Shillong, October 17: In the early stages of the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, spin bowlers have emerged as a pivotal factor determining teams’ success in matches and their prospects in the tournament.
Data from the first 15 matches of the tournament, provided to IANS by Cricviz, the official analytics provider of the World Cup, reveals clear trends: off-spin and orthodox spin are dominating the scene, followed by leg-spin and unorthodox spin.
While wrist spinners were in vogue in ODIs by 2020, the 2023 World Cup has witnessed the resurgence of off-spin and orthodox spin as significant elements of the game.
Thus far, off-spinners have secured 27 wickets at an average of 39.22, with a strike-rate of 42.6 and an economy rate of 5.51, alongside a dot-ball percentage of 47.5%. In contrast, orthodox spinners have claimed 29 wickets at an average of 34.93, with a strike-rate of 40.4 and an economy rate of 5.18, coupled with a dot-ball percentage of 48.7.
In comparison, leg-spinners have captured 18 wickets at an average of 36.61, with a strike-rate of 39.1 and an economy rate of 5.6, while their dot-ball percentage stands at 43.2. Unorthodox spin, a rarity, has accounted for seven wickets at an average of 22.14, with a strike-rate of 32.4 and an economy rate of 4.09, featuring a dot-ball percentage of 56.3.
The effectiveness of off-spin and orthodox bowlers is also evident in the list of leading wicket-takers in the World Cup. Mitchell Santner from New Zealand, a left-arm orthodox spinner, shares the top spot with eight scalps. India’s Ravindra Jadeja and left-arm unorthodox spinner Kuldeep Yadav closely follow with five wickets each.
Teams like New Zealand and India have capitalized on the proficiency of their spin bowlers, while even the Netherlands have opted for off-break bowler Aryan Dutt over leg-spinner Shariz Ahmad.
In the initial week of the competition, dry pitches favored spinners during the first innings, resulting in significant wicket hauls. However, the second innings offered more favorable conditions for batting, especially under lights.
As the tournament progresses to venues like Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, spinners are expected to maintain their influence, posing challenges to competing teams in the World Cup.