All posts by h716a5.icu

For the first time since making their Test debuts, the two hugely impressive swing bowlers squared off against each other. And what a convergence it was

Brydon Coverdale in Auckland28-Feb-2015All the talk in the lead-up to this match was about Eden Park’s tiny straight boundaries. One observer joked that 400 might be a par score. At centre-wicket training on the outer oval, Australia’s batsmen clubbed six after six down the ground during the week. At times it looked more like a home-run derby than cricket practice: swing, batter batter, swing, batter batter.If only the batters paid more attention to the other kind of swing. It is one thing to punt throwdowns from batting coach Michael di Venuto into the stands, quite another to do so off hooping 140kph deliveries from Trent Boult. But Australia’s batsmen weren’t alone: the New Zealanders also fell victim to high-class swing bowling from Mitchell Starc.What many people expected to be one of the World Cup’s highest-scoring matches became one of its lowest. And yet, one of its most thrilling. For the first time in this tournament a large, packed stadium was treated to a contest worthy of the hype. For the first time in this tournament, two Full Members played out a match that went down to the wire.That was largely thanks to two men of similar ilk. Boult and Starc are both 25. They both emerged around the same time, making their Test debuts in the 1-1 series draw in Australia in late 2011. But whereas Boult has made his name as a Test bowler and only recently become a one-day regular, Starc has been a limited-overs fixture for Australia while struggling to hold down a Test spot.Here, they converged in an international match for the first time since their shared debut Test series. And what a convergence it was, both men controlling the swing of the white ball, moving it into the right-handers and away from the left-handers, keeping the occasional one straight to keep them guessing and jamming in perfect yorkers.The results? Boult: 10-3-27-5. Starc: 9-0-28-6. That one remaining over of Starc’s might well have been the difference in the match. Brendon McCullum and Michael Clarke are both renowned as attacking captains. When McCullum sensed Boult was on top of the Australians, he bowled him out, his last five-over spell bringing 5 for 3.Clarke did not do the same when Starc was dictating terms, having picked up 3 for 24 off his first six overs. After the match Clarke said he took Starc off because it is hard to ask a fast man to bowl ten overs straight, yet Starc’s first spell was split in half by the innings break. He built the pressure, Clarke and Mitchell Johnson relieved it.Johnson had found no swing in his first spell and his first four overs had leaked 52 runs. Nothing changed when he came back on to replace Starc: 16 came off his first over back, and New Zealand were in control again. When Starc returned, he continued swinging the ball and forced Australia back into the match with three wickets in his next three overs.Starc became the first Australian to take six-for twice in ODIs, having done it last month against India at the MCG. It was somehow fitting that the result really came down to Boult having to survive the final two balls of Starc’s ninth over, which he negotiated successfully, and which allowed Kane Williamson to hit the winning runs at the other end.Starc had just claimed two wickets in his last over, with New Zealand one clean strike from victory. As the final momentum swings took place, belief gave way to serious misgivings among the home fans. Then Williamson hit the winning six.The buzz when Boult had the ball in his second spell was almost as electric. There were 40,053 spectators in Eden Park and it is hard to imagine that any of them let their eyes wander as he swung his way through Australia’s middle and lower order. It felt as though something would happen every ball.He had Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh chopping on in one over, Johnson and Starc deceived in another. In amongst it, the New Zealanders set a trap for Clarke, with a short cover in place. Boult delivered the wicket, drawing the Australian captain into a drive on the up. A couple of times his swinging yorkers were millimetres away from getting under the bat.Earlier in the week, Boult and Tim Southee were rated by Richard Hadlee as New Zealand’s finest ever new-ball combination, and it was hard to argue based on the evidence here, although Southee gave away a few too many runs. But this was a day that proved ODI cricket need not be all about sixes and fours. Here, 19 wickets fell for 303 runs, in 55.3 overs. Most importantly, it was a .Before the World Cup began, Aaron Finch was asked about bat sizes and field restrictions and the balance between bat and ball. He said that while viewers often liked to see boundaries cleared and 300-plus totals, he enjoyed low-scoring encounters. “When you’re defending 180 and you’ve got nothing to lose,” he said at the time, “they can be really exciting games.”The same goes for 150.

In a line-up of big-hitters in the Royal Challengers Bangalore line-up, Dinesh Karthik plays the role of a safety belt and he is eager to put his early failures behind him and succeed in his designated role

