"One problem that he has but Malinga doesn’t " - Ravichandran Ashwin pinpoints major risk with Matheesha Pathirana's action
Team India's ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently spoke about Sri Lankan and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Matheesha Pathirana's slingy bowling action.
While Pathirana has often drawn comparisons with Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga due to the similarities in their actions, Ashwin suggested that the youngster has a different angle of release, which could make him susceptible to injuries.
Comparing the bowling actions of Pathirana and Malinga, here's what Ashwin said in his latest YouTube video:
"One problem that he has but Malinga doesn’t have is that his angle of release is much lower. That puts immense strain on his back, and his front leg literally collapses when he releases the ball; the core gets worked up too much, and it is very strenuous. Lasith Malinga goes for a beautiful side-on position. His back and feet will be parallel to the crease. But Pathirana doesn’t get that. The action is breaking, it is rotating, and the torque is huge.
"In the recent T20I vs. Bangladesh, it felt like he was straining too much. His hamstring was gone straight. Many people do not understand that everything is connected to one another—his back and glutes, along with his legs. The biomechanics work together." he added.
It is worth mentioning that Matheesha Pathirana suffered a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka's three-match T20I series against Bangladesh earlier this month, which ruled him out for the third fixture.
"Gets into awkward positions" - Ravichandran Ashwin on what Lasith Malinga told him about Matheesha Pathirana's action
Ravichandran Ashwin also shared details about his conversation with Lasith Malinga regarding Matheesha Pathirana's bowling action.
He mentioned that the former speedster himself reckoned that Pathirana gets into awkward positions at times. Ashwin elaborated:
"I understand the complexity of facing him is different, but he’s facing different problems now. This might be just his early stages, and his body needs to fill up more, but he is getting into some dangerous positions and complications. In fact, I've worked so much with Malinga, and Malinga himself told me that he’s a great prospect, but he gets into awkward positions, which is what I feel."
Pathirana was CSK's death bowling specialist in IPL 2023. He was the third-highest wicket-taker for Chennai, finishing with 19 scalps from 12 outings at an economy rate of 8.00.