Match-ups are often talked about in international cricket and many teams plan their tactics accordingly to tackle the strategic moves from the opponent teams. For the unversed, the concept of match-ups are nothing but a set of data about a particular batter having an edge over a particular bowler or vice versa.
Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian veteran spinner, said that the players don’t need to follow match-ups and added that a bowler might need to go against a lot of batters over the course of time. The India spinner further said that the match-ups don’t work although they give a tactical edge to the teams.
“I think it’s safe to say that one end of the spectrum is to plan for all those things (match-ups), but as a bowler you need to constantly bowl to a lot of batters. I think it is a feature that’s existing, and it is definitely being developed. As a playing unit, to only believe in that and say this guy will bowl to this person, you can’t work like that. But I think it’s giving a tactical edge to teams,” Ashwin was quoted as saying.
The time spans are very short: Ashwin
Further, Ashwin opened up on the importance of being quick in the shortest format of the game and said that the time spans are very short. The 36-year-old said that players don’t have a lot of time to think about what delivery to come up with next and added that the spinners need to adapt to bowling at the end of the innings.
“Like I said, T20 is one sport where you need to adapt quickly and also respond quickly. You don’t have the time or the bandwidth to be able to think, assess, and deliver. The time spans are very short. Pretty much the roles have been the fast bowlers have set the tone. As a spinner coming in the back half 9th or 10th and then doing the job for the back end is a role that we have to adapt to,” Ashwin said further.
