If big boundaries on most grounds have lifted the spirits of bowlers gathering in Australia for T20Is World cup, they do well to quell their optimism with a flurry of runs predicted by some from the Super 12 stage of the tournament.
The shortest format of cricket is batsman-biased and bowlers, often cast as cannonballs, derive almost as much pleasure from a dot ball as they derive from being dismissed in an ODI or Test. .
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Ground dimensions, however, suggest shots that would clear the boundary in most stadiums across the sub-continent and New Zealand, perhaps not even roped in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
However, New Zealand coach Gary Stead hopes the bowlers will have their job done when the world’s best batsmen start firing.
“I think T20 cricket has definitely made teams more comfortable chasing big scores,” the 50-year-old said on Sunday.
“So yes, you have to bowl very well, if you are defending 150-170 right now, and that was shown through the tri-series (in Christchurch).”
After playing in the inaugural World Cup in 2007, India Captain Rohit Sharma has seen how the game has evolved over the years and believes the trend of higher totals is likely to continue in Australia as well.
“You can literally see how it is played now compared to 2007,” Rohit said at the pre-tournament captains’ press conference.
“140 or 150 was a good score then and now people try and get that score in 14 or 15 overs. Teams take more risks (now) without worrying about the outcome and I think it’s a good way to play this format.
This is how inaugural champions India will play under his leadership in the tournament, the 35-year-old said.
“It’s a format where there are risks, but there are high rewards as well,” he said.
“We have to be brave enough to take those risks and of course be prepared to do that as well.”
India’s preparation for sixes has not been as easy to devise ways to score independently – as they found during practice matches in Perth and Brisbane where several batsmen were caught near ropes.
“You have to be smart when you plan your batting on these kind of grounds,” Rohit said.
“Kicking wides and sixes, of course, feels good, but you can’t forget to push the ball into the gap, it’s really tough running between the wickets and trying to score eight-nine runs in an over.”
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