The Carnival is here to Celebrate

Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game. There’s no better scene in cricket than watching an interesting session of a test match. There isn’t an enthralling moment than Mitchell Johnson running in to bowl at the Gabba and the 20,000 spectators beating the advertising boards in the rhythm of the bowler’s run-up. As a fan it gives me goose bumps. But I also wonder what the batsmen will be thinking when a fast bowler who is capable of bowling at 150kmph is running in with the backing of sound made by the crowd. But like Virat kohli said when one can ignore everything else and concentrate only on the ball bowled that’s when the player believes he belong at that level.

Much to the contrary of test cricket, there’s another version of the game. It is the version in which the entire match is just a little longer than a single session of a day in test. This is a format which was introduced more than a decade ago in England to fill the calendar after Benson Hedges cup. It also helped ECB to drive people to the ground in the evening for entertainment much like watching a movie.

T20s had a sedate start in world cricket. During the early days of it, many including me thought this isn’t proper cricket at all. But cricket proved us wrong as it has always evolved and re-evolved into its best possible form. It’s kind of weird that it was India who is the only nation to vote against the inaugural t20 world cup, won it. MS Dhoni said “One thing is for sure. This format is going to be an instant hit in our country” after winning it.    

The Indian Premier League which was inaugurated in 2008 has evolved as the biggest franchise T20 tournament in the world. It looks as if T20 is all about entertainment, which is not the case actually. This format has entirely changed the dynamics of the game. The fielding standards have been raised all over the world. It has had a greater impact in the way the other two formats, especially ODIs are played now.   

Initially everybody thought this is going to be a batsman’s format. But over a period of time the game by itself proved that bowlers have an equal share or even more contribution to a team’s win in a T20. Because the more batsmen are trying to dominate, the more bowlers have a chance of getting them out. So there is a balance between bat and ball provided the boundaries are not brought in too much.

Five world cups have given us five different champions. It clearly sends out a message that no matter how good a team is, a small error in a crunch game could make their campaign a disastrous one. This time the world cup is hosted by India. Most of the Australian, South African and West Indian players have a great experience playing in the IPL.

India will clearly start the tournament as favorites. On paper the squad looks the most balanced one. Ashwin is going to be the key bowler. But like I said earlier if in a crunch game India’s top three batsmen fail then the team will definitely be in deep trouble. That is why I believe Yuvraj Singh is going to be the key for India. If he can come to his own like he did recently in Asia cup then India is the team to beat in the tournament.

With AB Devilliers opening the batting and if he bats for ten overs with Faf, Duminy and Miller to follow, South Africa is capable of taking the game away from the opposition. Imran Tahir and Steyn will be the key for them. If they deliver and if they can avoid the smallest forms of errors like they did in the Eden Park against New Zealand, they could possibly write a fairy tale script this time around.  

Australian batsmen have a great experience in IPL. But it’s their inexperienced bowling lineup and the lack of quality spinner that might hurt them. They will miss Mitchell Starc who has been phenomenal in the IPL. The onus is definitely on the batsmen who are capable of doing wonders. It is going to be tough for them in India. But with Australia, the kind of team they are, you never know. They definitely will be tough competitors.

West Indies have picked their best T20 squad. This is more or less the same team that won the tournament in 2012 except for the fact that they will have to play without their best spinner. Considering the balance and experience they have playing in these conditions, if they play up to their potential they definitely will end up in the semi finals at least.

New Zealand will start as dark horses this time unlike the 2015 world cup because of the conditions here. They will miss Brendon badly. But much to most people’s negligence, Kane Williamson averages around 45 in T20Is in the past one year or so. But the key role has to be played in the middle order by Anderson and Elliot. With Trent, Mitch, Ross and Martin around hopefully Kane can do something magical for their country.

England and Pakistan are going to be the un-predictables. Sri Lanka is still searching for a batsman to fill in the void of Sanga and Mahela. Bangladesh may give us some surprise wins. For me India, South Africa and West Indies have the best possible chance to be in the semi finals. The one other team to be in the top four is difficult to pick.

I may end up being totally wrong. It’s a funny game that anything is possible in cricket. There’s going to be a lot of happiness, some sadness and frustration from the losses. But one thing is for sure. So much of good cricket is going to be played which is going to give us great joy and pleasure. It’s going to be a great carnival with a lot of fun and I am definitely looking forward to it.