IPL 2018: Indian version of Lasith Malinga on Mumbai Indians' radar
What's the story?
The true legacy of any great cricketer largely stems from his influence on those watching the game. In such regard, Lasith Malinga has now transcended nationalities and spawned a replica in India. Armed with a slinging bowling action like the Sri Lankan pace stalwart, Tamil Nadu's Athisayaraj Davidson is knocking on the doors of an IPL contract. The 25-year old is set to attend a trial with Mumbai Indians on Wednesday.
"Slinging action was something natural for me. As a kid, I played a lot of tennis ball and rubber ball cricket. It transformed into league cricket. TNPL has helped me figure out bowling in this format. I started watching Malinga's videos to understand how the slower-ones can be delivered with effectiveness. I'm comfortable bowling in the death bringing in my variations. I know that I have chances of taking wickets with the batsmen trying to be more aggressive", Athisayaraj told TOI.
He hoped, "A lot of people have told me that I could get into the IPL this year. It would be great if I get a chance this time. However, I'm not keeping that in mind. The T20 performances in Vizag (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) have certainly given me the confidence that I belong at this level."
The background
After beginning his professional cricket career with Globe Trotters in 2015, Athisayaraj first came into prominence during his stint with Albert TUTI Patriots in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).
The heart of the matter
Upon rise through the ranks to break into Tamil Nadu's T20 team, Athisayaraj has impressed onlookers with his dynamic skill-set in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. From five matches in the South Zone leg of the tournament, the right-arm fast bowler picked up ten wickets at an average of 14.10 and economy-rate of 7.83.
In the pulsating match against Karnataka, Athisayaraj thrust him into the spotlight by picking up five wickets at the cost of 30 runs. Even though Tamil Nadu lost that particular clash by 78 runs, his performance received applause from various quarters. Consequently, IPL heavyweights Mumbai Indians have called him up for a trial on the 17th.
Hailing the timely inputs provided by former Indian team seamer and Tamil Nadu bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji as well as MRF coach Senthilnathan, Athisayaraj revealed that his slingy bowling action came naturally to him. In order to improve his potential, he alluded to watching Malinga's spells and deciphering the intricacies of varying his pace.
Parallels from history
This is not the first instance of an aspiring bowler aiming to replicate Malinga's quirky slinging action. During August 2015, former Pakistan seamer Mohammad Akram unearthed a left-arm version of the Sri Lankan icon from Sukkur.
Afraz Khoso, whose bowling action bears an uncanny resemblance to Malinga, has not been able to sustain his progress and climb through the echelons of Pakistan's domestic circuit.
Author's take
One of the major reasons for Malinga's remarkable limited-overs career has been his trademark slinging action. While his international future may hang in the balance, a possible successor to the seasoned 34-year old may have just emerged from the other side of the Indian ocean.