Chennai: In India, spinners normally dominate bowling attacks. But nothing frustrates world-class batters more than consistent, probing length bowling that tilts the balance of timing and confidence.
Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani’s height—he is 6ft 9—and release point give his length deliveries a unique trajectory: not outright fast, not bouncy like a short ball, but that hard to score off corridor just short of a full toss. In T20s, where aggression is rewarded, that uncomfortable length becomes a weapon, especially on a pitch where the ball can grip more than it shows at first glance.
It’s this ability to aim just short of a length and extract awkward bounce that took Australia by surprise, forcing Josh Inglis, Tim David and Matt Renshaw to adjust their balance and find the fielders. This was at Colombo, where the ball stalled a bit. In Chennai, where the pitch can also be two-paced, a length that’s neither too full nor too short makes those shots equally risky. Expect Zimbabwe to exploit that factor.
“He’s one of those bowlers that’s obviously 6 ft 9 and he does kind of come a little bit from beyond the perpendicular,” said Ryan Burl, a senior Zimbabwe player, ahead of the match on Wednesday. “So jagging the ball back into the righties and across the lefties with that steep bounce does pose quite a challenge for the batters. So I’m a lot happier knowing that he’s on my team and not on the opposition.”
In T20 cricket, containment is as dangerous as wicket-taking. Muzarabani’s discipline removes easy scoring options—no full deliveries to tee off, no blatant short balls to pull freely. By forcing runs through risky options, he increases the chance of a mistimed shot, a leading edge, or an inside edge. This contributes to his knack for wickets. But what won’t be lost on India is how he also conceded 38 runs against Sri Lanka and 42 to West Indies.
In this format, fast bowling is rarely about raw pace. It is about discipline, geometry and patience. Fast bowlers who bend their backs searching for steep bounce often disappear into the surface. But those who understand how to use the good length—just short of a drive, too full for a pull—can turn even a traditionally spin-friendly venue into a theatre of seam pressure. Muzarabani, with his tall frame and high release point, operates precisely in that corridor.
“I think he’s been really good in controlling his length and his line, so he’s not given the batters too many free, easy boundary balls,” Zimbabwe coach Justin Sammons said after the West Indies defeat. “If they look for the boundary, there’s an element of risk that they’ve had to take. So I think he’s been really good there in that regard.”
Spin might play a big part on Thursday but for India to score heavily, they will also have to deal with Muzarabani’s length bowling adequately.
