T20 World Cup: Bigger boundaries, true bounce and no dew make it a level playing field

If a T20 event turns out to be predictable, it is probably one of the most boring formats of all. And while it is an external factor that affects the result, it does poorly on tournaments. The same happened during last year’s T20 World Cup in Dubai and more recently in the Asia Cup, except in the final where Sri Lanka overcame all odds to beat Pakistan. In most cases, however, it was ‘win the toss, bowl first and win the match’. India suffered losses in both these tournaments and it is unfair for any team to be on the receiving end of a situation like this.

At the same time, Australia is likely to be separated. The toss, it may be expected, will not play a role or play a minor role in influencing the outcome of a match. Wickets are expected to be perfect at most places and with dew not being a factor, this T20 World Cup will be a level playing field in every sense. It will be about form and with outside factors having little impact on the performance of the team that day.

It is also important in Australia that all kinds of players – batsmen, fast bowlers and spin bowlers – will have a role. While the batsmen will get value for their shots and also have the option to rotate the strike in larger grounds, in most cases the fast bowlers will get the good carry first. From the evidence, there is bounce and carry at almost all places and the hit-the-deck bowlers should do well to take advantage of it. In India’s first warm-up match, the fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh picked up the pace early in the day and Hardik Pandya was able to bounce the ball quite early in the innings in the second.

The spinners are also expected to play a key role as Australia have huge grounds. When you play in smaller stadiums like Sharjah, spinners are often restricted to participants only.

Even mishits clear the boundary rope and slow bowlers often find themselves on the receiving end. This cannot happen in Australia. Someone with skills like Yuzvendra Chahal or Ravichandran Ashwin will have enough cushion to pick up wickets. For example, Rashid Khan has performed extremely well in Australia’s T20 competition, the Big Bash League.

In fact, Australia has the second lowest boundary percentage in T20 cricket in the last two years. According to ESPNcricinfo, only 54.1% of runs in Australia are scored in fours and sixes, the second lowest after South Africa (51.7%). In short, the conditions will not determine the outcome of the Games. Teams with versatility and balance will have an advantage and this is where the tournament can really live up to the bill of being an open competition that anyone can win.

Nothing could be better for India than playing the first match in Melbourne. The top order, unlike England or Australia, is more dependent on picking timely and early intervals than outright power hitting. For example, someone like Virat Kohli is a master at taking gaps and rotating the strike. If only Tim Davids of the world shines in the format, the skill becomes redundant. Skill over power will determine who does better in Melbourne. Maybe that’s why Jasprit Bumrah will be sorely missed. With the conditions not doing much towards the end of the innings, India will miss his unmatched ability to bowl in the death overs.

Plus, all the teams look to be standing reasonably well on paper, with no real favorites going into the competition. In a World Cup you want close matches all the time and that’s what Australia promises to provide. In a team sport, you don’t want a situation like Roland Garros. You don’t want a clown like Rafael Nadal, because it makes the tournament a bit boring

Originally published at Pen 18