The Yorker is an important weapon in Cricket, and more so now with the game largely tilted toward the batters. In this high-voltage game, the art of bowling yorkers is the need of the hour for the bowlers to contain the batters.
In this article, we will learn about the art of learning and bowling yorkers, just like India's ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been doing for years for his country.
Whichever ball you are going to learn and bowl, the most important thing is the runup. To bowl a pinpoint yorker targeting the base of the stumps, one needs to have a smooth runup with perfect bowling action that is repeatable and aligns well with the body movement. Hence, a smooth runup is very important and becomes the first tip to bowling an accurate yorker.
While trying to bowl a yorker, a lot depends on the grip that you are holding, most bowlers hold the ball cross-seam to bowl the ball on the crease, just near the wide guideline, to ensure that the ball stays away from the hitting zone of the batter. The same grip can be used to bowl the same delivery on the stumps as well. Another grip to bowl a yorker is holding the ball with fingers pointing downwards, as it helps the wrist to take control of the action. hence the Grip is very important and becomes the second tip to bowling an accurate yorker.
While trying to bowl a yorker, the bowler has to ensure that everything works in sync from the run-up to the jump and finally to the release point. Most bowlers generally bowl from a little wide of the crease and release the ball much faster and a tad early to catch the batter short. Hence, the release point is very important and becomes the third tip to bowling an accurate yorker.
Another important step to bowling a yorker is the bowling action, guys like Jasprit Bumrah have an unusual bowling action, but still, he manages to bowl his yorkers at a great speed and at the very same area which he wants to land the ball. Similarly, bowlers like Mohammad Shami have a very repeatable action that helps his body to work in sync and helps him to bowl a yorker easily and at will. hence the release point is very important and becomes the fourth tip to bowl an accurate yorker.
While bowling a yorker, a fast bowler needs to aim at the Blockhole, i.e. targetting the boots of the batter. A Yorker is a weapon that can be unleashed at any time and can be used as a bluff to outsmart the batter.
Probably the most important step, that the bowlers focus on is on practicing bowling the same delivery again and again from 4 yards to slowly increase the bases. Bowling a yorker takes a lot of toll on the body of a bowler, hence it is important to practice the skill of bowling a yorker consistently. Gaining consistency and practicing the same ball, again and again, becomes the 5th and the most important tip in this masterclass to bowl a Yorker on the Cricket field.