Two, tentative on pace

GS Vivek looks into the fortunes of India8217;s enigmatic quicks

S SREESANTH

Just over a year in international cricket, Shantakumaran Sreesanth has seen it all. From rattling England at home with a six-wicket haul and registering the best bowling figures by an Indian pacer to watching a home series on television when dropped, to getting the country to groove to his bat-waving pelvic thrusts in South Africa to facing an uncertain inclusion in the World Cup team. A story of fluctuating stocks.

Or was he only gaining consistency? Sreesanth8217;s domestic rise had been just as dramatic8212;from an unknown entity from the backwaters of Kerala, punctured by injury midway, only to rise again.

There are reasons why his cricket has swung wildly. He8217;s a generous person, bound to struggle when the skipper requires him to stay in the economy zone. His penchant for pace, and the concept of overhauling Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar in speed, exposes him to the dangers that come with it.

On the other hand, through certain chinks in that aggressive run-up that Ian Fraser has been striving to rectify, Sree has been able to keep the seam straight six times in an over. And that has made him stand out as a wicket-taking bowler.

In the West Indies, the strong sea-breeze can add to his swing and make him dangerous. Sreesanth8217;s chances of doing well at the World Cup rest largely on the skipper8212;if he can afford a bit of runs in exchange for some early wickets.

MUNAF PATEL

Billed as India8217;s fastest bowler as he impressed through domestic cricket, he runs in to bowl with just one thing on his mind8212;bowl quick. Ironically, the raw material picked up and polished at India8217;s premier fast bowling station is now getting used in Chappell8217;s Team India as a line-and-length bowler.

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Munaf Musa Patel has kept himself in the news since breaking into the team, but in course he has shifted subjects to become the most debated isuue in recent times. It happened in that one month in South Africa, as he lay quietly, rather secretively, recovering from an ankle injury.

Team management fingers remained crossed about Munaf recovering fully within that fateful Test series in South Africa, or with Vengsarkar giving the lee-way to the bowler to take the call himself before every match. Even within his restrained self, he is a mighty weapon. His ability to get the ball move either way off the wicket makes him a handy customer with the semi-new ball and provides ample back-up option to the opening combo of Zaheer and Agarkar.

In a team teeming with part-timers, his spell in the middle overs is crucial to India8217;s plans8212;both in terms of breaking partnerships and maintaining run-sanity. In this new age one-day cricket, where saving runs is as good as scoring, and where all-rounders are the buzz word, can Munaf Patel still survive to provide India the cutting edge? The answer is Yes.