"How can I not go for boundaries?" - Pat Cummins on the major difference in approach for T20 and Test cricket
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Pat Cummins feels there is a stark contrast in approach when it comes to bowling in the shortest and longest format of the game. With the game being revolutionized, the art of bowling in T20 cricket vastly differs from the one employed with the red ball.
The economy holds a lot more precedence while bowling in a T20 match. The roles of the bowlers also see a drastic change across formats.
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Cummins stated that impact is key while bowling in the shortest format, while other factors like fitness come into the fray during Test matches. The right-arm pacer told KKR's official website:
"It’s a whole different outlook to red-ball cricket. Here your role might be to bowl the last over and if you go for 10 or 12 runs that might be a really good result. Just know that you can have an impact and it not necessarily needs to be wickets. In red ball, you try to look for wickets. It’s about fitness, trying to get through five days of a Test match. Here it’s about, ‘how can I not go for boundaries?’
The Australian bowler is one of the best all-format pacers on the international circuit. The ability to hit the deck hard at 145 kmph on a consistent basis is a universal asset irrespective of the franchise.
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"It’s quite favoured to the batters a lot of the times which is fine" - Pat Cummins
With the introduction of thicker bats and rules that tilt towards the batter, several believe the current cricketing structure is a little lopsided. The ongoing edition of the IPL saw plenty of high scoring matches before the pitches tired out and dried over the course of the last month.
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However, Cummins does not mind the game being a little askewed. He explained:
“There’s going to be some games where you bowl well but you still get hit off a couple of edges for six. That’s T20 cricket. That’s why there’s big crowds turning up. That’s why I go out to bat and I am allowed to swing the bat. It’s quite favoured to the batters a lot of the times which is fine. It makes a good day of bowling where you feel like you have contributed to a win all the more satisfying."
KKR are in the middle of a huge mid-table scrap for the final playoff spot. The two-time winners have two matches in hand and are placed seventh in the IPL 2022 points table.