Forget the doosra ? What about the pehela ?

"Doosra" an urdu word for the "second or the other one" is common cricketing term but has the revolution of the doosra prevented bowlers from mastering the pehela (the first one).  Are young bowlers too infatuated with the doosra they have forget to develop the stock off-spinner ? Secondly, why is doosra hard to bowl and can it be bowled without the bending of the arm ?

Apart from Graeme Swann, all the other off-spinners in the world currently  have a delivery that spins away from right handers or at least attempt it.  Swann gets majority of his wickets with a well spun off spinners, it seems majority of the upcoming off spinners are trying to get wickets with variety. There are deliveries like the doosra, carrom ball or a sudoku. Finger spinners are relying on variety and forgetting to develop a stock ball, which should be the primary delivery.

Since Saqlain invented the doosra it has become a necessity, so much so, it is now seen as the most important delivery of the off spinner arsenal. Players modify their actions to ensure the doosra can be delivered,  but rarely modify their actions so they can get more purchase or revolutions on an off break. Recently, Ashley Mallet in his column in cricinfo said "modern off spinners are not spinning the off break viciously, so they need to have all the variations. Once the batsman pick the variations the off spinners are clueless".

When Saqlain, Murali and Harbhajan's had their off spinner turning sharply that is when the dossra was menacing. All the bowlers over years slowly lost the off-spinner and the doosra became an infatuation. At least all the bowlers started on right path on having a sharp off break, something that is not common in modern spinners. Offcourse the evolution of twenty20 and ODI has changed the way spinners are groomed but the basics art of spinning a ball is absent.

After interviewing some academy coaches in Mumbai the common answer is finger Spinners are obsessed with a doosra delivery and are forgetting to learn a classic off spinning ball. Mandar Dalvi an spinning coach at Vidarbha said "kids don't know how to bowl the art of a off break but still want to learn the doosra immediately".

It may be time to go back to the basics in terms of spin bowling to ensure the art is not lost and the traditional off spinners still have a place in cricket. Either the doosra should not be taught at junior cricket, or there may be a requirement to overlook the legality of a the action when a doosra is delivered.

Why is it hard to bowl and is it legal ?

Out of all the new deliveries the doosra remains the toughest to pick for a batsman. It is also a delivery that raises the eye brows of many experts, in terms of its legality. Australian junior level coaches says "It is a delivery that we do not encourage to bowl, but it is the first question all kids ask."

The ICC have accommodated this delivery - they changed the rules to allow these bowlers to bend their elbow 15 degrees. To be more specific the rules was changed to accommodate Murali after the flare up back in 1995.  Experts have their opinions of whether Murali did throw or not but now Murali has gone maybe the rule needs an overview.

All past spinners will tell you it is impossible to bowl a delivery for a finger spinner which spins in different direction without the flick of the elbow. To deliver the doosra the back of the hand faces the batsmen causing the elbow to bend, it is mechanics of the body. It becomes a jerk which in theory constitutes a throw. Any person sitting at home should try it without bending or twisting the elbow, it is not possible.

The other observation is the bowlers who have bowled the doosra in the recent times have always covered their elbows by wearing a long sleeve shirt. Harbhajan, Saqlain, Botha and Ajmal always bowl in a 3/4 sleeve shirt.

Not only are young cricketers obsessed with doosra, the game's administrators seem to be crazed by it as well. Maybe doosra will become such an obsession in the future the "phela" (first one or the original) will become new doosra in the future.

Time for a change in culture

Four years ago against India in Adelaide, Adam Gilchrist dropped a catch offered by VVS Laxman, it wasn’t a straight forward catch but one that Gilchrist has taken on numerous occasions over his 96 game career. At that time the Gilchrist realised he just didn’t have the reflexes and the concentration required to play test cricket. Gilchrist immediately advised Ricky Ponting he had enough and wanted to retire.  Gilchrist knew the future of Australia cricket was in good hands with Brad Haddin and it was good time to leave the game.

Four years after that incident, Indians are back in town and the emphasis is on the Indian selectors to make bold decisions. Some of the Indian players need take a page out of Gili’s book or face humiliation of being dropped.  

