If the specter of left-arm tempo wasn’t formidable sufficient for India, the introduction of left-arm spin has now compounded their challenges. On Tuesday, in the course of the third Super Four match of the 2023 Asia Cup held in Colombo, the younger Sri Lankan bowler, Dunith Wellalage, who focuses on left-arm orthodox spin, wreaked havoc on the star-studded Indian batting lineup. Wellalage secured a maiden five-wicket haul, a exceptional feat for the 20-year-old who made his debut for Sri Lanka only a yr in the past. In solely his thirteenth ODI look, Wellalage dismissed key Indian batsmen together with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya. This efficiency by the spinner uncovered a possible vulnerability within the Indian batting order.
Gautam Gambhir has his say on Indian high order falling sufferer to left-arm spin selection
Former India batter Gautam Gambhir agreed with this evaluation, providing a candid analysis of India’s efficiency in opposition to Sri Lanka. Notably, it was the primary time that India had misplaced all 10 wickets to spin, highlighting the rising problem posed by spin bowlers in worldwide cricket.
Speaking to Star Sports in the course of the rain delay after the forty seventh over of India’s innings, Gambhir recalled how the Indian batters had incurred an analogous downside after they had been up in opposition to the likes of Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar within the Australia ODI recreation earlier this yr in Chennai. Six wickets had been picked between the 2 as India fell 21 runs brief in chasing 270. Explaining the dismissals on Tuesday, Gambhir identified how three of the 5 dismissals occurred as a result of the batters had been dedicated on their entrance foot.
Also Read: Who is Dunith Wellalage? The conqueror of Kohli, Rohit and Rahul in India’s Super 4 conflict with Sri Lanka at Asia Cup
“This is becoming a pattern. You remember that match against Australia in Chennai when the ball was gripping a bit and India were chasing some 260 odd runs against spinners like Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar. And we couldn’t chase it. Whenever the ball grips, we struggle and we don’t even know whether we can take the game deep. This is not a 350-run wicket…it’s of 270. Imagine if in 40 overs you are three down for 160 or 170, then when the ball grips, it is very important for the batters to adjust. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s were soft dismissals, but rest were beaten by the front foot. Rohit Sharma was beaten by pace, Gill by…that was a brilliant ball. You expect better from Indian batters,” he mentioned.
Wellalage was launched within the over after powerplay and he started with the wicket of Gill with a dream of a supply earlier than dismissing Rohit after which Kohli in an area of simply three balls. He later stood key in breaking the partnership between Ishan Kishan and Rahul which seemed to revive India’s innings after the top-order collapse. And finally ended his quota of 10 overs with the wicket of Hardik in his closing supply. When additional requested to clarify the explanation behind India failing to learn Wellalage, Gambhir defined that it was right down to the angle created by the bowler, who went extensive of the crease.
“As a batsman we often try to play the angle, but if the ball spins from there then things become difficult. If you deliver it closer to the wicket then it becomes easier, but when you deliver it wider from the crease then it becomes difficult. And that is why it is necessary to play it off the backfoot rather than front foot, where both the edges are tested. Look at Hardik’s dismissal. And you mentioned (Ajantha) Mendis…he had carrom ball and we did not even know how those deliveries would behave. But these were proper left-arm spin deliveries,” he defined.
Gambhir was additionally vital of Gill’s dismissal explaining that whereas the ball might need seemed like a dream supply, the opener had erred in not taking part in it in the direction of mid-off or in the direction of the bowler.
“Gill could have defended that ball. You cannot say that it was an unplayable delivery. Look at the bat face, it is towards the leg side… towards mid-on. Against such deliveries, you should always play it towards mid-off or towards the bowler. The moment you go for mid-on you are giving the chance for an outside edge,” he mentioned.
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
