Opinion It’s raining runs

To see England smash 444, the highest score ever recorded in one-day internationals, might have left the 90s’ generation disoriented. For long, England were dour and listless in the 50-over format, and had invited accusations of condescension towards the shorter format, but things have changed, and how. The rise of England is welcomed as it heats up the contest at the international level, but it also brings up a sour point — the means to the end has involved producing bland tracks which makes high-scoring contests boring if not downright meaningless. It raises questions about the longevity of the 50-over format, already under threat from T20 cricket.

One of the real pleasures of the 50-over format was how it presented so many different facets of the game. An inspired spell of bowling, or a few violent minutes of batting could tilt the game but not conclusively. The other team still had the chance to come back. Also, it provided qualitatively different phases of cricket — the mad dash at the start, the game-shaping churn of the middle overs where patience and skill are rewarded, and the slog at the end. But now, with the bland pitches, there is a dull uniformity through the 50 overs.

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The latest nail in the ODI coffin irks. The home of cricket has also succumbed to the worldwide trend. It’s not a recent shift in attitude for it started in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. The tournament played in the first half of the English summer traditionally known for its generous help to the bowlers produced such flat tracks that it boggled the minds of many former cricketers. England has perhaps come to the conclusion that they have to tinker with the pitches if they are to catch up with the rest of the world in the ODIs. It’s a pity. For with totals consistently touching 400, where is the skill, or the contest? And what is the difference between 50-overs and the T20?