Dinda pick of Indian bowlers in IPL - Donald

Former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald has said that Pune Warriors fast bowler Ashok Dinda has the attitude and skill to compete for a berth in the Indian team. Dinda is currently Warriors' joint leading wicket-taker, along with Rahul Sharma, with eight wickets in the IPL.

Donald, Warriors' bowling coach, said that Dinda is the pick of the Indian fast bowlers in the IPL this year. "Of all the Indian bowlers I have seen, he is right up there," Donald told PTI. "We all want to stack up the numbers [wickets] but there is a patient process to follow and that for me will make him a big-time contender in the Indian team."

Since his debut in 2010 against Zimbabwe, Dinda has played seven ODIs and three T20Is for India, picking up five wickets in each format. He played in the Asia Cup before the IPL and is in the India A squad to tour the West Indies in June.

Donald said that the BCCI should be clear as to what role they want Dinda to play in the future. "Dinda has impressed me with his attitude and skill. The question I want to ask, do coaches see him as a stand-in for the big boys or a potential talent who you can back to do you a job no matter what?" Donald said.

Donald, known for an iconic jump in his delivery stride, said Dinda's bowling action reminded him of himself during his playing days. "I have no problem with his jump and that's the way he has done it for a while now. It's not something you see with most bowlers but he [Dinda] reminds me of myself. I too had to get off the ground high enough to snap very hard at the crease.

"I love the hang time he gets before he snaps through the crease. The hang time allows him to get into a strong position before pulling the trigger. The action comes naturally to him but the stress on the body is huge so paying attention to his core will be something he will have to work hard on."

Having taken 330 Test and 272 ODI wickets in his career, Donald said he found similarities between a bowler's action and a golfer's swing. "Bowling is like a golf swing. It is all about feel and it is complex. There is a lot that can go wrong, if everything is not in-sync. When you are in good form, you have to understand why you are in that sort of form and again it brings me back to the training ground."