Why it makes sense not to open the bowling with Zaheer

Zaheer has been Dhoni's go-to man throughout the World Cup

By Dileep V

Zaheer Khan has been the only frontline Indian bowler to have had made an impact in this tournament. That Mahendra Singh Dhoni relies too much on Zaheer is evident from the number of times he has been asked to deliver when the chips are down.

Zaheer has not disappointed, often breaking partnerships that threatened to take the game away from India. He is the lynchpin of the attack and the one whom the rest of the team looks up to at a time when his three fast-bowling mates, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel and Shantkumaran Sreesanth, have been huge disappointments.

With a World Cup final place at stake, using Zaheer’s 10 overs well would be the key to India getting past the unpredictable Pakistan. Dhoni has used Zaheer in a more or less a formulaic manner throughout the tournament. He opens the innings and bowl four or five overs in his first spell, two-three in the second spell - mostly after 30 overs - and finally the remaining overs in the batting Powerplay at the death. Common sense and observation tells us that he has done very well when the ball is old than when it’s new because of his brilliant ability to reverse swing. It’s imperative to use him when the conditions are best suited to his style of bowling and the game is hanging in balance.

The numbers below gives us an insight into Zaheer’s productivity with the old ball as compared to his opening spell with the new ball.

Of the 17 wickets he has bagged in this World Cup, only three have come in his first spell, two of which were against Ireland. His average is over 40 and strike rate 58 - which means he gets a wicket in almost every 10 overs in this spell. His only success here has been scalping his bunny Graeme Smith in the Nagpur match.

He is generally brought on for Over No 30 onwards for his second spell, where he has been very effective, if not destructive. His average as well as strike rate almost reduces to half of his first spell. Point in case being the important matches against West Indies and Australia where he picked wickets in the first over of his new spell to change the complexion of the game.

Chasing an achievable target of 268, West Indies got off to a great start through Devon Smith and were 150 odd at the end of 30^th over. Smith was batting superbly and had already forged a 63-run partnership with Ramnaresh Sarwan.

Zaheer is back in the attack for the 31^st over. He bowls a slower one, full length just outside off. Smith goes for the drive early, the ball moves in to hit the off stump. A set batsmen gone and India are back into the match. His two-over spell yields an important wicket at a cost of just four runs.

Against Australia, he removed Michael Hussey cheaply. Australia had lost Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke in quick succession and were looking at Hussey and Ricky Ponting to build a partnership, but Zaheer had other ideas. His new-found bare-knuckle slower one caught Hussey unawares, as he went for a expansive drive - à la Devon Smith - to see his stumps uprooted. His spell read 2-0-8-1; Australia didn’t have specialist batsmen to follow after Michael Hussey and folded up for 260.

His third spell has been even more productive. But then the spell has always come in the batting Powerplay at the death and when the batsmen are trying to hit the ball out of the park. Each time a batting Powerplay is taken, Dhoni always turns to Zaheer, and every time the left-armer has delivered. His economy of 4.6 at the death, with just three fielders outside the ring, is outstanding. 

The very best of it was seen during the tied game against England, who were cruising with just 59 required off eight overs and with two set batsmen at the crease. Brought back into the bowling attack after England had took the powerplay, Zaheer stuck gold with the wickets of Ian Bell and centurion Andrew Strauss in the same over, and castled Paul Collingwood in the following over to bring about a dramatic transformation in the game. India gave away just 25 runs in the powerplay, with Zaheer’s spell reading 3-0-11-3

In the game against South Africa, with 17 required off two overs, he bowled a tight 49^th over in which he leaked just four runs, but only to see Nehra fritter away the advantage by giving required 13 runs off the last over.

With Ravichandran Ashwin opening the bowling and coming good in the past few games, Dhoni can afford to use Zaheer with the old ball. He has proven to be very effective with it and this will only help the team. Bringing in a genuine swing bowler in Sreesanth - in place of either Nehra or Munaf - into the team will help in easing the problem. Sreesanth will be a perfect foil to Ashwin’s tight off-spin and will clear the way for Zaheer to be used at the right time. A five-over spell in the middle of the innings and another during the death will have its effect and will neutralize the ineffectiveness of the third bowler.

(Dileep.V is a Scouser fan, Sports freak, Movie buff, Laggard Quizzer and dreams of setting foot on Anfield one day)  

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