5 instances when batters reacted to spinners bowling bouncers ft. Rishabh Pant
It's not even a surprise anymore to see the enigmatic Rishabh Pant unfurl his assortment of unorthodox strokes against pacers and spinners alike. After all, the sight of the southpaw reverse-lapping James Anderson over the slip cordon remains vivid in our memory.
That's not all, though, as the Edgbaston Test against England last month witnessed a rare sight of a spinner sending down a bouncer. The bowler in question was Joe Root as he operated around the wicket to Pant, who was dictating terms while batting on 134.
Pant was in no way rattled by the delivery though, as he managed to swivel and help it on its way to the fine leg fence.
Pant isn't the only batter to have found himself on the receiving end of such a delivery.
In this listicle, we look at five instances of batters tackling a surprise bouncer bowled by a spinner.
#1 Andre Russell against Qais Ahmad
He wasn't expecting that 😅
Remember when Qais Ahmad bounced Andre Russell in last year's #AbuDhabiT10? 🤯
A brilliant bouncer, expertly evaded and casually caught by the keeper! 👏😎
#InAbuDhabi #T10Cricket #SportInAbuDhabi https://t.co/VVzrWe91uq
Qais Ahmad is one of the few spinners who willingly uses the bouncer to good effect. The Abu Dhabi T10 League 2019 saw the Afghan spin prodigy fire one at Andre Russell, catching the Jamaican off guard.
Russell, who was batting without his helmet on, had to take evasive action and was floored in the process. Still in a state of shock, he immediately signaled to the dugout for his helmet.
#2 Carlos Brathwaite against Krunal Pandya
During the second T20I between India and the West Indies in Lucknow in 2018, Krunal Pandya surprised opposition skipper Carlos Brathwaite with a bouncer in the 13th over of the chase.
A bemused Brathwaite took evasive action and ducked beneath it in time. Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik wore a gobsmacked look, as did skipper Rohit Sharma, with the ball racing to the ropes.
#3 Quinton de Kock against Varun Chakaravarthy
The incident took place in an IPL 2022 clash between the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Navi Mumbai. KKR's Varun Chakaravarthy first bowled a no-ball by overstepping before firing a bouncer to Quinton de Kock, who faced the free-hit delivery.
The South African tried taking it on with a pull but was beaten for pace as wicketkeeper Sam Billings did admirably well to prevent any sort of damage.
#4 Mark Boucher against Shane Warne
The late Shane Warne tried something not very unusual for him in a Test against South Africa in 2006. The Australian spin wizard tried foxing Mark Boucher with a bouncer pounded into the deck outside the off-stump.
Boucher, though, didn't hold back and pummeled the ball to the mid-wicket boundary to raise his half-century.
It is worth mentioning that the likes of Brian Lara and Kevin Pietersen were also on the receiving end of Warne's bouncers.
#5 Luke Wood against Marnus Labuschagne
Lots of love for the wristspin bouncer 🥰
Marnus Labuschagne keeping the batsman on his toes
#LVCountyChamp https://t.co/EMR1uLVDky
Lancashire's Luke Wood was on the receiving end of a Marnus Labuschagne bouncer during a County Championship match in 2021.
Bowling his leggies for Glamorgan, the Australian foxed the left-handed Wood with a bouncer from around the wicket.
Wood managed to evade it with a duck as wicketkeeper Chris Cooke was swift in collecting the ball without a fuss.
Also read: 3 hilarious moments involving Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma