Bowlers— the backbone of a team

Mark Waugh was once nicknamed “the forgotten Waugh” because the more famous Waugh, his twin Steve, used to hog most of the limelight. Similarly, bowlers, in the T-20 format seem to be the forgotten bunch as much of the credit goes to the batsmen. They say T-20 is a batsman’s game as you have the licence to hit from ball one. But a deeper study into the history of T-20 matches shows that bowlers have been a pivotal part of a team’s success. After the Italian team won the 2006 World Cup, the legendary Italian Coach Marcello Lippi said in one of his interviews:” Great attacks win you matches while great defences win you tournaments”. As defenders always lose glamour to the forwards and the midfielders in football, their importance to the team is neglected many a time. Similarly, the importance of bowlers in cricket matches has time and again taken a back seat with respect to the importance of batsmen.

If we take a look at last year’s IPL, the Rajasthan Royals team, which won the championship, had three bowlers who were amongst the tournament’s leading wicket takers— Sohail Tanveer, Sahne Warne and Shane Watson. A team cannot consistently win matches only on the basis of its batting as it always needs bowlers who have the capability to bowl the opposition out. The great West Indian side of the 70’s and the 80’s had in its ranks some of the greatest batsmen of the modern era but it is their fearsome bowling attack, comprising Marshall, Garner, Holding, Croft and other, which destroyed the opposition . The team could rely on its bowlers and hence the batsmen had the liberty to play at will. If, as a captain you know that you have the bowling strength to defend whatever total your batsmen make, you become more confident in your approach. This is why the Indian victory in the World Cup against the great West Indian side will always go down as the country’s greatest victory on a global scale. Same can be said about the Australian team of the late 90’s and the current decade which had bowlers like Shane Warne, Glenn Mcgrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee complementing their great batsmen, thus making their team virtually unbeatable. The Indian team of the 90’s and early part of this decade had great batsmen in their ranks but still could not make much of an impact in world cricket. But the current team is a world beater as it is winning almost everywhere. The reason is that initially the team didn’t have bowlers who could bowl the opposition out in conditions unfavourable to them. But this team under Dhoni has bowlers who can give the captain the belief that they are ready to defend any total the batters make. Moreover, there is competition for places which prompts each of the players to perform better.

As the IPL picks up pace, the teams whose bowling is strong is more likely to make a better impact. T-20 is such a format that any batsman can change the course of a game with his hitting. But if a team has bowlers who have the ability to bowl in such situations, the team definitely has an edge over its opposition. Yesterday’s matches showed that with a good bowling attack, even a low total can be defended. The Kings XI Punjab folded for just 139 but with a disciplined bowling performance, restricted the defending champions, Rjasthan Royals, to just 112. Irfan Pathan, who batted brilliantly to make a composed 39, came on and bowled beautifully to rock the top order of the Rajsthan Royals. A captain that has players like these is definitely bound to find more breathing space while leading a side. A balanced team in a vulnerable format like the T-20 is that team which has a perfect blend of batsmen and bowlers. Hence the importance of quality all-rounders assumes herculean proportions. The Mumbai Indians with players like Sanath Jayasuriya and Dwayne Bravo, who can make a difference with the bat as well with the ball, are a good example of a balanced team. The Deccan Chargers which has had a dream start in the tournament is another side which is packed with bowlers who can beautifully complement their batsmen . And the results are for all of us to see.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, who have in their ranks only Ishant Sharma and Ajantha Mendis as specialist bowlers, are finding it increasingly difficult to settle down as a team. This is because you can’t expect Chris Gayle to hit the opposition out of contention or Sourav Ganguly to bowl your team to victory in every match. To complement players like Gayle and Ganguly, a team needs a balanced batting line up and a decent bowling line up who can fill in their quota of overs without going for many runs. But the Knight Riders, at the moment seems to be in complete disarray with their coach running out of ideas because of thinking too much. Akash Chopra and Sanjay Bangar have been sent home for non-performance. But why select such players who don’t deserve a place in a T-20 game? Decisions like these in the middle of a tournament can affect a team mentally.

Cricket might become more attractive with the advent of the limited overs game and now the T-20 game. But even in such formats, the game should be played with simple tactics. You need good batsmen who can provide a team with a decent total and more importantly you need bowlers who can defend that total. The team that can stick to the basics will come out triumphant at the end of this IPL. As of now, the Deccan Chargers, along with the Delhi Dredevils and the Mumbai Indians, seem to be more balanced as a team. The bowlers will play a pivotal role in matches to come and the team whose bowling unit functions well will definitely hold an edge in the knockout rounds.