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Wanted: MRF Spin Academy

When people talk about what Indian cricket needs, they talk about the need for sporting wickets. The need for quality opening batsmen. The need for big match temperament. The need for improved fitness levels. The need for people who can think. And of course, the acute need for pace bowlers. But not Mr. Preshant Kesunur.

Mr. Preshant Kesunur believes India needs all that and more. That more being, spinners. And thanks to him telling me every single day I have known him, that the Indian spin cupboard is bare. That no one seems to talk about how what was once India's strength isn't necessarily so anymore. That no one seems to read much into the tragedy of us not having anyone good enough to bowl in tandem with Kumble. Or that Kumble, despite having performed disastrously in the just-concluded tour Down Under, still walks into the Indian side. Yes Mr. Preshant Kesunur, I agree. I agree. And what better place to get it out in the open than right here. Right now.

Okay, listen up everybody! Does anyone know where the so-called 'strength' of Indian bowling has gone? Does anyone know why we've never managed to find another set of spinners who come even close to, let alone be as potent as, the one we had during the days of Bedi, Pras, Chandrashekhar, Venkat, Padmakar Shivalkar and Rajinder Singh Goel? (The last two never played Test cricket and yet were streets ahead of every single spinner to have followed them and gone on to represent India in the years to come.)

Today, we have a situation where even mediocre performances and skills are good enough to get one into the Test side. Where calling oneself a spinner is a pretty easy way to land an India cap. Where spinner after spinner after spinner flatters to deceive. And not one is anywhere near as skilled or consistent or disciplined or even as hardworking as the men from the past. To put things in perspective, picking a spinner from Shivalkar, Goel and Kumble wouldn't have been easy. (Well, I'd certainly have a hard time deciding whom to pencil in.)

The last truly class spinner we had was Kumble. (And I say that in past tense only because, the Kumble today nothing like the Kumble at his best.) Before Kumble, we had Maninder and Ravi Shastri. Both touted at various points in time of being the next in line to step into Bishan's shoes. (Maninder, in particular.) And both not quite delivering on most counts. (At least as truly world class spinners.)

Come to think of it, the only other world class left-armer we had for any length of time was Dilip Doshi. A joy to behold. A master of flight, line and length, guile and discipline. Sure, not quite as good as the great Bishan Singh Bedi. But then, who was? Is? Pity, he wasn't handled in the best manner possible. (The fault for which lies with some very famous captains whose names and stories I won't get into.) And, of course everyone knows who came before Doshi. And how they dominated world cricket like no other spinners ever had and ever have.

In fact, the truly bizarre thing about the current situation is that India is the land that has given the world some of the best spinners of all time. Let's see, my top 10 spinners of all time - completely impromptu and based on a bit of gut feel - would have...Underwood, Richie Benaud, Shane Warne, Lance Gibbs, Bishan Singh Bedi, Pras, Chandrashekhar, Abdul Qadir and perhaps Saqlain Mushtaq or Murali and maybe even, Shivalkar. Yes, Shivalkar gets my vote for discipline and leech-like stickiness. I know, am a sucker for discipline. Which also happens to be why I'm so fond of Kumble. (Was so fond of Kumble.) And why I gave his place in the top 10 to Underwood. (Because Kumble has slipped on the one thing that made him so special: an incredibly irritating and effective, disciplined wicket to wicket attack.)

Actually, on the basis of current form and recent record, most people wouldn't pencil in a Kumble even in their current list of top five spinners in world cricket. (Unless of course, it's on Indian wickets.) I, for one, would have Murali, Saqlain, Warne, Mcgill and Vettori. (The fact that the tactically astute Australians have identified Vettori as a key player to target in the current series is as much a recognition of his skills as the amazing strides this surprisingly young cricketer has made in world cricket.)

So, as of today, here and now, we have no one to replace Kumble and his regular below-par performances on tours. Or for that matter, the strangely stagnant Joshi. Or the perennially-under-trial Harbhajan. Or the unfairly-labeled 'one-day player' Nikhil Chopra. Or any of the other spinners who either didn't live up to their initial potential or never managed to convince us with their (in)consistency. But who, unfortunately, still keep cropping up on the various 'probable lists' with monotonous regularity. And who the selectors are forced to play musical chairs with.

Our search for quality leg-spinners is no less despairing. So much so, that tried and failed names like Venkatapathy Raju still come up for discussion. (This after him having been given a fair shot at being the number one left arm spinner in the country. And not making the most of it.) Equally discouraging is the fact that his touted replacement Joshi is, at the ripe old age of the late twenties, still struggling to cement his place in the side. And without much success. While the other contender for the job, Nilesh Kulkarni, is languishing in domestic cricket and fighting to regain his place in the Indian side.

