Atul Sharma

[Top_Cat]

Yeah. The website would put up a video labelled "Atul Sharma bowling" but it would just be a picture of Ian Pont pointing at the watcher while a canned laughter track plays. The entire bandwagon would look on in disbelief.

Fully expecting the whole Atul Sharma thing to be an elaborate Rickroll.

 

[oitoitoi]

Good tabloid

An oxymoron if I ever saw one.

 

[Don Bradman]

Atul Sharma is Rajasthan's secret weapon. I fully expect him to come out with a hood and dramatically emerge from it on the pitch.

 

[honestbharani]

Atul Sharma is Rajasthan's secret weapon. I fully expect him to come out with a hood and dramatically emerge from it on the pitch.

Like the Undertaker's entrance?

 

[King Pietersen]

Good luck to all involved, but if it takes an 'olympic level athlete' and 3 years of intensive training behind closed doors to produce an incomplete bowler then it isnt much of a technique that can be used or coached easily.

That would be true, if it was only Sharma that was currently using the said technique, but he isn't. Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson already use it (Malinga didn't know he used it, but he does, and it's something Johnson's incorporated into his action fairly recently). It's actually quite a simple technique to pick-up (I found) and can be taught with a simple drill. It's just a very good way of engaging the Hip-Flexor (I think) and also helps generate power, as you get your body as far in front of the ball as possible, which causes a boomerang shape in the action, which develops maximum stretch and power.

It's not taken Sharma 3 years to develop that technique alone. I'm sure it'd take most normal people far longer than 3 years to remodel their action from Front to Side-On and then gain 15mph+ as well, it's not just 1 technique he's taken 3 years to mould into his action.

 

[silentstriker]

So the IPL starts tomorrow - no video.

 

[Ponty]

On the offficial IPL website: Touted as pacy, Atul Sharma is a promising young fast bowler that the Rajasthan Royals hope will come through the ranks to become a distinct representative of the talents in the Rajasthan Royals team in forthcoming IPL challenges.

 

[silentstriker]

Ian, do you have the videos of him as promised?

 

[Smudge]

I expect the billboard on the sightscreen on the day of Sharma's "debut" match will look something like this....

 

[Pratters]

RR squad from cricinfo from the first game -

Rajasthan Royals squad

captainSK Warne, G Singh, PS Chavan, A Angle, SA Asnodkar, LA Carseldine, SD Chitnis, RV Gomez, SM Harwood, T Henderson, RA Jadeja, Kamran Khan, JL Langer, A Malik, AD Mascarenhas, Mohammed Arif, PP More, M Morkel, NV Ojha, MM Patel, NK Patel, YK Pathan, RJ Quiney, AS Raut, wicketkeeperM Rawat, wicketkeeperAS Sharma, A Singh, GC Smith, SW Tait, SK Trivedi, PC Valthaty, SR Watson

Only a wicket keeper AS Sharma there.

 

[Neil Pickup]

We established that was a Cricinfo error. It should read:

Naman Ojha...

 

[Pratters]

We established that was a Cricinfo error. It should read:

Naman Ojha...

When we go to the profile of Sharma, it still has wicketkeeper listed. Not sure if it is an error or not.

 

[silentstriker]

As expected, Atul Sharma not in the playing XI. As I said before, I doubt he'll get a game this year.

 

[Pratters]

As I said before, I doubt he'll get a game this year.

Yeah.

 

[Manee]

As expected, Atul Sharma not in the playing XI. As I said before, I doubt he'll get a game this year.

Yeah.

Was really looking forward to seeing him bowl.

 

[Smudge]

Is he as quick as Mark Gillespie? Surely that's not possible.

 

[Arjun]

No-ball, six, free-hit ball, six, time for Atul Sharma to make his IPL debut?

 

[silentstriker]

No. Do you really think a guy who hasn't played a cricket game at any level for seven years can do better than that?

 

[Manee]

No. Do you really think a guy who hasn't played a cricket game at any level for seven years can do better than that?

Tbh, does Munaf really deserve to stay in the team? He offers nothing in the field, he cannot bat and refuses to bend his back and put in some effort when bowling. He is capable of bowling 135-140kph, heck he did it in New Zealand a month back and yet he will bowl 120-132kph here off a jog to the wicket and yet still can't keep his foot behind the line or the ball in a respectable area. It annoys me because he has so much talent to bowl quickly and yet sacrifices it in limited overs cricket in favour of a good length which anyone knows is cannon fodder in the modern game. [/RANT]

 

[Pratters]

Tbh, does Munaf really deserve to stay in the team? He offers nothing in the field, he cannot bat and refuses to bend his back and put in some effort when bowling. He is capable of bowling 135-140kph, heck he did it in New Zealand a month back and yet he will bowl 120-132kph here off a jog to the wicket and yet still can't keep his foot behind the line or the ball in a respectable area. It annoys me because he has so much talent to bowl quickly and yet sacrifices it in limited overs cricket in favour of a good length which anyone knows is cannon fodder in the modern game. [/RANT]

To be honest, I quite liked the plan of bowling to a spot with accuracy. He was bowling very good line and length bowling to the right handers. The ball he got Hodge off was perfect. The problem came against the left handed Ganguly against whom he strayed (and who punished him). Remove the 13 he costed off a no ball six and a free hit and he bowled 17 balls for 23 runs (1 wicket) which included the misguided balls to Ganguly. I am sure Munaf is bowling slower as part of a plan and bowling at pace and straying really is of no use.