10 Indian pacers who faded into obscurity

India's pace attack has looked settled for quite some time. Right now it is considered as among the best in the world. But this has come after they have tried a plethora of fast bowlers in the past decade.

Some had cemented their place in the side, some looked good for a while but couldn't cope with injuries, some couldn't adapt with the changing demands of the modern game and some just faded away after a season or two.

Let's have a look at a select few.

#10 Abhimanyu Mithun

Mithun made his ODI debut against South Africa in February 2010, the series in which Sachin scored the first ever ODI double hundred. This was soon followed by Test debut against Sri Lanka in July.

With a height above 6 ft and good pace, he looked like a promising future prospect for India. But he couldn't create much of an impact in the chances he got and played his last Test against West Indies in 2011.

Injuries followed and his place was grabbed by other bowlers around. Without noticeable performances in the IPL, he soon faded away from selectors' radar. Although still a regular in Karnataka's Ranji side, a breakthrough in the national team looks tough for the 27 year old.

Career stats of Abhimanyu Mithun

#9 V R V Singh

Vikram Raj Vir Singh or VRV Singh created uproar in his early years, clocking speeds of above 145 kmph regularly. Being viewed as the next big thing in Indian cricket's fast bowling history, he was fast-tracked into the Indian squad as a young 22-year old for the tour of West Indies in 2006. With a lot of promise and expectations on his shoulders, VRV played 2 Tests on that tour and returned with 2 wickets.

He was still retained for the tour of South Africa later that year and played 2 Tests there too, but returned with only 3 wickets to show for his efforts. Although not in the squad for 2007 World Cup, he was again selected for the tour of Bangladesh after India's early exit from the global event.

There VRV played the first test and was dropped for the second, in which Ishant Sharma made his debut. Soon selectors ran out of patience and he was never again selected for the national team.

After a spate of injuries, he also lost a lot of his speed. Out of the Punjab system for 3 years now and without an IPL contract, the pace of VRV seems a very distant memory.

Career stats of VRV Singh

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#8 Pankaj Singh

Pankaj Singh knocked on selectors' door continuously with strong performances in Ranji seasons between 2009 and 2014. He was one of the biggest reasons behind Rajasthan's title wins in 2010 and 2011. Selectors rewarded him with a call to India's test squad for the tour of England in 2014. He played the 3rd test of the series, replacing an injured Ishant Sharma.

Generating good swing in his first match, Pankaj could have taken Cook's wicket had Jadeja not dropped that catch off his bowling. He could have also taken another wicket in the same innings only to be denied by the umpire for an LBW appeal.

Pankaj was again selected for the next match and although he took a couple of wickets, he looked wayward and out of control. With India losing the series 1-3, he soon fell out of selectors' radar.

Pankaj was never again considered for national selection. He is still playing domestic cricket, a regular feature for Rajasthan and West Zone and hopes for an IPL contract. But national comeback for the 32 year old medium-pacer looks unlikely.

Career stats of Pankaj Singh

#7 Ashok Dinda

With a headband like Dennis Lillee and a leap bigger than Zaheer Khan, Dinda for some time looked like just the bowler India wanted. Consistent performances in Ranji for Bengal and an impressive debut season in the IPL for KKR got him noticed by the selectors. He got a call for the Indian ODI side a year later in 2010 against Zimbabwe.

With inconsistent performances at the international level, he remained on the fringes of the national side for 3 years. Chances were few and far between. Without much of an impact and rising economy levels, he soon fell out of favor with the selectors.

He played his last ODI against England in 2013.

Ashok Dinda, now 33 years old, is still the spearhead of Bengal's Ranji team. He played the last IPL season for Rising Pune Supergiants, although without impressive returns. He has played for Delhi Daredevils, RCB and Pune Warriors before.

Career stats of Ashok Dinda

#6 R Vinay Kumar

Primarily a swing and seam bowler and handy with the bat, R Vinay Kumar made his India debut in 2010 against Zimbabwe. He had been a consistent performer for Karnataka in Ranji and in the IPL, displaying a handful of variations and accuracy in his bowling. He was among the regular bowlers in Indian squad for the 2012-13 season.

