Watched first ever twenty20 match played by India on Saturday. I was in US while the other matches are played, so couldn’t watch any of the previous matches. Couldn’t watch most of the Australian innings though, due to bursts of sleep after the journey. Good to see India win, lot better to see the aggression of the players. Yuvraj, Pathan, Srisanth, etc. displayed great amount of aggression and zeal to win. It is okay even if they loose matches while playing like that.
Now, twenty20 seems to steal the limelight from its ancestral roots like Tests and Oneday matches. However, I have a feeling that the statistics in twenty20 are lot about the chances and choices than about the talent. I have seen more talented bowlers succumb to good batting, less talented bowlers getting prize wickets due to choice of bad shots or choice of fielding locations. So the wins seem to be a reflection of the choices the individuals and captains made, not a pure reflection of the talents of the players involved. Talent matters here too, but not the only factor.
This week, it is time to watch the grand finale between the arch rivals from subcontinent in cricket, India and Pak. Hope they play an enjoyable match.