Sports
Pacers hold key to India's World Cup fortune
By
Debdoot DasThe success story of the Indian pacers in the ongoing World Cup has not
only warmed the hearts of fans but also raised the hopes about the
country retaining the coveted trophy in cricket's biggest stage. History
shows that the pacers have led the charge on both occasions that India
won the Cup.
If Mohammad Shami has spearheaded the Indian
attack with 17 wickets this time around, Zaheer Khan claimed four more
in India's triumphant 2011 World Cup campaign at home to finish joint
top wicket taker alongside Pakistan's Shahid Afridi.
Back in
1983, when then rank outsiders India stunned the cricketing world by
becoming champions, seamer Roger Binny had used the favourable English
conditions splendidly to finish with the most number of wickets (18) in
the competition. Another medium pacer Madan Lal had closely followed
Binny with 17 scalps.
Though Shami still has to take a giant leap
forward to replicate what the other two greats did, it is safe to say
he is on the right track, and needs to keep up the momentum against
Australia in the semi-final.
While the Bengal Ranji Trophy
seamer has picked up wickets at an average of 13.26 from the six matches
in which he has featured, his teammate Umesh Yadav has provided able
support with by grabbing 14 wickets.
On June 25, 1983, when India
skipper Kapil Dev held aloft the World Cup in the Lord's cricket
grounbd balcony Binny had overshadowed his feared counterparts from the
West Indies and Australia to finish with a bowling average of 18.66 per
wicket.
The right-arm bowler from Karnataka would bowled a
probing line and length and keep the batsman guessing with his variety
of deliveries.
Joining Binny was Madan Lal. Known for his famous
comments during the final against the West Indies:" Captain tu mere ko
ball dede, aur ek over (Captain, give me the ball. Just another over)",
Lal made captain Kapil Dev listen to him and responded by getting rid of
the legendary batsman Vivian Richards, with the skipper taking an
astonishing catch at the deep.
Lal finished with one scalp less than Binny, but had a better average of 16.76 from eight matches.
The
duo was instrumental in the team's crucial last group game victory over
Australia, bagging four wickets each. India carved out a 118-run win
and sealed a berth in the semis.
In most of the matches, their
bowling at the middle overs was excellent, choking the opponent batsmen
and inducing them to make mistakes in desperation.
Twenty eight
years later, the same iconic 1983 afternoon scenes unfolded at the
Wankhede stadium in a firecracker-lit night in Mumbai, two of India's
heroes were again pacers who jolted the opposition upfront.
Though
there was no tearaway fast bowler in the side, Zaheer and Munaf Patel
outfoxed the batsmen with their slower deliveries and impeccable
disciplined bowling.
Zaheer deviced the "knuckle ball" which
bamboozled the willowers with its lack of pace. The most famous example
of the delivery was when he clean bowled the West Indies middle-order
bat Devon Smith in an important Group B encounter in Chennai.
Zaheer, who turned out in nine matches, ended the quadrennial event on a high. Patel took 11 from eight matches.
Part time spinner Yuvraj Singh who was adjudged the Man-of-the-Series clinched 15 wickets from nine matches.
The
current edition of the Cup has been a fairy tale for the Indian
bowlers, who have skittled out their opponents in each of their seven
games. Of the 80 wickets taken by India, the pacers have accounted for
43.
As Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men set their foot on the Sydney
Cricket Ground for the semi-finals on Thursday, Shami and the rest of
the Indian bowling line-up, will have to be at their best to oust
co-hosts Australia from the mega event.
(Debdoot Das can be contacted at [email protected])