A sorry 17-year history of Indian fast bowlers since Kapil Dev's retirement
Kapil Dev (L),Zaheer Khan (R), pics
Since Kapil Dev (L) retired,India has found just one big impact fast bowler in Zaheer Khan (R), who has been both durable and effective © Getty Images
In the 17-plus years since Kapil Dev Nikhanj retired from Test cricket on March 23, 1994, India has struggled to find a good crop of quality fast bowlers for the traditional form of the game.
Javagal Srinath was a potent force, but he had made his debut way before Kapil’s retirement. India has found just one big impact fast bowler in Zaheer Khan, who has been both durable and effective with a tally of 271 wickets in a Test career spanning over a decade and 78 Tests. A few made dramatic and promising entries, only to fizzle out in quick time, while the vast majority were mediocre from the word go.
First let’s look at Kapil’s magnificent track record in Test matches and then let’s go through the long list of fast bowlers that followed him on to the Test arena after his retirement:
Kapil Dev Nikhanj
Matches 131... Overs 4632.2 ... 434 wickets... Best 9/83.. Ave 29.64...SR 63.9
As many as 22 fast bowlers have played for India in Test matches since Kapil retired, but only Zaheer and Irfan Pathan have taken 100 or more wickets.
It speaks volumes about Indian bowlers in the area of containment that not a single bowler has a sub-30 bowling average. And only a few have a decent strike rate. The 22 fast bowlers who have played for India since Kapil’s retirement, between them, have collectively accounted for 32 five-fors in an innings. It contrasts with the 23 five-fors Kapil single-handedly took in his glittering career.
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