The pacemen cometh

After years of relying on spinners to bring them victories, India suddenly have a band of fast bowlers ready to take on the world's best batsmen..

There was a time when India relied on their spin attack to win matches. That hardly seems to be the scenario nowadays. Today it is their pace attack that delivers victories.

From a period when fast bowling was a rarity, India now has a battery of young pacers, each one knocking hard for a slot in the final eleven. An analysis to pick the best among them can be quite interesting.

Statistics reveal that Ishant Sharma has the best pace and has been most impressive in the number of matches he has played. But this by no means leaves the others behind.

The question then is, who among the hopefuls is capable of serving India longer and bringing more glory?

Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan was expected to to be known as India's best opening bowler. He was impressed with the new ball and could swing the ball very well. He was also quick, but recurrent hamstring injuries denied him opportunities during India's tour of Australia and Pakistan. So much so that his injuries went on to affect his bowling and when he did make a comeback, he failed to impress as in the past. And in his eagerness to establish his place in the team he attempted quite a few variations without mastering them. Additionally, the new breed of pacers also put pressure on him and he soon found himself struggling for form as well a place in the team. A disappointed Khan joined Worcestershire where he went on to take 78 wicket in the 2006 county season. Khan is still a good bowler but at 29 age is fast catching up with him.

Shantakumaran Sreesanth
Sreesanth is one bowler who has been very impressive in both forms of the game. Although injuries have affected him, he has provided India with timely wickets and breakthroughs. Sporting an impressive average for a fast bowler, he does manage to maintain a speed of 130-135 kmph, which is the second best recorded after Sharma. Besides injuries, controversies have dogged him, with many are of the opinion that his aggressive on-field behaviour has taken his focus away from his wicket taking ability. Sreesanth has been quite expensive in one-day cricket, but there is little doubt that India has benefited immensely from his wicket-taking ability.

Irfan Pathan
A bowler with a big promise at the start of his career, Irfan Pathan has really not been at his best for quite a while, but he is fast regaining his form. Former Indian coach Greg Chappell's plan to transform him into a top order batsman proved costly for Pathan both with the bat and ball, and he lost his place in the team. However, Pathan has not given up and worked hard at the MRF Pace Foundation. His determination saw him make a slow return through the Twenty20 World Cup and he has once again established his place in the Indian team. A few additions to the variety of his bowling could land him with some impressive spells and boost his confidence as well. Knowing Pathan's perseverance, he is likely to remain as one of India's main strike bowler for some time.

Rudra Pratap Singh
Rudra Pratap Singh has impressed one and all with every outing. Although he does not have the fearsome pace, there has been a marked improvement in his line and length. His ability to bring the ball into the right handed batsman is the best among all the Indian pacers. He can also swing the ball away with ease and that has made him a tough bowler to handle on any sort of wicket. But like Sreesanth, minor injuries have put on the brakes to his career too often. But the fact that Singh is only 22 and has 91 wickets from both forms of the game should be a major confidence for him. A lot will be heard about him if he is able to maintain his fitness.

Munaf Patel
Munaf Patel arrived on the scene as India's fastest bowler but is yet to prove as the best. Faced with a series of injuries, he landed up missing a permanent spot in the Indian team as well as some valuable bowling experience against top players and in different conditions in important matches. Moreover, the layoff has interfered with his ability to add more bite to his bowling. Despite the tough times, he has mastered the perfect yorker and the art of reverse swing. Though strongly built, he has yet to expolit his potential to the fullest. Hailing from a small village in Gujarat, he has improved mainly from the help of MRF coaches T.A. Sekar and Dennis Lillee. Patel must be given continued guidance to get the best out of him.

Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma is considered India's finest discovery among the pacers. He has both the physique and the willingness to work hard. His biggest asset is his six foot four inches and his excellent high-arm action. Though he did impress the selectors in the home series against Pakistan, it was the Australian tour that got the best out of him. There was a huge surge in his confidence after that tour, and it didn't take him long to establish himself as the best. Sharma's ability to move the ball both ways, combined with his pace, can prove deadly on all types of wickets around the world.

Lakshmipathy Balaji
This tall and lanky pacer was supposed to spearhead India's pace attack for a long time. He got off to an impressive start and during India's tour of Pakistan in 2005, proved a match winner. Unfortunately, a stress fracture cut short his progress. He did return with a bang in the Indian Premier League with hat-trick, but will have to work hard to impress the selectors. For sure, his yorkers and bouncers can take batsmen by surprise, but his average speed has not exceeded 120-125 kmph. Having been out of practice for nearly a year and a half, there has been a loss of pace and bite to his attack, but at 26 he still has a lot of cricket left in him.

Ashish Nehra
Nehra began as India's finest left-arm pacer, but is struggling to regain his place in the team today. With all the required qualities of a good bowler, Nehra's late inswingers were unplayable during the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa where he had most of the best of batsmen in trouble. However, despite being a hard worker, Nehra failed to maintain his fitness. Surgery to his ankle forced him to miss series and tours at a time when he had been showing his best. Nehra had the ability to run through any batting line-up. Unfortunately, he has not played Test cricket or ODIs since 2005, and at 29 it could be an uphill task to make it back into the Indian squad.

Praveen Kumar
This highly promising bowler is yet to play Test cricket, but has been very impressive as a one-day bowler. Praveen Kumar has shown great ability to succeed on any sort of wicket, and that is his key strength. He worked his way into the Indian team through his consistent performances, taking 90 wickets in his two first-class seasons. In the Kitply Cup in Bangladesh, he displayed his ability to destroy the top order. At 21, he should have a promising future provided he remains fit.

Vikram Singh
Vikram Raj Singh has the second most impressive speed after Sharma with an average speed of 135 to 140kmph. His tall open chested bowling action has been very impressive in the five Test matches he has played so far. Singh was spotted by selectors during the EurAsia Cup in Abu Dhabi where he bowled well to take 11 wickets in four matches. Though he injured his landing foot and had to undergo rehabilitation, he is India's fastest improving pacer. With age on his side at 23, what Singh needs is exposure to some of the world's best batsmen to test his natural abilities.