English conditions though, given the fickle weather here at most times, are a respite for bowlers. A team with a five-bowler specialist attack — and consisting of at least three quality seamers who can make use of the weather here — is most likely to get its due regardless of the format.
"It's a batsman's game all over the world except here," says West Indian all-rounder Marlon Samuels. "In England it's still a bowler's game. The ball moves around and does a lot. Outside England, with these new rules, it's tough on the bowlers," he explains.
India, gearing up to take on the West Indies on June 11, do not boast of the finest bowling attacks in this tournament. Inexperience, largely, is a reason. Umesh Yadav, the lead of India's attack, has just 18 one-dayers under his belt, Bhuvneshwar Kumar merely nine, and Ishant Sharma played his first ODI in England on Thursday only. How they make use of the conditions at the Oval, where it's been very windy this week and sun threatening to stay behind the clouds at most times, will be important.
The new rules ensure that bowlers have to work harder. With 300-plus totals becoming regular in ODIs today, being economical rather than targeting wickets has gradually become top priority for bowlers. Two bouncers are allowed in an over, but they can be helpful only if the bowler manages to get his line right in alien conditions.
More importantly, the new Powerplay rules of having only four fielders outside the 30-yard-circle are likely to have an adverse impact on slow bowlers and spinners, thus bringing in more responsibility on the seamers.
In the first match of the tournament against South Africa, the Indian seamers went for a minimum of seven runs per over with Ishant Sharma giving away a little more than eight every six deliveries. While the spinners managed to stem the rot in Cardiff, it may not be the case throughout this tournament.
"The Pakistan bowlers were bowling pretty quick on this pitch. So the pitch has a lot of assistance; what you put in, you get out of it," says Samuels, referring to the Oval wicket. "It's something we can think about. It's not easy out there; it's very cold and the ball is doing a bit. It's always good to have options and we have a bowler on the bench like Tino Best bowling at 90. That's a good option," he says.
India haven't trained so far at the Oval after landing in England. On Monday, when the team hits the nets, it'll be interesting to see how Yadav, Kumar and Sharma go about with their practice sessions. A lot is riding on the trio here in England.
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