‘The art of deception helps spinners thrive in IPL’
NEW DELHI, April 5
Contrary to popular belief, T20 cricket rewards brains as well as brawn with the smartest spinners able to find a way to nullify the most explosive batsmen, according to wily Indian Premier League (IPL) veteran Amit Mishra.
Mishra’s 124 wickets rank second only to Sri Lankan paceman Lasith Malinga’s 143 in the history of the lucrative tournament and the Delhi Daredevils player said spinners were not merely cannon-fodder in the shortest form of the sport.
“You must have variation if you are to succeed at this level,” said Mishra on Wednesday, the opening day of the new IPL season.
“When to bowl slow, when to go faster, it’s important to get the maximum out of your variations. Sometimes it may not work, but if you are a quality bowler, you have more chances to succeed,” added the 34-year-old, who has 22 Test caps for India. In a format dismissed by the purists as mindless slogging, Mishra explained the futility of merely trying to contain and stressed on the need to put relentless pressure on the batsmen.
“The spinner’s role is very crucial in the first 10 overs. My effort has always been to take a wicket or two, while stopping the boundaries,” said Mishra, whose three hat-tricks are the most by an IPL bowler.
Off-spinner Jayant Yadav concurred, saying slow bowlers would have to think on their feet to prevail in the battle of wits against the big hitters. “To stop power-hitting, you have to be really aware of everything — the batsman, the conditions and the situation in the game,” he said.
“You have to read it really fast. Every ball in T20 can win you a match.” — Reuters