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Apr-2015For two hours on Wednesday afternoon Dinesh Karthik batted in the optional nets without taking a break. The Royal Challengers Bangalore wicketkeeper-batsman faced all kinds of bowlers: from the extreme pace of New Zealand fast man Adam Milne to the gentle yet cunning left-arm spin of Daniel Vettori and testing spells from the net bowlers. Karthik hit some, missed some and was often beaten by seam and spin.So far in this IPL, Karthik has lasted 19 deliveries in the two matches scoring only 15 runs at No. 3. On both occasions, Karthik played a stroke that was inappropriate to the context of the innings. In the first match, against Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers had got off to a decent start despite the early loss of their captain Virat Kohli and 47 for 1 after seven overs looked a strong enough platform to build on.Karthik had pulled Andre Russell powerfully for his first four on his fifth delivery. In the next over, having backed out too far down the leg side he tried to cut hard and was bowled by a straighter delivery from Yusuf Pathan.In Bangalore, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers were 77 for the loss of Gayle at the halfway mark. Karthik attempted a slog sweep against legspinner Karn Sharma, but rushed into his stroke and the top edge was grabbed easily by Kane Williamson at point. It put pressure on Kohli and AB de Villiers as the Royal Challengers middle-order failed to settle down.The twin failures have affected Karthik, who admits he played those strokes instinctively. “Both were not shots I had programmed; they came out instinctively,” Karthik said. “And that can be a little disappointing – when you play shots instinctively and that turns out to be a bad shot. If you programme it and get out, that’s fine – it is in your control. But when you play it instinctively then it is not a good sign. So I was upset about that.”Still given a choice he would play the shots again, but with a better plan and mindset, and at an appropriate time. “When you’re playing shots in Twenty20, you are always bound to get out,” Karthik said. “You cannot be too hard on yourself. If you are too hard, you will stop playing shots and that is not going to help the team. It is about freeing yourself up to play shots mentally, and at the same time playing the right shots.”He put those words into actions in his training. Under the watchful gaze of Royal Challengers’ batting coach Trent Woodhill, Karthik worked to a plan, breaking the session into small intervals and specific challenges.According to Woodhill, the two shots that got Karthik out were not executed properly and it was important to revisit his strengths. “DK is 29, 2000 IPL runs. An important player so it is important to revisit what he does well,” Woodhill said. “It was about helping him bring out the gut instinct rather than thinking where I want to hit the ball.”Talking about the purpose of such a lengthy session, Karthik explained it was all about feeling positive: “I felt I can bat a lot and get a good feel. Rather than staying in the room and doing nothing, I feel it’s better to come out here and have a bat, talk to the coach. Even if I can improve a little bit, it’s always going to help my cricket. I don’t believe in over-training but if I can come out here, hit a few balls in the right areas and I feel good about it, that gives me a lot of satisfaction.”Having played for four franchises, Karthik has a wealth of experience and the dual role of a wicketkeeper-batsman has its perks. Karthik has remained one of the biggest earners in the IPL – for the second successive year, he was the most second-most expensive buy in the auction after Royal Challengers paid Rs 10.5 crore (about $1.75 million) in this year’s auction.Karthik’s best performance came in 2013 with Mumbai Indians, when he finished a close second to Rohit Sharma. He had an underwhelming IPL 2014 with Delhi Daredevils but still finished as the second-highest run scorer, even as the franchise was stuck in the lower rungs of the table.As a No.3 batsman, Karthik is the safety belt for Royal Challengers. He needs to bind together the start provided by the openers with the aggression of AB de Villiers and Darren Sammy. It is not an easy job.”At the top there’s Virat and Gayle and below me, there’s AB de villiers and Darren Sammy. They are power hitters. If I can just knock it around and give it to them, when my turn comes at the end of the innings, I can tee off as well. But I’ve been getting out too early for my own good and I’m not liking that. If I can stay there a little longer and if they can play around me and play their shots, that’ll be great for us,” Karthik said.Woodhill says his job is to help a player make the right decision regardless of his technique. “There are two things – there is decision-making and execution. You can make the wrong decision and execute well, or you can make the right decision but execute poorly and you are out. So, as a coach, you have got to make sure you are not moving the goalposts. You want players to review their decisions first. Then you load up that area of execution. So if somebody is playing the cut shots, let us make sure you are playing the shot when you are in form. At 2 for 30 your decision-making has to be spot on so that you don’t end up 3 for 30.”At the practice session, it was not an easy task. Karthik was beaten by the seam movement of the net bowlers, got bowled, played edgy drives and cuts. He was beaten by Vettori’s clever use of the bowling crease where he created angles, making it difficult for the batsman to dominate. And when he offered what seemed like a half-tracker, Karthik pulled unconvincingly. Woodhill kept shouting from the other end asking Karthik to maintain the tempo and not drift.”I wanted him to get stuck into Dan,” Woodhill said with a chuckle. “Players like (MS) Dhoni or (AB) de Villiers control the batting through their tempo. So I am making sure you are walking out to dominate bowlers through good decision-making and strong movements. (That) does not mean big movements (hitting a six), but strong positive movements. That way it is hard for the scoreboard to get in the way of what you are trying to achieve. Whereas if you slow everything down in terms of your tempo, it is hard to put pressure back on the bowlers.”At training on Thursday, Karthik showed the assuredness in his batting that has been missing in the matches. Karthik’s strokes had the sound of confidence, but he still needs to translate that into runs.

Shahid Afridi entertained us with his unique brand of cricket and surely left a lasting impression on the game. He was cricket’s greatest entertainer. Boom Boom is irreplaceable

