Lungi Ngidi already shows there won’t be brawn without brain

Debuts have a nasty habit of unravelling for fast bowlers, especially when things don’t quite go their way.

When the brain doesn’t quite seem to be paying off, the brawn takes over.

And why not?

If you can launch 150km/h rockets like Lungi Ngidi, then by all means use it.

Yet that’s when things go awry, when the strive for pace leads to a loss of control.

Ngidi clearly isn’t wired that way.

For him, pace is nothing if you don’t have a plan.

He showed that attitude in abundance on Sunday’s second day’s play of the second Test against India in Centurion.

Exhibit 1: Virat Kolhi

While the 21-year-old’s opening spell of 0/6 off four overs was probably more solid than spectacular, there were two instances where his awkward length did have the Indian captain in some discomfort.

Then, with the first ball of his second spell, he bowled an in-ducker to Kohli, who stepped across for a flick to leg.

But the ball tailed in rapidly and he was plumb in front, except that the review had shown he got an inside edge.

“In my first spell, I hit the pad a few times. I thought that was a vulnerable area for Virat given that he was also shifting across,” said Ngidi after his day’s spell of 1/26 in nine overs.

“He was getting into my bowling line so I thought maybe shoot one at the stumps. I nearly got him. I thought I had him, I was very confident. When the replay showed an edge, my mood dropped a bit but that’s how it goes.”

Exhibit 2: Parthiv Patel

Ngidi has found his rhythm but the Kohli let-off is a bit of a bummer.

He struggles to initially find the right line against the left-handed wicketkeeper-batsmen.

One of his deliveries speeds to the boundary as he tries to over-correct and bowls a half-volley.

It’s beautifully dispatched by Patel.

Ngidi has a chat with Vernon Philander at mid-off, he’s going to switch to bowling around the wicket.

The second ball from that angle is a beauty.

It stars on off-stump but seams away late as Patel only offers and defensive prod and is caught behind.

“That wicket was a dream come true, I actually had goosebumps,” said Ngidi.

“The way I took it was great. I was talking to Vernon in terms of game-plans about how to take that wicket. Listening to someone with so much knowledge and the plan then working out exactly as it needed to made me really happy. I felt at that moment that I can perform at this level.”

But the past year hasn’t been easy on him as he’s had to recover from two long-term injuries.

“That was probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve had in my career, going from such a high to such a low in such a short space of time,” he said.

“It was tough for me because I thought I was doing all the right things and the results just weren’t going my way. The whole off-season I was actually in the gym. I had to lose a lot of weight. That was very difficult but it helped me in the long run.”

Brain … and brawn.

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