Mystery Spinners Ready To Bamboozle Batters As India Take On Pakistan On Slow Premadasa Track

Had mystery spinners Varun Chakravarthy, Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq watched the T20 World Cup match between Australia and Zimbabwe at the Premadasa Stadium, their hearts would have been thumping in excitement ahead of Sunday's marquee India vs Pakistan clash in Colombo. On a tacky, freshly-laid Khettarama (the original name of the Stadium) surface, Zimbabwe pacers used the slower deliveries to stifle the Aussie batters, eking out a shocking 23-run win on Friday. It is quite imaginable then the effect Chakravarthy, Ahmed and Tariq, owners of a craft steeped in mystery, can have on batters on such a deck.

Chakravarthy's switch from sidespin to overspin last year during the Indian Premier League improved his efficiency, considering his reliance on angles more than turn.

Along with the subtle changes in angles, Chakravarthy also bowls at a quicker pace than many other contemporary spinners - on an average 95 kmph. Though this track may force him to slow down his speed. "At such speeds and angles, length is more important. Varun has an ideal length. It's neither too short nor too full, so the batsmen cannot hang back comfortably and pull or come out confidently to play those big shots. He can create a lot of doubts in batsmen's mind with his lengths," former India spinner Sunil Joshi explained.

That just does not sound good for someone like Babar Azam, who now comes at No. 4 and falls perfectly into Chakravarthy's functional arc.

The former Pakistan captain still struggles to force pace from the word go, and the previous match against the USA offered the latest sample of his reluctance to adapt to the modern T20 game.

Babar took 20 balls to find his first six, and that's a rarity even in ODIs these days, so his task will be cut out against Chakravarthy, who hardly gives away any freebies.

But then Pakistan have a potent answer in their arsenal to Chakravarthy's sorcery - the unconventional Tariq.

His pause-and-sling-delivery method has already sparked a lot of talks in cricketing circles, and come Sunday the off-spinner will want to stop the formidable Indian batting unit in its tracks.

The more discerning will see some resemblance to former Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga, the OG slinger pacer.

"His action, the primary attraction of his bowling, allows him to keep the ball below the batsmen's eye line. So, it's not easy to hit him, it is almost like you are dealing with yorkers every ball.

"But more than that, Tariq is a mature person, who understands his game and reads the batsmen well. He has come through some struggles. The whole action and mystery just add to his personality," opined Nabeel Hashmi, the General Manager of Quetta Gladiators, Tariq's team in the Pakistan Super League, in an interaction with PTI.

Abrar has been de-mystified a bit and the Indian batters also have played against him a few times. But on a speed-sucking pitch like the one at Premadasa, the leg-spinner still can be a handful.

The 27-year-old relies on googlies and carrom balls to stun batters and 34 out of his 49 T20I wickets have come off those two balls.

Unlike more flamboyant modern leg-spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal, Abrar does not loop the ball to entice the batters, but he lands the ball on the stumps to create puddles of confusion in them.

The RPICS pitch here could be a perfect ally for him on Sunday.

"Premadasa can often give good help to spinners, if you have noticed how Sri Lankan spinners operated at this venue for years. You just need to pitch the ball in the right areas and the track here will do the rest. Spinners can easily put into play bowled or leg before dismissals here, if they find that right length," offers former Lankan spinner Upul Chandana.

So, who will find that right length on Sunday? Need to wait till Sunday night.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team T20 World Cup 2026 India vs Pakistan, Match 27