India need a tearaway fast bowler: Wassan

"You can see how much difference a bowler like Shane Bond can make to a team," he said.

India need a tearaway fast bowler who can send shivers down the opposition batsmen before the 2007 World Cup, according to former India cricketer Atul Wassan.

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"We need a tearawy fast bowler with raw pace who is unpredictable and can push the opposition on the backfoot with a few quick wickets," said the cricketer turned commentator.

Without downplaying the contributions of Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan, he said, "they are good swing bowlers and are doing well but every team today has a bowler with natural pace who can run down the batting line up or break crucial partnerships."

He said it was very important for the selectors to start finding a tearaway quick and groom him before the next World Cup in West Indies.

"You can see how much difference a bowler like Shane Bond can make to a team. For a long time I have not seen any fast bowler like him. He has pace, swing and a good action," Wassan said.

Wassan conceded that Indians must find an answer to Bond, who troubled them with a devastating spell in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where the team is currently playing a tri-series.

"A crisis situation judges the ability of the team. They will have to find an answer to him. After all we have players like Dravid and Sehwag who are among the top batsmen."

"I have heard that Munaf Patel is doing well in domestic matches and has good pace. He should be given a chance if he has the ability."

Drawn into the captaincy controversy, the former fast bowler said Dravid deserved a better treatment than what he got from the selectors.

"I think the Sri Lanka tour was a grey area. The way things were handled sent wrong signals to the team. A player like Rahul Dravid deserves a better treatment than what he was given," he said.

Wassan said the team was going through a transition phase and hence was low on confidence.

"All the aspects of our game are not clicking at the same time. Either batting or bowling or fielding lets us down. The team needs 3 or 4 consecutive wins to get back into the habit of winning," he said.

The middle order also needed to give consistent performances and not rely too much on Virender Sehwag or Yuvraj Singh, he said.

He also felt that India's coach Greg Chappel was trying to find the right combitation by experimenting with the batting line-up.

"I am sure that within a few months he will be able to find the right combination," he said.