Former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has criticised Team India’s spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule for not addressing Ravi Bishnoi’s increasingly wide run-up, which led to a series of back-foot no-balls during India’s four-wicket defeat to England in the second T20I.
Bishnoi endured a forgettable outing, conceding 60 runs in his four overs while overstepping the return crease three times. Two of those no-balls came in the 17th over, which leaked 29 runs and proved to be the turning point as England surged to victory.
“A spinner should not be bowling a no-ball. It’s a crime. And for him to bowl a back-foot no-ball, cutting the return crease, is something that should have been noticed in the nets.
Sairaj (Bahutule) should have first noticed his run-up and looked at whether he was overstepping or cutting the return crease. First thing you look at is bowling a legal delivery, and then bowling a legally good delivery,” PTI quoted Sivaramakrishnan as saying.
The former India leg-spinner said a tweaker bowling no-balls at the international level was a sign of inadequate coaching and a failure to address fundamental technical issues.
“One of the first things you notice for a bowler is avoiding no-balls, especially for a spinner. Bowling a no-ball is a huge crime. And to commit it in crucial overs shows a lack of proper guidance and observation from the bowling and spin bowling coaches,” he said.
In contrast to greats like Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and Anil Kumble, Sivramakrishnan believed that contemporary leg-spinners had become unduly defensive.
“You’ve seen Chandrasekhar, you’ve seen Anil Kumble. They hardly or never bowled no-balls. A leg-spinner should never be a defensive option. He should always be an attacking option. But lately, leg-spinners are mostly used as a defensive weapon. That mindset and attitude must change because they are losing out on their skills development,” he observed.
He emphasized that T20 matches are won or lost in the middle overs and anticipated significant breakthroughs from specialist spinners.
“So overs seven to 15 are generally bowled by the spinners. If your two spinners bowl four overs each, you’ve got to pick up at least four wickets between them. Even if you go at nine an over, that’s 180, which is chaseable. Four overs, 36 runs and two wickets each should be the ideal analysis because you’re dismantling the middle order and preventing partnerships. For that, the spinner has got to be attacking and able to turn the ball on any surface,” he said.
