India off-spinner R Ashwin said that while it is okay for the batters to completely change their stance from right-handed to left-handed and vice versa to play switch hits, it is unfair for the bowlers, if the umpires do not give LBW decisions if the batters miss, citing the outside leg-stump ruling.
As per the current rules, a batter is not given out LBW if the ball pitches outside the leg stump, even if it hits him or her on the pads in line.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin brought up the recent fifth Test between India and England in Edgbaston when England chased down a record 378 runs to win the Test and level the series 2-2.
Ashwin went back to India's Oval victory in the same series, where Ravindra Jadeja bowled over the wicket from one end and into the rough created by the quicks' footmarks and managed to tie up the runs and create pressure.
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He then referenced how Jadeja did the same in Edgbaston on a flat surface where Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were leading England's charge.
"In this game, it was about the approach that Joe Root and Bairstow took. Root played about 10 shots, where he turned around completely and attempted the reverse sweep. He played those 10 times but didn't connect on 9 of them. On the 10th time, it got the under-edge and rolled away. Bairstow, meanwhile, kept padding the balls away,” Ashwin said.
‘Blind Spot’ is when the ball pitches outside the leg stump and is not visible clearly to the batter playing in his original stance (left or right). Ashwin reckoned it didn't remain that way (a blind spot) when Root switched around and took the stance like a left-hander while playing his reverse sweeps.
Ashwin said: "This is where I have a small difference of opinion. As a bowler, I am informing you that I am bowling left-arm spin from over the stumps and I have this (leg side) field. You front up to that as a right-hander, but you play that reverse sweep and hit like a left-hander. But when Root does that, he won't be out lbw because of the blind spot. It's only a blind spot when you are at your normal stance. Once you play the reverse sweep and have a left-handed stance, it's no longer a blind spot. It's front on.
When Jadeja was bowling with that line, he [Root] started to play sweep shots for all the deliveries. There's no problem if you do that (because the field is set that way). But he can't keep playing that if I place a fielder at short fine because there's a risk of a top-edge going to that fielder. So he mixed it up. After a couple of sweep shots, he turned around and played reverse sweeps. The moment he changed to that, the blind spot became front on.”
He further said that rules should be tweaked as the game is changing and though batters should be allowed to play the switch hit, the bowlers should also get an LBW decision if the batter misses and the ball hits the pad, removing the outside leg stump rule.
"My question is not whether he can play reverse sweep or not, whether it's negative bowling strategy or not (bowling outside leg stump), my point is about lbw. It's unfair that it's not ruled lbw. Let batters play the switch hit, but give us LBW when they miss. How can you say it is not LBW when the batter turns? If they start giving that out in all formats of the game, some parity could be retained between bowling and batting," Ashwin said.
(Cricbuzz inputs)
