Playing spin - right technique?

[Phen]

I want some opinions on this, the recent series (IND/NZL) has brought up an interesting issue, how to play spin bowling. Reading an interesting article this morning, Kane Williamson said that in the second Test he's changing the way he plays spin by copying the way the Indians play turn ie. playing against the spin or turn.

Now, Kane Williamson is quite right in the fact that at all levels of New Zealand cricket, players are told to play with the spin as "it's easier to get out when your "fighting" the turn". I can't believe I haven't picked up on this before as you'd think it'd be obvious that the Indians are playing against the turn.

Do all of the Indian batsmen use this technique? Is it just the sub-continent players who play against the spin? What do you think is the right technique to use? Is this why New Zealand struggles against spin bowling?

Other thoughts?

 

[Epic]

Do they really play against the turn all the time? I find that hard to believe, link us to the article.

 

[Phen]

Yeah I know, I'm only going by what Kane Williamson has said below.

Black Caps Cricket Team In India | Stuff.co.nz

 

[angryangy]

Playing against the turn matters a lot more when all you do is make gormless horizontal swings at the ball. Indians have a lot more punchy shots and flicks against spin and so they can work on simply getting to the turn and hitting it back along its trajectory rather than helping it on its way.

 

[War]

When the great Australian team conquered the sub-continent during series wins in Sri Lanka and India in 2004, i recall them creating a specific technique to play spin.

While in the past they were guilty of lunging forward too far etc, blokes like Martyn and Katich speciallly would camp on the backfoot and play all type of spinners off the pitch.

 

[Fenil]

When the great Australian team conquered the sub-continent during series wins in Sri Lanka and India in 2004, i recall them creating a specific technique to play spin.

While in the past they were guilty of lunging forward too far etc, blokes like Martyn and Katich speciallly would camp on the backfoot and play all type of spinners off the pitch.

Right. What they did was to allow the ball to turn and play accordingly rather than going to the pitch of the ball which saw many batsmen get foxed due to flight and turn. So, the correct technique is to allow the ball to do its bit and then guide the ball with the turn unless you have strong wrists to go against the spin or are sure about the turn in the pitch in which case you may choose to use your feet to get to the pitch of the ball.

 

[icyman]

Andy Flower negated the Indian spin by sweeping all the time. Maybe that can be effective. But, its quite an effort to do so against the likes of Anil Kumble,at that point of time.

 

[Fenil]

Andy Flower negated the Indian spin by sweeping all the time. Maybe that can be effective. But, its quite an effort to do so against the likes of Anil Kumble,at that point of time.

Englishmen has opted for that technique quite a few times in the past to tackle the spinners but by and large they have been unsuccessful.

 

[Epic]

Andy Flower negated the Indian spin by sweeping all the time. Maybe that can be effective. But, its quite an effort to do so against the likes of Anil Kumble,at that point of time.

Hayden also did the same thing, only works for a few this technique.

 

[MUFC1987]

Sweeping is a lot trickier these days because players get given out LBW a lot more. A few years back, you could just plant your foot down the pitch and you'd never be given out.

The best technique in my opinion, is coming down the pitch, to get to the pitch of the delivery. Means the bowler may drop it shorter, meaning you can stay back and play off the back foot for those deliveries. Clarke seems to use this technique really well from what I've seen of him. Most batsmen get into trouble just becoming trapped at the crease.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I believe the reason india are more succesful playing spin than other nations technique wise (the obvious reason is experience, they face it more in domestic cricket) is because their grip is more bottom hand dominated. the bottom hand leads to a more wristy stroke, so directing the face of the bat can be more subtle and nuanced with adjustments made last minute and playing off the legs is more comfortable.

aussies and english players are more top hand dominated, (which is why many right handers from australia play with left handed grips) which is good for making sure you're on top of the ball and not hitting it through the air but it means being nuanced with your wrist is harder as it's not your preferred hand.

so yeah, I don't think it's anything to do with playing with or against the spin, I just think it's indian technique focuses more on your bottom hand.

that's my totally made up and speculative assessment anyway.

 

[puddleduck]

The rather obvious answer is there are a wide variety of ways to play spin, but the pitch, the spinner, the batsman: Those are all variables that vary widely.

 

[Epic]

When the great Australian team conquered the sub-continent during series wins in Sri Lanka and India in 2004, i recall them creating a specific technique to play spin.

While in the past they were guilty of lunging forward too far etc, blokes like Martyn and Katich speciallly would camp on the backfoot and play all type of spinners off the pitch.

Took them what 3 tries? '98, '01 and then '04, more to do with practice and experience than a simple 'play against the turn, that's how the Indians are doing it.'

 

[sifter132]

Aakash Chopra wrote an article about it just yesterday...
The Insider : Aakash Chopra offers New Zealand a crash course in playing spin in India | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

Footwork, intent and aggression, hands and weight transfer are his key points.

 

[angryangy]

Hayden also did the same thing, only works for a few this technique.

I find in Australia the slog sweep is common but paddle sweeping not so much. I mean the slog sweep is employed more like a wristy flick; you can sweep off your pads or reach one outside off, but it's also a boundary shot. Some batsmen will sweep constantly just to be annoying or try to sweep when they don't know what else to do; that gets them few runs for a fair bit of trouble.

Hayden would sweep but he'd throw the kitchen sink at it. Harbhajan would rather have only 2 in the deep against a leftie, so when he bowled full on the pads, rather than offering a potential close catch, he'd get swung away for a cheap boundary. Then with a deep square leg, there were likely gaps down the ground or a man dragged from the offside, either of which was in Hayden's favour. So even though he had to sweep against the spin, by doing that well, he had a plan that denied bowlers their preferred length and really challenged them to bowl on the stumps without straying. Gilchrist was much the same. If it was on leg, he'd smash it to leg, if it was straighter, he'd thump it back past the bowler and inevitably he'd get gifted some short and wide filth for good measure. Pretty simple really!