Over years, access to data, coaches, analysts and superior practice facilities have helped improve the quality of bowling. The year 2021 was no different as it witnessed several brilliant spells, and picking six from the sea is a task. Nevertheless, here is an attempt.
Several brilliant spells from R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Anrich Nortje and others had to be excluded.
Starting in the descending order with respect to the date the spell was bowled.
Scott Boland (Australia) 4-1-7-6 vs England, Melbourne
After Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson playing the day-night Adelaide Test, few expected 32-year-old local boy Boland to debut in the Boxing Day Test. But destiny wrote his script, as he became the the second indigenous cricketer and 463rd overall to play Men's Test cricket for Australia. He was also their fourth debutant of the year, after Will Pucovski, Alex Carey and Neser.
He was greeted with unbelievable applause from the capacity Boxing Day crowd at Melbourne when he dismissed Mark Wood to get his first wicket on Day 1. Describing the momentous occasion, Steven Smith said: “That’s the loudest I’ve heard the crowd at the MCG since the 2015 World Cup final.”
More raucousness from the MCG crowd was in store for the second innings as Boland produced a spell for the ages, running through a listless English line-up in no time in the second innings. He equalled the record of Ernie Toshack and Stuart Broad for claiming a five-wicket haul in 19 balls, the quickest time in terms of balls bowled.
Boland’s ability to move the ball both ways and altering lengths smartly spelt the doom for the Englishmen. At the MCG, he averages 13 in First-class cricket over the past three years.
He dismissed opener Haseeb Hameed and night-watch Jack Leach in his first over of the second innings. After a dropped catch, he eventually struck by trapping Jonny Bairstow leg before in his second over. Boland had the big fish – Joe Root – in his third over before cleaning Wood and Ollie Robinson in his fourth over.
Despite a first-innings lead of 82, Australia managed to produce an innings defeat and also ensured the retaining of the Ashes.
Fittingly, he won the Johnny Mullagh Medal, named after the first great indigenous Australian cricketer.
Ajaz Patel (New Zealand) 47.5-12-119-10 vs India, Mumbai
Before Boland, destiny wrote Ajaz’s script. Born in Mumbai, Ajaz left the city as a child when his parents migrated to New Zealand. He started his cricketing journey as a left-arm pacer before switching to spin. In a homecoming that mirrored perfection, Ajaz became the third bowler after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble to claim 10 wickets in a Test innings.
Ajaz also became the first to achieve the feat on the first innings of a Test match as well as away from home. He used the turn to his advantage and the arm-ball to good effect, championing the line-and-length to create history.
He also picked four wickets in the second innings. Unfortunately, his efforts were not enough to help New Zealand avert a 372-run defeat. Later, New Zealand’s horses-for-courses method saw him getting dropped from the Test squad for their home series against Bangladesh – a fact good enough to feature in an episode of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Tim Southee (New Zealand) 27.4-6-69-5 vs India, Kanpur
Coming to India, losing a toss and bowling first in a Test match is perfect recipe for a defeat. At the end of Day 1, India were comfortably placed at 258/4. New Zealand needed the experience and skill of Southee to stage a comeback.
Despite no green top or demons in the wicket or much reverse swing on offer, Southee triggered a collapse to help New Zealand roar back into the contest. On the smoggy second morning, he created difficult angles and moved the ball just enough to produce one of the finest spells by a foreign pacer in India.
His heroics played a part in New Zealand securing a rare draw in India in the first Test.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan) 4-0-31-3 vs India, Dubai
India and Pakistan were squaring off in a T20I after five and a half years. From a fan’s point of view, it was the most awaited clash of the year – the opening T20 World Cup match for both the subcontinent giants.
India lost the crucial toss and were asked to bat. Afridi had scaled in reputation by then, and he did what was expected – deliver in the first over. Invoking the memories of the great Wasim Akram, he played with the minds of Indian batters and used skills to great effect. He trapped Rohit Sharma leg-before with a fast full delivery that curved in late. In the following over, he got a good-length delivery to shape in to disturb K.L. Rahul’s stumps.
He struck again in the death overs – this time sending back an in-form Virat Kohli with a slower bouncer. Pakistan had finally managed to dismiss Kohli in a T20 World Cup game.
Afridi had broken India’s batting backbone and played the most critical part in Pakistan’s 10-wicket win over their arch rivals. This ended their three-decade-long wait as they secured their first ever World Cup win against India.
Peter Aho (Nigeria) 3.4-1-5-6 vs Sierra Leone, Lagos
Teenage pacer Peter Aho debuted for Nigeria against Kenya in September. He played his first two T20Is on the same day, and his next two matches came on another. His first month in international cricket was far from auspicious, as he picked just three wickets from his first six games, leaking a lot of runs.
Sierra Leone toured Nigeria for a T20I series. On the day when Afridi broke India’s batting order, Aho produced the best bowling figures in Men's T20I cricket. Nigeria were bowled out for 90, and Aho ensured a 19-run win for Nigeria, securing a series win. His six-wicket haul included a hat-trick.
Mohammed Siraj (India) 19.5-5-73-5 vs Australia, Brisbane
Brisbane 2021 (not the Ashes Test) was a cricketing fairytale. One of the tale’s knights in shining armour was Siraj, who, still into his first month as a Test cricketer, found himself the leader of the side’s bowling pack. He was playing his third Test match, Shardul Thakur his second, while Navdeep Saini, T. Natarajan and Washington Sundar were making their debut.
Australia had managed a 33-run first-innings lead against the injury-ravaged Indians. Siraj bowled his heart out and got both Marnus Labushagne and Smith. Australia looked to attack, but Siraj denied them any opportunity to dominate the inexperienced Indian bowling by picking wickets at regular intervals. His maiden five-wicket haul restricted the Australian lead to 327.
The rest, as they say, is history. India pulled off their most incredible win by bringing down Australia’s Gabbatoir, where Australia lost for the first time in 33 years.