T20 World Cup: A curtain raiser

Friday, April 30, 2010

With the on-field action of the Indian Premier League done and dusted, it’s time to head to the Caribbean for the third ICC World Twenty20.

The IPL tamasha is behind us and the T20 World Cup is upon us within 5 days. A sea-change of loyalties and a welcome freedom from glitz, glamour, inane and mindless advertisements and off-field happenings. More importantly, contests would be between countries.

The T20 WC would be like a zephyr in an oasis and I am looking forward to unfancied teams such as Afghanistan, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh causing an upset or two or three. Possibly the nicest thing to happen to world cricket would be if Afghanistan enters the last four. Two of these four teams in the last four would be still greater.

In this article, I am looking at the top performances in the 53 matches of the two previous World Cups. The first is a table of the Top 10 Batting performances.

No	Batsman	RtgPts	MatId	Date	Ins	For	Vs	WC	Runs	Balls
1	Dilshan T.M	582.6	10115	19-Jun-09	1	Slk	Win	Wc2	96	57
2	Gayle C.H	541.3	10020	11-Sep-07	1	Win	Saf	Wc1	117	57
3	Kemp J.M	507.4	10039	19-Sep-07	2	Saf	Nzl	Wc1	89	56
4	Yuvraj Singh	485.8	10045	22-Sep-07	1	Ind	Aus	Wc1	70	30
5	Simmons L.M.P	473.8	10106	13-Jun-09	2	Win	Saf	Wc2	77	50
6	Gambhir G	464.0	10046	24-Sep-07	1	Ind	Pak	Wc1	75	54
7	Gayle C.H	435.8	10092	06-Jun-09	2	Win	Aus	Wc2	88	50
8	Misbah-ul-Haq	434.5	10037	18-Sep-07	2	Pak	Aus	Wc1	66	42
9	Junaid Siddique	400.5	10042	20-Sep-07	1	Ban	Pak	Wc1	71	49
10	Jayawardene M	393.6	10108	14-Jun-09	1	Slk	Ire	Wc2	78	53

Dilshan’s outstanding 96 out of a middling total of 158 is the best ever T20 WC batting performance. This was against a top team also. West Indies owns three of the Top 10 Batting performances while India and Sri Lanka have two performances each. Australia’s lacklustre performances in T20 Internationals are indicated by their batsmen’s absence from this table.

No	Bowler	RtgPts	MatId	Date	Ins	For	Vs	WC	O	M	R	W
1	Singh R.P	779.6	10043	20-Sep-07	2	Ind	Saf	Wc1	4	0	13	4
2	Mohammad Asif	707.3	10029	14-Sep-07	1	Pak	Ind	Wc1	4	0	18	4
3	Umar Gul	613.8	10107	13-Jun-09	1	Pak	Nzl	Wc2	3	0	6	5
4	Simmons L.M.P	600.6	10100	10-Jun-09	1	Win	Slk	Wc2	3	0	19	4
5	Morkel M	596.6	10039	19-Sep-07	1	Saf	Nzl	Wc1	4	0	17	4
6	Clark S.R	575.4	10041	20-Sep-07	1	Aus	Slk	Wc1	4	0	20	4
7	Parnell W.D	562.0	10106	13-Jun-09	2	Saf	Win	Wc2	4	0	13	4
8	Gillespie M.R	526.7	10021	12-Sep-07	1	Nzl	Ken	Wc1	2.5	0	7	4
9	Chigumbura E	519.1	10023	12-Sep-07	1	Zim	Aus	Wc1	3	0	20	3
10	Edwards F.H	511.7	10105	12-Jun-09	1	Win	Ind	Wc2	4	0	24	3

RP Singh’s incisive spell of 4 top wickets for 13, defending only an average total of 153, is the top bowling performer in World Cups. This was also against a top team. Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa have two performances each. Stuart Clark at least got Australia into this table.

No	Player	RtgPts	MatId	Date	For	Vs	Batting	BatPts	Bowling	BowPts
1	Bravo D.J	808.4	10105	12-Jun-09	Win	Ind	66 (36)	348.8	4-0-38-4	459.6
2	Shahid Afridi	728.8	10114	18-Jun-09	Pak	Saf	51 (34)	287.2	4-0-16-2	441.7
3	Simmons L.M.P	717.0	10100	10-Jun-09	Win	Slk	29 (16)	116.4	3-0-19-4	600.6
4	Simmons L.M.P	539.1	10106	13-Jun-09	Win	Saf	77 (50)	473.8	2-0-22-1	65.3
5	Morkel J.A	506.9	10034	16-Sep-07	Saf	Eng	43 (20)	297.0	2-0-12-2	209.9
6	Gayle C.H	500.2	10092	06-Jun-09	Win	Aus	88 (50)	435.8	2-0-13-0	64.4
7	Shahid Afridi	492.3	10116	21-Jun-09	Pak	Slk	54 (40)	317.8	4-0-20-1	174.5
8	Kallis J.H	489.1	10103	11-Jun-09	Saf	Eng	57 (49)	266.0	3-0-20-2	223.1
9	Jayasuriya S.T	471.3	10027	14-Sep-07	Slk	Ken	88 (44)	316.0	3-0-9-1	145.3
10	Maddy D.L	442.8	10036	18-Sep-07	Eng	Nzl	50 (31)	225.3	1-0-6-2	207.5

