Opinion Draining the bowl

A few months later,we knew what he had meant.

When Ishant Sharma charges in — tall,strapping,head still,ball held loosely in his fingers — there is a moment when it seems his flawless run-up will unravel. But he shifts his weight forward,still perfectly balanced as his right arm goes up high to smoothly release the ball.

His waist doesn’t seem to have a mind of its own like Ashish Nehra’s,his back isn’t cocked forward like Irfan Pathan’s; there is no hint of stiffness like Zaheer Khan,and no extra fluidity like Sreesanth.

Over the last two seasons,Ishant was the brightest trophy in an Indian bowling cupboard full of shining silverware — if Zaheer was the wily senior partner at the peak of his powers,R.P. Singh had disconcerting bounce,Munaf Patel accuracy,Irfan Pathan swing,and Sreesanth a certain X-factor. But somewhere in the last few months,the treasure chest has started to lose its glitter.

Effective swing bowlers are springing up in every part of the country (from Kamran Khan to Anureet Singh during the IPL) but there is a growing sense that India’s frontline international seamers are now appearing jaded and predictable.

Their one-dimensional nature again became apparent against Pakistan and Australia this week,when two different combinations were punished despite picking up early wickets. And what’s most disappointing for M.S. Dhoni,Gary Kirsten and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad is that this is happening at a time when the fast bowling unit seemed to be at the cusp of something bigger — closer than Indian cricket had ever been to reaching the next level.

Of the lot,the Ishant problem is the most intriguing because there is no big,visible drawback to fully explain his lack of effectiveness. Ishant made minor changes in his bowling over the last season — in international cricket the ‘if it ain’t broke,don’t fix it’ theory doesn’t really apply as batsmen start to read you,and he was wise to that. But what should’ve been a development year,in which he strengthened his resources,became a season in which the load of frontline paceman fell squarely on his shoulders in Zaheer’s absence.

Confused between going flat out and holding back,trying to adapt to the prescribed technical adjustments,Ishant’s arm is no longer ramrod straight,his wrist is falling sideways,and he isn’t hitting the right lengths,even if by just a few millimetres. Suddenly his Midas touch is a spell in which he’s driven,cut and pulled.

Given the scenario,India may have missed a trick by not drafting at least one of Munaf Patel and Sreesanth. While Munaf’s steadiness can allow Ishant the freedom to express himself,Sreesanth can take over as the team’s wildcard to balance out Ishant’s changed responsibilities. Things will perhaps get better with Zaheer’s return,but India must be mindful of the fact that ineffectiveness,especially in the case of bowlers,is often a virus that can’t be cured quickly.

Five years ago,Zaheer,Nehra,Irfan and Balaji had looked ready to make the team a genuine fast-bowling powerhouse. But things went downhill long before they could reach the top. A few defeats and Zaheer lost his edge,Irfan his movement,Balaji his confidence and Nehra his fitness. Luckily for India,the rebuilding process didn’t take as long as it could have. They may not be so fortunate again.

The positive for Ishant is that even when he’s being punished,there is a sense that he could get it back together really quickly. The result may have changed but at least the run-up remains robust as ever.

kunal.pradhan@expressindia.com