Uzair Rizvi25-Mar-2015As I sat down to write a tribute to Boom Boom Afridi, I wanted my typing to match the speed at which Shahid Afridi played all his life, but unlike his cameos, my emotions and love for Afridi grew bigger and it took me a lot of time to pour out my heart and feelings as the charismatic allrounder bid farewell to ODIs.I am one of those from the generation of late ’90s, when cricket had gathered real pace and velocity. ODI cricket began scaling new heights in the 1996 World Cup with the Sri Lankan opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana exploiting the field restrictions with aggression.This style of play really excited me and, as an Indian, I was looking for someone of a similar kind in my own team.And then a few months down the line something happened, something that changed the cricketing world, something that changed my life: an innings played by a 16-year-old unknown player from Pakistan. I personally did not see the match as I did not follow Pakistan cricket much in those days. However, the breathtaking knock in Toronto captivated me.It was a Eureka moment for me, I found my hero, I found someone in cricket that I could cheer for, and I started to keenly follow Pakistan cricket. Coming from a cricket-crazy Indian family, it was very difficult for me to single out one player from Pakistan and cheer for him even when he played against India. I was elated, so much so that I forgot that he actually scored a century against my country. Watching such a blitz in those days was enough for me to get drawn to Afridi.For me he was all hitting and power but for my elder sister he was more than that, I remember how she would often ask me to get his posters from sports shop and stick them in her room. Without a doubt, I could say that she had found her hero too. I also found another friend who would always accompany me to watch Pakistan play.I got more attached to Afridi and started to follow every move of his. I became a fan of his bowling too.Then came Sharjah – Afridi was on the rise – he was mesmerising. I would say it wasn’t just joy and thrill that drew me to an Afridi innings. It was the notion that this crude form of batting could succeed in international cricket, albeit sporadically, and that this player was being allowed to bat with unrestrained freedom. For purity I had Rahul Dravid’s drives, but for adrenaline it was always Afridi.Patience was never a virtue for Afridi. He liked speed and he thrived on entertaining fans with power. At the crease he was always in a hurry, whether he was batting or bowling.After many years the Pakistan team toured India in 2005. And Afridi was at it again. He simply blew India away in Kanpur. Mr Boom Boom came to open the innings and slammed 102 off 46 balls as Pakistan chased down 250 in less than 43 overs. I forgot that he was playing against my team, I forgot how storied the India-Pakistan rivalry was, because my love and passion for Afridi’s style of batting knew no boundaries.In 2008 I watched Afridi’s 37-ball ton on YouTube and the pain of not witnessing this innings subsided. The picture quality was grainy, but watching Afridi smoke six after six was exhilarating.And how could I forget the Asia Cup in 2014, with India at the receiving end again. I realised that there were several moments that gave me both pleasure and heartbreak whenever India and Pakistan played. Sometimes I was left frustrated and cursed the partition, dreaming that Afridi and Sehwag could have opened in the same team.He may be overrated, he may be impatient, he may not have the statistics on his side. But he is an explosive package.He remained a hero to millions, a reason for smiles and a crowd favourite. Perhaps he is the most-loved Pakistan player in India. I have seen the spark in our eyes whenever the he came to bat.I know he’s not done yet, he will ply his trade in T20s, so there’s something for me to look forward to, but I have always associated him with ODIs, and yes being stuck on 395 ODI wickets is unfortunate.For me he still is that 16-year-old lad, ready to take the opposition on. He entertained us with his unique brand of cricket and has surely left a lasting impression on the game. He was cricket’s greatest entertainer.Boom Boom is irreplaceable. Thank you for the memories, Lala.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.

Most runs between dismissals in T20s

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2015Hamilton Masakadza (2008)
Runs: 288
Teams: Easterns (Zimbabwe), Zimbabwe
Innings: 101* (66), 34* (32), 50* (50), 82 (57), 21 (19) Team record: WWWWW•Associated PressJacques Kallis (2010)
Runs: 283
Team: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Innings: 65* (52), 89* (55), 44* (34), 66* (55), 19 (17) Team record: LWWWW•IPLKevin Pietersen (2015)
Runs: 283
Teams: Dolphins
Innings: 115* (66), 100* (45), 68 (44)Team record: WWW•Getty ImagesKieron Pollard (2012)
Runs: 272
Teams: Trinidad & Tobago,
Dhaka Gladiators
Innings: 56* (15), 21* (16),31* (23), 39* (13), 39* (32), 50* (34), , 36 (15)
Team record: WWWWLWW•Randy Brooks/West Indies Cricket Board

ESPNcricinfo looks back on the four Tests in a fast-forward series which decided the Ashes with a match to spare

