Fast and furious: Five pacers who can attract Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni

Spin bowling has always been India's forte. If cricket enthusiasts around the world discussed spin, mentioning India and its rich association with that art was inevitable. The Bedis, Prasannas and Chandrasekhars are likely to dominate whenever the legacy was spoken of. And Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh carried the legacy forward.

India's fast bowlers were continuously overshadowed. Matches, even when they were played abroad, were won by the slower bowlers, who extracted any help they could get. Farokh Engineer's team was even known for fielding all four spinners of the legendary quartet at Edgbaston in 1967. India lost the Test but their slow bowlers scalped 19 of the 20 English wickets in the match. But over the years as teams around the world started getting more exposure to quality spinners, the skill was no more exclusive to India. Doctoring the playing surface to negate the opposition's advantage also played a role in thrusting the need to find others - pace bowlers. With the advent of league cricket in the sub-continent, players have started getting accustomed to playing spin.

Something else changed dramatically over the last couple of years. Frustrated by the team's poor performance overseas, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to change the nature of pitches at home. Green surfaces were offered for domestic matches, and the spinners did not know what hit them. Harbhajan Singh was extremely critical and the off-spinner, who was on a comeback trail, said the art of spin would die. But it did see the emergence of some tearaway fast bowlers in the circuit.

Fiery, fast, aggressive and deadly accurate, these men hold the future of Indian cricket, especially as the Test team under Virat Kohli, seeks glories overseas.

Here is a list of five pace hopefuls who can help India fight fire with fire:

Avesh Khan

When India's U-19 team was skittled out for 158 against Bangladesh A in their first game of the ongoing tri series, this 18-year-old fast bowler bailed the team out. With figures of 6-3-4-4, the young lad from Indore, Madhya Pradesh bowled his team to a sensational 89-run victory. Avesh is young and he wants to bowl fast. "Medium pace is not my forte. I just want to bowl pace. Today I'm not sure about the speed as it's not measured here. But yes against Pakistan in the World Cup 2014 in UAE I had clocked 139.8 kmph," Khan was quoted as saying.

Fast like #Akhtar, economical like #McGrath, #AveshKhan is Indias next best pace hope https://t.co/GY75bAUesm pic.twitter.com/B8qcra0Lew India Today (@IndiaToday) November 23, 2015

And Avesh is happy having Rahul Dravid in the dressing-room. During the innings break against Bangladesh, Dravid had asked him to keep it simple and bowl straight. Avesh went on to do just that, used his stock ball - the off cutter - to open his spell and pick up a wicket.

Khan's inspiration was none other than his father who played local level cricket. He started practising the game when he was 14 at Indore Colts Cricket Club. He says he can never forget bowling coach 'Amay sir,' under whom he started training at the club.

Krishna Das

Delhi batsmen were making the long walk one after the other last Sunday in Guwahati. All they could manage against a spirited Assam attack was 149. Two of Assam's pacers Krishna Das and Anup Das were the wreckers-in-chief. Krishna struck with his first ball, came back in the second over to scalp two more Delhi wickets. When Krishna got the cap from the umpire after the second over, enough damage was done. The 25-year-old is now the third-highest wicket-taker in this year's Ranji season, snapping 35 wickets in six matches.

But it has not been easy for the young pacer. Despite making his first-class debut at 15, Krishna couldn't continue for his team. At 16, Krishna met with a car accident, which threatened to ruin his cricketing career. Seeing him on the hospital bed with a bandaged body, Krishna's coach Sanath Kumar had given up on him. But Krishna decided to brave through and he was up and running in a year's time. He kept knocking Assam cricket's doors and was performing well whenever he got chances. In 2009, Krishna got his big break - a place in India A squad for home series against Australia. Krishna impressed and when Sanath became Assam's coach in 2013, he wanted was Krishna to lead the pace attack. And the coach's move has paid rich dividends this season.

Shardul Thakur

This Mumbai youngster is 5 feet 9 inches and looks nowhere close to a threatening fast bowler. To top it, he is a bit oversized. But Shradul can generate pace, enough pace to intimidate batsmen, even the South Africans. After a successful stint (23 wickets in four games) in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy season, Shardul earned a place in the Board President's XI and got an opportunity to rub shoulders with his hero Dale Steyn. And he did better than the South African pace great on the second day when he blew away the Proteas top order. Big names including Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis were among Thakur's victims on the eventful day.

Improving my fitness levels @ Activ8 (studio for altitude training and Pilates) pic.twitter.com/COv1Ry3PfoShardul Thakur (@imShard) June 25, 2015

Shardul broke into the scene in 2013 as an erratic youngster. But a few good seasons under his belt and a season at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai under Glenn McGrath has given him confidence. Shardul, who has learnt a lot from Zaheer Khan, is now a near-ready product.

Nathu Singh

This 20-year-old pacer from Rajasthan just needed three Ranji Trophy matches to impress the selectors and earn a place in the Board President's XI against the South Africans earlier this month. Nathu has been grabbing headlines with his serious pace. At the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, Nathu found a new fan in Glenn McGrath. "He has said I am India's future. He has advised that I should never compromise on pace. The highest speed that I have clocked is 145 kmph," Nathu was quoted as saying.

Nathu's performance against Delhi grabbed India opener Gautam Gambhir's attention. In the second innings of his debut match in Jaipur, Nathu was the only bowler who looked capable of picking wickets against a strong Delhi line-up. The visitors made 437 when they batted for the second time in the match, but had no answers to Nathu, who made all their top batsmen hop, skip and jump.

After the match, Gambhir called Rajasthan cricket chief Amrit Mathur and asked him to take good care of the young speedster. "Please make sure he is not ruined by over-bowling," Gambhir said in quotes published by ESPNcricinfo.

Abid Nabi

This sturdy pacer from Jammu and Kashmir is 29-years-old now. The tall and well built youngster keeps bowling fast. Despite taking 108 first-class wickets at an average of 29.80, Abid Nabi has not been able to break into the national team. Back in 2006, when Nabi started making waves in the domestic circuit, Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation had recommended him to the then coach Greg Chappell. Nabi was extremely quick. He wanted to become India's finest and fiercest fast bowler when he was clocking 147 kph as a 20-year-old.

On debut against Odisha (Orissa then) Nabi scalped a four-for in the first innings. He went on to pocket 25 wickets in the season, and followed it up with 15 in the next. "I have always wanted to be a fast bowler and I love to see fear in the eyes of batsmen I bowl at. My aim is to bowl at 150 but also use skills like reverse-swing to get wicket," Nabi had said.

He started with S Sreesanth and Munaf Patel and seeing them get the selectors backing in 2006 made him optimistic. He waited for his chance and is still waiting for the call.

Now, the Jammu and Kashmir pacer's first-class appearance has started to dwindle. He played two games each in 2011 and 2012 season and has since been missing from action.