Let there be flight - Inbox at Cricinfo

Perhaps some credit should be given to the Australians for the aggressive and positive manner in which they have played spinners in different parts of the world in the last few years, most prominent performances against quality spin bowling being the Test series wins on their last tours to India and Sri Lanka. If Hayden does not pick Mendis' first delivery, if the tempting contest takes place, I am willing to bet my writing hand that he sweeps every ball after that. The sweep, or slog-sweep in most Australian batsmen's case, is their way of putting off a spinner off his line and length, and it was a great surprise that Indian batting line-up did not use the sweep shot often enough against Murali and Mendes on their recent tour.

Coming back to the use of variations, there are, however, exceptions such as Daniel Vettori, who have made exemplary use of variations, and has in fact styled his variations to suit his own bowling style and bowling action. He experiments with his pace well, his exceedingly slower off-breaks ensuring the batsman plants his front foot forward much before the ball pitches, and often failing to adjust to exceptional turn thereafter. He has never really been heralded as a leading spinner in the world, but if your life depends on getting a wicket and not concede many runs in the process, he would definitely make a favorable choice.

The exponential increase in one-day cricket, and now 20-20, can be attributed much of the blame for robbing a lot of spinners of their confidence to throw the ball up, and the somewhat deliberate shortening of ground diameter on most grounds in IPL sets a dangerous precedent. Spinners are in fact being paid hefty sums for bowling 24 flat and quick deliveries in the 20-20 format. The purist's worst nightmare. As an average ever-optimistic Indian cricket fan, I can only hope that the Australian tour this October is not a seal on this fact, and a stain on the yet untarnished memories of match-winning spells by Kumble and Harbhajan, which seems like an eternity ago. Let there be flight.

A romantic's dream is a spinner in the midst of a mezmerising spell.

Full credit to Vettori, for a spinner who doesn't spin the ball a great deal, he uses his flight and changes of pace to great affect. He was terrific in England.

I really haven't made my mind up about Kumble and Harbajan. Kumble has a good record but I always thought his relentlessness was a greater factor than his variation.

Harby is different. While he gets good bounce, he definitely is a better bowler at home. And one gets the feeling he is still dining out on his legendary performances in the 2001 series against Australia.

I love the sentiments Apoorv, let their flight, vicious turn, and the great contests we saw in the 90's with the revivial of spin bowling.

One thing that has also contributed to the death of flight could be the development of "super-bats" that have a large sweet spot so that even if a batsman gets beaten on the flight and doesn't time the ball, he will still hit it for a four or clear of a fielder.

Also Mendis and Murali don't depend on flight so much as multiple variations from the same action, and vicious overspin and bounce.

I think it is also the fault of captains who can't decide whether their spinners are stock bowlers or strike bowlers (e.g. the struggle of Danish Kaneria)

In general I agree. It is a bit strange when you consider the success of previous generations of spinners was greatly attributed to their ability to fool a batsman in flight that the tactic has become so different.
Shane Warne and Murali both got most of their hundreds of wickets without the use of huge amounts of different deliveries. Like Vettori they used variations of a "stock" delivery to confuse the batsman. One that turns a little, then one that looks the same but spins a great deal, then one given a bit more air to let it drift, that's what got them their wickets. Later in his career Warne was restricted because of his shoulder but these subtle changes meant he was just as effective.
In the twenty20 world cup some of the most effective bowlers were the slower bowlers, the ones who did give it some air and invite the batsman to make a mistake, so why are they changing?
It really is a pity.