Srinath has bowled more than any other fast bowler in this past year of international cricket

Anant Gaundalkar

Javagal Srinath, India's premier bowler, is out of the Indian team touring the West Indies within days of landing in the Caribbean, without bowling a single ball! And this brings forth a question: Was Srinath over-bowled in recent months?

Yes, he was.

We compared Srinath and his partner Venkatesh Prasad's bowling statistics in Tests since the start of India's English tour last May till the end of India's South African campaign in February, with other fast bowlers -- Curtley Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Glenn McGrath -- during the same period and discovered that Srinath has bowled the most number of his deliveries.

His ratio of balls per Test is also the highest -- 286.33 balls which amounts to almost 47.4 overs. This is seven overs per Test more than Ambrose, the next on the list.

Further, his bowling contribution comprises as much as 25 per cent of the overall effort by all Indian bowlers during this same span.

In spite of this, he has maintained a magnificent strike-rate -- 5.11 victims per match, second only to Donald's 5.33 wickets per match.

Record