From knuckle balls to outright pace, fast bowlers are winning games for their sides in IPL 10

It’s been quite an interesting Indian Premier League season so far. Centuries have been scored, we have witnessed a last-ball finish, but most strikingly, batsmen have not necessarily dominated the bowlers, at least in the first half of this 10th edition.

Spinners have played their part. From the Afghan teenager Rashid Khan to India’s Yuzvendra Chahal, turn has been a buzzword for much of India’s home season, and it was never in doubt that it would cause some trouble for batsmen.

But it’s the fast bowlers who have been on the mark from the get go. The top-three wicket-takers in the IPL so far are fast bowlers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Andrew Tye have already picked up five-wicket hauls, the only two so far.

Varying lengths, change in line and reduction of pace: Fast bowlers without these facets can hardly be a success in the Twenty20 format. In a game that is stacked in favour of the batsmen, there is nothing much a fast bowler can do, albeit try something new every delivery and hope for the best. It is a notion that has been followed through the 10 seasons of IPL’s existence and continues unabated, a tried and test formula if you will.

Pacers this year, have followed this formula to the T this year, but the heartening factor in the past week has been the effectiveness of outright pace in shaping the outcome of games.

Top wicket-takers of IPL 10

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
M: 7; Wkts: 16; Best: 5/19

2. Chris Morris (Delhi Daredevils)
M: 6; Wkts: 12; Best: 4/26

Mitchell McClenaghan (Mumbai Indians)
M: 8; Wkts: 12; Best: 3/24

When Royal Challengers Bangalore were bowled out for a record low total 49, it was the pacers from Kolkata Knight Riders who did the deed. Incidentally, skipper Gautam Gambhir refrained from using a single spinner as they defended a lowly total of 132. Nathan Coulter-Nile produced a fiery spell, clocking well over 140kmph in nearly every over he bowled. There were no variations, no slow bouncers, it was sheer pace aided by swing that brought RCB’s famed batting line-up crashing down.

Mitchell McCleneghan had pulled off a similar effort a day earlier as he helped Mumbai Indians defend 142 against Delhi Daredevils with a clinical effort of 3/24. He used mixed his deliveries well, but used swing to his advantage.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar showed his immense control as he stole the game from under the noses of Kings XI Punjab with some clinical death bowling that included pin-point accurate yorkers and leg-cutters.

Rising Pune Supergiant too have prospered from the medium pace of their million-dollar man Ben Stokes. The Englishman played a key role in their three-game unbeaten run, which ended on Wednesday after he was benched because of a sore shoulder.

Tye was the first exponent of pace this season who struck gold. His range of variations and a potent knuckle ball helped Gujarat Lions earn a rare win early in the season as he bagged a hat-trick on his IPL debut, before bagging two more in the same innings.

Delhi skipper Zaheer Khan and teammate Chris Morris have also been impressive with their some intelligent pace bowling. Umesh Yadav too has looked to have replicated his form from the Test arena here, but well, T20 is different beast.

Pleasures of pace bowling

All these performances have been note-worthy and have managed to add extra character to the IPL this year. Fast bowlers have not just played supporting roles, before the spinners come in and make a dash or the batsmen launch into a big knock and stroll to victory. Fast bowlers are making their presence felt in an effective manner.

It’s no surprise that teams with a weak bowling attack are the ones who are languishing at the bottom of the table.

One of the pleasures of cricket lies in watching a fast bowler steam in and rip a scortcher at the batsman. This picture is hard to come by in the mad-rush for runs extravaganza that is the IPL, where big scores equal big entertaiment is the norm, a contest between a pace bowler and a batsman is hardly going to make one’s heart stop.

Dale Steyn, who reacted with amazement after KKR’s pacers orchestrated RCB’s dramatic collapse, would know it best. Considered one of the most fearsome fast bowlers of his generations, he has struggled to break the T20 code. His penchant for pace and swing has not quite worked its magic.

While bowlers who can vary their deliveries have prospered, even the likes of Lasith Malinga, with his slinging yorkers, swing and pace, have hardly worked.

Steyn, though, will take heart from the performances of Coulter-Nile and McClengeghan. There may be still hope.

Pace and Twenty20

In recent times, pace has hardly been a factor in T20 cricket. While pacers have known to strike occasionally, as they mix it up and sneak in a slower one, outright pace has hardly ever mattered in the briefest format of the game.

One would have to go back to 2009 World T20, when pacers actually dominated the batsmen. India were at the receiving end as England bowled a barrage of short deliveries to knock the stuffing out of the Indians, not only beating them, but knocking them out of the competition.

Since then the game and the format has evolved. Wickets are much flatter and bowlers have found more purchase from variations than from bending their back and aiming for pace.

But if the first half of the IPL’s 10th edition is anything to go by, there still might be hope. And there is no further vindication to this notion than a battery of pacers bowling out a team that includes Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle for just 49. The fact that the collapse occurred in India, known for its batting bastions and spin-friendly tracks, only makes the effort more noteworthy.

In the past few seasons, pace bowlers have been the captain’s go-to remedy to keep the opposition in check. Last season, nine of the top-10 wicket-takers in the IPL were all pacers.

The fact that this trend has transcended into this year is heartening. Teams this year have defended low scores and it has made for some intriguing contests and great entertainment. As we enter the second half of the tournament, it would be interesting to see if the story-line follows the same trajectory.

For now, one can regale in the few moments where the battle between bat and ball was played on an equal footing. To Steyn’s contentment there might be a few more games where bowlers win matches.