The Hindu Business Line : Technology scores

Win some, lose some. You could say this of matches, but technology wins in this instance by helping cricketers to analyse and strengthen their game.

IT is the second One Day International of the Goodwill Series being played at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi. Pakistan has batted first and scored 339 runs in its allotted 50 overs, losing just six wickets. Team India is left with the daunting task of snatching victory in a situation where defeat appears imminent. `Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag take charge and the opening pair put 56 runs on the scoreboard. Then, as Sehwag takes guard at the batsman's end, `Rawalpindi Express' Shoaib Akhtar bowls a gem of a delivery. The off stump is uprooted and goes cart-wheeling. Had Sehwag - who scored a brilliant 79 off 57 balls in the first ODI of the series at Karachi - stuck on, the result of the game — which India lost — might well have been different.

What went wrong? Why did Sehwag get out in the manner in which he did? How does he play the same kind of ball again? A frame-by-frame computer/ video analysis of Sehwag getting out shows that he had lifted his bat a bit too high to be able to bring it down on time and hit the ball delivered by Akhtar. The sheer pace of the ball had beaten Sehwag and he was out for 26 runs.

Welcome to the new world of cricket where information technology is being used increasingly to enhance players' skills and competitiveness. A world where technological inputs are applied not just while preparing against specified opponents but also for evaluation at the post-performance stage. Software packages have been developed to keep track of every delivery bowled and played, the direction in which the ball goes, etc.

Besides, there are software modules to store, interpret and analyse data regarding the fitness levels of players. The concept of the `Third Eye' or the `Third Umpire' is based on technology and has been devised with a view to overcoming the human error factor. Also, this kind of technology where you have replays of moves has enabled the average watcher to understand better the finer nuances of the game. For a batsman who has been bowled out, the video clipping can be broken up into different pieces and an analysis made on why he got out the way he did. For this, various inputs from the clippings are analysed such as the angle of the bat, the positioning of the wrist and head, etc.

For bowlers, computer analyses provide valuable inputs on their run-up, movement of the hand, leap, delivery, follow-through, etc. For pace bowlers, an analysis of camera footage from the top angle during delivery and follow-through can provide valuable inputs that can be used to avoid injuries.

Says India's cricket captain Sourav Ganguly: "Technology plays a major part in formulating all international cricket teams' strategies. From picking loopholes in opposing teams to deciding the line of attack for different batsmen, all are possible only because of technology. One need not be present to see a team or a batsman perform. Video analysis has become an integral part of the game." Adds his second-in-command Rahul Dravid: "Technology has become part and parcel of any cricket team the world over. It has made the job of a coach that much easier in deciding the team approach before a game. Technology is a tool that can improve the standard of the game by leaps and bounds."

Former Test and ODI cricketer Ashok Malhotra, who has also been a national selector and coach, cannot agree more. "Thanks to IT, the lives of coaches have become easier. Earlier, the boys would not always agree when coaches pointed out their mistakes or flaws in techniques. Now, video analyses enable them to see the flaws themselves." Malhotra cites the instance of the Australian Cricket Academy where video footages of the techniques of Sachin Tendulkar and Shana Warne have been dissected over and over again. According to him, former Test cricketer S.S. Das used to get played-on often after getting an inside edge because he used to bring down his bat down horizontally facing the ground. Video analyses helped him to rectify the flaw and hit the ball with the open face of the bat.

Former Indian wicket keeper Syed Saba Karim says IT has enabled coaches to provide a mirror to players to "see where they are going wrong and in which areas they can enhance their strengths and rectify their weaknesses. During my cricketing days, computer analyses came in very handy in rectifying weakness in batting and wicket keeping as well."

According to Karim, the scope of application of IT in cricket, as in other sport, is unlimited. For example, graphics of the directions in which a batsman of the opponent team made the maximum number of runs helps in formulating field-placement strategies during team meetings. "If computer analyses show that a batsman is uncomfortable playing his shots on the on side, it seems he has a weakness in that area. Hence, I do not have to wait for the game to begin the next day to choose my strategy when I run up to bowl to him. One can call it IT-facilitated intelligence gathering," says Karim.

For Sambaran Banerjee, former West Bengal Captain and East Zone player and a national selector, IT in cricket is no longer confined to keeping tabs on scores and statistics. Strategies drawn up at team meetings before matches begin are incomplete without video clippings and computer analyses.

Banerjee mentions the names of players such as Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath whose reliance on computer and video analyses greatly helped them enhance their firepower as bowlers. "Adopting and leveraging computer technology in cricket is quite akin to a graduate taking up a specialised post-graduate technical or management course to sharpen his skills," he says.

Malhotra, Saba Karim and Banerjee point out, however, that application of IT can never be a substitute for human coaching. It can complement traditional coaching and make the job of a coach that much easier. For the cricketers though, it is a win-win situation. Of having their cake and eating it too.

ambar_singhroy@rediffmail.com

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