We are on top of the world!

 

This is probably the moment everyone had waited for,“The World Cup” and let me tell this, it wasn’t quite surprising to see these teams, India and Sri Lanka, in the final. Before the WC began, i wrote a post on the teams that have a nice chance of winning it. Here is a small excerpt

“The Teams I think, will have great a chance are India, Srilanka and England. I simply dont care who takes the title as long as it is not SL but it would be all the more special if India end up winning it because that would be the best retirement gift that the master blaster will ever get!”  

Two things are quite clear. No 1: I cant be more wrong about the England team. No 2: It boiled down to Sachin’s retirement gift and my hatred towards SL cricket. I have been dissing Sri Lankan cricketers for quite a time and despise everything Sri Lankan. I feel there is an aura of ‘OC’inness surrounding them.

  The thing I really liked about this world cup was the rise of the Irish. They really deserve to play cricket with top teams.The fact that there would be only 10 teams in 2015 is downright demoralising and unfair on the associate members and it aint helping spreading cricket. If there is any other team Whom i would have wanted to get the booty, it would’ve been Pakistan. The way Afridi handled after they lost to us was simply amazing. Such a brave heart he was and so gracious in defeat! I wish “others” take an ode from Shahid’s behaviour.

It really left a bad taste in the mouth when Sangakkara, who is the most diplomatic bugger you would ever see said he didnt know what he said at the toss when we clearly know he said ‘Tails” and lost it. The guy talk bollocks to the press how great a player is and then drop him in the match! Why dont you say it on the face you moron! We beat far more tougher teams on our way to final than what SL did, playing at the same pitch for the both the quarters and semis and never came out of little cozy home barring a match against NZ.

Let me tell you something, the thing I am going to try now is probably one of the hardest things for me do. Looking at SL without any bias. I promise that I tried my best but excuse if I slip up because it’s bound to happen :-P

  Looking at World Cups right from 1996, there has been no turning back for Sri Lanka. 1996 - winners, 2003 – semi-finals, 2007 and 2011– runners . They’ve been pretty consistent in World cups. They’ve always had these freakish players who changed the game for the good. Starting from Sanath’s over the top hitting to Randiv’s “I wont bend my back and bowl” style. They’ve got this X-factor around them that probably makes them get where they are right now. When someone leaves another freak comes by and takes his place.

Mendis for example bowls a style of bowling that is called “Soddukku” in local terms. There are so many bowlers around here in Chennai who can do what Mendis does. If you walk around a few streets you can see bowlers with a slingy action like Malinga’s playing there. The problem is we tamper too much of one’s own technique and Lankans dont, that is their strength. Another thing they are good at is using their resources. They have so many mediocre cricketers and yet they perform well! Lets take the case of Angelo Mathews’ bowling. The guy opens the bowling and does a decent job! I am really clueless as to how a bowler like Angelo manage to contain the batsmen. But they do pull it off with other players like Thisara Perrera, the guy couldn’t bat for life when he played for CSK. He opens the bowling (Angelo –type) and also bats lower down and scores runs! They keep on doing this!

I wouldn’t hesitate to say we truly deserve to be at the top of the food chain! Considering we lost Sachin and Sehwag cheaply, played Sreesanth and yet manage to win it comfortably, chasing the highest number of runs in a World cup final and become the first home team to win the Title. Boy! Didn’t Dhoni find the right stage to score that 90 odd runs. Respect to Dhoni, not because he won us the world cup but because he had the guts to accept that he played with the pressure that he would be asked about Sreesanth’s inclusion if India failed.

It was really funny how Virat Kohli managed to get into every shot of the camera man after we won the world cup! The guy is so thrilled to see him on TV. I mean, he fields a ball and the next moment he watches the big screen! Dont give the “He is seeing how his technique is” crap. Wherever the camera goes Virat follows :-) Whatever, everything is forgiven and all these 15 players ( including Sreesanth) will be immortal in the annals of Indian cricket.

