Oct 6, 2009

Aussies Curb Instincts...Out-Dot New Zealand!

ICC Champions Trophy 2009 Finals

New Zealand won the toss and batted first. Australians who have a great reputation of exploiting the dot-ball dilemma of the first innings (when a team bats first, they do not know the target- so the price a batting team pays for dot balls is not known- yet some strike rate is needed being an ODI and wickets are key since some decent total is also needed). So some mix of caution and scoring is needed). How much? That is a dilemma.



So if a bowling team bowls meticulously - a string of good balls- may become dots (batters may favor caution)- sooner or later a batsman almost will have to go for some scoring shot, because you do not know how much you can wait.

What the Aussies do well, is that they string in dot balls by just doing the basics right, (rather than go all out for wickets in a classical sense of beating the defence) and then slip in a ball which is sort of there to be scored-

as they did to McCullum- 13 dot balls and then a short ball from Siddle which came in just enough. McCullum went for the cut shot and was crammed - edging it to the keeper for a duck. New Zealand recovered after the initial drought but their batting depth was just not there with injuries and with Vettori a last minute casualty.

Chasing 200, Australia had to face a spirited effort from Shane Bond and Kyle Mills. They knocked two wickets- including the price scalp of Ponting with a gem of a length, pinning him in front of the stumps. What happened then? Well there was no dot dilemma, as the target was known (and quite modest). Even if it was a bit higher, the value of a dot ball will be known, and although a bit tougher, you do not have to play some sort-of-shot after a few dot balls. In a higher target, sure there will be more pressure, but then you may score of the good balls - which ended up being dots in the first innings. Remember Brian Lara's addiction of bowling first in ODIs with those wobbly West Indian bowlers.

Watson and White showed great character in recognizing that even a run rate of 2 an over was acceptable- as long as wickets were shut. So there were some 8 scoring shots in 65 balls. (Refer Dot Chess for a 2 of 20 balls from Tendulkar against South Africa in India, 2005 chasing 160).

After Bond and Mills were done with their initial spells, runs began ticking along (Vettori was missing as well, on a pitch which assisted spin), and once less than 100 odd runs were remaining, it was evident that shutting wickets was more relevant than a natural counter attack (always show scoring intent.. then bowlers have to alter plans..and all that.... hmm, it is true but not always).

Sure the Aussies showed intent- defensive in this case, as dot balls were positively in favor of batters in a modest target.

Watson deserves his moments, after he was criticized for a series of low scores earlier in the tournament. And the good thing is that no one was criticizing while he was in a defensive 'shell'.

A few changes to the ODI format and it will be alive and well.

Saumil
Mumbai
6 Oct 2009