Sivaramakrishnan’s antidote to New Zealand’s ‘sweep’ policy
The former India leg-spinner suggests spinners could change their angles and bowl fuller to nullify the opposition’s plans to employ the sweep frequently.
Published : Oct 24, 2017 22:33 IST
New Zealand’s Tom Latham and Ross Taylor ‘swept’ India out of the first ODI in Mumbai. The sweep shot can knock a spinner off his length and force him to move away from his strengths.
Former India leg-spinner L. Sivaramakrishnan has a couple of ploys to defeat the Kiwi ‘sweep’ plan. Speaking to Sportstar here on Tuesday, he said, “Latham and Taylor were not sweeping the line, they were sweeping the length. A spinner needs to go wide off the off-stump and bowl a fuller length delivery outside off with a mid-off and an extra-cover.”
He elaborated, “The fuller length will not allow them to play the sweep. The batsman will be forced to play the drive and we will have fielders for the shot.”
Sivaramakrishnan had other ideas too. “A spinner can also go round the wicket, bowl close to the body and have a short fine-leg and a square-leg. When a batsman sweeps from near his body from that angle, it can be miscued.”
He said, “When Australia’s Aaron Finch was sweeping in a limited-overs game, Kuldeep got him bowled with a fuller length ball.”
Siva’s mantra is simple. When the batsman sweeps, change the angle and bowl fuller.