Kiwis proved they had wings but they cant fly; Saffers lit another tube light with their recent “Choke”; Poms proved they aren’t far away from the Saffers, after all there are so many South Africans in their team; Aussies came know how it feels to be at the other end of the boot; Pakistan lost the match but they won hearts and Afridi proved he bowls faster than Nehra; Windies continued to disappoint; Irish showed us some pride; Yuvraj rose from the ashes to become the Man of Tournament; Zaheer became India’s best of bowler in the tournament perhaps at the moment, he is the best we have; Dhoni proved why he is a Midas and finally the Master Blaster got his hands on his dream.

It was as if every fan had won the cup! Winning the most prestigious thing in the sport in front of your home crowd is something out of the world. For once I forgot how much I hated Sri Lankan but remembered how much I loved India. The Prize to the players for the winning the world cup, 1 crore but the joy in the faces of a billion when they did it, simply PRICELESS!

The Wait is over and the weight of expectations have begun!

After more than four lousy years the world cup is back. When it was announced a few years back that the sub-continent would be hosting the WC, i was in school telling my friends “No matter what happens, we should stay together and watch the world cup” The statement has become true to the extent that we are able to see the matches together on TV, thanks to the inflated ticket prices and food prices inside the stadium. We will get a spanking of our life if we asked for a 1000 from our parents for watching the match at Chepauk, added to the fact that i am supposed to be preparing for my IPCC exams in may, so that i wont be sitting jobless at home for another 6 months. Thank GOD! Me and one other friend were lucky enough to watch a lousy warm up match between SA vs ZIM, some dancing from Morkel and Ray Price blushing every time the crowd cheered his name :-D

   Within a few minutes the World Cup will be kicking off and I WILL have Goosebumps when the first ball is being bowled. World Cup gives me some fond memories. It was only in 2003 WC, I fell in love with the game and started playing it. I used to mimic “The Zaheer Khan jump”,  “The Shane Bond load up” and “The McGrath Approach to the wicket” That’s how i learnt the game.

  However, the next WC in the Caribbean in 2007 didnt quite live up to the standards SA had set in hosting the previous WC. It was not just that the Indians got kicked in the middle out of the first round but it produced some pretty boring matches and hell a lot of controversies. Damn! I hated watching the Aussies dominating every other team, not that WC 2003 was any different :-D

   Now that the tournament has finally comeback to the place where people know their cricket team captain and not their president, I hope it is a success :-P At the same time it is really disappointing and annoying to see Chepauk hosting no “important” matches and Why should it always have to be Mumbai that gets the cake! Why not a Feroz Shah Kotla? Why not an Eden Gardens? Or even the only ground SL play cricket in “The Premadasa” hahaha :-D

  As far as the team winning the title, I’ll tell where my money is not definitely with, Australia! They are only a shadow of themselves now. Goodness gracious me! They were trembling in front of the spinners. We witnessed something which was not new, Mr Punter complaining about the pitch or the saltless salad he had at dinner! If you are expecting the Aussies to comeback like they did last time when they lost 3-0 to NZ and dominated the WC 2007, it aint happening.

NZ, hmm what shall I say?! They’ve gone from “one of the worst” to “The worst”, talk about loosing 4-0 to Bangladesh. Their usual Semifinal exit looks like a villain’s chance to win over Rajni! They are not going beyond Quarters. WI have tough competition with Bangladesh and Ireland to make it to even the Quarters let alone winning the cup!

  Like every other WC, SA are once again favorites to lift the cup. One could light up a colony with tube lights with the number of “chokes” they’ve committed. Ghosh! They made me cry in 1999! Every time an ICC event happens they make their fans go into depression! 

