Cricket

Uthappa’s love for Fine Leg(s)

In the last match that Mumbai Indians played, which was incidentally, the first for the MI team as well, Robin Uthappa top scored for them with a 38-ball 48. The strike rate as you would have seen is good enough, but the problem with the innings was that there were far too many cheeky shots attempted, that did not result in too many runs. So, scoops over the fine-leg, and guide to the third-man, when the ball should have been disappearing to the mid-wicket or long-on fence, became the norm.

Now while one would not have raised such an issue with some of the other cricketers, the point here is that Uthappa is a class played straight down the wicket. His walking down shot, or his straight drives have resulted in many boundaries for the team. What took the cake was his propensity with scooping the ball over the short fine leg position, when there was a conventional fine-leg in place, resulting in nothing more than singles.

One hopes, that Uthappa realizes his strengths, and does not get over obsessed with this shot.