Vinay Kumar made his Test debut for India at Perth during the Australia tour of 2012, when MS Dhoni preferred 4 regular fast bowlers on a green pitch. He was largely ineffective and returned with the solitary wicket of Mike Hussey.

As ODI cricket changed rapidly with the game becoming more and more favorable towards batsmen, Vinay Kumar couldn't adapt to the demands of the one-day game and soon found himself on the fringes of the national side. He was hammered for more than 100 runs in an ODI against Australia which turned out to be his last match in India colors.

Vinay Kumar enjoyed his best time in domestic cricket when he led Karnataka to triple titles of Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and Vijay Hazare Trophy for two successive seasons between 2013-15.

Career stats of R Vinay Kumar

#5 Laxmipathy Balaji

Balaji's name would still bring a smile on anyone's face who remembers the tours of Australia and Pakistan in 2003-04. He broke the back of Pakistan's batting and India had unearthed a star. Also, his ear-to-ear smile brought unprecedented joy to the onlookers. That was Balaji's tour as much as it was Sehwag's.

But continuous injuries after 2005 and drop in pace put him out of reckoning. It was pretty much the same story for Balaji as it was for other Indian pacers during that time. A stress fracture and a back surgery kept him out of cricket for three years. In no time, he completely disappeared and selectors moved on.

But L Balaji knows a thing or two about comebacks. With a remodelled bowling action and a few variations up his sleeve, he forced his way back into the national side riding on a successful IPL and Ranji season for a series against Sri Lanka in 2009. A good season for KKR in 2012 earned him a call up for the World T20.

Balaji is now 36 years old and it doesn't look like fans will see him in India colours again. His career, though brilliant in patches, would always remain one of unfulfilled expectations.

Career stats of L Balaji

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#4 R P Singh

A left-arm quick is always an asset to any team. RP Singh, a product of the U-19 system, came into the national team as a 20-year-old swing bowler. He was especially suited for limited overs cricket, as he could bowl well at the death.

He first revealed his talent in the ODI series against Sri Lanka in 2005 and continued to be one of the mainstays of Indian pace attack for a couple of seasons. He was a part of the team which won the Test series in England in 2007.

His crowning glory came at the inaugural World T20 when he played a big role in India's victory in the final, taking 3 wickets for 26 runs in his 4 overs. He was also influential in India's famous victory at Perth against Australia during the 2007-08 tour.

But he began to fade away quickly. A spate of wicketless matches cost him his place in the side. Out of contention for the national team for a long time, he was recalled for the England tour in 2011 after Zaheer Khan injured himself during the 1st Test. But that was the last RP would play for India.

He played well in the 2009 IPL season and was instrumental in Deccan Chargers' title win. He didn't feature in the tournament for 3 years from 2013-15 but was picked by Pune Supergiants for the 2016 season. RP now plays for Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy and was a part of Gujarat's title win in 2015-16 Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Career stats of RP Singh

#3 Praveen Kumar

Few can swing the cricket ball like Praveen Kumar did in his prime. Honed in the grassroot levels of Indian cricket, Praveen Kumar or PK came into the limelight after a breakout debut season for UP in 2005-06.

An ability to move the ball both ways and consistent performances for UP in his first couple of seasons put him into national reckoning. Although limited on pace, PK was high on accuracy and could bowl long spells. He was also more than handy with the bat and at times opened the innings for UP.

He was a key member of the Indian pace attack from 2008-10. His exploits in the CB series of 2008 against Australia are still fondly remembered. On an otherwise disastrous tour of England in 2011, PK was one of the few shining lights in the Indian camp and got his name etched on the Lord's Honours Board forever.

A quest for increase in pace led to his downfall. His body couldn't cope with the physical demands of bowling faster than his natural speed, and thus injuries became frequent. He could have been a part of the 2011 World Cup winning team if not for those injuries.

