IPL rule revisions that level the playing field and provide much-needed rest for bowlers

• Spit and polish, a practice of using saliva to keep one side of a cricket ball shiny, has been in use since the sport’s inception.

• The practice was halted in 2020 due to hygiene and safety concerns following the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The bowling fraternity discovered reverse swing, where the older ball starts to swing in the direction of the shine due to the ample use of saliva to polish the ball.

• The ban on saliva has significantly reduced the fast-bowling group, leaving only sweat as a natural resource.

• This lack of saliva has allowed batters to target the best in the business with impunity, even in Test cricket.

• Mohammed Shami, an Indian paceman, made his Test debut in Sachin Tendulkar’s penultimate game for the country 11 and a half years ago.

• Shami’s efficiency with an older SG Test ball, which aids reverse-swing more than its counterparts used elsewhere, was marked by his performances.

• Shami’s performance in Test cricket has changed significantly since his debut, with his introduction of Jasprit Bumrah in 2018.

India’s Return to Big-Ticket Cricket

• India’s cricketer, Shami, has returned to international action after 14 months of recovery from a heel surgery.

• He showed match-fitness in T20I and ODI outings against England and served notice in India’s first Champions Trophy outing against Bangladesh.

• Shami’s request to reintroduce the use of saliva for reverse-swing was favored by Vernon Philander and Tim Southee.

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reintroduced saliva use for Season 18 of the Indian Premier League.

• The return of saliva is seen as a bid to level the playing field and give bowlers a chance.

• The BCCI also provides sides bowling second in a night game with the option of asking for another ball at any stage after the conclusion of the tenth over.