Andrew McGlashan09-Aug-2015First Test, Cardiff – England won by 169 runsJoe Root made the most of being dropped before scoring on the opening day of the series•Getty ImagesDay one – England 343 for 7Joe Root, taking advantage of being dropped on 0, dominated the opening day of the series with a counterattacking hundred which lifted England from 43 for 3. He and Gary Ballance added 143 for the fourth wicket, then Ben Stokes added a brisk fifty, although Australia kept chipping away to keep the contest reasonably even.Key moment Facing his second ball, having already come close to being lbw, Root edged a very full delivery from Mitchell Starc but Brad Haddin, diving one-handed to his right, could not hold on.Day two – England 430, Australia 264 for 5 England’s lower order, led by Moeen Ali’s 77, pushed England’s total to a healthy 430 but Australia started strongly in reply to reach 129 for 1 before Moeen played his part with the ball by removing Steven Smith and later Michael Clarke. Australia’s top order kept wasting starts and the late removal of Adam Voges tipped the balance in England’s favourKey moment It was clear from the outset that Australia wanted to attack Moeen and the mindset cost them dearly. It started when Smith, having eased to 33, came down the pitch and lobbed a leading edge to Alastair Cook at short mid-on after Moeen fired the ball down the leg side.Day three – Australia 308, England 289England’s attack secured a vital 122-run lead as they hustled through Australia either side of the second new ball. Shane Watson fell early, lbw to Stuart Broad, and James Anderson had the ball on a string against Haddin. England then batted aggressively for the rest of the day, led by 60s from Root and Ian Bell, although Australia were able to dismiss them by the close.Key moment England had stuttered to 22 for 2 in their second innings and could have squandered their advantage. However, Bell and Adam Lyth responded with a five-over period which brought 49 runs and from there it was never in doubt that England would set a demanding totalDay four – Australia 242An all-round bowling display with the wickets shared between Broad, Moeen, Root and Mark Wood secured England a comprehensive victory. Either side of lunch Australia lost 5 for 25, with Broad resuming his dominance over Clarke before the spinners went through the lower order.Key moment Shortly before lunch English tension was starting to grow as David Warner moved to a half-century. It appeared Australia would reach the break just one down when Cook recalled Moeen, who had earlier been flayed by Warner, for the final over of the session and he responded by trapping him lbw. The victory charge was on.Second Test, Lord’s – Australia won by 405 runsSteven Smith leaps on reaching his double-century•Getty ImagesDay one – Australia 337 for 1A day of complete batting dominance from Australia – save for one crazy shot from Warner – as Chris Rogers and Smith made the most of a docile pitch and an England attack that had lost a little zest from Cardiff. Rogers closed already on a career best, while Smith corrected a Lord’s record that previously read 1, 12, 2 and 1.Key moment Australia were handsomely placed on 167 for 1 when Smith edged Stokes low to Bell at second slip and the chance was spurned. Opportunities were few and far between and England did not get another until the game had drifted awayDay two – Australia 566 for 8 dec, England 85 for 4There had been an inevitable procession of Australia towards a huge total as Smith converted his score into a maiden Test double hundred although Clarke’s struggles continued. The contest really resumed in earnest when Australia declared, and in the blink of an eye England were in disarray at 30 for 4 as Australia’s quicks proved far more dangerous.Key moment England had become used to being three for not many, but often Root had come to the rescue. Not this time. Facing a fired up Mitchell Johnson, he tried to force off the back foot and only edged through to the keeper. This time Peter Nevill, on debut in place of Haddin who had withdrawn for personal reasons, grabbed the chance.Day three – England 312, Australia 108 for 0England fought hard with the bat, but such was the hole they were in it was always a battle against the tide. Stokes and Cook both fell short of hundreds while the lower order could not drag England beyond the follow-on, although it was not enforced. Early in Australia’s free-wheeling second innings Warner was dropped by Lyth as England became increasingly ragged.Key moment England were 15 minutes away from batting through the morning session without loss when Stokes, who had confidently reached 87, dragged on a delivery from Mitchell Marsh. The timing of the dismissal knocked the stuffing out of any fight back.Day four – Australia 254 for 2 dec, England 103It was a demolition job by Australia as England folded in 37 overs after being set an impossible 509 for victory. Johnson was at his searing best and Broad’s 25 was the top score in an horrendous innings which was summed up when Stokes failed to ground his bat. There was, however, a worrying moment for Australia earlier in the day when Rogers was forced to retire hurt after suffering a dizzy spell following a blow to the helmet on the second day.Key moment Batting more than five sessions was always likely to be beyond England, but one man who had the mental capacity was Cook. However, the effects of a draining match showed when he flapped at a wide ball from Johnson and edged behind.Third Test, Edgbaston – England won by eight wicketsSteven Finn struck in his first over on Test comeback•Getty ImagesDay one – Australia 136, England 133 for 3England needed a swift response and they got one. Clarke batted first on what proved a lively surface and, not for the first time, Australian technique against the swinging ball was exposed. Anderson did the bulk of the damage in a post-lunch burst of 5 for 33 in 8.4 overs after starting the day by pinning Warner lbw. Bell, who had been promoted to No. 3, then struck an aggressive fifty to keep England in controlKey moment Two years after his last Test appearance – and 18 months after being sent home from Australia – Steven Finn was back as a replacement for Wood. He could hardly have wished for a better start as he found Smith’s outside edge in his first over and the produced a wonderful delivery to bowl Clarke.Day two – England 281, Australia 168 for 7The day began dramatically as Johnson produced a fearsome over to bounce out Jonny Bairstow and Stokes, but England were settled by Root and then a priceless 87-run eighth-wicket stand between Moeen and Broad which earned a lead of 145. From 62 for 1, Australia then crashed to 153 for 7 against Finn and a two-day finish loomed before they limped to the close.Key moment Finn’s first over had gone for 14 as Warner and Smith attacked, but a change of ends brought handsome rewards as he lured Smith into an errant pull then claimed Clarke and Voges with consecutive deliveries. There was no way back for Australia.Day three – Australia 265, England 124 for 2Nevill and Starc showed fight for Australia as the lead was extended into three figures, but a target of 121 needed miracles to defend. Cook fell early to a beauty from Starc, but when Clarke shelled Bell at second slip Australian heads slumped for the final time.Key moment It can be tricky chasing small totals and England did not want to get caught in a prodding-around-mode. Bell responded to Cook’s early dismissal by taking three boundaries in four balls off Starc and England were away.Fourth Test, Trent Bridge – England won by an innings and 78 runsStuart Broad went rampant to collect 8 for 15•Getty ImagesDay one – Australia 60, England 274 for 4Rarely in cricket history, let alone the Ashes, has there been an opening day of such dominance. Having been sent in on a green-tinged surface under cloudy skies Australia were humbled inside 19 overs for 60. Broad took the scarcely believable figures of 8 for 15 in an unchanged spell that went down in Ashes folklore. Root then skipped to his second hundred of the series – adding 173 with Bairstow – amid heady scenes.Key moment When a captain inserts the opposition the pressure is squarely on his bowling attack. The new ball can’t be wasted. Broad ensured it wasn’t. With his third delivery he squared up Rogers for his 300th Test wicket. In the absence of Anderson it settled Broad’s nerves and from then on he was unstoppableDay two – England 391 for 9 dec, Australia 241 for 7England merrily flung the bat during the morning before Cook highlighted his evolution as a captain with a pre-lunch declaration. It was not all plain sailing after that as Rogers and Warner posted a hundred stand, riding their luck amid two dropped catches and a wicket off a no-ball. However, in a crazy 20 minutes before tea Australia’s lingering small hopes were shattered as Stokes claimed three wickets and Smith drove absent-mindedly to point. Stokes, with an outstanding display of swing, almost finished the game in two days as he completed a five-wicket haul.Key moment England were getting a little frustrated through a mixture of missed chances and Australian aggression when Stokes found Rogers’ outside edge which Root grabbed the chance acrobatically at third slip.Day three – Australia 253Thirty-nine minutes, 10.2 overs. That is all it took for England to take the final three wickets to reclaim the Ashes – 599 days since they were conceded. Stokes claimed his sixth wicket and Wood took the final two.Key moment The ball was quick from Wood – touching 90mph – it was on a length outside off stump, in the teasing channel that had troubled so many Australian batsman. Nathan Lyon was in two minds, made a late decision to try and leave and deflected it into leg stump. Lyon slumped to his knees. England’s party could start.

