Returning from injury, pace ace Zaheer Khan will have no time to ease himself into international cricket against the Sri Lankans today
Returning from injury, pace ace Zaheer Khan will have no time to ease himself into international cricket against the Sri Lankans today
ADVERTISEMENT
India's last Test contest on home soil a two-Test series against England in December last year was their first series after Anil Kumble's retirement. With the Indian spin spearhead having hung his boots, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men required one of their bowlers to stand up and take on the mantle of the leading bowler.
And they found their answer in a left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who walked away with the Man of the Series award.
Almost 11 months hence, on the eve of India's vital Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera today, all eyes were again on Zaheer, though for a different reason. After sustaining a shoulder injury during the Indian Premier League and aggravating it during the World Twenty20 in June, Zaheer is making a comeback to top-notch cricket in this game.
And with Ishant Sharma and S Sreesanth vying for the second new-ball bowler's slot, Zaheer will straightaway be expected to do magic with the red cherry.
Instead of testing his rhythm at the nets in Motera, the 31-year-old, who bowled 24 overs on Saturday, the last day of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy Super League tie against Orissa, preferred to stay away from the nets yesterday after warming up with the team.
But there was no reason to panic as the pace spearhead hardly bowls on the eve of a Test match of late. Skipper Dhoni also reminded the media about it. "That's his general way of preparation. Usually one day before the Test, he has a light workout. He prefers spending time in the gym," Dhoni said.
However, it's not just early breakthroughs that Zaheer has to focus on. Being one of the better exponents of reverse swing, he will hold the key to India's prospects of picking 20 wickets in a match.
"The fast bowlers get the reverse swing going quite early, so if they look to bowl straight, wicket-to-wicket line, it gets a bit difficult for batsmen to score freely," Dhoni said, emphasising that Zaheer "has fully recovered".
Having sacrificed the one-day series against Australia in order to be fully fit for a gruelling season coming ahead, Zaheer made his intentions clear of being the lambi race ka ghoda. A strong performance against the world's No 2 Test team could set the ball rolling for him.
"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels 
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
