Momentum Shift

The World Cup caravan trundles on , from Chennai to Chittagong , from Bengaluru to Delhi.   The stomach bug continues to worry the Englishmen though strangely there has been no comment on the pitches as yet from any of the captains. Either they are getting used to the subcontinent conditions or loathe to comment since ICC monitors the preparation of the pitches.

The World Cup favourites are slowly gathering momentum and some teams appear in a daze and are looking at winning the last 4 to make it the " CUP that COUNTS".  Not many tactical innovations have been made yet except for SA opening with a spinner or India opting to take the batting powerplay early.    The momentum of the innings now hinges on the powerplays which are giving the captains headaches and the spectators value for money.  The bowling powerplay has still not been employed as a strategic tool with captains wanting to get rid of it as early as possible.  That leaves us with only the batting powerplay which can be used as a surprise weapon.  For a TV watcher who analyzes the match in threadbare detail ,  the momentum shift would be more relevant since it could happen any time in the match and the team which siezes it and pushes forward triumphs ultimately. Pertinent examples in different matches played till now are easy to quote though there would be divergent views one too many on what these moments are.   Earlier there used to be a TV programme on science called Turning Point on DD which was extrapolated to cricket with a sponsor added to it  and strangely it is absent today in the World Cup coverage.   An innings does not normally have more than one or maximum two turning points unless as Shastri says "  NOW,  Is there another twist in the tale ".

The momentum shift happened in India - England tied match with Andrew Strauss's dismissal or in South Africa match it was Yusuf Pathan's dismissal.  When SA went into the dressing room at the innings break, they would have been justifiably buoyant that a 350+ total had been restricted to a sub 300 one.  The momentum of the game had well and truly shifted till the AB de Villiers dismissal in the second half when things were brought back to an even keel.  In the NZ-Pak game , things turned towards NZ in the Shoaib over where Taylor ransacked sixes and fours and Pakistan never recovered thereafter.  Matches involving England have entertained the average viewer /spectator not with the typical momentum shifts between innings but with  bowlers and batsmen obliging or strangling the opposition.

When coaches and captains deliberate in the change rooms and strategies are made,  we believe that the minute by minute account is considered and the jottings in the notebook of the coach would contain important moments of the match where the team was found wanting. So given that there was enough justification for Shoaib to be dropped in the next match for Pakistan,  is there enough now for Yusuf to be dropped now for Raina or Ashwin to be brought back because of Nehra's generosity  in the last over or will it be blamed on the captaincy of MSD which was supposed to be brilliant when his changes worked and jaded when it doesn't . 

There is not much time left in this World cup as Indians seek answers to the difficult questions and as the saying goes "  Only time will tell "