Working towards a spin revival

With the famed Indian spin attack failing to deliver the goods on pitches other than the dusty mud tracks of the sub continent, many a debate has cropped up in recent years as to whether the art of flight and guile is now brain dead and ready for cremation. But a certain VV Kumar seems to disagree on this and has set out on a mission. The MAC Spin Foundation, under his watchful eyes, started out to revive this seemingly lost art. The objective? To bring the golden days of spin bowling back from oblivion.

It has been argued that the mushrooming of the one day game has caused the decline in standards in this department. Kumar, his 65 years sitting lightly on him, took up the cause to try and set things back on course. But as Kumar points out, there is more to it than meets the eye. These days, even at the grassroot level, a spinner is asked to bowl a lot flatter and a much restrictive line which can only prove detrimental to any young practitioner of the art. Bowlers who held out promise, lost out when given chances in the international arena chiefly on this count.

Kumar is determined to bring back the spinner who is willing to attack. One of the main criteria for admission into the academy is the ability to really give the ball a tweak. The other objectives of line and length can be moulded, assures the former Test leg spinner. It takes just a few minutes at the academy to find out that Kumar is the chief architect behind the MAC Spin Foundation's success story. A hard task master, he bowls, fields and engages in a constant chatter with his wards, all the time giving them invaluable tips.

The one practice session during the day - from 4 pm to 6 pm - is not only about constantly bowling while concentrating on the line of attack. ``The boys should be made to think'' he says while turning at the top of his mark, ready to send down a leg spinner (or is it a googly?). Now and then his raised voice is heard: ``Look at where you are bowling, he is new to the crease so don't make him play in the V'' or ``he is well set, can you afford to bowl him a long hop?'' whenever a trainee errs in his line. The striking aspect here is that he devises mock fielding positions and gives a particular situation for the bowler even while at the nets. This excercise does not end at the nets with just simulated fielding situations. The weekends are dedicated to matches wherein the bowlers are given a situation to bowl. This is one real test for a youngster to not only enhance his bowling skills but also to develop his mental capacity to outwit the opponent.

It is said that half the battle is won more in the mind than on the field. Besides the mental aspect, the other important aspect that Kumar emphasizes during training is that the player would have to be made to work on the real match situation in order to get their minds tuned for the battles that lie ahead.

It takes years and years of practice to become a leading practioner of the art. But in a manner of speaking, spinners are like wine. The older they are, the better they become. ``The point is spinners don't mature overnight. It is a long, tedious process which takes 2-3 years to develop and to get to know the nuances of spin bowling it takes about five years,'' affirms Kumar.

The couple of hours I spent at the Foundation watching the master at work with his young brigade of spinners left the lasting impression that the art and the artist are never separated. Somehow one got the distinct feeling that it was only a matter of time before some of these very trainees would be venturing out to recreate Kumar's magic, a spinner who could make a bunny out of the best of the willow wielders. The sun was setting as I left but for once, I was convinced that it would not be long before Indian spin would rise and shine again in all its pristine glory.