No doubt the team selected for the tour was correct and the seniors were to be given a chance to achieve their dreams.  Now the dream is dead and it is time to make the tough calls. If the rumour about the retirement of VVS Laxman is true then he should have done it after Day 2 of the Perth test, similar to Gilchrist in Adelaide. Instead the selectors now have a tough decision to make if VVS Laxman is to retire then should he be selected for the farewell test? Not only does this stop Rohit Sharma from a test debut but what does Laxman achieve from a final innings in a dead rubber test match?  It is imperative the Indian selectors lay down the law and ensure Rohit Sharma is picked in Adelaide. It will send the correct message when it comes to “phasing” out rest of the senior players. 

Not only should Rohit be picked, but Virat should also be asked to bat at number 3 by the team management.  Rahul Dravid might be the best number in the past, but how long is Rahul going to be around? Wasn’t Ricky Ponting Australia’s best number 3 batsman? Michael Clarke asked him to bat at number 4 for the benefit of Australian cricket.

The Indian selectors were bold after the 2007 world cup failure. Faith was put on shoulders of youth and they have delivered in the shorter format.  Time has come to trust the youngsters and be brave while handling the senior members.

Yes, people are taught in Indian culture to respect elders but it doesn’t mean the youngsters should be intimated by seniors.  Currently, it seems the selectors are intimidated by the presence of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman. It is no fault of these three batsmen as they deserve the respect but the selectors and coaching staff need to lay down the law at times as well. Cricket Australia told Steve Waugh his time was up and he obliged, Mark Taylor also went the same way.  Experts such as Harsha Bhogle always say”we do things differently in India” but isn’t it time we changed it?

The scenario before Australian tour that reflects the selectors and coaching staff were clearly not ready to hurt the senior batsman.  After the second test match against West Indies, Umesh Yadav was rested to have a look at Varun Aaron, then why wasn’t a VVS Laxman or Dravid rested to look at a Rahane or Rohit Sharma?  Dravid and Laxman had both scored hundreds in previous test matches so it wasn’t a question of form or much need batting practise.  

Not only was the opportunity missed to give Rohit Sharma and Rahane a chance but more importantly it would have indicated to the seniors the “phasing” period had already begun. Since there was no such opportunity the selectors and coaching staff are now facing a cut throat decision.

Watching Rohit Sharma play the net bowlers with ease is enthralling , watching Rahane perfect his technique and receiving applause from Dravid is exciting, but only to the viewers. How frustrating is it for such players they can’t don’t get an opportunity to show their skills on the field, especially when the test are dead rubbers?  Why shouldn’t these players lose a little bit of respect for the seniors?  Do the seniors believe they are bigger than the game ? One doesn’t hope so as they have given the game and India so much over the last 15 years.  It is time for them to draw the line and start the compromise from their end as well.

Clearly it is the culture and the mindset that is holding back the beginning of new chapter.  The ball sits in the selector’s court and the decision needs to be bold. It will be a real shame for Indian cricket if the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ajinka Rahane disappear like their fellow Mumbaikar Amol Muzumdar.  There is no time for fairytales.  It is time for change and time to take bold decisions similar to one made by Adam Gilchrist four years ago in Adelaide.

THE MAHI MAN

There are times in an individual’s life when he or she sacrifices something to ensure the loved ones around them don’t suffer. There are rare times when an individual wants to be blamed for failures but never takes credit for success. There is also an individual who does all these things as part of his job and gets judged by a 1/6^th of world’s population.  This individual is Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Anyone who makes a decision to walk out in front of 30,000 screaming fans in a stadium and a further billion TV viewers knowing failure could mean torture for the  rest of his life by a billion people is simply a champion.  For Dhoni it is not courage or bravery but simply making an astute decision. It is all too natural that he continues to put his head on the line before the whole team. In front of a whole nation.  This was definitely a decision that will stand out in front of all people in the World Cup final in April.  Along the way are small decisions that shape the biggest decisions that define leadership but there are also small incidents that mark  a true leader. 

This small incident occurred on the last ball of the 49^th over in the 3^rd ODI vs England, played at Mohali. India required 8 off the 7 balls and Dhoni took strike. Most people, even if the ball was in the slot, would have despatched it but not Dhoni, he calmly took the single to ensure he was on strike for the penultimate over. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Jadeja to hit the runs; it was because Mahi wanted to take the pressure himself. He knew if he failed the blame should solely be on him, rather than on the young man on the other side still settling in to tri colours.

From the outside, few people notice these exceptional sides of a leadership but there is no doubt that his players are aware of it. No wonder they love playing for him because, despite a failure, he will back them and he ensures them plenty of opportunity.  All this is justified in the way team selections have gone since Dhoni took over the captaincy. Every player who has trialled has been given plenty of chances, unlike in the past. This is because Dhoni understands it takes time to settle in the Indian time; he keeps mentioning youngsters need to be given a good chance.  With such a practical mind he has gained respect of the once-in-a- generation cricketers such as Dravid and Tendulkar. 

