Wisden overview
Arguably India's fastest-ever bowler, Javagal Srinath, with over 200 Test wickets, is not an underachiever. Yet, he is a reluctant spearhead who could have pushed himself harder. On his day, Srinath could be as good as anyone anywhere. The incutter at a rapid pace was palpably hostile and kept the man at short leg consistently occupied, but Indian supporters would have liked him to sustain the pressure for longer periods. On the dustbowls of India, where he learned to use the old ball to great effect, he showed them some memorable days, such as thetime he grabbed 6 for 21 to skittle the South Africans at Ahmedabad in 1996. Never as comfortable in the one-day arena, Srinath nevertheless worked on a slower legcutter that brought him success late in his career. As a batsman, he is utterly chaotic - but useful when the mind is on the job. India have come to learn to live without Srinath in recent years, such is his frequency of retirement-announcements and requests for a rest. Rahul Bhattacharya

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