Spin Trio is ready to rock!

The Indian Premier League has witnessed some spellbinding action on the field in the previous two seasons from breathtaking stroke-play and devastating spells of bowling and from stunning fielding to awesome catching. The one thing that perhaps doesn’t stay etched in memory – at least as far as Twenty20 cricket is concerned – is the performance of spin bowlers.

In the early days of 20-over cricket, spin bowlers were considered fodder for batsmen; they were often the bowlers to be targeted. However, over the years, one has seen spinners have turned out to be tough cookies to tackle in Twenty20 cricket.

Muttiah MuralidaranThe IPL has been fortunate to have some of the greatest spinners of our times. Among others, the IPL has Muttiah Muralidaran (the most successful bowler in international cricket), Shane Warne (the best leg-spinner ever and the man credited with the revival of leg-spin bowling), Anil Kumble (India’s greatest match-winner) and Daniel Vettori (the best left-arm spinner in world cricket in recent times).

Muralidaran, Warne and Kumble, well past their prime, can still do some magic with the ball in hand.

Muralidaran is said to be capable of turning the ball even on glass, and that, along with his basket of variations, means he is very difficult to score off even in Twenty20 cricket. The wily Sri Lankan has the regulation off-break, the top-spinner and the doosra, and these with a clever change of pace mean batsmen are always going to play him watchfully. In the two seasons so far, Murali has picked 25 wickets in 28 matches at an average of 26.60. What is impressive is his economy rate – batsmen have only managed to score off him at the rate of 6.16 runs an over. His overall figures in T20 are even better; 59 wickets in 48 matches at an astounding economy rate of 5.97.

Despite carrying the additional burdens of being captain and coach of the Rajasthan Royals, Shane Warne was still magical with the ball in hand. The blonde Australian was successful in both the earlier seasons of the IPL, picking up 19 wickets in the inaugural season and returning with 14 wickets in 13 outings last year. Despite not playing any international cricket, the ball continues to come out of his hand beautifully; the leg-break still turned and bamboozled the batsmen, the googly continued to deceive batsmen, while the flipper still troubled batsmen – despite it lacking the sting it had while he was at his best. Despite being 40, one can still see the urge to succeed and mischief in his eyes.

Shane WarneCricketing skills aside, Warne is the kind of character teams would love to have – he himself enjoys the game thoroughly, lifts the spirits in the dressing room, brings an element of drama to the game and will always have some magic up his sleeve for the big moments. With Warne around, you can be sure of one thing - there will never a dull moment in the game.

The Australian had a huge role to play in the least-fancied Royals winning the title in the inaugural season. Though the team did not have too many stars, Warne instilled the belief in the players that they were capable of performing at the highest level. It was this belief that translated to brilliant results and the IPL 2008 title.

That Anil Kumble is considered India’s biggest match-winner tells you the kind of impact he has had on Indian cricket. Originally a medium-pacer, Kumble only took to leg-spin bowling after his bowling action was found faulty. It is this combination – the pace of a medium pacer, and the wrist work of a leg-spinner - that makes him the devastating leg-spinner he is.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore captain is one from that rare breed of cricketers who will never give up. His dismissal of Brian Lara in the Test match in Antigua, with a fractured jaw, is still fresh in memory.

Anil KumbleRight through his career, Kumble – unlike several other cricketers - has always had to prove others wrong. In what was termed a young man’s game, 39-year old Kumble stepped up and put in performances which would have put most of the younger brigade to shame. The Bangalore-born leg-spinner, who finished as his team’s leading wicket-taker in IPL 2009, was also inspirational as captain. From being at the brink of elimination from the title race, Kumble guided his team to the final of IPL 2009, where they were narrowly beaten by the Deccan Chargers.

Daniel Vettori is the best left-arm spinner in world cricket today; he has a clean action and has the temperament to succeed in trying times. His variations and consistency make him one of the most economical bowlers in limited overs cricket. Although he has only played nine matches in the IPL – and hasn’t therefore made a mark yet – one wouldn’t be surprised if he turned into Delhi Daredevils’ preferred opening bowler in the coming season.

Cricket might be a game loaded heavily in favour of the batsmen. But Kumble, Muralidaran, Vettori and Warne hold their own majestically. Will they spin their magic around this year’s tournament?

Can Kumble's dance of destruction do the job?

It was hardly a surprise when Anil Kumble engineered a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second edition of the Indian Premier League. His insatiable hunger for victory has for long been his hallmark.

But touching the tape behind Deccan Chargers might have really hurt him, as the leg-spinner had never settled for anything less than the best during his 19 years of international cricket. Now, the veteran leggie will be eager to lay his hands on the glittering IPL trophy when the third edition starts. That Kumble will be back on familiar Indian surfaces will make him doubly dangerous. The Bangalorean does not need any tutoring on how to bowl on sub-continental pitches; there are a train of images that comes to mind while thinking of Kumble's dance of destruction.

