221023 Spinning Ways (Of The Ball)

 Spinning Ways Of The Ball

              The two top teams are going to fight it out for the top spot today in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 but that is not just the reason why this match is important. This match could also be a preamble of the Finals. The possibility is thrilling to Crores of Indian fans and they should be very rightfully anxious about the Results, the final results of this World Cup. The way things are going, I give 90 percent chances to the Indian team to lift the Cup for the third time. 

                The setbacks can be in the form of exemplary performance by the opponent team, the inherent divisions and parting ways in the team, their own lack of willingness to get the Cup and of course the cyber environmental deceits and destructions. So far, the going has been good and apart from some incidents here and there, the team spirit and fightback has been praiseworthy. Hence the reason why I give 90% chances to this team. All the bowlers are performing (but lethal match winning shows are yet to be seen) and both the star batsmen are going positively with ample support from the others. This is very important because if some cyber upset gets one, the others perform and get the team through. This was why Dhoni used to be so helpful and now there is Rahul. But the need for a consistent long-lasting hard hitting batsman in the lower batting lineup remains a slight weak point. Or should I say that such a player is a boon for his team and other teams have such players. In the Indian team, this task is done by Rohit himself, and that too, right from the word Go. So he is also the primary target for the opponents.

                Talking about Rohit, his dismissal in the match against the Bangladesh, was a typical pacer's trick of bodyline direction. On the first ball, which was little more down the leg side, he was able to connect well and pulled it for a six. But the next ball was not that much to the leg side and instead it was heading straight onto his head. The result was that his handle length to the ball reduced and the ball remained within the boundary line. The long handle length the batsman can get when hitting the ball, the more powerful he can hit the ball and the more chances are there that it would be unstoppable. Here, for longer handle length, we have to connect the ball in the lower half of the bat, preferably at the quarter length of the blade from the bottom. And this we can do by shuffling to the off side when attempting to hit a pull or a hook shot. All new players should practice it as a habit to shuffle the back foot towards the off side and open front towards the short pitched leg side ball and the opt for a pull or a hook or ducking and letting it go.

                Coming to my title topic, that is Spinning ways of the ball, when a ball is spinning and it hits a flat surface, it moves towards the direction of it's spin. Because it gets less resistance in that direction and it deflects towards that side. This happens when it hits the ground and it also happens when it hits the bat. So if a ball is spinning outwards, it will pitch and go outwards i.e. outwards from the direction of the bat. So when it will hit the bat, it will run off outwards and the shot would be a powerful one. So much so that a square drive with an upward angle of the bat can go for a six and same way for a pull shot on the leg side. But if a ball is spinning inwards that is coming towards the bat, it has a tendency to get inwards. So its spin tendency has to be counteracted. It has to be played a little late (than the outward spinning ball) so that it's inward tendency is subverted by the late angle of the bat. This shot doesn't get much power naturally and the batsman's efforts are required in empowering and manipulating this shot. Also, since the spin is countered, any slight early or late contact can spill the ball over into a catch, and an easy catch since it doesn't develop much power. Instinct plays an important role in this case of playing it accurately. Also, it would be wise to angle the bat downwards and put the ball into the ground as it would require an enormous effort to put away it safely over and away from the fielders. Making room for the shot is also required as a longer handle would give more power to the shot.

                    This is true for all types of bowlers, whether pace or spin and an instant reckoning for the batsman that if the ball is coming towards the bat, he wouldn't be able to make it a great shot and so he delays his shot or stops altogether and plays a defensive shot. It's all that "practice makes a man perfect" but practicing with theoretical thinking would make a better batsman. 

                    So much for today for the budding batsmen and with best wishes for the Indian team, I dedicate this post to their chances of success in this World Cup.    IPYadav