“What remains common to all great spinners is that they are ‘technically perfect’” Said Anindya Dutta in presence of former cricketers Dilip Doshi, Dilip Vengsarkar and Padmakar Shivalkar
Mumbai: Known for his critically acclaimed book ‘Spell-Binding Spells’, banker turned author Anindya Dutta unveiled his latest book ‘Wizards: The Story of Indian Spin Bowling’ in the city today. Published by Westland Sport (an imprint of Westland Publications), the book narrates a detailed account of the history of spin bowling in India. The evening witnessed presence of former Indian cricketers, Dilip Vengsarkar, Dilip Doshi and Padmakar Shivalkar. Engaging the audience in a captivating conversation, the launch was moderated by renowned cricket commentator, Milind Wagle.
The evening commenced with an engaging conversation between Anindya and the panelists, tracing the history of spin bowling in India. Dilip Vengsarkar and Dilip Doshi shared his experience mentioning legends like Subhash Gupte, Kapil Dev, Subba Reddy, Salim Durani, who specialised in spin bowling. Anindya further elaborated on the book sharing insights and facts of the cricket scenario today. Padmakar Shivalkar shared his journey in cricket and narrated the humor filled tale of his selection as a bowler by Vinoo Mankad himself to the audience.
Sharing interesting insights from the book, Anindya Dutta said, “What remains common to all great spinners is that they are ‘technically perfect’, each of them had their own technique that differentiated them from the rest. I hope the readers feel the magic of spin when they read wizards and find out about all the spinners India has had over the years, not all of them have got recognition but they have been some of the greatest spinners the world has ever known. I only hope that through means of this book, I have done some justice to them.”
When asked about one quality that remains pervasive to legendary spin bowlers and cricketers he interviewed asp art of his research for the book, Anindya shared his thoughts saying humility is something that all the legendary cricketers have had and something that today’s youth should imbibe as well.
Remembering the day he was selected to play cricket, Padmakar Shivalkar said, “I was not destined to bowl for India. I have no regrets really. I played cricket and that is what matters. I was selected to play cricket by Vinoo Mankad. When he asked me to pitch as part of my selection, my vision was in a haze and I did not realise what was happening. After two bowls that hit the poles of the net, I was selected.” Commenting on the book he said, "The book is a wonderful read, I have been reading it in breaks so that I don't finish it too quickly.”
On being asked about the current state of Test cricket for upcoming indian bowlers, Dilip Vengsarkar said, “I am sure they will do very well because we now have DRS (The Umpire Decision Review System) system in place. ” Dilip Vengsarkar also elaborated on how cricket was earlier dominant only in certain areas of the country and today every town has its own leagues and academies that hold the treasure of the upcoming talented batsmen and bowlers.
Discussing the current scenario of Indian cricket, Dilip Doshi said, “Most of the current batsmen do not work on footwork anymore, today a lot of batsmen are using bat-speed and arm-speed to make the ball disappear and that has become the norm in international cricket, that is why most of the teams are good at home and do not win overseas. Today there are great strikers of the ball but not necessarily great batsmen.”
Wizards - The Story of Indian Spin Bowling, is the first comprehensive account of Indian spinners and the art of spin bowling. Wizards is deeply researched, nuanced and richly anecdotal. It fills an important gap in the literature on the sport, making for an essential addition to every cricket lover’s library. From the twentieth century to today, this book traces the history of Indian spin bowling and establishes India as the finest nursery for spin bowling in the world of cricket.
Readers worldwide can purchase their copy of ‘Wizards The Story of Indian Spinbowling’ at Amazon.in.