India find themselves a batsman short with modern ODI cricket calling for five bowlers, but Suresh Raina’s offspin could help them solve that conundrum

Rachna Shetty19-Oct-20151:39

‘Raina needs to give himself more time on the crease’ – Dhoni

Since the start of 2013, India have tried 10 batsmen at the No. 7 slot in the ODI line-up. Ravindra Jadeja has batted at No. 7 in 52 of the 78 ODIs in this period, while Stuart Binny has occupied the slot 10 times. Axar Patel has featured in just five matches in that role.It was a role MS Dhoni used to say Jadeja was being groomed for, one which suited him over time. Jadeja is not the most correct batsman around, but his ability to play the big shots gave the other six batsmen some freedom to play with. Now, Dhoni doesn’t have Jadeja, who has suffered a dip in his bowling form. No. 7 seems to be emerging as a clear problem area as the team tries to find balance between the needs and roles of its bowling attack and the amount of pressure the batting line-up can absorb in case India choose to play five specialist bowlers.Dhoni’s words are telling in this instance. Frequently in this series and the T20I series preceding it, Dhoni has brought up the side’s need of a bowler who can bat whenever he has faced questions about Amit Mishra’s exclusion. It came up again after India’s 18-run loss to South Africa in Rajkot, except this time the side had shuffled its batting line-up in a chase that became tougher on a pitch that kept getting slower.”As I said, I’ve explained it, we want Virat to bat at 3, but at some point we’d love to have a look at him at 4,” Dhoni said. “Usually the No. 4 batsman will get to play 30 overs, and 30 overs is a good number of overs to score a hundred. It also adds depth to our batting, not to forget we are still looking for somebody at No. 7 who can play the big shot and if that doesn’t happen, the extra pressure has to be absorbed by the top six batters. So you have to find people who fulfil that job. You also have to play with five bowlers because the part-timers find it slightly difficult to bowl full quota of 10 overs. So there are a lot of things that you have to manage and accordingly decide which person suits the position the best.”On Monday, when India’s selectors met to pick the squad for the remaining two ODIs, they made only one change. S Aravind, who made his T20I debut in Dharamsala, replaced Umesh Yadav. Jadeja, meanwhile, was recalled to the Test side.In December 2014, soon after Jadeja suffered a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the Australia series, Dhoni had spoken about the assurance Jadeja provided at No. 7. He is not available for the rest of this ODI series, which means India will go into these matches in the deficit, with one of their bigger combination questions still unresolved. Play a stronger batsman and the bowling side is weakened because of the lack of a part-timer who can relieve the frontline bowlers without letting the opposition run away too far. Play an extra bowler, and the top six are denied the cushion of a No. 7 to guide the innings at the finish or overcome a collapse.Compare that to South Africa, who have batting allrounders at numbers six and seven in JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien, followed by their four frontline bowlers. Between Duminy and Behardien, South Africa manage to clean up their fifth bowler quota without too much damage. Their frontliners too can usually be counted on to finish their quota of 10 overs, which cannot always be said about the Indian attack.Duminy takes the lead here. In the 97 occasions he has bowled for South Africa in ODIs, Duminy has bowled five or more overs 47 times, consistently pitching in with seven to eight overs, with Behardien’s military-medium making up the rest. That has added depth to an already robust batting line-up.

Bolstering the side with a strong lower-order batsman at No. 7, and getting Raina to take on more bowling responsibilities could add more utility to the ODI side

The last time India opted for a four-bowler, seven-batsman combination on a consistent basis they had Yuvraj Singh’s left-arm spin available to make up a chunk of the fifth bowler’s quota. In the current scenario, however, if India do play an extra batsman at No. 7, Suresh Raina is the closest they have to a Duminy-like option, which would mean he would have to shoulder extra bowling responsibilities.Both Duminy and Raina have bowled in the same number of ODI innings – 97. The South African allrounder has pitched in with 449.3 overs, with growth in bowling duties over the last three years. In comparison, Raina has bowled 344.2 overs. Surprisingly over the last couple of years, his bowling duties have plateaued.On the recent Bangladesh tour, for instance, Raina bowled in all three matches, unlike the frontline attack, and ended up bowling more overs than Dhawal Kulkarni, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav, at an economy rate of 4.95, second only to R Ashwin’s in the series.Batting often at No 6, Raina finds himself in situations where he is required to find the big shots from the start and doesn’t often face as many deliveries as the batsmen preceding him. Despite those factors, his recent slump in form – his scores in this series so far have been 3, 0, 0 – has been worrying because it puts more pressure on the No. 7, who Dhoni has admitted is not the strongest link. Bolstering the side with a strong lower-order batsman at No. 7, and getting Raina to take on more bowling responsibilities could be a way of alleviating this problem.If India do persist with the bowler-who-can-bat option at No. 7 – and depending on their outlook towards Jadeja’s place in the ODI side – they might have to look at options other than Axar. Punjab’s Gurkeerat Singh presents one option in the current squad. He averages over 45 with the bat in List-A cricket and 31.10 with his offspin, with an economy rate of just under five.A couple of years ago, the four-fielder cap outside the 30-yard circle in the non-Powerplay overs forced teams to field five bowlers. The new rule changes which came into effect this June – five boundary fielders are now permitted in the last 10 overs – have somewhat restored parity for the bowlers, but made it harder for the No. 7 batsman. India need to find a way to cope.

