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Bouncing back

Sreesanth and Shane Bond, whose nascent careers have seen many ups and down, share notes on how they stay focused on the game

PHOTO: REUTERS

TWO OF A KIND Sreesanth and Shane Bond put every setback behind and work harder on the game

Shantakumaran Sreesanth has been left out of the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy. Going by his past performances, he will put this setback behind him and work harder on his game. In 2004, a hamstring injury kept him out of action. In the year that followed, he was a transformed bowler. The injury had vanished and he was a yard quicker.

New Zealand pace bowler Shane Bond has missed a few matches due to recurrent injuries. After every hiatus, he only comes back stronger and the injuries have in no way deterred him from going flat out. He is still up there with the quickest of the pace merchants. Since Sreesanth and Bond are two of a kind, they make an ideal combination for a Take Two.

PRINCE FREDERICK recorded the chat.

Shane Bond: Your bowling action has been compared to Dennis Lillee's.

Sreesanth: I consider it the biggest compliment I have ever received. Well, why wouldn't I? When he played competitive cricket, the pundits called him a consummate fast bowler. He bowled with a copybook action that combined pace with accuracy. He was a master of variation as well. Since I idolise him, people might conclude that I imitate his style. Believe me, I don't do it — not consciously, at least. But Lillee and the grooming I received under his guidance at the MRF Pace Foundation have largely shaped my bowling and probably, without realising it, I have styled my bowling after him. Since I started as a spinner, I could say I learnt the fast bowler's art almost totally from Lillee. Hey, you know what, I have some pictures of your bowling action...

Shane Bond: Wow, that's flattering! (Both laugh.)

Sreesanth: I've watched all the matches you've played and closely followed your progress. I'm terribly impressed with your ability to generate pace and your meteoric rise. (Shane Bond has taken a remarkable 64 wickets in 14 Tests.) The team would consider you a resourceful batsman too — some of your hits over the rope have left a vivid impression on my mind about your batting skills. Do you concentrate a good deal on your batting as well?

Shane Bond: Not as much as on my bowling and fielding. Most places in India record high temperatures round the year and from what I know, a lot of cricket is played in this country and this should take its toll on a fast bowler (Bond has been called New Zealand's answer to Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar. But shattering pace has meant that he often has to contend with injuries of the knees, back and foot). As a fast bowler, what are your coping strategies?

Sreesanth: Actually, I'm too excited to devise any such strategies. Right now, I'm only thinking of wickets. It's a little over 10 months since I began playing for India and I'm overwhelmed by what cricket has done for me and what my visibility has done for the game in the State I hail from. Kerala has produced many legendary athletes, but not many international cricketers. In the past, there was little support for cricket in Kerala. But things are looking up. I am delighted when people tell me the game received a boost after I started playing for the country. (As a tribute, a colony in Kochi has been named after Sreesanth.) Now, except during the monsoons, you can see youngsters playing the game anywhere in Kerala. How difficult was it entering the New Zealand team?

Shane Bond: It was a very talented team and the presence of players like Chris Cairns and Stephen Fleming was intimidating. All these players put me at ease. Cairns was a guiding force. He taught me how to stay focussed on my game.

Sreesanth: Who are the batsmen you'd rather not bowl to?

Shane Bond: Sachin, Dravid, Lara, Hayden and Ponting. How about you?

Sreesanth: There's an advantage in playing for India as it means I don't have to bowl to Sachin.

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