Cricket

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.

Left-Arm Spinners Dominate India-New Zealand Test SeriesLeft-arm finger spin has emerged as a dominant force in the ongoing India-New Zealand Test series, with four left-arm spinners featuring in the first Test in Bengaluru. Ravindra Jadeja, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, and Kuldeep Yadav all played significant roles, highlighting the effectiveness of this bowling style against right-handed batters.Left-arm finger spinners possess the ability to bowl attacking lines around the wicket, bringing LBW into play. They can also employ negative tactics by bowling over the wicket and outside leg-stump, as seen in the famous examples of Ashley Giles against Sachin Tendulkar and Nilesh Kulkarni against Delhi.This advantage has made Ravindra Jadeja India's first-choice Test spinner, due to his smartness, fielding, and batting contributions. In the first Test, none of the four left-arm spinners were economical, indicating the challenging conditions for spinners.Despite having another left-arm spinner in Axar Patel, India has added off-spinner Washington Sundar to their squad for the second Test in Pune. This move is aimed at countering the four left-handers in the New Zealand team, as off-spinners can take the ball away from them.New Zealand may also consider playing Mitchell Santner in Pune, given the expected spin-friendly conditions. Indian batsmen have historically struggled against unfancied left-arm spin at home, making the role of left-arm spinners crucial in this series.