IND vs AFG 2018: Rashid Khan will create headaches for Indian batsmen at Chinnaswamy, reckons Tom Moody

Moody has seen Rashid’s evolution as a spinner from the very close quarters at SRH.

Rashid Khan | Getty

Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody has issued a warning for the Indian batsmen, saying that the Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan will create chaos for the hosts in the one-off Test at Chinnaswamy Stadium, starting on Thursday (June 14).

Moody, who has seen Rashid’s evolution as a spinner from the very close quarters at SRH camp, feels that the leggie will be handy on Indian pitches irrespective of the assistance on offer.

“Rashid will welcome the opportunity to bowl in Bengaluru and whether the ball turns or not, he will still create enough headaches for the batsmen over the five days,” Moody said in an exclusive interview with Sportstar.

“It is an advantage that you know about your surroundings. He has bowled in Bengaluru earlier and has bowled plenty of times around the country. Obviously, with Afghanistan based in Delhi (Greater Noida), they are pretty familiar with the conditions there," he added.

After his heroics in Big Bash League (BBL) 2018, Rashid exhibited his stellar bowling show in IPL 2018 for the runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad. He played a vital role in SRH’s dominance throughout the league phase. The Hyderabad based franchise had the league stage as the No.1 team, having won 9 out of their 14 matches, whereas Rashid finished the IPL 2018 campaign as the second highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps from 17 matches.

No wonder, Moody believes acclimatizing to various conditions has never been an issue for Rashid. Moreover, the SRH coach reckons batsmen are yet to figure out the mystery of Afghan leggie.

“I don’t think conditions are a big factor for Rashid because we have seen him come down to Australia in the Big Bash League and adapt very quickly to the wickets and have success on the surfaces here,” Moody remarked.

“No one reads him. I am yet to see someone successfully read whether he is bowling the wrong ‘un, the leg-spin or the top-spin. So, his deception is still a big weapon. Also, the speed at which he bowls and the speed at which the ball comes off the wicket is a great asset. If you combine those two things together, it is a pretty formidable task for any batsman to make the necessary changes,” he explained.

Last week, Rashid bagged 8 wickets at a phenomenal average and economy rate of 6.12 and 4.45 respectively in Afghanistan’s 3-0 T20I series victory over Bangladesh at Dehradun. Even though Rashid has the experience of only four first-class matches, Moody is certain that the leg-spinner’s skills and his cricket awareness will enable him to adapt in red-ball cricket very quickly.

"I am sure he has spoken to a lot of people and has thought very carefully what his approach is going to be,” he opined.

“The difference is that he (Rashid) does not have to make an impact in the four overs like he does in T20 cricket. In Tests, it is a long journey and he will have to be a lot more patient to get the result he would normally get for the quick turnaround in T20 cricket,” Moody concluded.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 10 Jun, 2018

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