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Ravi Shastri using 1985 World Championship tactics: L Sivaramakrishnan


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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/india-sri-lanka-bangladesh-tri-series/ravi-shastri-using-1985-world-championship-tactics-l-sivaramakrishnan/articleshow/63104508.cms

 

NEW DELHI: Indian coach Ravi Shastri is using tactics of the Indian team during the 1985 World Championship, of their two main spinners claiming at least five opposition wickets in ODIs, former legspinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan said during a chat with TOI at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Tuesday.

“Before my first ODI game in the 1985 tournament, our captain Sunil Gavaskar took Shastri and me out for lunch and told us to get at least five wickets in our 20 overs. Gavaskar even told me that he would not mind if I conceded more than 50 runs from the 10 overs. He wanted me to get two or three wickets in the middle overs. Ravi is using the same tactics as a coach now,” Siva said.

He added that India’s approach could come very handy in the 2019 World Cup in England. “Finger spinners are the ones who restrict the flow of runs. They don’t get bounce and turn like wrist spinners. I completely back the idea of having Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in the playing XI. These wrist spinners, who are natural turners of the ball, don’t provide the pace to the batsmen, whereas the fingers spinners start bowling fast after being hit,” Siva said.

 

When asked if the likes of finger spinners like R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja could make a comeback into the shorter formats of the game, Siva said it won’t be easy. “Both Ashwin and Jadeja will find it very tough to play in the shorter versions. They didn’t take wickets the way the team management expected. The rival batsmen were playing shots whenever they came on to bowl. They bowled faster after being hit,” he added.

Siva then said that modern technology can help the Indian bowlers improve. “There was nothing to identify if there was any technical flaw in our action then. There was no video analyst or so many trained coaches to guide you. But now cricket has changed. If a bowler wants to improve, there is no dearth of technological help to work on your shortcomings. For example, Chahal has a good leg break, googly and a flipper. He would have to master the stop spin to get that extra bounce and pace from the wicket, which will make him an even better bowler.”

 

As far Kuldeep, Siva said: "I told Kuldeep while giving him the Test cap (in the Dharamshala Test against Australia) that I played four years of international cricket, but I want you to play for fourteen years. I also believe that Chahal would be ready for Test at some point of time. Our spin department looks well-sorted as of now."

According to Siva, Jadeja’s average bowling speed is 90 km/hr while Ashwin averages between 85 to 90 km/hr. In comparison, both Chahal and Kuldeep clock between 75 to 80 km/hr. “Ashwin and Jadeja use their hand more than their body while delivering. The bowling hand and the back-leg will have to be in sync. They are also unable to bowl slower to obtain maximum turn and bounce,” the former legspinner said.

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16 minutes ago, CoverDrive said:

Siva and Sadanand Vishwanath were two big talent who shone in 1985 who got lost in the wilderness. In both their cases it was more about non-cricketing reasons that they could not build a great career. 

Sadanand Vishwanath was mighty good. Wonder what happened to him.

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1 hour ago, NameGoesHere said:

In the final analysis, alcohol and an inability to cope with stress happened to him.

He lost his parents in quick succession after the 1985 WCC tournament.  If I recall correctly, one of them passed away during the SL series that immediately followed the WCC.  He was never the same.  I was a big fan - growing up in Bengaluru, it was a matter of great pride that one Karnataka legend (SMHK) was handing over the mantle to another (SV).  Sadly did not pan out.  

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3 hours ago, CoverDrive said:

1985 world championship was my first cricketing memory. I was 7 years old. That was first time I kind of knew how the game worked and remember watching it on neighbors color tv. My strongest memories are of Sadanand Vishwanath stumping like flash and appealing. He was a flamboyant character and very good keeper. 

 

Same here buddy.  Those early morning starts and the quacking ducks - first cricket memory.  :)

 

Shastri used to open with Srikanth and bat at 20% SR - I still remember how excited I would get if the run-rate went above 4 in the early overs.  IIRC Srikanth had a beard in that tournament.   

 

 

2 hours ago, Brainfade said:

He lost his parents in quick succession after the 1985 WCC tournament.  If I recall correctly, one of them passed away during the SL series that immediately followed the WCC.  He was never the same.  I was a big fan - growing up in Bengaluru, it was a matter of great pride that one Karnataka legend (SMHK) was handing over the mantle to another (SV).  Sadly did not pan out.  

Chandrakant Pandit was another Keeper prospect who didn't amount to much at the int'l level.  He was good enough to play a couple of tests as a batsman - but lost out to Kiran More for the gloves eventually.

 

 

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4 hours ago, CoverDrive said:

1985 world championship was my first cricketing memory. I was 7 years old. That was first time I kind of knew how the game worked and remember watching it on neighbors color tv. My strongest memories are of Sadanand Vishwanath stumping like flash and appealing. He was a flamboyant character and very good keeper. 

 

 

29 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Same here buddy.  Those early morning starts and the quacking ducks - first cricket memory.  :)

 

 

Mine too! Getting up early morning.. watching the pretty girls in the crowd.. Austraalia looked like paradise! 

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5 hours ago, Malcolm Merlyn said:
7 hours ago, vvvslaxman said:
He was. He was one of the slowest spinner.  L Siva was a good spinner. He never went to the next level. He was found out. Then Hirwani happened. Even though he didn't last long  it effectively shut L Siva down

Drugs did Siva in.

Even i thought that was the case. He laughs at this. I read in a Tamil magazine interview. He said he didn't do any of that.

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On the subject of the thread, its starting to really irritate me that serious followers of the game continue to take a massive $heit on finger spinners, without acknowledging the role played by the ICC rule changes for ODIs. 

 

When you flip the power-play rules and restrict outfielders to 4 for the middle 30 overs, it is much easier for batsmen to pre-determine their shots and target certain areas of the out-field, against bowlers that are not able to turn the ball "the wrong way" to a significant degree.   This is the reason why a Jadeja was the MVP in the 2013 Champions trophy, but got slaughtered by Sri Lanka in the 2017 version.   Not because he's not as effective.   Same applies to Ashwin.   

 

Taking away that 5th outfielder defangs slower pace bowlers who don't get much deviation.  Its as simple as that.   

 

India have been glacially slow in responding to these updated rules.   4 outfielders in the middle 30 means that a set batsman should be able to hit a boundary per over on average, without taking too much risk.   

 

If strategy would dictate batting order instead of seniority, Indian team should be sending a clever gap hitter like Kedar Jadhav at #4 for an extended run, to see if he is able to execute his skills and inject some momentum in the 20-35 over stage.   Instead we have to tolerate the likes of Rahane at #4 or as one ICF poster memorably calls him "Slow-ni".   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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