Navjot Singh Sidhu shares step-by-step guidance for Indian batters to counter spin after New Zealand humbling

New Zealand recently became the first team to whitewash India 3-0 on Indian soil. Mitchell Santner took 13 wickets in the second Test in Pune, while Ajaz Patel bagged 11 in the third Test in Mumbai. Indian batters had no answers against their wizardry on surfaces conducive to spin-bowling.

After the Indian batters had a horrendous performance against the Kiwi spinners, former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu suggested some techniques to help them improve their game.

Former Indian cricketer Sidhu’s old advice on playing spin has resurfaced, and he added more to it with a four-point “playbook” for Indian batters on Wednesday, November 6. The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted some useful methods to tackle spin effectively and come out with better plans against some of the questions the Kiwi tweakers were asking during the recently-concluded series.

Sidhu firstly advised to “step out often to the spinner to clutter his mind, keep him guessing.” By advancing down the pitch, he suggests, batters can disrupt the bowler’s rhythm and foil their plans. His second point in an extension of this approach, encouraging batters to dance down the track only at the “point of no return”—the bowler’s point of delivery. “Ensure that you step out when he is at a point of no return (point of delivery); it comes with instinct and hours of practice,” Sidhu emphasised.

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Watch bowlers' wrist like a hawk: Sidhu

The 61-year-old continued with his suggestions, asking the batters to watch the ball closely from the hand before it is bowled.

“Watch his wrist like a hawk till the end [to] code the delivery,” Sidhu suggested, explaining that this will help batters to understand which way the ball will be turning and adjust their response accordingly. Lastly, Sidhu advised a little bit of a forward movement to keep both front foot and back foot shots ready to explore. “A small initial forward movement allows you to play the ball late and adjust going back and forth,” he explained, adding that committing too early can leave the batter in a precarious position. He warned that “lunge or commit, and you’re at the bowler’s mercy—a dying duck in a thunderstorm.”

India will now embark on a five-match Test tour in Australia and do not have a red-ball series at home in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. However, Sidhu's advice could be helpful for the Indian batters in the distant future.