Indian batsmen undergo unique drill to deal with spin ahead of Mumbai Test

The focus of a Test series in India nowadays very often is on the pitches. There are predominantly two schools of thought on how the home team must prepare pitches – one, that believes India should play to their strengths and create spin-friendly pitches, and the other, that India should produce neutral pitches for an equal chance for both teams.

Irrespective of where you stand on this debate, there is a common consensus that the pitches for the New Zealand series and the ongoing England series are way more sporting than the ones for the South Africa series last year that really brought this matter into the spotlight.

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What one often forgets is that India’s biggest advantage – their spinners dominating on these pitches can also turn out to be their biggest threat, as the opposition’s bowling have an equal chance of doing as much, if not more damage to the Indian batting order.

Thus, it is heartening to see India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar create a very unique drill for the Indian stars to focus on coping with spin. The video released by the BCCI three days prior to the fourth Test in Mumbai highlights the ‘coloured rubber ball’ drill that the Indian batsman have been subjected to.

As is clear in the above video, the batsman have 5 differently coloured rubber balls, each with its own specific purpose, and each to be played with a different shot. The reason for the rubber ball is the fact that it has a tendency to bounce more, ensuring the Indian batters are adept at getting on top of the ball during the game.

As explained by Sanjay Bangar –

Red – Ball would be full. The batsman would have to get on to his front foot, get to the pitch, keep his hands low to smother the spin and bounce

Blue – Come down the wicket and play towards mid-off

Yellow – Different footwork requiring the batsman to get to the pitch of the ball and play the on-drive

Orange – Slightly shorter, so it is difficult to defend. The batsman would have to get down and play the sweep shot while ensuring the back knee is in contact with the ground

Green – Get to the pitch and go over the top

Indian captain Virat Kohli looked comfortable as he went through the drills in commanding fashion. With this training, India look set to fend off the spin threat offered by Adil Rashid, Gareth Batty and Moeen Ali in the fourth Test.