Santner perfects the 1-2, Guptill fails in approach

We've all been talking about the importance of bowling quicker on a slow Indian pitch like Kanpur. The importance of bowling quicker in the air can't be overstated because once the pitch gets slower, it's considerably easier for the batsman to negate deviation off the surface. So much so that even if you misread the length and go forward to a short ball or go back to the full ball, there's time to change your shot and offer a defensive stroke. But how easy or tough is it to bowl quicker? Also, how quick must you bowl without compromising the guile in the air and accuracy on the pitch? Talking to Ashwin at the end of third day, he said while it's critical to bowl quicker, it's more important to know your optimum pace and how quick is not too quick for you. For Jadeja, bowling quicker isn't an issue because his action and body are tuned to bowling at a much faster pace. That's not the case with Sodhi or Craig and therefore their attempt to bowl quicker leads to bowling either too full or too short too often.

We witnessed a new tactic from Williamson on day four. He had always placed a midwicket for Mitchell Santner but on the fourth day, he chose to leave the area vacant. There's enough turn available on the pitch to challenge the batsmen to go against spin but for this plan to work, the line must stay within the stumps. In fact, it wouldn't have been a bad idea to pitch a little outside leg occasionally but keeping it on a good-length area - too short or too full would make it easier for the batsman to work it in that area. In the first 30 balls that Santner bowled, India's batsmen left alone 11 deliveries, which shows that the line was a little outside off. But two balls changed it all: first ball of the 57th over pitched on the leg stump and spun viciously. Vijay defended the ball well but the doubts arose. Next ball was a little outside off but the turn off the previous ball prompted Vijay to plant the front foot slightly across. This one didn't spin. The ball that didn't take Vijay's wicket was more important than the one that did, and it happens very often in Tests.

On the fourth day, Sodhi went around the stumps for the first time and immediately got the scalp of Pujara. The ball pitched outside leg stump - in the footmarks of the bowlers, spun and found the outside edge of Pujara's defensive bat. The dismissal brought to the fore another interesting aspect of modern day batting. The law states that if the ball pitches outside the leg stump, you can't be given out irrespective of the fact if you've offered a shot or not. Kicking balls pitching outside leg is also a habit, which gets developed if you do it quite often. Since Pujara's defensive shot wouldn't have produced a run, there wasn't any harm in just offering the pad. Incidentally, Pujara isn't alone - no one has employed this tactic in this match thus far. In the first three and a half days, spinners from both sides have bowled a fair amount of deliveries in the rough outside the batsman's leg stump but only three of those were offered the pad.

The same sequence that happened with Vijay repeated itself but in the opposite order: straight ball followed by the one that spun. The straighter one hit the pads that led to a vociferous appeal, almost forcing Rahane to plant the leg straighter and push with hands off the following ball. Once again, the ball that led to the wicket was more important than the one that fetched the wicket. Just that it's really difficult to stitch such deliveries together.

Since reverse swing has been missing, yorkers have been rare too. There's been 93 overs from seamers in this match so far but we've seen only three yorkers. Wagner has bowled all three. The batsman in me was wondering the futility of such a tactic. After all, a yorker will take the pitch out of the equation completely. That's when a chat with Zaheer cleared my doubts. He was of the opinion that unless there's reverse swing available, most medium-pacers are likely to stay away from yorkers. Only the fast bowlers - who bowl in the high 140s - are expected to use their extra pace as a weapon in spite of the lack of swing in the air.
Verdict: For a yorker to be effective, you either need the extra pace or some lateral movement in the air.

The way a batsman approaches the innings on a turning pitch is a good indicator of his mindset. While it's advisable to have a positive outlook, it's imperative to give yourself some time. Guptill had played only four balls before attempting a heave off R Ashwin, a shot that suggested that he was a little too concerned about the impending turn and bounce. When you walk into bat on a rapidly deteriorating pitch, you tend to feel that it's unlikely to get easier and therefore you try to force the pace yourself. And it happens more often on a dust bowl than on a green top, even though both pitches pose the same threat. It's a little tough to remind yourself that it does get easier if you manage to stick around (you'd need some luck to do so) for a few overs. Since homegrown Asian batsmen don't react in the same hasty manner, it's fair to assume that it has something to do with the confidence you have in your own game against spinners.