The bouncer: A back-breaking, bone-chilling treat

In Episode 4 of the Cricbuzz Series, "Name of the Game", we present Part 2 of the "Short Ball" episode, this time with the bowler's perspective. In this installment Varun Aaron reveals the baggage that comes with being an express pace bowler in India, the utility of the bouncer at various stages of a match, and the pain of delivering it, as opposed to that of facing it.

'Aggression and intimidation' are the first words out of Varun Aaron, triggered by the mere mention of the word 'bouncer'. Even as cricket moves on in terms of most aspects, the hostility of express pace remains untouched, dating way back to the early thirties when 'Bodyline' threatened state relationships between two nations (Australia and England) to four decades later when 'Fire in Babylon' documented Clive Lloyd's fiery arsenal of ruthless assassins, the bouncer's romanticism has stood the test of time.

The cricketing world woke up to the perils of short balls when Bill Woodfull, the Australian captain during the infamous Bodyline series, was struck above his heart, wicketkeeper Bert Oldfield suffered a skull fracture the following day, courtesy a gentleman by the name of Harold Larwood. Protective headgear - hitherto unknown, were suddenly the call of the hour. Over the years, helmets made their way into cricket to minimize the sport's perils - and yet, the well-nigh objective beauty of the bouncer lives on.

The bouncer, a valuable asset

There are few things as lethal as a well-directed short ball. Add the express pace to the mix, it has even a well-set batsman hopping against the run of play. However, what makes the bouncer a particularly valuable asset for a bowler, especially to the new batsman? Speaking to Cricbuzz, India pacer Varun Aaron reckons that even though the pace is an added incentive, bouncing out a batsman entails far more than that:

"A major weapon for any fast bowler is intimidating the batsman', he says. "It's this inherent quality that makes captains seek an express speedster in their eleven. On pitches which offer absolutely nothing in terms of movement, workhorses come to the fore, and 'pace' becomes the go-to weapon, especially to a new batsman."

While well-set batsmen are relatively comfortable with the pace and bounce, new batsmen are far more vulnerable due to their relative lack of footwork, given that they are in the process of adapting to the conditions. Aaron reckons this is the bowler's window to 'mess with their technique': "When the batsman isn't settled, his footwork is minimal and that's when he's most vulnerable to pace. In that sense, having a fast bowler is very important for any team".

Breaking a technique - by proxy

While the bouncer has its immediate effects of cutting a batsman down to size, it is also a cause of grave peril. Several techniques have been ripped apart by proxy due to the psychological effect of a bouncer. Stuart Broad, a Test centurion, was never the same batsman after the events of Manchester 2014. A broken nose and a few stitches later - his confidence in his batting took a major blow.

"I did speak to him (Broad) in the dressing-room after the incident and being a bowler himself, he took it pretty well".

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"No bowler would want to intentionally hurt a batsman," says Aaron, recalling the incident. 'It depends on an individual. Some people might not feel comfortable to see someone else in pain and bleeding. It depends on the mental setup of each player. I did speak to him (Broad) in the dressing-room after the incident and being a bowler himself, he took it pretty well".

Thankless exercise or lethal weapon?

While facing the bouncer is a bit of a menace for the batsmen, delivering it isn't any easy for the bowlers either. And who knows it better than Aaron - a stress fracture (in addition to seven others) in 2011 kept him out of the team for two years, an injury severe enough to have a debilitating effect on the pace factor. Aaron, however, continues to hit the 140km/h mark consistently, even on the unforgiving subcontinent pitches.

While a spell of the "short stuff" is a visual treat, it could prove devastating for the bowler amid a lengthy spell, trying to trap the batsman into a 'sense of lull'. 'Leg-side' trap was a rage in the Bodyline series of the 1930s, but the modern game has done its bit to protect its batsmen. Executing the bouncer is an art that needs perfection, in terms of accuracy and pace. There's far too much on the line, and far too little to gain.

"There is only one mode of dismissal with the short ball - a catch, either close-in or in the deep", Aaron reckons. "However, short-pitched bowling, particularly above 145km/h, is always a handful. As a fast bowler, however, you don't want to overdo it. Timing the short ball right is paramount in keeping the batsmen on their toes".

The conditions

Conditions do play a telling factor for the 'hit the deck' kind of fast bowlers. Faster, bouncier pitches play right into their scheme of work - Australia and South Africa - two nations famous for producing such pitches - have left a rich legacy behind them in terms of true bounce. They test the batsmen's ability to get on top of the bounce and play the horizontal-batted shots.

The sub-continent, however,presents a new set of challenges and thereby requires different solutions: 'Hitting the deck in India doesn't always work," reckons Aaron. "However, the bouncer is still a very good option on a slower wicket. The batsman, at times, doesn't realise the pace at which the ball comes, and there's also a chance of some balls keeping low and skidding through at pace. It's generally hard for any batsman to find his timing right on slow wickets without true bounce."

A run-saving mode?

While wickets do remain the first priority on any surface, drying up the runs also plays a pivotal role in the larger scheme of things, particularly in a Test match. One such way of sustaining pressure on the batting side is bowling long spells of bouncers. While it primarily makes the batsman apprehensive about scoring off the frontfoot, it does have a gradual effect on his psyche, testing his patience and playing on his ego: can he continue to duck and sway, or should he take on the pull or the hook? It brings the batsman out of his comfort zone, and therefore, brings the bowler into the game.

"You can't bounce the batsmen out on subcontinental wickets, but it becomes extremely difficult for them to time the ball and making runs doesn't get easier."

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"Using short balls on a slow wicket is a good option to slow the runs down. Yes, you can't bounce the batsmen out on such wickets, the probability of causing any sort of (physical) damage to the batsman is less, but it becomes extremely difficult for them to control their strokes, the timing isn't there and making runs doesn't get any easier," explains Aaron, as he plays on the frustration factor to pick up wickets on the subcontinent.

The risk-reward trade-off

There are few better sights in cricket, particularly in the age of the batsman than the willow-wielders ducking and swaying out of the line - swift karma of sorts for the bowling breed, who have been debilitated in every way possible in an attempt to commercialize the modern game. The bouncer, however, remains untouched as a weapon of choice for the bowler to impose himself - but, is the short ball ideally the most threatening delivery to take wickets?

"You can't bowl too many short balls", opines Aaron. "It doesn't make sense to keep it short all the time. Firstly, it opens up opportunities for the batsmen (adept at back foot play) to score runs and secondly, with only one kind of dismissal coming into play. There are limitations with the short ball, as compared to the fuller length ball where there are so many modes of dismissal in the mix - bowled, LBW, caught behind and many others. That said, in a perfect scenario, the short-ball has the tendency to bring out all other modes of dismissal into play."

While things have improved a great deal, the death of Australian batsman Phil Hughes after being struck with a fatal blow on the side of his head while attempting a hook, has once again opened up a Pandora's box on the leverage given to the bowlers.

Stricter rules and regulations have followed, limiting the usage of the short ball, raising a question that may never be satisfactorily answered - where do you draw the line between 'aggression' and 'intimidation'? And yet, even the game's administrators fear the potential blandness that may result from the total abandonment of the bouncer - an inexplicable melancholic inability to let go.