Hindustan Times
Shortest version makes tough demands of fans
The transition has been so swift there’s hardly been enough time for fans to make the adjustment, forget about the players. From the sedate pace of the Test series – and even here Virender Sehwag was marching to a separate tune – the players have swiftly moved to big bash mode.
Watching the first Twenty20 match brought the difference between the formats into sharp focus. Just last week, there was time for India to lay down careful plans and implement them well enough to keep Sri Lanka at bay. Field positioning was deliberate, each bowler had a specific plan and if things didn’t work out there was always the opportunity to try something else.
In the Twenty20 match, however, there was barely time to breathe. It’s not as though the team had fewer plans or that they were any less prepared. But once the action got under way, especially with Kumar Sangakkara getting his act together, there was little India’s bowlers could do. With fielders fetching the ball from all parts, the sight of Mahendra Singh Dhoni trying to marshall his troops amid the carnage brought a stark reminder of why the longer forms are so endearing.
In Tests, and to an extent even 50-over games, the viewer has a chance to get involved in the on-field action, to the extent that he guesses what the bowlers are trying to achieve and how the batsmen attempt to counter this. A viewer has the time and space to wonder what would have happened had something been done differently. In Twenty20s, it’s hard enough trying to keep track of the score, forget about trying to get in the minds of the players.
There seems to be a growing concensus that the shortest version of the game is the best vehicle to attract new fans to the game and expand viewership in existing areas. Not a week passes without debate and discussion over whether Tests or ODIs are heading for extinction.
If this is indeed proven true, watching cricket might become just as stressful and tiring as playing it, in the days to come.
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...Posted by Anand Vasu on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Filed under Cricket · Tagged 50-over games, big bash mode, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahendra Singh Dhon, ODI, Test series, Twenty20 match, Virender Sehwag
Don’t agree, Anand…feeling slightly stressed while watching 20-20 cricket is better than not watching cricket at all …don’t know how many of us can afford the luxury of watching even 10% of a Test match currently especially on weekdays…compare this to the exciting stuff we saw in the 20-20’s or recent ODI at VCA where India scraped through by 3 runs virtually on the last ball ….for one, the timings are more suitable to watch the end of the match in ODI’s and 20-20’s and the thrill comes from not knowing the outcome till the last. It’s a delight viewing the conflicting emotions and creative approaches adopted by rival captains in all these stressful situations…while I like Test cricket, am not sure whether I will pay money to watch 5 days of a Test or rather use it for a 20-20 match and maybe catch the highlights of the Test in the evening bulletin… so while purists might disagree, for the nex gen, shorter versions are the future !!
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