Thrown into the wind

Gaurav Joshi

Wellington, February 20

Wellington is one of the windiest cities in the world — for close to six months of the year, the city experiences wind gusts in excess of 50km/h. The stiff breeze that constantly blows across the Basin Reserve ground can cause plenty of problems for bowlers and batsmen.

Chris Martin knows all about bowling at Windy Wellington. The former New Zealand pacer is the leading wicket-taker at Basin Reserve with 60 wickets from 14 matches, including four five-wicket hauls. Martin is aware of the challenges the stiff breeze poses for the bowlers, especially those who have not experienced running into stiff breeze. “The first problem I find is that that running into the wind needs more effort, so by the time the bowlers delivers the ball, they don’t end up finishing their action,” Martin told The Tribune.

According to Martin, the easiest way to spot whether the bowler is struggling bowling into the breeze is when he tends to float the ball rather than hit the deck hard. “It will almost seem like there is no power behind the ball and it ends up being a half volley,” he said.

So, how to succeed at Basin Reserve? Martin said: “Convince your captain to bowl with the wind all the time!”

“The secret is to bend slightly more or lean forward. It should just happen naturally, but it is something to be mindful of,” he added.

There will be times during the Test when Indian pace bowlers will be given the arduous task of running into the wind. What is Martin’s advice for them? “At times the bowler simply needs to drop his ego and just play the defensive role,” Martin advises. “So you need to work for your partner and work as a team.”

Backlift adjustment

Wind can create problems for the batsmen, too. Indian vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane scored a century at this ground in 2014, but still remembers the challenges he faced while batting for close to six hours. “There is a lot of wind in Wellington and it affects the backlift,” he said. “If the wind is coming from behind you, it pushes your bat on the outward plane. If it comes from the front, it pushes the bat inside. So you have to adjust for the wind, even reduce the backlift,” Rahane told reporters today.