Indian cricket has always had its own share of spin bowling eras where one or a combination of spinners did most of the work with the ball. Such has been India’s bonding with this special art of bowling that they have carved a legacy out of it.
You might think as to what prompts this sudden discussion of India’s rich tradition of spin? Well, it’s because of 2 names: Ravi Bishnoi and Poonam Yadav. Two Indian leg-spinners who have hogged up all the limelight with their magical bowling for India in ICC tournaments.
For those of us who grew up watching the game in the 1990s, their style of bowling is a reminder of when Shane Warne and Anil Kumble were in their prime. That’s right, Poonam and Ravi pack a punch with their skills and that makes them stand out.
India may have lost, but Ravi Bishnoi’s stellar performance helped India put up a fight against Bangladesh! #U19CWC | #FutureStarshttps://t.co/0e6WKE5zbp
Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) February 10, 2020
In the last two major ICC tournaments, Yadav and Bishnoi have been earmarked as India’s (women and U19 side) answer to the growing wrist-spin trend in world cricket, bamboozling batsmen and creating wicket-taking opportunities for the captain.
In the recently concluded U19 World Cup, young leg-spinner Bishnoi rattled batting lineups with his googlies and wrong uns, taking 17 wickets in six matches at a stunning average of just 10.64 in the tournament.
The leading wicket-taker of the U19 World Cup often left batsmen puzzled with his turn and speed. Even though his side could not lift the coveted trophy, Bishnoi almost dragged them to victory over Bangladesh in the final with an impressive haul of 4 for 30.
On the other hand, Poonam, the hero of India’s T20 World Cup opening-night victory with four wickets against Australia, once again spun a web around Bangladesh on Monday to take her wickets tally in the tournament to seven after just two matches.
Poonam Yadav’s figures so far this #T20WorldCup
4/19 v
3/18 vPocket rocket pic.twitter.com/1XwJGehbTF
T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) February 24, 2020
Poonam’s flight, guile, turn and bowling style was poetry in motion and the way she made the ball skid off the surface showed us how much control she had. She nearly got a hat-trick after taking 2 wickets in 2 balls but the keeper dropped the catch in the opening match.
Poonam is one of the most experienced and senior members of Team India and the nucleus of the bowling attack. She has also been the leading wicket-taker in T20Is over the last two years. Yadav was chosen for the Arjuna award in 2019 for her consistent performances for the Women in Blue.
Bishnoi’s heroics with the ball played a major role in leading the Under-19 Indian team to the Junior World Cup finals and Poonam will also have to play a crucial role if the Indian team wishes to lift their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup trophy.
Poonam Yadav is unstoppable as she picks 3 wickets today.
Bangladesh – 110/7 in 18 overs. #INDvBAN #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup
Live – https://t.co/Pknzdpr9fD pic.twitter.com/tFXCybMxij
BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 24, 2020
After the ongoing Women’s T20 WC and U19 World Cup, there is a third ICC tournament scheduled in 2020 – ICC T20 World Cup. The rise of Bishnoi and Yadav has proved that the senior men’s cricket team will need their spinners to be at their best when they visit Australia for the T20 World Cup in November.
Especially, India’s ‘Kul-Cha’ (Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal) will have to make it count once again. The Indian selectors and team management have shown a lot of faith in both the wrist-spinners. Giving priority to Yadav over Ravindra Jadeja in the initial matches of the World Cup was a clear example of how much the team was banking on Yadav and Chahal.
The pair had troubled each and every opposition and had become a deadly duo in the recent past but after the 2019 World Cup, both have lost their enigma. Virat Kohli dropped the premier wrist-spinning duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal for the three-match T20I series against West Indies as well as South Africa.
If we look at their career stats, Kuldeep has scalped 39 wickets in the 20 matches he has played, having an impressive average of 13.77 whereas Chahal has taken 52 wickets in 42 matches he has played for the Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game. Though, his average is on the higher side — 24.35 — his ability to pick wickets at crucial junctures of the game is what makes him a vital cog of the Indian bowling line-up.
The introduction of wrist spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal after ICC Champions Trophy 2017 led the path for young Indian leggies like Bishnoi to take up the game and learn the leg-spin trickery.
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