Cricket, a game of willow and leather, has seen its fair share of mind-boggling deliveries. But few have captured the imagination quite like the carrom ball. It’s a delivery that’s as deceptive as it is delightful, a cricketing equivalent of a ‘knuckle ball’ freekicks scored by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Imagine this: a bowler grips the ball in a peculiar manner, not the usual seam or spin grip, but something that looks almost unnatural. Then, with a flick of the wrist, the ball is released and as it drifts and turns in the most unexpected ways, i.e., away from a right-handed batter. That, my friends, is the carrom ball in cricket.
Interesting story of the ‘Carrom ball’
Popularized by the enigmatic Ajantha Mendis, this delivery has been a thorn in the side of countless batters. Its origins, however, trace back to the mid-20th century, with Australian spinner Jack Iverson being one of the early pioneers. It is quite bewildering to know that Iverson invented this variation while meddling with a Ping-Pong ball that too at a cell during the World War 2!
But it was Mendis who truly brought it to the fore during late 2000s, bamboozling the best of the best batters in the world with its mysterious trajectory. The Lankan tweaker, who predominantly bowled off-spins and top-spins, was instantly termed as a ‘mystery spinner’ when he got the carrom ball up his sleeves. From the T20 arenas to the longer formats, the carrom ball has proven to be a potent weapon. Spin wizards like Ravichandran Ashwin and Sunil Narine have added their own variations to this delivery, making it even more difficult for batters to decipher.
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How to bowl a Carrom ball?
So, what exactly is a carrom ball? Well, as the name suggests, it’s inspired by the board game carrom. The bowler holds the ball between their thumb, forefinger, and middle finger, and flicks it out with a motion similar to a carrom player hitting the striker. This unique grip and release impart a peculiar spin on the ball, causing it to drift and turn in an unpredictable manner.
Ashwin, who prefers to call it the ‘sodukku ball‘, has turned this delivery into a lethal weapon in his arsenal. His ability to disguise the carrom, coupled with his impeccable control, has made him one of the most skillful spinners in the world. It is Ashwin, who has truly mastered it with aplomb and now young-age budding cricketers want to try this variation.
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