If I were Inzamam...
Originally published on Wednesday, January 18, 2006
What a shame of pitch! I haven't seen in even 1 ball bowled in this test, but I can feel how hard it must have been to go out and bowl on it, in particular to people with big blades and powerful muscles. Such pitches must be nipped in the bud. People have been suggesting ways to preserve the art and the skill in cricket which really merit an attention from the ICC. Spectators who don't want to watch this art and are interested in slam-bang stuff should go and watch baseball.
Coming to the point of the post, Pakistan have gotten a headache. There is no doubt that India have gotten an equal share of it, but the one that Pakistan are facing is a dangerously recurring one. I have not seen how they countered Sehwag in this game, but I presume that they tried their unsuccessful ways once too often against him. Of course, it's easier said than done, but if I were one of Inzamam or Bob Woolmer, I would totally give a revamp to my plan A against him. The thing that I would do before that is not call him a slogger who hits the bulls eye once in a while. To be able to smack the likes of Lee and Shoaib and Kaneria and Hoggard, that too with immaculate consistency and break a long standing Donald Bradman record of crossing 150 six times in a row after crossing 100, you need serious ability. So what if he doesn't move his feet, he doesn't need to. He has gotten such a great eye and hands that he can attain balance without moving feet, and that's what you need to move your feet for- to balance yourself for playing the shot - right? So it'a a divine gift, if you can balance without feet movement.
Talking about revamping the plan, I confirmed this from one of my Pune pals, that Pakistan hardly ever had a short leg in place for him. True, as the "on the ball" http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/233300.html would tell that he patiently left all the bouncers hurled at him. But then, they bowled only 10 of those at him, which was appalling.
Going ahead, I would go in with something like this in my plan A, and I am talking about the 1st over of Indian innings.
On the off side (you don't need to know rocket science to predict he loves them there) - 1 slip, 2 gullies (as he is more likely to get thick edges than thin), 3rd man (my most attacking position and a must on any pitch for Sehwag), deep point (may be I can cut down on at least 10 of those 38 boundaries and frustrate him a bit), extra cover.
On the on side- a forward short leg, a deepish backward shortleg and a conventional midwicket.
Unless really necessary, don't bowl a single ball in his half and take out the straight boundaries, remember you haven't gotten mid-off and mid-on. Consistently try to angle in or cut into his ribs of shortish length. You need quite a bit of ability though as a bowler to execute this and be accurate enough. With the dose that has been given to the Paki bowlers, I doubt how they can manage this.
If he resorts to the pull against the short ball and does that well, then I might bring in my subsequent plans, by putting some more protection on the on side, but I won't take out my deep point and 3rd man unless I give up hope.
Having said all this and given the whacking to the curators, I can only clap for the mental makeup of the man. He just doesn't care a damn about who he is facing, what the score is or what the situation is. As much as you will criticise his irresposible play had he gotten out while attempting his 1st boundary itself, you have to salute his self-belief for daring to try and execute 47 of those.
I hope Inzamam isn't in my fans' list and doesn't know enough English to be able to read my blogs. For I can never have enough of "Sehwag against Pakistan", makes me feel like he is the one who will repay Ijaz, Afridi and Anwar along with the interest of so many years.
What a shame of pitch! I haven't seen in even 1 ball bowled in this test, but I can feel how hard it must have been to go out and bowl on it, in particular to people with big blades and powerful muscles. Such pitches must be nipped in the bud. People have been suggesting ways to preserve the art and the skill in cricket which really merit an attention from the ICC. Spectators who don't want to watch this art and are interested in slam-bang stuff should go and watch baseball.
Coming to the point of the post, Pakistan have gotten a headache. There is no doubt that India have gotten an equal share of it, but the one that Pakistan are facing is a dangerously recurring one. I have not seen how they countered Sehwag in this game, but I presume that they tried their unsuccessful ways once too often against him. Of course, it's easier said than done, but if I were one of Inzamam or Bob Woolmer, I would totally give a revamp to my plan A against him. The thing that I would do before that is not call him a slogger who hits the bulls eye once in a while. To be able to smack the likes of Lee and Shoaib and Kaneria and Hoggard, that too with immaculate consistency and break a long standing Donald Bradman record of crossing 150 six times in a row after crossing 100, you need serious ability. So what if he doesn't move his feet, he doesn't need to. He has gotten such a great eye and hands that he can attain balance without moving feet, and that's what you need to move your feet for- to balance yourself for playing the shot - right? So it'a a divine gift, if you can balance without feet movement.
Talking about revamping the plan, I confirmed this from one of my Pune pals, that Pakistan hardly ever had a short leg in place for him. True, as the "on the ball" http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/233300.html would tell that he patiently left all the bouncers hurled at him. But then, they bowled only 10 of those at him, which was appalling.
Going ahead, I would go in with something like this in my plan A, and I am talking about the 1st over of Indian innings.
On the off side (you don't need to know rocket science to predict he loves them there) - 1 slip, 2 gullies (as he is more likely to get thick edges than thin), 3rd man (my most attacking position and a must on any pitch for Sehwag), deep point (may be I can cut down on at least 10 of those 38 boundaries and frustrate him a bit), extra cover.
On the on side- a forward short leg, a deepish backward shortleg and a conventional midwicket.
Unless really necessary, don't bowl a single ball in his half and take out the straight boundaries, remember you haven't gotten mid-off and mid-on. Consistently try to angle in or cut into his ribs of shortish length. You need quite a bit of ability though as a bowler to execute this and be accurate enough. With the dose that has been given to the Paki bowlers, I doubt how they can manage this.
If he resorts to the pull against the short ball and does that well, then I might bring in my subsequent plans, by putting some more protection on the on side, but I won't take out my deep point and 3rd man unless I give up hope.
Having said all this and given the whacking to the curators, I can only clap for the mental makeup of the man. He just doesn't care a damn about who he is facing, what the score is or what the situation is. As much as you will criticise his irresposible play had he gotten out while attempting his 1st boundary itself, you have to salute his self-belief for daring to try and execute 47 of those.
I hope Inzamam isn't in my fans' list and doesn't know enough English to be able to read my blogs. For I can never have enough of "Sehwag against Pakistan", makes me feel like he is the one who will repay Ijaz, Afridi and Anwar along with the interest of so many years.
posted by w_o @ 3:10 PM
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