Mimicry in the Nets
I watched a short net-session clip ahead of the recent IND vs PAK encounter — the kind of little moment that tells you more about leadership and preparation than any pre-match soundbite. In the footage, the India skipper stepped into the nets not as a batting captain but as a teacher: he deliberately copied an unusual bowling rhythm used by Pakistan’s emerging mystery spinner so his batters could experience the disruption before it arrived in the match.[1][2]
Why that small theatre matters
Demystification through simulation. That pause-and-release stride from the opposing bowler is an edge precisely because it unsettles timing. Recreating it in the nets transforms surprise into a rehearsal. Practice stops being abstract and becomes a controlled experiment.
Leadership by doing. When your captain assumes the role of the disruptive bowler in nets, the message is pragmatic: we will meet odd challenges on our terms, and we will train the fear out of them.
The spectacle vs. the skill. Clips like this are tailor-made for social media — a laugh, a meme, a clip that travels fast. But beneath the banter is a purposeful training method: imitation to convert uncertainty into familiarity.
A longer view: practice as mock tests
This is not new to me. Over the years I've written about the value of mock tests and rehearsal as a way to reduce the unknowns before a real exam or event — and sport behaves the same way. In education, we create mock exams so that students see the unexpected in a lower-stakes environment; in sport, teams create mock-opponents (and occasionally mock-actions) to do the same.[3].
When practiced deliberately, mimicry is not mockery — it is rehearsal. It gives the batter micro-experiences of the timing shock and lets them build counter-habits: a slightly earlier pick-up, a different trigger movement, or simply the calmness to wait that extra half-second and not flinch.
The ethics and the edge
There will always be debates about what is “clever gamesmanship” and what is unsporting. But imitation done in practice to decode a legal bowling action is a form of preparation, not provocation. The larger ethical question worth discussing is truthfully acknowledging where the advantage lies and then preparing to neutralize it without resorting to shadowy tactics.
What this says about modern sport culture
- Teams now think in scenarios and counter-scenarios. Preparation is layered: data, visuals, net-simulations, and psychological readiness.
- Media short-form clips compress strategy into spectacle; fans see the grin and the mimicry, but not always the method behind it.
- Leadership has softened into stewardship: captains and coaches craft environments where uncertainty is rehearsed until it loses its sting.
Practical takeaways for leaders (in sport and beyond)
- If something looks like an "out-of-syllabus" question, simulate it. Create harmless, low-stakes versions so your people learn pattern recognition under stress.
- Lead from the front. When a leader participates in rehearsal, it flattens hierarchy and accelerates learning.
- Treat spectacle as an opportunity: use the attention to explain process rather than let social chatter remain the only narrative.
Final thought
Sport teaches a simple lesson: surprise is a short-lived advantage. With curiosity and rehearsal, the unknown becomes another practice scenario. I prefer teams that prepare loudly in the nets and quietly execute on match day.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
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References
Watch coverage of the nets session and clips capturing the skipper copying the opponent’s bowling rhythm: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/t20-world-cup-ind-vs-pak-suryakumar-yadav-mimic-bowling-action-usman-tariq-nets-colombo-2868375-2026-02-14
Nets footage and story summaries collected by local and cricket outlets (video and write-ups): https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/icc-mens-t20-world-cup/ind-vs-pak-india-captain-suryakumar-yadav-mimics-pakistan-spinner-usman-tariq-during-india-nets-watch/articleshow/128368886.cms
On rehearsal and mock tests as preparation (my earlier piece on the power of mock practice): http://emailothers.blogspot.com/2025/01/todays-mail.html
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