All those Tendulkar bashers, who religiously compare Dravid 2nd inning performance everytime Sachin fails..Read this and let me know how Dravid is miles ahead of Sachin on winning more test matches or performing in 2nd inning....
For Tests as well as ODIs, India's bowling attack still needs to be replenished with pace and injury free players. Can we depend on Zaheer Khan alone?
The answer is no. Though Ashwin and Ojha have bowled well and are good prospects, any decent spinner from FC cricket can take wickets against a 7th ranked Test team like WI.
Yadav and Aaron have to be groomed and pampered as well. The tradition has been to slow them down to make them accurate for ODIs.
The more newer experiment has been to protect them and the shoulder and throwing arm with lesser cricket, since the IPL, CLT, FC cricket, net practice and Test and ODIs have put too much strain causing them to slow down.
Wear and tear maybe OK for bowlers from other countries, but as far as India is concerned preserving pace is the top priority.
Praveen Kumar is a good bowler, but can he sustain his ability for a 5-10 year stretch for a Number 1 ranked team. Zaheer could not and the minute he broke down India lost the ranking. The simultaneous loss of Sehwag and Gambhir did not help in the last England tour.
India's is better prepared now with Rahane and Mukund to back up the openers in Test. Dhawan, Rahane, Mukund can also back up as ODI openers.
Umesh and Aaron can be competitive against a top class bowling attack overseas. Ryan Harris and Dale Steyn have averages which will bowl India out and so we need the bowling punch to compete and regain the number 1 status.
