Spinner Adam Zampa has been integral to Australia’s run to the final of the T20 World Cup and Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar said that the changes that the 29-year-old makes based on the batter’s movement is the mark of a boowler in form.

“I’ve observed one thing in Zampa’s bowling. When the batter steps out, his release point is later. If you release the ball right above your head, it is more or less a good length ball. When the arms move further ahead and then you release the ball i.e. if the release point is later, the ball is mostly short-pitched. He was only releasing the ball later when the batter was stepping out,” Tendulkar said on a video posted on his official Facebook profile.

“And so, whenever the batter was stepping out, the delivery wasn’t really in the hitting range. It was pitching short. And a bowler is only able to make that swift change in releasing point when he is in good form.

“When the batter didn’t step out, he was releasing the ball earlier. The delivery wasn’t particularly pacy, but the length was fuller and I recollect a commentator saying that he was almost bowling yorker length! You don’t see that often from a leg-spinner. It is a more common sight from a finger-spinner where they can dart the ball. It is not easy for a leg-spinner and I noticed that in Zampa,” said Tendulkar.

With 12 wickets in six matches, Zampa is the second highest wicket taker in the tournament. He is only behind Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, who played eight matches and took 16 wickets. Zampa returned career-best figures of 5/19 against Bangladesh in the Super 12 stage.