Cricket's greatest mystery: Jadeja's success as a test bowler

[maniac]

I see Jadeja bowl and yes I can tell batsmen are scared and look uncomfortable....every ball looks like a potential wicket taking delivery.

 

With Ashwin I can tell, there is turn, bounce, variation and also setting up the batsmen with bowling acumen but Jadeja?

 

I just can't seem to understand or figure out his success.

 

All he does is keep a tight line and keep bowling accurate lines over and over and over.Bowling looks like plain old darts. Even the odd variations in pace or the odd ball that turns look more like assisted by the pitch than actual skill.

 

If you were looking at Jadeja's bowling for the first time, he looks like a fifth bowler who darts tight lines like in the Jayasuriya or Sunil Joshi mould.

 

I just can't figure out what the heck makes him this successful.

 

While I will take his success and winning matches for India with both hands, from a cricketing sense still can't figure out what unique or extra skill he is bringing on....as they say nothing suceeds like success, purely from a cricketing standpoint this should be one of the biggest mysteries and puzzle related to cricket of all time.

 

can someone explain his success from a cricketing POV?

Edited December 12, 2016 by maniac

[Vijy]

3 minutes ago, maniac said:

I see Jadeja bowl and yes I can tell batsmen are scared and look uncomfortable....every ball looks like a potential wicket taking delivery.

 

With Ashwin I can tell, there is turn, bounce, variation and also setting up the batsmen with bowling acumen but Jadeja?

 

I just can't seem to understand or figure out his success.

 

All he does is keep a tight line and keep bowling accurate lines over and over and over.Bowling looks like plain old darts. Even the odd variations in pace or the odd ball that turns look more like assisted by the pitch than actual skill.

 

If you were looking at Jadeja's bowling for the first time, he looks like a fifth bowler who darts tight lines like in the Jayasuriya or Sunil Joshua mould.

 

I just can't figure out what the elk makes him this successful.

 

While I will take his success and winning matches for India with both hands, from a cricketing sense still can't figure out what unique or extra skill he is bringing on....as they say nothing suceeds like success, purely from a cricketing standpoint this should be one of the biggest mysteries and puzzle related to cricket if all time.

 

can someone explain his success from a cricketing POV?

He's basically the Indian Derek Underwood - attacks the stumps very regularly, and has the pace to pin the batsmen in the crease. They can't come forward easily because the ball gets there quickly. End up getting caught in two minds. Another thing is that he mixes up subtle variations - some turn and bounce viciously whilst others don't. Batsmen play for spin when it's not there and get beaten

[rkt.india]

Have you discovered the reason for success of Glenn McGrath? He never swung the ball, was not the quickest, just put the ball with good seam in good areas consistently.

Edited December 12, 2016 by rkt.india

[Vijy]

1 minute ago, rkt.india said:

Have you discovered the reason for success of Glenn McGrath? He never swung the ball, was not the quickest, just put the ball with good seam in good areas consistently.

Lol. Good analogy.

[maniac]

Just now, rkt.india said:

Have you discovered the reason for success of Glenn McGrath? He never swung the ball, was not the quickest, just put the ball with good seam in good areas consistently.

He got a lot of awkward bounce at good length much like Courtney Walsh.

 

he was by no means a trundler...he bowled 135+  consistently.

 

it is different for spinners though isn't it?

[adi B]

He's dead accurate,its difficult to judge his length because of his quickness

[maniac]

9 minutes ago, adi B said:

He's dead accurate,its difficult to judge his length because of his quickness

True...his darts are pretty fast...but in LOIs I have seen batsman lining him up and smacking him often at least a lot more these days.

and this is why it is more surprising because I have seen it in LOIs too he just doesn't have a plan B.

 

all of a sudden he has world beater stats in tests...unbelievable teams have not been able to figure him out...may be those pace variations are really undetectable but again he has a very orthodox action.

 

just can't figure it out.

Edited December 12, 2016 by maniac

[sandeep]

I posted this video in the match thread - it might help you understand.  Or maybe not.

 

Interesting technical analysis of why Sir Jadeja is so effective in troubling visiting batsmen.

 

 

[Vijy]

3 minutes ago, sandeep said:

I posted this video in the match thread - it might help you understand.  Or maybe not.

 

Interesting technical analysis of why Sir Jadeja is so effective in troubling visiting batsmen.

 

 

good, but still a bit incomplete.

[sandeep]

6 minutes ago, Vijy said:

good, but still a bit incomplete.

of course.  Jadeja's a master of changing angles, going wide of the crease, round arm, varying pace without any discernable tell.  And his accuracy just chokes the batsmen.  But all this will bounce over Mr Empty Vessel's head.  Its already filled with vacuous acumen.

