Circumstances sometimes conspire to aid a player's rehabilitation.
In Zaheer's case, two sets of related circumstances played a key role: Coach Greg Chappell's equity was plummeting within the Indian cricket establishment; chairman of selectors Kiran More came to the end of his tenure and was replaced by Dilip Vengsarkar.
Chappell and More both bought into the theory that Zaheer had a head a size or two too large for his body, and his ability. Vengsarkar believed otherwise; arguing that the left arm bowler had been taught his lesson and had rehabilitated himself, the new chairman of selectors brought him back for the 2006-'07 series in South Africa.
Zaheer announced his return by turning Graeme Smith into his bunny, dismissing him six times in as many one dayers and, in the process, underlining a peculiar aspect of his skills.
Traditionally, it is right handers who find a left arm quick hard to face, because of the angle of the ball across their bodies. In Zaheer's case, however, he has consistently troubled the best left-handers in the business, as Ganguly, Smith and even Sanath Jayasuriya would testify.
He had, too, metamorphosed from a bowler whose stock in trade was to bang the ball in back of a length, and take it away with the arm or off the deck, into one who could pitch it up and move it both ways off length, in the air and off the wicket.
Further, he had developed the knack of going around the wicket, changing the angle but maintaining his ability to move the ball both ways.
The combination has since proved lethal. Zaheer was completely off form in the first morning of the first Test at Lord's; his prodigality with the ball in fact contributed substantially to England getting away to a fine start.
Later in the day, however, he rediscovered his radar -- and he has since been almost unplayable; his efforts with the ball remarkable as much for hard work as for results. Thus, in course of two Tests, he has bowled 94.2 overs, the maximum by any bowler on either side. The closest to him is James Anderson, who has bowled ten overs less; Anil Kumble, traditionally the workhorse in the Indian team, has bowled a mere 77.3 overs.
Underlining his new found parsimony, he has sent down 25 maidens; only Chris Tremlett with 26 shades him on this factor.
He has taken 15 wickets -- five more than R P Singh. No other bowler on either side has broken into double figures.
He has an average, on this tour, of 18.33; again, his only rival is R P Singh, with 22.50. His strike rate is a wicket every 38 balls (R P Singh has struck once every 37 deliveries); his nearest English rival is Anderson, with a wicket every 63 balls.
By every conventional matrix, Zaheer is back, and he is better than ever -- and with his return to fitness, to form, and to mental strength, he has made the difference between the two sides.
Though the fan's focus remains on the batsmen, Test matches are won by the team that can bowl the other side out twice. India has just won the second Test and is one up in the three Test series.
For this, the team has Zaheer Khan's complete rehabilitation to thank.
Image: South Africa captain Graeme Smith faces Zaheer during the third Test in Cape Town, January 6, 2007.
India in the United Kingdom 2007
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