Ravindra Jadeja’s habit of overstepping became a talking point during India’s two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, and legendary India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes it is time for bowlers to pay a price for repeated no-balls in red-ball cricket.
Jadeja bowled a string of no-balls across the two Tests. Since 2021, the senior left-arm spinner has bowled more than 85 no-balls. Debutant Saransh Jain also struggled with his front-foot discipline, bowling several no-balls in the second innings of the Colombo Test.
India’s spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule had jokingly suggested that a free hit after a no-ball could help prevent bowlers from overstepping. Gavaskar, though, does not want Test cricket to take that route.
“The no-balls being bowled by the Indian bowlers came in for a fair bit of comment. This has to be looked at urgently because it can change the colour of the game. There are very few aspects of the game that are totally in the players’ control, and a batter taking guard and a bowler not bowling a no-ball are two such aspects. Players, when they come for interviews, talk about doing things within their control. Today, with a tape measure available to mark the run-up, there should be no excuses for overstepping the bowling crease,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
GAVASKAR DOES NOT WANT FREE HITS
Gavaskar rejected the suggestion of introducing free hits, arguing that Test cricket should not offer batters another avenue to score easy runs.
“The India team spinning coach jokingly said that giving a free hit after a no-ball might help in curbing the offence. Please, let’s not make scoring runs in Test cricket easier for batters with this penalty. As it is, with the restriction on bouncers to two in an over and the boundaries being brought in, run-making has become a little simpler,” he added.
Instead, Gavaskar wants a financial penalty every time a bowler oversteps. He has proposed that the fine should double with every subsequent offence, making repeated no-balls increasingly costly.
BOWLING COACH IN GAVASKAR’S FIRING LINE
Gavaskar does not want the responsibility to rest solely with the players. He has also suggested that the bowling coach should be fined half the amount imposed on the bowler.
“Instead, how about a fine which gets doubled for every further transgression, plus half the amount of the fine for the bowling coach, too. The fines collected can be used for the final team dinner before the boys disperse,” wrote Gavaskar.
He also suggested that teams could introduce their own fines for other lapses on the field, with players deciding collectively whether an offence warrants a penalty.
“There could be other fines too, for example, not backing up for a throw or something else not done on the field, which the whole team can vote on whether to impose or not. This can also be a fun activity and bond the team even more,” he added.
India drew the second Test in Colombo after Sonal Dinusha’s unbeaten 133 helped Sri Lanka hold on for a draw on the fifth day.
India had taken a first-innings lead of 213 runs but could not force a result. They won the two-match series 1-0 after a convincing victory in the opening Test in Galle.
– Ends
