Top 5 bowling variations used by Ravinchandran Ashwin are crucial to understand how the game of cricket is progressing. Bowlers need to keep adding to their skills, as batters are getting more aggressive. Batters play extraordinary shots today and bowlers need to counter those tricky and cheeky shots.
Ravichandran Ashwin is a crafty off-spinner with a bag full of tricks to deceive batters. He thinks about the game and reads match situations perfectly. Ashwin can control the middle overs with his accuracy and can also pick wickets at crucial times. In Tests, he is one of the best, especially in India, where wickets suit his bowling style. If you are into online cricket betting, then keep an eye on talented bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin.
Top Five Bowling Variations by Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin uses his variations smartly to fool the batters. The top 5 bowling variations by Ravichandran Ashwin are as follows:
Off-Spin – Conventional Delivery
This is the stock delivery that Ashwin uses to dismiss batters. He will use it consistently, especially in test matches that take place in India. In white-ball cricket, Ashwin uses many variations, as bowling only off-spin makes him predictable. He also spins some off-spinners less than others, and that creates a lot of doubt in a batter’s mind.
On Indian pitches, if a good off-spin is bowled at the start of the innings, then there is a great chance that the bowler might get a batter out for a duck.
Carrom Ball – Spins the Other Way
This delivery was probably first introduced by Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner, Ajantha Mendis. Ashwin uses this delivery especially against lower-order batters who fail to pick it up and play down the wrong line. The carrom ball spins the other way as compared to the off-spinner. Ashwin uses the middle finger to flick the ball from its right side; this makes the ball go from leg to off for a right-handed batter.
Ashwin stunned a class batter like Hashim Amla in the T20 World Cup 2014 with a carrom ball that got him bowled comprehensively.
This is one of the key bowling variations of Ashwin and he is consistent in delivering these Carrom Balls.
Top-spin – Extra Bounce
This is a great variation to have and one that requires a lot of practice. The ball is intended to bounce more than spin. Top-spin is especially useful on pitches that offer some bounce. This variation becomes a deadly option in countries like South Africa and Australia, where pitches offer some bounce. With extra bounce, a batter is likely to misjudge the ball and often gets caught out by close-in fielders. Sweeping against a top-spin ball is also a dangerous option, as a batter will likely get a top-edge.
Slider – Quick and Shade of Out Swing
A slider is especially used when the ball is new. It is kind of a gentle outswinger and is a handy option to have when the batters are looking to go after a bowler. The seam position of the ball is just like that of an outswinger, pointing towards the first slip for a right-handed batter.
Ashwin uses this option when he opens the bowling in T20 cricket. The new ball will have a pronounced seam, which makes sliders a threat.
Leg-Spin – Spins from Leg to Off
Leg-spin is completely opposite from off-spin. In off-spin, the ball moves from off to leg for a right-hander, while in leg-spin, it moves from leg to off for a right-hander. Ashwin uses this variation sparingly, as it requires a lot of control. He will use it when nothing is happening or at the end of the day when a batter is trying to defend.
Spinners with Variations who are Hard to Pick in Modern Day Cricket
There are many talented spinners currently who are hard to pick. Some of them are as follows:
- Rashid Khan
- Sunil Narine
- Varun Charavarthy
- Suyash Sharma
Concluding thoughts on the top five bowling variations used by Ashwin
There are many variations that a spinner can add to his repertoire. Many modern-day batters have great skills to counter the regular spin options, and that is why bowlers need to outsmart them with skillful variations.
Ashwin has mastered some variations, and other bowlers like Rashid Khan are also honing their skills to stay one step ahead of their opponents.
