Left-Arm Spinners Dominate Indian Batters: Technique Flaws Exposed

The dominance of left-arm spinners in Test cricket against India has become increasingly evident in recent years, with the likes of Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner wreaking havoc on Indian batters. While the quality of pitches and the advent of DRS have contributed to this trend, there are also fundamental flaws in the technique of modern-day batsmen that have exacerbated the problem.

Former India batter WV Raman attributes the decline in batsmanship against left-arm spin to the T20 mindset, which emphasizes hard hands and a bat that doesn't come down straight. This makes the outside edge more vulnerable to balls that turn away. Rahul Dravid was a notable exception, but his ability to adjust his bat at the point of contact is a rare skill.

Sunil Subramaniam, another former left-arm spinner, believes that the tendency to play beside the line and jab at the ball is making modern-day batters susceptible to left-arm spin. This is in contrast to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, who rarely struggled against the ball turning away playing a defensive shot.

Subramaniam also highlights the importance of playing spinners from the hands, rather than trying to read them from the pitch. This becomes particularly challenging on sharp turners.

The absence of Cheteshwar Pujara, who possessed the correct technique to deal with left-arm spin, has further weakened India's batting lineup.

Tags: #Cricket, #LeftArmSpin, #BattingTechnique, #T20Influence, #DRS