Bravo’s mindboggling all-round performance of 66 in 36 balls and 4 for 38, that too against India, is the best ever T20 WC all-round performance. This is also the best all-round performances in all T20 matches, including IPL. West Indies owns four of the Top 10 Batting performances while South Africa and Pakistan have two performances each. Australia is again missing from this table.

I expect Bravo’s all-round performance to remain unsurpassed during the ensuing WC. However, the other two could very well be overhauled especially the Batting one.

The best team performance was during the second league of the 2007 edition of the WC. Australia dismissed Sri Lanka for 101 through Stuart Clark (4 for 20). Then they knocked off the runs in 10.2 overs without losing a single wicket. Their bowling success, utilization of only 50% of the balls resources and the availability of 100% of the wickets resources all contributed to this position. This is also the best ever team performance in all T20 matches including IPL.

Breaking down the IPL Final

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Now that the 45-day T20 tournament has ended, we analyse the defining moments of the final between Chennai and Mumbai with a look at the Castrol Index.

The Chennai Super Kings delivered in the back half of the tournament and capped it off with a dominant display in the final. Where was the match won? To answer that question, we take a look back at the IPL Final and use the Castrol Index to break down the key moments in the game.

Phase I: The Steady Start

Murali Vijay and Matthew Hayden didn’t get off to the quickest start, but they held things together and ensured Chennai didn’t lose early wickets. Zaheer Khan, Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh were all disciplined in their first couple of overs - each going for under a run a ball but CSK held the slight edge at 43/0 in 7 overs.

Castrol Index Scores: Chennai Super Kings 24-9 Mumbai Indians

Phase II: The Mini-Collapse

Dilhara Fernando led the Mumbai charge with a couple of wickets and kept it tight with just two runs coming off his second and third overs. Mumbai had the momentum and were ahead on points with CSK 68/3 in 12 overs.

Castrol Index Scores: Chennai Super Kings 30-45 Mumbai Indians

Phase III: The Raina Show

Suresh Raina made Mumbai pay for their errors in the field; he made the most of his two lives and CSK got 36 runs in overs 15 and 16 combined. That included two straight sixes over long-on and another magnificent one over extra cover courtesy Raina. Chennai were back on top at 127/3 in 16 overs.

Castrol Index Scores: Chennai Super Kings 66-31 Mumbai Indians

Phase IV: Chennai finish strong, Mumbai start slow

The Super Kings got 41 in their final four overs to put up a competitive 168 on the board. In reply, Mumbai started by giving up a maiden and then losing a wicket in their second over. Murali and Bollinger were miserly going for just 9 runs in their first four overs combined and Mumbai were in the back seat at 43/1 in 9.

Castrol Index Scores: Chennai Super Kings 119-55 Mumbai Indians

Phase V: Sachin fights and then falls

Mumbai mounted a bit of a comeback with Tendulkar at the wicket. Rayudu got going to help add 15 runs in the 14th over and Mumbai had an outside chance with 74 to get in a half dozen overs. And then the Little Master fell, checking his shot at the last minute which led to a Murali Vijay catch in the outfield. Mumbai 101/5 in 15.

Castrol Index Scores: Chennai Super Kings 143-79 Mumbai Indians

Phase VI: Pollard cameo too little too late

Common sentiment suggests Kieron Pollard came to the crease a bit too late.

Common sentiment is probably right but in Mumbai’s defense, Pollard is susceptible to spin and they sent him in only after Murali had bowled out. Pollard clubbed 22 off the 18th over to get it down to 33 to win in 12 balls. But it wasn’t enough and Chennai held their nerve to claim a 22-run victory.

Castrol Index Scores: Chennai Super Kings 168-98 Mumbai Indians

Score	Castrol Index
	Chennai Super Kings	Mumbai Indians
CSK- 43/0(7)	24	9
CSK- 68/3(12)	30	45
CSK- 127/3(16)	66	31
CSK- 168/5(20) MI- 43/1(9)	119	55
MI- 101/5(15)	143	79
MI- 146/9(20)	168	98

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Castrol Index scores indicate Chennai well and truly outclassed Mumbai in the end, and it all started with Suresh Raina’s 35-ball 57 for which he was deservedly adjudged Man of the Match. The yellow jerseys have been the most consistent side across all three editions of the IPL and as Harsha Bhogle says Chennai truly are the Super Kings of the IPL!