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Decoding Tim Southee's Magic Ball: How Was Rohit Sharma Trapped In Bengaluru?


Tim Southee cleans up Rohit Sharma in 1st Test in Bengaluru (Source@OneCricketApp/X.com)Tim Southee cleans up Rohit Sharma in 1st Test in Bengaluru (Source@OneCricketApp/X.com)

Tim Southee is an experienced campaigner and is one of the finest exponents of new ball. He has bamboozled world-class batters over the years, and on Day 2 of the opening Test between India and New Zealand at M. Chinnaswamy, he cleaned up India's captain Rohit Sharma with an absolute beauty. 

The ball that got the wicket of Rohit Sharma was a beautiful Wobble-Seam delivery, but it was not only about that delivery, it was the setup by the pacer that helped him get the Indian captain out early. The conditions were overcast and the ball was swinging and seaming appreciably. Southee kept taking the ball away from Rohit Sharma and the Indian captain also displayed respect by leaving ball and defending them calmly.

Southee Uses His Experience To Setup Rohit Sharma

He was also trying to negate the swing by taking some steps down the pitch and tried to do the same on the delivery that got him. However, Southee's setup worked well as Rohit Sharma was expecting the ball to go away from him. The experienced pacer though cleverly unleashed a wobble-seam delivery and bowled it by going wide of the crease.

The ball swung back in a bit and Rohit Sharma who tried to drive the ball missed it as the ball found the gap between bat and pad. It seamed back in after pitching and knocked over the stumps to leave Indian fans and team management disappointed. 

It was the same three-quarter ball that Southee bowled to dismiss Rohit Sharma in the WTC final and that's why the former Kiwi skipper is considered as one of the most skilled bowlers in the world.

It was a classic case of using the angle of the crease, the movement off the pitch and playing with the mind of the batter and Southee has once again shown why he has been one of New Zealand's premier bowlers for over a decade.