Matchup Monday #8 - IPL FINAL ANALYSIS 😱

1. IPL Final Analysis

This match could have gone either way, as both teams have made it through their respective play-off matches and it has resulted in KKR vs SRH, the team ranked 1st and the team ranked 2nd.

However, more often than not, it is the team chasing that wins.

Here’s why.

Like anything in cricket, the openers play an integral role in the attitude that the team takes, especially in the final. Analysing the ODI World Cup, Test Championship Final and the 2022 World Cup Final, it is evident that in all of these high-pressure occasions, including the recent IPL Final, the team batting first has failed to score a total for what they have been reputed for producing.

If we analyse the 2022 T20 WC Final,

Pakistan was batting first and they produced a mediocre score of 137 (part of the reason is the lack of stability and intimidation that the Pakistani batting lineup obtains).

If we place our mind into the shoes of the team batting first, the openers walk out on a pitch they haven’t found their groove on yet, and it being the final, batters will tend to be tentative to not take an early blow and instead sacrifice a slow start for stability throughout the innings.

However, it is THIS tentativeness that applies pressure and is the cause for the collapse in the batting lineup that we as the audience are victims to witnessing.

This is because the pressure that is applied is multi-faceted.

As we saw last night, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma were unable to get off to a good start due to the swinging nature of the ball and the ball-wielders being of the highest quality, especially Mitchell Starc and his ‘ball of the tournament’.

Due to the lack of runs on the board, the middle order was unable to assess the pitch from the sidelines and were presented with the dilemma of whether…

A) Attack and attempt to drive up the run rate, at the risk of losing wickets as they are not set.

B) Conserve wickets in hand and go for the late over strike, where losing wickets is affordable.

Seems just like a ‘pick one and stick with it’ option right?

WRONG.

If it were regular league-stage matches, a middle-to-late-order comeback can be expected, but the sheer pressure of a final evokes uncertainty and indecision, which makes the batter attempt to do both or find a middle ground.

Then wickets begin to crumble, or the game remains idle, resulting in sub-par totals that lead to uneventful chases.

This has been the case for the World Cup Final upset that left Indian supporters across the globe pondering whether more aggressive intent would have worked out more effectively for India.

So how do teams combat this finals pressure?

Firstly, win the toss and chase. This is because the confusion within the batsman’s mind will be eliminated regarding the tempo of the innings. With this sense of direction and purpose, batters will be able to remain focused on their plan and not divert as there is only one path to success, maintaining the Required Run Rate.

Regarding Run Rate, the batting side should be focusing on targeting specific bowlers and spreading the boundaries across the 20 overs rather than leaving it to the death, reducing pressure and allowing for free-flowing strokeplay, that in turn produces more boundaries. Teams may choose to capitalise on the PowerPlay, but it should be kept grounded as aerial shots will result in the game we just had, where 70% of the wickets in the SRH lineup were caught.

I understand that it is easier said than done, but what isn’t?