09 October 2007

Left arm seamers

Yesterday, India played three left arm seamers. I don't know when the same three last played for India, but they did play in Karachi in 2006, when Pakistan rose from 39 for 6 on the first day to inflict one of the heaviest defeats on India. Arpy wasn't first choice then, and there were murmurs about how there was a 'sameness' to the attack, that made it easier for the Y Khan blade. Is the same true now? Both Zaheer and Arpy are now adept at coming around the stumps and firing it in, or shaping it away, but in ODIs, variety for variety's sake is occasionally a compelling argument.

And the fact that it is an all left-arm opening attack bowling at two left-arm opening batsmen may make it even more so.

6 comments:

Jrod said...

what ever happened to Nehra?

John said...

Fitness for one. Troublesome ankle, I think. There was also this rumour that he was a routine potsmoker. Don't know how true that is. Have never heard any mainstream media report it. But I think he's still capable of getting picked.

Stuart said...

The interesting part is that Australia played two left armers as well, in Bracken and Johnson. Add Murali Kartik into the mix, and you had another specialist left arm bowler.

If Youvraj and Clarke had a bowl for their respective teams (which wouldn't have been totally unexpected on that pitch), you could have had an amazing no. of left handed bowlers in the one game.

Jrod said...

Pot smoking, that never hurt the west indians. or a particular australian fast bowler of recent times.

John said...

which aussie pacer? c'mon uncle, you can spill some here.

Samir Chopra said...

Pot smoking only hurts bowlers if it makes them mellow. Or makes them miss practice. Otherwise, I'd highly recommend it - you can always dream up new strategies for for dismissing batsmen.