Whatever the end result, Sri Lanka’s young batsmen have some distance to go. They had a seaming pitch, and tried to pull a gun on India. They fumbled with the trigger and shot themselves in the kneecap instead

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the SSC30-Aug-2015

Sri Lanka’s day was saved a little bit by Kusal Perera’s feisty half-century, though he had also edged to slip in solidarity with his team-mates•AFP

In the last match, a skilful batsman took leave of the Sri Lanka side. In the first innings at the SSC, Sri Lanka’s batsmen took leave of their skill. This flaccid innings, this deflating circus tent of a collapse, deserves reliving. It needs to be savoured as much as any rollicking ton or enthralling spell because it was not just bad, it was so bad it was good.For so long outsiders had suggested Sri Lanka’s batting would be lost without Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Though the team has protested, vociferously at times, on Sunday they went out to almost willfully prove that they were not just lost, they were like Tom Hanks on , holding on to the merest shred of hope that they will find their way back one day, but in the meantime going a little insane.There are so many gems to be uncovered in the post-mortem of the top order’s 47 for 6, but the decision to promote Upul Tharanga up the order is, I guess, as crazy a place as any to begin.Sri Lanka have for some time been planning to provide a green pitch for the SSC Test, partly because they feel they have managed to play the moving ball reasonably well. This line of thinking was not without merit. Sri Lanka had a series victory in England last year, for example, and the batsmen were also good in a recent Test in Pallekele, where both teams had felt compelled to field three quicks.But the logic veers off a chasm when the opening partnership that negotiated those new-ball spells in England is broken up, and Tharanga is promoted. He’s a batsman who could be of great use to Sri Lanka because when he is in flow, no one bats so serenely. But across formats, Tharanga has been consistently suspect against the moving ball.On Sunday, his bat seemed to be made only of edges. He was dropped by second slip in the first over, had another nick fall short, laced his only runs of the innings through the cordon, until an edge was finally caught in the fifth over. Ishant Sharma may have overstepped during that delivery, but the umpires may have seen that innings and decided being caught in the slips was Tharanga’s destiny. Who could blame them?Kaushal Silva is a man who would never overstay his welcome at a dinner party, because leaving is thing he is great at – the thing he seems to be born to do. Today he left the ball almost aggressively, throwing both hands in the air, wielding the bat like an axe that he is about to bring down on some firewood. Still, he somehow managed to play the ball, and have his stumps disturbed.Dinesh Chandimal came out at No. 4, having been relieved of the keeping gloves, and batted superbly for 23. He got a rough decision, with the ball that had him lbw probably heading over the stumps. Chandimal seemed annoyed at this, but when your greatest Test innings, had only been made possible by an umpiring blunder, it is probably wise to take the good with the bad. As an aside, it’s worth mentioning that as poor as Sri Lanka’s top order has been this series, the umpiring has been immeasurably worse, not least because match officials have gone out of their way to ruin spectators’ fun.0:34

‘Had to take calculated risks’ – Kusal Perera

Lahiru Thirimanne and Dimuth Karunaratne also pushed at balls and were both taken in the slips. The top six batsmen had fallen before the spinners – whom Sri Lanka had played poorly all series – could even be introduced. Sangakkara would at least have waited for R Ashwin to arrive at the crease before presenting his outside edge.You almost have to admire Sri Lanka’s implosion, because while India batsmen had poked and missed at plenty, Sri Lanka’s top order seemed to be in the zone when it came to getting just a touch of wood on the ball. They were sublimely effective at having it fly off in unintended directions. Scintillatingly good at being bad.The day was saved a little bit by Kusal Perera’s feisty half-century, though he had also edged a ball to slip in solidarity with his team-mates, and was reprieved by another drop, on 9. Sri Lanka’s two best players of the series saved it further, only this time, they did it with the bat, deciding to give themselves something to bowl at, since the batsmen didn’t indulge them.Dhammika Prasad, who had stampeded though the crease in 26 first-innings overs, sore shoulder and all, barely had time to put his feet up in the dressing room before Sri Lanka’s batsmen were stampeding right back at him. He was struck painfully on the hand first ball, but returned to the crease to collect more runs than anyone else in the top six managed. Rangana Herath swept and slashed his way to 49.As bad as Sri Lanka have been for most of Sunday, they are also capable of hurtling to the other end of the spectrum overnight. Sometimes they need a whiff of defeat to inspire them to victory. The scales were not quite even at stumps, but two wickets in the first hour on Monday could make the match interesting.Whatever the end result, Sri Lanka’s young batsmen have some distance to go. Even accounting for Angelo Mathews’ P Sara hundred, their first innings have been modest in this series. They were screwed by spin at Galle and the P Sara. With the seaming pitch here, they tried to pull a gun on India. They fumbled with the trigger and shot themselves in the kneecap instead.

After trying hard to get his captain’s attention, Dushmantha Chameera turned the Test in Sri Lanka’s favour with a weapon not usually associated with Sri Lanka’s bowlers – the bouncer

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hamilton19-Dec-2015All through the series, Dushmantha Chameera has been trying to get Angelo Mathews’ attention. He seems to know he is not trusted with the new ball yet. But maybe, he feels, he deserves the first-change role. During the early overs in Dunedin, and for much of day two’s first session in Hamilton, Chameera was seen warming up extravagantly in the infield, throwing a windmill arm into Mathews’ field of vision, kicking a scarecrow leg up in his direction. When that failed, he stared his captain down, hoping maybe to catch a stray glance.Even by this team’s standards Chameera is a junior player, so he can’t really demand the ball. What else could he do? Set off a vine of firecrackers at deep point? Hire an old-timey town crier to shout his case?As the quickest bowler on show from either team, Chameera has also had the crowd’s interest. So many would have wondered why he wasn’t being brought on earlier that Chameera could have begun a petition, collected thousands of signatures, then fed it all to a goat, because, frankly, there seemed to be no way Mathews was letting him anywhere near the new ball this series. On Saturday, Rangana Herath bowled an over before Chameera did.Ball finally in hand in the 21st, Chameera leaks 13 runs while he settles his sights. By the second over in his spell, the legs are pumping. The speeds have climbed. Tom Latham, fresh from a ton in Dunedin, sees the leg slip and short gully. He is prepared for the bouncer, yet the ball still comes roaring at him. The fifth delivery would have flattened his grille, had he not ducked beneath it. The next one, into the ribs at 142kph, is fended to that leg gully. The batsman seems a little hapless in that stroke, but people don’t take much notice of the quality of the bowling just yet. It is just another unfulfilled Latham start for now.When Kane Williamson falls, you start to wonder. His hook shot in Chameera’s next over climbs high. It settles in deep square leg’s hands. The openers had put on a relatively relaxed 81, but suddenly, there is life in this Test. Martin Guptill falls at the other end. Then Ross Taylor gets a monster. It might be the ball of the series, lifting sharply from short of a good length, hurrying into his personal space. The best Taylor can do is push at it in front of his nose. The deflection off the glove is snaffled up. Chameera seems like the kind of person who would apologise profusely if he bumped you in a queue, but he is charged up in Hamilton, happily hurling balls at people’s heads. He is taking the Test by the scruff.’SL used the short ball well’- Guptill

