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Javagal Srinath is the spearhead of the Indian pace attack and is the only bowler in India
to produce the speeds generally associated with West Indian or South African
pacemen. After Kapil Dev`s retirement, Srinath broke into the playing XI and
since then he has rarely let down the cricket fans in the country.
Whether in Test cricket or the limited overs game, whether in making the
initial breakthrough with the new ball, breaking up a vital partnership
in the middle order or cleaning up the tail, Srinath can always be
depended upon to deliver the goods. Bowling with a smooth action, the
`Karnataka Express' has been able to extract pace and bounce from even
docile wickets. Statistically his Test record is tarnished by his early tours, but he is very much
the genuine article who has frequently displayed the entire repertoire
of the fast bowler's art - the dipping inswinger, the late outswinger,
the deadly yorker, the whistling bouncer. At the same time he has never
compromised on the basic qualities of bowling i.e. the line and the
length. He has had
injury problems in 1997 and 1998, possibly due to over-bowling but has
now fully recovered after his shoulder operation. His one-day bowling record is
very impressive, and only Dennis Lillee and Waqar
Younis have taken 100 wickets in fewer matches. He is also a useful tail-end
batter and is capable
of scoring runs at a brisk pace.
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