The Teams I think, will have great a chance are India, Srilanka and England. I say India purely because of the talent they’ve got, the lesser the hype, the better they’ll perform; Srilanka because they won it when it was last held in the subcontinent. Let’s face it, they play all their cricket in a city which has 3 grounds, a ground near the beach and another somewhere in the middle of the jungle and score truck loads of runs. There would also be one lousy camera man showing us crows, which we see plenty here in Chennai and the same old places like they are showing it for the first time.  Personally I dont like the SL cricket team but I hate to admit that they have a nice chance this time! I would fall into an abyss of depression if they actually manage to win it. England are probably the most balanced side in the tournament and the last ICC event they played, they ended up taking the spoils.

  Oops! I almost forgot Pakistan. That has been the case for the past few years, hasn’t it? They can turn from paupers to prince and then back to paupers again in just a single innings. Winning or making it to the business end of the tournament would be nothing short of a miracle!

  I simply dont care who takes the title as long as it is not SL but it would be all the more special if India end up winning it because that would be the best retirement gift that the master blaster will ever get!

A Humpty Dumpty Test Match

    October 1- 2010 was the day when “Endhiran” released and people crowded for 2am show to watch it. Meanwhile, the test series between Australia and India started abnormally in a quite manner in Mohali. Australia started off on high with Watson and Ponting putting together 141 run partnership. When it is an Aussie-Indian clash you expect the balance to be topsy-turvy. Its like the Humpty dumpty who sat on the wall. This one didnt disappoint one bit.

  Indians came back well with Zaheer making good use of the art he had mastered, reverse swing. The biggest bore was the rate at which the Aussies were scoring the runs. The usually aggressive Aussies played like they were scared for their life. The RPO of the post tea session on Day1 was 1.43. Now imagine sliding a hacksaw through your neck and thats what it felt like.
  Once again on Day 2, the Aussies took charge and piled up the runs and ended up with a 1st innings total of 428 despite Zaheer’s fiver-for, thanks to Tim Paine and Mitchell Johnson scoring 92 and 47 respectively. India did get off to a good start with yet another Sehwag blitzkrieg with a better than ‘run a ball’ 59. Dravid and Raina gave good support to Sachin scoring 77 and 86 respectively. The match was back again in India’s hands but the fans had a heartbreak when Sachin fell 2 short of yet another 100 with that Australia took the upper hand bowling out India for 405 and Mitch picking a five-for.

  The Aussies got off to a good start with an opening partnership of 87 runs. This time the runs came much quicker. Watson once again was the top-scorer with 56. A tall lanky Ishant Sharma, who was swatted off in the 1st innings came out of the ashes baiting 3 wickets in a spell, all big fish. Zaheer once again cleaned up the tail. The wickets of Hauritz and Hilfenhaus were dream deliveries, even top order batsmen would have nightmare facing such deliveries. The way Zaheer Khan is bowling with the old ball, he would be asking for “Second Old ball due” at the end of 80 overs. 215 was not a tough target for the Indians, considering this was team which chased big totals in the recent past. Advantage once again shifted to Australia when India were 55/4 at the end of Day 4.

Day 5 didnt start off on a good note with India tottering at 124-8. If this match was played between some tom,dick or it would’ve been over, but hey this is IND Vs AUS. Ishant Sharma camped the same crease where the top order batsmen were jumping to short deliveries of the Aussie Fast bowlers, on a wicket which was pretty tough to play short pitch bowling. Laxman despite his back problems, batted with silken touch. Ishant Sharma and Laxman took India to within 11 runs of the target from a hopeless position. There were many tense moments after Ishant was adjudged LBW when he wasn't and Ojha wasn’t when he really was LBW. Ojha and Laxman held the nerve and took India through to their “closest ever test win” with Laxman remaining unbeaten on 73. Yet another time the Aussies were stoven by Laxman. Ishant who started as a villain at day 1 conceding too many runs became a hero in a span of 5 days at the end of the test match. At the start of Day 5 everyone were screaming for Sachin, after all the hype it was a quite and Very Very Special Laxman who drew the “Laxman Rekha” for India.

