3 Indian spinners who are skilled with both new and old balls
India has historically given birth to some of the finest spinners in world cricket. From the famed spin quartet in the 1960s and 70s, the iconic spin duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in the 2000s and now the world-class spin attack of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, Indian cricket has been blessed with quality spinners in their Test setup.
It is essential to have spinners who can also bowl well on a new ball in Asian conditions. The new ball tends to give extra bounce and aids spin on certain pitches. However, it is not easy for a spinner to be skilled with the new ball as he must have immense control over his line and length.
We take a look at the three Indian bowlers who have proven their worth with both type of balls.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin
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Ravichandran Ashwin is arguably one of the best spin bowlers in Test cricket at present. He has an impeccable record: 447 wickets in 88 Tests at an average of 24.26 and a strike rate of 52.4. Numbers aside, he is easily one of the most shrewd cricketers the game has ever seen.
With the first new ball (overs 1-15), his record is 69 wickets at an average of 20.93 and a strike rate of 45.81 in 526.5 overs. These are the most wickets taken by a spinner in this phase since ball-by-ball data was made available in 2002. Indian fans fondly remember how he dismissed former England captain Alastair Cook with the new ball in both innings of the Edgbaston Test in 2018.
With the second new ball (overs 81-95), he has dismissed 26 batters in 219 overs at an average of 22 and a strike rate of 50 - the third most wickets by any Indian bowler in this particular phase of the game.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has to be one of the most underrated Test cricketers of this generation. Apart from a decent record with the bat, his bowling record is up there with the elite spinners of all time. He has taken 242 wickets in 60 Tests for India at an average of 24.71 and a strike rate of 60.9. He is an extremely accurate bowler - an economy rate of 2.43 suggests the same.
Jadeja has an impressive record with the new ball. He has bowled nearly 180 overs and taken 17 wickets with the first new ball at an average of 27.50 runs per wicket. With the second new ball, Jadeja has been outstanding. He has taken 19 wickets in 172.4 overs at an average of just 18.58 and a strike rate of 54.03. He concedes just above 2 runs per over in this phase of a Test match.
Jadeja's overall career record suggests that he is brilliant with the old ball as well - which is his primary role in Test match bowling. He is a captain's dream in Asian conditions and he is a very capable 5th bowling option in conditions that do not aid spin (England & New Zealand, for example). He has done a magnificent job at containing run-scoring across conditions in the format.
#3 Axar Patel
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The left-arm spinner has taken a wicket in his first over in each of the three innings he has bowled so far in Ahmedabad 🔥
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Axar Patel has made a significant impact on the Indian team in his short Test career. He has taken 44 wickets in 8 Tests at an average of just 13.72 and a strike rate of 36.9. He concedes just 2.22 runs per over in the format and has stepped up perfectly for Team India in Ravindra Jadeja's absence.
Axar has taken 11 off his 44 wickets with the first new ball. His average is a staggering 8.18 runs per dismissal, an economy rate of 1.91 runs per over and a strike rate of 25.64. His dominance with the new ball was on display in the Test series between India and England in February-March 2021.
Axar Patel is a workhorse with the old ball - he has exhibited the ability to bowl long spells early on in his Test career. He is very similar to Ravindra Jadeja in the way they are used by their captains in red-ball cricket.