IPL successfully completed its first half and the second half is underway now. Barring Mumbai Indians (who reached semis) and Punjab (no chance of reaching there), the other teams are struggling to reach the semis. So the teams who have a horrible first half will be looking to get some points on the table frequently. So be ready for the other half of IPL where you will find some breath taking catches, awesome fielding, multi-tasking, brilliant hitting’s and classy bowling.
We try to analyze what it takes to win a match in the T20 and here is the answer to it.
In this IPL we have seen more than 30 clashes and what was amazing to see that the spinners and the bowlers who are bowling slower balls and slower bouncers are tasting success. Slower the better has been the theme in this year of IPL.
In IPL 3, the five most economical bowlers have been the spinners and the fiery men with speed have added a few more lethal weapons in their armory i.e. of slower bouncers, slower Yorkers and slower balls. Malinga in a match claimed 4 wickets with a change in pace. Talking about spin, spinners have done the job every time they are given to bowl and that’s one of the reasons why most of the teams opt for spinner in their very first over. While it was widely said that spinners will come handy in Indian conditions but IPL 1 proved it wrong but the wizards have made their presence felt this time with some awesome bowling, whether it was the bowling of Murli who won the match for CSK against the Royal Challengers or the bowling of Harbhajan against the chargers. The slow and the classy spinners have now adjusted to the flat pitches with a little bounce and pace to offer.
Karthick has been breath taking this season bowling brilliantly with an economy of less than 6 and a top contender for the purple cap. In this edition he looked a different man playing with pride and grabbing wickets at regular intervals and changing the match in his allotted 4 overs.
Kumble, a genius has been the most economical bowler in IPL 3. His googlies and flippers are proving to be a nightmare for the batsmen, ask Hayden. He has unsettled the batsmen going for the money. His bowling shows us the class to which he belongs. He has proved that age is no bar in any form of cricket and his captaincy adds to his brilliance.
Murli with an economy of over 7 is proudly wearing the purple cap with 12 wickets in his kitty. His doosras are still deadly. This magician has used his straight balls, deep off breaks skillfully so as to cramp the batsmen.
Harbhajan Singh is roaring like a lion this time. His off breaks and doosras are proving lethal and a headache for the batsmen. He is stifling the opposition by keeping them under control.
Spinners have created their own niche in this tournament by winning matches for their team with their fingers. These spinners are setting an example on how to bowl in a T20 cricket.
But you must be asking why these spinners are successful? Let me tell you why.
These stunning performances are taking everybody by surprise because one expects that spinners take wickets but they have to pay the price as well. But these spinners have mastered the art of spin over the years and have used this art to perfection. One more thing that has helped these spinners is the nature of this game. In T20, a batsman tries to clear the boundary with every ball as they have to win the DLF maximum and have to steer the innings at a well-paced average. So here comes the trick, these wizard of spins takes the pace off the ball and so it becomes difficult for the batsmen to hit the ball for a maximum as they have to add their own energy and pace to it.
As the IPL is getting older and more matches are being played at the same ground the pitches are getting slower and slower and as in the case of test matches when the wicket is 5 days old, spinners are unplayable in Indian conditions. The same thing is going to happen with IPL 3 this time, as trends suggest.
So it seems that in the other half the spin bowlers and the bowlers who will master the change in pace will taste success and will start a new success story which will be remembered in the world of batsmen over the years to come.
The writer is the Sports Editor of Youth Ki Awaaz.