Australia would be really down after losing such a close test match. They would need a lot to bounce back after this. It is really a shame this is just a 2 match series. The Match also marked Zaheer’s achievement of picking 250 test match wickets. I was jumping in joy not because India won but because i witnessed one of the greatest test matches ever played and that too between two evenly matched teams with a lot of “setting the cat among the pigeons” moments.

Champions League T20 - A Post-tournament Insight

  On a certain September 10th, when the rains were pouring down here in India, the “Cricket Monsoon” had started elsewhere in a land far away from here in South Africa. The two IPL teams, Mumbai Indians and the Bangalore Royal Challengers were touted to be the favorites of the tournament. How could they be more wrong?  There has not been and still is not a great history of favorites actually ending up as the “Champs” The only team that I can remember of doing that are the Australians. The Opening match was a slap in the face with the Lions downing the Mumbai Indians. Perhaps that set the precedents of the tournament. The teams in this tournament can be grouped under three heads; chumps, also-rans (Name courtesy @diogeneb)and champs.

   The Chumps are like “hmm” “ah” “oh” just fillers. This tournament certainly proved they dont belong to this stage. Lets start with the Guyanese who lost all of their matches. They might have fancy Indian names with mutations like ‘Devendra Bishoo’ et all  but they did not have any fancy batters or bowlers. Along with them are the “Central Stags” who were tied with the Guyanese for the ‘Top Chump’ perhaps we need a super over to break the tie. The Stags looked absolutely pathetic against even mediocre spin bowling, let alone top class spinners. The sorry tale is that the Central Stags are just a reflection of what New Zealand cricket is right now, totally dried up. Wayamba 11 aren't far behind, in my eyes they are equally pathetic. They have ended up 3rd in the chumps list only because they beat the Central Stags.

There are teams who were 'also-rans'. Barring the 3 chumps, the rest of the 7 teams can beat each other on any given day. These teams just couldn’t replicate their domestic form to make it to the semifinals of the tournaments.  The lions, Bushrangers and Mumbai Indians just couldn’t bring their ‘A’ game. Bushrangers were pretty unlucky to not make it to the semis despite winning 3 of their 4 matches.

  Usually only the best teams make it to the Knock out stages of any tournament. Beyond that it is purely how the team performs on that day, previous performances hardly matter. The classic example would be the Red Backs. They have pretty much won everything in their league and ended up loosing just one in the semis to be sent ‘Down Under’. RCB were also unlucky to lose Kallis in the league stages and then Steyn in the middle of the semifinals. Yesterday the SA champions and IPL champions locked horns and we all know who won it. No wonder Warriors are under the Kings. It wouldn’t be an understatement if i say they were the 2 deserving teams.

  Many players came to fore in this tournament like Davy Jacobs, Aaron Finch, Michael Klinger, Colin Ingram and Dan Christian. You can really see the dominance of CSK if you look at the ‘Top Scorers’ and ‘Top Wicket Takers’. Three of the top five wicket takers and 2 of the top run scorers are from the Super Kings. Also both of M.Vijay and R.Ashwin top their respective charts. To notice that both have been brought up in Chennai brings a sense of pride and happiness that donned the pretty much the same streets I do.

One highlight of the final for me would be when Vijay went past Davy Jacobs’ tally of runs. Davy Jacobs ran to Vijay during the overs break to congratulate him on beating his tally *RESPECT*. That is the showcase of Sportsmanship of the highest order and hair raising moment for every true cricket fan. I wish Davy Jacobs a great career ahead. People like him are gems when you see no balls being bowled to stop batsmen from scoring centuries.

Yellows seems to dominate the cricket world like anything. Not long ago the Australians were marching rampant. Chennai Super kings have fallen into that bracket with 1 runners up, 1 semifinal, 1 IPL title and 1 champions of Champions title. For me CSK carries Chennai’s no nonsense approach to its cricket. Perhaps one of the least controversial, devoid any fights and a very cohesive and consistent unit. If any team carrying those qualities wins, it certainly makes me happy. The fact that is is CSK just makes it special. The sad part is that, yesterday was the last time they will play as an unit together, thanks to IPL’s decision of including  2 more teams a fresh auction. For me they will be remembered as The Invincibles, everything they touched turned golden yellow. Period!

