Sport - Cricket

Indian spinners should learn to bowl on good pitches: Prasanna

By S. Dinakar

Chennai July 6. There was that unmistakable magic in the air when he traded `punches.' Master of flight and loop, turn and deception, Erapalli Prasanna certainly was.

His bowling was often as bright as the brightest of sunshine lighting up the arena. So full of life, so full of joy, so full of possibilities.

The smiling assassin for India in the 60s and 70s, `invited' the batsmen to their doom, often selling 'em the dummy. An off-spinner of astonishing craft and brilliance.

``You have to `set up' a scenario' where he thinks, `I can step down and drive him.' Then you draw him out, beat him in the air,'' notes Prasanna with that unmistakable sparkle in his eyes.

It was almost as if he held the ball on to a string, such was his exemplary control. Prasanna, a key element of India's famous `spin quartet,' ended an illustrious Test career with 189 wickets in just 49 Tests that speaks volumes about his wicket-taking ability.

The 61-year-old Prasanna paid a visit to the MAC Spin Foundation here, where he, in an exclusive interview to The Hindu, dwelt on India's current crop of spinners.

Since the epic series against the Aussies in 2001, Harbhajan Singh has struggled to rediscover those heady heights, especially away from home. Now, ahead of a major Indian Test series in England, how does Prasanna look at the scenario? In particular, what has gone wrong with Harbhajan Singh?

Prasanna's answer is quick and precise — ``He has to spin more on good wickets. I feel he is `breaking' the ball more than really spinning it. They are two different things. And he is attempting to toss the ball rather than flight it. Look at Muralitharan. He is so successful, even in the one-dayers, because he spins the ball on any surface and bowls length, varying his line.''

However, Prasanna maintains Harbhajan has plenty of cricket left in him. ``He has tremendous potential. But he has to concentrate on basic off-spin on a length. The `doosra' or whatever you call the away going delivery, has only got to be the surprise weapon.''

He admits though that the Sardar is now forced to play a defensive role in a pace dominated Indian attack, which brings us to the composition of the bowling. ``To win a Test we have to get twenty wickets inside five days. You see this attack; there are three pacemen who are unable to consistently maintain pressure in both the innings. Now, Harbhajan Singh, being the lone spinner can only be a support bowler. It is not possible for him to attack under these circumstances. In India, he was the strike bowler.''

The lack of genuine all-rounders he says has affected the balance of the eleven. ``We had men like Vinoo Mankad, Kapil Dev, Salim Durrani and later on Ravi Shastri. Had someone like them been around now, India could still have played two spinners in England for instance.''

His thoughts on senior citizen of this Indian side, leg-spinner Anil Kumble? ``He has been a wonderfully committed player for India over the years. But you see, his main wicket-taking ball is the one he squeezes between the thumb and middle finger, it skids though faster and has won him a lot of dismissals. Now because of wear and tear, the same sting is no longer there in this delivery.''

What does it take then to succeed overseas? Are our spinners being defeated mentally by the conditions? ``They have to learn to bowl on good pitches. That is the bootomline. They have to bowl `at' the batsmen and not `to' the batsmen.

When you bowl `at' at the batsmen you are looking to get him out. When you bowl `to' a batsman, you are bowling to his strengths. You have to attack, draw him out. And you cannot get wickets without conceding runs.'' Prasanna makes his point emphatically.

Zeroing on young spinners, Prasanna feels left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, the most promising of the lot, should be a regular member of the side. ``He appears to have the ability. But he is in and out of the team.''

For Prasanna, it remains a simple game. ``The bowler has the three wickets to aim at, and the batsman has to protect the stumps. It is 80-20 in favour of the batsmen. Everything evolves from that.''

Well, Prasanna loved to keep things simple. Ask the batsmen, and they will tell you a different story!

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