Myth Busters: Batters win matches

Suryakumar Yadav at his best (PC: Twitter)

Cricket is primarily a contest between bat and ball. From time immemorial, it is the art of batting that has often gained popularity among the fans and the followers. But the bowlers have often been underrated in cricket. 

As cricket progressed we have seen the popularity of batters increase. Yes, it is a given that if the batters don't score runs the bowlers won't have enough to defend. But how many times have we seen that even after more than enough runs being scored a team has lost the match because, the bowlers could not hold their nerve. 

So,  although now quite a popular opinion, we will be talking about the effect bowlers have in a match.

Bowlers in Test Match

Josh Hazlewood bowling in Test match (PC: Twitter)

In a Test match, the team which is able to pick up 20 wickets giving away less runs emerge as the winner. So, who will give u these 20 wickets? of course your bowlers.

No matter how many runs the batters put on the board, if the bowlers are not able to dismiss the opposition twice in a match, the runs won't be fruitful. 

Specially after the advent of T20 cricket, even the speed of the longest format has picked up. In the modern era there are a few games where the matches end in a draw. The role and the impact of the bowlers have now magnified even more. Hence, Test matches are definitely now won by the bowlers. 

Bowlers in ODI cricket

Trent Boult, the current number one bowler in ODIs (PC: Twitter)

Out of the three most popular formats of cricket, ODI is the format with the biggest variety. In this format we get a phase at the beginning when the game moves very dynamically followed by a clam phase and then the pace picks up towards the end. 

Even in this format if we take a deeper look it is the bowlers on whom the fate of the match depends. The most impactful period in an ODI match is the middle overs. The team that scores more runs and stays more positive during the phase generally ends up winning the match. 

Conversely, the bowling side with more impact in the middle overs generally wins an ODI match. So, from this we can clearly decipher how important bowlers are in an ODI match. 

Bowlers in T20I cricket

Bumrah in action in T20I (PC: Twitter)

During the advent of the shortest format of the game most of the fans and experts were of the opinion that it would turn out to be the slaughterhouse for the bowlers. But as T20I has progressed and evolved the importance of the bowlers have been realised. 

In a volatile format where the balance shifts within matter of deliveries the role of the bowlers become that much important. In this format a team could give away their advantageous position if a bowler fails to hold his nerve in the crunch situation.

The bowlers now a days with all their variations at play have become a very essential part of the teams' plans.  Hence even if you say that the batter can set up the match for the team it is the bowlers that win you the match . 

Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of T20 World Cup 2022