World T20 Twitter Style

 

This post is an armchair view of how it would be if all the teams have a twitter account and Interacted with each other.

Before we start let me introduce something to  non- tweeples

wIndia – This is a Twitter handle or a username

@ZIM- @ replies are used for mentions to whom it is addressed

#desp – These are hashtags, which when you click on them, will show collection of the tweets under that hash tag

RT- Means Retweet. If someone likes the tweet, they add RT and once again tweet the same tweet to share them.

april 28th via snubtu- This shows up the date and the application they used to tweet. I have used variants of Snaptu, chromed bird, tweetdeck, web and Friendly.

THE START OF THE TOURNAMENT

wIndia: We will win this tournament. We had on-field and off-field practice in the #IPL  no warm up matches for us
april 28 via Terrific   

6pak:  Looking forward to banning players after this tournament.I am cool, my name has 6 packs
april 28 th via wept

Kangaroomates: Good day mates! got to include this cup in our kitty #Desp Bad start, lost to @ZIM in the warm-up match 
april 28th via snubtu

Blackeyedcaps: @kangaroomates u r just a mate we’re the Captain :P #PJ
april 28th via flightless Bird

ZIM: @Bangla @Irishjig @Al_afghan  We can cause an upset
april 28th via revolution

Bangla: @ZIM Irishjig and Al-Afghan are not on twitter. A/c only for Test playing or played nation. Lets ask for reservation quota
april 28th via tweetduck

Poms: You mean Stomach upset? hahaha RT @ZIM: @Bangla @Irishjig @Al_afghan  We can cause upset
april 28th via Snobtu

Proteas: Looking forward to a semi-final exit and a treat from whomever we lose to, in the semis or when we get out of the tournament
april 29th via wept

SriLaanka: Looking forward to play some good crickut on the bouncy wickut
april 29th via  naptu

Windies: Yo maan! all thanks for comin to the West Indies.  Lets party with calypso                      
april 30th via Friendly bar

THE GROUP STAGES  OF THE TOURNAMENT

Poms: @ZIM @Bangla @Irishjig @Al_afghan Indeed we had a stomach upset after eating hot food :P
may 8th via Snobtu

Proteas: oops we did it again but this time a super 8 exit. @6pak where is our treat for losing to you
may 10th via wept

SriLaanka: Crickut triumphs @wIndia change ur handle to bondiya hahaha
may 11th via  naptu

wewillwIndia:  We need vaastu consultant to move WI accordingly with help of hanuman. Our brother @6pak screwed us by getting into the semis
may 11thvia wept   

6pak: @wewillwIndia We have 6 packs you guys have a single pack. Send us a dossier with DNA test results. We refuse your allegation of  being brothers
may 12th via web

6pak: @proteas If  you ask too much we will send some Taliban we are extraditing from our country. Ask at your own risk!
may 12th via unfriendlybar

Blackeyedcaps: @Proteas we’re one of a kind, partners in crime, sad we have to settle for super 8’s rather than a semifinal exit #desp
may 12th via snubbedtu

Kangaroomates:  From @wIndia to @wewillwIndia ROFL  mate you guys are rockstars.Yet another semifinal for us we are bored of winning
may 12th via snubtu

Windies: Yo maan at least we can beat everyone in drinkin rum and dancing to calypso  B-)                      
may12th via friendly bar

 

THE SEMIFINALS  OF THE TOURNAMENT

Poms:  Lads! first time we played like we invented the game. We want our first trophy ever #epicwin
may13th via Snobtu

