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No team can win a Test match without taking 20 wickets from the opposing team. Sometimes taking all 20 wickets on batting friendly pitches is impossible despite the hard work of the bowlers. But on the other hand, on some occasions, a Test match ends within three days in unplayable conditions for the batsmen.
Both pacers and spinners play their role in their respective conditions but in Asian conditions, spinners have mostly dominated.
Spinners are the unsung heroes of cricket, especially in Test matches played on the varied and often challenging pitches of Asia. The pitches here are known for their unique characteristics, including low bounce and prominent turn, which appeal to spin bowlers.
Unlike the fast and bouncy pitches of Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, Asian conditions reward the subtleties and finesse that spinners bring to the game. In countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the dry and dusty nature of the pitches makes them more prone to cracking as the match progresses.
This distortion creates rough patches, which spinners can take advantage of to hit the ball faster, making life difficult for even the most experienced batsmen.
Spinners play an important role not only in taking wickets but also in controlling the flow of the game. They can maintain tight line and length, create pressure and force the batsmen into mistakes. This ability to keep the run rate under control while being a powerful attacking option makes them indispensable in Test cricket, especially in the subcontinent.
Moreover, spinners bring variety and unpredictability to the bowling attack. A combination of off-spin, leg-spin, and variations like googly or carom balls add an extra dimension, keeping batsmen constantly guessing.
In the ongoing two-Test series against the West Indies, Pakistan beat the tourists by 127 runs in the first Test in Multan to take a 1–0 lead.
Off-spinner Sajid Khan continued his phenomenal run with 9 wickets in Tests and bagged the Man of the Match award.
During the first Test in Multan, Sajid Khan created history by taking his 50th Test wicket in just his 11th match. Sajid became Pakistan’s third fastest bowler to achieve this milestone.
The fastest record to reach this number is held by leg-spinner Yasir Shah who achieved this record in just nine matches. Other notable bowlers in the list include Waqar Younis, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Abbas who are second with 10 matches.
Until the first Test against West Indies, Sajid Khan played 11 Tests and took 53 wickets at an average of 27.73. In short order, he took four five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls.
Sajid’s performance is a testament to his skill and consistency, and he has now firmly established himself as a bowler at the international level. He had a brilliant spell during the Multan Test, taking 5-50 and ending with match figures of 9-115. Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali also supported them with five wickets and helped bowl out the visitors for just 137 runs.
Pakistan’s selection panel had high expectations from Sajid after Pakistan were bowled out for 230 in their first innings on the second day.
Experienced Sajid understands that to maintain the strength of his reputation, he must back up his talk with concrete results. His spirited celebrations have rattled a few players in the England camp, and his success must be sustained by taking regular wickets.
During the match against the West Indies, Sajid took just seven balls to claim his first wicket, which he later described as “an off-spinner’s dream wicket”. Flicking the ball outside the off-stump, he coaxed Mikel Lewis into a drive, sneaked the ball into the gap and rattled the stumps.
After just eleven balls, Sajid had already taken four wickets, leaving the West Indies’ top order in shambles. Regardless of the pitch conditions, the performance was impressive. It took the collective spin attack of West Indies around 62 overs which Sajid completed in just 17 balls.
In contrast, the West Indies took a more conservative approach, avoiding spin from either end and giving Jaden Sales a longer spell instead. The decision was likely due to Sells’ outstanding performances in both innings, surpassing the efforts of any Pakistani seamer in these conditions.
However, the skill of taking wickets with spin using the new ball is not as straightforward as Sajid makes it out to be. “As an off-spinner, my bowling style is somewhat complex, and I find it difficult to introduce many new elements,” Sajid Khan remarked regarding his technique.
Sajid has also added to his bowling repertoire. He positions himself wide of the crease to take advantage of footmarks when needed or to change the angle and unsettle the batsman. Although he admits that his bowling action is “difficult”, it enables him to vary speed and pace without allowing the batsmen to easily read his balls, which he considers vital to his performance. are
“My coaches have consistently pointed out that my strength is in my hands. Batsmen struggle to understand my flight and variations in speed due to the quick movement of my fore arm,” explained Sajid.
For now, Sajid continues to deliver, showing no signs of losing respect for his craft or abating his ambitions.
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