for 4. The match was wrapped up inside of two hours, all 10 wickets being taken by the pace trio.
8216;8216;This is the greatest Indian pace bowling attack I have ever seen8217;8217;, former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga said. And he should know, having faced several combinations over 15-odd years.
This is the best, says Manjrekar, because they do different things. 8216;8216;While Srinath sticks to line and length, making him difficult to negotiate, Zaheer and Nehra go for the wickets early in their spells. I8217;d say that Zaheer and Nehra, more than Srinath, are our strike bowlers.8217;8217;
It8217;s like the Pakistan of the late 1980s and early 90s, when the ageing Imran Khan stuck to line and length while Wasim Akram and Aaqib Javed were given free rein to have go at the batsmen. The youngsters would bowl many wides and no balls but would take the wickets. Srinath himself said this was the best attack he8217;d ever played in.
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The Sri Lankan batting line-up went down like ninepins in the face of accurate, fast, occasionally hostile and supremely confident bowling.
Their confidence was apparent in the manner in which they bounced the Lankan bowlers; you don8217;t usually see Indian bowlers doing that. It was as much a signal to their fellow batsmen as a warning to the opponents.
This isn8217;t, of course, the first time India8217;s pacers have done the trick. They did so most famously against England, and today8217;s display only underlines the belief that India8217;s bowling can win a match as well as their batting can.
The strength of bowling, says former all-rounder Robin Singh, lies in the numbers: three bowlers on the field, a couple in the dressing-room and several at home.
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The advantage of playing three quicks is obvious: you can use them sparingly, rotating them when they begin to flag, keeping them fresh through most of the match.
That, he says, keeps the pressure on the batsmen. Earlier, the good work done by one bowler at one end would be undone by loose bowling from another. Or even when a pair had done their job by dismissing the top order, the second string would let the advantage slip.
Today, Srinath wrapped up the Lankan top order and then came back for a second spell to watch as Nehra demolished the lower order. In between, Zaheer claimed a couple of wickets for himself. The pressure was constant and intense.
Robin Singh also points to the bench strength as a reason for on-field success. It helps in providing the edge of competition; no longer can a fast bowler take his place for granted, as in the past, simply because there8217;s no alternative. 8216;8216;If someone like Ajit Agarkar has to sit out it shows the quality of pacers we have8217;8217;, he says.
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It also means that the strike bowlers no longer have to do the donkey work at the nets; the spare guys will do the job. That has two advantages: it keeps your main bowlers fresh and gives your batsmen better practice.
Kapil, for example, would be under intense pressure at the nets in his prime, which took its toll on him and didn8217;t prepare his batsmen well enough.
Anther difference in the bowlers of today is that they are looking to take wickets. 8216;8216;In the past our pacers stuck to saving runs, they were expected to take the shine off the ball and get it ready for the spinners. Now these bowlers believe in taking wickets. And in ODIs these things help a lot.8217;8217;
Why this sudden change, since the fact remains that these guys have been around for a while? Manjrekar believes it8217;s all in the timing. 8216;8216;It is the coming together, at the same time, of world class performers who are exceptionally gifted and can perform at the top level.8217;8217;
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Two factors, says Robin Singh: good wickets and fitness. 8216;8216;The wickets for the world cup assist pacers, who are doing well because of the bounce. And the improvement in fitness levels has also helped them to bowl better and for longer spells.8217;8217;
The fitness is also reflected in the fielding, and it8217;s coincidence that the standard of Indian pace bowling has gone up in consonance with that of the fielding. Today, the bowlers were helped by some excellent fielding 8212; Kaif took four catches, one of them a blinder to dismiss Atapattu.
In Yuvraj and Kaif, India have two of the best fielders on show in this tournament; their agility means that runs are saved and half-chances converted into chances.
6 min read
