What is spin bowling? The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as: “A way of bowling the ball in cricket so that the ball turns around and around and changes direction when it hits the ground.”
As arid as it gets, for spin bowling at the height of its intellectual excellence is a work of art, beautifully captured by Ritwika Dhar, a Ravichandran Ashwin fan, on social media (X). The pencil sketch, “The Spin Mudra”, alludes to a dance form at the point of loading. As Ashwin released the ball, it would create a false sensory impression for the batsmen.
Ashwin was an artist and an artisan rolled into one. As a Test bowler, his work ethic had a proletarian streak, while his mind worked like a scientist. By effectively combining the two, he was able to create imagery, which was the very essence of his bowling. Sunil Subramaniam, Ashwin’s coach-cum-mentor, describes it perfectly.
For the Latest Sports News: Click Here
“One of my earliest mentors was ML Jaisimha (former India opener), one of the most astute observers and readers of the game,” Subramaniam says, speaking to RevSportz. “He (Jaisimha) used to say ‘spin bowling is not about spin bowling, it is about creating an illusion of spin’. The closest that anybody in my playing and coaching time I have come across, in terms of creating that illusion of spin, is Ashwin. He gets into your head before you play the ball. He could do that because of his intellect.”
The ability to create that illusion took Ashwin to a different level in an era when every player is analysed thoroughly with the aid of technology. “With so much information available, you have to confuse the opponents with your intellect,” says Subramaniam. “Off-spin is a very simple craft. You watch the hand and play. As for Ashwin, the illusion starts with the drift that he gets from anywhere in the 4 feet 4 inches (the area covering the bowling crease and the return crease). Normally, we have to go a little wide (of the crease) to make the drift meaningful, otherwise it gets meaningless. But he can do it from anywhere.”
Ashwin made off-spin fashionable again. It was a bit like Shane Warne, although the Australian ‘spin king’ resurrected leg-spin bowling and added glamour to his craft. Both revelled in creating the illusion. “The players don’t use their feet today. With DRS, they all become a sitting duck for him (Ashwin),” observes Subramaniam. “Ashwin managed to create the illusion of spin for an off-spinner. Warne did the same, but he was a leg-spinner and had some extra degrees to play with. An off-spinner has got only 90 degrees to play with, and with that limited repertoire he (Ashwin) creates the illusion of spin. He will probe a batsman to the point of making him a sitting duck. Also, modern-day batsmen aren’t patient enough to see out a probing spell.”
The Spin Mudra ft. R. Ashwin pic.twitter.com/v6YPHk6nsO
— Ritwika Dhar (@RituD307) December 20, 2024
Did Ashwin have all the tricks in his bag? On the face of it, he lacked a Saqlain Mushtaq-like doosra, although he developed a deadly carrom ball. “Yes, he didn’t have the doosra,” Subramaniam agrees before giving a put-down. “Doosra is an illegal delivery. It requires a flexion-extension of the elbow beyond 15 degrees. Ashwin didn’t need to use it. He had far too many arsenals. With those long fingers and the wrist, he could create any amount of revs on the ball. Revs on the ball is directly proportional to the drift you get.”
Ashwin was a polymath. But beyond that, he was a street fighter as well, something that contributed to his bouncebackability. As his coach points out: “He hates to lose.”
Also Read: Rohit Sharma Suffers Injury Scare; Indian Team Discontent with Practice Pitches at MCG