It is strange that the batsmen have struggled to use the Powerplays effectively in this World Cup. Batting Powerplays have given a headache to the captains who have to take them. As we come to the end of the tournament, I see the captains tend to use the Powerplays as late as possible.
In the Semi Finals, Pakistan committed suicide by not choosing Powerplay when Umar Akmal and Misbah were at the crease. Strangely, Umar and Afridi got out playing big shots. And Misbah was left alone to do the huge task in the last 5 ovs with the tailenders.
India has been another team who looks at the Batting Powerplay as a hurdle in the innings. Throughout the tournament it has lost its way in those 5 overs.
The Batting and Powerplay was introduced to get a bit of spice in the game, where spectators can enjoy what they have paid for - some free hitting.
But there can be other uses of Powerplays.
When the field is close in with the restrictions, the captains tend to go at their 2 best bowlers. The guys who stem the run flow and also pick wickets. A Powerplay can be used to utilize the overs of these bowlers.
So, if you delay the Powerplay till the last over, you are actually inviting the best bowlers to ball at you when you need to slog. Hence it’s better to use their overs before we get into the slog overs.
The ideal situation to take the Powerplay is when there is a partnership going on in the middle of the innings. When we have the middle order playing.
This will give the batting team 2 benefits.
1) Use the well set batsman to score of the best bowlers in the opposing team
2) Use up the overs of the best bowlers when there is less pressure of scoring runs.
It is important that you don't over expect from these 5 overs. Have a target of 30 to 35 runs and that will be enough. After 30th over, 30 runs from 3 overs of Malinga and 2 of Murli does not look bad !!
This will also mean that Mallinga and Mulri will not ball those 5 overs after the 42nd over.
Then again, you are playing is the Sub Continent in the month of April. The wicket will be slow and low. So it’s better to use a Powerplay when the ball is hard and new.
For India, Sehwag and Sachin have often given them a good start in the 1st 15 overs. It’s after the Bowling Powerplay is gone that the wickets fall and the run rate dips down. So you can choose to go for a Powerplay in the 16th over itself. This can have 3 benefits.
1) Use the hard and new ball when the most attacking batsman are well set.
2) Stretch the stamina of new ball bowlers. If Malinga has bowled 6 overs in the 1st 15 of the inning and again asked to ball 3 more in the next 5 overs, it will certainly affect his bowling. Batsman can have a go at him then.
3) The batsman won’t lose the rhythm they are in, during the 1st 15 overs of the match.
They Balling Powerplay seems to be a waste of a rule. All the teams take it straight after the 10th over. If the batsman are going bizarre, it can be a wise idea to delay the powerplay to break their rhythm, get their wickets and use it right away on the new batsman.
One more significant strategy that I observed when India played against SA.
Zaheer was brought into his second spell. The batsman called for the powerplay right after he completed the 1st over in the spell. So that gave him only 2 overs of the 5 in the Powerplay.
The plan of the best bowler balling 3 overs in PP can be put to trash by such strategies of batsmen. That will cause a bit of change in the bowling captains plans. Will be interesting how things work then.
However, One thing is for sure. The Powerplay has increased the demand of Strike bowlers in the team. Now its upto the captains how to use them while balling as well as batting. Here is one way a batting team can dictate its terms on the bowling team.
Basically the captains should figure out that POWERPLAYS are just not about Muscle Power.. they are more about BRAIN POWER
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