Where have all the spinners gone?

With every passing series, the search for that elusive species, a quality Indian spinner escalates. Although a few names have been bandied around in the recent past and a good many spinners tried, the search is not over yet.

Anil Kumble has taken the spot of No 1 spinner. It is pointless to talk about whether he has the ability to turn the ball or not. Comparisons with classical maestros are odious. At this stage it is irrelevant as Kumble has proven that he is India's No 1 strike bowler. One can shout from the roof tops about how he slides the ball through and does not let it turn. At the end of the day, when things are not going India's way out in the middle there is only one man to turn to - Anil Kumble.

Having got a quickish leg spinner as the No 1 spinner, India are on the look out for a good foil. Someone who can toss the ball up and tease the batsmen. Someone who can plot a dismissal on sheer spin bowling merit. Who's that man? Sunil Joshi? Nikhil Chopra? Harbhajan Singh? Murali Kartik? After much thought, one would have to say: none of the above. All decent spinners in their own right, but not approaching world class.

One is forced to wonder what's wrong. Speaking to V Ramnarayan, one of the most gifted off spinners not to have played for India, a few crucial points came to the fore. Firstly he says, "No one really gives the ball a good rip. You need to bowl every ball with the aim of turning it sharply. If you do that, then the variations will come naturally. No man can bowl two identical deliveries." There does seem to be a bit of an obsession with variation in cricket these days. Often, a spinner of Saqlain Mushtaq's calibre sends down more straight deliveries and top spinners than off spinners. Has the One-Day game in some way contributed to this? Ramnarayan adds, "When I used to play cricket, I would not try any variations for a long time. For the first eight or nine overs, I would concentrate on just landing the ball in the right spot. If you give every ball 100% and turn the ball, you will trouble the batsmen."

Well, but there is a bit of a premium on conserving runs. Ramnarayan counters this easily "If you toss the ball up and cannot turn it when it lands, you are asking for trouble. That's just an open invitation to be hit for six. Flight and loop alone will not get you wickets. "At the end of the day it seems like the issue is one of approach. Are spinners actually trying to spin the ball as much and as consistently as they should. In the Indian context the answer would be a resounding "no."

But there is a spinner who is at least trying to do that. Having already picked up over a 100 wickets in Tests, New Zealand's Daniel Vettori is refreshingly different in his approach. Though far from being a master of his art, Vettori is unafraid to throw the ball up and let it do its thing. Using an action that is conducive to classical left arm spin bowling, Vettori has all the elements, a smooth run up, high arm action, good use of the torso and most importantly fearlessness.

In what would be a turnaround, the Indians would do well to learn a thing or two from the Kiwi youngster.