Javagal Srinath became the fifth Indian, and only their second fast bowler after Kapil Dev, to claim 200 Test wickets, when he had South Africa's captain Shaun Pollock caught at forward short leg by Shiv Sunder Das at Bloemfontein today. Kapil heads the Indian wicket-taking list with 434 in 131 Tests, ahead of Anil Kumble (278 in this, his 62nd match), Bishan Singh Bedi (266 from 67) and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (242 from 58). Srinath has reached the 200-wicket landmark in his 54th Test, and has figures which are remarkably similar to Kapil Dev's. Srinath averages 29.94, with a strike rate of 62.3 balls per wicket: the corresponding figures for Kapil are 29.64 and 63.9. But Kapil was only 24 when he reached 200 wickets, in his 50th Test - Srinath is 32.

Srinath made his debut in the 1991-92 series in Australia, as Kapil's protégé. He took only 10 wickets at an average of 55.30, but developed rapidly thereafter and first showed signs of becoming a long-term solution to India's pace-bowling problems in South Africa in 1992-93. He took 12 wickets in three Tests at 26.08, including 2 for 51 and 4 for 33 in the last Test at Cape Town, which won him the Man of the Match award.

His finest hour also came against South Africa, at Ahmedabad in November 1996. Defending a small target of 170, Srinath started magnificently by taking two wickets in his very first over. He came back later and conjured up some reverse-swing to devastating effect to bowl South Africa out for 105. He finished with 6 for 21, and 17 in the three-Test series at 20.94 apiece.

His only Test ten-wicket haul came at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, in the Asian Test Championship match against Pakistan in 1998-99. He followed his first-innings 5 for 46 with a career-best 8 for 86 in the second, to finish with match figures of 13 for 132. It still wasn't enough to win India the Test, as Pakistan, floundering at 26 for 6 in their first innings, recovered magnificently to win by 46 runs.

Srinath's best performances have come in home conditions, belying the common belief that fast bowlers can't succeed on India's flat pitches. In 25 home Tests, he has taken 95 wickets at 25.17. But his record overseas is disappointing - 107 wickets in 29 matches (including the current one) at a touch above 34.

S Rajesh is a sub-editor with Wisden.com in India.

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