Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad, who has taken 96 wickets in Test cricket while playing for India, is all praise for the current status of India’s fast bowling and believes Ishant Sharma, the most experienced of the pacers, to lead the pack and not play a second-fiddle road.
Speaking to DNA in an interview, Prasad said Ishant Sharma, 29, is yet to make an impression despite playing for a decade now and hoped that the five-match Test England series beginning August 1 changes his entire perspective and he becomes a lead bowler.
When asked about the current scenario of India’s fast bowling, Prasad said: “No doubt, it is brilliant. The current fast bowlers and also the upcoming ones are really good. Also, the fitness aspect of the fast bowlers is terrific. They are able to manage their fitness, manage their bowling loads. There is a lot of technology, a lot of management have come in terms of handling the players, especially the fast bowlers.”
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Asked why Ishant Sharma hasn’t yet been able to lead India’s attack, Prasad replied, “He has got everything that a fast bowler needs. He has got the height, pace, and bounce. But, he is someone who has not adapted well to different conditions, venues and so on. He has probably stuck to the same back of a length, not using the conditions well. You need to change according to the condition.”
He further added, “Maybe on a seaming track, you need to pitch slightly more up. He is not a three-quarter length bowler, he is a back-of-length bowler. Normally, on a seaming track, even when you are bowling really well since you are bowling slightly back, you tend to miss the edges. The moment you try to look to pitch the ball up, you are a bit too full, which sits up for the batsman to drive. He was not able to get the length between the back of a length and fuller length.”
Prasad said Ishant made his appearance around the time when he was India’s bowling coach and lauded the lanky pacer for working extremely hard on his bowling. But it was the adaptability factor that limited his way from becoming an automatic choice in all playing conditions.