His fitness issues led to a drop in form and Praveen Kumar was soon forgotten, with another Meerut lad slowly rising up in the ranks to take his place. Still playing in the IPL and in the domestic circuit, Praveen Kumar looks hopeful for a national comeback which seems unlikely with every passing season.

Career stats of Praveen Kumar

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#2 Munaf Patel

Once regarded as India's fastest bowler, Munaf Patel was spotted very early by Kiran More during a nets session. Hailing from the small town of Ikhar, Munaf became an overnight star when he troubled the visiting English side on his Test debut. Bowling with pace and swing, he took 7 wickets in the match gifting India a victory by 9 wickets.

Consistent performances in his debut year made him a regular in the Indian side, which had lacked a genuine fast bowler for years. But frequent injuries forced him to drop his pace and become a line and length bowler.

There were times when Anil Kumble bowled faster than Munaf. Although still accurate, he became more and more dependent on conditions favoring fast bowling. He was good on India's tour of New Zealand in 2009 but struggled to deliver impact performances on flat wickets.

Munaf got a chance to play in the 2011 World Cup when an injury forced Praveen Kumar out. He ended the tournament as India's 3rd highest wicket-taker after Zaheer and Yuvraj. But with selectors opting for more genuine pace options and him losing form, Munaf was soon out of the national side.

He still plays for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy but with age not on his side, a national comeback might be a distant dream.

Career stats of Munaf Patel

#1 Irfan Pathan

With 100 wickets in both Tests and ODIs, a Test hat-trick to his name, a Man of the Match award in 2007 WorldT20 final and 1000+ runs in both formats, one wouldn't exactly like to believe Irfan Pathan's career as 'lost'.

But such has been the tale of this man who at one time was viewed as a successor to Kapil Dev.

Irfan was the find of the 2002 U-19 World Cup. Soon drafted into the national team for the 2003-04 tour of Australia, he made headlines with his swing and brisk pace troubling the big names in the Aussie line-up. He was India's spearhead on the tour of Pakistan in 2004 and wreaked havoc in Bangladesh with a 10-wicket haul at Dhaka.

As his batting improved, Irfan was being labelled as the next Kapil Dev. But fate had other plans for the Baroda lad. Injuries had their toll and Irfan started losing pace at an alarming rate. From late 130s he dropped to a mid 120s bowler.

Inconsistent with his bowling, Irfan's batting kept him in the national side for a while. By the time he was in his late 20s, he was in and out of the national team so many times that it looked like Pathan was a 35 year old veteran. He was termed as the pacer who learned how to bat but forgot how to bowl.

His form dropped after the Karachi hat-trick in 2006. He was sent back home midway from the tour of South Africa to focus on domestic cricket, but was included in the team for the 2007 World T20 when seniors decided to opt out of the tournament.

He played a big role in India's win in the final, where he took 3 wickets in his 4 overs for 16 runs. He was also the spearhead of India's famous victory at Perth, taking 5 wickets in the match and scoring important runs.

Later in the CB series too, he was instrumental in India winning the tournament with a host of other youngsters. But that would be the last anyone would remember of Irfan Pathan.

With injuries becoming more frequent, Irfan missed out on a lot of cricket in subsequent years. He had stints for various IPL sides but failed to make a mark on selectors' list. He missed out on the entire domestic season in 2010. A fine performance in the 2011-12 domestic season got him a national recall, but after a couple of series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, injury struck once more.

Irfan hasn't been on the selection radar since then. He hasn't had an eye-catching performance in Ranji or the IPL. As India were struggling to find a genuine fast bowling allrounder, Irfan failed to create an impact. With Hardik Pandya now easing into that role, a comeback looks tough for Irfan.

Also with the team now focussed on fitness more than ever, his injury ravaged history doesn't inspire attention. Almost 33 years old now, it would not be difficult to say that Irfan might have played his last for India. His potential shall forever be remained unfulfilled.

Career stats of Irfan Pathan