Bowling on a cracked pitch v. Bowling on an even pitch (for spinners)

[Mr. Wicket]

Two completely different mentalities are required for spinners on these sorts of surfaces. When the ball won't grip that much or turn, the onus is on the spin bowler to do the work. Those spinners who bowl best on flatter wickets are the ones who can give it more air, turn, rip and vary their bowling. This is why the likes of Warne, Murali and recently Kumble (after developing his bowling to a new plane in the last few years) bowl so well there. On pitches that are cracked with uneven bounce, loop and turn don't do that much. Quicker bowlers who can hit the deck a bit harder and push the ball through can be lethal. See Underwood, see Kumble, see even Greg Matthews in the second tied test, or the fact that Yuvraj and Kumble today got the wickets. Bowling slow with plenty of air and rip doesn't always work on such tracks. Warne found out the hard way in India, and even Murali's often been dominated on such wickets vs. India. The best comparison might come from Australia's bowling in the Bombay test in 04. Nathan Hauritz on a cracked, uneven track bowled slowly and gently, giving the ball a bit of rip and lots of air. He got caned. Michael Clarke pushed it through, bowled flat and quick and took 6/9. Harbhajan Singh has been playing this game for about a decade now, with a fair bit of time at international level, and 60+ tests - many alongside the likes of Anil Kumble. WHY CAN HE NOT REALIZE IT, AND BOWL FLAT AND QUICK WHEN HE NEEDS TO (HERE!) AFTER SO LONG IN THE GAME?

[The Outsider]

Harbhajan bowls with flight and loop on cracked tracks and in the block hole on flat surfaces. Can you beat that combination?

[kumble_rocks]

Good post.Got to agree that quicker bowlers who can hit the deck a bit harder and push the ball through can be lethal.I think Pakistan missed a trick here by not taking Afridi for the bangalore test. The last time around he was very effective in the very same pitch with his fastest leg breaks.

[MundaPakistani]

Good post.Got to agree that quicker bowlers who can hit the deck a bit harder and push the ball through can be lethal.I think Pakistan missed a trick here by not taking Afridi for the bangalore test. The last time around he was very effective in the very same pitch with his fastest leg breaks.

It was very obvious. Selecting Faisal Iqbal ahead of him and then not calling him in even AFTER Malik got injured was strange to say the least.