India cricket team isn’t taking Usman Tariq and the threat his unique action poses lightly. In the pre-match press conference, India captain Suryakumar Yadav talked about taking the off-spinner on, instead of letting him dictate proceedings.
The 28-year-old has been a social media sensation since last year, when he turned heads during the Pakistan Super League (PSL). His unique action has caused him trouble, with many questioning whether he’s chucking. But Usman has cleared all the tests.
How India’s preparing for Usman Tariq
But the question remains, how does one prepare for him? There’s no one who bowls like Usman. Suryakumar shared that India has been trying to face bowlers with similar actions in the nets.
“He is a different character when he comes to bowl, but at the same time, we cannot just surrender to him. We practice with similar types of bowlers and similar actions, and we will try to execute what we are practicing in net sessions,” he said on the eve of the India vs Pakistan match.
What he didn’t reveal was that the bowler who had been helping the Indian batter prepare for the Usman Tariq test was none other than himself.
During India’s last practice session before the Pakistan match, Suryakumar was seen bowling to Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan in the nets. An off-spinner by trade, Surya was seen stopping midway during his action to replicate what Usman does.
Suryakumar was seen running in and stopping for a split second at the popping crease before delivering the ball. While his arm wasn’t as straight as Usman’s, he might be able to help the Indian batter get used to the stop-and-start part of the Pakistani spinner’s action.
