da betcris： India’s fast bowlers comprehensively out-bowled their Australian counterparts played critical roles in both the victories that sealed a 2-0 series win
da bet esporte： George Binoy10-Nov-2008
Zaheer Khan bothered Matthew Hayden with several away-going deliveries before nipping one back into him © Getty Images
Ishant Sharma has achieved what no Indian fast bowler has achieved sinceKapil Dev in 1983 – he won a Player-of-the-Series award at home. The skillwith which he and Zaheer Khan used the new, and particularly the old, ballensured that pace played as crucial a role as spin did in regaining theBorder-Gavaskar Trophy from Australia.Ishant finished the four Tests with 15 wickets at an average of 27 whileZaheer’s 11 cost 43 each. They aren’t outstanding stats but India’s fastbowlers comprehensively out-bowled their Australian counterparts – whoaveraged nearly 47 per wicket – and played critical roles in both thevictories that sealed a 2-0 series win.Ricky Ponting singled out the third day of the Nagpur Test as the passageduring which the match turned in India’s favour. Australia were 189 for 2and looking to score quickly but Zaheer and Ishant bowled with tremendousdiscipline to back up Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s restrictive eight-one field.Their lines seldom wavered from wide outside off stump and their lengthsrarely allowed Australia the freedom to cut or drive. They sustained theiraccuracy and maintained high energy levels for long periods: Zaheer andIshant bowled nine-over spells on the third morning and a total of 31 outof 53 overs in the first two sessions. Australia ended up scoring only 166in 85.4 overs and lost eight wickets.Zaheer’s stock ball to the left-handers is the one that comes in, whileIshant attacks the batsman with pace and bounce. India’s strategy on theday allowed neither of them to do either. “They curbed their naturalinstincts according to the requirements of the team,” Dhoni said. “Theydidn’t stop after four overs, usually you see fast bowlers stopping afterfour or five-over spells. They wanted to bowl more. I think it was the fastbowlers that really did it for us.”They did it for India in Mohali too and helped their team take a 1-0 lead.They used the conditions at the PCA Stadium to telling effect and got theball to reverse-swing as early as the tenth over, nearly 60 overs beforethe Australians managed similar movement.Ishant had shown the ability to adapt to conditions quickly in Bangalorewhere he used the slower ball on a sluggish pitch as a surprise weapon topick up wickets. In Mohali he bowled cross seam with the new ball in orderto roughen it up as soon as possible – the first step towards achievingreverse-swing. The deliveries with which Ishant bowled Ponting and trappedShane Watson lbw in the second innings were among the best of the series.Zaheer used the movement with brutal effect on the final morning, when hebowled full-length deliveries to annihilate Australia’s tail.
Ishant Sharma troubled Ricky Ponting through the series © Getty Images
Perhaps Zaheer and Ishant’s most significant contribution to India’scampaign was the manner in which they neutralised the threat posed byAustralia’s two most dangerous batsmen. Matthew Hayden and Ponting hadonly two scores of above 50 in the series.Zaheer troubled Hayden with several away-going deliveries before nippingone back into the left-hander, dismissing him early in thefirst three innings of the series. As a result, the visitors had only one50-run opening stand in four Tests. Ponting wasn’t allowed to orchestrateAustralia’s innings like he usually does at No 3. Ishant was often broughton when Ponting began his innings and he succeeded in either dismissingthe Australian captain – on three occasions – or denying him the momentumwith which he likes to start an innings.Once upon a time Indian fast bowlers were used primarily to take the shineoff the new ball in home Tests. On a Mumbai dust bowl in 2004, India namedonly one fast bowler in their XI against Australia. Those times havepassed. Zaheer and Ishant are a force in varying conditions; Munaf Pateland RP Singh are awaiting their turn; and somewhere Sreesanth is strivingto regain his fitness. India are not spin-reliant at home anymore.