In the world of match-ups, India’s veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that it is not necessary that they work every time. Of late, we have seen captains refraining from introducing right-arm off-spinner against right-handed batters or a leg-spinner against left-handed batter. Ashwin thinks that the bowler needs to be ready for everything.
"I don't think players innately have to necessarily believe in matchups, but I think it's an area that teams and tactical edges are happening around," Ashwin said during the pre-match press conference on the eve of India’s must-win Super 12 clash against Zimbabwe.
In the age of T20 franchise cricket, data has started to play a bigger role. The analysts try to identify a particular batter’s weakness and try to exploit it with bowling changes that may lead to a breakthrough. On the flipside, batters are give roles and in order to tackle a particular bowler the batting lineup gets tinkered with.
"I think it's safe to say that one end of the spectrum is to plan for all those things (match-ups), but as a bowler you need to constantly bowl to a lot of batters,” the bowling all-rounder said.
While Ashwin feels that they work at times. He does not support the idea that a bowler should be taken off the attack just because of a particular match-up.
"I think it is a feature that's existing, and it is definitely being developed. As a playing unit, to only believe in that and say this guy will bowl to this person, you can't work like that. But I think it's giving a tactical edge to teams," he elaborated.
"You need to constantly know where the Achilles heels are and work on it and try and get better. You want to add that to your skills, be it with the bat or the ball," he added.
Ashwin also talked about the difference in Australian conditions. Currently, fast bowlers are getting more help from conditions when compared to spinners. Also, Ashwin has not bowled with the new ball like he has in T20 cricket on several occasions as Indian pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh have performed well in powerplay overs barring the Bangladesh clash.
"Pretty much the roles have been the fast bowlers have set the tone. As a spinner coming in the back half 9th or 10th and then doing the job for the back end is a role that we have to adapt to,” the 36-year-old said.
"It's not like I haven't done that role before. It happens in the IPL now and then. So, the demands of the game, what the situation is and what you have to deliver for the team is exactly what adaptations call," he concluded.
