IND vs ENG, 'Never play for turn on turning pitches' rotate strike: Anshuman Gaekwad

Cricket Image for IND vs ENG, 'Never play for turn on turning pitches' rotate strike: Anshuman Gaekw (Anshuman Gaekwad (Image Source: Google))

Former India batsman Anshuman Gaekwad was considered a 'wall' during his playing days for his ability to bat with patience and determination, be at Sabina Park in Jamaica against a furious West Indies pace attack, or against Pakistan on a Jallandhar pitch where batting was difficult.

Gaekwad, also a former India coach and chief selector, spoke to IANS on the second and third India-England Tests, played in Chennai and Morera, in which batsmen struggled. It came as no surprise that a lack of patience - a quality that Gaekwad oozed at the crease - disappointed him.

How do you play on pitches like the one in Motera, Ahmedabad?

Never play for turn on such wickets. On a good wicket, you can pick a line and put your bat there, the ball will come and hit your bat straight. But here, when you are not sure if the ball will come straight or turn, it is always good to play for a straight ball because even if it turns, then you will most likely get only beaten.

But if you play for the turn, then you are leaving a big void between bat and pad. Also, you don't push the bat towards the ball. Keep it close to the pad. Don't take it away from your body. If you do, you will end up in trouble.

Do you think the batting was poor in the third Test in Motera?

Both sides' batsmen batted extremely poorly. All those who got out, according to me, they got themselves out. Those were not wicket-taking balls. They got out playing bad shots. In the last [third] Test match, if you see, out of 30 wickets, 21-22 fell to straight balls. You saw all the top batsmen stretching but not fully.

On a turning track, you have to stretch full because that way you can cut down on the spin. You don't let it turn. If you get close to the ball, you don't let it turn. Picking the line is very important. You don't go across or go away from the line.

Read More