As he celebrates his 31st birthday with the Karnataka team in Kenya, Venkatesh Prasad must be aware that his career is at the crossroads. Ever since his impressive Test debut in England in 1996, he has been an integral part of the new ball attack, in most cases with his senior partner from Karnataka, Javagal Srinath. Since that tour, the two promised to be the best Indian pace attack since Md Nissar and Amar Singh of the thirties. After years of facing the heat, the Indians could now give as much as they could get from both ends. For long, the Indians at best could field two medium pace bowlers but having two fast medium bowlers in Srinath and Prasad was a gratifying experience for the Indian team.

From 1996 to 1999, Prasad was more or less a regular member of the team. As Srinath's reliable partner or as an effective new ball bowler in his own right, Prasad's value to the team was immense. Tall and well built with the stamina to bowl long spells, Prasad could be used effectively as a stock bowler. But there were times when he struck a purple patch, most notably at Chennai in the first Test against Pakistan. He terminated the Pakistan second innings with a deadly spell of five wickets for no runs off 18 balls towards innings figures of six for 33.

This was in many ways his best performance but then Prasad has very rarely let his team down as his figures of 85 wickets from 29 Tests at an average of 34.70 strongly convey. One recalls how he carried the Indian attack gamely on his broad shoulders when Srinath had to return at the start of the tour of the West Indies in 1997. Or how he took 17 wickets in three Tests, including a match haul of ten for 153 at Durban to head the averages, above even an inspired Srinath in South Africa in 1996-97. Or his great spell against a strong South African side on a good batting strip at the Eden Gardens earlier the same season when he finished with six for 104.

The fact of the matter is that despite such performances, he never seems to enjoy the confidence of the selectors. They have always kept him in suspense by playing bowlers like Harvinder, Agarkar, Mohanty, Kuruvilla and Robin Singh (jr) or by having Ganguly open the attack with Srinath. In the last eight Test matches, all during the 1999-2000 season, Prasad has missed four. Moreover, new medium pacers have been encouraged in Amit Bhandari and Thiru Kumaran and towards the end of the season, Prasad seemed to be a forgotten man - scant acknowledgement for a bowler who with figures of five for 27 played the leading role in victory over Pakistan in the World Cup, a little over a year ago.

But given his never say attitude and his indefatigable approach, it is unlikely that Prasad will give up. He will be eager to bounce back, to prove that he still has the fire to bowl quick. The proximity to the 100 wicket mark will be the motivation, as also the fact that a long season lies ahead. When the going gets tough, the tough get going and Prasad, a bowler who combines skill, stamina and a stout heart surely has much to offer Indian cricket. All he needs is a little sympathetic treatment from the selectors.

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