by India was the ground that reduced even Shane Warne, the greatest desperation ever. “Shit, we’re stuffed,” Warne told his captain Mark Taylor. Sachin Tendulkar welcomed him by hitting straight fours, over cover and then through midwicket in his first innings at Chennai in 1998, en route to a match-winning 155 not out. In three Test tours here, Warne averaged 43.1.
Here, then, is a glimpse into the challenge Rehan Ahmed faces as an England leg-spinner in India. Only three men – Richie Benaud, twice, Adil Rashid and Denmark’s Kaneria – have taken 15 wickets in a series in India while bowling leg spin. All told, the average for overseas leg spinners here is 43.2.
Even Indian leg-spinners have been sidelined: “The lack of leg-spinners in India is a matter of concern,” read the title of a recent piece by former leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan. Subhash Gupte is the only classical leg-spinner to have taken 100 Test wickets for India; Anil Kumble and Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, bowling much faster, belong in a category of their own.
Indian pitches are often unwelcome with leg-spin. Wickets like that in Hyderabad, in the first Test, reward the accuracy of the finger spinners, more than the added mystery of the arm spinners. The curse of many pitches also damages leg-spinners, allowing batsmen to hit the ball while pitching or pulling back and reacting to the spin; Kumble and Chandrasekhar adapted with extra pace.
After a modest 2-138 off 30 overs in Hyderabad, England’s culture may partly explain Ahmed’s retention in Vizag: the regime’s recognition that continuity of selection helps to play fearless cricket. He also showed England’s faith in his talents; Ahmed’s formidable batting gives him value for the side even as he bowls at his best now. The wicket for the second Test, which offers more bounce and less spin than last week, also makes wrist-spin more valuable: India recalled their own wrist-spinner, left-armer Kuldeep Yadav.
All the speculation that Ahmed could end up being a better batsman than bowler gave a strong justification for his selection in Vizag. When he ended India’s second innings by inducing Ravichandran Ashwin to take on Ben Foakes, Ahmed took 6-153 from 41.3 overs; Warne took as many wickets only once in nine Tests in India.
It was witness to the delicate deployment of Ahmed Ben Stokes. Rather than using him in the traditional way of English leg-spinners – as a partnership, he quickly scuttled the attack after a few difficult wickets – Stokes ensured that Ahmed could swing wide spells. This allowed him to settle into a rhythm and show the tendency of lean spinners to show their variations too early, neglecting his stock ball.
At first, Ahmed had to wait. On the opening day, Ahmed was not introduced until the 60th over. But he bowled almost constantly for the rest of the day. With pitches in, some of Ahmed’s loose balls went for one, rather than a boundary; One of these fortuitously earned a wicket, when Srikar Bharat hit a long hop to backward point. The next day, Ahmed showed the wrist-spinner’s eternal worth as he lured the tail when Jasprit Bumrah went to leg-break to slip.
But in the second innings, with England facing a deficit of 143 runs, the rest of the attack tired after being given only two one-hour sessions, and Joe Root nursing a thumb injury, Ahmed’s use was much more significant. This time, instead of the 60th over, Ahmed came on in fifth place, at the end of the second day. Either side of lunch on the third day, he bowled an 11-over spell.
Ahmed’s uncertain start on day three, falling twice and being hit for four by Shubman Gill in the first over, highlighted that his leg-spin is a work in progress. At 19 and playing just his 15th first-class game, how could he not be?
But there was plenty of proof of England’s excitement. Ahmed bowled faster than in any innings of this series so far: about 1.5mph faster than in the second innings in Hyderabad, giving the Indian batsmen less time. Vizag does not have a Hyderabad spin; instead of spinning, Ahmed got more current. His three wickets gave a glimpse of Ahmed’s qualities: Rajat Patidar conceded a delivery that slipped him, but it was slower and bounced less; Bharat wasted a ball with more bounce.
The best of all was the last over: Ashwin facing an immaculate leg break, where Foakes took another brilliant catch. The ball that Ashwin dismissed was 55mph, 3.5mph more than the one that Patidar rib. He pointed out that Ahmed can bowl with extra pace and is developing subtle variations. Tempting googlies and unleashing the best spinners – especially for Ahmed, who has more to do with it than breaking his leg – Warne, once a 13-year-old Ahmed infatuated with, showed that the most valuable change of all can be made. less showy: a little extra pace, or bowling a little wider on the crease.
And so, after a difficult introduction to Test Cricket in India, this was an encouragement from Ahmed. Finishing the day hitting and cutting a couple of boundaries, having been promoted to the night hawk, Ahmed might be tempted to hope that the best of his Vizag Test is yet to come .
