9: 30 P.M, November 11th 2013. On the eve of Diwali here in India, I’ve just witnessed one of the most bizarre( and highscoring) ODI games ever played in the history of cricket, between India and Australia here in the chinneswami swami stadium of Bengaluru. India, after being put on to bat( It’s a KRRISH 3 Costume or what - “PUT ON TO BAT”) by Aus Skipper George Bailey, won a high-scoring game - at a decent yet unimpressive margin of only 57 runs - despite scoring a mammoth 384( or is it?) and despite their opening batsmen Rohit Sharma registering a scintillating double hundred to his name( Yes in an ODI) .!
3 days prior to this match, at Nagpur - after chasing down 350+ thanks to a certain Mr. Virat Kohli - MS Dhoni, the captain of India made a provocative statement that – “If what you’re witnessing on a cricket field for 7, 8 hours is ‘only boundaries and sixes’, then I don’t know whether it’s proving to be “good for the game” or “not good for the game” anymore.?.” This is a mind-bending question and one which the ICC should look upon and ponder over with more seriousness and nicety - other than anything else happening in the game right now, especially after such insane batting displays being showcased.
Ever since the invent of T-20 cricket and the new ODI rules came to the forge with two new balls and 4 men outside the ring etc – Cricket has become nothing but a pure sensory assault for the audiences with balls disappearing into the stands – “9 times out of 10” and presuming the 10th ball being bowled was a Yorker or a lower full toss –( Boy! It’s tough to connect even 1 six out of 10 isn’t it.?) .
In the recently concluded India vs Aus bilateral series - A SIX! was hit every 30 balls per match and a boundary was scored every 10-15 balls - a statistics,( courtesy cricinfo), let’s face it - which is hard to believe and replicate - since it’s something which is not possible even in the nets and/or practice pitches.!
The sensory assault was so cruel that I even began to wonder –whether the ICC should even consider legalizing ball tampering or not – because unfortunately it seems like a little “bowl tampering” by the bowlers and fielders could do so much to cricket than an easy “bowl pampering” by the batsman.
In his blog titled “Bowlers are becoming an endangered species in limited overs” originally posted at espncricinfo.com, former Australian captain Ian Chappel pondered over some very interesting facts and figures, which, he believes, is threatening the modern game at the moment by explaining why & how “setting batting records at the cost of bowlers” is not adding much up to the balance & the competitiveness of the game – exactly the kind of thing, which just forms the crux for any form of cricket – be it Domestic or International cricket, T-20 or even Gally Cricket.
To be fair International Cricket Council aka ICC have tried their best by modifying the rules with the humane intention of “helping the bowlers” concerned - Please be noted - Rules like, eliminating a runner for the injured and bringing in the option of two new balls was made with the best of intentions of helping the fielding side - but unfortunately the results proved otherwise and turned the tables vise-versa. With no runner available - batsmen are now looking to get on with the game by taking the assault to the bowlers and two new balls meant no more reverse swing and as the saying goes “cleaner and harder the bowl, the easier for the batsmen to spot it and then hit it out of the ground.”
Where are those epic battles pitting The Akrams, The Pollock’s, The Mcgrath’s and to a certain lesser degree even The Zaheer Khan’s – at their supreme bests - versus the best batsmen’s in the world in The Ponting’s, The Lara’s, The Gilchrist’s, The Sachin’s, The Jack Kallis’s and The Inzamam Ul Haq’s .?
There’s no more nail biting drama in the pitch – the kind of Klusner, Donald scenario - which we let’s face it – no matter how foolish it was - was fun watching way back in the semi-final of the 1999 world cup played between Australia and South Africa. There’s no more tension and anxiety lingering in the fields and we can’t see two neck to neck teams competing each other with everything at stake and everything to play for anymore. Instead there’s only a verbal needle out in the cricket field( Watson vs Dhawan) and nothing but a stupid, ugly looking outburst as opposed to that of a war between bat and ball.
There’s no more reverse swinging Yorkers or “ around the wicket pitching middle, hitting the top of off” kind of Japhers anymore – which, by the way, are the kind of deliveries that will test the skill of any batsmen, anywhere in the world – Be it you’re a Tendulkar, a Lara or even“Sir. Don Bradman”.!
Instead, what we have at the moment is a Virat Kohli or a Rohit Sharma or a George Bailey coming in and hitting sixes at will kind of scenario – something which those great West Indian’s used to do - Gary Sobers and Viv Richards especially – way back in the 1970’s and 80’s.Barring an occasional spell from say a Lasith Malinga or a Sunil Narine or a Dale Steyn or a Jimmy Anderson– Bowlers have been degraded to mere spectators especially in the limited overs cricket and more so in the sub-continent.
I challenge you – Try and remember the last time you’ve enjoyed watching a nail biting, low scoring game - with note worthy performances from both sides either with bat or ball that too on a “sporting wicket”.? Did the CWC 2011 produce any such games.? Not quite. Champions trophy 2013.? Kind of but not without the help of a rain curtailed T20-like final. If there are no real demons in the pitch, which seems to be the case in Abu Dhabi # Pak vs SAF 2013 – these kinds of games are few and far between these days especially in ODI cricket and hence is not adding much interest to the longer sustenance of the game. Yes, it might go a long way in increasing The TRP’s and/or bring in the Crowds at large numbers but wait*isn’t this what T-20 cricket supposed to do.?
It is a bitter truth to swallow even for a neutral follower of the game that there is an imbalance in the game but time has come for the ICC to realize that the game of Cricket and especially ODI’s needs a revival and keeping in mind the 2015 world cup which is going to be conducted in Australia with in just 2 years time. If this is to continue for a decade or so and be the so-called future – Then we might as well start using robots and bowling machines on the ground and not actual players with blood and bones.
Come on, get a life. BRING BACK TEST CRICKET. The classic form which will test the “metal” of any player - Be it you’re HITMAN or an IRON MAN - anywhere in the world and against any opponent be it England, South Africa, Australia, West Indies …………. Zimbabwe & Bangladesh. Meanwhile, we, the spectators can sit back, relax and satisfy our tummies with such eye-popping Diwali Dhamaka on our sets – which, going by the words of legendary Physio John Glauster - Is good for the eye but not for the abdomen. Hi. Hi. Hi. This is Sreejith Mullappilli Signing off. Good bye and Good Night.?
