The Hindu : Sport : Munaf makes a big impression

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 15, 2006

Sport

Sport

Munaf makes a big impression

S. Ram Mahesh

India fielding five bowlers had a lot to do with the batting display of Dhoni and Pathan

— Photo: AP

NEW STRIKE PARTNER: If Munaf Patel's debut performance is any indication, he could form a potent pace combination with Irfan Pathan.

Mumbai: One of cricket's many idiosyncrasies is it allows men of varied skills and differing tastes to work together. This, in the days of old, meant the grouchy quick was left to his pinch of snuff, the portly leg-spinner's rants on creativity were indulged, and the premier batsman was allowed to remain in the less exacting confines of the dressing room if he so desired when the rest of the team trooped out to field.

But new-age professionalism and stifling codes of conduct have put an end to overt on-field displays of differing tastes; thankfully cricket's nature is impervious to this and will continue to encourage nay necessitate a variety of skills.

This meshing of contrasting styles finds its most visible expression in bowling combinations. Stymied by an inability to take 20 wickets in recent times, India chose to go in the second Test in Mohali with five bowlers: a left-arm medium-paced swing bowler; a genuine quick (the Real McCoy at last) who can swerve it `Irish'; a legendary leg-spinner with bounce and accuracy, a finger-spinner in a bit of a slump; and a young leggie who, currently, skids on.

Brave decision

The decision, brave when viewed in the context of precedent, was also founded on the capable presence of M. S. Dhoni and Irfan Pathan in the lower middle order. As it turned out, Piyush Chawla — the last-mentioned — didn't bowl a great deal, which tends to happen when five play. But in choosing the extra bowler, Rahul Dravid gave himself the best chance of getting 20 by reacting appropriately to the conditions on offer.

For, as the second Test showed, cricket is closely tied to weather, and the span of the five-day game ensures there are passages of play for every kind of bowler. One never knows when the tide changes or the breeze stiffens and brings forth swing, or when it rains and juices up the track, or when the wicket starts to dust up.

Balanced attack

The issue here is of balance in attack — of not gorging on the main course and skimping dessert. The idea, as Ian Chappell once pointed out, was to pick bowlers who brought different things to the table. Or as Kiran More, selection committee chairman, put it more plainly, "It gives the captain more options".

One such option was Munaf Patel. The 22-year-old, who Dennis Lillee earlier this year said was "worth a punt", showed the possibilities of pace and ended with the best match figures (seven for 97) by an Indian fast-bowler on debut.

Vital spell

His spell on the fifth morning was particularly impressive. Where England's bowlers missed a trick when they had India five down in the first stint and continued bowling short, thus depriving themselves of reverse swing, Munaf mixed his lengths well to the batsmen (getting the crucial wicket of Geraint Jones with lift), and torpedoed reverse-curling yorkers into the tail.

For Munaf to display that kind of nous in just his first Test is heartening and contrary to unkind rumours that suggested the thought behind his bowling was minimal.

"Munaf generates pace from his smooth run-up, from a good body position at release and from his strength," said T. A. Sekar who worked on Munaf's bowling at the MRF Pace Foundation. "His slight round-arm action, coming as it does from the eleven o'clock position, helps with pace as the arm naturally comes down faster at that angle and it aids reverse swing."

Varied connotations

Munaf played the part of the high-impact cutting edge in the quintet. The theory of five also has a defensive connotation — on the flattest of tracks, five share the burden and bowl fewer overs per man. But, playing five is merely a means to an end, not an end in itself. Dravid's comment on not needing five if they get a track similar to the last one in Mumbai, though tongue-in-jowl implied as much.

Another point of interest at Mohali was the umpiring. Kevin Pietersen and Pathan were recipients of different fortunes; neither decision was correct. But as the Pietersen bump-ball fiasco in Nagpur showed, technology is as accurate as the human behind it. KP, maybe the scales do balance out.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail