The demolition job that Ravichandran Ashwin did on New Zealand during the third Test means that the Australian affliction — a distaste for off-spin bowling — has now spread to become an Antipodean curse
India spinner R Ashwin celebrates the wicket of New Zealand's James Neesham during the third Test at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Monday. Pic/AFP
India spinner R Ashwin celebrates the wicket of New Zealand's James Neesham during the third Test at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Monday. Pic/AFP
The demolition job that Ravichandran Ashwin did on New Zealand during the third Test means that the Australian affliction — a distaste for off-spin bowling — has now spread to become an Antipodean curse.
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Ashwin has already caused Australia huge problems in India — not quite as devastating as his Indore performance — but troublesome nevertheless. Actually it was in Australia that Ashwin learned a very good lesson about bowling. His first attempt was peppered with multiple variations resulting in his line and length suffering, which in turn provided easy pickings for the batsmen.
His second attempt was only marginally more successful in the scorebook but the execution was a big improvement. He concentrated on spinning his off-break and relied more on subtle variations of pace rather than trying to turn the ball both ways. This provided more control and the batsmen were made to work harder for their runs.
This led to a much better performance against Australia when they toured India in 2012-13. Ashwin became a more confident bowler, exuding an aura that all good spinners possess. When added to his prowess with the bat — a solid middle-order run getter — he was on the road to the destination he's now reached, a regular Indian match winner. The trouble that Ashwin caused Australia in India was reminiscent of the mayhem that a number of other talented off-spinners achieved.
Back in 1956
My first memory of Australian ineptitude against off-spin was a vivid one; Jim Laker taking 19 wickets in the 1956 Old Trafford Test. I was verging on teenager status and was devastated to see a picture of my idol Keith Miller tumbling head first out of his crease as he was beaten in flight by Laker.
Before collecting all 10 wickets in the second innings at Old Trafford, Laker had already achieved this rare distinction in Australia's tour match against Surrey. Such was the turmoil in the Australian camp that when skipper and off-spinner Ian Johnson attempted to rally his troops with an "anything he can do, I can do" speech, his vice-captain Miller is reported to have raised his gaze from a form guide and responded; "Six-to-Four you can't."
Another off-spinner to weave a spell over Australian batsmen was the Indian magician Erapalli Prasanna. In 1967-68 he took 25 wickets in only four Tests in Australia and then bettered it by one (in five Tests) in the return series in 1969-70. His performance in Australia has to be one of the outstanding achievements by a finger spinner in a country renowned for pitches that are much more responsive to wrist-spinners.
The Turbanator strikes
Then there was Harbhajan Singh's tornado like destruction in the 2000-01 series in India. Just when it appeared that Australia would win their first series in India since the 1969-70 tour and complete their seventeenth successive Test victory, "the Turbanator" struck. With six second innings wickets at Kolkata he turned what looked to be an Australian cruise to victory, into a crash of head-on proportions.
Not satisfied with that performance he turned in a similarly destructive one in Chennai and finished the three Test series with an incredible 32 wickets. No wonder crowds began chanting, "Singh is King."
Dominant performance
Ashwin has already inflicted much pain on Australia as did Laker, Prasanna and Harbhajan before him. Consequently, his dominant performance in the series against New Zealand will send chills through Steve Smith's squad. Ashwin's 27 wickets (at 17.77) and man-of-the-series award against New Zealand could be viewed as a prelude to the main performance.
In a few months time Ashwin will face an Australian line-up traumatised by the portly left-arm Sri Lankan finger spinner, Rangana Herath. As Ashwin's spin bowling partner, left-armer Ravindra Jadeja will be buoyed by Herath's success. Not only does this not augur well for Australia's batsmen with their distaste for spin bowling, it will also revive memories of 1956 and the destruction caused by Laker and his partner — the left-arm orthodox spinner Tony Lock.
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