Legendary Indian cricketer and arguably the greatest ever batsman to grace the cricketing field, Sachin Tendulkar recently revealed his way of dealing with reverse swing bowling.
Reverse swing is a particular art of bowling wherein it becomes next to impossible for an amateur-level batter to guess the swinging direction of the ball.
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Usually a new ball swings in the opposite direction of the shiny side, which is normal swing, however, reverse swing comes into play once the ball has got old enough. Bowlers use the reverse swing to trick the batters into thinking that it's a normal swing. When the ball starts to reverse, it moves in the direction of the shiny side, exactly opposite of the normal swing.
During Tendulkar’s era, top reverse swing bowlers like Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, James Anderson, Dale Steyn, etc. were also at their peak. To deal with such top pacers, Tendulkar had to find a way to tackle the reverse swing.
In a recent interview with the Times of India (TOI), Tendulkar revealed the trick he used to deal with such legendary pacers.
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Sachin Tendulkar’s trick to deal with reverse swing bowling
Talking to TOI, Tendulkar revealed that he used to tape the ball from one side to practice reverse swing bowling.
During my playing days, I used to tape the ball up from one side. In season (leather) balls, we look for the shiny and the rough side and in the tennis ball, we would apply tape on one side and I used to practice reverse swing to face it in international cricket
The reason Tendulkar was so focused on the topic of reverse swing with TOI is the upcoming Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), wherein reverse swing would be an important element which will test the grittiness of the young upcoming batters.
The trials for the ISPL are set to begin in October while the league will kick-off in January 2025.
Tendulkar mentioned the importance of ISPL since it provides an important platform for youngsters to showcase their talent. “The ISPL is about giving a platform to those who may not have had the opportunity to showcase their talent. The tournament has brought the joy of the game to new audiences and opened doors for young cricketers across the country. It is my hope that the league continues to grow and make a lasting impact on Indian cricket, giving every player a chance to dream big,” Tendulkar said.
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