“Best Spinner In The World?” Mike Hesson’s Nawaz Claim And India’s Cool Reply

Pakistan coach Mike Hesson lit the fuse ahead of the Asia Cup showdown by hailing Mohammad Nawaz as “the best spin bowler in the world right now.” The hyperbolic badge turned heads given Nawaz’s mid‑table global ranking, but it served its purpose: rally the dressing room and shift narrative oxygen toward Pakistan’s spin strength. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate chose a cooler lane, declining to spar over superlatives and simply reaffirming India’s faith in its own spin trio—Varun Chakaravarthy, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav. Everyone can rank their players as they wish, he said; let the cricket settle the rest.

What Hesson really meant

Strip the headline and the message is clear: Pakistan want this to be a spin series within a match. Nawaz’s left‑arm angle, paired with wrist spin from Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, gives Pakistan multiple change‑ups through the middle. In T20s, where dot‑ball pressure breeds bad shots, three spinners who can alter pace and shape quickly can control overs 7–15. Calling Nawaz “the best” is less a rankings argument than a locker‑room signal—this is our edge, and we’re backing it.

India’s response, by design

India didn’t take the bait. Ten Doeschate emphasized two things: spin will matter, but surfaces haven’t gripped quite as much as some expected; and India trust their own—Varun’s mystery, Kuldeep’s drift and dip, Axar’s hard lengths—without needing to pin medals to chests in a press room. It’s the same tone India have used all week: professional, emotionless, focused on controllables. If the ball grips, they can win the middle; if it slides on, they back their quicks and pace‑off options to cover.

Where the match will turn

• If it grips: the team that stacks more dots without feeding release balls will run the table. Here, Kuldeep’s air speed and Varun’s unreadability square up intriguingly with Nawaz’s skiddy angle into right‑handers.

• If it skids: new‑ball discipline and death execution eclipse spin chatter. Bumrah’s bookends and India’s catching intensity become decisive; Pakistan’s pace depth has to cash in with control, not just airspeed.

• Batting matchups: left‑hand/right‑hand toggles will be ruthless. India will try to keep a left‑hander around Nawaz; Pakistan will look to feed Kuldeep to fresh batters, not set ones.

The mind games vs the method

Hesson’s claim is classic pre‑match poker—raise the table, back a strength, plant a seed. India’s counter is to fold the conversation and play the hand. The method hasn’t changed: win the middle overs with smart spin usage, protect the square in the field, and remove freebies at the death. If the night belongs to spin, both teams have the tools; if it doesn’t, the side that adapts quicker—not the side that talks louder—will walk out smiling.

What to watch, practically

• Kuldeep vs Pakistan’s right‑handers in the 8th to 12th overs—can he hold length without feeding sweep and slog‑sweep windows?

• Nawaz vs India’s toggled combos—does the ball stop enough for him to live on the stumps, or does it skid into the V where India cash twos and pick their moments?

• Fielding margins—India’s recent goalkeeper‑style catching drills hint at a team trying to shave runs everywhere; Pakistan must match that intensity.