The Indians triumph the Compaq cup, not so satisfactorily for the team and the mass India, but still, the cup came to India! Indians also showed their wonderful cricketing skills in the same country of Lanka twice over the past couple of years, winning both series considerably by 3-2 and 4-1. But did you ever noticed, what was behind all this winning 3-4 games and loosing one or two odds? Well, the toss played the biggest role in all these results. In fact, if you go through to the exact stats, you’ll find, this Toss was the only culprit for the wins/losses. Let’s head to the stats now.

Since Jan 01, 2007 till date*, 17 day-night matches were played in Sri Lanka, all fetching results.

Considering these 17 games, the side batting first won on 14 occasions and that batting second, only 3 times. A win %age for sides batting second is a meager 21.43%, which is quite controversial, if we see a particular team’s as well as cricket’s interests.

Having a further look at how the 3 games were won by the team batting second shows that all these times, the side batting second had the consistent problem in scoring runs and hence they won the game in a very dead fashion. Twice it was England in 2007 and once India in the Compaq cup

During the first instance, England were set a target of 164 by the Lankans, which they did reach, but only after heroics of lower order batsmen Greame Swann and Stuart Broad and by meager two wickets in 47 overs. In the second instance England had to chase down 212 which they did comfortably, thanks to Cook and Pietersen, still the English took again 47 overs and a ball less to reach there.

The latest instance too has something to speak in the notion: New Zealand under a pressure-cooker situation, raring to go to the finals and one game to win, they managed to get 155 before Indian bowling exposed them. India set a target of 156, struggled at 4-84 until Dhoni and Raina took them home, but again it took whopping 41 overs and 3 balls less.

Well, the point comes out of be – why? Why the Sri Lankan pitches are prepared in such a way that it gets so hard for the sides batting second? The conditions just can’t be blamed; they are natural and no adjustments could be made there. Hence, the pitches must be prepared in a sense that creates opportunities for both, sides batting first and second as well, and on the factual analyses, Sri Lanka can prepare those sort pitches. Take the example of Compaq cup itself. The final was played at the same venue as the other games, but the surfaces used were different altogether. If we consider the game 3 and the final of the tournament, both played @ R Premadasa Stadium but different pitch. In game 3 , India batted second and hence lost heavily by 139 runs. It couldn’t be considered the players fault or complacency, just because India had been a formidable unit before that. And also a part-timer like Angelo Mathews took 6 whopping wickets, whose most of the credit could be given to the wicket and the conditions!

In the final , India batted first and put a 300+ score, the wicket was different and playable under lights too and hence Lanka did put a fight and at some situations, the game looked in balance. Also the game added interests and was just not one-sided!

 At the end, if pitches like the one in the Compaq cup are prepared, more efficient cricket encounters could take place under lights. In all these cases, the formula of Sachin Tendulkar of splitting the two innings into 4 can come into existence too.

NOTE:

* - Till 16th September 2009

In the Photo :  Sinhalese Sports Club in 2006 (AFP)