All-time India Test XI - The Fast Bowlers

SULTANS OF SWING AND SPEED

A nation always celebrated it’s high profile batsmen, a team that highly depended on it’s wily spinners to take twenty wickets every time, these men were underrated and at other times, were also under utilized. Conditions were mostly set against these men who not only had to fight against opposition batsmen, but also against slow turners that seldom offered bounce. This made every single achievement of theirs sparkle like a bright star in the middle of a dark night.

Presenting to you, India’s best fast-bowlers till date.

MOHAMMAD NISSAR

India’s first fast bowler, Nissar was arguably the fastest ever bowler to have played for India. Of his 25 test wickets, 13 dismissals were either bowled or leg-before. His express speed also made his captian, CK Nayudu comment that he was faster than Harold Larwood at that point of time. Nissar was not all pace. Like all his successors, Mohammad Nissar also produced good swing to add to his already hostile speed. In India’s first test at Lord’s (1932), Nissar got England into deep trouble early in the innings by rearranging the stumps of the English openers, Percy Holmes and Herbert Sutcliffe. The achievement was already a commendable one considering that it was India’s first ever test and they were playing in England’s home. To add to that, Holmes and Sutcliffe had just been part of a 555 run record partnership for the first wicket, ten days ago. Nissar’s best performance also came against England in Mumbai during the winter of 1933. For all the efforts in the 6 tests he played for India and for the 396 first class wickets , Mohammad Nissar will always remain in Indians’ memory as the fastest bowler India has ever produced.

AMAR SINGH

Amar Singh was the perfect partner for India’s opening bowler, Mohammad Nissar. Len Hutton went on to call him the best ever bowler in the world (currently) after 34 long years when he first faced him. Amar Singh was a big headache for the English during India’s first test series. Wally Hammond called his bowling as, “he came off the pitch like the crack of doom.” In the 7 tests he played, Amar took 28 wickets at an average of 30.64. When he missed his partner in Mohammad Nissar during the Madras test of 1933-34, Amar Singh took 7/86 in 44.4 overs. It was a perfect test of his character, stamina, accuracy and skill.

Born in Rajkot, Amar Singh breathed his last bit of air in 1940 when he was just 29 years. If ever he had a few more years to live, he might have seen his country achieve freedom and at the same time, also pick up more wickets and score valuable runs at the end of the innings.

JAVAGAL SRINATH

Srinath was a unqiue fast bowler India had produced. Born in Mysore, Srinath’s emergence into international cricket was slow and gradual. He was ignored for the home series after he made his debut in Australia (1991/92). But once Kapil left the scene, he took over the mantle of the senior fast bowler in 1994. In the 1996/97 series in South Africa, Srinath’s speeds were timed at 150 kmph. In fact, one particular delivery recorded 156 kmph. A huge inspirational figure for all young fast bowlers, Srinath was only the 2nd fast bowler to take more than 200 test wickets for India. An Instrumentation engineer by education, Srinath relied mostly on in swingers and in cutters that were often bowled at speeds in excess of 140 kph. Some of his best performances have been in Indian soil, a soil that seldom helps fast bowlers!

On a dust-bowl at Motera, with South Africa chasing a small score of 170, Srinath produced his best bowling spell ever. It certainly is one of the best moments of genuine fast-bowling by an Indian bowler. Andrew Hudson and Daryl Cullinan were sent back with the score reading 0. After his hostile first spell that rocked South Africa’s top order, Srinath came back to clean up the lower middle order and the tail within a space of 9 runs. South Africa lost 4 of the last 5 wickets to Srinath and India won the match convincingly by 64 runs.

Just like his predecessors, Prabhakar and Kapil Dev, Srinath’s best bowling performance came against Pakistan in 1999. In a match that saw Pakistan reeling at 26-6 at one point of time in the first innings, Srinath claimed 5/46 in the first innings. In the second innings, Srinath fought a lone war against Pakistan as the other Indian bowlers were of little help when Anwar scored a magnificent 188. Srinath eventually went on to pick 8/86 and hence 13 wickets in the match.

VENKATESH PRASAD

An able new ball partner for Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad represented India for five years between 1996 and 2001. Prasad’s strength lied in his ability to swing the ball in favorable conditions. Hence, he found greater rhythm in England and South Africa. On pitches that did not help his swing bowling, Prasad reinvented himself to get variations in pace and bowl the cutters frequently. One such occasion got Pakistan in a complete fix at Chennai. Prasad was in the middle of a dream spell after he dismissed Afridi who scored a scintillating century. Late in the evening of the 3rd day, Prasad produced a dream spell of 3-3-0-5 and put breaks on Pakistan’s charge in their 2nd innings. His 6/33 in that test remains his best performance till date.

Some of his other commendable performance came mostly when India were touring England, West Indies and South Africa in 1996/97. He claimed five wicket hauls at Kolkata, Durban (two five wicket hauls), Lord’s and Bridgtown in this season. This was his best season of international cricket too. By the time Prasad retired, he took 96 test wickets in 33 matches with 7 5-wicket hauls and 1 10-wicket haul (in a match).

ZAHEER KHAN

Zaheer khan India’s fast bowler

From a little known town called Shrirampur emerged a left arm fast bowler who had the ability to swing the ball both ways with pin point accuracy. Zaheer Khan was the natural heir for Javagal Srinath and once Srinath called it a day, Zaheer took the role of India’s spearhead. With India’s golden generation, Zaheer Khan did what most of his predecessors could not do – to win test matches and test series abroad. When he burst on to the international arena, Zaheer was well-built, quick and was never intimidated by the quality of batsmen he was bowling to. Zaheer was the third seamer aiding Srinath and Nehra when India toured West Indies in 2002-03. It was in this season that Zaheer emerged as India’s strike bowler from the third bowler position. He played 16 matches in the season and went on to pick 54 wickets on tracks as vivid as Wellington and Mumbai. His performance at Gabba in India’s first test against Australia (2002/03) was breathtaking. With the team firmly ib the backfoot after the first day of the test, Zaheer reduced Australia from a formidable 262-2 to 323 all out.

After a series of injuries and poor form, Zaheer returned joined the team in South Africa. He has never looked back since then. Zaheer contributed immensely in Johannesburg (India’s first test win in South Africa), in England with 18 wickets in the series victory , in India when Australia lost 2-0 and when India won the series in New Zealand after almost 41 years.

He is now India’s senior most bowler and with 210 test wickets in 65 games, Zaheer Khan remains India’s best fast bowler in the last decade when the team has grown into world beaters.

[polldaddy poll=2201441]