Reported By:
| Edited By: Taus Rizvi |Source: DNA |Updated: Feb 12, 2019, 06:30 AM IST
Former Australian Chinaman bowler Brad Hogg tells Taus Rizvi he’s pleased with India’s left-arm wrist-spinner’s progress. Excerpts:
I am just very pleased with the progress. I saw him in the Kolkata Knight Riders game. I have seen the development, have seen how hard he works, I have seen him work on his fitness, the number of overs he bowled day in and day out so that he gets close to his potential possibly before going into a series or a match. He just prepares extremely well. So, I am so happy for him. It's a privilege to be a part of his career at the start when he came to Kolkata Knight Riders. You don't want to see against your own country, it's one of those things you are pleased for him or happy for him. And you really want him to do well and he has had success, and congratulations to him. I want him to have more success.
He has got a bit of time in Test level because you have got (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja who have done a fantastic job for India and both are still performing. It's very much like (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni keeping (Rishabh) Pant out in shorter forms of the game That's the strength of India right at the moment, that they have got so much depth. The players have to force their way in. If you have got your spot in the team, then you can't have two or three bad performances because there is someone to take that spot.
It's the mystery spin. International teams don't get to play that type of bowling all the time. If you look at Chinaman bowlers all around, they all bowl slightly different. You can't just face one and think you have faced more, each one is slightly different in their action and the way they deliver it. From the height, from the angles. Look, it's a great art. I am just so happy that there are a lot of Chinaman bowlers in international cricket now. We have got one in South Africa, one in Sri Lanka. There is a lot of depth in Chinaman bowling and you have got to watch out.
Wrist spinners are very economical as well as wicket-taking options while the off spinners aren't very attacking and don't have as much options as the wrist spinners. If you look at Australia, they have played Nathan Lyon in the last two ODIs. He is a very economical bowler, a class act. A very brilliant bowler but he doesn't have tricks that a leg spinner has. They have that variety. Lyon is not going to be that type of bowler to go out and bowl those variations. He is just a good length bowler with plenty of revolutions on the ball. It is very hard to get down the wicket too and very hard to get away. Indians who are good at spin have struggled while trying to get on top of Lyon. It's been a great contest. You don't have that wicket-taking option like Kuldeep or (Yuzvendra) Chahal.
It's just that they are different and have variety. And, they complement each other. One is a right-arm leg-spinner and the other is a left-arm leg-spinner. They turn different ways and have varieties. They also bowl at different paces. Thus, opposition teams can't get in the rhythm. Both are leg-spinners as well and can bowl in the Power Play. Ashwin and Jadeja, in limited-overs cricket, have done well. It's just the leg-spinners have attacking opportunity.
You never know what you are going to get in any country. Depends on the weather as well. You have to make sure that you have both departments, seam and spin, covered. They will be taking over three spinners, Jadeja obviously can bat as well. Spin in England still plays a massive role, especially leg-spin. And you have got quality leg-spin. You have got to take them. India has got different spinners and you have got to play through your strengths.
Kuldeep's got a lot of ability. When you are talking about where he is going to be, one can't say. I just want to enjoy his journey, I don't want to make assumptions right now. His journey has just started. Hope he has a long fruitful journey. I want it to happen. I just want to see how that journey takes. He is going to have some ups and downs. It's how he comes back from those downs that will show whether he can be great or just another. I don't like comparing with other players. Kuldeep is Kuldeep. He has his own method, he is on his own. Let's just be entertained.
For me, his upbringing has done a wonderful job. He is a perfect role model. I can't be any more positive than whatever I said.
That's for their relationship to evolve in that environment. Virat has got Ravi Shastri as coach to monitor that. And, he has done a fantastic job. Each individual is different, each individual shows intensity differently. Kohli knows he is different to someone else. That is a sign of a good leader. They are going to create their own relationship That's working well. You utilise your bowlers how they fit as the game goes. Kuldeep's going to be used in different situations. His thing will be to adapt and make sure all the situations are covered. It's about having good communication. One thing that Virat Kohli does, I read somewhere, he asks the bowlers to run the meeting how they want to bowl and what plans they have against the opposition. Doing so, he takes the pressure off himself in the middle. He only has to give a little good of advice, little bit of direction which he might have to change if something was not working. He is trusting his bowlers. It's good because it helps the bowlers think on their feet.
At the moment England and India are two favourites in the finals. New Zealand is going to be up there as well. That's three teams.
(Brad Hogg was a commentator for the Australia-India series on Sony Six)
| Tests | ODIs | T20Is | |
| Matches | 6 | 39 | 18 |
| Wickets | 24 | 77 | 35 |
| Best bowling | 5/57 | 6/25 | 5/25 |
| Average | 24.12 | 20.64 | 12.97 |
| Economy | 3.51 | 4.77 | 6.72 |
| Strike Rate | 41.2 | 25.9 | 11.5 |
| 5WI | 2 | 1 | 1 |
