"Picked up at half volley and whacked with brutal force... so brutal that it took off at obscene speed and before you could realize it was out of park for maximum..."
This is a frequently occurring site in IPL season 3. Though the destroyer(s) are more or less the same, choice for "weapons for mass destruction" have doubled since then. As we progress towards the semi-finals of IPL, it has become more evident that "Mongoose" bat will be the choice for WoMD.
Just as specialist players are important for different forms of cricket, Mongoose is a bat specifically designed for T20. Even though it has unusually long handle, about 43% longer and has it's blade shortened by 33%, it still manages an additional 20% more power and 15% more speed off the bat... a clear advantage for the likes of Haydens, Pathans etc.
Now consider this; the top 5 most brutal hitters of IPL3 are... Hayden, Y. Pathan, Gilli, Sehwag and Symonds (in no particular order). However, only Hayden has chosen to use Mongoose where as others are still using the conventional bat. Which makes me wonder; is Mongoose worth all the hype?
"Arrogance for the day is done!!!" is what Harsha Bhogle said when Hayden was beaten and bowled on the very first ball of super over against Kings XII. His dislike for the choice of bat was quite evident. He is not entirely against Mongoose but it's usage during super overs is certainly not done. Yesterday, Symonds had planned to use Mongoose but 58/3 was not a conducive situation for it's usage.
So now the question which comes to my mind is: When should Mongoose be used? Will Mongoose trigger the death of conventional willow?
I will wait and watch. My gut feel is: it's here to stay for long.
Be it Mongoose or Non-Mongoose, as long as Haydens and Pathans continue to play their natural game, I am not worried. I like 6s, 4s and high scoring matches... how they are scored is immaterial to me.
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