Ravi Ashwin, Nick Kyrgios: cheats or ruthless innovators?

Ravi Ashwin and Nick Kyrgios have been involved in controversial incidents this week. Picture: AFP/Getty Images

Ravi Ashwin saunters to the crease, reaches his delivery stride, delivers nothing at all, waits for Jos Buttler to step forward, whips off the bails. Perhaps he’s eager to get the next batsman to the crease, a bloke by the name of Steve Smith. Perhaps he’s a ruthless bastard playing within the laws of the game. Perhaps he’s a good-for-nothing cheat.

What the !!! I doubt if this can be given out even by the rule book 🤔
The way I see it he was not stepping out too much!!! Batsman looks "in" when the bowler was in his release stride! Hayden said it right & the game changed there !!! Not fair even by school standards ! #Mankad pic.twitter.com/Aq2VMwVyz1

— T R B Rajaa (@TRBRajaa) March 25, 2019

Nick Kyrgios stands at the service line, bounces the ball three times, rocks back and forth, steadies his racquet as though preparing for a booming serve, taps the ball over the net, giggles like a schoolboy, claims an ace. Perhaps he’s a smart-arse who does it because he knows it will polarise opinion. Perhaps he’s the greatest showman his sport has ever seen and the only player brave enough to do it. Perhaps the tactic will be named after him. A mate has done it to me on Monday afternoon on the hallowed turf of our local club and shouted, “Kyrgios’d! Fifteen-love, sucker!” Or perhaps Kyrgios is a good-for-nothing cheat.

Quickly becoming his trademark...@NickKyrgios with the underarm ace 😂 pic.twitter.com/W5JbbE8n8V

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 25, 2019

Vinoo Mankad gets a bad rap. At the SCG in 1947, Australia’s Test batsman Bill Brown has been run out by Mankad while backing up too far. Earlier in the tour, Mankad has warned Brown to stay in his crease. When Brown has failed to do so, he’s done the allegedly dastardly deed. In the Test, there’s been no warning, but Brown has deserved it. He’s tried to steal some ground before the ball is bowled. Both Brown and Don Bradman have defended him while a Sydney journalist and former first-class cricketer with a byline to die for, Ginty Lush, has written at the time: “Brown was foolish to take liberties with Mankad. A foot gained (by the batsman) at the bowler’s end is still a foot gained at the wicketkeeper’s end.”

In his autobiography, Bradman writes: “For the life of me, I can’t understand why the press questioned his (Mankad’s) sportsmanship. The laws of cricket make it quite clear that the nonstriker must keep within his ground until the ball has been delivered. If not, why is the provision there which enables the bowler to run him out? By backing up too far or too early, the nonstriker is very obviously gaining an unfair advantage.”

Two years ago, India’s respected ex-captain Sunil Gavaskar has strongly objected to the form of dismissal being referred to as a Mankad. It’s become the domain of dodgy indoor cricketers, ratbag school kids and uncouth adults using it as a trick dismissal, pretending to bowl so batsmen move forward before running them out. Ashwin’s dismissal hasn’t been a Mankad. It’s been worse. In an interview with Sony Max, Gavaskar has said: “I have grave objections to that because it’s putting one of India’s cricketing legends in a bad light. He has been one of India’s all-time great cricketers. If it has to be referred by somebody’s named, it should be named after the nonstriker. Who, despite being warned twice by Mr Mankad … he left his crease. And the third time was when Mankad removed the bails and so suddenly there was an uproar created. I think it should be called getting Brown’d because it was Bill Brown who was outside the crease. It was his fault.”

Ashok Mankad.

Buttler’s dismissal has been different. Brown has left his crease before Mankad’s moment of release in his bowling action. Buttler has not. If Ashwin bowls in his normal fashion, stop the tape, Buttler is still in. Only in the Englishman’s reasonable and slow forward movement has he strayed over the line. Ashwin has made no attempt to bowl. Mankad’d? Buttler has been Ashwin’d. A more lamentable version of the original.

Verdict? Shane Warne said he was “disappointed” in Ashwin as a captain and “as a person.” He said Ashwin had no plan to bowl the ball and therefore the act was “simply disgraceful.” He added: “You must live with yourself … it’s too late to say sorry Mr Ashwin. You will be remembered for that low act.”

Speaking of low acts, in terms of the point of contact being knee-high, Kyrgios twice served underarm in his victory over Dusan Lajovic at the Miami Masters. A spectator called out, “You’re a d..k!” He’d started doing it in an exhibition match against Bernard Tomic at Kooyong in January. He did it again when Rafael Nadal retreated to the back fence at the Mexican open. Nadal accused Kyrgios of lacking respect. Kyrgios made a mental note to keep doing it in their future matches.

“Underarm is definitely a tactic, I believe,” Roger Federer said in defence of Kyrgios. “Especially when guys are hugging the fence in the back. From that standpoint, players shouldn’t be ashamed to try it out. You just look silly if you miss it sometimes. But why not try it? The problem is in practice, you never really try it so when you come out in the big stage in front of a full crowd, it’s tricky to pull off.”

The underarm serve. 💕 The whole point of tennis competition is to disrupt ur opponents game by applying pressure through changing the speed, spin, direction, depth or height of the ball. And that includes the serve. Kyrgios is a genius. I’m surprised more players don’t do it. pic.twitter.com/lBfI8XM7MN

— judy murray (@JudyMurray) March 25, 2019

Ashwin? Woeful. On this occasion, good for nothing. Kyrgios? Wonderful. On this occasion, good for something. Underarm serves have traditionally been the domain of cramping players, exhausted players, injured players, beginner players, reviled players and/or Michael Chang against Ivan Lendl in the 1989 French Open final. Kyrgios will play 11th-seeded Borna Coric at the Miami Masters overnight. His explanation of a tactic he was using more and more often: “I mean, isn’t the idea to serve where the person can’t get the ball? Try to get an ace?”