Practice and Perfect

Questions are often asked about the behaviour pitch if a team is out for a paltry score. "How is the pitch?" "Is the pitch so bad for batting?"

Not many accept that the batsmen did not apply themselves and play according to the merit of the ball. For example, South Zone were all out for 157 against North on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy in Ahmedabad. They were 84 for eight and it needed their bowlers R Vinay Kumar and D Kalyankrishna to put up a partnership, the former emerging joint top-scorer. Often, it has been the bowlers who have made the top-order batsmen eat humble pie under such circumstances with their batting skills. And these bowlers hardly get quality time in the nets. How often do we see bowlers taking just throw downs from half-pitch from one of the support staff? The bowlers should also be given good batting practice in the nets. And it is the responsibility of the coach to ensure that the 'tailenders' face good bowlers, not just the batsmen who indulge in slow bowling or tired net bowlers.

When the team is in a disaster, the bowlers could be mightily effective. And practice makes perfect, didn't someone say?!