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Since 2008, when the path-breaking Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL) was launched, batsmen have obviously lost the art of adroitly playing spin.
Raised on a heavy dose of limited-overs cricket, many top batsmen in the world do not have the skills to graft for runs, particularly on turning pitches.
This was clear in the third Test between India and England in Ahmedabad last week when batsmen from both sides failed to cope with a pitch that assisted the spinners.
Although India won the match handsomely with three days to spare, several of their noted batsmen disappointed. A majority of them got out to balls that went straight.
It would have served them well to watch Sunil Gavaskar's classic 96 on a viciously turning pitch at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium against Pakistan in 1987. He grafted for almost 51/2 hours to take India within 16 runs of victory.
India lost the match but the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack described the knock thus: "On the fourth day, on a pitch which allowed even an off-spinner to bowl bouncers, Gavaskar gave a masterly exhibition of technique and judgment."
Indian left-arm spinner Maninder Singh, who captured a career-best 7 for 27 in Pakistan's first innings of 116, observed that top Indian batsmen are no longer used to playing quality spin at the domestic level and that is affecting their game.
"Since spin bowling is directly related to pitches, I would say that the Bengaluru pitch of 1987 and the Ahmedabad pitch of 2021 were quite similar. Batting wasn't easy on both.
"But Gavaskar's innings was a classic example of batsmanship - of how to bat on a pitch that assisted spin bowling."
Former India batsman Anshuman Gaekwad, who was known for his ability to bat with patience and determination, said both Indian and English batsmen batted poorly in Ahmedabad last week. "All got themselves out. Those were not wicket-taking balls. They got out playing bad shots," he said. "Out of 30 wickets, 22 fell to straight balls."
According him, it is important "not to play for the turn on spinning wickets". He said: "When you are not sure if the ball will come straight or turn, it is always good to play for a straight ball because, even if it turns, you will most likely get only beaten.
"Also keep the bat close to the pad. If you take it away from your body, you will end up in trouble."
Gaekwad pointed out that the best way to survive on turning tracks is to "wait for the loose ball".
"It is all about patience," he said. "You have to tire the bowlers and bat patiently. Make the bowler think and when he makes a mistake, score runs."
That's what India's Rohit Sharma did in Ahmedabad last week. He applied himself for 31/2 hours to score 66 in the first innings to emerge as the top scorer in the Test.
Indo-Asian News Service
