Ever since England, arguably (and officially) the best side in the world, arrived in Dubai for the much awaited Test series against Pakistan, there has been plenty of talk about off-spinner Saeed Ajmal’s new mystery ball – the teesra (the third one). And so, when the first Test got underway last week, plenty of curios minds were looking forward to Ajmal – to see whether or not he would deliver the mystery ball. Whether he possesses the teesra or not is a different question altogether. The fact is that, as things ‘turned’ out, he didn’t even need to try something out of the ordinary as the Englishmen succumbed to his usual variations. Strauss, Petersen, Bell, Morgan, Broad, Prior – most of the big names in the visiting camp were unprepared to face even Ajmal’s tried and tested deliveries, the regular off spinner and the doosra.
Returning to the teesra question, it seems more of a mental disintegration tactic being tried out by Ajmal and less of a lethal weapon in his armoury. And, anyways, it has been proven over a period of time that mystery balls are overrated. Remember, Saqlain Mushtaq made a big name for himself with his doosra, picking up plenty of wickets initially. However, towards the end of his international career, his inability to strike despite possessing the famed delivery proved to be his undoing.
In recent times, the case of Ajantha Mendis stands out as the best example of how over dependence on one wicket-taking delivery can ruin a bowler’s career. Mendis stormed onto the scene with his mystery carom ball, which bamboozled even the wizards of spin bowling, India. Legends like Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman, all failed to read his variations and succumbed to him incessantly during Mendis’ debut series. That was about four years ago. Today, he is not even a certainty in the playing eleven for Sri Lanka. For the record, even Shoaib Akhtar boasted of having developed a special delivery to get rid of Sachin Tendulkar during the 2003 World Cup. He gave it an awesome name – spit rock. The result – on the day of the game he was pounded all over the park by Tendulkar.
There is another problem with Ajmal’s teesra, if he does possess it. His bowling action has been under constant scrutiny, and even though the ICC has cleared him, it wouldn’t hesitate to do a recheck in case Ajmal starts bowling a teesra. And Ajmal would want any such hindrance at this stage of his career, when he is at the top of his game. He should keep the case of former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik in mind, who lost his bowling ability owing to the constant examination he was subjected to due to his action.
If Ajmal’s teesra sensation is indeed a tactic to get under the skin of the Englishmen, which seems to be the case, it is a masterstroke. As it is, England are far from the best players of spin. And, who knows, this whole teesra talk might well have unsettled them during the first Test. Just like the Indian batsmen in Australia were waiting back for dreaded bouncers which rarely came, English batsmen might have been unsettled, wary of the unseen delivery which never came. Whatever be the case, England’s capitulation has given a major boost to the Pakistan team, and a much needed one at that considering the ugly things that have transpired in the interim.
That Ajmal, with his ten-wicket haul, played the major hand in the win reiterated that he is among the better spinners in the world currently. However, he needs to keep on performing consistently, and in all conditions to be rated the best unanimously, and not just based on rankings. After all, the teesra tactic may have worked against England, but there is no guarantee that it will have the same impact on other nations.
By: The Pinch Hitter
Ever since The Pinch Hitter was introduced to cricket at the age of nine, he fell in love with the gentleman’s game. While his desire to take up the sport professionally remained unfulfilled, he substituted the bat with the pen. And since 2003, he has been commenting on the sport for various magazines, websites, enjoying every moment of it. With ‘Over the top’ he hopes to continue enlightening and enlivening ‘cricket companions’ the write way.
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