Speedsters look to cement place
India get ready to head off on another sojourn in the Emerald Isles with the team still looking for an ideal new-ball partner for spearhead Zaheer Khan. The selectors have once again put their faith in Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma for the longer format.
Pacers like Ashok Dinda, R. Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and Umesh Yadav were tested on the Zimbabwe tour and the Asia Cup but the younger lot has failed to impress sufficiently. With Ashish Nehra choosing to stay away from the five-day format and Praveen Kumar being a bowler more suited to the ODI format, Sreesanth and Ishant are India’s best bets.
Both bowlers made sparkling starts to their Test careers but have failed to carry on with the same force. Sreesanth was the architect of India’s famous Test win over South Africa in 2006 but has only picked up 60 wickets at an average of 32.01 in 17 Tests overall.
Ishant Sharma, on the other hand, formed a potent combination with Zaheer Khan as Team India thrashed Australia at home in 2008. Although Zaheer won the man-of-the-series award in the series, he was quick to praise Ishant’s role. However, Ishant’s returns of 66 wickets from 23 Tests at an average of 34.93 doesn’t justify his talent.
The Lanka Tests provide the perfect opportunity for the duo to secure a permanent berth with Team India. “I am not looking too far ahead. I just want to enjoy my time and bowl to the best of my ability,” Sreesanth told this newspaper on Saturday.
Ishant has been training hard at the gym and trying to find his rhythm.
“I am working on my fitness and looking to find some form with the ball. The last few months have been tough but the support of family, friends and Delhi teammates like Viru and Gauti has been fantastic,” Ishant said.
The 27-year-old Sreesanth was looking forward to the challenge of bowling to his Kings XI Punjab teammates Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
“There is no better way to get ready than by bowling to someone of the calibre of Rahul (Dravid) and that is what I have been doing at the NCA,” the Kerala paceman said.
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