Adaptability is key while bowling on such pitches, says Javagal Srinath

Javagal Srinath

It’s not easy at all what Morne Morkel did in Nagpur. For someone who bowls short day in day out, to adapt and change lengths was a great thing.

Adaptability is the key, of course, and that comes with experience, and Morkel is a farily experienced these days.

Morkel did two things well in the third Test. He didn’t get it too full — unless you are really natural with that length, and can get it to reverse in really late, it’s tough to be effective with that line. As in, the batsmen can just take care that his front foot doesn’t come across and play the really full ones well.

What Morkel did was that he got it on a length and that gave enough time for the ball to almost cut in late. It was more like reverse seam than reverse swing — in a manner of speaking. That extra time means the ball starts tailing in for that bit longer and the batsman now has to make precise adjustments. For someone who isn’t Wasim Akram or Waqar Younis, this is a better way to do it.

Secondly, he got the ball to reverse out more (the shiny side was kept out), and again it was good thinking. The balls will hardly carry to the slips on these tracks and so we are left with just two modes of dismissal: keeper catch and lbw. He took it out, out, out, and out, set up the batsmen to commit on that front foot, than bowled that one that comes in, cuts in late, can get him an lbw. Also he got Virat Kohli edging to the wicketkeeper.

In the second innings, Morkel employed off-cutters with the new ball. So, before the reverse swing could set in, he started using the cutters. People can go leg cutters or off – he went for the latter. The best overseas bowler with the cutters I saw was Chris Cairns. He was really really good with those cutters. Morkel wasn’t as good, but he did get the wicket of M Vijay. And again, it was something new he tried. So all the credit to him.