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

Another day in Chepauk

Was lucky enough to get see England vs South Africa in Chepauk, my ticket was confirmed on the previous night and after waiting for a hour outside the stadium, I made my entry to stand A upper tire to see what was my first full fledged ODI (because the previous one was all over before lunch New Zealand vs Kenya) and that too without India being part of it, but I am least botherd about India's presence because I am in their for one simple reason for the Love Of The Game!! and that is all matters to me! at the same time, I will be visiting the same venue for the India vs West Indies Day and Night match, I cannot wait to hear the loud roars!!

Coming back to the match it was filled with surprises because as England won the toss and decided to bat first both the openers Peterson and Strauss were puzzled to see SOUTH AFRICAN spinner Robin Peterson warming up with the ball, after a small chat between the batsmen they game began, to the excitement of the crowd the first wicket fell in the first over and by the end of the first over both the English openers were back in the pavilion thinking what went wrong. England was in huge pressure to perform since they had to win this match and keep their World Cup tour alive after shocking defeat against Ireland who were becoming stronger as every game they played, if they loose this match it would almost "game over" for England and a strong fight to pass through the first round of the world cup would do no good for their team's moral. As the game progased England was flirting with danger. Dale Styne who was standing near our stand made a full length dive for a catch, I have never seen things like this live, it was as if he was jumping in a swiming pool, the whole crowed appuladed his effort and cheered the replay that was shown, actually he caught the ball but the ball bounced off his hands, but it took just one more ball for Imran Thaher to taken a wicket, caught and bowled. Within the first 7 overs England lost 3 important wickets to the spinner and now Ravi Bopara was the only man standing facing the Spin attact combined with the fastest bowlerl in earth Dale Styne and Morkel's quality pace and dangerously disciplined bowling. England was all out for 180 and every one expected it to be a cake walk for the South Africans, it was easy for the South Africans though the English attack also started with Spin, Amla had little trouble in putting the ball to the boundary and finding the gaps though once there was a chance of catching him in the covers. i was making full use of the mobile camera which I carry taking pics in every possible angle of the stadium and more importantly taking pictures of myself in the stadium, I had even taken the video of the crowd roaring, when South Africa came into bat because I wanted to cherish this moment, being part of the world cup crowd in being part of history by now things went very smoothly for South Africans until smith was dismissed for a good 20 odd runs, it was a decent 20 considering the low total they were about to chase down but slowly but steadily things started to change, Amla was back in the Pavilion but still the English attack had to penetrate a very strong South African line line despite sending the technically correct Amla and the very talented Smith, Kallis, De Villers and Duminy was about to follow. No one expected the South African run chase would be a tough but as runs dried out and wickets fell regularly 186 was looking as a big total, things came down to the wire but it was advantage South Africa as they had more ball in hands. Dale Style batted solidly and stood firm hitting a boundary straight ahead of a spinner. Anderson dismissed Styne plum in front of the wicket LBW but Styne was upset and the only thing he could do was ask for the remaining review option for South Africa, it was plum in front and he started to walk as the reply was shown on the big screen in the stadium. Stewart Board bowled consistently and was among the pick of the bowlers along with Swan who turned the ball like anything. The English pacer Stewart Board will never forget this match in his life time because he took the last two wickets which stood between England and the World Cup journey. South Africa needed 6 runs with 2 wickets in hand and 2 overs to go, Board finished of the tail and in the England supporters in the crowed who were so down though out the match was in pure joy. England will never forget this match and this will be one among their best world cup victories

India vs England World Cup 2011

What a match!! what an exhibition for the world cup, what an exhibition for a one day international!! I don't blog on every match that India plays in the world cup but this certainly deserves to be in the blog, this match will continue to chill spines for years to come and can be in the Top 5 world cup matches. After piling 339 batting first there wont be many Indians who would have expected that the match would come down to the wire "2 runs from 1 ball" after Strauss demolishing the Indian bowlers and after the spectators leaving the stadium not many would have believed that England dint win the match who on earth would have predicted that the match will be a tie when the English batsmen where piling runs? who would have predicted that the match will be a tie in the 48th over of the English innings where they needed 25 runs with their tail getting set to wag? Would any one on planet earth would have though that the Genius Sachin Tendulkar's blistering knock of hundred which took him to yet another world record of maximum centuries in the world cup will be overshadowed by an English innings?The last run in Indian innings by Zaheer and Munaf Patel was 1 run short, could that have made the difference? can an extra run some where could have made the difference? yes. The English captain Andrew Strauss was asked by former captain Nasser Hussain that if he is happy or sad with the tie he said "yes and no" that is the universal answer when your team ends up with a tie, though we can point out where runs leaked or the where the runs were not scored its we who have the easy job, the players deserves to be in the world cup playing for their nations, the world cup 2011 has begun after a sleepy start. Writing more on the match increases my heart beat. Let the cup stay here