Cricket
Cricket
9 tips for leg spin bowlers from youth cricket star Ravi Bishnoi
The leg spinner from Jodhpur explains how he gets the most out of his bowling and what young leggies can do to emulate his success on the pitch.
A few years ago, Ravi Bishnoi was taking time off to throw balls on the sidelines of the Spartans Cricket Academy in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Still in his teens, those were the days when he aspired to be a medium pacer. But on this particular morning, Bishnoi tried his hand at bowling leg spin.
His coach, Pradyot Singh Rathore, observed him from a short distance away. He had always had his concerns with Bishnoi bowling medium pace. He felt that his short stature and lean frame didn’t generate the necessary pace. In that moment, he realised that leg spin suited Bishnoi well, and for the rest of the day, he encouraged Bishnoi to continue bowling leg spin in the nets.
Ravi Bishnoi
© Shagun Lunia
Those early days under the watchful eyes of his coaches, Rathore and Shahrukh Pathan, laid the foundation for Bishnoi and his leg spin, which has made him one of the most promising spin bowlers in the country today.
He had a stint in the nets with Rajasthan Royals in 2019, where he bowled to the likes of Sanju Samson and Krishnappa Gowtham. The following year, he helped India finished runner-up at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, where he finished with the most wickets in the tournament at 17. Later in 2020 he put on a stellar show for the Punjab team in India’s biggest T20 franchise league with 12 wickets to his name in his debut season.
Bishnoi’s unconventional bowling action and quicker deliveries have been the key for him over the last few years, even as he dreams of playing for the senior India team someday.
“It was difficult at the start and I didn’t get a lot of things right. The continuous guidance of my coaches and their moral support was crucial for my progress,” Bishnoi recalls.
He considers consistency – bowling regularly in the right spots – to be the key for a leg spinner’s success. Bishnoi says that if a leggie can crack this particular aspect of bowling, they can be a lethal force to reckon with. He also believes variation to be essential in order to keep the batsman guessing, which means mixing up the deliveries in an over. Over time, he has developed key weapons in his armoury such as the leg spin, googly, flipper and the top spin.
Here, Bishnoi presents his thoughts on how to be an exceptional leg spinner.
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Tip 1: Get the right grip on the ball
The most common grip for a leggie is where two fingers are on top of the ball and two are at the bottom. While bowling leg spin, you must release the ball from above the wrist, with the arm a little to the side. The third finger (usually the ring finger) is essential to generate spin on the ball.
Ravi Bishnoi
© Shagun Lunia
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Tip 2: Practice pitching the ball in the correct area
You must pitch the ball depending on what the situation demands and how the batter is playing. What also matters is how short or tall the batter is and what their strong zones are – the region where the ball must be pitched and the amount of bounce to be generated depend on these things. While bowling to a batter whose playing style is unknown, the most dangerous delivery and also the safest spot to bowl would be in line with the stumps. These are the deliveries that are most difficult to defend.
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Tip 3: Use flight to keep the batter guessing
Generating flight on the delivery is critical when bowling to a new batter at the crease. If a batter looks set in the middle, the idea is to get them to play the ball consistently and then mix it up with a flighted delivery. There is a good chance that the batter will look to hit the ball, leading to deception or a mistake and eventually, their dismissal.
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Tip 4: Find your most comfortable angle of release
“I release the ball from very close to the ear and from the 12 o’ clock position – this is good for straight balls and googlies. For leg spin, the arm must be a little wide while releasing the ball – say between the 1 and 2 o’ clock positions,” says Bishnoi.
Ravi Bishnoi at Spartans Cricket Academy
© Shagun Lunia
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Tip 5: Bowling from the wrist vs bowling with the fingers
Both are equally important for leg spinners. You need to use the fingers for spin and also involve the wrist while releasing the ball. There are a few bowlers who use only fingers, a few who only use the wrist, and a few who use both. Using both the wrist and fingers helps generate the most dangerous deliveries because it is difficult for the batter to read the ball and understand how much it will spin.
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Tip 6: Inject pace in your deliveries
It all depends on how the match is placed – how the batter is playing and what the situation demands. If you are bowling to a new batter, bowl slow to them. If it’s a set batter, bowl a faster one and then mix it up with a slower delivery in between.
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Tip 7: Find your ideal field placement and situational field placements
“A lot of leg spinners don’t use short fine leg, which I like. Otherwise, the preferred field placement is two points, one cover, one slip, one short midwicket, and four outside the circle. For the last few overs, I like to use two points, one cover, one short fine leg, and five fielders outside the circle,” says Bishnoi.
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Tip 8: Use a run-up that is most comfortable for you
“Each bowler prefers a run-up depending on what momentum they can generate while releasing the ball. Shane Warne had a shorter run-up, while on the other hand, Anil Kumble had a longer one. I prefer a longer run-up as I can generate more push from my body while releasing the ball,” says Bishnoi.
Ravi Bishnoi
© Shagun Lunia
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Tip 9: Bowl according to the pitch conditions and the type of batter
A spinner prefers a wicket with some trimmings. Once you bowl a few deliveries, it is evident whether the ball is skidding or digging into the wicket, whether it is seaming or spinning. But I also think that the delivery depends more on the batter than the wicket – if they can play the faster ball well, bowl slow at them. And if they can play the slower ball well, it is good to bowl fast at them.
