Reverse swing: Starc brings back the old-school cool
New Delhi: On Wednesday night under the Kotla lights, the ball whispered, tailed and darted in reverse. In a format where power-hitting and flat decks have reigned supreme, Mitchell Starc sent out a cold reminder that old school skills still win matches.
The Australian seamer spearheaded a subtle but significant resurgence – one where, for a change, the batters were huffing and puffing but the bowler tilted the balance in his team’s favour and emerged on top.
Modern cricket has, on many instances, relied too much on variations, mystery balls, edgy bowling actions and match-ups, Starc brought back the basics — swing it, rely on the good-old yorker and back your skills. The result was a memorable win for Delhi Capitals after a Super Over.
“I just backed my execution, running in with a clear plan. Sometimes it comes off, a bit of luck goes a long way,” said Starc, who finished with 1/36, after the match. “I’ve played long enough for everyone to know what I’d do, but if I execute then I know I’ll get by.”
Reverse swing may have faded, but against Rajasthan Royals, it emerged again. And thanks to Starc, it has given bowlers the belief that it can become dangerous weapon in the game again.
Bowlers and captains saying there is not much one can do when a batter is batting at full tilt is a familiar sight in T20 cricket now but when batters and captains collectively doff their hat off to a bowler, you sit back and cherish it, simply for how rarely that happens.
Nitish Rana – the top-scorer for Royals (51 off 28) – acknowledged that it’s been a while since a bowler got the ball to swing like that. He said, “Reverse swing had completely gone away from cricket, whether it was red ball or white ball. Suddenly, if someone can execute 11 yorkers in 12 balls at a 145 [kph] pace, then you have to give Starc the credit.”
Beyond his reliable skills and experience, Starc’s clarity of role and communication with his captain Axar Patel helped deliver results. It is a positive sign that captains and bowlers are leaning into each other’s strengths rather than chasing matchups or overthinking plans.
Statistically, in terms of lengths, fuller balls and yorkers have generally had a lower economy rate at the death this year compared to the previous two season.
Even though the odd slower bouncer was gripping on the surface in the first innings, Patel noticed that it hadn’t been as effective for the DC bowlers. Starc and his captain were on the same page when it came to the bowling plans.
“When he executed the yorker against Nitish, I thought that instead of overcomplicating things, we should focus on the yorker. He also had the same plan,” Patel said in the press conference.
While Patel and Rana both credited the lifting of saliva ban as a big factor in his stunning performance, Starc believes it does not make much of a difference with the white-ball and does not prefer using it. And so, it was all down to Starc’s ability and execution.
Starc relied on his yorkers in the 12 balls he bowled in the last over and the Super Over and barring the two balls where he missed his lengths against Hetmyer, his execution was spot on.
“Getting reverse swing is one thing, but executing it is very important. It was reversing, but at that time, under pressure, he [Starc] was executing it,” Patel said. “I was just reminding him to be clear about the plans we made in the bowlers meeting, and trust himself. I was getting the same response: ‘Don’t worry, skip. I’ll do it.’”
It is easy for innovation to overshadow fundamentals but there is something timeless about the old ways. It needed the right amalgamation of skills, guts and clarity to pull it off but as Starc seamed in, ball tailing in and landing in the blockhole relentlessly, he didn’t just bring the fundamentals back — he made them cool again.