India vs South Africa: Peppering tailenders with bouncers now an accepted tactic
Both the Indian cricket team and the South African cricket team have employed the tactic of bowling bouncers to tailenders so far during this season, leaving behind the unwritten pact bowlers had to test only the batsmen and not each other.
It was an unwritten pact but understood and agreed upon by all fast bowlers --- bouncers would be reserved to test batsmen and not each other. This India-South Africa series though, it looks like the gloves are off as tailenders have been subject to a barrage of bouncers. (IND v SA highlights)
On Monday, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami fell to the rising delivery while R. Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah took blows as a result of concerted effort from the South Africa pacers to dish out chin music to the lower order. (IND v SA full scorecard)
Kagiso Rabada welcomed Ashwin to the crease with three nasty bouncers, the last of which was still rising when it hit his left thumb, leaving the off-spinner grimacing. Bumrah was hit on the helmet by a Morne Morkel bouncer that he had taken his eyes off early.
But he should have expected it after trying to bounce out Morkel in Cape Town. Even Mohammed Shami had bowled short at Dale Steyn, prompting hostile roars from the stands at Newlands.
Peppering tailenders with bouncers used to be a thing with the West Indies pace quartet before it quietly died out in the 90s.
In recent days though, it looks like teams have revived that strategy, be it here or in Australia where players from the past and present had a heated debate on the use of short-pitched bowling at the lower order.
Former England captain and Times columnist Michael Atherton was the first to draw attention to this issue after James Anderson was hit on his helmet in the Boxing Day Test. But it has had very little effect on the pacers’ mindset.
In the Newlands Test, Rabada and Morkel were seen bowling round the wicket with a short-leg and leg-gully. The tactic and field placements were repeated at Centurion as well.
It might look gruesome and even unfair from a distance but fast bowlers have accepted that this is the reality. In fact, Rabada had admitted some time back that it was a tactic to get the tailenders out. “I think the golden days are gone where there was a fast bowlers’ truce,” Rabada had said during the Newlands Test.
“I don’t know if it would be introduced again. But obviously tailenders are not good at short balls and it is a just a tactic to get them out. Sometimes there could be blood for you but it is just a tactic. Well you have to expect it and go out and face the music and you are going to dish it out.”