India beats Pakistan 3-0.
We know this isn’t the score line of any goal-scoring game the two countries played. It is the “score” of the Twenty20 cricket match played between India and Pakistan, just yesterday.
Bowl Out—Twenty20 parlance for the penalty-like decision-maker in the event of a tie.
Empty stumps stare at the bowlers to strike out—not a soul between the wickets and the bowler. Five bowlers each; five chances to “score” a wicket.
And I thought cricket was about runs, wickets, catches and run-outs. “Score” a wicket? Now that’s a first, isn’t it? The awestruck Indian captain, MS Dhoni, had this to say at the post-match press conference: “I can go and tell my friends, when I was skipper we won a match 3-0.”
This quirky entry into game gave India victory in match that went the whole curve really. For India the match was as good as lost. Losers’ heads hanging in dejection…UNTIL… 1 run 1 ball…a runout… and then, the tiebreaker—India bowls out Pakistan!
The game sure has changed since I first began watching two decades ago. Transfixed, hours before the TV. The game has become shorter, introduced to us power plays, Duckworth-Lewis, crazy fans, wealth players, and now bowl outs. And, on the not-so-happy side, match fixing and murder(s) (if you count the Cronje crash).
More surprises in store? If the game doesn’t cease to surprise, why should the players be left behind? What say, Mr Stepdown Surprise Rahul?
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