Spinning a web

S Rajesh

INDIA v WEST INDIES, 6th ODI, Jodhpur

Throughout this series, West Indies had plundered fours and sixes galore, but today, on a pitch that required grafting, their batsmen failed. At Baroda, they made 160 runs in boundaries, allowing them to overhaul a target of 291 despite playing 155 dot balls.

Here, with only 60 in boundaries, their 158 scoreless deliveries hurt a lot more.

Only Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Carl Hooper adapted to the conditions in the West Indian innings. Twenty-seven percent of Chanderpaul’s runs, and 37% of Hooper’s, came in boundaries; yet, Chanderpaul’s 58 came from just 64 balls, while Hooper scored 38 from 29. Together, they ran 49 singles – more than half the singles taken by West Indies – and allowed only 29 deliveries to go runless.

India’s highlight was a far better bowling effort. All the bowlers showed admirable control – 84% of all deliveries were on good length or slightly short – but Murali Kartik’s performance stood out.

Eighty-five percent of his deliveries landed on a good length or slightly short, and six out of nine full-length balls were yorkers. Not only did he plug the runs, he also looked most likely to take wickets.

In his first spell of seven overs, the not-in-control percent against him was 33.3%. Not surprisingly, he took three for 17 in that spell, and was instrumental in handing India the early initiative.

S Rajesh is sub editor of Wisden.com in India.

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