Brisbane: A prevalent misconception suggests that India did not deliver enough short balls to Travis Head during the Adelaide Test. However, data from CricViz indicates that 24% of the deliveries directed at the left-handed batsman, who scored a match-winning 140 runs off 141 balls at the Oval, were indeed short.

This percentage translates to nearly 34 deliveries, which is a substantial quantity. Nevertheless, the critical factor when bowling to Head is not merely the short length, but rather the specific location of those deliveries.

Head's performance against short balls in Test matches reveals significant insights. He averages 173.0 when facing short deliveries that are wide outside off stump, while his average drops to 83.5 when the ball is bowled in the channel. When the ball is targeted at the stumps, his average is 60.7. However, the most striking statistic is his average of 20.6 when the ball is directed down leg, into his body.

India bowled only five deliveries aimed at Head's body. While it cannot be assured that such deliveries would have resulted in his dismissal, the likelihood of success is higher, as indicated by the data. Ultimately, cricket revolves around capitalizing on opportunities.

Himanish Ganjoo, a former data analyst for the Indian team, emphasized the importance of data in Test cricket. “With the extensive data available, we can analyze not only line and length but also factors such as deviation, drift, seam, and swing, which are crucial in this format,” he stated. “For instance, if a batsman is prone to being out leg before wicket to deliveries that seam in, data allows us to pinpoint that balls moving in more than half a degree are particularly effective. Test cricket is fundamentally about strategizing dismissals, and data plays a vital role in that process.”

Ganjoo, who served with the Indian team from 2022 to 2024, highlighted the varying approaches to data analysis across different formats. “The analytical framework adapts according to the format being examined,” he noted. “In T20 cricket, the focus is on restricting runs.”

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