Volkswagen Power Performance

Harsha’s take

The first week at the IPL, well the first three days really, brought out some contrasting contenders for the Volkswagen Power Performance. There were some that were easy to pick and some that were a bit more tricky because we traditionally associate a power performance with some lusty hitting or some dramatic fast bowling.

In Chennai we got our first look at the big South African Richard Levi. It was clear straightaway that he was a typical hard wicket batsman; powerfully built with a let's-see-what-you've-got approach towards bowlers. If he gets going boundaries might seem too short and it seemed that way at the Chidambaram Stadium. He made a potentially tricky chase (why are smaller chases seemingly trickier than larger ones?) seem like a stroll in the park with a belligerent half century. He was an easy pick as the Volkswagen Power Performer.

It rained before and after the game in Kolkata but luckily enough time to play in one of the great venues of world cricket. And a very well constructed KKR team came apart in a rain curtailed game to two power packed performances. It was tricky to choose between Irfan Pathan who made 42 from 20 balls and hit some big ones; none more dramatic than the pull into the stands of Marchand de Lange when the game was still open. It seemed a no-brainer to give it to him except that a fast bowler had turned the game around earlier.

Morne Morkel, back in form after an indifferent time, knocked over three quality batsmen in Kallis, Tiwary and Gambhir and neither of those was out to a stupid shot. The ball that got Tiwary was a huge endorsement for quality bowling even on a good track in a twenty over game. I pondered over it for a long time and eventually went with the bowler in a batsman's game.

Even trickier was the low scoring game on a strange surface in Mumbai—hopefully the track will get a bit better as the IPL goes along. Ashoke Dinda picked up two wickets in his first over, two good young Indian batsmen and then came back to take two more. Shouldn't it have been him? Or should it have been Steve Smith who eked out 39 runs, worth their weight in gold in a low scoring game and which eventually won him the man of the match.

But for a Power Performance I was looking for more and I found it in the feisty Murali Kartik; a couple of big shots at the end that were critical and a smart slip catch but more that, for two key wickets that turned the game around. First the early dismissal of Richard Levi to a beautiful, classical spin bowler's wicket and then the scalp of the man who was looking like he would win it for the Mumbai Indians. Dinesh Karthik is a fine player of spin, was looking in good touch and the ball that got him, turning viciously to beat the front foot stroke, was excellent. Not all of you would have given the VWPP to Kartik but I thought he deserved it.

Finally, is there power in silk? If you define power as producing a dominating performance, the route need not matter as Ajinkya Rahane showed in his stellar innings on a fantastic batting surface at Jaipur. He was an easy VWPP to pick!

Now to another week at the IPL and many more performances.

-Harsha Bhogle