Life in the fast lane – Problem of plenty for India?

A veteran is recalled. Three youngsters are ready to take on the challenge. A tall and lanky youth is looking for redemption.

No, this is not the attempted synopsis of a Hollywood pot-boiler. It is merely the description of the Indian Test squad’s bowling weapons chosen to lock horns with the Proteas. And just as expected, Zaheer Khan, Graeme Smith’s bête noire, is back in the side.

I have always imagined ZaK to lead the pace attack, at least for a few more years. He is still as wily as ever. If India has to succeed on this tour, the Mumbai Ranji skipper must be in the side. Fitness issues have kept him out of the team for far too long, but the French sojourn has rejuvenated him, and he has come back strong.

The Shrirampur native has all the weapons a fast bowler needs in order to taste success at the highest level. Mastering the art of reverse swinging the old ball, he has become more than just a handful for batsmen around the world. There is a hint of the wolf in his approach, especially once he senses that he’s got his prey right where he wants it. He stalks it, sets it up, and then moves in with an easy, loping grace. Before the bewildered target even realizes what is happening, ZaK has already landed the death blow.

The desert air of flat pitches in the subcontinent is enough to blunt the art of the finest exponent. Zaheer has risen above that, and is about as deadly on helpful pitches abroad. Southpaws have been his favourite prey; the likes of Graeme Smith, Alastair Cook, Matthew Hayden etc. have fallen to the left-arm pacer more often than not.

At 35, all that ZaK needs to worry about is his fitness. If he can manage to avoid serious injuries during the two-Test series, he might just be able to regain his place in the longer format once again. He is indispensable to the team, and the best person to lead the attack in either form of the game.

But he needs solid support from the rest. This is where the first of the three youngsters come in.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

I am a bit concerned about the inclusion of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the Test side. Yes, I am in favour of having young players in the team, but am not quite sure if the UP seamer can exert the same amount of control over the red cherry as he does on the white ball in the limited-overs game. He is still a bit of a rookie in the international arena, still finding his feet.

Though he has shouldered the responsibility of opening the bowling in ZaK’s absence admirably, he still has some way to go. By his own admission, he cannot bowl at speeds of 150 km/hr. Now that is not an essential requirement as such, given the multiple breakdowns his colleagues Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav have suffered. Yet, it is the experience factor that goes against him as well as Mohammad Shami.

Captain MS Dhoni has always gone by his instincts when choosing his arsenal. The combination of Zaheer and Bhuvneshwar is a very potent force in itself. Dismissing the experience factor, the 23-year old UP seamer should share the new ball with the veteran.

The hardest question of all – Shami, Ishant or Umesh?

Umesh Yadav needs to be wrapped in cotton wool since he has been the victim of a lot of injuries recently. He clocks speeds of 140 km/hr, has an effective bouncer and can move the ball both ways. Despite his recent travails, the Vidarbha pacer can still bowl quick, so his speed is an asset on South African pitches.

However, he can be wayward at times, and has a tendency to spray the ball all over the 22-yard strip at the center. Dhoni is better off keeping him in the reserves for now, because of his particular proclivity towards conceding truckloads of runs and getting frequently hurt to boot.

Ishant, on the other hand, is the quintessential phoenix. Each time he is written off, he rises from the ashes with a masterful performance. A nine-wicket haul in a Ranji game served ample proof of his abilities, and it may have come at just the right time. He is hungry, and he wants to get his spot back. James Faulkner’s assault may still linger in his mind, but he knows the only way for him to silence his critics is to make that ball talk. He has a golden opportunity to do so on this tour.

The wild locks aside, he needs to work on his wrist position and focus on line and length. If he achieves that, and we could very well see him probing away at Amla, de Villiers and co. very soon. It is still a dicey situation for him though – and the choice of keeping him on the bench or in the field will again fall to MSD.

But where does that leave Shami? The Bengal pacer has been on a roll in both the ODIs against Australia as well as the recently-concluded Test series against the West Indies. Not only is he blessed with the gift of speed, but also has the happy knack of taking early wickets to put the opposition on the back foot. He is phenomenally accurate as well – a trait that will be sorely needed on this tour.

If India wants to go in with a three-pronged pace attack, the only worthwhile combination I can see is Zaheer, Bhuvneshwar and Shami. As much as I would love to see Ishant and Umesh back soon, I want the squad to make Fanie de Villiers eat his words with a superb display; both with bat and ball.

With this being the viable pace option I can think of, there is more than a slim chance that the ODI world champions might just have the better of the exchanges this time around. Game on!