Aggressive Cricket

The off-field antics of both India and Australia is more entertaining than their on-field performances. Both the teams are trying to play an “aggressive brand of cricket”. Lets try answering some questions.

What is aggression? What is aggressive cricket? Is India actually playing aggressive cricket? Lets take each question one by one.

Dictionary defines aggression as behavior that is intended to cause harm or pain OR having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends. I believe the second definition is more relevant to the context of the article.

Aggression as a strategy in sports in quite common and is there since time immemorial. It is prevalent, though in different extent, in all major sports or games. Even a game like chess which doesn’t call for much physical exertion has aggressive players ( ok we call them attacking players but they are very similar). Some like to attack right from the word go, while some prefer setting up a game, fortifying the defenses and then going for the onslaught. In football, we have different playing styles ranging from the defensive English or Italians to the free flowing, attacking football of Brazil.

Now coming to the important question of what is aggressive cricket, I feel your game is either attacking or defensive on the basis of your response to setbacks. When a team is already going hammer and tongs and you continue doing so is no aggression for me. When your chips are down (when u are 30/4), how you respond to the situation shows ur true aggressive spirit. If u still continue to play your shots, if u are ready to take risks, if you are not ready to be tied down by the bowling, then you can claim to play Aggressive cricket. Or when the opposing batsman is tearing apart your attack, u still back yourself to bowl wicket taking deliveries.

So the most aggressive team, according to me, is the West Indies team of 80s who just did not know what fear was. They just played their natural game and intimidated the opposition. Their aggressive brand of cricket, though crude, was very effective. Australians just borrowed it from them, perfected it and are using it very efficiently as is evident from their results. The sledging that they employ is just an embellishment. Teams all over the world are mistaking it to be aggressive cricket.

Is India playing aggressive cricket? Certainly not. In batting, we don’t mind converting twos into ones, we are risk averse and we always get into a shell if we lose wickets, thereby conceding the match there itself. In bowling, we mistake aggressive bowling for faster, aimless bowling. The fielders don’t assert their presence. We need to charge towards the ball, send in rocket throws to the keeper, hit the stumps and tell them LOOK OUT, A TIGER IS PROWLING HERE.

What we do is mouthing abuses just like them. Dude, they are not BP patients who can’t handle shocks, they are battle hardened veterans. U need to instill fear by your deeds and not by words. If the bowler showers expletives on you, don’t rattle off BCs or MCs. Just hit a full blooded shot at his face. He will take an evasive action, then u go and tell him to shut up or next time the ball wont miss his head.

The sledging is just an addendum, an accessory; we can play aggressively the gentleman’s game, even without that