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[swamidude]

Knock the kit, but you can't knock the innings! Surely the most dependable batsman in the world right now?!

[petehosk]

AB would be at the top of my team sheet every week, whatever the format! 

[csnew]

Some serious hitting again by maxwell!
Those reverse sweeps are being smashed.

Pujara looks out of his place slogging, better if he gets out and gets miller in

[smilley792]

Gutted for maxwell. So close to another ton. Some great power hitting though.

Pujara batting 15 overs for less than 30 runs so far. May cost punjab this game

[csnew]

Game over!
Massive hitting from miller. Miller's already passed pujara. This game would have been over had pujara got out earlier and allowed miller and maxwell to smoke it.

[smilley792]

Take a bow david millar. What an innings.


If him and maxwell stay in form. They have gotta be one of the favourites this ipl.

[i12breakfree]

Great innings by m&m - maxwell and miller
One does feel like going out and hitting some big sixes , some crazy shots after watching such IPL games

[csnew]

Take a bow david millar. What an innings.


If him and maxwell stay in form. They have gotta be one of the favourites this ipl.

Reckon they would be stronger if Bailey wasn't captain. Marsh and perera sitting on the bench.

[Bruce]

I'm actually enjoying this IPL
First one in a while, not sure why.
Must say the standard of T20 has certainly jumped up a few notches in the last year or so

[FattusCattus]

I'll probably make myself unpopular on here - but to me this simply isn't cricket.

Flat decks, tiny boundaries, just mashing every ball out of the park, the dominance of bat over ball.

It just doesn't seem right to me. Whilst there is a skill in all this big-hitting, there seems little finesse, little style - no battle between ball and bat - no cut and thrust, no building of tension.

I just don't get it, and subsequently can't really get excited about watching it.

I suppose I must seem a bit of a dinosaur.

[Alvaro]

I watch in the hope of the things you mention happening Fattoush. If the IPL was up to much then more Indian players outside the system would have made lasting impressions.

There's something sad about watching such an accomplished player such as Pujara struggle so that even the IPL commentators/bcci cheerleaders take the Michael out of him. I mean, Simon Doull really needs to get some perspective.

Glenn Maxwell could be a great Test batsman. He's like a cross between Damien Martyn and Punter. Do you think his mannerisms which echo ponting are deliberate? He even has the hairy forearms!

[ProCricketer1982]

You're not the only one fattus. It's gained popularity because it's quick and easy which appeals to the new generation as the longer game is too long, too much hard work. Why work for your wickets when you can turn up, bowl random crap and get wickets as the batsmen just tries to slog.

This Saturday was  a classic example. Oppos scored 340 (a few youth and 2/3rd team bowlers) and then we batted. At no point did we even bother to try to chase it (it was a friendly so there is no reason to anyway), so if we assumed it was a league game the bowlers couldn't remove either of us openers and we could have plodded to about 300 for 0 off 45. What's the point of scoring 340 if you can't actually bowl a team out??

That's what's wrong with the current structures IMO, no one seems capable of actually getting 10 wickets without batsmen giving it away. If as a bowler you are relying on  a batsmen gifting you his wicket slogging g then that tells me you lack the skill required. Hence why draw cricket is actually good for the game but frowned on as people realise that they can't just biff loads of runs and watch teams food trying to chase it.

[uknsaunders]

Agree, no premium is put on taking wickets and getting people out. While I like win/lose league cricket, the intelligence required to winkle sides out when a draw is a possibility is missing.

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[DaanalSeed]

Agree, no premium is put on taking wickets and getting people out. While I like win/lose league cricket, the intelligence required to winkle sides out when a draw is a possibility is missing.

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Definitely, that's what takes away the appeal for me, and I'm hardly old, at 15.

It even diminishes the appeal of ODI cricket, because like you said, there's no drive to get sides out when you can bat down to 8-9 and slog like hell. Takes away the battle between bat and ball, the fight out in the middle which is why I play cricket. I'd rather win by the skin of my teeth than by 8 wickets, knowing I did everything in my power to prevail. That brings real satisfaction.



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[cesare_in]

Another thing - Not too sure with the quality of cricket. As an example, Stuart Binny plays with ease here in the IPL but struggles in International cricket.

So, even with international cricketers, guess the level of IPL is 0.4x v/s International