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Can Pathan fight his way back?

S. Dinakar

— PHOTO: PTI

HITTING A TROUGH: Irfan Pathan will look to regain his touch in the tri-series in Malaysia.

Chennai: The focus will be on Irfan Pathan in the DLF tri-series. The left-arm paceman faces searching questions of form and character. He needs to fight his way back. Can he?

His ability to swing matches with the willow is beyond doubt. But India needs him as a bowler first. As someone who can move the ball either way, breach the defence, find the edge and make the early inroads.

Genuine swing bowlers are a rare breed, simply because they do not have to rely much on the nature of the surface. Swing does sting.

Pathan has secured only five wickets in his last three Tests and figured in just one Test in the Caribbean. His six wickets in the ODI series in West Indies came at an unsatisfactory economy rate of 5.59. And he clearly struggled in the two practice games here.

His confidence has been dented in recent times. It is no secret that left-armer R.P. Singh was picked ahead of S. Sreesanth for the Champions Trophy principally as a cover for Pathan.

Pathan needs to rediscover his motivational levels, learn new tricks.

Lacks surprise element

Says former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath. "You see batsmen around the world now know what Irfan Pathan bowls. That surprise element is not there. He has to bring in more variation. It could be in terms of an extra half a yard of pace along with movement, more swing or anything else. He has the talent and does have a great attitude."

The bowler also requires to work on his technique. Former India paceman and, now, the Karnataka coach, Venkatesh Prasad, points out: "He has a past side on action. Pathan jumps out at the time of landing and his front foot is far too across. This puts pressure on his back."

Prasad believes Pathan needs to have a straighter run-up. "He has a distinctly angular run-up. Pathan can still run in at a slight angle, but it has to be more straight."

MRF Pace Foundation head coach T.A. Sekar says: "Pathan's bowling arm comes from behind his right ear, it has to come through straight."

Prasad agrees. "This is precisely the reason, why he jumps out." The entire range of movements puts his body under stress.

Fitness concerns

Though his international career is no more than four years old, Pathan has already encountered worrying fitness concerns. "When he was fresh, he could get away with his methods. Now, given the amount of cricket that is played, his technique is telling on his body," says Prasad.

Pathan's pace has dropped — Prasad denies the slump in speed is related to how he grips the ball. He also needs the conditions to favour him to strike; he is unable to extract life. The ball darting into the right-hander is no longer delivered with deadly precision.

There is a view that Pathan's self-belief has dipped. Prasad says, "This is where the team-management has to handle him with care. It is easy to drop a player. But if you have faith in his ability, you also have to talk to him, work on him."

Another question to ponder over is: is the increasing responsibility given to Pathan as a batsman chipping away at his bowling? Can his body cope with the additional workload?

Srinath says Pathan has to make the decision himself. "He has already said that he is a bowler who can bat. India needs him to take wickets."

Ask Indian team bio-mechanist Ian Frazer and he replies: "The mind and technique are related." In other words, rhythm and control revolve around confidence.

The team-management realises Pathan's worth. Finally, everything boils down to the cricketer himself. Are Pathan's mind and body prepared to take on the challenges?

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