20-20 cricket and Dravid’s decision to call it quits

Quite a lot happening in the world of cricket – So, I thought this would be the ideal time to pitch in with a post on cricket. Two parts to this post: 20-20 world cup and Dravid’s decision to step down as captain of India.

20-20 is truly an amazing concept and in all probability, the future of cricket. Promising a very cricket-unlike "result in 3 hours”, this version of the game is packaged with a lot more intensity to bring cricket on-par with other sports. At first go, 20-20 world cup didn’t excite me at all. It was not until I saw the first match and realized, well, this is different and interesting. Three factors make this version of the game exciting to me:

1. While it looks like a pure batsman’s game at first thought, 20-20 is not just pure bang bang bang with the bat. 20 overs has proved to be a lot of time. Batting requires a fair bit of planning and more than anything else ability to adapt to the situation right there at the centre. With fielding restrictions lasting for first 6 overs, it gets very interesting – should batsmen go all out and slog in the first 6 overs or keep wickets till about 10th over and then start to turn things around. As teams play more and more matches, they will get to the optimum solution to this riddle - it probably depends a lot on the depth of batting, but I think, most teams would try to follow an algorithm as this version of the game develops and game statistics are further analyzed. I am sure most of us have an opinion on this (after all, we are no less cricketing gurus)! I am no different and in my view, if I was the develop a batting plan for 20-20 I would approach the game in the following way:
   
   o First 6 overs are critical – it is important to make most of it to post a huge score. After a couple of quick singles in the first over, 2nd over onwards openers can probably go all-attack and get some quick runs, taking a few risks and sacrificing a wicket or two, if the need be.
   o In my view, 2-wickets-down is probably the first decision point. From there-on batsmen need to balance defense (singles and twos) with full-blown slogging. It all about the confidence the team has in the batting “at what stage can we be reasonably confident of not getting bowled out?”
   o The above would lead to “not any worse than 3 down at 10 over point”, “not any worse than 4-5 down at 15 over point” and so on
   o So, if a team is 40-2 at the end of 6th over, they could possibly play a bit sensibly till 10th over, get to 65-2 or 70-3 by 10th over and then look to take the bowlers on
   
2. There is little to choose between teams in this version of the game. All it needs is a couple of cameo innings to post a decent score on the board. 2 quick-fire 40s or one 60-70 in the innings and you get to a decent 150+ score. While better teams start as favorites, there is every chance that a lesser team would come up on top. This is very good for popularity and the reach of the game.
   
3. Bowlers have a role to play and a very important one. Firstly, it is about understanding expectations – if one can bowl 4 overs for 25 runs, that is indeed a job well done. A bowler with 6 runs an over against his name can walk off the field at the end of 20 overs with his head held high and all pride intact! Secondly, it is not impossible to get wickets in this game. A few bowlers have picked a 4-for in 4 overs and that is no less than a match winning contribution. So, all-in-all, I would say, bowlers continue to be just as important as they are in a one-day or a test-match. It requires all the skill to keep batsmen down to singles when they are looking to attack almost every bowl.

Dravid’s decision to step-down

It was a decision that surprised everyone – after a very successful series in England, this was probably not expected. While various reasons are being speculated ranging from media pressure, to unwarranted criticism to his own batting form to rift between senior players to conflict with selectors to a very reactive decision, etc. But knowing Dravid the way he has been over the years, I find it almost impossible to believe this decision to be anything close to being a “rush of blood”. Dravid is one person who would have thought through this in very minute detail before making his decision public. In tune with his on-the-field personality, “Dravid, the wall” is a very balanced individual off the field as well. He is a master at “putting things in perspective”. I am therefore very sure that this decision is not a result of one comment or incident that irked Dravid, but rather a decision that he believes is in his best interest. If I was to bet my money on the most important reason driving this decision, I would probably guess his own batting form to be the most important factor – an average of 21 in South Africa and 25 in England is clearly playing on his mind.

Who next? - is a tough question to answer. Ganguly is not likely to be given the responsibility, nor would he be very keen to accept it. That leaves Tendulkar to take up captaincy. But it is not that simple. While we expect Tendulkar to play every test match, he would probably like to pick-and-choose one-day matches. Yuvraj’s life off-the field does not make him an ideal candidate at the moment, though I do think he is captaincy material. That leaves Dhoni (the current 20-20 captain) to take charge. These are still early days in his career and captaincy could prove to be one responsibility too many for Dhoni. Having said that, Dhoni is very clearly what could be termed as “captaincy material” – a balanced responsible player as a very consistent performer.

As a Tendulkar fan, I would like him to focus on his batting and produce a few high-class innings before he decides to retire in the next 1-2 years. But, given the situation, it probably makes sense for Tendulkar to share the burden of captaincy and groom Dhoni over the next 2-3 series. A bit of a tough situation to be in, but hopefully team India will stay united in what promises to be a challenging winter ahead – a lot of matches against Australia and a few with Pakistan.