Indian Bowlers & Reverse Swing

[Kohum]

A nice piece on Zak on Cricinfo http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/indvaus2008/content/current/story/374859.html Has this following interesting bit ---- Venkatesh Prasad doesn't have a feature written about him every other day, but most of the bowlers speak of the benefits they have had from working with him. On tours of England (1996) and South Africa (a few months later), Prasad bowled as well as any Indian swing bowler has ever done. Reverse-swing wasn't quite his forte though, and before Zaheer, only Manoj Prabhakar among the Indians had truly mastered pace bowling's most mysterious art. --- Manoj Prabhakar? and Master? What's your take on usage of reverse swing by Any other Indian bowlers?

[Cricketics]

nandya, did you see games when India toured south africa in 1993?? prabhakar's swinging deliveries were really good that time and troubled the saffies

[Kohum]

Nope, I don't remember those days - but did he use reverse swinging deliveries at that time? I guess I am surprised at his name used as someone who mastered "reverse-swing" Sir Aggy-the-dear-friend-of-Salil can use this weapon?

[bharat297]

There is nothing that mysterious about reverse swing. Its just a difference in weight between the 2 sides of the ball, because 1 has been overshined to the point where it actually drags the ball towards that direction (against the regular movement of the ball). Even I can easily get reverse swing with a ball about 10-15 overs old. The reason that we do it better than the Aussies is because unlike the Aussies, our bowlers (even our spinners) keep the seam perfectly in position, meaning that only one side of the ball gets scuffed up. The aussie bowlers scramble the seam meaning both sides are ruined. This prolongs reverse swing by another 20 overs. Even England during the Ashes, although they used lollies and what not , were still keeping the seam bolt upright ... which enabled them to make use of the swing.

[Fontaine]

I'm not 100% certain about this but watching some of the replays I've seen that the Indian fast bowlers are also doing something different. It's true that they are trying to shine one side of the ball but also for a couple of overs with the new ball landing it on the hard pitch on one side which also helps roughen that side only. Do this for a couple of overs on the really hard pitch like the one in the Mohali then this can really help in roughening up one side of the ball. It really comes back to the control these bowlers have on their wrist position/release which means they control the seam and hence which side the ball lands.

[Cricketics]

who cares about in swing or out swing or reverse swing.. just get the bloody batsman out with jaunsi marzi swing possible. Apne ko wicket maangta hai bhai wicket

[sm332]

who cares about in swing or out swing or reverse swing.. just get the bloody batsman out with jaunsi marzi swing possible. Apne ko wicket maangta hai bhai wicket

my feelings exactly although I must admit that it is quite special to think that the quicks have the discipline to either bowl seam up or land the ball on one specific side repeatedly :omg:

[bharat297]

Skill wise, the Indian bowlers are up there with the best in the world. The main problem is, when the going gets tough, they go into their shell and lose their accuracy.