Many overs to bowl in the coming weeks © Wisden Cricinfo What does it take for a spinner to be successful in India
Lynn McConnell01-Oct-2003
Many overs to bowl in the coming weeks © Wisden Cricinfo
What does it take for a spinner to be successful in India? Daniel Vettori spoke to Wisden Asia Cricket about the challenges for him on New Zealand’s upcoming tour, and looked back at his career so far.Daniel Vettori became his country’s youngest Test player when he made his Test debut 10 days after his 18th birthday. Now 24, he has taken 142 wickets in Tests and 94 in one-day internationals, to become the world’s leading left-arm spinner.Why have there been so few world-class left-arm spinners in recent times? In other disciplines of the spinning craft there are the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Saqlain Mushtaq and Harbhajan Singh; but there aren’t many left-armers
I think you can blame Shane Warne for that! Since his arrival a lot of players have tried to copy him. It’s like in the 1980s, when the West Indian fast bowlers were around, everyone wanted to be a fast bowler. People try to copy successful players and you can see that now with the number of spin bowlers. Left-arm spin is not a forgotten art, but there are not too many around.Do you feel that Bishan Bedi’s point about spinners finding it more difficult to adapt to one-day cricket is valid?
Not really. I think it is more to do with the fact that if you are not on top of your game, the batsmen are in such an attacking frame of mind nowadays that you will get smashed. I don’t mind bowling in one-day games. You can either start getting cautious in your approach or you can be more competitive with your field placing and set men in places where you would not normally have them in a Test match. You get more chances in one-day games for wickets in spots where you wouldn’t have fieldsmen in Tests.Some would say that left-arm spin doesn’t allow for the development of the kind of mystique that the wrist-spinners have, or the offspinners who bowl the doosra. What chances are there for a left-armer to develop a mystery ball?
I think this goes back to the question about why there haven’t been so many left-arm spinners. People are intrigued by the variations that bowlers like Warne, Murali and Saqlain have been able to achieve, although I think some of these don’t even exist. I’m working on my bowling all the time and trying different things. I have nothing like a doosra but I do have a ball that I’ve taken wickets with in the nets, though I haven’t used it in a game yet.How many balls do you have in your repertoire?
I have four that I like to use in a game. The key is in mixing them up and changing your pace and loop. In the southern hemisphere, in countries like New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, the ball doesn’t do too much off the pitch and you have to try and beat batsmen more through the air. When you go to India or Sri Lanka you have to adapt and use the spin of the ball off the more conducive pitches, so it is a case of getting the balance right. But I enjoy bowling in India under their conditions.Do you sometimes feel like a standard-bearer for a declining craft? Does it get to the point where you have no one to talk to about where to take your bowling?
It would be nice to be regarded as the best spinner in the world, as opposed to the best left-armer, because there are not too many left-armers about. But yes and no about talking to a left-armer. I always find it intriguing to watch any spinner, but it would be nice to attract others to the left-arm craft. I’m lucky at Northern Districts [Vettori’s domestic team] that I have Matthew Hart there. We are always talking about trying different things and having him there makes it easier.There must have been times, especially over the last two summers, when you felt that being a spinner in New Zealand was a handicap?
The last two summers have been very tough. The wickets have not been up to standard and that has to be rectified. Before that we had some good pitches and we are hoping for a return to those. I know our batsmen are keen for that to happen. In 1999-2000 when we played West Indies and Australia, we played on some of the best wickets in recent times in New Zealand. They had a little bit in them for everyone and that made for good cricket. I also enjoyed playing on the WACA pitch at Perth a couple of years ago. We never thought it would turn there, and while the pitch wasn’t as fast as it had been, the bounce was still there and that made it enjoyable.New Zealand has had a reputation for its left-arm spinners, right back to Tom Burtt, Hedley Howarth, David O’Sullivan and Stephen Boock. Who has been influential in your development?
