Chennai Veeran

Just days after I wrote about Nehra's renaissance, it seems that the cricketing God has showered his blessings on another of Indian cricket's forgotten stars - Balaji. For any bowler, to take a hattrick is outstanding. Forget the circumstances, forget the wickets taken. For the first time since 2004 when his smile was as much a vital ingredient as his swing bowling in India's epic success in Pakistan, Balaji seems to be on the way back. He may have only ambled upto the bowling crease, but Balaji seemed to be using his wrist in generating some great bounce. Like Nehra, the journey has only just begun, but the signs are promising and hopefully, the fast bowling family of India cricket will be one which the opponents dread - Zaheer, RP, Sreesanth, Munaf, Irfan, Balaji, Nehra and Ishanth. Australia cannot boast of such an artillery.

Smirked too fast?

Three South African pacemen had an impact on the game on the fourth day, pulling the match back before it got away. Arpy and Sree struggled to have any sort of impact, and merely laying the blame on the pitch will not help Kumble's team move forward. Knowing how he plays his game, Kumble will have a few questions to ask himself and his fast bowlers in the few days before the team takes the field at Motera on what is expected to be even flatter than Chennai. 

Has the hype over the infusion of life into the Indian fast bowling been proved to be just that? Were the performances on overseas tours over the past years, just an extended flash in the pan? Were we too early to rejoice? Is Arpy Singh the new Agarkar? Can Ishant Sharma sustain his Messianic appeal on soul-destroying pitches? Is he too young and inexperienced to be so critical to our fortunes already? Is not Zaheer bound to have at least another low in his career? Will Sree ever become a true sultan of swing? Should not Munaf, Pathan and VRV be threatening more to wrest a spot in the squad? Or can all the fast bowling woes over the last few days be solved by the induction of Pathan at the expense of Jaffer? 

Not time to panic yet. This was Arpy's first bad performance in a match since he made his return against Bangladesh - and has shown remarkable consistency - but not fitness, until now. Sree has not played a Test since the Oval (?) and is now probably only fourth in the pecking order anyway.  

Not panicking yet, just some questions.