In-swing


In-swing is the delivery which moves towards the right-handed batsman, in the air, from the off-side. The ball may start swinging early – as in the case of ‘banana’ swing – as soon as it is released. Or it may swing late – moving in a more or less straight line and then swinging in as it nears the batsman – keeping him guessing all the time.

Swing depends upon the action, pace at which one bowls and of course, the weather conditions. By learning to bowl the in-swinger, the bowler increases the value of his out-swinger. A bowler who knows how to swing the ball both ways will create doubts in the mind of the batsman.

Mind you, the in-swinger is easier to bowl but difficult to control as far as line and length are concerned. When an in-swinger is bowled in the line of the pads, for instance, getting a wicket becomes difficult, but the batsman may help himself to some useful runs. Hence, it is important that one bowls the in-swinger in a line outside the off-stump and hits the off-stump after pitching.

Grip for the IN-SWINGER :

For in-swing, turn the seam of the ball towards the leg-slip while holding the ball, as shown in the picture, so that the index finger now rests on the outside of the seam and the first finger off the seam of the ball.

At the point of release, the wrist is to be ‘cocked’ backward and the first and index fingers point straight upward – to give the ball backspin. Imparting of backspin on the ball helps its seam to remain vertical in its flight.

For the in-swinger, the glossy side of the ball is on the off side and instead of the first finger – as in the out-swing – it is the index finger which comes off last from the seam of the ball at the point of delivery, giving the ball backspin.

Tip of the day

To bowl the in-swinger more effectively, bowl from the end where the wind is blowing across the pitch from the off to the leg, or from the gully to mid-on.