Bowlers in with a chance at the VCA stadium in Nagpur

For once in a Twenty20 match, the focus is on the field of play and not on the superstars from either side. As Deccan Chargers take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in a game that can have far-reaching implications no matter who wins, the broad dimensions of the swanky VCA Stadium here are hogging their share of the limelight. The venue, which is Deccan Chargers’s third ‘home’ of the season, has ensured a fair contest between bat and ball thus far.

Of the two games that were played here  on April 5 and 10, the average number of sixes hit per innings is five. That talks volumes of the 75-yard boundaries here. In addition, the wicket, which is slow enough to frustrate the swashbucklers.In short, bowlers haven’t been reduced to mere spectators.

Rajasthan Royals skipper Warne was extremely pleased with the “largeness of the ground” after his team’s two-run win over Deccan Chargers earlier this week. “Michael Lumb’s slog to deep mid-wicket found a fielder. Now, if this was Chennai, then that ball would have landed in a taxi going to the team hotel. Look, 250 doesn’t make it a good game of cricket. It’s the good players and good wickets that make it interesting. We need big grounds like these,” Warne had said.

To put things in perspective, the two matches here have seen as many as 32 wickets fall with the highest score being RR’s 159. And of the 20 sixes hit, Australians have been responsible for nine of them. That isn’t surprising given that an MCG or an SCG is almost two Brabournes or Chepauks put together! Ahead of Deccan’s crucial tie against CSK, coach Darren Lehmann, too, called for larger grounds. “It will only help Twenty20. We’ll have more even contests,” he said.