The focus on the first Test between India and Pakistan starting on Sunday has been on the visiting team’s strong batting line-up, but Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan is hoping to spring a surprise.The 25-year-old left-arm bowler has grabbed 82 wickets in 28 Tests and been India’s frontline seamer, backed by young talents Irfan Pathan and Lakshmipathy Balaji, since Javagal Srinath retired last year.“The Indian pacemen are eagerly looking forward to this Test series,” Zaheer said.“We’ve come through nicely in a high pressure one-day series and it has given us confidence.”India won a hard-fought, five-match one-day series 3-2 earlier this week, with Pathan grabbing eight wickets in the last three matches.The attack has been bolstered with the return of medium-pacer Ajit Agarkar, who missed the one-dayers due to injury.“It’s a great sign for Indian cricket that even when Agarkar (51 wickets in 20 Tests) and I were injured, we had a couple of young seamers to take the side through,” Zaheer said of Pathan and Balaji.The Indian pace attack will, however, have an uphill task to match Pakistan’s four-pronged pace battery led by Shoaib Akhtar, the world’s fastest bowler.Shoaib, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul have taken 202 Test wickets between them for Pakistan while Zaheer, Pathan, Balaji and Agarkar have a total tally of 138, with Pathan and Balaji having played only two Tests each in Australia.Zaheer, just back from a hamstring injury, was used as the first change bowler in the one-dayers after he struggled to assert himself early.“This tour was always going to be tough on my body because I was out of competitive cricket for two months,” he said.“But things are starting to fall into place. I’ve improved with every match and I’m confident of bowling long spells.”Zaheer said he had simple advice for his fellow pacemen on how to bowl in Pakistan.“In any situation, and on any track, it depends on maintaining a disciplined line and length and putting the ball in the right place,” he said.Pathan, 19, is no stranger to Pakistani conditions.He was the big success story of an under-19 tournament in Pakistan last year, grabbing nine wickets in a one-day match against Bangladesh at Lahore.“We might get more assistance from the wickets this time because Pakistan are banking on fast bowlers too,” Pathan said in reference to the preparation of the Multan pitch. (Reuters)