The Hamilton surface may be drier than it appears, and may become conducive to reverse swing and spin later in the game, Martin Guptill said. Only two of the 19 wickets to fall in this Test have gone to a spin bowler, but Hamilton surfaces have been known to take turn in the past.
“I think the pitch was a little bit drier underneath than what everyone thought,” he said. “Out there batting today there were a few footmarks starting to show up. They’ll come into play in days four and five. Hopefully the boys can rough it up a bit and get Mitchell Santner bowling into those footmarks.
“I noticed on the TV they started to get a bit of reverse swing out there today, and that can come into our hands as well. The new ball is still going to have a bit of bounce in it.”
Guptill said Sri Lanka had used the short ball well, and expected them to do so again in the second innings. All five of Dushmantha Chameera’s wickets came from short balls.
“You look at Sri Lanka and say they spin you out rather than bowl you out, but Chameera bowled very well today,” he said. “I’m sure they will introduce that short-pitched bowling again at some point in the next innings. We will have to be on top our game to counter that and get through it.”

“Kane Williamson’s was the wicket I was happiest with, because I think he’s the best batsman in New Zealand,” Chameera later said. “When we started bowling we realised there was pace and bounce, so we just thought we’d unsettle the batsmen that way and get a wicket. I think we were successful with the bouncer.”All day, no batsman could play him confidently. Brendon McCullum had run at Chameera and carved the ball for six in Dunedin. Here he was turned into a series of upright, evasive spasms. Another bowler would eventually get him out, but Chameera had first bullied him into reticence. McCullum was 7 off 34 balls at one point; 18 from 54 when he got out.Then a long anticlimax. An hour passed after Chameera’s first-seven over spell. The tea break came and went, and still, there was no sign of him. When two hours had gone by, fans around the world became impatient on social media. On the field, Mathews seemed to have forgotten Chameera existed. The bowler went through his attention-seeking warm-up routine again. He stretched, he lunged, he waved his arms. He tried everything for a second time in the day – except maybe take his trousers off and swing them above his head.When Chameera was given the ball again – to bowl the 69th over – the Hamilton crowd was merely piqued. Had the Test match been in Colombo, tears of joy would have broken out, and everybody would have put on party hats. Chameera gave away a few quick runs, of course, but the wickets came just as quickly. Tim Southee top-edged another ball to fine leg. Neil Wagner slapped an off-side snorter to cover.It is a strange thing to ponder. A Sri Lankan tearaway turning an overseas Test? Most words in that sentence seem wrong. And each of his five wickets were from bouncers. Are Sri Lankans even allowed to do that?Someone should tell Chameera that Sri Lankan pacemen have found their feet in New Zealand before. Chaminda Vaas did it in 1995. Lasith Malinga had a breakthrough Test in Napier. Whether Chameera will be remembered as one of Sri Lanka’s greatest – like Vaas – or burn brightly and briefly – like Malinga – may be decided by his fitness over long Test seasons.But maybe it’s too soon to think of any of that. For now, a lot hinges on whether Mathews will ever bloody give the guy the ball.

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2016Mohammad Nabi helped Afghanistan claw back by dismissing Campbell and Babar Hayat in the space of two deliveries•Christopher Lee-IDI/IDIWith two experienced batsmen gone, Mark Chapman had the responsibility to guide Hong Kong, but he was bowled off a superb yorker by Gulbadin Naib•Christopher Lee-IDI/IDIAnshuman Rath’s industry, an unbeaten 31-ball 28 helped Hong Kong squeeze past 100. They finished with 116 for 8•AFP/Getty ImagesMohammad Nabi and Noor Ali Zadran wiped out 43 in six overs as Afghanistan were in cruise control•Getty ImagesBut Afghanistan gave away a series of wickets to take the gloss off their chase, before Gulbadin Naib steered them home with two overs to spare•Getty ImagesMohammad Nabi, who returned best figures by an Afghanistan bowler in T20Is (4 for 20) was named Man of the Match•Getty Images

The aggressive India allrounder has faced World Cup disappointment before. But things are different this time, she says

Shashank Kishore26-Mar-2016When Harmanpreet Kaur put down a sitter, a full toss hit straight to her at cover, with England at 88 for 8 in the 19th over and needing three runs to beat India in the Women’s World T20 match in Dharamsala, a sprinkling of fans, who had given up on Mithali Raj’s team pulling off a shock upset, only to sit up in disbelief at the challenge mounted by the team, wondered if Kaur had dropped the cup. Never mind the two wickets she took off successive deliveries to give India a sniff in the first place.Kaur, of course, was disappointed, maybe even shocked for a split second at just how she had grassed it, but remained admirably composed even as the rest of her team rallied around her after the match and trudged off knowing they had given it their best. While there weren’t any -type (Culprit of the Match) analysis shows, Kaur’s dropped chance was replayed a fair few times. With each new showing, the same question popped up over and over again.And just like that, it was 2013 all over again – when India crashed out of the World Cup in the first round after a shocking loss to Sri Lanka. Except that, this time around, the doors are not fully shut just yet.Kaur will remember 2013 for different reasons, however. At the Brabourne Stadium, she made a century that briefly sparked talk of her taking over the baton from Mithali Raj, clearly the team’s best batsman for the better part of the last decade and a half. Kaur had just brought up her maiden one-day century in trying circumstances against a fired-up England attack that was demolishing batting line-ups the world over. While India lost that match narrowly, Kaur remained unconquered, if heartbroken.And so when she walks out to play West Indies in Mohali, her home ground, on Sunday, Kaur will have an opportunity to erase the pain of that defeat and memories of her dropped catch. India need a win at any cost. They also need England to beat Pakistan in order to qualify for the semis.Despite two losses, the fact that India are still in with a chance is testament to the team’s self-belief. Not too many India Women teams would have come out and defended 96 and 90 like they did against Pakistan and England. Sure, the pitches were slow, low, and helped India’s spinners, but for them to make those games a fight was heartening.

