Tony Becca

The IPL twenty20 show-piece in India is now underway and so far, so good, or rather, so brilliant.

Although there are those who do not like the twenty20 version of the game of cricket - those who believe it will destroy the game as far as skills are concerned and especially so the art of batting - there are those who, like me, enjoy it for the simple reason that regardless of anything else, like Test cricket and the 50-over version, it is a contest between bat and ball, it provides enjoyment for all. Something stirs in me whenever the sound of bat on ball echoes around the arena and the ball takes off like a rocket. Most importantly, it will bring more people to the game - people who, hopefully, will be converted to the real game.

Test cricket is the real game and has been endorsed as such by those who play the game at every level. Even though, without a doubt, Test cricket offers the real challenge in the game, and although, even to those raking in the money, twenty20 is more like a garden party than the real thing, my only fear is that because of the fan following, because of the razzmatazz - the dancing girls and all - because of the money involved, for example, the two most recent Ashes series between England and Australia, in England and in Australia, pulled in capacity crowds, if not handled properly, it could signal, not so much the death, but a lack of support for the real thing.

Greedy

Fortunately, in the midst of the din - the music and the dancing - there are those who have seen the light, those who have played the game and are playing the game, those who, like Ricky Ponting, see the possibility of the greedy caring little about the skills of the game and caring even less if the heart of the game is destroyed, and are pleading for the governing body to fight for its survival.

Ponting, like so many in the game, is calling for a window - for a time to be set aside for Test cricket, a time to be set aside for the 50-overs version and a time to be set aside for twenty20 so that the players may not be tempted, understandably so, to forsake the real thing because of money.

In other words, according to Ponting and company, there is no reason, absolutely no reason at all, why the three versions cannot co-exist. The businessmen can make their money, and the players can make their money, the fans seeking enjoyment - those who pay to see the ball sailing into the stands regardless of how, can get their money's worth. Those who still cherish the finer points of the game - those who still love to see and to hear the ball coming out of the 'meat' of the bat, can also get their heart's desire, with the battle for the upper-hand grim and deadly, sometimes brilliant and exciting, sometimes like two dogs snarling and retreating, snarling and advancing, fighting over a bone.

After five matches up to Sunday, the IPL has been exciting with the cricket, and especially so the batting of Brendon McCullum and Michael Hussey, matching the magnificent opening ceremony.

Aggressive batting

In the opening match, New Zealander McCullum, batting for Kolkatta Knight Riders, slammed, blasted, or whatever, 158 not out against the Bangalore Royal Challengers in Bangalore, and in doing so, in batting throughout the 20 overs, in an innings in which the second-top score was 20, in an innings during which he received only 78 deliveries, he struck 11 fours and 13 sixes while leading his team to 222 for three.

In the second match Hussey, the Australian playing for Chennai Super Kings against Kings X1 Punjab in Mohali, blasted, slammed, or whatever, 116 not out off 54 deliveries, struck eight fours and nine sixes and powered his team to 240 for five at a rate of 12 runs per over.

Destroyed

Obviously, and understandably so, the bowlers but for a few, like pacer Ajit Agarkar of Kolkatta with six wickets for 44 runs off five overs in two matches, left-arm spinner Murali Kartik of Kolkatta with three for 17 off 3.4 overs in two matches, pacer Ashok Dinda of Kolkatta with three for 27 off six, and left-arm pacer Chaminda Vaas of Deccan Chargers with two for nine off three overs, were destroyed.

The bowlers, in fact, appeared as if they were there for the benefit of the spectators - as if they were paid to simply appear and to toss up the ball for the enjoyment of the batsmen.

But for the pitch and the power cut at the beautiful Eden Gardens in Kolkatta, so far, so good. The batsmen have been enjoying themselves and so, too, have the spectators, thousands upon thousands of them.