Do Indian bowlers really know how to curtail the wagging tails?

New Delhi: Not once or twice but on numerous occasions Indian bowlers let the advantages go waste in year 2014. Be it on tour to New Zealand, England or current tour of Australia, the story had been the same and so were the results- dampening and morale shattering for the team as a whole and for the bowlers in particular.India hardly had memorable tours abroad. They have always struggled whenever they played on foreign soils because of lack of skilled batsmen (barring few) who could adopt to bouncy pitches and dearth of genuine or at least fast bowlers who could exploit such tracks.But of late, India has produced some really good and decent fast bowlers. Although the expectations are yet to be met by them, some of them have still learnt the trick of the trade.If one looks at the matches Team India has played on foreign soils in 2014; then there were eight such occasions where it conceded a good number of runs after taking five wickets.To start with, on tour to New Zealand, early this year, the Indian bowlers rattled the home side by taking five wickets. But later on, they had to compromise for 586 runs lead in the second test at Wellington.Brendon McCullum hit a triple century in the second inning after Indian bowlers removed top five batsmen for 94 runs. He was well supported by Watling (124) and Neesham (137). Though the match ended in a draw but India lost an opportunity to win it after taking a first inning lead of 246. Thanks to Rahane who still knocked off atleast 118 runs!Later, in England tour in July, Murali Vijay helped India start off on a positive note scoring 457 in the first inning of the first test but compromised 299 runs after reducing the host 197/5.It was James Anderson(81) and Stuart (47) who not only saw Root make unbeaten 154 but also denied Indian bowlers any breakthrough. Again, India let the advantage slip off its hands and the match ended in a draw.In the third test at Southampton, India allowed tail-ender Buttler to score freely. He added 85 runs which helped England score a total of 569 after losing five wickets for 420. As a result, India, once again, lost the test.Again, in Manchester, in the fourth test, India bounced back after being bowled out for a small number of 152 in the first inning. The medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed three top order batsmen that left England struggling for 140 for five but later on, Indian bowlers gave away 227 runs more for next five wickets and eventually lost the test by an inning and 54 runs. This agony and misery of Indian bowlers continued on Australia tour also.At Brisbane in the second test Indian bowlers were hammered for 195 by Mitchell Johnson (88), Starc (52), Lyon (23) and Hazelwood (32), who are all stupendous tail enders.India lost this test match also by 4 wickets after posting a decent total of 408 which included a century by opener Murali Vijay.Before this test, in the opener also, Indian bowlers allowed last five batsmen to add 165 runs that finally cost India the match.In the third test match played at Melbourne, India gave new Australian captain Steven Smith a dream start. They allowed tail enders to stick around to help him carry on from where he left in the previous test i.e. his debut test as a captain. It was Mitchell Johnson who frustrated the Indian bowlers in the second test, when another Australian bowler Ryan Harris flourished with the bat. While Smith went on to smash a high-handed 192 for his highest first class score, Harris (74) showed Johnson that even he is no novice with the bat.Australia, at one point of time, was 216/5 but finished their innings at 530.So, ultimately, only one question resonates, ‘What goes wrong with Indian bowlers on foreign soils?' ‘Why do they become completely helpless after giving a glimpses of brilliance?'“These bowlers just don't know the art of getting tail enders out,” fumes former India medium pacer Chetan Sharma, who now appears in a leading Hindi news channel as an expert.Sharma further says “After taking early wickets they (bowlers) become complacent and take things for granted. They just do not know how to use an old ball.”“Instead of using new ways (Yorker etc) they try to scare the lower order batsmen with bouncers….Do you think tail enders, now-a-days, are afraid of bouncers….?Surely not.

Do Indian bowlers really know how to curtail the wagging tails?

New Delhi: Not once or twice but on numerous occasions Indian bowlers let the advantages go waste in year 2014. Be it on tour to New Zealand, England or current tour of Australia, the story

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