“I took a while to gel and feel free with the seniors. I didn’t want the youngsters to feel that way, so that when I’m captain few years down the line, there’s a rapport”

“When you keep losing, you tend to get frustration. But now, everyone’s talking about winning, which was missing before,” Kaur says, when asked to pick out the difference between the teams of the past and the current crop. “There was a lot of self-doubt back then. Today, when we leave in the bus, all the talk is about us winning, not just competing. Before, we used to get overawed by names, overawed by teams. Now we’ve moved out of our comfort zone, we’re starting to read the game well, so that has made a big difference.”When I first came in, there were a lot of changes within the team. Players weren’t getting time to settle down. Unless you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team-mates, you won’t be able to gel together. Now, for a while, the same group has been playing together. We understand each other’s game better. Back then, we didn’t know who we had to go to at the slog, who we could open with. Everything starts with the dressing room. Once we have started doing that, we have been progressing.”Kaur followed up a Player-of-the-Match performance against Bangladesh with a laboured 29-ball 16 against Pakistan, unable to hit it off the square before perishing to a slog. But against England, she top-scored with 26; the next best was 20 by Tammy Beaumont.Kaur is aware of the need to change her style of play in a young batting line-up, where she is one of the calmer heads. She knows there is so much more scrutiny and accountability today because of central contracts. While she has retained the belligerence her game has always been associated with, there’s a calmer side to her now, one of a finisher who has had to curb her style of play, as seen in January in Adelaide, where India recorded their highest T20 chase and set the tone for their first series win against Australia.Kaur (right) with Veda “the Don” Krishnamurthy•IDI/Getty ImagesIn that match, Kaur started slowly and finished with an unbeaten 31-ball 46. The innings earned her plaudits even from the opposition. Alyssa Healy, the Australia wicketkeeper, went so far as to say that India taught them how to play in that game. It wasn’t easy for Kaur, for she hadn’t scored a single fifty across formats in 2015.A ten-day stint with coach Harshal Pathak in Mumbai, where she lives now since being employed by Western Railways, helped clear the cobwebs.”Earlier, I would be appreciated for whatever little bit I could chip in with. Now, being the senior player, I don’t have that choice to not score,” she explains. “The team heavily depends on your form. One of the top four has to play the anchor role. On days when the top order collapses, my role and my game changes. I am expected to bat patiently and stay till the end.”Reporters often compare me to [Virat] Kohli, in terms of my batting style and where I bat. He was my favourite player back then, he still is, but now I admire Ajinkya Rahane. Aggressive but life calmness. [I’m aggressive, everyone knows that, but you need some calmness in life as well],” she laughs.”Recently we were at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. Rahane was practising for a Test against South Africa, and for three hours he was leaving the ball, even if it was at a drivable length. I can’t remember him playing one ball. Usually when we train, even if our coach asks us to leave, we instinctively tend to play, so I learnt a lot from him that day. If you decide on something, you need to achieve it come what may.”Her focus and goals, Kaur says, were shaped by her life in Moga, a small town in Punjab, where she grew up. Driving to an academy 30km away from her house to train, she says, made her realise the importance of being dedicated to her craft. But it was a move to Mumbai in 2014 that transformed her outlook.”It wasn’t tough to leave Punjab, purely from a cricketing point of view, but my early days in Mumbai were tough. I wanted to come back home, but Diana Edulji [the former India captain, and then a Western Railways colleague] kept telling me, you shouldn’t give up easily. Living away from home in a big city has also changed my outlook towards cricket. It has made me a better person.”

“Today, all the talk is about us winning, not just competing. Before, we used to get overawed by names, overawed by teams”

As Kaur speaks, a few players mill around the lobby of the hotel. Some for a snack, others shopping. There are half-taunts aimed at Kaur, teasing her for being a “big person”, giving interviews.Kaur says this India team has a lot of pranksters in it. ” [Veda Krishnamurthy] , she is a dominating girl,” Kaur chuckles. “But both of us, along with Sushma Verma, push the other girls to not feel shy. If you are free in the dressing room, you will be free on the field. I want them all to enjoy like we do. If you’re shy and reserved, it shows on the field too. So we want to create an atmosphere where everyone is friendly. If you don’t talk, you don’t really know what the person is going through. We try to keep the atmosphere light.”Everyone tells me I should be taking responsibility going forward. Of course, there is Mithali , but I try to ensure everyone mingles with everyone, so the youngsters don’t have any apprehensions when they approach the seniors. I want to be friendly with all. The first step towards that is to call everyone by name – it helps break the ice. I took a while to gel and feel free with the seniors. I didn’t want the youngsters to feel that way, so that when I’m captain few years down the line, there’s a rapport.”All the off-field efforts will be put to a severe test on Sunday. A slip-up against West Indies and it will be 2013 all over again. Kaur saw her World Cup hopes go up in smoke then. There’s hope now, but also the expectation of a special performance from her in familiar surroundings. If she can put aside the pressure and be calm, she can leave her imprint at a venue she calls home.