Dhoni has his own style: he won’t yell and scream and show emotions on the field but deep down he has self 

belief to handle the pressure and the conditions. Throughout the innings in the 3 ODI against England at Mohali, he kept talking to Kholi and jadeja to let them  know what was expected. You could read his lips, as he kept mentioning: “yaha don waha ek sa hi hojayega”, meaning “single here and two there will do the job”.  Those words define the man who is a practical student of the game.

Dhoni might still be learning his trade of captaincy in overseas conditions in the longer format but he is the best ODI captain. Dhoni certainly didn’t need to read books like The Art of Captaincy by Mike Brearley; he has worked it out on the field just as he would have figured out how to bat in Ranchi. 

In the modern game, where different captains are chosen for different formats, Dhoni has stayed at the top job in each format. Not only has he had the top job but he achieved rewards by captaining India to the top at each of three formats.

Unlike captains in the past, he never complains about the ridiculous scheduling, injuries or  foreign playing conditions. Mahi simply says; “it’s part and parcel of the modern game and we need to adapt.”  There is always a side of compromise in Dhoni that is hidden

Tendulkar was already a legend when he was 21 and David at 30, but they were legends on an individual level to some extent; Dhoni is a legend at a team level already. So forget naming a stand after Mahi at the new stadium in Ranchi – just call it Mahrendra Singh Dhoni Stadium.  To put it simply, this man deserves all the accolades. From a town like Ranchi he comes to lead the legends of cricket. There is something special about this man. 

 

DHONI NEEDS A BATTING PLAN

Before the Indian tour in 2001, Matthew Hayden spent several hours of the day in the off season practising the sweep shot in the nets. Damien Martyn watched tapes of Tendulkar on his lounge in Perth to ensure he had method of playing spin bowling. Since Tendulkar has given up the pull and hook shot, he has worked hard on the upper cut to ensure he has a plan of scoring runs against short bowling.  Each of these players had to combat a plan to scoring runs.  Watching Dhoni bat in the first innings it might be a wise move for the Indian captain to conjure up a plan of scoring runs in Australia.

Dhoni has an astute mind and is practical cricketer but he needs to derive a plan desperately. Even in England he struggled to score runs as the shots he is renowned for are difficult to execute on bouncy and seaming pitches. Eventually, he took a bold approach of dancing down the wickets and play shots in the 3^rd test match.  The theory was easier to apply as he was made to bat with the tail. The question  for Dhoni is how does he bat when he has batsman alongside him ? What shots does he look to execute ? 

For Dhoni the battle is in the mind rather that in his executions. For instance while coming in to bat against England in the ODI series on seamer friendly wickets, he managed to rescue India on numerous situation with a clear mindset of occupying the crease. It is difficult to understand as to why Dhoni can’t bat with the same mindset in test matches. Is it that he does not believe his own game to succeed or he feels he needs to play authentic cricket shots in tests?  Whichever approach he takes he should stick to it as Dhoni has always been a cricket to back his own ability.

The phenomenal cricketer that DHoni is in one day cricket is because he knows eventually the slips will disappear and the field will spread out. At least in the second innings in Melbourne he was on the correct line of thinking, he danced down the wicket and smashed Hilfenhaus for six which made Clarke drop the mid on and mid off a bit further back, that was all Dhoni required as he just tapped the ball towards those areas and ran the singles. It was a positive sign that the Indian Captain had thought about it and was not going to derive the plan. 

The ball that got his out could have been punched off the back foot rather than a heave down the ground but the shot probably came from frustration. Australian did bowl really well to him and made him play off the back foot on the off side. Dhoni is not a vicious cutter of the ball he prefers to punch which makes his vulnerable in Australia.  Just like he did my smashing Hilfenhaus over his head he should come up with a plan for a short ball. Either cut it or need to use soft hands and use his feet to the seamers. 

All of Dhoni;s method are unorthodox but the best man to overcome his run making ability in Australia is Dhoni himself. A cricketer who has attained some much with limitation knows his game well enough to adjust and derive a plan. Once he figures it out in his mind he will be execute perfectly on the field as thats the cricketer he is. Let’s hope for India sake the new year has brought new ideas in his mind.