The start of the second Indian Premier League season has confirmed that quality spin isn't just a commodity highly sought by politicians; it also has great value on the cricket field.
The start of the second Indian Premier League season has confirmed that quality spin isn't just a commodity highly sought by politicians; it also has great value on the cricket field.
Anil Kumble was the first to spin a web of deceit with a match winning 5 for five for Bangalore. He then showed he's got a future as a prophet once his bowling days are over by claiming; "The Twenty20 game may not be for the oldies but we can have our days too."
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Bangalore's Anil Kumble celebrates against Rajasthan during the IPL on Saturday PIC/AFP |
He was quickly proved right. Shane Warne, Daniel Vettori and Muttiah Muralitharan all produced incisive and accurate spells to give Kumble's quote the ring of Muhammad. This quartet, along with Harbhajan Singh has been the royalty of modern spin bowling and they've quickly convinced doubters that it's not just the longer version of the game where subtlety and guile pay worthwhile dividends.
Why do good slow bowlers experience success in a game where the batsman's main objective is to hit the ball as far as possible as often as possible? In a Test match a good spinner has to create impatience in a batsman by containing him and then producing a delivery that is a poisoned pill covered with a chocolate coating. This can take time against a good batsman and hence subtle variations and the patience of Job are a talented spin bowler's greatest allies.
However, in T20 cricket, the game provides the spin bowler with the impatient batsman he craves. The make-up of the game is such that the batsman has to "get on with it", "play a shot a ball", or "slog"; call it what you will but he has to score quickly or else he's a burden on his team. That's when the good spinners pounce.
Rubbing his hands with glee he sends down a delivery that looks eminently hittable but is really a baited trap.
Before you know it the batsman has mistimed his shot and is walking back to the pavilion shaking his head.
As former great Indian off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna once counselled a young Australian tweaker; "It's not an invitation to be hit into the grand stand, it's a request to be lofted into the outfield."
As long as administrators don't allow bats to become rocket launchers and reduce the boundaries to an inner-city kid's playground, good spinners will continue to have success in T20 cricket. When a quality spinner meets an impatient batsman all he needs is a sure-handed outfielder to complete the ambush.
