sachin34357 Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/726457.html Not long ago, I expressed the hope in this very column that the best of Ravichandran Ashwin was yet to come, inciting howls of protest from readers who pointed out that the offspinner's successes came almost entirely on Indian wickets. My optimism regarding Ashwin's progress as a Test spinner was based on what I perceived as a conscious effort on his part to go back to the basics of genuine spin, line and length, with less of an emphasis on unfurling a new trick every other ball. Ashwin's wicket-taking ability has since declined noticeably, especially, as predicted by my critics, on foreign soil. The Indian team management's response to this development has, however been ill-advised, to put it mildly. To go into a Test match with not a single specialist spinner in the playing XI, as India did in New Zealand, must rank among the most naïve cases in Test history of the overestimation of a team's bowling resources. To expect a trio of medium-pacers and a lone part-time spinner to take 20 wickets on a good batting track, even if it was endowed with some life in the mornings, was wishful thinking of considerable density. Come to think of it, when did India last bowl an opposition side out twice in a Test match abroad? One Test victory in South Africa, and another in the West Indies, with India's seamers and spinners collaborating effectively in 2010 and 2011 were the last such happy conclusions. India's most memorable campaigns from the time the team started travelling relatively well under Ganguly, Dravid and Anil Kumble have owed a great deal to the contribution of the spinners, mainly Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, even if the seamers, spearheaded by Zaheer Khan, played key roles in the rare Test match victories abroad in the eras after Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar, and Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad. Not often during the same period have the pacemen run through the opposition even in conditions that favoured pace. The Indian express fast bowler is, of course, non-existent, and the handful capable of 140kph-plus speeds tend to slow down or disappear rapidly. Starting with Munaf Patel, a number of quick bowlers have flattered to deceive, with Mohammed Shami threatening to go the way of his seniors in the pace department. We hear of the great promise Ishwar Pandey holds, and Varun Aaron has shown he can bowl fast, but whatever happened to the strapping Umesh Yadav, known to have clocked 150kph? Is he no longer the selectors' favourite, or has he been beset by injuries? Pace bowlers hunt in pairs, and here India struggles to field even one fast-medium bowler regularly in the XI. I believe they may be better off placing faith in spin, regularly playing two soinners in the XI, without being fooled by the chimera of bowling success based on a horses-for-courses theory of selection. India do not seem to have a policy for spin. They have, for instance, neglected left-arm spin for decades now, with Pragyan Ojha in and out most of the time, despite his reasonably good run. India have rarely fielded an orthodox legspinner since Narendra Hirwani, now a member of the selection panel that can never make up its mind about the credentials of Amit Mishra. Ashwin is the only slow bowler to have been given a steady spell in Test cricket, and now he is no longer an automatic choice, at least overseas. I believe all three spinners should regularly be part of the tour party, and two of them ought to find a place in the Test XI, just the way all four spinners of India's fabled past used to be members of the 14 most of the time. It is hard to see Ravindra Jadeja in the role of specialist spinner except on Indian wickets, for all his utility to the team. It is also time to look beyond senior cricket to try to spot spin bowling talent nationwide. A friend who coaches very young cricketers assures me that there is an abundance of spin talent in India, with a remarkable number of kids taking to wristspin. According to him, all that bubbling talent gets "coached out" as they grow up. The profusion of cricket academies, official and private, all over the country, somehow manages to extinguish the spark in these young bowlers by the time they enter adulthood. The world already knows that India can turn aspiring tearaways into trundlers in a couple of seasons, for there are so many examples of that, but we are just as good at doing the same to spinners. And when a rare talent defies the system and evolves into a top spinner, we can trust the selection committee to dump him. Remember Murali Kartik?
