MythBusters: Not using left arm orthodox spinners against left-handed batters

Ravindra Jadeja

Cricket as a game has evolved a lot over the last decade especially after the advent of the T20 format. In the most volatile format of cricket the skipper looks to take each step after a lot of thinking. 

It has become very popular among skipper to hold their left arm spinners against left handed batters. But what are the exact reasons behind this and how justified is the thinking?

While a left hander is batting, a left arm orthodox spinner will generally bring the ball into the batter. 

What this does is, it makes it easy for batters to access that part of the ground the modern batters prefer the most- the mid-wicket and square-leg region. 

The areas accessible to left hand batters against left arm orthodox bowlers

So, the general thinking is that a left handed batter will find it easier to score runs against a left arm orthodox bowler. 

But if we see the same thing happens when a right arm leg spinner is bowling to a left handed batter. But the captains don’t shy away from using the leg spinners against the left handers. This seems a bit unjustified given the fact that both the bowlers will have the same effect against the batters.

Let us take a look at top left arm orthodox bowlers in the T20I matches of the current era against left handed batters. 

Left arm spinners vs Left hand batters in T20I matches

As we see from the table, Ravindra Jadeja has a pretty bad record against the left hand batters. But Mitchell Santner, Ashton Agar and Shakib Al Hasan have been more than decent in this case. While Akeal Hosein has been generally economical against left handed batters.

Mitchell Santner has a decent record against left hand batters

Thus it can be said that it is not a particular type of bowling rather it depends on the bowler. How a bowler uses his variations and angles and handles his nerves in the moment is the prime in who comes up better. Just like any other batter-bowler match up it is upon the individuals to reap benefit from or concede advantage to the opposition.

Also Read: Super 4, IND vs SL: What could be India's answer to the weaknesses exposed by Pakistan?