Ravichandran Ashwin adds more variations to his bowling repertoire

Ravichandran Ashwin

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was rested for Zimbabwe’s tour. During the break time, Ashwin has added a lot of varieties to his spin.

“I have the arm-ball, the carrom ball, and the under-cutter but I am developing a flipper that pitches just short of a length and skids on,” he told The Hindu. “I am also trying to get the carrom ball that spins into the right-hander. This will add a new dimension to my bowling.”

Ashwin seeks to exploit batsmen’s weakness with unconventional ruse, but also ensures that their strengths are kept under control. “If you toss one up and draw him [Gayle] into a stroke and then pull it back a little, because of the revolutions on the ball, instead of clearing either long-on or long-off, he could be caught at mid-off or mid-on,” he explained.

Ashwin was the top wicket-taker in the four-match Test series against Australia in the months of February and March. He said that to get rid of good players, you need to understand their technique.

Explaining the mechanics of his bowling brain, Ashwin said: “Clarke is a good player of spin, can step out or hang back. But then, he defends with hard hands. The trick is to make him play back to a ball that is not really short.

“I came round the wicket and got the left-handed Michael Hussey to drive in the Melbourne Test. Then I held one back, he went for the drive, and edged. I also bowled one that turned away from Shaun Marsh and then got him with an under-cutter.

“When I come wide of the crease to a right-hander, he is looking for something outside the off-stump. If I then send down one on off and middle, his head could falter and his drive could be uppish.”

He has also included another variation – wide arm delivery that spins sideways.

“Someone with a high-arm action like me will get more over-spin than side-spin. Graeme Swann bowls a lot wider with his arm than I do, so he achieves plenty of side-spin. I also bowl the wider arm delivery to impart side spin these days,” he said.