MANCHESTER: Obituary of ODI batting records was among the things foreseen before the World Cup came to England. Highest total, most centuries in a single edition and the constant sight of the white Kookaburra flying to all corners of the field were what fans even experts were preparing for.
Just under four weeks into the competition and after 32 matches, the story has unfolded along unexpected lines. The Gayles, Guptills and Bairstows have not quite set the Thames on fire by their power-hitting in the early overs, openers who got runs like David Warner and Rohit Sharma exhibited a different kind of approach. And amid talks of a first-ever 500 in the history of the 50-over game, the average first-innings total in the competition has been 270.1.
There have of course been games where teams neared the 400-run mark. England racked up 397 and 386 against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Australia made 381 against Bangladesh. There have also been matches where both teams made in excess of 300. But, these don’t tell the full story.
Until Tuesday’s ‘Ashes’ encounter at Lord’s, this World Cup produced 12 300-plus first innings totals and as many below 250, including four under 200.
One reason expectations were higher was the kind of totals seen in England in the last few years, when 350 became the norm in ODIs and 400 stopped causing a surprise in county one-dayers.
It was a strategy of the England and Wales Cricket Board to prepare pitches which facilitated high scoring because it thought that would attract crowds. With the International Cricket Council supervising pitch preparations for the World Cup, the contest between bat and ball has become more even.
“You got to respect the conditions early on when the ball is doing a bit. It’s not going to be about playing shots from the first ball. There is something for the bowlers, especially in the early stages, and one has to plan his innings accordingly.
"The conditions are such that they demand a certain kind of approach which is different from what you see elsewhere. The pitches are mostly good for batting but this being England, there is something for the bowlers,” said Rohit after the Pakistan match.
India’s vice-captain has been a case study in this regard, along with Warner. Known for hitting boundaries early on, both have eschewed instincts and concentrated on grafting through that phase. That they are among the most successful batsmen in the competition shows the element of prudence in this approach.
Kane Williamson is another example, who has succeeded by adopting this method instead of following what was expected to be the model before the tournament.
This has been the template so far and India’s performance is a good example. In the two matches they scored above 350, the run rate was barely four in the first 10 overs. They got partnerships from the top order and preserved wickets before accelerating in the end.
This is what the ODI formula used to be, which underwent a change in England, where almost the entire innings had become a story of slog overs. That way, this World Cup has seen an old strategy revisited.
“It’s about assessing the conditions quickly and identifying what needs to be done. I think not losing wickets early on is the key.
"Even if you have big hitters, swallowing pride and pulling back a gear in the first 10 overs is important. If you have world-class players on good wickets and got wickets in hand, you can up the ante later,” Australia captain Aaron Finch had said after losing against India.
This was an assertion of what the plan should be in this World Cup as well as an admission that for a change, going hammer and tongs from the word go is not going to work. It also tells that cricket retains this quirky habit of unfolding along lines unforeseen and making a mess of predictions.