Death bowling appears to be one of the most critical parts of an ODI or a T20I game. In modern one-day international cricket, it is often found out that the international teams generally follow a traditional routine where the batsmen of the opposition try to preserve their wickets in the middle overs and play safe. They simply opt for singles and twos instead of going bang-bang from 45 to 50 overs. It is very crucial for ODI World Cup Betting as well.
In other words, the thrilling contest starts, especially in the 35th over, when the batting side starts to accelerate the scoring rate. It is the bowler’s job that becomes very difficult, especially in the death overs. As a bowler, not only does he have to hit the good-length areas of the pitch, but they also need to pick up wickets at regular intervals.
At the same time, as a fast bowler, he also has to somehow escape punishment from crazy strokemakers like Rohit Sharma or Suryakumar Yadav. As a result, the bowling team needs to have an outstanding death bowler on their own side just to help them win these games.
Ingredients of Death Bowling – Yorkers, Changes in Pace, Variety in Deliveries & Nerves
In the modern-day game, death bowling as an art has been seamlessly perfected by a handful of bowlers.
Some of the bowlers whose names come to mind include Mitchel Starc, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Trent Boult. For pacers, it is the yorkers, and changes in pace appear to be the most efficient weapon to keep the scoring rate down and also to get wickets even in the final overs.
Other than conventional pace bowling, several pacers also use reverse swings to do some damage to the opposition team’s batting lineup. Even for the pacers, bowling at the good length area works like magic even at the death overs.
The most important thing for the pacers is to have complete control over their nerves and to do well even in the final over of an ODI or a T20I match. With the batsmen going at full speed and looking to blast you at all parts of the ground, the importance of a good bowler in the death over is to keep their head cool and maintain a disciplined line and length, as it will surely yield them a wicket or two.
Top 3 ODI World Cup Teams with Good Death Bowling
Let us now look at the top three international teams whose death bowling armory has always been top-notch over the years, especially in the fifty-over formats.
The top three teams are as follows:
1. Australia
When it comes to death bowling, the name of the Australian team comes to mind. In modern-day cricket, the names Mitchel Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins come to mind.
- The most common thing among all these Australian bowlers is that they maintain a tight line and length when it comes to death bowling, i.e., from 45 to 50 overs.
- They always have the knack of picking up wickets at regular intervals.
- Apart from good line and length, they also try out reverse swings, yorkers, and off-cutters as deceptive deliveries, especially in the death overs.
- Australian bowlers rank at number one when it comes to death bowling. Since they maintain a good economic rate in the death overs.
2. India
The men in blue come in second on the list when it comes to the art of death bowling.
- Some of the renowned death bowlers who rank at the top of the ICC list come from the Indian cricket team. The name that often comes to our mind include that of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and that of Mohammed Siraj.
- All these three bowlers not only maintain strict line and length but also follow up their slower delivery with a yorker, especially in the death overs.
- They also maintain a good economy rate when it comes to bowling in the 45th to 50th overs. Most of their economic rates stay between 4.5 and 5.
3. New Zealand
The Blackcaps come 3rd in the list, as their economic rate in the death over stays between 4 and 5.
- The names that come to mind include Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, and Trent Boult.
- All these three bowlers follow up their slower deliveries with those of a yorker.
- Their success rate in picking up wickets appears to be around 90 percent.
Final Thoughts
From the above discussion, it is pretty clear that bowling at the death appears to be a tough ask. But as the game of cricket is evolving at a rapid pace, pacers can nowadays bowl all kinds of deliveries without any hassle.
They can always follow up on a stop delivery, either with Knuckleball or that of the Yorker. As a result, the success of picking up wickets at the death overs appears to be in the higher nineties.