G_B_ Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 Away is a vague term. If India tour SL BD and even the UAE then yes. West Indies the pitches have become really spin friendly over the years probably yes. England maybe, depending the on the pitches you may be able to pull it off. Australia South Africa NZ ----- NO
zen Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 Away is a vague term. If India tour SL BD and even the UAE then yes. West Indies the pitches have become really spin friendly over the years probably yes. England maybe, depending the on the pitches you may be able to pull it off. Australia South Africa NZ ----- NO Also depends up on quality of the bowlers. For e.g. if we have the choice of playing Parsana and Chandra vs. one of them and say Praveen Kumar But yeah, in the present context, horses for courses
Bleed-Blue Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 If Sir or even Ashwin Could Improve there Batting And become a reliable No.7 Batmen then we could play 2 Spinners and 3 Fast bowlers Away From Home
G_B_ Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 Also depends up on quality of the bowlers. For e.g. if we have the choice of playing Parsana and Chandra vs. one of them and say Praveen Kumar But yeah, in the present context, horses for courses Fully agree. Realistically the only way India can play 2 spinners if it there is an allrounder. A real allrounder batting at number 7. With Dhoni being a liability with the bat outside the sub it effectively means India cannot afford to go with 5 batsman + batting keeper + 3 bowlers who can bat (Ashwin Sir bhuvi for eg)
SLICKR392 Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 Ashwin could replace Rohit at 5/6. His batting is turning out to be way more handy that his bowling. Why not work on it and make it even better? Ashwin's just a liability for us with the ball now. Lame ploy but seems practical. P.S- We have a decent part time spinner now. :p
Midfielder Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 Another Ashwin lover who barely understands the modern game and want to fix who plays. Poor article.
ThePhenomenal1 Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 If Sir or even Ashwin Could Improve there Batting And become a reliable No.7 Batmen then we could play 2 Spinners and 3 Fast bowlers Away From Home imo, ashwin is better than rohit at hanging around and his batting is already good at the test level to bat at 6/7. I would have rayudu/GG at 5, DK/Saha at 6 and ashwin at 7 with 4 bowler slots at will - 4 pacers or another spinner + 3 pacers.
Laaloo Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 Ashwin could replace Rohit at 5/6. His batting is turning out to be way more handy that his bowling. Why not work on it and make it even better? Ashwin's just a liability for us with the ball now. Lame ploy but seems practical. P.S- We have a decent part time spinner now. :p Ashwin can't play purely as a batsman. If he doesnt bowl, you may as well play pick someone from the domestics who will be better as a batsman than Ashwin. The guy is a liability.
Pagalpanti Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 Australia always try to go with their strength on SC pitches. 3 Pacers + 1 spinner Never worked for them in India.
Midfielder Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 imo' date=' ashwin is better than rohit at hanging around and his batting is already good at the test level to bat at 6/7. I would have rayudu/GG at 5, DK/Saha at 6 and ashwin at 7 with 4 bowler slots at will - 4 pacers or another spinner + 3 pacers.[/quote'] This Ashwin infatuation has gone to unbelievable levels. At that level of the game i you are not fit you don't deserve to be in the team.
ThePhenomenal1 Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 This Ashwin infatuation has gone to unbelievable levels. At that level of the game i you are not fit you don't deserve to be in the team. He just needs to attack and stop the singles and he's a much better bowler. He has been pathetic but deserves another chance. Once he builds pressure he is in the game
gattaca Posted March 10, 2014 Posted March 10, 2014 Australia always try to go with their strength on SC pitches. 3 Pacers + 1 spinner Never worked for them in India. They won series in 2003
Pagalpanti Posted March 10, 2014 Posted March 10, 2014 They won series in 2003 Yeah in 2004 but that was an ATG team and other factors played its part as well
rkt.india Posted March 10, 2014 Posted March 10, 2014 What a clueless article! How many tests that fabled four spinners won us overseas?
Old guy Posted March 10, 2014 Posted March 10, 2014 What a clueless article! How many tests that fabled four spinners won us overseas? we wont know until we try lets play 4 spinners !:two_thumbs_up:
rkt.india Posted March 10, 2014 Posted March 10, 2014 we wont know until we try lets play 4 spinners !:two_thumbs_up: :agree:
Lord Posted March 10, 2014 Posted March 10, 2014 we are struggling to find one and he wants to play 2
King Tendulkar Posted March 10, 2014 Posted March 10, 2014 2 spinners away from home, we never learn Chuck in a couple of trundlers as well why not FFS
Tiger80 Posted March 10, 2014 Posted March 10, 2014 we are struggling to find one and he wants to play 2 +1
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