Cricket’s coaching manual will tell you that as a bowler, you should take your front arm up before pulling it down and rotate your bowling arm from as close to your ear as possible before releasing the ball. But the game wouldn’t be half as exciting if every player did things by the book, would it?
Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of players with unorthodox bowling actions. From South Africa’s Paul Adams, Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, Pakistan’s Sohail Tanveer to India’s very own Jasprit Bumrah – they all enjoyed success in their careers despite their unusual styles.
There’s one other such current cricketer who pushes the envelope at every opportunity. He’s one of the best off-spinners of his generation but Ravichandran Ashwin’s bowling action can often catch you off-guard.
The 32-year-old is known to experiment with his craft and doesn’t hesitate before slipping in leg-spinners or even medium-pace deliveries just to mix things up. Not just that, he even keeps switching between a front-arm and an open-chested action to confuse batsmen.
On Monday, Ashwin introduced the world to a different kind of delivery altogether. During a Tamil Nadu Premier League match, he ended up bowling a ball without using his front arm. It seemed to be a harmless delivery, tossed-up in the air gently, but it ended up getting him a wicket.
Here’s the video of it:
Well, we’re living in a time where the formats are getting shorter and the fans keep craving for more entertainment. Ashwin’s wicket-taking experiment from Monday is certainly an attractive addition to the game.
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