Are Indian cricketers listening?
There are not many who know how to play the short ball better than Vivian Richards. The West Indian great was never afraid to hook or pull and did that without wearing a helmet even when he had the opportunity to wear one. THAT’s THE WAY TO DO IT: Vivian Richards pulls Derek Pringle on his way to an unbeaten 189 in a 1984 Texaco Trophy one-dayer in Manchester. PIC/GETTY IMAGES Hence, it’s no surprise that the Caribbean King was shocked to see the Indian batsmen struggle against short-pitched bowling in the World Twenty20. “I had read stories of Indian batsmen not being comfortable against the short stuff and it wasn’t a pretty sight to see them struggle the way they did,” Richards told MiD DAY. “All of us were surprised because India have produced players like Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath, Sanjay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who over the years, have handled short deliveries and got runs. Hence, it’s difficult to understand why the current crop is struggling,” the