Blackeyedcaps: Sun sets in Britain but Piesterson doesnt, after his wife gave birth to a Pietergrandson and gave @Srilaanka a spanking
may 13th via  flightless bird

wewillwIndia: LOL RT @Blackeyedcaps Sun sets in Britain but Piesterson doesnt settle in Britain after his wife gave birth to Pietergrandson and gave us spanking
may14th via web

wewillwIndia: We got bashed in the bar by our fans. No! not the opposition team fans, they love us.
may14th via unfriendly brawl

SriLaanka: We didn't play good crickut. we played inconsistent crickut and payed for it
may 11th via  naptu

6pak: we are playing on the land named after a maulana hope we do well. insha allah
may 13th via naptu

Windies: @6pak thinks Beausejour is  named after a Maulana after i told de pronunciation Bos-e- zoor to dem LOL ROFL
may 13th via snubtu

Kangaroomates:  Yet another final for us. We are not amazed, all you low lives must be. @6pak pack your bags mate! LOL
may 14th via snubtu

6pak: We are going back, at least Umar Akmal facially abused @kangaroomates by wearing a green zinc cream on his mouth
may 14th via unfriendly bar

6pak: @wewillwIndia I will call the USA, lets hold peace talks since we both have crashed out now. Deal ya no Deal 
may 15th via  Friendly bar

THE FINALS  OF THE TOURNAMENT

Poms: @kangaroomates dress rehearsal for ashes hei?  lets call this final “The bashes”, purists say that t20 has killed the game how apt, isn't it? “ ashes after the bashes”
may15th via Snobtu

Kangaroomates:  @Poms The seeds you sowed in our land is gonna haunt you. Get ready to be bashed
may 14th via snubtu

wewillwIndia: we have first hand experience +1 RT @Kangaroomates: @Poms The seeds you sowed in our land is gonna haunt you. Get ready to be bashed
may15th via unfriendly brawl

Poms: Mirror Mirror on the wall who is the champion of them all. Its me its me ! @kangaroomates
may16th via Snobtu

Proteas: @Kangaroomates Looks like you did a @proteas and lost in the final hahaha
may 16th via wept

Kangaroomates:  We lost because, the image of facial abusing was still left in our mind. Here is the twitpic. http://bit.ly/b871FA Thats Faecial vilificaetion mate!
may 14th via snubtu

Poms: @kangaroomates Hahaha you can block all of us but not the ICC #Kangaroomatesblocks
may15th via Snobtu

Windies: Yay! Maan we didnt pull off another bummer we broke even this time unlike the WC in 2007  Dis calls for a Rum pum pum party!!!
may 13th via snubtu

ICC: Congrats @Poms for winning it after 35 yrs @Kangaroomates hard luck. Looking forward to the cramped schedule and more injuries
May 17th via Friendly Bar

Thanks for reading you can follow me on Twitter @Vencurd

Yet Another Fast bowler Calls it quits

I always knew this was coming but hoped this doesn't happen.  Shane Bond, one of the few fast bowler who can genuinely the swing the ball at pace has called it quits from all forms of the game. First it was Freddie Flintoff, then Bret Lee and then was Shane Bond who called it quits in Test Matches before finally retiring from all forms of the game.

  This Brings us to an important Question which does sound like News channel Poll “Are we making Fast Bowling a rare commodity?” My answer would be an overwhelming yes. The quality of Bowling has certainly decreased thanks to the rules framed to protect the batsmen. Moreover Fast bowlers are now looked like a drop from the heavens above the desert. Where in the old days every other team used to have one of them but for India. Seriously something needs to be done to counter this or else you only see spinners and dipply doply bowlers opening the bowling.

After one season at the IPL  Shane Bond has thrown in the towel from all forms of the game. I hope that includes IPL too, because that might send wrong signals to youngsters. One Has to keep in mind that the world cup is just a year away and I feel he had ample left in him to last one year in 2 forms of the game. To add to it New Zealand cricket team doesn't play that much cricket compared to other teams either.Keeping in mind this not the first time he chose to play for league rather than country, considering the ICL. This is what which left a bad taste in my mouth. Has he done it again to the Kiwis? Lets wait and watch.