But the very fact that he has to fight for a place in this woefully under-performing Indian team isn't cause for much celebration. And doesn't say too many nice things about his development since he lost his place. (Not very long after he made his debut.) Here's hoping, both for the cause of Indian cricket and Mr. Preshant Kesunur's peace of mind, that our bright new hope of the season Murali Karthik will show us he's made of sterner stuff.

And if you thought we had problems finding a good leg-spinner to do the job, a quick dekko at the shelf titled 'off-spinner options' throws up few options. Our 'Great Sikh hope' Harbhajan has hardly come too far from the time he made an impressive debut. (With spirit, aggression and all.) If anything, he seems to have regressed. The fault for which must be shared equally by the player, his team-mates and the board for not having nurtured him well enough during the throwing and post-throwing days.

Not surprisingly, Harbhajan has never been the same again. But, Harbhajan is a young man. And on evidence of what one has seen, inside him, beats a very large heart. Which is all the more reason we can't afford to let him go the way of our other offie, Rajesh Chauhan. Another guy who made an impressive debut and went downhill. Which, incidentally, pretty much sums up the general off-spin scenario.

"But what about Nikhil Chopra?" Yes, what about Nikhil Chopra? Will someone please make up their mind on what they want to do with this very promising cricketer. I mean, here's a guy who seems to have the skill, temperament and will to go places. He's proved himself to be a good one-day cricketer. More importantly, he has proved he has the two Gs. (Gumption and Grit silly! But then, if some of the mail I get is to be believed, Indians are not the sorts with Gumption and Grit. Something Chopra proves otherwise.) But no, Chopra will not be tried in Test cricket. Because he seems limited. (Ah, so that's why he's used only in limited overs' cricket.) He may not have the guile to succeed in Test cricket. He may not be able to bowl long spells. He may not be a wicket-taking bowler. (Like the others are?) He may not do this. He may not...so, we'll stick to what's not working.

Of course, our spin cupboard is bare. We're too busy looking for fast bowlers. And openers. All the while, perhaps, ignoring even what little we have on hand.

And the less said about our recent crop of leg-break, googly bowlers the better. Who are the top leggies India has produced in the last 10 years? Kumble...Kumble...Kumble...Kumble! Why hasn't another leggie made the cut? Or come through the ranks and given Kumble a run for his money? Or maybe even the much needed support he could do with? Or...wait, speaking off competition for Kumble, there was one Sairaj Bahatule. Yes, whatever happened to Sairaj Bahatule! Where is Sairaj Bahatule? Who is Sairaj Bahatule? What Sairaj Bahatule?

Well, I do remember seeing a bit of him during the local Ranji matches, in some matches for the India A side. And in a couple of internationals. If anything, he turned his leg-break. He seemed to have a decent loop. He looked a competitor. And, if I remember correctly, he wasn't too bad a bat. He might even have been a good alternative to Kumble of today. Except, nobody knows what happened to Sairaj Bahatule. Just the way nobody knows what happened to all the spinners who were supposed to keep appearing out of nowhere. Yes, just like that. After all, this is India. The land of the spinners. (Yeah, right.)

Perhaps it's because we say to ourselves "...why worry about spinners? We've given them everything they need. Square turners. Uneven bounce. And dust bowls from day one. They'll come through the ranks. They have to. What more could they ask for?" Perhaps we don't realize that all square turners do, is inflate the talents of the tweakers on display.

Spinners don't learn things like bowling long hours, sorting batsmen out, plotting and planning their wickets and other such qualities that go into making world-class spinners. All square turners do is make spinners lazy, impatient and indisciplined. And the results just go to prove it. (How many of our spinners have proved even moderately successful on tours? Yes, that's right. Very few. So if anyone still thinks the way to produce quality spinners is give 'em square tuners, now you know.

What you will get from our current lot of pitches though, are more batsmen who are great players of the turning ball and absolute novices on all other kinds of wickets. Pace bowlers who'll aspire to be nothing more than medium pacers. And 16-wicket wicket hauls from debutantes who'll never quite make the cut. (Remember Narendra Hirwani?)

You're right Mr. Preshant Kesunur, what this country needs is a MRF spin academy. And a MRF opening batsmen academy. And a MRF wicket-keepers academy. A...nevermind. The point is, people still think spin is one area we don't have to worry about.

I don't think so. And neither does Mr. Preshant Kesunur.

Armchair Expert