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Zaheer Khan seems to have fallen from grace. To be really frank, one should have seen it coming; the signs were all there- the languid movements, the insipid bowling, his very steps lacked the usual bounce. His bowling attacks don’t cause as much flutter as they used to. There was a time when the cricketer was the best known left-arm bowler in the Indian cricketing industry. Zaheer Khan Profile was so impressive that he was often the first choice in bowling. He could maneuver the ball both ways.

During the 2001 Ranji trophy series, he took eight wickets and was labeled the ‘Man of the match’. He was just a few months into professional cricket when he achieved the feat. When he was debuting for the Worcestershire County Cricket Club in England during 2006, he managed to single handedly take ten wickets that earned him the record as the first Worcestershire player to ever manage the amazing feat in over a century. During the India-Australia Test series that took place between 2008 and 2009, he surprised everyone with an all-around skillful performance in bowling as well as batting and consequently won the ‘Man of the Match’ award.

He was instrumental in promoting India to the final rounds of the 2003 World Cup, completing the series as the fourth highest wicket taker. His one man bowling attack helped India’s 2011 World Cup campaign tilt in their favor. He is the current record holder for the highest Test score, when he amassed 75 runs against Bangladesh in the year of 2004. There are plenty more records in Zaheer Khan statistics. It is not a wonder that people are highly disappointed that he has put on a less than impressive form these days.

When the team captain was questioned about Zaheer Khan’s dwindling profile, the skipper waived it off as a circumstantial problem. He said that his lethargic performance could be blamed on a number of things ranging from revved up batsmen to his fitness to certain indulgences. Zaheer Khan has in fact been rendered vulnerable by a number of injuries over the past few years. His exclusion from the squad competing in the Nagpur Test series was the cherry on the cake. But all hope is not lost; history has proved time and again that true talent never fades away into oblivion. A fine tuning now and then coupled with a healthy dose of self-esteem should help one get right back up on that horse.

The stage was set and both the tensions and stakes were high. The score card was leveled with a victory to either team’s name. When the England cricket team scored 325-4 in the first ODI, it was a proud locker room moment for everyone involved. Even though they had just about nine runs over the Indian squad, the victory gave them a starting lead in the five match series.

Another reason why it was important to celebrate their victory in all its glory was because it was England’s first victory in 14 away matches against their staunch rivals. They won the toss, and the decision to bat first definitely turned out to be fortunate enough for the lot. Ian Bell and Alastair Cook took 158 runs in the opening stand, a combined effort with their 85 and 75 runs respectively. The timely wickets helped the team cement their victory against the Indian cricket team. After their win at Rajkot, England geared up for a similar encounter with the Indians in Kochi, but it seemed like God’s own country proved unlucky for the tourists who were at the receiving end of the competitive vengeance of the Indian cricket team. The home team won the match by an astounding 127 run margin, regarded as the second highest margin of victory against the England cricket team.

This leveled the series 1-1. Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 72 runs from 66 balls, a feat that earned the praise of the ‘best skipper in the world’ from his English counterpart, Cook, was only preceded by Ravindra Jadeja`s top ranking 61 runs from 37 balls. It’s a no brainer why Jadeja was conferred the man of the match that day. The only silver lining for the English was latest record incorporated into Alastair Cook profile – that of the youngest batsman to reach 7,000 Test runs. Proud moment for the captain and the left handed opening batsman. He was appointed Captain of the England test team following Andrew Strauss’s retirement. He had prepped up his team and boosted their confidence since their crushing defeat in Kochi, to face the Indian team at Ranchi, on 19th January, in the third ODI of the England tour series.

But home soil proved fortunate for Indian who won the match by 7 wickets. Virat Kohli who was adjudged the Man of the Match, secured 77 runs. Now both teams brace themselves for the next ODI in the series set to take place at Mohali, on 23rd January.