The greats of Tests rule in T20

IPL 2.0 started in a grand fashion yesterday, as it did last year. However there was a big difference in the matches played, last year's inaugural match was defined by reckless batting of McCullum, whereas this time both the matches were classified by some classic batting from the all time greats of the game, and genuine bowling firepower that also included two of the top three in tests.

If day 1 of IPL 2.0 has to be defined in one statement, i will say "The greats will rule in any form of the game". Yesterday's two matches featured three of India's Big Five in tests (Sachin, Rahul, Kumble, Saurav and Laxman) and of these three two bagged the man of the match awards and third ended with 5-5. Neither of three is playing T20 internationals for India as people say that this is the game for youngsters. Sachin's capability in in any form of the game is unquestionable and he made his own decision to sit out of the Indian squad for T20s, but the same reasoning might not hold good for Dravid and Kumble. In addition to these three, Warne was one more great of tests, who bowled superbly yesterday.

Going by the performances of these four, I can only say that this time around IPL is not going to be any one's game just by their attacking ability. On the pitches of SA, the application will matter the most. Not every ball can be dispatched to the boundary and scores like 140 will provide thrilling finishes and even those 140 can be made only with prudent shot selection. Dravid's innings was not only classic but also had a flavour of aggression required for T20s, he played the role of the anchor and provided the thrust when necessary. For RCB another stand out performance came from Kumble, who is not playing any form of cricket at international level (the argument used to oust Ganguly from KKR's captaincy). Even though RR's top order was wrecked by Praveen and Ryder, still last 6 could have easily made the match interesting. a 5-5 in a T20 is always a defining performance.

Tendulkar exemplified why is he considered modern great, even though his innings was not as great as that of Dravid but still he provided the stability to the batting order of Mumbai Indian. He kept one end safe, and provided the required support to the batsmen attacking from the other end. He also played some glorifying strokes, as you always expect from people like Tendulkar.

Warne's final figures might not put him as a standout performer, but we must keep in mind that he was bowling to Dravid. 2-18 in four overs is good in a T20 but if one as seen his bowling yesterday, its just a warning for the rookies in the coming matches. He bowled Kohli and Akhil with a sheer brilliance of controlling the turn of the ball.

With the rule of veterans on Day1, I am eagerly waiting to see the response of Dada to Buchanan and Shahrukh (Dada has a knack of responding with bat). Laxman' performance will again be closely monitored and I bet on him as well.