The Sri Lankan pacers
have been an absolute nightmare for the Indian top order batsmen in the
ongoing Test series, especially the openers. Dhammika Prasad’s extravagant
movement which either comes back in or leave away from the batsmen and Nuwan
Pradeep’s deceptive pace and incoming deliveries have made life tough for the
Indian top order.
No doubt, Prasad has been one of the most outstanding
performers throughout this Test series, but with due respect to the other Sri
Lankan pacers as well, the technical insufficiencies of the Indian top-order
batsmen have played a big role in their dismissals.
In the first Test at Galle, during India’s first innings,
Dhammika dished out a delivery which moved back to trap KL Rahul who had moved
forward plumb in front. Umpire Bruce Oxenford raised his finger after a
vociferous appeal from the hosts. Murali Vijay succumbed in a similar manner in
the second Test after Vijay, like Rahul, came forward too quickly and tried to
counter the movement on the front foot.
In the third Test, Nuwan Pradeep banged in a fuller delivery
targeting the middle and leg stump and Rahane, rather than going back, tried to
counter the movement with his front foot but was trapped leg before as the ball
hit his back leg.
The above-mentioned dismissals show that the Indian batsmen
are not well-equipped against the incoming deliveries. The Indian opening and
top order batsmen tried to play the moving ball, especially those which nipped
back in, on the front foot, whereas they should have negotiated those on the
back foot allowing themselves more time to play the ball late.
The reasons for the unwanted tendency of playing the ball
regularly on the front foot
Whenever a batsman goes on the back foot, a plethora of
strokes crops up and aids him to exhibit the shots in the most authoritative
manner. By playing the moving ball on the front foot always invites fatal
outcomes and the Indian batsmen are experiencing this quite well.
Such a technical insufficiency is not only seen among the
Indian or subcontinental batsmen alone but the majority of the modern day
batsmen who tend to have such a glitch in their technique. In the recently
concluded Ashes series, the Australian top order was at bay when the English
pacers moved the ball at will. Even the World’s No 1 Test batsman, Steve Smith,
was seen like a novice against the moving ball.
In the good old days, openers like Sunil Gavaskar or Graham
Gooch were seen to open their account by getting on the back foot against the
incoming deliveries with confidence and glancing the ball towards the fine leg
region. At present, there is more tendency to play any sort of deliveries on
the front foot.
One of the most important reasons for the above might be the
overdose of Twenty20 cricket which puts the emphasis on trying to score off
every ball. Secondly, the lack of sporting tracks in domestic cricket. By
playing on placid tracks, a batsman can never develop the habit of using his
back foot appropriately.
And finally, there is no use of the ‘dukes’ ball in domestic
cricket. In the subcontinent, Kookaburra and SG balls are used more which at
one stage becomes more useful for the spinners. The ‘dukes’ ball aids more
swing and facing such deliveries regularly will strengthen the batsman’s
technique against swing bowling as well.
Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on
31/08/2015 Indian top order's technical insufficiencies exposed by the Sri Lankan pacers
Thank You
Faisal Caesar Thank You
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