Team India’s perennial problem has been in finding pacers who are real quick. While players like Javagal Srinath did represent the country for a long time, India could not find players in his mould on a regular basis. Sometimes, a few of them in the course of their careers also lost their pace. In this article, we take a look at four Indian pacers who were extremely quick at the start but later dropped their pace considerably.
Be it due to injury or the requirements of the team, a few players sometimes lose their pace. Of course, they substitute it with other skills but the pace is one of the most defining factors in fast bowling. This occurrence has happened often in recent years. We take a look at some examples.
1) Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma is one of the Indian pacers who were extremely quick at the start but later dropped their pace considerably. It was due to his pace that Ishant first got his chance in Team India. He showed that he was a real deal when he was in top form in Australia when he was new to the international arena. However, injuries forced Ishant to re-look at his pace. Nevertheless, he still became one of the best Test bowlers for Team India. The Delhi lad is still in the reckoning of Team India. However, he needs a strong domestic season for that.
2) Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan was popular for his pace at the start of his innings. He combined it with swing and then became a dangerous bowler for the opposition. However, in the next few years, he became a medium-pacer. He added some batting skills to his arsenal, as well. Later on, Irfan got dropped from Team India because he was not impactful.
3) Munaf Patel
Munaf Patel is also one of the Indian pacers who were extremely quick at the start but later dropped their pace considerably. In the 2006 Champions Trophy, the player clocked 140 kmph regularly. However, in the 2011 World Cup, he could manage speeds of close to just 120 kmph. He did make amends with his swing but that did not help his case for a longer stint with Team India.
4) RP Singh
A left-arm pacer bowling quick is a rare sight, at least with regard to Team India. RP Singh did well in the 2007 World Cup with his pace and swing. However, he soon dropped his pace and his overall impact on the game reduced. The player later had to be dropped from the squad. Team India also tried him in Tests but that also did not yield results. The former player is currently a popular commentator and expert.