Debasis Sen, Hamilton: BlackCaps leg spinner Ish Sodhi reckons he had to be really courageous with his plans bowling against Virat Kohli. The lanky spinner got the better of the Indian captain with a superb googly during the first ODI in Hamilton. Sodhi is unlucky not to make a place in the 13 member BlackCaps squad picked on Monday for the first test match at Basin Reserve which starts from Friday. The new Rajasthan Royals spin bowling consultant took some time off for a candid chat after the three-day practice match against the Indians at Seddon Park on Thursday. Here are the excerpts:
What is it for a leg spinner that takes so special in getting Virat Kohli out?
He is a fantastic player. Not only do leg spinners get him out but he also scores heavily against them. He is just one of those players who has got all the shots in the book. He plays all around the ground, plays freely, really good off the front foot. Picks length really well. So he is someone who you have to keep attacking because he is constantly trying to put the pressure back on you. You have to be really courageous with your plan against him. I am very fortunate to get him out on a few occasions.
For a leg spinner, what is an ideal length on tracks here in New Zealand?
Definitely you want to keep the stumps in play because the wickets don’t turn a lot. Specially even for the spinners who generally turn the ball away from the right-handers’ LBW is more of a mode of dismissal. So keeping the ball nice and straight is the key.
What have you learnt from your sessions with Warne during your stint at the Rajasthan Royals?
The biggest thing he told me was to remain calm and relaxed as I approached the crease so that I could set a nice base. In T20 cricket you sometimes lose as you tend to ball a little bit fast. And you don’t have the time to hold on the base. I am trying to implement some of those old tips I got from him (Warne) in the red ball game (Plunkett Shield).
You are good friends with Indian cricketers. Do you talk with them and what kind of exchange of ideas takes place?
You have to start off with the respect of their skills. Tap into their brains as well. For me Chahal (Yuzuvendra) is a great person and he also bowls leg-spin like me. But it is really great to rub shoulders with those guys listen to some of their experiences. So one thing you can implement in your own game. Obviously he (Chahal) is a completely different bowler. May be by talking with them you can implement their skills in our. Rishabh is one of the most destructive hitters of spin I have ever seen in my life. He is carnage when it comes to playing spin bowlers. He gets down the track, uses a really long reach.
Can you talk us about your new role with Rajasthan Royals?
Yeah, it’s going to be a challenging role. It’s one that I am really looking forward to. I think the main part of my role is a spin consultant. So I will be basically formulate plans for the spinners to bowl in T20 format. On the other hand I will have to deal with the finance of the IPL.
To watch the full interview of Ish Sodhi, click on the link below: