NEW DELHI: For Lungi Ngidi, the defining shift in his growth as a quality T20 bowler did not unfold on the international stage but during long hours in the IPL practice nets.

A largely forgettable 2018 stint in terms of match time with Chennai Super Kings eventually became a period of reinvention, as watching and learning from Dwayne Bravo helped him remodel his slower ball into a potent weapon.

Ngidi, who produced tidy figures of 0 for 15 in four overs, including 10 dot balls, against India in the T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday, once again displayed the subtle variations that now anchor his T20 skill set. He consistently alternated his pace and lengths, especially with wide yorkers.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav struggled to get a read on him, often shaping to dispatch what he expected to be an off-cutter through the leg side, only to be deceived by a different variation.

Recalling where it all began, Ngidi said: “Like I’ve always said, I was at the IPL in 2018 with Bravo, and that entire IPL, that’s all I worked on. I wasn’t playing, so I got time to practice it. And then when I got back to South Africa, I just tried to perfect that ball.”

Learning in the shadows

He acknowledged that refining those change-ups took time and patience.

“Whether it’s a slow ball yorker, or back of length or slow ball bouncer. So three different lengths with the same ball. I guess you’ve got to guess which one’s coming next,” he said.

Even if he is not always the center of attention in opposition plans, Ngidi feels that works in his favour.

“I think probably just flying under the radar. So not many people pay attention to me. But I guess that helps me in terms of being able to us all these variations,” he said.

Tactical tweaks against India

Detailing his approach against India, he said, “And then tonight, I used my leg cutter because I know that they’re obviously probably preparing for just an off-cutter. I could see Surya set up as well, looking to sort of just lift it over the leg side.

“So just to show him something different, keep him guessing. And that seemed to work pretty well.”

For Ngidi, the spell was shaped more by reading the match situation than chasing wickets.

“But I guess just looking at the scoreboard and seeing their position, I kind of knew what I had to do. It was pretty much more build pressure than trying to be greedy and put my name up in the wickets column. So, yeah, using that tactic, I guess it worked off pretty well tonight,” he said.

Pressure over wickets

He believes the slower ball gives him a crucial edge in a format dominated by aggressive batting.

“But I think having my slower ball gives me the upper hand in terms of batsmen can’t just swing every ball. We’ve seen that a bit in the power play. So once you have to think, I think that’s where I come into the game.”

For Ngidi, the ultimate goal is to plant doubt in a batter’s mind.

“Once you start second-guessing your options, I think that’s what a bowler really wants in the end.

“And then all of a sudden, once the pressure’s building, I don’t think they have an answer for what I’m about to deliver next. So it kind of works in my favor that nobody really thinks about me,” Ngidi added.

(With PTI Inputs)