Moreover we cannot blame an individual for choosing his livelihood or earning money. Everyone earns money, why should cricketers doing irk angry reaction? But if this trend continues International cricket will soon loose its zing. A stitch in time saves nine, they say, hope something is done and done quickly. 

Leaving all the hullaballoo behind, purely from a cricket point of view Shane Bond has been the the best sight there ever was, there ever is and ever will be at least for me. I grew up watching Bond poking the eyes of the batsmen and make them dance with his swing and pace. I started Bowling  just to mimic his action ended being a decent one.

I leave you with my Idol Shane Bond gunning down his favorite prey the Aussie kangaroo

Ever since I saw this 6/23 I fell for him. Thanks for the memories Mr Shane Bond though you played “Hide and seek with us” throughout your career. All best for your coaching career or whatever you do in your life

How to Switch bowl? And cricketers look-alikes

This video describes how to deliver a "switch bowl" like a "Switch hit" Who said cricket was a Batsmen's game - courtesy Adidas

Here are some personalities who resemble some cricketers


1. Albie Morkel and James Mcavoy

 

2. Yuvraj Singh and Abhishek Bachhan

 


3. Tim Bresnan and yours truly ( this is called driving an auto in a cycle gap

Ok i believe you guys enjoyed this post and the video. See you people until next post. Leave thoughts on the above.

The curious case of the Mongoose Toothpick

The Mongoose Bat was making a lot of noise before the IPL started. Now it is making right noise of the ball hitting the bat rather the ball hitting the stands and the sight screen.
When a certain Matt “the monster” Hayden walked onto to field with a normal bat everyone was disappointed that they didn't see the mongoose for the 3rd straight match in row. But in the Match against the Delhi Daredevils, no daredevilry could stop Haydos from using the mongoose and slaying the bowlers. He smashed 93 of 43 balls with 7 sixes and 9 fours with his tooth pick like bat which is really a WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction)

Why is this Mongoose so talked about?


As you can see the handle of the Mongoose is lot longer and the main part of the bat is shorter than a conventional bat. However the overall length of both the bats are more or less the same. When you play with a conventional bat the ball very rarely hits the upper part of the bat. The meatier part of the bat is the middle part of the bat. That is why coaches say play the ball in the middle of the bat. What happens in a Mongoose is the ineffective part of the bat is done away with. There is no bottom or top half of the wood which is ineffective. So the whole of the bat is like the middle of the bat. The Edges are also thicker and so edges would fly of the bat. The bat also complies with all laws of cricket regarding bats.

If the Mongoose is the better bat why cant we use it in all forms?



A Shark cannot survive out of water but a crocodile can. The conventional bat is like a crocodile and has adapted to various changes and can survive in all forms of cricket. While the mongoose is like a shark it can only be used on flat decks to play T20 cricket. The lack of top and bottom of the part, which gave it the advantage, leads to its downfall.
The main purpose of the top and bottom not being effective is to make the ball die. While playing Test cricket or ODI cricket or even T20 cricket on a lively track, one needs to defend certain deliveries which hit high on the bat and to make it die. If the top is as sweet as the middle, the ball will hit the bat and lob up in the air and you are a goner.
The argument against what I have said is that people hardly defend in a T20 hence the flaw is minimal.

If you a take a look at Hayden’s innings you can notice most of the balls he hit, were full or good length. It seemed like Hayden was controlling the bowlers’ mind and making them bowl full length deliveries. The bounce in the pitch was unexplainably pathetic. When spinners bowled short, the ball didn’t raise even knee high. It remains to be seen how the mongoose copes up with bouncing balls.

Hayden wisely chose the right time and place to use bat and Hats off to him for that. Perhaps this bat might be a tactical tool rather than bat.