Well, I only saw Stephen Boock bowl among those players, and only a little of him. I love watching any spinner bowl and no one in particular has led me into it. I used to bowl medium-pace at school but that wasn’t getting me too far, so I bowled a little bit of spin and found that wasn’t too bad. No-one has really helped me; I did a lot of it myself.What do you see as the strengths of your bowling?
The fact that I vary it as much as possible. I have talked to batsmen in my teams about my bowling, about what was good and what wasn’t and what I can improve. I find that I like to bowl for the person at the other end. I have always enjoyed bowling with Chris Cairns, Dion Nash, Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey. And Paul Wiseman too. I enjoy the attacking from both ends, and while you mightn’t get the results yourself, there is just as much satisfaction if the other bowler gets the wicket, because you know you have contributed.Do you have a similar approach to your job match in, match out?
It varies from opposition to opposition; sometimes it is more specifically different for individuals. Captains can also influence that if they want you to go at someone in a certain way. Your relationship with your captain is pretty crucial. At the level down from international play your captain can make or break your career as a spinner. At international level most captains know how a spinner should be used. I started out as Stephen Fleming was beginning his captaincy. We have grown together and it has worked out well.How much has your approach changed over the years?
It would be quite interesting to look at how I did things when I started. I think I have changed a lot; I’ve become more settled. We play so much cricket now that I am not as nervous as I used to get; but you still do get nervous at times. I think of the second Test in the West Indies in 2002 when we were trying to save the game to win the series. And in Australia there were times when I got nervous, but it is mainly when you are fighting to win or to save a game. That is what you like and that is why you play the game, to experience those sorts of moments.Would you describe yourself as patient? Does the prospect of pinning a batsman down and working away at him have a special appeal?
I would much rather get them out in the first few balls! But really, there are so many good batsmen playing now, you know you are not going to roll through them. And you might have a strategy that you work to, but it might not be you that gets them out. If you are not patient, you are not going to help the side.When you see a batsman coming after you what does that do for your tactical plan?
You’d be lying if you say it doesn’t upset you. You have to instantly change your plan, and mix up your deliveries that bit more. One of the game’s big chargers is Matthew Hayden, but you try and deny him the chance. And when he did charge me, it was nice to be able to pick up his wicket.What is the most satisfying way of getting someone out?
Beating someone in the air. There is no better sight than seeing a batsman chipping the ball to short cover, or overbalancing coming down the wicket and getting out stumped. I did pick up Tendulkar that way once in India; it is a special memory.When you assess your performances, what have been the most satisfying results? Do they necessarily revolve around victories?
I think they do. After we beat England in the fourth Test at The Oval in 1999 I was extremely happy. We won the series and it was my best memory of an instance where everything came together as a team. You can take some satisfaction in a lost match where you have performed well, but I think most players would rather do their bit for the team cause to help in a victory. It has been a fairly successful era that we have played in recently and looking at the list of New Zealand players in your book, The First Fifty [about New Zealand’s first 50 Test wins], who have played in the most Test victories, myself and Craig McMillan are about sixth or seventh on the list, and to have done that as such young players is a good feeling.Who have been the hardest batsmen to bowl to, and why?
Tendulkar speaks for himself. He is a great player and his balance is so good. He knows his own game and can assess things immediately. Rahul Dravid is a classy player too, who doesn’t give his wicket away. He puts away the bad ball so well. He has all the shots but is so measured in what he does. Hayden is the most destructive batsman. He has all the shots. Mark Waugh was always hard to bowl to because he had no appreciation for spinners at all – he just looked to slog you. Herschelle Gibbs is another player who knows his stuff against spinners and is very organised in his batting.Going back to the spinners who have dominated in recent years, what are your impressions of them, their styles and tactics?
Murali is great because of his pure skills. He doesn’t need to get too technical and just bowls. Warne has changed since he started out – he is prepared to think batsmen out now. Saqlain and Harbhajan bowl to plans of where they want to get guys playing. They are so consistently good because they play so often. These are guys I watch and can relate to.Your next challenge is bowling in India. You’ve been there before and you know a fair amount of bowling is in prospect – obviously it is the sort of challenge any spin bowler looks forward to?
