Uncapped left-arm spinner, Tom Hartley, is confident about his potential success on Indian pitches in the upcoming five-match Test series starting on January 25 in Hyderabad. Being one of the four spinners in the English squad for this challenging series, the 24-year-old might make his Test debut, providing a left-arm spin option alongside experienced campaigner Jack Leach, especially against India’s predominantly right-handed top six batters.
In an interview with Wisden Cricket Monthly, Hartley mentioned that he believes his style of bowling aligns well with Indian pitches, emphasizing that precision is the key to attaining ultimate success.
“I’ve only been to India once but the pitches just allow you to fire it in, you don’t even have to think about flight or guile or anything like that. You just let the pitch do the work. In county cricket the pitches are a lot flatter, so spinners have to use their wits a bit more, whereas in India you’re the one who’s meant to be in control. If you’re firing it in and hitting the seam, you’ll be ragging it past the edge,” said Hartley.
“The conditions will be in my favour, I bowl similar to what their boys do, so there’s no reason why I should be scared, you’ve just got to bowl at what’s in front of you. I’m round about mid-50s mph, but with my height, I can’t really go up and down, my trajectory is normally down just because of my height, but that’s not a bad thing, it just makes me bowl that little bit quicker,” he added.
Hartley, with just two ODIs for England against Ireland, bowled in only one, concluding with figures of 0/48 in 10 overs. Even though Rehan Ahmed has played only one Test for England, Hartley stands as their most seasoned first-class spinner after Leach, having participated in 20 games.
“I possess a ‘carrom’ ball”- Tom Hartley
Tom Hartley mentioned that he’s developing a carrom delivery in preparation for the India Test series, aiming to deploy it effectively if selected in the playing XI. England, having been the last team to defeat India in a Test series on their home ground in 2012/13, has faced challenges, losing seven out of nine Tests in India since, with significant defeats in the 2016-17 and 2020-21 series.
“I’ve got a ‘carrom’ ball. It’s almost there. It’s easy to bowl it in the nets, I’ve bowled it a few times in county cricket and a bit in white ball, but with the style of play that England are after, given a chance, hopefully I’ll flick it out for yer,” said Hartley.
Due to challenging spin conditions at Lancashire, the 24-year-old has a modest average of 36.57 in his 20 first-class games. Additionally, Hartley demonstrates his value as a batsman in the county circuit, boasting an average of 29, including two half-centuries.
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