Englishmen excited about Rashid's selection and Kohli's runs
July 30 (CRICKETNMORE) - This is the silver jubilee year of the ball of the century and that one delivery by Shane Warne to dismiss Englands Mike Gatting gave leg-spin bowling a leg-up. Now another delivery by another leg-spinner Adil
July 30 (CRICKETNMORE) - This is the silver jubilee year of the ball of the century and that one delivery by Shane Warne to dismiss Englands Mike Gatting gave leg-spin bowling a leg-up. Now another delivery by another leg-spinner Adil Rashid to take the off-stump of Virat Kohli has created an uproar in English cricket.
Warne's ripper to Gatting was his first delivery against England on day two of the first Test of the 1993 Ashes series at Old Trafford, Manchester. That one delivery has not only transformed Warne's career but also gave a new image to leg-spin bowling.
Another leg-spinner has given his own career a boost with one delivery that pitched on the leg-stump and even before Kohli could decide what to do with it, the ball zipped past him to take the off-stump.
The comparison should end there.
The discussion in the last couple of days is more on Rashid's ability to produce an unplayable delivery than Kohli's failure to read it. That one delivery got the England captain, coach and selectors excited.
They all were unanimous that Rashid should play the first Test against India at Edgbaston, Birmingham. There was a hitch and they all knew that Rashid's selection could create a ruckus in domestic County cricket.
Rashid was picked despite his decision to play only white ball cricket this season for Yorkshire and not having played red ball cricket. Chief selector Ed Smith had a ready reason for bringing in Rashid into the Test squad, but not many on the county circuit are with him, they thought the move has devalued county cricket and was unfair to Somerset spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess, who have been toiling away in the domestic red ball arena.
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