Matt Gatward: ITV 4's IPL would be bigger hit still with dash of Sky 3D

View From The sofa, IPL, ITV4, Premier League, Sky Sports

Floppy sunhats off to Sky TV for broadcasting England's recent tour of Bangladesh. For all insomniacs out there it must have been a great relief.

Watching Jonathan Trott tick along at a run an over on pitches with as much life in them as the average MCC member's vest is presumably why a five-day match is dubbed a Test. Even Kevin Pietersen, who likes his cricket with a bit of snap and crackle, was becalmed, slowly searching for a return to form.

Not so in the current Indian Premier League, where dawdling is banned and KP has found his pop again, smashing 66 not out from 44 balls on Friday to lead his Bangalore Challengers to victory.

Thrilling stuff it was too and makes you wonder – Test purists look away now – why Sky bothered with the five-day snore-athon in Bangladesh and turned their noses up at the 20-over run-fest in India. Like KP before a cover drive, ITV 4 spotted the gap, and, if their viewing figures are anything to go by, Sky, the great hoover-uppers of all that is crickety, have missed a trick by not clasping their hands firmly round the IPL.

ITV 4 picked up the coverage for a nominal fee by all bank accounts and the viewers have come rolling in. Figures have peaked at around 500,000, while Trott's antics in Bangladesh drew in around 150,000 hardy souls.

Friday's live coverage, presented by Mark Pougatch, with guests Mark Butcher and Simon Hughes, from a studio somewhere presumably not near India, focused on KP and even in the opening three-minute build-up to the game there was more action in the highlights of his previous match than was on offer in 90 overs of Test fare from Chittagong and Dhaka combined. Even Jacques Kallis, opening bat for Bangalore and possibly the most boring, if effective, of players, couldn't take the shine off (something he's done to many a new ball) by kindly getting out early and letting KP at 'em. Pietersen's runs were lapped up by the feverish crowd ("they're absolutely gagging for it", as Hughes quaintly put it).

The live feed is taken from India and twice I tried to clean the smudge off my telly before realising it's an attempt to cover up the host broadcaster's logo. But Hughes and Butcher are impressive analysts, the commentators are excellent, HawkEye covers the action and, best of all, the IPL is packed with stars. ITV 4's coverage is maybe a bit too concentrated on the few English players involved – there was great excitement when Ravi Bopara came out to bat, as there was among the Aussie bowlers during the last Ashes, but that's forgivable. Pity is, at a match a day and more, there's too much of a good thing. Still, the IPL is here to stay. Is ITV 4? Or will Sky wake up and smell the opportunity?

Maybe they could show it in 3D, which would be pretty amazing if their coverage of Manchester United and Chelsea on Saturday was anything to go by. The long shots offer a slightly better sense of depth but it's the close-ups that are really spectacular. You feel like you can reach out and give John Terry a clip round the head – if you were so inclined.

At one point, during a zoom-in on a miserable Sir Alex Ferguson (a wonderful sight in itself), I actually moved my head in an effort to see round the Man United manager. Mind you, that could just be my stupidity. The obvious down side is the ridiculous glasses (don't forget to take them off before you pop to the lav) but 3D TV, soon to be available in your front room, could be an option for grand sporting events.

A Pietersen straight drive would certainly have you ducking.