England spin duo looks to draw from past high in India
On their first tour of India, Leach and Bess hope to emulate Swann and Panesar
NEW DELHI: England spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess have played 12 Tests each after both made their debut in 2018, though they combined in a bowling attack only in the recent 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka.
Playing conditions elsewhere favour the pacers, and that has restricted them to supporting roles.
Left-arm spinner Leach, 29, played on the 2018 Sri Lanka tour as well while off-spinner Bess, 23, had his first experience of playing a Test in the sub-continent last month.
Come Friday, when the fourtest series against India starts in Chennai, that dynamic will change as spinners will be in demand in sub-continent conditions.
Leach and Bess can look back on a past high. The last time an England left-arm bowler and off-spinner teamed up in India, they helped notch up a famous series win.
That 2012-13 tour saw offspinner Graeme Swann (20 wickets) and left-arm orthodox bowler Monty Panesar (17) rally their team to a 2-1 win after losing the first Test. Emulating them though will be some task.
It is their maiden trip to India for Leach and Bess. In Sri Lanka, Leach took 10 wickets in the two games and Bess 12. Both had five-wicket hauls in the first Test but went wicketless in the first innings of the second Test. Both games were played at Galle.
Against India, the challenge will be far higher. “It does not get more exciting (than playing in India). A spinner taking wickets in the second innings (in Galle) is always a confidence boost. I probably am someone who is never happy. I felt the way the ball came out (of my hand) wasn’t exactly the way I would like it. I have to accept I haven’t had much cricket in recent times. Our sixday isolation in India just got over, and I’m looking forward to the training,” Leach said on Monday.
Since the turn of the millennium, England have been one of the best visiting sides in India, winning one (2012-13) and drawing another (2005-06) out of their five series. Panesar featured in the win and draw, apart from the 2008-09 tour that England lost 1-0.
“That’s the plan (bowling incisive left-arm spin). I definitely think I can make an impact. Not sure what the wickets are going to be like. We are not looking too far ahead. India have lot of right-handers. It’s a good thing for me,” Leach said.
Leach though does not want to copy Panesar.
“Those (Swann and Panesar) are the two bowlers I love to watch. I do see a lot of spin videos, try and learn. Monty bowled with amazing pace, strong pace. On spinning tracks that can be tricky. I am now going to be bowling at the same speeds, probably. For me, it’s more about how the ball gets there in terms of trajectory.
“There have been successful bowlers who did not bowl as fast as Monty. It’s about knowing what my optimum pace is, going up and down a little bit. From there, get as much energy on the ball (as possible). I always want to be as strong in my action as possible. Try and do things the way the wicket dictates.”
Bowling a leg-stump line
Panesar wasn’t the only England left-arm spinner to make an impact in India. In the 2001-02 series, left-arm Ashley Giles constantly bowled a legstump line—it was especially a tactic against Sachin Tendulkar—to frustrate the Indian batsmen. England managed to draw the last two Tests after losing the first heavily while Giles was criticised for bowling a “negative line”.
“That’s something we have talked about in Sri Lanka, definitely changing our angles (and) being adaptable within. I have been speaking to Gilo (Giles) on things he found helpful. I prefer to bowl round the wicket. But I would not want to change something just because someone else did. It’s about sticking to strengths, but yeah, it might be something we can use at some point for sure.”
India are back after a historic series win in Australia despite most of their firstchoice players sitting out due
to injury and skipper Virat Kohli returning home after the first Test.
Merely bowling a leg-stump line may thus not be enough to stop the hosts.
“We have been doing our analysis. We are getting to know how they play, the challenge they can cause. I had that experience with Angelo Mathews. I found it tough to bowl to him. It’s a good experience to draw on as we are playing India. It’s mainly about what I do. They have some of the best batters in the world,” Leach said.
“They’re coming on the back off a huge win in Australia. It’s a good opportunity to test ourselves against, on paper, the best side in the world. This is my first tour to India, so I’m eager to do well.”