Zaheer Khan's injury in the first Test at Lord's has hit India extremely hard. Sans Zaheer, India's bowling attack looks weak and tepid. Former West Indies great Michael Holding has echoed the same thoughts. He thinks that from the current look of things, England is a far better side than India due to its potent bowling attack.In an interview to DNA, Holding said, "I don’t think you need me to tell you that India’s weakest department is their bowling and that’s where England have the upper hand. Under English conditions, England have a better bowling attack and (against India) without Zaheer, England are streets ahead. It was obvious that without Zaheer, India’s bowling was very much exposed at Lord’s. There is no doubt that without Zaheer, England had things a lot easier and especially in the second innings at Lord’s, when Ishant Sharma recovered his form. The Indian attack, without Zaheer to compliment Ishant, enabled England to get off the hook."
Holding asserted that without Zaheerm India don't stand a chance to bounce back in the series and England will coast to a comfortable series win. "It will be difficult for India to get back into this series if Zaheer is unavailable or not at full fitness."
Holding showed his disappointment that today's fast bowlers can't withstand the wear and tear of international cricket for too long. "It is very clear that the fast bowlers are not going to last in the current game as long as they did in the previous years. They are being asked to carry too heavy a workload with the constant requirements of cricket all year round."
Holding also said that he is sad to see premier fast bolwers quitting Test cricket. "Just check how many really fast men are playing Test cricket. Brett Lee no longer plays and Lasith Malinga prefers to play Twenty20. There are others before them and others will follow," he remarked.
Holding opined that India were under prepared for the Test series against England and said that only players who featured in the recent West Indies series could perform well in the first Test at Lord's. "I do not hold the view that the Indian batsmen were defeatist at Lord’s. Chasing a target of over 450 runs was never going to be easy and the focus had to be on batting the 98 overs scheduled for the last day. What perhaps people need to focus on more is the fact that only members of the Indian team, who went to the Caribbean and were playing proper cricket, were ready and performed in the first Test."
