India’s opening defense of their T20 world title was a satisfactory one though they will themselves admit that there are some areas that they need to tighten up on. The wides down the leg-side are a luxury that no team can afford especially in a tight low scoring match.
After the relative low average scores of around 140 in the Indian Premier League the totals are getting a bit bigger with 170 being the score that teams chasing will feel is gettable. The manner in which the West Indies led from the trenches by skipper Chris Gayle romped to a win over an Australia total of 169 is an indication that teams will feel a sense of comfort only if they have about 180 on board and have an asking rate of 9 runs an over.
This is not easy to maintain if a team is chasing as was seen in the India-Bangladesh game where the latter started spiritedly but were unable to maintain the tempo required.
Bangladesh have been dangerous opponents for India and so Dhoni and his men would be relieved that they won with some gas to spare. That will leave them with a few days in which to look at the combination for the next stage of the tournament.
The weather can be a huge factor in England and it has been bitingly cold over the last few days. The D/L method is a distinct possibility and so teams simply cannot afford to take even one over lightly in case it will boomerang on them if the rain pours later.
Despite the cold, teams like India and West Indies who do not have a major winter have flourished. While the Calypsonians batting has demolished Australia quite easily it’s the Indian fielding that has been a revelation. Yuvraj Singh’s two diving in front catches in that bitterly cold temperature were outstanding to say the least.
What those catches showed was that the team was not going to spare any extra effort to win. India were cruising to a win at that stage so an attempt like that was not necessary but it just showed the commitment of one of India’s finest players who unfortunately doesn’t always get the credit that he deserves.
Australia are in a tough group. They play Sri Lanka now to stay in the tournament and we all know how destructive the Lankans can be. They are under a new skipper Kumar Sangakkara and so may take some time to gel and also this is their first big event after the tragic events in March in Lahore.
Unfortunately this format is cruel as it does not allow for any sentiment and the Lankans will have to take the initiative else the wounded and desperate to win this trophy Aussies will walk over them.
Bangladesh are also in a similar situation like the Australians as they have to beat Ireland to get to the next stage of the tournament. They have an aggressive pair of openers and if they click then it will be a joy to watch them bat.
It’s a must win day for Australia and Bangladesh so we may well get to see some of their finest cricket.
