When there is enough action on the field in an IPL match, we don’t need much thumping and color to underline or compete with it
Running commentary, the craft of bringing the game to the listeners and spectators at home (or anywhere else), from radio to television, the IPL has undergone many changes.
The IPL is a category rating in itself because, like the tournament itself, commentary has become a generic term for oversell. But this is not the main reason. It’s possible that dugout commentary has a future.
The tournament has somewhat shed some of its excesses and moved closer to the sports side of the spectrum from a purely entertainment side when it started. Not so, which has been a work in progress for more than a decade, and exists somewhere in the middle, with neither fish nor poultry.
Origin of the dugout
The initial trend of televised – that the IPL cannot be reported directly the way other cricket – was correct. But in focusing on form over content, on spectacle rather than substance, it quickly dissipated. Thus the dugout was born. However, this meant two sets of entertainment, one on the field and the other in the studio.
Over the years the term associated with the IPL has been ‘loud’ – from the game to Danny Morrison in the commentary box. Even if you enjoy the game, there’s no guarantee you’ll enjoy the commentary.
In the beginning there was a rationale for innovations. ‘Razzmataaz’ and ‘Sportment’ were then buzz words, and anything that reflected these in the commentary was seen as contributing to the overall value.
When Mandira Bedi was one of the faces of the IPL for a while, she garnered a lot of attention to focus on the tournament; The organizers believed that all the hype was good. Soon we had cheerleaders in the studio who looked pretty silly, but that was part of the work that was going on.
An alternative was needed for the loud and over-the-top style of those calling the game at the venue, and thus a quieter, more analytical and better informed commentary dugout was born from the studio. It worked for a while, attracting an audience that was interested in the strategy and techniques and stories behind the events.
But experts soon felt the need to be cute and funny (besides praising everything good, bad or ugly, which is probably part of the contract), and raised the standard of on-field commentary, instead, to the dugout. has reduced it.
Few commentators who speak with the range and confidence of stand-up comedians are natural entertainers. Under pressure to entertain, they struggle because of the forced nature of the effort.
Synthetic
What is poor Ajit Agarkar doing amid all this noise and flashing lights, not sure whether he should keep calm to himself or try to match the artificial enthusiasm of his colleagues? Agarkar speaks good game, but he is not given much for shouting and pretending high spirits.
Brian Lara, one of the modern greats, what is he doing? The producer of the highest score in both first-class and Test innings is reduced to taking an exaggerated bow every time his so-called ‘prediction’ about a wicket falling is correct.
Disco boxes with colorful lights flashing around commentary and unexpected sounds and so much screaming might be fun, but I doubt it.
When Virat Kohli missed the first ball he faced against Mumbai Indians, the commentators were so busy patting each other’s backs that they skipped mentioning who was the fielder who let the ball in.
Even if you sit miles away from the action, the basics don’t change: Tell the viewer what he needs to know. Viewers should not be forced to flip between channels.
IPL is a televised sport, and lends itself to the kind of viewing experience that is reduced to mere annoying commentary. Not all shots may be incredible, not all wickets are ‘giant’, and not every car displayed each year may be the greatest after bred.
Certainly, I am not the demographic that is aimed. But I noticed that many youngsters also watch the match with the sound off.
When there’s enough action on the field, we don’t need any more thumping and shouting to undercut it or really compete with it.
T20 originated as a hit-and-giggle cricket, and in the early years IPL was uncertain whether it was a sport or entertainment.
But it has gained acceptance as a sport thanks to radical approaches to data harvesting, selection, techniques and coaching. The dugout needs to achieve the same reliability.
.
The future of commentary will have to work hard to get there
When there is enough action on the field in an IPL match, we don’t need much thumping and color to underline or compete with it
Running commentary, the craft of bringing the game to the listeners and spectators at home (or anywhere else), from radio to television, the IPL has undergone many changes.
The IPL is a category rating in itself because, like the tournament itself, commentary has become a generic term for oversell. But this is not the main reason. It’s possible that dugout commentary has a future.
The tournament has somewhat shed some of its excesses and moved closer to the sports side of the spectrum from a purely entertainment side when it started. Not so, which has been a work in progress for more than a decade, and exists somewhere in the middle, with neither fish nor poultry.
Origin of the dugout
The initial trend of televised – that the IPL cannot be reported directly the way other cricket – was correct. But in focusing on form over content, on spectacle rather than substance, it quickly dissipated. Thus the dugout was born. However, this meant two sets of entertainment, one on the field and the other in the studio.
Over the years the term associated with the IPL has been ‘loud’ – from the game to Danny Morrison in the commentary box. Even if you enjoy the game, there’s no guarantee you’ll enjoy the commentary.
In the beginning there was a rationale for innovations. ‘Razzmataaz’ and ‘Sportment’ were then buzz words, and anything that reflected these in the commentary was seen as contributing to the overall value.
When Mandira Bedi was one of the faces of the IPL for a while, she garnered a lot of attention to focus on the tournament; The organizers believed that all the hype was good. Soon we had cheerleaders in the studio who looked pretty silly, but that was part of the work that was going on.
An alternative was needed for the loud and over-the-top style of those calling the game at the venue, and thus a quieter, more analytical and better informed commentary dugout was born from the studio. It worked for a while, attracting an audience that was interested in the strategy and techniques and stories behind the events.
But experts soon felt the need to be cute and funny (besides praising everything good, bad or ugly, which is probably part of the contract), and raised the standard of on-field commentary, instead, to the dugout. has reduced it.
Few commentators who speak with the range and confidence of stand-up comedians are natural entertainers. Under pressure to entertain, they struggle because of the forced nature of the effort.
Synthetic
What is poor Ajit Agarkar doing amid all this noise and flashing lights, not sure whether he should keep calm to himself or try to match the artificial enthusiasm of his colleagues? Agarkar speaks good game, but he is not given much for shouting and pretending high spirits.
Brian Lara, one of the modern greats, what is he doing? The producer of the highest score in both first-class and Test innings is reduced to taking an exaggerated bow every time his so-called ‘prediction’ about a wicket falling is correct.
Disco boxes with colorful lights flashing around commentary and unexpected sounds and so much screaming might be fun, but I doubt it.
When Virat Kohli missed the first ball he faced against Mumbai Indians, the commentators were so busy patting each other’s backs that they skipped mentioning who was the fielder who let the ball in.
Even if you sit miles away from the action, the basics don’t change: Tell the viewer what he needs to know. Viewers should not be forced to flip between channels.
IPL is a televised sport, and lends itself to the kind of viewing experience that is reduced to mere annoying commentary. Not all shots may be incredible, not all wickets are ‘giant’, and not every car displayed each year may be the greatest after bred.
Certainly, I am not the demographic that is aimed. But I noticed that many youngsters also watch the match with the sound off.
When there’s enough action on the field, we don’t need any more thumping and shouting to undercut it or really compete with it.
T20 originated as a hit-and-giggle cricket, and in the early years IPL was uncertain whether it was a sport or entertainment.
But it has gained acceptance as a sport thanks to radical approaches to data harvesting, selection, techniques and coaching. The dugout needs to achieve the same reliability.
.