Pacers speeding on freeway to Team India

Ashok Dinda’s inclusion in the Rest of India side for the Irani Cup might have surprised many, including the Bengal bowler himself, but the decision of the selectors is not a deviation from the recent trend of picking fast bowlers as soon as they show any promise.

One would have ideally liked a bowler like Dinda to have ripped through the opposition on more occasions than his 45 wickets in 16 first-class matches suggest but selection of promising pacers like him is inevitable seeing the manner and regularity with which they are ruled out because of injuries.

Though Dinda might not be assured of playing in the match against Delhi at Baroda, the signal sent out by selectors is a very positive one for him. Dinda is very much in the scheme of things and seeing the rate at which pace bowlers have been getting injured, it might just be a matter of time before he gets a call-up to the national side.

There are always the benefits of blooding a pace bowler early, especially in the sub-continent, before their bodies go through the grind of domestic cricket that leads to wear and tear. With so much of cricket being played, it is also a lot easier for them to turn out for the country nowadays.

Not very long ago, a number of them, some far better, toiled on the domestic front for years, waiting for that big break, or not being able to impress in limited chances. But the scene has changed drastically over the last decade or so.