[Vijy]

1 minute ago, sandeep said:

of course.  Jadeja's a master of changing angles, going wide of the crease, round arm, varying pace without any discernable tell.  And his accuracy just chokes the batsmen.  But all this will bounce over Mr Empty Vessel's head.  Its already filled with vacuous acumen.

Agreed. Also, just wanna say it once again - Ribbit Ribbit RIBBIT.

[rkt.india]

24 minutes ago, maniac said:

He got a lot of awkward bounce at good length much like Courtney Walsh.

 

he was by no means a trundler...he bowled 135+  consistently.

 

it is different for spinners though isn't it?

the way McGrath got extra bounce, Jaddu gets variable spin which creates doubts in the mind. He forces batsmen to play every ball. Jaddu is not much different than Anil Kumble in his bowling style, just that Kumble was taller and got bounce, while Jaddu gets variable spin at pace.

[rkt.india]

27 minutes ago, maniac said:

True...his darts are pretty fast...but in LOIs I have seen batsman lining him up and smacking him often at least a lot more these days.

and this is why it is more surprising because I have seen it in LOIs too he just doesn't have a plan B.

 

all of a sudden he has world beater stats in tests...unbelievable teams have not been able to figure him out...may be those pace variations are really undetectable but again he has a very orthodox action.

 

just can't figure it out.

Regarding ODIs and T20s, consistency can be your enemy too. When you are so consistent, batsman know where he is going to bowl, can premeditate and line you up when ball is not spinning much. 

Edited December 12, 2016 by rkt.india

[Mosher]

Even Jadeja doesn't know whether the ball will turn or go straight on with the arm. How will the batsman know?

[Vijy]

6 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

Regarding ODIs and T20s, consistency can be your enemy too. When you are so consistent, batsman know where he is going to bowl, can premeditate and line you up when ball is not spinning much. 

Outright variations are more useful in ODIs (and esp T20s). In Tests, the variations need to be subtler... and the importance of the stock ball is much higher.

[express bowling]

48 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

t, Jaddu gets variable spin which creates doubts in the mind. He forces batsmen to play every ball. Jaddu is not much different than Anil Kumble in his bowling style, just that Kumble was taller and got bounce, while Jaddu gets variable spin at pace.

One big difference was ...Kumble got the " other delivery " ....a googly which often turned more than his leg-spinners and created big doubt in the minds of batsmen....Jaddu does not have that.

[Scarface]

Jaddu is similar to Herath. Both have good accuracy to land the ball in the same spot. And then comes the "natural variation" aided by the pitch which makes it impossible for batsmen to judge and play it. Even Ind got a taste of this during the test defeat in SL.

[express bowling]

Jaddu's weapons for getting wickets  --

• Pinpoint accuracy, always targeting the off-stump.  No loose deliveries and batsmen are always under pressure.
• His balls zip through after pitching and gives batsmen minimal time to adjust.
• He knows the sequence of deliveries to bowl, to get wickets.
• Most balls are " straightish "  ...... but some deliveries spin a bit. On turning tracks , they even spin decently. This is a good variation.
• Has a very good " arm-ball " much quicker through the air, bowled with minimal change in action and fools batsmen, they are late in their shots....and this is one of his most productive wicket-taking balls.
• On pitches where the ball grips or there is some variable bounce....all this is very difficult to handle for batters.

Edited December 12, 2016 by express bowling

[Vijy]

10 minutes ago, express bowling said:

One big difference was ...Kumble got the " other delivery " ....a googly which often turned more than his leg-spinners and created big doubt in the minds of batsmen....Jaddu does not have that.

I think Jaddu is actually a bit more accurate than Kumble, but the latter developed more variations (esp with age, and used crease better).

[Vijy]

2 minutes ago, express bowling said:

Jaddu's weapons for getting wickets  --

• Pinpoint accuracy, always targeting the off-stump.
• His balls zip through after pitching and gives batsmen minimal time to adjust.
• He knows the sequence of deliveries to bowl, to get wickets.
• Most balls are " straightish "  ...... but some deliveries spin a bit. On turning tracks , they even spin decently. This is a good variation.
• Has a very good " arm-ball " much quicker through the air, bowled with minimal change in action and fools batsmen, they are late in their shots....and this is one of his most productive wicket-taking balls.
• On pitches where the ball grips or there is some variable bounce....all this is very difficult to handle by batters.

Very true