Javagal Srinath – Hardly there is anyone who doesn't know about this pacer from Mysore, Karnataka. Fondly known as Mysore Express also but if we go back into the history then you find there is a name called ‘Mohammed Nisar’ the first ever fast bowler in team India during pre-independence era. Nisar was the frontline bowler of team India in the 1930s. But team India has to wait for a long time to find the talent like Kapil Dev into the late 70s who was another fast bowler but not like Mohammed Nisar a genuine fast bowler.
Towards the 90s team India had a good bowling unit which included Anil Kumble but there was no genuine fast bowler and history says team India has the quality spin attack rather than the fast bowlers. Here was the man named Javagal Srinath the trendsetter in the 90s who single handedly carried away the Indian fast bowling division with its raw pace. Born in Mysore, Karnataka Javagal Srinath was first seen by former Indian batsman Gundappa Vishwanath who advised him to focus on the bowling rather over the batting as Javagal Srinath has started his career as a batsman over bowling and later Srinath went onto to played his first-class cricket for Karnataka where he took 533 wickets in 147 matches. If it was not Javagal Srinath maybe team India couldn't have the too many genuine fast pacers in the current era of cricket.
For more than decade Javagal Srinath was lone warrior in early 90s for team India in test cricket and one-day international. Javagal Srinath was the second bowler after Kapil Dev to take 200 wickets in test cricket and the first Indian fast bowler to take 300 ODI wickets and ended with 315 wickets at an average of 28.08 while in the 67 tests Srinath took 236 wickets at an average of 30.49 this stats are more good because in a country like India where fast bowlers are less effective Srinath proved this myth wrong and turned out to be successful against A-list teams. But in a tournament like World Cup Srinath was best in the four world cup 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003 he took 44 wickets by any bowler in the Indian Cricket History. Javagal Srinath appeared in four world cups – the most by any bowler Indian cricket history.
The former Australian Fast bowler once said “Srinath a genuine fast bowler” which removes the doubt of perception about the calibre of this lanky and tall bowler from Karnataka but his numbers maybe not that good which even many critics reckoned at some point that Javagal Srinath was the most underrated fast bowler in the Indian Cricket History. They were saying that just imagine if Srinath was born in a country like Australia, South Africa or England. If Srinath can be successful on the dry pitches of the subcontinent, how dangerous Srinath could've been on the green top surface. Srinath was the fastest Indian bowler to reach 200,250 and 300 wickets in ODI cricket. Since his debut against Australia in 1991 Srinath made the statement with bowling abilities which even Allan Border that this bowler is going to be the next bowling prospect of India in the coming years. Srinath clocked the fast delivery of 157 km/h in 1997 this was the second best moment of his career.
The first best moment of his career was when Srinath set the world on fire with the bouncer straight into the face of Ricky Ponting in the 1999-2000 tour it was very rare to see a batsman hit with bouncer into the face by the Indian bowler. Against every test playing Srinath had a good record but Srinath had a far better record against the South Africa team from any other Indian bowler with more than 60 wickets in his arsenal at an average of 24.48 which again proved his bowling abilities against the A-list team. Apart from the bowling strength Srinath was the good batsman lower down the order who made valuable contributions with his bat in many Indian victories and who can forget 9th wicket partnership with Anil Kumble against Australia at Bangalore which helped team India to clinched victory from the jaws of defeat. Srinath was the part of the injury problem when he was at its peak of his career which had shortened his career and he hung up his boots in 2003.
If history ever looks back into the past the name of “Javagal Srinath” will always come at the top who has changed the body language of Indian bowlers with the art of genuine pace. In the end maybe his numbers are not good like the other great bowlers of his era which was not his fault the management and criteria is completely absurd in India who just wants to groom one player apart from looking at other rare talents. But there is no denying the fact that the trend of fast bowling was started by Genuine fast bowler Javagal Srinath.
