'I'm happy to keep working on the basics' - Sreesanth

Having starred at the Wanderers with match figures of 8 for 99, Sreesanth knew that an encore wouldn't be easy. On a Kingsmead pitch that was certainly more batsman-friendly, he finished the first innings with figures of 4 for 109, including the eye-catching dismissal of Mark Boucher - stumps splayed all over the place.

The man with a penchant for the eccentric was his colourful self at the press conference on Wednesday evening, offering up candid answers on his development as a cricketer and the state of the match. "It was hard work there," he said with a grin when asked if there was any disappointment at missing out on a five-for. "You cannot expect five every game or every innings. I'm happy to keep working on the basics and not worry too much about wickets."

His assessment of the pitch would have encouraged India's batsmen, though he shied away from saying whether he intended another six-hitting celebration when his turn came to bat. "It's on the slower side and the bounce was a bit less than Jo'burg," he said. "It will get better and faster. It was a bit more skiddy this morning. But if the batsmen 'get in' on this wicket, they can go on to get a big score. It's hard work for the bowlers."

He admitted that the Johannesburg display had increased the pressure of expectation, but said that he was prepared to deal with it. "I was very lucky to be performing with people like Anil bhai and Sachin paaji," he said referring to India's most experienced duo. "I also spoke to Allan Donald and Wasim Akram; the more you talk, the more you get to learn. They all asked me not to try too hard."

That said, he still resembles a coiled spring at times out in the middle, only ever a good ball away from a riotous celebration or a plaintive appeal. "The pressure is good at the start of the match because it brings the best out of you," he said, while adding that he had been working on reining things in a little. His reaction after dismissing Hashim Amla at the Wanderers attracted a fine from the match referee, and Sreesanth said: "It all happens when I'm in that frame of mind, but I don't want to miss a game."

Most of the experts here, right from the batsmen like Barry Richards to bowlers like Donald, have been raving about the seam position when the ball leaves his hand, and Sreesanth spoke about how it was a legacy of the time spent at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. "I worked with Dennis Lillee and TA Sekar, on swing and seam position. The basic thing [stressed] was not pace, but to get the seam position and how you release the ball."

His own transformation from wannabe leggie to pace spearhead is a remarkable one, and Sreesanth attributed his swing-and-seam strengths to the often-heartbreaking experience of bowling on pancake-flat pitches back home. "Initially, I wanted to hit the batsman," he said with a smile. "But it's not easy to hit the helmet on Indian pitches. I used to watch guys like [Glenn] McGrath and [Shaun] Pollock on TV, and learnt a lot. I learnt that there are many other ways of getting a batsman out."

Playing his seventh Test, Sreesanth is too consumed with the present to worry too much about what lies in wait. He certainly won't be losing sleep worrying about burnout and injuries. "I love playing cricket," he said, having joked about how the Durban weather reminded him of being back home in Kochi. "When I'm home, I play four or five games of tennis-ball cricket most days. I just keep playing, and I'm not worried about injuries. If something happens, it happens."

And whatever happens, he'll always have the Wanderers, and a performance that few Indian quick bowlers will ever match.