The sight of short balls troubling batters in an Ashes series being played in England has come as a massive surprise for former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif. With such a ploy being executed successfully on a continual basis, it is certainly contrary to expectations with respect to both the format and the country.
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A tactic that has been used particularly during the ongoing second Ashes 2023 Test at Lord’s has been very successful so far. It has already played a part in 11 out of the 25 dismissals until Lunch, Day 4. In the first innings, the Australian bowlers used it to perfection against English batters who just surrendered in trying to counter short balls aggressively.
Such a bowling ploy being accompanied by appropriate fielding changes is surely strange in this part of the world. With an overcast London sky in the background, everyone expected the swing bowlers to have a say but the scenario has been completely different in the match as of now.
Mohammad Kaif Surprised By Short Balls Troubling Batters In Ashes 2023
Kaif took to social media platform Twitter to express his thoughts regarding bowlers behaving as if this Ashes series is being played in Australia. England is one of those places where bowlers try to bowl fuller lengths and hit the stumps to make the most of swing-friendly conditions.
Is this Ashes in England or Australia? Never imagined the short ball will be so effective in a country where bowlers generally try to hit the top of off stump. #ChinMusicAtLord‘s #Ashes
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 1, 2023
For those who don’t know, there is a huge difference in pitches in England and Australia. The tracks in Australia have a lot of bounce and that’s why shorter bowls are used frequently on those surfaces. On the other hand, there isn’t that much of a bounce on English wickets. Hence, dukes balls mostly assist bowlers in generating the required amount of swing.
The clay content plays a major part in deciding the nature of the track. In England, the clay content is around 30-35%, whereas it’s a minimum of 40% in Australia. The higher clay content makes the soil stronger and therefore results in bouncier tracks.
How Many Batters Have Been Dismissed Against The Short Ball At Lord’s?
A total of 11 batters have been dismissed against short balls till now. The English team had a brilliant start in their first innings. As soon as Australia switched to bowling short balls, the whole situation changed. Opener Ben Duckett’s dismissal was a very big moment in the game. He was batting on 98 when a compulsive pull off pacer Josh Hazlewood’s led to his dismissal.
Former England captain Joe Root also became a victim of a short ball. A total of five English batters threw their wicket away in almost similar sort of deliveries in the first innings. English bowlers have also used the same in the best possible way in Australia’s second innings. Four of the initial five Australian wickets (including that of vice-captain Steve Smith) have come on shorter deliveries.
