Indian fans will remember Damien Fleming not merely for running in hard on two tours of India and giving it his all, but also for having been at the receiving end of a Sachin Tendulkar lashing in Sharjah in April 1998.
The 37-year-old from Western Australia, who also played for Victoria, was part of the World Cup-winning squad of 1999 as well, and is today a shrewd analyst of the game as a radio and television expert. Paceman Fleming shared his views on the five Indian pacemen on tour here, two of whom he has never seen after S Sreesanth and Munaf Patel were ruled out due to various reasons.
Not surprisingly, he was all praise for the left-arm new-ball duo of Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh. “Zaheer is easily the canniest of all the Indian pacers,” Fleming observed. “He did break down early on in the series in 2003-04, but he has matured beautifully in the past few years. Playing for Worcestershire in the English County circuit has obviously helped him sharpen his skills. He can be lethal if he tastes blood early on.
“Both Zaheer and RP Singh were fabulous in England. They added an entirely new dimension to left-arm quick bowling by bowling from round the wicket, and making it count. That line of attack created new angles to right-handers, who found it hard to negotiate. RP Singh also has a good bouncer and can swing it both ways. I am looking forward to seeing him bowl.”
Of Ishant Sharma, all of two Tests old, and rookie Pankaj Singh, Fleming has seen precious little. “I haven’t seen much of them, but they are both tall and athletic. If they can hit the right lengths on Australian pitches and bend their backs, they can surprise many people with the bounce they will generate. This tour will be a huge learning experience for them.”
About Irfan Pathan,  Fleming said: "When he came here last time, he was raw. He has since come a long way," Fleming noted. "He has the great ability to bring the ball into the right-handers. It's a great skill, but he needs to bowl a bit quicker and mix them up.”