Former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan criticized spin coach Sairaj Bahutule after Ravi Bishnoi’s costly no-balls against England, calling it “a crime” for a spinner and urging a re-attack on the fundamentals of leg-spin.
IMAGE: Ravi Bishnoi conceded 60 runs, including 29 in a decisive 17th over, with three backward no-balls during India’s loss to England. Photography: BCCI
Former India player Laxman Sivaramakrishnan questioned Team India’s spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule for not correcting Ravi Bishnoi’s widening run, which resulted in repeated back-foot no-balls during India’s four-wicket loss to England in the second T20I.
Bishnoi conceded 60 runs in four overs and cut the return crease three times, including twice in the 17th over that produced 29 runs and turned the game decisively in England’s favour.
Key points
- Laxman Sivaramakrishnan criticized spin coach Sairaj Bahutule, saying Ravi Bishnoi’s back-foot off-ball passing should have been corrected during training.
- Siva said spinners should always be attacking bowlers, not defensive options, and lamented the decline in leg-spin skills.
- He believes that Indian spinners should aim for at least four wickets collectively during the middle overs in T20 cricket.
“A player should not bowl a no-ball. It is a crime. And for him to bowl a no-ball with his back foot, cutting the return crease, is something that should have been noticed in the nets.
Sairaj (Bahutule) should have noticed his run first and observed whether he was overstepping or cutting into the return crease. The first thing to look at is bowling a legal delivery and then bowling a legal delivery,” Sivaramakrishnan said.
The former India player said that a player committing fouls at the international level reflects a lack of proper guidance.
“One of the first things you notice in a bowler is avoiding no-balls, especially in the case of a spin bowler. Bowling a no-ball is a huge offence. And committing it in crucial overs shows a lack of proper guidance and observation on the part of bowling and spin bowling coaches,” he said.
Sivramakrishnan also felt that modern players had become too defensive, unlike greats like Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and Anil Kumble.
“You’ve seen Chandrasekhar, you’ve seen Anil Kumble. They rarely or never bowled no-balls. A leg-spinner should never be a defensive option. It should always be an attacking option. But lately, leg-spinners are mainly used as a defensive weapon. That mentality and attitude needs to change because they are losing their skill development,” he observed.
He stressed that T20 matches are won and lost in the middle overs and expected specialist spinners to make decisive breakthroughs.
“So spinners generally bowl overs seven to 15. If your two spinners bowl four overs each, you must pick up at least four wickets between them. Even if you bowl nine per over, that’s 180, which is chaseable.
“Four overs, 36 runs and two wickets each should be the ideal analysis because you are dismantling the middle order and avoiding partnerships. For that, the spinner has to be attacking and be able to spin the ball on any surface,” he said.
The 60-year-old also questioned the quality of spin training available to young players. For the record, Sivaramakrishnan will soon train youngsters in small groups.
“There is a lot that most coaches don’t know about leg-spin bowling. Having had several conversations with Shane Warne, I have gained a lot of knowledge about how he approached leg-spin bowling. That is something I maintain with the spinners I coach,” he said.
When asked if he would be willing to work with the BCCI if approached, Shivramakrishnan replied in the affirmative.
“Yes, I am open to serving the BCCI, be it in the Center of Excellence or with the India A teams. I would like to work with young spinners because once bad technical habits become ingrained, they are difficult to change. If the technique goes wrong, over time the bowling will also be affected,” he said.
Describing his coaching philosophy, Sivramakrishnan added: “It’s about getting the basics right, consistency and discipline. The number of good balls you hit in the nets gives you confidence, and that confidence helps you in match situations. If you consider me, I will work on both mentality and approach.”