Has it finally happened? India’s long lasting search for a tear away fast bowler may finally be over with the arrival of Munaf Patel. He may have played only two Tests but gave enough indications that he could be India’s answer to Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar.
The lanky paceman from Ikhar village in Bharuch, Gujarat had a sensational debut in Mohali claiming seven victims in the game. His ability to reverse the ball and more importantly maintain a precise line and length at the same time was a major reason for his success. The Englishmen found it impossible to keep out Patel’s toe crushing yorkers much like batsmen all round the world struggled against Waqar Younis at his peak. This is in no way to compare the two but just an indication of the impact the 23-year old had made on international cricket in his short burst.
There could have been more success for Patel at Mumbai but for some atrocious fielding by the Indians. After winning the toss and making the now infamous decision of electing to field first, Patel bowled his heart out only to see catches going down one after the other. Even during this period what stood out though was his great attitude and never say die spirit for which he was eventually rewarded with some wickets though he deserved a lot more.
In Sreesanth and Patel, India may have found a good opening bowling combination along with the left-armer Irfan Pathan for variety. Though both are still relatively inexperienced, they undoubtedly are the future of India’s fast bowling department- injury not withstanding.
Fast and Furious
What India lacked all this while is a bowler who could rattle the batsmen with his pace when the pitch is offering little or no resistance. In the absence of such a bowler, India have always struggled to bowl out the opposition in conditions that are not seamer friendly. And this is exactly what Munaf Patel offers to this Indian side. The whippy action and ability to reverse swing the ball late can come in more than handy. Add to it his competitive nature, which very clearly defines the new India – where no quarter is given or asked. The intelligent short-pitched stuff dished up to the England batsmen was a good indication of this.
Gone are the days when a certain Srinath hit Ponting on the helmet and went on to enquire about his well being only to he shooed away by the batsmen. The new, resurgent India has the likes of Patel and Sreesanth who will not take anything lying down. And then we are also blessed with a wicket-keeper batsman like Dhoni who can smile off the pain of a ferocious hit on the back of the helmet. Certainly Indian cricket’s coming of age.
There could have been more success for Patel at Mumbai but for some atrocious fielding by the Indians. After winning the toss and making the now infamous decision of electing to field first, Patel bowled his heart out only to see catches going down one after the other. Even during this period what stood out though was his great attitude and never say die spirit for which he was eventually rewarded with some wickets though he deserved a lot more.
In Sreesanth and Patel, India may have found a good opening bowling combination along with the left-armer Irfan Pathan for variety. Though both are still relatively inexperienced, they undoubtedly are the future of India’s fast bowling department- injury not withstanding.
Fast and Furious
What India lacked all this while is a bowler who could rattle the batsmen with his pace when the pitch is offering little or no resistance. In the absence of such a bowler, India have always struggled to bowl out the opposition in conditions that are not seamer friendly. And this is exactly what Munaf Patel offers to this Indian side. The whippy action and ability to reverse swing the ball late can come in more than handy. Add to it his competitive nature, which very clearly defines the new India – where no quarter is given or asked. The intelligent short-pitched stuff dished up to the England batsmen was a good indication of this.
Gone are the days when a certain Srinath hit Ponting on the helmet and went on to enquire about his well being only to he shooed away by the batsmen. The new, resurgent India has the likes of Patel and Sreesanth who will not take anything lying down. And then we are also blessed with a wicket-keeper batsman like Dhoni who can smile off the pain of a ferocious hit on the back of the helmet. Certainly Indian cricket’s coming of age.
Destined for success
While Munaf Patel always seemed destined to make it to the big league. The talent in Patel was evident ever since he burst onto the domestic arena. He was highly impressive in his first class debut game against the touring New Zealanders in 2003. He picked up three crucial wickets and everyone who watched him felt this is the man who could solve the issue of India being unable to pick up 20 wickets in a Test. And with every passing performance, it was being clear this is a man to watch out for. So much so that the great Sachin Tendulkar recommended he switch from his home state Gujarat to play Ranji trophy for Mumbai.
But then suddenly disaster struck. A dreaded injury, which is part and parcel of every fast bowler’s life, meant he had to disappear from the scene for a couple of seasons. And in no time, he became the forgotten man like many other prodigious talents before him. His performances after injury too did not make much of a case for his selection. Thankfully for Indian cricket, his fortunes started changing once again. Munaf Patel was back to his best. However there was yet another twist in the tale.
While Patel was away, India managed to discover VRV Singh, who currently is termed to be the fastest bowler in India ahead of Munaf himself. And it was clear whom the Indian selectors felt was a better choice for Indian cricket when VRV was the first choice for the Test series against England. But Munaf only needed one game to prove that he was all ready to don the Indian cap. And that game was the practice match between BPXI and England. Munaf’s swinging deliveries proved to be unplayable and his 10-wicket haul lead his side to a crushing victory over the visitors in the 3 day warm up tie.
Soon VRV was to be replaced by Patel for the Mohali Test, the former was dropped without being given an opportunity. But then Munaf Patel deserved his chance more than anyone else after his stupendous showing. VRV too would undoubtedly get his chances and knowing that he is waiting in the wings will always keep Patel on his toes. This healthy competition will only benefit the Indian team in the long run.
It is of utmost importance now that Munaf Patel doesn’t drop in pace along with years as has been the case with Irfan and Zaheer, owing to the rigorous amount of international cricket. This is all the more crucial because unlike Zaheer and Pathan, Munaf Patel is a genuine ‘fast bowler’ who pace is a couple of notches higher compared to the left armers. For this, he has to maintain his fitness levels and keep his cool to sustain himself at the international level.
Patel’s success can be a big fillip for the side, as his ability to bend his back and produce something special will definitely come in handy in conditions where the pitch offers nothing for pace bowlers. And he can undoubtedly be a great asset to the side on foreign pitches where the ball seams and moves around.
The Test for young Munaf Patel has only just begun and what shape his career takes from hereon might well define India’s success rate in the future games.
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