What is reverse swing?





Reverse swing is a skillful technique in cricket where the bowler makes the ball move in the opposite direction of what is expected. It happens when the ball, instead of swinging towards the shiny side (the side with the polish), swings towards the rough side. To achieve reverse swing, the bowler uses various strategies to maintain and manipulate the condition of the ball. They try to keep one side of the ball smooth and shiny through polishing, while the other side becomes rough due to wear and tear on the pitch. The rough side creates turbulence in the air, causing the ball to deviate in the opposite direction. For example, if a right-handed fast bowler is bowling, the conventional swing would make the ball move away from the right-handed batsman. However, with reverse swing, the ball can move back towards the batsman instead. This unexpected movement can trouble the batsman, making it harder to play a controlled shot. A famous example of reverse swing is the match between England and Australia in the 2005 Ashes series. Simon Jones, an English bowler, used reverse swing brilliantly to take crucial wickets and help his team win the series. In summary, reverse swing is a technique in cricket that allows the ball to deviate in the opposite direction, contrary to what the batsman anticipates. It is achieved by manipulating the ball's condition and can be a valuable skill for bowlers to outsmart batsmen.