Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram feels India have the edge in the ongoing Test series and is glad that paceman Zaheer Khan is back in prime form.
"India had the advantage in the ODIs. And the way they are playing they will surely hold the edge in the Test series too," Akram said on the sidelines of a promotional function in Kolkata on Friday.
However, he added that the young Pakistan team was also capable of giving the hosts a run for the money.
The former Pakistan skipper was impressed with India's current crop of pacers.
"S Sreesanth and RP Singh have impressed me, Sreeshanth with his aggression and RP with his great line and length. But what is most heartening to see is how Zaheer has made a comeback.
"Zaheer and me have a lot in common. I played for Surrey to hone my skills and he went to Worcestershire to develop his. And now he is a fine bowler. Fast bowlers should play a season or two of county. It helps them develop their cricket."
Akram said the present Pakistan squad needed some more time to get into the groove as it was going through a rebuilding process.
"When Pakistan came for their previous full tour of India, they had a team that was a fine mix of youth and experience. But this is a young side with a young captain (in Shoaib Mallik). They will need a little more time to settle down..
"But there are a few talented players, and they can never be considered as pushovers," he said.
Akram expressed confidence in new Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson and said he should be given time to produce results.
"He is also very new to the job. He is in in the process of building a unit. We should at least give him some time to build a combination with which he is comfortable," he said.
Akram said India needed to persist with seasoned pros Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. "There is no question of dropping any of them. They are in prime form and have a few more years of cricket left in them. They are around 35 years and they are the best judge of when they should give up."
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