Young India conquer the 'G'

First it was a test-match at the WACA and now it is an ODI at the MCG or the 'G' as it is commonly known. India last won an ODI there 21 years ago, a long time indeed. And this was a fledgling Indian side which was expected to be steamrolled by the champion Australian side. But the tables were turned due to some high quality pace bowling from the young Indian bowlers.



Leading the pack was the teenager from Delhi, Ishant Sharma. Boy what a find for India on this tour. Before the tour started nobody knew much about this fellow other than that he was tall and lanky. Nobody really thought he would pose any threat to the Aussies. He first played in the Sydney test but the real making of Ishant was the spell to Ricky Ponting at Perth. Since then he has gone from strength to strength and whats more, he has made Ponting his bunny. What has amazed me is the improvement in his pace. He started off bowling in the 130s and is now consistently clocking above the 140s. In fact yesterday one delivery was clocked at 149.9 kph. Now that is serious pace, add to that an uncomfortable length(I call it the Ambrose length) and steep bounce, and the result is lethal. Credit to the selectors and to the bowling coach who have unearthed a real gem. Now the important thing for Ishant is to maintain his fitness and keep his head in place, and he has the chance to be one of the best around.

Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan gave wonderful support to Ishant and the pressure was well and firmly on the Aussies. It is good to see Sreesanth talk more with the ball than with his mouth. Harbhajan got a chance to bowl at the lower order and managed a tidy spell. If at all there was a flaw in the Indian bowling it was the fifth bowling option. It is a problem that has always dogged them and even when they have a chance of solving it, they are not using it. With Pathan in the team there is no reason why another bowler should not play. Uthappa playing at number 7 is totally useless(infact he was at no.8 today). Pathan is perfectly capable of playing at No.7 and holding his own. Plus there is Praveen Kumar on the bench who is a good swing bowler and a hard hitting lower order player, and he would be the perfect choice to play at No.8. India didnt realise the need today but on another day they might rue the absence of a 5th bowler.

The batting again showed signs of frailty. Sachin is carrying the batting on his shoulders and he looks to be in terrific form. His straight drives off Lee were a treat to watch. Yuvraj Singh on the other hand is a major worry. He looks a pale shadow of his old self and seems to have totally lost the confidence that he had. He seems to be fighting the devils in his own mind and is failing at a time when India needs him most. He needs to be talked to and made to understand his responsibilities and role in the middle order. Rohit looks to be evolving into a fantastic player and looks to be a better option at No.4 than Yuvraj at the moment. Dhoni has been playing responsibly and Uthappa has not really been useful at No.7. India need to get their batting combination right and cannot always expect their bowlers to perform as they did today. It was a match the batters should have won with the bonus point but atleast they managed to win it with 5 wickets left which will give the team the confidence to improve.

After seeing this pace combination in action I am amazed at the development of pace bowlers in India. Remember that the two regular opening bowlers are out injured - Zaheer and RP. It is indeed a mouthwatering prospect to see these two joining Ishant and Sreesanth. On conducive pitches India might even have a chance to go in with an all pace attack in the future. Well that is something that has never happened. Lets keep our fingers crossed, we might yet see it happening sometime soon. Exciting times ahead!!!