0.1 - Revealing the plan
Only two slips and a gully. One catcher at short midwicket. No one at point. Not the usual field for the first ball of a Test. Trent Boult not only shows his hand - the ball is going to be within the stumps - but also New Zealand's assessment of the pitch. The first ball to KL Rahul slips down the leg side and barely carries to the wicketkeeper. Batsmen won't be blamed if they commit to the front foot a little early. Once in a while, a bouncer won't be a bad choice.
Only two slips and a gully. One catcher at short midwicket. No one at point. Not the usual field for the first ball of a Test. Trent Boult not only shows his hand - the ball is going to be within the stumps - but also New Zealand's assessment of the pitch. The first ball to KL Rahul slips down the leg side and barely carries to the wicketkeeper. Batsmen won't be blamed if they commit to the front foot a little early. Once in a while, a bouncer won't be a bad choice.
Fourth over - How to play the short ball
Neil Wagner starts with the first attempted bouncer of the Test, to which M Vijay shoulders arms. He takes it on the arm guard and the message is plain. Ducking won't be an option to deal with bouncers on this surface. Need to stay side-on, for that will make the target smaller, and stay upright, for that will allow the batsman to ride the bounce. Also, be prepared to take a few blows on the body while keeping eyes on the ball and dropping the wrists. Vijay's response to the first ball encourages Wagner to send down five more consecutive short deliveries.
Neil Wagner starts with the first attempted bouncer of the Test, to which M Vijay shoulders arms. He takes it on the arm guard and the message is plain. Ducking won't be an option to deal with bouncers on this surface. Need to stay side-on, for that will make the target smaller, and stay upright, for that will allow the batsman to ride the bounce. Also, be prepared to take a few blows on the body while keeping eyes on the ball and dropping the wrists. Vijay's response to the first ball encourages Wagner to send down five more consecutive short deliveries.
5.4 - The leg-side snare
Second slip is out. Only first slip and a gully in the sixth over of the Test. There's a fielder at deep square leg and short midwicket. Classic cat-and-mouse game. Expect a bouncer, but not just the bouncer because the fielder at short midwicket means the batsman must flick fuller ones carefully. Both left-arm seamers have gone around the stumps. It allows them not only to bowl a wicket-to-wicket line but keeps the area Ashwin would like to exploit undamaged.
Second slip is out. Only first slip and a gully in the sixth over of the Test. There's a fielder at deep square leg and short midwicket. Classic cat-and-mouse game. Expect a bouncer, but not just the bouncer because the fielder at short midwicket means the batsman must flick fuller ones carefully. Both left-arm seamers have gone around the stumps. It allows them not only to bowl a wicket-to-wicket line but keeps the area Ashwin would like to exploit undamaged.
0 Comments