Published: Jan 06, 2016, 10:03 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 06, 2016, 10:03 AM (IST)
Matt Henry gave testimony of his liking for the One-Day International (ODI) format yet again when he dismantled Sri Lanka with a fifer at Mount Maunganui, to win New Zealand the series decider on Tuesday. Since the time of his arrival at the international arena Henry has raised eyebrows with sterling performances in ODIs. He hits the deck hard and hurries batsmen with decent pace but in the absence of lateral movement, Henry has fallen short in the Test format in his infant career. Rishad D’Souza feels the youngster can be lethal in white apparel cricket once he masters swing bowling. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 5th ODI at Mount Maunganui
Henry has been fantastic in the 50-over format. Still in the infant stages of his career, he has already played a crucial role in winning New Zealand an away ODI series against Pakistan in UAE and played a similarly crucial role in the Black Caps’ home series win over Sri Lanka recently. Barring, the ODI series in England were Henry was rendered ineffective and expensive by a resurgent England on flat batting tracks, he has been exceptional.
But the success that Henry has had in the ODI form has not been replicated by him in Test cricket. His numbers in Test cricket don’t make for pretty reading. In the three Tests he has played, he has picked 10 wickets at a poor overage of 49.8 and an equalling underwhelming strike-rate of 76.9. ALSO READ: New Zealand in 2015: A glorious year speckled by stinging heartbreaks
The 24-year-old relies heavily on the extra bounce he can generate by hitting the deck hard and operates at a convenient pace of about 135 kmph. When batsmen are looking for scoring shots with greater frequency, the excess bounce he generates often finds the edges.
However, the same does not apply in Test cricket. Batsmen are content to play defensive shots until bowlers are worn out and then can play their shots to less threatening bowling. To get wickets at the Test level you need greater stamina, extreme pace to induce fear or swing to create uncertainty and take the bat’s edge or disturb the timber.
Henry’s pace is handy but it is definitely not extreme. He can’t make batsmen hop in their crease haplessly and it would be preposterous to suggest he work on that area at this age. That leaves him with swing as an area of pursuit. Henry needs to add the magical touch of lateral movement in his bowling if he is to succeed in the Test arena.
Swing doesn’t demand a major change in levels of stress on body unlike an attempt to significantly improve pace. It is a skill that some are gifted with and others have to work on. It goes without saying that Henry falls in the latter category.
Learning the art of generating threatening swing can be quite frustrating and unrewarding. Sometimes it may even backfire. There have been bowlers who have cut down on pace in the search of more lateral movement and have ended up having neither. It is definitely not easy for most requiring great mental application and fortitude.
At 24, Henry still has the time to experiment. His country’s Test team is still screaming out for the want of a dependable third fast bowler and that should be the position Henry targets. He already possesses the other ingredients for success. With a little swing on things he could metamorphose into a true Test match-winner as he already is in ODIs.
(Rishad D’Souza, a reporter with CricketCountry, gave up hopes of playing Test cricket after a poor gully-cricket career. He now reports on the sport. You can follow @RDcric on Twitter)
