Cricket
Melinda Farrell at Headingley 6y

Adil Rashid's dip-and-rise gives Yorkshire a bittersweet afternoon

IND in ENG 2018, Cricket

How bittersweet was this for Yorkshire fans?

There they were, crammed into Headingley with assorted visitors, India and England fans alike, part of sell-out crowd that had snaffled up all the tickets months ago, and cheering on one of their own in Adil Rashid as he cracked India open and exposed middle-order frailties.

And there was Rashid, his lilting dip-and-rise run-up, echoes of a gentle rollercoaster, culminating in deliveries that jigged and jagged off a grippy pitch.

He delivered a sandwich of wickets, eagerly devoured by England. The first slice of bread: Dinesh Karthik, given his chance at the expense of KL Rahul and withstanding the hard early overs of his innings. Just as he looked set and ready to expand it came: dip-and-rise. The ball tossed up outside off stump and a somewhat flat-footed DK dragging an expansive drive onto the stumps.

The accompanying slice: Suresh Raina, desperately trying to make his second chance count in this series after nearly three years out of India's ODI side. His stay was short. Just four balls of dip-and-rise and Raina was gone, obligingly turning the ball into the ready hands of Joe Root at second slip.

But it was the delicious Kohli filling that made the mouth water. A moment for Rashid to savour and play on repeat in his memory. At the start of the over that also claimed the wicket of Raina, a dangerously set Virat Kohli looked in control. One of the world's best players of spin had been dropped on 23 and was threatening to make England pay. Dip-and-rise. The ball flighted nicely and zigged on leg-stump before zagging into off. It wasn't the best ball Rashid has ever bowled. He has served up better, by his own reckoning, to lesser batsmen. But this - the second time he had taken the Indian captain's wicket during this series - this was the most satisfying. King Kohli was castled - the first time by a legspinner in his ODI career - and he couldn't quite comprehend it. The astonishment was clear on his face as his eyes tracked from the pitch to the bowler.

A bitter disappointment for Kohli but how sweet for Rashid?

And how bittersweet for Yorkshire fans. Yes, them again. Watching their rollercoaster leggie turning matches for England after turning away from playing red-ball cricket for his county before the start of the season. On Sunday, Yorkshire will play the old enemy, Lancashire, in a County Championship match. A White Rose victory over the Red is the one that matters most in these parts. What wouldn't they give to see a wave of dip-and-rise at Old Trafford?

The leg-spinning role will instead be filled by Josh Poysden, on a one-match loan from Warwickshire. Poysden has played just one Championship match this season, in which he took a five-wicket haul against Kent, the presence of Jeetan Patel making it difficult for Warwickshire to accommodate him.

While there have been rumblings of discontent about Rashid's decision among fans, it would be churlish to judge him. How many people would make career decisions based on others' desires rather than their own wishes? Rashid may even change his mind and return to red-ball cricket at some point in the future. He is currently 30 years old; he still has time.

And there is some evidence that his choice is paying off. From the 2015 World Cup to the time he gave up red-ball cricket, Rashid took 67 wickets in 43 ODIs, with an average of 31.35 and an economy rate of 5.60. Since playing his last Championship match for Yorkshire last season, he has claimed 43 wickets in 24 ODIs, with an average of 27.64 and an economy rate of 5.38.

If Rashid's concentration on white-ball cricket at the expense of the longer form leads to a World Cup-winning contribution, Yorkshire's loss will certainly be seen as England's gain.

Even Yorkshire fans might accept a few bittersweet moments for such an outcome.

At a pinch.

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