Among Shane Warne’s numerous idiosyncratic quotes, one stands out like a beacon – “Part of the art of bowling spin is to make the batsman think something special is happening when it is not.“
Au contraire, batsmen too need to impede a spinner’s thought-process by getting into his head and coercing judgmental errors. Unlike facing the much quicker men, there are numerous methods to tackle spin bowling as well as different quadrants of the field to target.
However, the flip side of having multiple options may be observed from the accompanying indecisiveness pertaining to footwork. As a consequence, the art of negotiating world-class slow bowlers on dusty and rapidly deteriorating pitches can only be learned through experience.
Also Read: Top 11 Batsmen against pace bowling in the last four decades
Let us go through a list of such accomplished batsmen who kept spinners at bay in Test cricket. The following criteria have been taken into account when comparing the contenders.
- Considering the different types of pitches across the globe, more importance is given to runs scored in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and UAE.
- Exploits versus illustrious spinners who have proven track records carry greater weight.
- A higher preference is accorded to batsmen who have match-winning or game-changing efforts to their names.
- Because spinners generally come into their own in the second innings, a batsman’s value rises under such circumstances.
- Since it is not feasible to balance their statistics, cricketers who plied their trade on uncovered or ‘sticky’ wickets are not included.
- Consistency and the ability to take on the best in their prime are extremely crucial as well.
#10 – Alastair Cook
Surprisingly for an English opener, Alastair Cook looks more at home when confronted with spin bowlers. Statistically, he has already cemented himself as the most prolific non-subcontinental batsman in Asian conditions (as of July 14, 2016).
India certainly bore the brunt of his appetite for run-making during the famous 2012 series. Taking over the captaincy duties, he led from the front with three tons in consecutive matches and left Ravichandran Ashwin bewildered by unfurling the sweep shot as England took the series 2-1.
Another notable knock which came against the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan saw Cook resist the Sri Lankan wizard in a rearguard effort on a typical Galle surface.
#9 – Zaheer Abbas
Dubbed the ‘Asian Bradman’ for scoring an avalanche of first-class runs, the sight of a bespectacled Zaheer Abbas marking his guard would still be fresh in the eyes of India’s fabled spinners in the late 70s and early 80s.
Half of his 12 Test centuries blunted Indian bowling attacks, which employed spinners for majority of the day. Admittedly, the likes of Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Bishan Singh Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna had been on their last legs while Maninder Singh was still a fresh face.
But, Zaheer’s adaptability against the different types of spinners proved that his was an all-round game.
#8 – Mahela Jayawardene
Very few batsmen tackled the turning ball as gracefully as Mahela Jayawardene did. A major reason behind his dexterity was a home-grown technique which was built on dry and low pitches in the island country.
When the chips were down and the fielders buzzed around in anticipation, Jayawardene responded by maneuvering the field with serene inside-out drives. An underrated tactician, he had a keen understanding of dealing with and against spinners.
Aside from being the second highest run-scorer on Asian soil, Mahela’s 180 against Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar showed his temperament.
#7 – Rahul Dravid
Possessing seemingly endless powers of concentration, Dravid‘s sheer determination to overcome difficult situations is an example to modern-day batsmen on approaching the purest form of the game.
If one were to rewind the clock, VVS Laxman’s heroic 281 against the Aussies at Eden Gardens would not have been possible without the phlegmatic defiance of Dravid at the other end. Now, a man who holds the record for facing the most deliveries in Tests has to be equally proficient against both pace and spin.
Labeled by Harsha Bhogle as ‘the wolf who lived for the pack’, his career is besotted with numerous high-impact knocks in treacherous pitches. Perhaps, the only weakness lay in Sri Lanka where he averaged 33.10 from 12 matches with only one century and four fifties.
#6 – Brian Lara
Imagine Brian Lara in his pomp; the high back-lift, feet dancing down the track – all materializing into a perfect flow of the bat. It was all too common during the southpaw’s taming of Muralitharan in the 2001 series.
Though Sri Lanka whitewashed West Indies 3-0, they did not have any answer to his supreme artistry on their own pitches. Despite Caribbean conditions becoming more conducive to spin bowling in the latter part of his career, Lara continued to hold the fort.
If only he had played more than his 14 Tests in Asia, the ‘Prince of Trinidad’ might have captivated the subcontinent to an even greater extent.
#5 – Sunil Gavaskar
Without a doubt, the biggest benefit for an Indian batsman in having an early 70s debut was getting to face that spin quartet, day in and day out during practice sessions. And when you were someone as driven as Sunil Gavaskar, success became inevitable.
‘Sunny’ made hay irrespective of whether the sun shone or not, largely due to his unshakable faith in the sport’s textbook. Be it employing the sweep or driving through the covers, he could do everything with finesse.
The unique record of posting at least one 200-plus score in all four innings has only been achieved by him. Aside from decoding the deadly Derek Underwood both home and away, Gavaskar also showed how to bat on an absolute minefield in his final Test innings at Bangalore.
#4 – Younis Khan
One of those guys whose worth is only truly felt when he departs the scene, Younis has been a pillar in Pakistan’s batting lineup throughout his journey. Although he appears to be a jittery starter, the seasoned campaigner gets on top of the opposition once set.
In the fourth-innings, Khan’s average of 60.59 is the best among all those who have over 1000 runs (as of July 14, 2016). With the help of a mighty effective sweep shot, he preys on the frustration of spinners to assert himself.
His 267 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium to set up a series-leveling victory over an Indian team featuring the spin duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh was an astounding knock in every sense.
#3 – Virender Sehwag
A trend setter in his heydays, Virender Sehwag shredded the age-old belief of paying respect to the bowlers before getting yourself settled. Not the one to care about personal milestones, the marauder even dispatched Saqlain Mushtaq into the stands to bring up his maiden triple century.
The staggering aspect of the opener’s dominance against spin was his stroke-play in front of the wicket, rather than targeting the fine leg boundary. A career strike-rate of 82.23 means that when Sehwag got going, he sent bowlers scurrying for cover.
Some of those inimitable highlights include a majestic 201 at Galle, wherein his senior and more illustrious batsmen faltered against the mystery of Ajantha Mendis, to pull one back for India.
#2 – Kumar Sangakkara
During Kumar Sangakkara’s final Test series, Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews revealed that he had pleaded the run-machine to be available for a few more years. It was due to the fact that unlike most batting luminaries, the left-hander only seemed to get better as he approached the final phase of his career.
After entering the international circuit as a flashy wicket-keeper, Sangakkara gained prominence by growing in stature with each season. In particular, his compactness against the turning ball earned him an average of 61.54 in Asia, the highest among all batsmen with at least 2000 runs in the continent.
At a time when Saeed Ajmal was running riots with his variations, he peeled off four centuries within just nine months against Pakistan to prove that class outwits capriciousness.
#1 – Sachin Tendulkar
December 15, 2008 – India were still recovering from the gruesome terror attack in Mumbai when a 35-year old Sachin Tendulkar walked into bat at the MA Chidambaram Stadium with the entire country yet again turning to him for succor. What followed was an unbeaten century from the maestro which masterminded a daunting chase of 387 against Graeme Swann and company.
However, the 90s version of Tendulkar was even more riveting, courtesy his command over Shane Warne in conditions ranging from Chennai to Melbourne. Over the course of an extensive career, he reinvented himself by adding a few tricks like the finer paddle-sweep.
Sachin’s control over his shot-selection was complemented by a judicious defense. Above all, the ability to play spinners comfortably on either foot enabled him to conjure an enviable record of 33 hundreds as well as 9674 runs in Asia.
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