India need quality pacers to do well in Tests: Holding

Michael Holding feels India is sorely missing the experience of Zaheer Khan © Getty Images

By CricketCountry Staff

London: Sep 12, 2011

West Indian pace legend Michael Holding feels Indian team won't do well in Test cricket unless they have good fast bowlers.

"Champion teams have always had good fast bowlers. You can't win Test matches or remain on top without real pacers. If you look at history, you will find that the top teams of different era had top fast bowlers," Holding told TOI during the India-England fourth one-dayer at Lord's.

"The Indian team did well in Test matches in the recent past because they had a quality bowler in Zaheer Khan. He is missing and so the team is struggling. You have to generate some pace to make it count. Otherwise you can't dominate world cricket like the way the West Indies and the Australian teams did in the past," he added.

When asked as to what was going wrong with the Indian pacers, Holding felt that the Indian pacers tend to lose pace once they burst on to international level.

"When they join the team, they come with a lot of reputation. But by the time they have played two to three years of international cricket, they lose the appetite to bowl fast. Munaf Patel is the prime example. When he burst on the scene, he was a tearaway fast bowler but after a few years, he lost his pace and is currently known for his good line and length.

"When I saw Ishant Sharma in Australia in his debut series, I was very excited with the way he bowled there. But after two years, he is not the same bowler. He has lost a bit of pace. I was surprised but I have understood what is happening with the Indian bowlers. They are unable to take care of their diet and that affects their body in the long run," Holding said.

"There is nothing wrong with their technique. If you don't take care of what you are eating, then you are bound to lose your strength."