India's bowling woes in overseas ODIs

Mohammad Shami has been among the wickets in overseas ODIs For India, but he has leaked 25 boundaries in 108 balls in the slog overs

All aspects of India's bowling have been a shambles in recent ODIs, be it pace or spin, bowling with the new ball or in the slog overs

With just a year to go for the 2015 World Cup, India's performances in their last two ODI series have caused plenty of concern. On the tour to South Africa earlier this season, they were thrashed in two games and might well have lost the third as well if not for the weather; their three defeats in New Zealand have been by smaller margins, but that isn't any consolation for a team that started this tour as the No. 1 side in the world. India will go into the 2015 World Cup as the defending champions, but based on their recent record they'll not be favourites, especially because the tournament will be held in Australia and New Zealand. 

Since their 2011 World Cup win, India's overall ODI record looks impressive: 43 wins, 26 losses in 75 matches, for a win-loss ratio of 1.65, the best among all teams during this period. However, their overall numbers hide their poor record in Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa during this period. Despite the win in the Champions Trophy in England last year - a tournament in which they achieved a clean 5-0 win-loss record - India's stats in these countries since 2011 is eight wins and 12 losses, and a win-loss ratio of 0.66. Five teams, including Sri Lanka, have a better win-loss ratio in these countries during this period.

On the other hand, when not playing in those countries, India have been unstoppable, winning 35 and losing 14, easily the best win-loss ratio among all teams. However, their record in Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa will worry them, given that they also don't have too much time to set things right.

The table below shows that India's batting average drops to 32.65 when playing in these four countries, from 40.79 everywhere else. However, India's batting run rate is marginally higher in these four countries - 5.58 to 5.53. The bowlers, though, have struggled to keep the runs down, conceding 5.67 runs per over in these countries, up from 5.22 everywhere else. When compared with other teams who've played in these four countries during this period, India's record is worse than all teams except West Indies, who've gone at 5.72 to the over.
 

India's ODI record since the 2011 World Cup

	Matches	W/ L	Ratio	Bat ave/ RR	Bowl ave/ ER
In Aus, Eng, NZ, SA	25	8/ 12	0.66	32.65/ 5.58	36.61/ 5.67
In other countries	50	35/ 14	2.50	40.79/ 5.53	31.19/ 5.22

ODI records of teams in Aus, Eng, NZ and SA since the 2011 World Cup

Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Ratio
England	41	22	15	1.46
New Zealand	26	14	10	1.40
Australia	40	21	16	1.31
South Africa	34	17	14	1.21
Sri Lanka	30	13	15	0.86
India	25	8	12	0.66
Pakistan	11	4	7	0.57
West Indies	14	3	10	0.30

MS Dhoni has often complained about his lack of bowling options overseas where the pitches are truer and don't offer much turn, and the numbers below bear out his complaint. India's bowlers - both pace and spin - have fared much worse in Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa than in other countries. In those four countries, the fast bowlers have averaged almost 40 runs per wicket and six per over; in other countries both their averages and the economy rates are better. The wicket-taking ability of the spinners takes a major hit in these countries - best illustrated by R Ashwin's recent struggles - as the average goes up from 30 to 44. The lack of wickets usually means opposition teams have more wickets in hand to go after the bowling in the slog overs.

How India's bowlers have measured up since the 2011 World Cup

	Type	Wickets	Average	Econ rate	Strike rate
In Aus, Eng, NZ, SA	Pace	92	39.48	5.88	40.2
	Spin	55	44.16	5.21	50.8
In other countries	Pace	184	34.90	5.41	38.7
	Spin	180	30.06	4.78	37.6

Admittedly, spin bowling in those countries isn't an easy task, given that pitches are usually true and don't turn much, but even so the stats for Indian spinners are worse than those of any other team, both in terms of averages and economy rates. Pakistan's spinners average almost 40, but they've conceded only 4.62 runs per over, compared with India's 5.21. England's spinners have conceded 5.06 per over - the only side other than India to concede more than five - but they've averaged 35.18, considerably better than India's 44.16. India's spinners have taken 55 wickets in 25 matches, but that's more a reflection of the number of overs they've bowled per match: they've bowled about 19 per game, but they haven't actually given the team control in terms of curbing the runs or taking wickets. 