Frontrunners in that long list are: the famous Perfect 10 against Pakistan, six for 12 against the West Indies in the Hero Cup final and then the vivid pictures of him teasing and tormenting English batsmen, especially Richard Blakey, in the 1993 series.

After all those tall deeds, there still might have been some doubts about him coping with the frenetic pace Twenty20. But on that magical night of April 18 2009 in Cape Town, all the scepticism was erased. The leggie bowled a wonderful spell (3.1-1-5-5) to derail the then defending champions Rajasthan Royals. After that Kumble never looked back, finishing as the second highest-wicket taker behind Deccan Chargers' Rudra Pratap Singh.

Jacques Kallis was widely tipped to take over RCB captaincy once Kevin Pietersen returned to England for the series against the West Indies, but Kumble pipped the South African for the post, and it proved to be the right move for the team. The 39-year old former Indian captian cajoled, pepped up and pushed his team-mates to give their best in the remaining matches.

Under Kumble's stewardship they looked a totally changed outfit, fearless and determined to walk that extra mile for a win. Importantly, local players like B Akhil and R Vinay Kumar too began to chip in more consistently under his guidance. It was a thrilling sight to see Kumble carrying the dual responsibility of captain and premier bowler with ease on his broad shoulders.

Now, in all probability, he will be the full-time skipper of RCB in IPL III, and all eyes will be on Kumble, captain superb and bowler magnificent.

Injury hits Mumbai Indian Camp

Kyle Mills is of course easily the best bowler among the seam bowling options for the Mumbai Indians IPL team- Dominic Thornely and Dhaval Kulkarni are more bits and pieces kind of players. In recent series , especially the New Zealand vs South Africa one day cricket series,Kyle Mills demonstrated his seam bowling skills,albeit in a losing cause, to be named the man of the series.

but the Bad news for Mumbai Indians and their Supporters is:
There will be no Indian Premier League cricket for Kyle Mills this year but he continues to make steady progress towards his goal of playing for the Black Caps at the next Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean, starting late April.

Mills is rehabilitating after having surgery on his shoulder and knee a week apart in late November. He expects to be playing Auckland club cricket again by the end of March.

"The knee's fine," says Mills. "I'm back cycling to try to strengthen it but my shoulder is taking a wee bit more time to heal. That's to be expected, though. The first eight weeks, I've had to take it easier on my shoulder but there's more movement in it now. In the third week of January, I'm going to look at doing some specific strength work.

"The expectation is that full movement will return. The shoulder's the major operation but I thought I should do the knee as well while I can. The biggest issue early on will be fielding, in case I fall on it awkwardly."

While he won't be able to revisit his US$150,000 contract with the Mumbai Indians in 2010, Mills is hopeful it might open an avenue with the John Bracewell-coached Gloucestershire.

Mills was sought by the English county last season and was destined to play on a three-month contract as their overseas player. But that deal was conditional on him not being selected in the IPL.

"I haven't had any official talks as yet this time around," says Mills. "But if asked, I'd happily go across to play because I'll be refreshed and looking for whatever cricket I can once I'm fit."

In the meantime, Mills will have new-father duties to attend to, with wife Diana due to give birth in the next week or so. He will juggle that with his debut behind the microphone in the Sky commentary box as part of the team producing coverage of the domestic HRV Twenty20 Cup this month.

"I'm keen to get out of my comfort zone. I might not be any good but I'll try it, I might enjoy it [commentating]. If I'm rubbish, I expect to be axed.

KKR is in good shape-Wasim Akram

Former Pakistan captain and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowling coach Wasim Akram said the team is in good shape and would perform well in the third season of the Indian Premiere League (IPL) beginning March 12, 2010.

"KKR is in good shape and has a high morale," Akram said while interacting with media persons at Eden Gardens after a practice session of the team.

Stating that the team has a number of talented players, Akram said, "I have worked with Manoj Tiwari and Lakshmi Ratan Shukla earlier. They are still very impressive. Everybody in the team knows his job".

When asked whether he has taught reverse swing to KKR bowlers, Akram, known as the 'Sultan of swing', said, "I have given them some tips. I hope they will be able to adopt them by March 12".

KKR would play their first IPL-3 match against Deccan Chargers on March 12.

According to Akram, Sri Lankan Ajantha Mendis is a little down on confidence. "He is experienced, but his confidence has to be boosted up."

Speaking on KKR captain Saurav Ganguly, he said, "He is a very successful captain and a great motivator. He is very committed to the game. The juniors should learn from him."

"I am happy to be able to work with him," he said adding Dave Whatmore is a great coach.

According to the former Pakistan captain, Ishant Sharma should not be judged only from his performance in the subcontinent.

"We should not judge him only on his performance on the wickets of the subcontinent," he said.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach Vijay Dahiya believes the presence of former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram as the team's bowling consultant will be a huge boost for the side.

Speaking after the final day's practice session at the Eden Gardens, Dahiya felt that Akram will have a great effect.

"The vast experience and advice of a legend like Akram would be of immense help for all the team members."

The KKR team played a practice match between Saurav Ganguly XI and Murali Kartik XI. Kartik's team won by four runs.