Expressing doubts over the ability of aninjury-depleted Indian bowling attack to succeed in Pakistan, spin legend E.A.S.Prasanna said the visitors could win the Test series if the bowling performancecould complement the team's strong batting line-up.
"We definitely have a stronger batting line-upthan the Pakistanis. But to win you also need to take 20 wickets.. and there Ihave some doubts as most of the bowlers are carrying injuries," theoffspinner, who formed a part of the revered Indian spin quartet in the 1960sand 1970s, said.
The Indians are hampered by injuries to their bowlerswith three experienced seamers - Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra -yet to submit their fitness certificates to the board, off-spinner HarbhajanSingh ruled out with a finger injury and veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble stillbeing a doubtful starter.
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"In the fast bowling arena, India will now have todepend a lot on youngsters Irfan Pathan and Laxmipathy Balaji. But I think weare worse of in spin, where Anil (Kumble) is still doubtful and the selectorshave to find a replacement for Harbhajan," the tweaker, who has now settledin Kolkata, said.
"I don't know, to what extent the young andinexperienced spinners can fill up the slot made vacant by Harbhajan," saidPrasanna, who picked up a rich haul of 189 wickets in 49 Tests at an average of30.38.
Prasanna also felt that wickets in Pakistan were generally placid, and thebowlers needed to put in that "extra something" to succeed.
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"Our bowlers will have to take wickets regularly,and not allow partnerships to blossom on these docile tracks," he said.
However, Prasanna praised India's batting talent,saying "Our batting has tremendous depth. One to one, our willowers are farsuperior to the Pakistanis. The strong showing in Australia has increased themorale of the players, particularly that of the batsmen."
The offie said the series would be highly competitive,but disagreed with the view that the matches would boil down to battles betweenthe Indian batting and Pakistan bowling.
"I don't think so. Because the Pakistani pacebattery now lacks the firepower of the likes of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis,"he said.
Prasanna, a key member of the Bishan Singh Bedi-ledteam that visited Pakistan in 1978 in another revival tour which came after an18 year stoppage in bilateral cricketing relations between the two neighbours,felt that "diplomatic pressures" had weighed down the Indians who lostthe three-Test series 0-2.
"Before leaving for Pakistan we were all briefedabout the importance of the tour in terms of improving bilateral relations. Wewere brainwashed to such an extent that we never had a feeling that it was anormal cricketing tour," Prasanna said.
As told to Sirshendu Panth
PTI