Definitely. In the last two home series I didn’t have a lot of bowling so it will be nice to go away. Spin bowlers can be dominant in India, and I know the players’ preconception is that we will have lower and slower tracks. There has been talk that India are trying to speed up their pitches, but we are expecting spinning conditions. I don’t get too worked up about prospects. I always find it hard to work myself up until I get to the ground and the match is due to start.What is the key in bowling to Indian batsmen, who generally have a better appreciation than most about playing spinners?
Patience and consistency are vital. If you bowl a bad ball they will kill you. Tie them down and they will get frustrated. You have to pull back a little on your attacking nature sometimes and dry the runs up so they make mistakes – then the wickets will come.What kind of adjustments do you need to make for India, and how variable are the surfaces you have struck there?
They are either flat or they turn. The biggest thing about India is getting used to the heat. We are used to the cultural differences; we have experienced that before, so there are no dramas with that, but the heat is the key. We have a good period of time there before we start playing so that should help us to acclimatise.When you look back on your start in cricket, what do you think?
I was extremely lucky to play so young and was fortunate that some experts took a punt on me. I was given good support and basically allowed to do my own thing with some guidance along the way. When I was injured a year or so ago it gave me a new lease of life and I’d like to think that I might have another 10 years or so of top cricket. I don’t think too much about what I might have done had I not made a career of cricket. I suppose I would have done the university thing, although I don’t know where I might have ended up.At what stage, given your youth at the time, did you feel you could compete with some of the great names in cricket that you were exposed to?
Again, I was lucky. In my second Test I bowled pretty well against England at Jade Stadium. They needed to score 305 to win the game and I bowled 57 overs to take 4 for 97, though England got there by four wickets. Then in my fourth match, against Sri Lanka, I took nine wickets, including a five-wicket bag, so that made me feel comfortable. I was not confident but I felt that I wasn’t out of place at that level.To bowl as many overs as you did in that Test at Christchurch was a phenomenal effort, but looking back how much of it was youthful enthusiasm?
I was knackered at the end of it. It was 57 overs in a day-and-a-half but a spinner should be able to bowl that many overs during two days of a match. I had bowled 40 or 45 overs in an innings several times when I was at school, so that effort was not a huge deal. I bowled most of the innings from over the wicket because the ball was turning square out of the rough. It was also Stephen Fleming’s first Test as captain and he let me do my thing, which was an encouragement too.Your back injury must have given you time to reflect about what you want out of the game. Is your enthusiasm still keen?
I came back from injury even stronger. If you keep getting injured it might drag you down. It caused Geoff Allott, Dion Nash and even Simon Doull to finish their careers early. But it has only renewed my enthusiasm.You’ve been part of some pretty special moments in New Zealand cricket. What have been the finest moments, for the team and for yourself?
The England series in 1999 as a team was pretty amazing. We won at Lord’s and The Oval for the first time and it was our second series win in England. From my own point of view, taking 12 wickets against a strong Australian team at Auckland in 2000 was very satisfying. We had come through the one-dayers pretty well and Eden Park was a good place then to bowl spin. It was exciting and everything fell into place for me. Sometimes you don’t get the breaks, but I got them there and though we didn’t win, it was still very satisfying.You have shown a fair amount of batting ability in the past – you had that Test 90 in Zimbabwe [1997-98]. Are there things you would like to do with your batting?
Batting is one of the most enjoyable parts of cricket. I have been disappointed with my average and some of the ways I have got out in the last few seasons, but I’m working hard. Stephen Fleming has been a great role model for me in the way he’s applied himself and it is quite an easy thing to follow him. It is exciting for the likes of myself, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Nathan Astle and Chris Harris who have played with him for so long. It makes you realise what a fantastic captain he is and what great rewards he has got for his hard work.What are the assets he brings to captaincy?
He has become so confident within himself as a result of the improvements he has achieved with his batting. He’s an extremely eloquent speaker and he gets his point across very well and is easy to relate to. He probably makes most of the guys feel confident about themselves and their game.Lynn McConnell is New Zealand editor of Wisden CricInfo