When Chris Gayle played a swoosh into the hands of the square leg fielder in the second innings of the Kolkata Test, it was the fourth time he got out to Bhuvneshwar Kumar in five international innings. The third such instance was in the first innings of the very Test.
While it would be a tad premature to label Gayle as Bhuvneshwar’s bunny, there is certainly a plan that is being put to work, and with great result. There are factors, including the fact that the Indian pacer is at his best in his first spell with a new cherry. Hence, his victims mostly comprise the opening batsmen. Also, his stock ball, the away going delivery, creates a difficult angle for the left-handers – out of his eight Test wickets so far, six are left-handed batsmen.
With all these happy combinations, Bhuvi combines the consistency in implanting his game plan and the confidence of succeeding. After India wrapped up the Eden Test in three days, by an innings and 51 runs, Bhuvneshwar spoke to bcci.tv about his penchant towards the Caribbean dasher.
What plan do you go with against Gayle and on what basis?
Not very often it is that your strength is your opponent’s weakness. In this case, I am lucky in that regards. The out-swinger is my strength and it’s not one of Gayle’s favourite deliveries. So, that generally works well with me.
Do you go with similar plans in all formats, because your success rate against him is now similar in both ODIs and Tests.
The plan remains quite similar. I have noticed that even in the shorter formats he doesn’t take many chances against me initially. He might score off me later on but he tries to see off my first spell. That allows me to go with a uniform plan against him in all formats. Sometimes, a batsman too comes with a plan to counter the bowler’s plan and decide not to play a shot in that direction. That’s when you have to go to plan B. But so far, I have gone with the same strategy against him and it has worked each time.
Out of the four times you’ve got him in international cricket now, thrice he’s gotten out caught by the keeper, the slipper or somewhere close-in off a shortish ball outside off. Is that another weakness that you’ve spotted?
That, more than being his weakness, is my strength. I’ve found that against the left-handers I am more successful when I bowl that line and length, enticing them to play an extravagant shot on the off-side, which most of the lefties love playing.
Most your wickets have come in the first 15 overs because that’s when you’re at your best. You think you’d be as successful against him in the middle of the innings?
I cannot say that I can be successful against him in a way just to get him out. But I am certainly confident that I would be able to keep it tight against him. I would obviously try to dismiss him but it might or might not happen.
Do you bowl to him with that extra confidence of knowing that you have done well against him in the past?
I don’t really feel that way but I try to show it. You have to show the batsman that you are extremely confident of getting the better of him. That will put him under pressure. So, while I don’t necessarily feel that I can get him out ever time I bowl to him, I do try to make him feel that way. However, there’s this little feeling that if I bowl according to the game plan and if it’s my day, I can get him out.
I was speaking to Steyn recently and he spoke about the battle of minds between batsman and bowler. He said Gayle was one man who would force you to over think as a bowler. Your views?
He is right. It has happened to me during the IPL. He has this knack of playing a similar shot from the crease as well as stepping out. That confuses you as a bowler whether he is going to step out or not, and it can distract you from your line and length. But that is the time when you have to back yourself.
