Basseterre: Former West Indian fast bowler Ian Bishop cautioned against dropping V.R.V. Singh for the third Test against West Indies scheduled to begin here at the Warner Park on Thursday, saying it would be detrimental to the progress of the 21-year-old from Punjab.

"V.R.V. is only a baby; to me he is starting to bowl better with every game," said Bishop, who is covering the series as a television commentator.

"I don't know if he'll be playing in this game, but I think if they cast him away now because he's had limited success, it will be to his detriment because he gets pace, he gets bounce, and he looks a very good prospect. He should not be put away; he should be encouraged."

Among the quickest in the game before injuring his back, Bishop observed India's net session on Monday and spoke briefly with the Indian skipper Rahul Dravid before chatting with S. Sreesanth and V.R.V. Singh.

"Look, they came up and said hello, and asked a couple of questions about noticing things about them, and they are all individually different. Munaf, I didn't talk to him, but he's bowled quite well this tour.

"Sreesanth was just talking about a couple of technical things — about whether he collapses at the point of delivery, which is something he has noticed himself and is working on. This will help him sustain his pace if he gets a snap over his front leg. He is a very good athlete, and he's bold, he's aggressive.

"V.R.V. Singh is coming along reasonably well. He just has to work on his run-up, and he's aware of that."

Munaf impressive

India — if it opts for the 3-1 combination — has to pick three of the four fast-medium bowlers available. Munaf, on cricketing evidence, has been the touring side's best seamer. Rahul Dravid's go-to man, he has bowled 86 overs in four innings for nine wickets, managing the transition from shock to stock bowler admirably. He has cut back on pace — though he has hit the mid-140kmph in some spells — and has bowled with control and cut.

Which three would Bishop pick? "That's very difficult for me to answer. I don't know what's going on in Irfan's (Pathan) mind or what the make-up of the team is. All I can say is you've got a good problem — choosing three out of four guys is a good problem to have. You've got three guys and you've got Irfan, who is a swing bowler, and a genuine all-rounder in his own right."

The 38-year-old, who took 161 Test wickets in 41 games, said the West Indies bowlers had to improve their fitness. He also introduced a sane voice to the pitches debate: "the pitch in Antigua was very encouraging. The one in St. Lucia was very disappointing. We just want to see a good strip, which will help the seamers early, which is strength of the Caribbean. I'm sure the Indian bowlers will like consistent pace and bounce as well."

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