Analysis | Bouncer barrage awaits Jemimah Rodrigues
Written By: Jeet Vachharajani
Date: 11-12-2022
Picture Courtesy: Getty Images
Jemimah Rodrigues registered a six-ball duck in the first game with all six deliveries bowled by Ellyse Perry across two overs. The key point to note was how Perry pushed Jemimah on the back foot from Ball #1 & got her wicket with incredible smarts.
The first 3 balls were short enough & extracted enough bounce to make Jemimah play on the back foot. The seed was already planted in her mind & she was pushed behind by those lengths. Ball #4 was not so short, and the evidence of Jemimah having become defensive and being pushed back was that the ball could have been negotiated on the front foot with the relatively low bounce off it, yet it was played on the back foot.
But, the real trickery was observed on Ball #5 & #6. Ball #5 was a proper bouncer that Jemimah tried to pull, but missed because of the length. This delivery was released from the normal angle, i.e., close to the umpire. It was right after that ball when Tahlia McGrath said something to Perry and the duo had a brief discussion.
Ball #6 was a short one again, but this one was released from wide of the crease & the angle created because of such release got the better of Jemimah. It was a very well-charted plan & it worked really well because of the execution by Perry.
I expect the Australian pacers to deploy the same tactics in the next game too. If it is not Perry, then it may by Annabel Sutherland looking to execute the same plans.
How I expect Jemimah to counter - I expect Jemimah to again be pushed back from Ball #1. But, what she might do differently is that she will look to back away a little and attempt the upper-cut time & again. This may not be the smartest thing as Australians could as well place a fielder at the deep third. Secondly, if the bowler decides to follow her & cramps her up for room, then Jemimah could again miscue that pull shot as she would potentially end up in the wrong position.
What she should ideally do - The best thing is to just duck, but it can be hard when you are a compulsive puller or have a fear of taking a blow. So, in such a scenario, the best way to negotiate such a short ball ploy is to move inside the line of the ball and then play the pull. You will be able to guide the ball better to the deep fine leg or square leg region.