The cricket World Cup (WC) has thrown up quite a few surprises. The proliferation of Twenty20 (T20) matches has obviously influenced strategy. The monetary domination of the BCCI may also have translated into a couple of rule and format changes that emphasise India's strengths. The drop-in pitches have proved to be more batsman-friendly than pitches in Australia and New Zealand often are.
The T20 influence is most obvious in the way teams have planned their batting. Almost every team has tried to keep wickets in hand till the last 20 overs. It has become routine to target knocking off 90-100 runs in the last 10 overs. Looking to double the score in the last third (overs 33-50) of the innings has also become normal.
This is a reversal of earlier strategies, which aimed to blast 100-plus runs off the first 15 overs. That was done to perfection by the Kiwis in 1992 and the Sri Lankans in 1996, when Mark Greatbatch, Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharane slaughtered opening bowlers. Going for broke from the beginning became the preferred method.
T20 taught cricketers several things. One was that it is entirely possible to score at 10/over or more for 15-20 overs, given wickets in hand and fielding restrictions. Middle-order bats and tailenders as well have learnt how to keep this particular pot boiling.
There will always be scoring areas when few fielders can be placed outside the circle. Innovative shots can be conjured up to exploit gaps in a 360-degree arc. It may take the talent of a Tillekaratne Dilshan or an A B De Villiers to pull off a crazy shot the first time. But others can learn how to do it once they see it done.
High-intensity T20 has helped batsmen hone the necessary placement skills. Monstrously heavy bats and gym regimes designed to build muscles have added sheer power. The average cricketer of this era routinely hits harder than the legendary big hitters of previous eras.
Given the above, therefore, deliberate caution in the early stages of a 50-over game is sensible. Why take risks against fresh bowlers and two new balls which may be moving around? By delaying the slog until the back end, the batting side can get set and gauge the pitch.
Now, consider two key rule and format changes. One is the additional field restrictions - this ensures maybe 20-25 extra runs per game. Another is the use of two new balls throughout the innings. Both balls stay harder and cleaner, making them easier to see and to thump.
Both these changes favour batsmen in a game that was already bat-oriented. Ergo, both of these changes are designed to favour sides which are more batsman-oriented. As it happens, India is one of those sides. In fact, India is traditionally the most batsman-oriented side among the big guns. Is it a coincidence that the BCCI is also by far, the richest and most influential of the boards?
The pitches have also been more bat-friendly than expected. There have been many more 300-plus scores in this WC. In addition to pitches with even bounce across all venues, New Zealand in particular has been blessed with unusually fine weather, which has not been conducive to swing and seam. This may have caught several sides by surprise.
While batting-friendly pitches and weather has not crippled sides built around fast bowling, it has made their task more difficult - and therefore brought spinners into action. It has certainly not hurt India. That brings us to the biggest surprise: India has played reasonably well so far.
I have consistently supported every team India played against in the past two years. This was my patriotic duty as I saw it. I hoped a string of humiliating defeats would force India to review its selections and strategy and thus, ensure a credible defence of the WC. The humiliating defeats have certainly occurred. Perhaps those have served their purpose. Jai BCCI!
Twitter: @devangshudatta
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper
