Indian Pace Store

A country which stands still when Cricket is played, the most cricket crazy nation in the world, the richest cricketing board in the world, the most followed sport in the country with a Billion Pulse population yet India struggles to find a genuine fast bowler who can bowl consistently at 150 pulse Kmph/Hr, this can be called as the height of irony, tragedy or even shame! When you look at the passion this games holds in India its unbelievable to think that we are not able to find someone who can take the hell out of a batsmen with genuine pace, this topic got bigger as India lost to South Africa in the last over when 14 Runs were needed Indian "Fast bowler" gifted the match with 2 balls to spare in the preliminary game in this World Cup in spite of scoring 294, though it was a batting pitch and even 315 was told as chaseable. Though Nehra is no the only culprit, the main reason for the lose is the batsmen who got bundled out after being in a strong positing -- 260/1 but lets not go deep into it or the topic might change. This match triggered the question of Indian Pace factory, why is that when Pakistan can produce a fast bowler with solid pace regularly, India struggles to bring someone in the International podium? even countries like Bangladesh has a decent fast bowler! There are only a hand full of fast bowlers that India has produced post our world cup triumph, Kapil Dev the Legend, Javagal Srinanth one of the most lethal fast bowler in world cricket during his time

Not many people are aware that Javagal Srinath was a fast bowler but often considered as just a medium pacer, he was second quickest bowler in the world during the last leg of his carrier! even after a major shoulder operation he was quicker than McGrath! Saeed Anwar after his retirement said that it was difficult to face Javagal Srinath and India should produce more bowlers like him. Ajith Agarkar who broke Deniss Lillie's record for the fastest 50 Wickets in ODI are the only fast bowlers from India who managed to troubled the batsmen with their "Speed" along with Zaheer Khan, who is major thereat for bastmen around the world, he can swing the ball in both ways and even in a old ball, which makes him the most dangerous bowlers in world cricket today, for of course there was Debasish Mohonty who was very good for a while and Srisanth who though is the quickest Indian bowler now, is no way comparable with the others because of his inconsistency, he is the most expensive bowler in the whole world in terms of economy at the moment, there is no point in bowling quick and being the very expensive. This is the land where MRF PACE foundation headed by Denis Lille creates fast bowlers for world cricket and often the world gets trained for PACE BOWLING and yet we are still searching for a quick bowler who can be threatening in International Standards

Comming back to the world cup, I was very irritated looking at Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra who were just bowling medium pace had to lead the Indian attack in the world cup along with Zaheer Khan who seems to be the only Indian effective fast bowler for a long time now. I remeber long time back when Munaf Patel was new into the international scene and commentator said that "he is bowling dollies at 120 Kmph" Bowlers who could bowl around 120 to 130 Kmph are generally considered as only medium pacers and most of the countries would consider them only as a one change or bowlers who could just fill the space, but sadly India is forced to use them as part of our "Pace Attack"

Though I have seen many camps which promotes and hunts pace bowlers its surprising to know what happens when the try to enter the International Level. Critics point out a number of reason one of them is the subcontinent's pitches are often spinner friendly and it is difficult to maintain a bouncy, pace friendly tracks given the conditions such as weather and soil, but in that case how come Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka successfully producing a decent pace attack? Others point out that its because of the Indian gene, which is even more funny because when our neighbors in the west (Pakistan) east (Bangladesh) and south ( Sri Lanka) have no problem in finding one from their small population it has to be a curse from the cricketing gods more than the gene factor..lol

When will the search end? no one knows as of now? why do we Indians are so incapable in producing a quick bowler when our neighbors find them with ease? no one knows? some say that it should be in the gene? when our neighbors in the East and West could find them with ease its not defendable that gene is the reason, I guess it should be a curse more than the gene factor..lol

But there is hope as I saw today in the news that a young Jarkhand bowler is "quick" and might be the answer to the great Indian Pace Search. A few seasons back there was another bowler who could bowl consistently 140 Kmps for a full day! don't know where is he now, but I am confident that the boy from Jarkhand will shine like Dhoni and will atleast be a small solution because we need more quick bowlers to be consistent in International standards

Michale Holding has said

"You can't make a fast bowler. You can't take anyone and put them in a gymnasium and give them whatever exercises and strengthen their body and turn out a fast bowler,"

that seems to be some what true, but in a country which is so immersed in cricket, India will defiantly have plenty of fast bowlers its in the hands of the board which most of the time does only little to develop the game to find the speedsters and give a high pace attack with the new ball