Sumanth Dommaraju
Right Hand Batsman (Middle Order)
Right Hand Medium Fast
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Introduction:
Consumed in his own thoughts like an innocent young lad, Sumanth Dommaraju follows the Inzamam-ul-Haq school of thought. The most laid-back person in the team, Sumanth is a man who is happy just to be part of this game. I have yet to encounter an occasion where Sumanth walked up to me and asked for a bowl in the nets or to be placed in a specific fielding position. His greatness lies in his simplicity and that is what makes him a wonderful option in the middle order. He is willing to work with any batsman and is at equal ease against the faster bowlers and the spinners. Another good quality he has is that he is able to play his natural game in situations of pressure and situations of dominance, as if he doesn't even care what happens out there.
Progress:
From the very first day I liked Sumanth. There is something in him that reminds me of the kind of person I once used to be. Very few people in the world remain unpolluted by the winds of change. Sumanth is one such man. His batting and bowling potential was never in doubt; it was experience that he was lacking. Like many of his teammates, Sumanth grew as a cricketer with each season he played for the team.
In 2006, his first season in the PCA league, Sumanth largely remained an understudy observing the new surroundings and how cricket was played in this part of the world. Not in any hurry to prove anything to anyone, Sumanth played a couple of good short cameos. He also took 4 wickets one of which was the mighty Naveen Peiris. For some reason, I always felt that Naveen feared Sumanth the most out of the WVUCC faster bowling options, even though I am sure Sumanth never paid much attention to this.
In 2007, Sumanth was ripe and ready to fire. Gaining the experience from the previous season, Sumanth shouldered the burden of carrying the middle order alongside Ashok and Abhijeet with responsibility and supreme confidence. Scoring a total of 143 runs for the season, Sumanth had three scores of over twenty including his career best match-winning 34 against the Hurricanes, outscoring his more well-reputed teammates. Remember that he would almost always come in the late middle-order when you hardly get anytime to settle down and the scoring rate needs to be maintained. Not only did he bat well, he started the season with 7 quick wickets in only five games before losing his line and direction completely. With 7 catches and run-outs, Sumanth clearly emerged as an all-round cricketer and a valuable member of the winning combination. No batsman dares to take his chances when Sumanth throws the ball: flat, hard, and over the stumps. Wow!
I think that Sumanth can be a genuine all-rounder if he works more on his bowling action.
My favorite Sumanth Dommaraju stroke: Flick towards midwicket!
My favorite Sumanth Dommaraju innings: 34 off 25 balls against the Hurricanes including 4 boundaries and a Moin Khan-like six!!!
Technical Analysis:
Batting:
He is an absolute pleasure to watch when batting in full flow. His timing is his greatest asset. He hardly hits the ball but times it so well that the bowlers are stunned. I remember a stroke he played off my own bowling during the net-sessions. He picked up the ball from the off stump line and flicked it over the midwicket boundary for a definite six. I could not believe how anyone could do that, but then it was not anyone.
Technically speaking Sumanth is very nimble on his feet and it is very hard to stop him from scoring off you. He favors the leg side over the off side unlike the other WVUCC batsmen. The only thing which I could suggest he needs to improve is his stance. I feel at times that Sumanth is too low when playing the balls. If he could just keep his body more upright, he would be able to put more force into his strokes. He could also do better with his back foot play which again suffers at times due to his low center of body when he plays his strokes. Apart from that no major technical issues!
Bowling:
Sumanth is a rhythm bowler. When his rhythm is good, his run-up is good and his head position is stable when delivering the ball. His wrist position improves and the ball comes out really balanced from his hand. With his side-on action, Sumanth swings the balls both ways, depending on his wrist position and so is an obvious wicket-taking option. When his rhythm and confidence are not right, he tends to rush through his run-up and his head falls away at the point of delivery with his wrist angled too much towards the leg-side. For this very deficiency Sumanth can be an expensive bowler at times giving away extras. I also feel that Sumanth is best when he tries to bowl fast. There are certain bowlers who if told to bowl fast, lose control (like Amol) whereas other bowlers lose control when they are told to focus on line and length. Sumanth is from the latter branch. This is why at times when his fellow mates try to turn his attention towards line and length during games, Sumanth tends to lose confidence and all the technical problems start creeping into his bowling.
Now to Naveen and Sumanth again. With the technical weakness Sumanth has against the right handers, the same becomes his strength against left-handers. His wrist angles the ball across the left-handers and his fullish length ensures maximum swing. This is what I think is Naveen's weakness. He does not like to play the ball straight towards the mid-off region even though he compensates that by a very firm defensive technique. At times I could see it in Naveen's eyes; he wished that Sumanth doesn't come on. I think this is a great compliment for any bowler! Good job, Sumanth.
Mental Analysis:
I don't think that this analysis is of much relevance when you talk about someone like Sumanth. He is absorbed in his own thoughts and hardly expresses anything. Even when he gets out early it is as if he came back after making a century. Forgetfulness is a blessing in certain areas. For a batsman it can prove to be the greatest gift if he uses it to proper effect. I think Sumanth doesn't even remember that the bowler he is facing got him out last time playing a certain stroke. He would face the bowlers as if he faces them for the first time every time. It is therefore hard to put Sumanth under pressure in his batting.
Regarding his bowling, once again if he is left free and told to bowl fast, he will do wonders. When he is told to stick to a line and length, he is not the guy for that. How can you ask the wind to blow in a certain way or the fragrance of a flower to disperse in a certain pattern. They are free of any laws and rules and are beautiful because of this. Sumanth Dommarju is no different!
What Else:
Being the natural talent that Summanth is, he would prove to be a disastrous captain! He hardly talks or presents his version of things. He never suggests anything to the captain and hardly cheers for his side. This being said, this is how he is of great help to the captain. At times I have felt that too many suggestions destroy the plan. I usually lead the team with a certain plan against a team and employ certain specific strategies against different players. At times, they work, and at other times, they don't. In either case these plans and strategies require patience and perseverance. It is players like Sumanth who give me the time and space to lead the way I see best.
Marks out of Ten this season (8.0/10)
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