India Fall Back On Seam

Pacers Back To Oz Plan Of Targeting Stumps

- ​​​​​​​Arani Basu

English summer and swing bowling are synonymous. The ability to get the ball to cut through the air and beat the batsman is perceived to be the more easily accessible weapon in cloudy English conditions.

The New Zealand bowlers kept the Indian batsmen guessing through the first innings of the World Test Championship final with prodigious swing, as expected. On Tuesday, however, the Indian pacers were out to prove that you don’t necessarily have to rely on movement in the air to be successful in English conditions.

For the first 50 overs of the New Zealand innings on Sunday, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah tried to move the ball in the air. Their lines, in general, were wide of the off-stump as they looked for movement. The heavy overhead conditions did ensure their was some movement but it was nothing compared to what the New Zealand attack had derived. It was a grind and they got two wickets in 50 overs.