India's pace attack can only get better with experience: Agarkar

Kolkata Sep 23 (IANS) Former pacer Ajit Agarkar lauded the Indian pace battery on Friday, saying with experience the attack can only get better in the days to come.

"It's very good at the moment. (Ravichandran) Ashwin is definitely the pick of the lot but (Mohammed) Shami is also bowling so well. Umesh (Yadav) took the wicket today. So with experience, they can only get better. Hopefully all of them will stay fit," the Mumbai bowler told reporters on the sidelines of a programme here.

Umesh got the only wicket on the second day of India's 500th Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, catching out-of-form Martin Guptill leg before wicket for 21. At stumps, the Kiwis, batting second, were 152/1 on a day truncated by rain.

Asked about the lack of wickets falling, Agarkar said it's too early to comment.

"I think a lot of time was lost in rain today. It is only the second day of the Test and the wicket is still good to bat on. India were at the same position, so let's wait."

Indian pace spearhead Ishant Sharma is out of the first Test due to chikungunya, a rare mosquito-borne viral disease. Agarkar though said it is not such a big worry on home conditions.

"I don't think it is much of a worry in Indian conditions. As I said, Shami is bowling really well and Umesh has already taken a wicket."

The Virat Kohli-led team failed to make the most of a good batting track in Green Park on Thursday, getting all out for 318 early on Friday.

Agarkar said, "They succumbed to soft dismissals. I am sure the batsmen will be more disappointed than us. Perhaps the shot selection for some were not right. India should have scored more runs."

---IANS

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