Cricket: Getting a handle on spin

Will Young in full flight. Photo / Getty Images

Central Districts batsman Will Young identified a weakness last season: his technique against spin bowling.

He sought help by investing in a return ticket to India.

The 21-year-old is a promising New Zealand talent. He went to Bangalore for three weeks with fellow Taranaki players Tom Bruce, James McDougall and Kurt Leuthart. Debu Banik, originally from Kolkata and now a coach in Taranaki's set-up, went as a guide.

"I figured there was no better place to learn the art of playing spin than India," Young said. "The timing of late August heading into early September also gave me an outdoors pre-season.

"I was never going to master everything in that time frame so I'm not pretending to be an expert - but I got a better feel for which shots worked and which didn't. I've had some embarrassing sweep shot dismissals [to spin] so far in my career, so it needed remedying."

Young's problem is not yet solved. Last season he was out twice to spinners (Jeetan Patel and Ish Sodhi) in six dismissals and averaged 43.66. This season he's been out three times to spinners (Patel, Daniel Vettori and Bruce Martin) in seven dismissals and averages 35.85.

The former New Zealand under-19 captain's numbers don't jump off the page by domestic standards but sometimes, when batsmen execute their skills, they make cricket captivating. Think Martin Crowe, Kane Williamson or Jesse Ryder. Perseverance, confidence and the accumulation of runs could see Young edge into that company with his classical stroke-making.

Indian club matches often conform to a pattern. Players might face six overs of pace at the start of an innings, then it's all spin. Young got the practical experience he was after.

"I got a better gauge for the line and length of spin and whether to sweep to midwicket or short fine leg. I worked on my depth in the crease going right forward or back rather than going nowhere. A couple of guys over there also regularly used the doosra and the wrong 'un. I learnt to watch the ball out of the hand better, which is easier said than done."

Young made a couple of centuries in 10 games which varied from T20 to one-day to two-day formats. The matches were played at the Jain International Residential Schools (JIRS) Academy, a 300-acre complex with Olympic quality facilities situated about 40km from their apartment in Bangalore.

It was Young's first visit to Asia after previous tours to Australia with the under-19s and England with the Taranaki Wanderers as a 14-year-old: "Nothing prepares you for travelling to India.

"It's another world. We loved living in an apartment in town, sharing a city with millions of people and travelling down Brigade Rd [the city's main thoroughfare].

Banik moved to Taranaki from Kolkata 10 years ago and has been an advocate of taking players to the sub-continent for some time: "If you want to learn how to play spin, you've got to be there.

"I wanted to instil the values of professionalism - where the guys played cricket all day and looked after themselves. You can learn a lot about yourself in that environment."