Spinners in Aus, Eng, NZ and SA since the 2011 World Cup

Team	Matches	Wickets	Average	Econ rate	Strike rate
Pakistan	11	29	39.48	4.62	51.2
Australia	40	45	42.13	4.76	53.0
New Zealand	26	40	39.70	4.83	49.2
South Africa	34	45	40.24	4.85	49.7
Sri Lanka	30	46	43.82	4.89	53.6
West Indies	14	22	41.22	4.96	49.8
England	41	55	35.18	5.06	41.6
India	25	55	44.16	5.21	50.8

If India's spinners have less-than-flattering stats abroad, then the fast bowlers aren't much better. When playing in Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa, they've averaged 39.48 runs per wicket, and 5.88 per over. In both these parameters, only West Indies have done worse than India, averaging 43.09 per wicket and 5.93 per over. On the other hand, the best teams are way better than India: South Africa average 26.61 at an economy rate of 4.88; Australia average 28.36 at an economy rate of 4.99.

Whether it's operating with the new ball in conditions that offer something to the quick bowlers, or bowling at the death when opposition batsmen are in search of quick runs, India's pace attack has been equally toothless. In the first ten overs, they've conceded, on average, 4.91 runs per over and almost 40 runs per wicket, worse than all teams except West Indies. The best in class, South Africa, are streets ahead - they average 28.65 per wicket, and 3.99 per over. In the last ten, India's seam attack leak 8.33 runs per over and again share the bottom place, this time with New Zealand, whose fast bowlers do significantly worse at the end of the innings than they do at the start. India's pace bowlers don't take too many wickets either at the death, averaging more than 33 per wicket. The best in class, South Africa again, concede about half the number of runs per wicket, and only 6.20 per over.

The last column in the tables below further illustrates the proclivity of the Indian fast bowlers to ease pressure, by frequently conceding boundaries. In the first ten overs, they concede a four or a six every 8.58 balls - the worst of the lot - while the best in class is Australia's 11.61. In the last ten, they concede a four or a six every 6.51 balls, worse than all teams except New Zealand. The top teams in this category - Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia - make the opposition batsmen wait more than 8.5 balls per boundary. Mohammad Shami has been the worst offender in this category, conceding 25 fours or sixes in 108 balls in the last ten overs, an average of one every 4.32 balls. His economy rate at the death is 9.88. Ishant Sharma has had his share of forgettable spells at the end, but overall his slog-over stats are better: an economy rate of 7.28, and a boundary every 7.64 balls. Umesh Yadav is similar, with an economy rate of 7.27, and a boundary every 6.60 balls.

 

Fast bowlers in the first 10 overs in ODIs in Aus, NZ, Eng, SA since Apr 2011

Team	Inngs	Wickets	Average	Econ rate	Balls/4 or 6
South Africa	33	44	28.65	3.99	10.58
Pakistan	11	15	28.26	4.15	10.03
New Zealand	26	36	29.02	4.24	10.04
Australia	40	56	29.05	4.26	11.61
England	39	55	30.32	4.31	10.70
Sri Lanka	30	37	35.59	4.77	9.80
India	25	30	39.36	4.91	8.58
West Indies	14	15	40.73	4.91	8.78

Fast bowlers in the last 10 overs in ODIs in Aus, NZ, Eng, SA since Apr 2011

Team	Inngs	Wickets	Average	Econ rate	Balls/ 4 or 6
South Africa	25	49	17.59	6.20	8.60
Sri Lanka	23	42	24.80	6.70	9.61
Australia	27	63	22.34	6.94	8.82
England	30	65	23.56	7.39	7.10
Pakistan	9	10	26.60	7.86	6.15
West Indies	9	12	35.08	8.09	6.64
India	19	28	33.57	8.33	6.51
New Zealand	18	32	26.00	8.33	5.65

And finally, a look at the Indian bowlers who've sent down more than 50 overs in these four countries during this period. Whichever way you look at it, these numbers don't make for impressive reading. The bowlers with reasonably good economy rates average more than 40 runs per wicket; those who average less than 30 go at about six an over or more. Umesh Yadav, who some experts reckon should be playing in the ODIs in New Zealand, averages almost 60 runs per wicket and goes at a run a ball. No wonder Dhoni has been wondering aloud about his bowling options for the 2015 World Cup.

Indian bowlers in ODIs in Aus, NZ, Eng, SA since Apr 2011 (Qual: 50 overs) 

Bowler	Overs	Wickets	Average	Econ rate	Strike rate
Bhuvneshwar Kumar	80	9	44.00	4.95	53.3
R Ashwin	198	23	43.26	5.02	51.6
Ravindra Jadeja	186.4	24	40.04	5.14	46.6
Praveen Kumar	57	6	49.50	5.21	57.0
Vinay Kumar	68.5	11	34.45	5.50	37.5
Ishant Sharma	70	16	25.87	5.91	26.2
Umesh Yadav	98.4	10	59.90	6.07	59.2
Mohammad Shami	62	19	23.15	7.09	19.5