ZCZC
BSP-16
CRICKET-VETTORI-PINK-BALL
Vettori advises spinners to be economical in day-night Test
KOLKATA, Nov 20, 2019 (BSS) – Bangladesh spin bowling consultant Daniel
Vettori wants his spinners to be economical rather than being aggressive,
considering the fact that the Indian batsmen remain overwhelmingly dominating
against overseas spinners.
The Indian batsmen played the Bangladeshi spinners with utmost ease in
the Indore Test in which they won by an innings and 130-run margin.
The second and final Test in Kolkata, starting from Friday, is a day-
night match and would be challenging for the spinners to cope with the
condition at night when dew factor would come into play.
Vettori though believes in the day part of the game spinners would play a
vital role, he sensed a spinner-nightmare in the night in pink ball Test.
But since the Indian batsmen are so good in playing spin ball, Vettori
looked cynical about Bangladeshi spinners’ chance in the game too.
“Spin Bowling to Indian probably brings back nightmares for me. Indians
have been so dominant against overseas spinners particularly in the last
three or four years,” Vettori, who played so many Test cricket in India, said
from his experience.
“Whichever spinner has come to this part of the world has been put under
a lot of pressure and that is due to the nature of the wickets, the
expectations on the spinners and the skill that the Indian batsmen obviously
have. It is difficult being an overseas spinner coming over here. Mainly
because of the quality of the batsmen,” he added.
“We saw the pressure that Mayank Agarwal put our spinners under. And
Ajinkya Rahane too. So it’s a tricky challenge. The wicket was as good as it
was in Indore. There wasn’t a lot to work with. It is probably going to be
the same here as well.”
So the recipe of Vettori is to be as economical as the spinners can to
and put the pressure on batsmen.
“I don’t think it is a case of overseas spinners coming here and looking
to dominate, do your role as you would back home. It is more about the
economy rate, taking 2/60 or 2/70 in the first innings and trying to see what
the second innings presents you. That’s the right way to go about it,” he
said.
But Vettori at the same time reminded spinners their importance in pink
ball Test, saying that in the first two sessions, when the game will be
played under sun, would be crucial for them.
“The spinners haven’t come into play that much if I recall correctly
(from seeing previous pink ball Tests). It has been the seamers. But I still
think the spin bowlers play a big part in the nature of the game. So the
first two sessions, spinners could really be important. In majority of Test
matches, spinners are required at some time of the game,” he said.
He also believes that the extra coat of lacquer in pink ball won’t affect
the spinners’ effectiveness since it would be the SG ball.
“They all enjoy the SG ball for a start. So it has been enjoyable to bowl
with for spinners so far,” he said.
BSS/SMP/FI/ 1712 hrs