The previous edition of the men's World Twenty20, hosted by Bangladesh in 2014, did not see a single score over 200. The 2012 edition in Sri Lanka saw only one such instance – in the semi-finals when a Chris Gayle classic lifted West Indies to a match-winning 205.
In that respect, the 2016 edition in India has already seen a reversal of the trend. Since the Super 10 round started on March 15, the 200-run barrier has been crossed on four occasions, and twice by South Africa. Yet, the Proteas’ massive 229/4 against England last Friday did not prove enough, as a super-charged 83 from 44 balls by Joe Root took England to the second- highest chase in Twenty20 International cricket.
But if these numbers give you the impression that it's been tournament for the batsmen, then you're mistaken.
Mumbai, a batsman’s paradise
A unique trend that has stood out at the 2016 World Twenty20 has been the distinctly different nature of the surfaces. Of the four 200-plus totals scored in the tournament, three of them have come in matches played in Group One, specifically in Mumbai. India’s financial capital has proved bountiful for the batsmen as the run of scores in the three matches played there indicates: 182/6, 183/4, 229/4, 230/8, 209/5, 172.
In contrast, Group Two has seen teams struggle to get past even 150 in Nagpur and Dharamsala. These surfaces have been slow and receptive to turn and bounce. As a result, the bowlers – spinners in particular – have prospered. India collapsed to 79 all out against New Zealand in the first match on March 15 in Nagpur in pursuit of New Zealand’s 126. The Kiwis went to Dharamsala next and found similar conditions – their spinners restricted Australia to 134 after their batsmen had managed to put up a modest 142.
Turn and bounce dominate elsewhere
The elephant in the room seems to be the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Before the big India-Pakistan game on March 19, the ground hosted two games, Pakistan vs Bangladesh on March 16 and Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan a day later. At that time, it seemed that Kolkata was going the Mumbai way – Pakistan made 200 against Bangladesh while Afghanistan scored 153 in their match, only for Sri Lanka to chase it down.
But strangely, the big India-Pakistan game had a completely different surface – it was a rank turner. Even Ravindra Jadeja, not known for being a big spinner of the ball, had the ball turning at right angles. Batsmen on both sides, with the exception of Virat Kohli, found themselves struggling, and the result was a game which saw an average run rate of just a little more than a run a ball.
Adapt and adjust
The variety of pitches has produced interesting contests but the real challenge for teams will arrive when their ability to adapt is tested. For example, the second-placed team in Group Two are slated to play their semi-final match in Mumbai (unless that team is Pakistan).
New Zealand have been dominant on slow, turning surfaces so far. But in the event that their semi-final match in Mumbai, the Kiwis will not find it easy to adapt to the flatness of the Wankhede Stadium surface. At the 50-over World Cup a year ago, New Zealand won all their games at home before travelling to Melbourne for the final. In completely different conditions, they were comprehensively outclassed by Australia.
The same also applies to India. Whether by coincidence or something else, India’s first two matches have been on notoriously turning tracks. While the ploy backfired against New Zealand, it turned into a boon against Pakistan as Shahid Afridi did not have quality spinners to exploit the surface. On a flat pitch though, India’s bowling weaknesses could be exposed, especially against teams like West Indies, South Africa and Australia with batting firepower at their disposal.
It is shaping up to be a fascinating tournament. And much of it is because of the pitches. While the occasional belter is welcome, surfaces which offer something for the bowlers make for captivating contests. And the winner of the 2016 World Twenty20 will probably be the team that has the personnel to play on all kinds of surfaces. Despite their opening day loss against New Zealand, India still look favourites on that count at least.
