Related Links : Zaheer Khan : India’s tour of England : 2nd Test Scorecard
Before the start of every overseas tour of India, critics ink their pens to instruct Indian bowlers to inspire and gather a blow to topple the opposition. There is nothing new in that at all. But the way Zaheer bowled his heart out on the first morning of the Second Test Match was not only new but inspirational as well for several Indian new ball bowlers. Swinging the ball both ways, making the ball talk from coming round the wicket, well-executed bouncers from uncomfortable length and instigating edges on any other delivery bowled were the characteristics that we denote with only one other left-arm swing bowler – Wasim Akram but Zaheer done all of that to relive the memory of the greatest left-arm bowler of cricket history. It is an unanimous decision that Wasim is incomparable, but I dare to state that on the fourth day of the Trent Bridge Test, Zaheer was comparable.
If other Indian bowlers shared slightest of Zaheer’s burden on the fourth day of the test match then India could have easily wrapped up the game with an innings victory. His nine wicket haul was just the show of the craft which he polished while playing county cricket. Indian cricket has been notorious for not taking enough care of their fast bowlers. The list is long and painful filled with the names of Pathan, Nehra, Balaji, and to an extent Agarkar. All earned their places in the side, but lost it one after another. Zaheer first shone on the scene as a definite soul with an urge to make a name for himself when he stormed his way through his lethal yorkers jamming and zeroing in on middle stumps most of the time. With his presence in the Indian side, the team looked apart because of his ability to change the course of the game with his late in-dipping toe-crushing torrents.
But with the influx of young bowlers sidelined him which in one way or other made him more determined and keen to gain more insight into his game and body which prompted him to shed some extra kilos and learn some tricks to make the new ball talk. His stint in county cricket gave him plethora of experience to bowl in varied conditions both with the new and old ball. Now after this memorable victory against a formidable English side can enlist him as a spearhead of Indian bowling. In recent times Agarkar, Sreesanth, Pathan and now Zaheer all won Test matches single-handedly for India which was a rare feature in past generations of Indian fast bowlers. It is high time now for Indian Nation to give bowlers equal pedestal to stand on with the batsmen because now this current Indian lot of fast bowlers are making it happen for their team.