June 21: Team India once more needs to prove themselves on the seaming tracks of England. There is no doubt about the current team’s requirement to uplift their morale after a shocking experience in world cup. The players will be tested especially in a test series against England. India hasn’t won a Test series there since 1986 and if that feat has to be matched, it's the bowlers who have to deliver.
England beating West Indies 3-0 is good signal for India to get ready for facing a well prepared team. In seamer-friendly conditions at home, England are a formidable force, especially in the seam bowling department lead by Steve Harmison, in the company of Matthew Hoggard and the impressive new find Ryan Sidebottom.
However skipper Dravid looked hardly ruffled with it as he seems to be very confident of his boys to put a good show there on seaming tracks. Indian seam attack lead by Zaheer has also some very talented players like hero of South African tour S. Sreesanth, R P Singh and the swing of new comer Ranadeb Bose.
Already a proven match-winner, Sreesanth has made rapid strides in almost a year. He bowled India to a memorable win at the Wanderers in November. In a young Test career, Sreesanth has claimed 37 wickets and shown the knack of ruffling the very best on his day.
"They have a more experienced Test attack than ours, there's no doubt about it. But that doesn't necessarily put the onus straight back to them," India captain Rahul Dravid said before departing from Mumbai.
"Zaheer Khan is an important in that part; he has the experience so he leads the attack. He is also the one who will have a big role to play in terms of mentoring some of the younger boys coming through," Dravid added.
Since his comeback, the left-arm fast bowler has looked better than ever with the new ball. In 47 Tests, the 28-year-old has 142 wickets; the only seamer in the Indian ranks with over 100 scalps.
The new face Ranadeb Bose has earned his spot after an impressive domestic season and believes that England will be ideally suited to his style of bowling.
"The level of cricket is obviously huge. I was playing club cricket and minor county cricket, whereas it is international cricket here. So, it's not going to be alien and maybe that will add to a little bit of confidence when I bowl there. But obviously I need to work hard and keep talking to players who have played international cricket for quite some time," Bose says.
The less experienced Indian seam attack will get the services of their bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad. The former Indian seamer pacer took 15 wickets on the tour of England in 1996 and now he has the duty of sharing his art successfully with this new look pace attack. The job of getting these men to perform at optimum level rests on his shoulders and for this he is fully trusted by an old friend, skipper Rahul Dravid.
"I'm sure he (Prasad) will be working hard with the boys, especially with a lot of the young seamers as to the kind of lines and lengths that he would like them to bowl. And I think as the tour goes on there will be a lot of opportunity for them to interact with him and get a chance with him to look at some of the strengths and weaknesses of the players, and see how he can help them out," Dravid says.
One hopes this current Indian team is able to regain its lost confidence and the series win in England will do a world of good to this side. However in the absence of Irfan Pathan who out of blues lost his venom leaves a good opportunity for Bose and Singh to show that they are made for the highest level.
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