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regular-article-logo Thursday, 25 April 2024

Moeen is no Ashwin, says Monty Panesar

Ali has a nice delivery, but he doesn’t have that other ball which gets the batsman to commit early, feels the former England spinner

Sayak Banerjee Calcutta Published 02.02.21, 01:42 AM
Former England spinner Monty Panesar.

Former England spinner Monty Panesar. File photo

Jack Leach and Dom Bess are yet to be a “complete article”, so England would do well to bring back Moeen Ali in the XI for the coming Tests versus India, feels Monty Panesar.

According to the former England left-arm spinner, England’s policy of rotation may also see Leach or Bess rested that could allow a “fresh” Moeen to come in.

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“There could be a case of playing just one spinner and then you’ve to decide whether you play Leach or Moeen in order to strengthen the batting.

“Looking at their policy of rotation, they may even consider resting Leach and Bess. Moeen’s a good option as he can bat well and is fresh too,” Panesar, who played 50 Tests for England, told The Telegraph from Luton.

But how effective has Moeen been in Indian conditions?

Of his 41 wickets so far against Virat Kohli and Co., only 10 have come in India. The all-rounder’s bowling average in India (64.90) isn’t impressive either.

You can’t bowl the English length on Indian pitches, Panesar was clear in his assessment. “The lengths that you bowl in County cricket are slightly shorter. So you’ve to look to bowl fuller.

“The way the Indian batsmen step out and try to have a go at the bowler, the distance between the bat and where the ball lands is pretty close. On that basis, (overseas) spinners think they are bowling too full, so that’s the kind of perception Indian batsmen want to give to them to make them bowl a bit shorter.

“And when they bowl shorter, the batsmen pounce on the backfoot and cut. So it’s all about the attitude of bowling full.

“The objective is to make the batsman come forward every ball, and then you find your length and trajectory, which is slightly different to how it’s in England. On Indian pitches, if you’re looking to bowl the English length, I think it’s a bit too short,” he explained.

Elaborating on what keeps Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of Moeen in the subcontinent, Panesar added: “What Ashwin does is bowl closer to the stumps. He bowls one ball at 90kmph and his slower one is probably at 80kmph, while the trajectory is slightly higher and has got a bit more dip on it.

“The line stays the same and that’s how he tries to get the batsman out. He can bowl the stock delivery at 90kmph and get the batsman to plant his foot. Once that batsman starts planting that foot, he bowls at a slower pace and then it dips more, which helps him get the batsman out.

“Moeen also has a nice delivery, but he doesn’t have that other ball which gets the batsman to commit early — change in flight and dip as the ball comes closer to the bat. Ashwin has that delivery which gets him wickets.”

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