3 best Indian spinners in dewy conditions
There are lots of uncontrollables in cricket, and after the toss, dew is the most important of them when it comes to limited-overs cricket. Dew is a huge factor whenever captains win the toss, with the side batting first at a disadvantage whenever dew is expected.
It's harder for the spinners to bowl in dewy conditions, as they won't even be able to grip the ball properly. Unlike seamers, who can at least turn to some variations if they're under attack, spinners become extremely short on options if they can't turn the ball, with the margin for error being very small.
The ball also skids on quicker to the bat in dewy conditions, even reducing the bowler's advantage on slow, sluggish wickets. Despite these difficulties in bowling with a wet ball, there are some Indian spinners who have managed to do so under pressure. Let's look at three such players.
#3 Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh is one of the best Indian spinners and is also an IPL legend in his own right. An accurate and wicket-taking off-spinner who was successful in all formats of the game, Harbhajan was one bowler for whom the dew factor didn't faze all that much.
He starred with the ball for India in the 2010 tri-series against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka when the dew factor became a big issue, with the teams batting first having a severe disadvantage.
While he was predominantly a bowler who bowled in the middle overs of games, Harbhajan did evolve into someone capable of opening the bowling or bowling at the death, and part of the reason his captain trusted him to bowl in those stages of the game would've been his ability to bowl with a wet ball.
#2 Yuzvendra Chahal
It's already hard for a leg-spinner to hit the right lengths consistently, and to do it with a soaking wet ball on a dewy evening is extremely tough, but that's why Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the best white-ball bowlers in the world. The IPL 2022 Purple Cap winner has shown on multiple occasions how good he is at bowling in dewy conditions.
The most memorable of those achievements came when he picked up a four-wicket haul against the Lucknow Supergiants and a five-wicket haul against the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2022, bowling in the slog overs in dewy conditions and helping RR defend totals.
The fact that he's able to turn the ball almost as much as he normally does bowling with a wet ball is remarkable, and he is one of India's best spinners in dewy conditions.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin has been one of the best bowlers for the Indian cricket team over the last decade and in the IPL. Never afraid to experiment and someone who thrives almost everywhere, he is one of the best spinners in dewy conditions.
He produced a POTM-winning performance against CSK at his home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium. While he played a useful 30-run knock, it was his impressive bowling against the hard-hitting CSK batting lineup that caught the eye.
He finished the game with figures of 2/25, reiterating once again why he is one of the best in the business. To the credit of the RR management, they have two of the best Indian spinners in their ranks in Chahal and Ashwin. Ashwin is undoubtedly one of the best Indian spinners to bowl in dewy conditions.