Thaindian News

New Delhi, Mar 21(ANI): Several international players are finding it difficult to adapt to the new “Mongoose” bat developed by advertising guru Marcus Codrington Fernandez, and being revolutionized by former Australian batsman and Chennai Super Kings opener Mathew Hayden.

The Mongoose is tailor-made bat for Twenty20 format, with a five-centimeter thick base that boasts a sweet spot twice the size of that on a traditional bat. The handle is 43 per cent longer while the blade of the bat is 33 per cent shorter.

However, Delhi Daredevils stand-in skipper Dinesh Karthik said that he had used the bat during practice sessions, but failed to utilize its prowess.

“It was different for him. I also tried it at the nets, but it didn’t click for me,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Karthik, as saying.

Hayden had clobbered a match-winning 93 off 43 balls for the Chennai Super Kings in their Indian Premier League tie against Delhi Daredevils after switching to the Mongoose from his regular blade when he was on 19.

He miscued his first attempted slog, but then struck medium pacers Rajat Bhatia for three fours and a six in an over.According to Fernandez, the bat combines a pygmy blade with a long handle, and is seen as the single most radical change to cricket equipment since 1771.

The theory is that the wood at the top of the bat is wasted in Twenty20 cricket, as there was not a great deal of need for the back-foot defence. Instead the splice is integrated into the handle and the weight shifts down the bat, so much so that even yorkers that hit the toe of the bat can be hit for four. (ANI)