3 min readOct 26, 2024 03:21 PM IST
First published on: Oct 26, 2024 at 03:19 PM IST
Virat Kohli’s feet rarely ever leave the leg-stump line these days, especially when new to the crease. Most Indian batsmen rarely press across to get in line of the ball, and end up playing away from the body. Such is the apparent effect of DRS on their batting techniques.
The front leg goes almost straight down the leg stump line – either forward or back – and they end up using their hands to try to ward off the turning ball. On a normal pitch, it might work, but on turners, it means they rarely ever get anywhere close to the line of the ball. Their waving hands are unable to effect the jail-break and they get handcuffed into stabbing the ball to waiting palms around the bat. And this was the reason for India’s second top-order batting collapse in the Pune Test.
In the second innings, as opposed to the first, Yashasvi Jaiswal tried his best to put the DRS-lbw out of his mind, repeatedly getting in line of the ball, letting his front leg get forward and across. He trusted his defense and the attacking options kept presenting itself. Just as New Zealand batsmen did in both innings, repeatedly pressing forward and across towards the line of the ball.
The other Indians were loath to allow such self-expression. Not many have the game to go down the track to defend/attack, or press back to create their own length. With both these options out of their game, it then becomes a game of sitting ducks: staying beside the line, worried their pads don’t get in the way, and hoping their hands help them get out of trouble. And unsurprisingly, they have tumbled down in Pune.
The shocking image of the day came from their best batsman of spin Sarfaraz Khan’s dismissal. Even he couldn’t trust his technique, stayed away from the ball, and his last-instant jabbing-down of the bat couldn’t prevent a regulation turner from a left-arm spinner pegging back his off stump. A left-arm spinner’s delivery from round the stumps that lands on off stump line and turning towards the off stump shouldn’t be hoodwinking an otherwise fabulous player of spin. Such has been the state of affairs against spin on turners in the Indian camp that even Sarfaraz has succumbed.
The writing was on the wall once India’s most attacking batsman of spin was out due to run-out, courtesy a poor decision by Kohli to call him over for a risky single after tapping to the left of a left-handed fielder with Rishabh Pant’s running fitness not a state secret. Unsurprisingly, as seen in the last couple of years, India’s best resistance of spin on such pitches have come from the lower order in Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, and Axar Patel, who have a better technique to the turning ball.
India vs New Zealand: Virat Kohli’s feet rarely ever leave the leg-stump line these days, especially when new to the crease. (BCCI) 
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