The Hindu : Sport : Hogg — making a big difference

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 07, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Hogg — making a big difference

S. Dinakar

The Aussies have mostly won the spin battle so far in the series

— PHOTO: AFP

WILY EXPONENT: Brad Hogg has many tricks up his sleeve and is not the easiest of bowlers to read.

Hyderabad: The middle overs are often the decisive phase of One-Day Internationals. This is the stage where the batting side has an opportunity to recover from the early setbacks, where the attack can make further inroads. In this territory, major momentum shifts are witnessed.

This is also a period where the spinners can call the shots. Twice, in Bangalore and Kochi, the Indian pacemen struck weighty blows initially. However, the Aussies recovered and then consolidated in the middle overs. The side had wickets in hand for a blast in the end overs. In Hyderabad, the middle of the innings was utilised to build on the platform laid by the openers.

India, in contrast, has struggled in the middle overs after being pounded with the new ball by the Aussie pacemen. The Australians have, both, contained and struck during this period. And the Indians have been left without wickets in hand during the end overs, resulting in the difference between the sides.

Major player

Left-arm chinaman bowler Brad Hogg has been a major player during this part of the game. Here is a wicket-taking bowler, who has improved greatly on accuracy. Crucially, there is a lot of spin and work on the ball when Hogg operates.

At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Friday, he consumed Sachin Tendulkar with a piece of trickery. It might have appeared an irresponsible stroke from the maestro, but Tendulkar was actually done in by the variety in Hogg’s bowling.

Tendulkar made room for the cut, but expected the ball to go straight through. However, this was a delivery from Hogg that spun further away after pitching to rattle the timber. Bowlers of Hoggs’s ilk are not the easiest to read.

For a left-arm chinaman bowler, Hogg operates with control. He denies the batsmen width, and varies his length and the extent of turn; the last aspect comes with experience. Hogg also switches angles, uses the crease. When the pace spearheads are off, he maintains the pressure. Mentally, the batsmen continue to be under stress.

The variations

Hogg has the variations: the flipper, the one that spins away, the delivery that holds its line, the ball that spins in. Crucially, his deliveries have the fizz and the bounce off the surface, essential for bowlers of this kind.

The battle-scarred West Australian is no youngster. The 36-year-old spinner, who has 139 wickets in 109 ODIs at an impressive economy rate of 4.49, is revelling in a country that often witnesses illogical debates on the age factor. Despite the summers gone by, Hogg is still fresh and ready to sting.

The Aussies have mostly won the spin battle and with it the middle overs stakes in this series so far although Harbhajan Singh did send down a creditable spell of a faster variety of off-spin from an off-stump line in Hyderabad.

Hogg, right from the World Cup in the Caribbean, has picked up wickets at critical junctures. His 21 scalps in the World Cup complemented the effort of the pacemen. This was one occasion when the Aussies did not miss Shane Warne’s genius. In India, the Aussies are, save Hogg, thin on the spin bowling front.

Positive

Under the circumstances, Michael Clarke’s left-arm spin in Kochi was a major positive for the visitor. He got the deliveries to grip the sluggish surface, spun the ball away.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni remembered Clarke’s spell and the impact of a left-arm orthodox spinner when he explained the inclusion of Murali Kartik for the fourth and fifth ODIs. In home conditions, India requires five bowlers and two specialist spinners of different kinds who can work in tandem.

As for now, Hogg has a head-start. This Aussie is enjoying his cricket. You can see glimpses of his spirit in his smile.

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