The Hindu : Sport : The game now has something for everyone

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Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007
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Sport

The game now has something for everyone

Nandita Sridhar

Brilliance at the climax is what separated India from the rest

Johannesburg: With the exception of the loss to New Zealand, every one of India’s matches panned out in similar fashion. The team won the toss, batted first, started slow, made up for it in the middle and the end overs, picked up early wickets, briefly lost momentum, picked up a few more wickets and sealed the match.

Brilliance at the climax is what separated this team from the rest.

“As far as mind-frame went, I think we were better than them (Pakistan),” said Indian captain M.S. Dhoni after the final.

Only a week before the final, India was in danger of not making it to the semifinals. The batsmen had botched up the chase against New Zealand, and there were worries that the bowlers could not handle the final overs. Too many runs were being leaked, even for a Twenty20 match.

After two days of watching New Zealand and South Africa plant one foot each on semifinal spots, India’s task was cut out. It had to win every match to win the tournament.

What happened at Durban against England was extraordinary, and what happened against South Africa was a comical mess-up by the host, which had only itself to blame for its ouster from the tournament. After two fearless performances under pressure, India deserved to win the tournament.

The pattern had set in by then, and it was working for the team. The biggest test, against the Australians, produced the most impressive display of bowling in the ‘death’ by the Indians. Harbhajan Singh and R.P. Singh left the Aussies with a mountainous ask in the final over, which even a team of Australia’s might could not handle.

Dramatic final

The stage and the opposition lent a whole lot of drama to the final. India vs Pakistan had staged some memorable performances in the past, including a thrilling tie in the group stage of the event. India scratched its way to a total that gave the bowlers something to work with.

The template was in place, with R.P. Singh claiming two victims upfront, and Irfan Pathan retarding Pakistan’s progress in the middle-overs.

Misbah-ul-Haq seemed hermetically detached from the happenings at the other end, and smashed six after six, to leave Pakistan a hit away from the title. His shot looking for the winning runs found Sreesanth, and there were scenes of delirium at the Wanderers.

India’s standout performers in the tournament were R.P. Singh and Yuvraj Singh, with Pathan, Harbhajan, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and Dhoni coming up with crucial performances when it mattered.

The much-maligned aspect of the England tour, the fielding, was outstanding. Direct hits and quick reflexes at the slips tilted matches in India’s favour.

The confidence and fearlessness were apparent when fielding, and credit should go to Dhoni for his smart leadership throughout the event.

Lastly, the tournament has ended up being a good advertisement for Twenty20. The length of the tournament was just right. Long enough to make sure good teams met each other at least once, and short enough for it to not get too monotonous.

There were mini-contests and some standout performances. Cricket can afford the luxury of a third format.

The ICC’s decision to limit the number of Twenty20 matches every year will ensure there is no overdose of the format.

But, one cannot ignore attendances like the ones that were seen here, though some of that did have to do with India’s performance. This format will not trespass into the territory of the other two, and it is only good for cricket, that it now has something for everyone.

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