Five things that hasn't gone as expected at WT20 so far

Sport360 staff 10:41 29/03/2016
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  • With the semi-final line-up confirmed for the World T20, a gripping penultimate stage to the competition awaits for cricket enthusiasts worldwide.

    The group stages threw up the occasional surprise, some close calls, and some individual brilliance from the likes of Virat Kohli, Martin Guptill and Joe Root.

    With this in mind, Sport360 looks at five unexpected twists from the World T20.

    TWENTY20 IS NOT JUST A BATSMAN’S GAME

    West Indies bowler Sulieman Benn (L).

    West Indies bowler Sulieman Benn (L).

    Fans and even players expect just one thing from a T20 match – a high scoring encounter with a flurry of boundaries which ends in a tight finish. Bowlers are generally seen as a means to the end.

    But in this World T20, the parameters have changed. Totals in the range of 120-140 have proved difficult to get and only a handful of matches have seen both sides scoring in excess of 170.

    Bowlers have called the shots so far and two out of three knockout games will be played on wickets that should suit bowlers, especially spinners, so one can expect more tough times for the batsmen. No wonder it’s mainly world-class batsmen like Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Chris Gayle who have produced seriously good knocks.

    ROLE REVERSAL

    New Zealand's Mitchell Santner (R).

    New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner (R).

    Spin has played a massive role in this edition of the tournament but surprisingly, those from outside the subcontinent have upstaged their Asian counterparts. Kiwi tweakers Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner (above, right), West Indies’ Samuel Badree and Suleiman Benn and Australia’s Adam Zampa have consistently performed better than the likes of Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Shahid Afridi.

    It’s not that the subcontinent bowlers have been poor. However, their ‘visiting’ opponents have been that much more in control. Despite the helpful conditions, the Asian spinners have been, more or less, outdone in India.

    KIWIS ONE STEP AHEAD

    CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND - DECEMBER 26: Coach Mike Hesson of New Zealand warms up with his players during the first One Day International match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval on December 26, 2015 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

    Kiwis coach Mike Hesson.

    New Zealand have always punched above their weight but with Brendon McCullum retired, few backed them to make an impact. But the Kiwis have made best use of the talent at their disposal by picking a playing XI best suited for the conditions.

    New Zealand outplayed India and Pakistan on wickets where the opposite should have happened. They have been the best among all teams in reading the wickets and a lot of credit for it goes to coach Mike Hesson, who is one of the most astute students of the game.

    NO PLACE FOR PACERS

    Pakistan's Mohammad Amir

    Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir.

    The wickets have hardly been belters. So bowlers across the board should have had a field day. But fast bowlers have generally struggled to make a mark. Apart from left-arm quicks Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman, almost all pacers have been handled with ease. When pitches are slow and low, pacers also get some help but that has not been the case so far.

    Top-class quicks like Mohammad Amir (above) and Kagiso Rabada have been taken apart while Dale Steyn was benched for the best part of the tournament.

    New Zealand’s star fast-bowling pair of Trent Boult and Tim Southee are yet to play a single game this tournament, which again goes to show how small a role pacers have played.

    CLOSE CALLS

    Joe Root of England bats against South Africa at Wankhede StadiumIndia. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images,)

    Joe Root bats against South Africa at Wankhede Stadium.

    Last-over finishes make T20 what it is. And we have had quite a few close calls. England chased down 230 against South Africa with two balls to spare, Bangladesh somehow failed to take two runs from three balls against India to lose by one run, while Sri Lanka and West Indies lost their respective games against England and Afghanistan while chasing, losing by margins of 10 and 6 runs in the final over.

    India beat Australia in Mohali with five balls to spare but that match also went down to the wire. Excitement-wise, this has been a thrilling tournament so far.

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