The expectations are heaped on Royal Challengers’ batsmen. But it’s the bowlers who have consistently let the team down

Abhishek Purohit14-May-2013After his bowlers failed to defend 175 with almost two overs remaining, the first thing Virat Kohli was asked at the post-match presentation was whether he and Chris Gayle could have approached their partnership differently. This after Royal Challengers Bangalore added 116 in the last nine overs. It said everything about the make-up of a side that relies heavily on three outstanding batsmen and expects its revolving door of bowlers to throw up four or five who will keep the opposition just in check, somehow.Admittedly, it was a rather slow build-up from Royal Challengers, at 58 for 1 after 11 overs. But in most cases, any side that goes on to score at over two runs a ball for nearly half its innings can be forgiven for that go-slow. Unless, they have taken it too easy on an absolute belter, which the Chinnaswamy pitch wasn’t at all in the first innings. Yes, Royal Challengers did not have the best of starts but even in hindsight, it is difficult to blame Gayle and Kohli for the loss to Kings XI Punjab.The pitch changed character as the match progressed. It started as a slow, low surface on which some good length deliveries from the Kings XI quick bowlers went around shin height. It would not have been out of place in a Test match at the Kotla. Adam Gilchrist, the Kings XI captain, said at the presentation he’d started to wonder if he’d made the correct decision to bowl, given the way the pitch behaved at the start. Gilchrist expected it would get slower and lower, and began to have second thoughts about batting second, but eventually found out it came on a lot better under lights.When the game began, Gayle just could not find any timing at all. He swung at and missed length balls a couple of times, something that does not happen often to him. He tried getting under a few to launch them over long-on but they just wouldn’t come on. He was struggling to connect even with the nudge to square leg, a tactic he uses all the time to rotate strike at the start, when he is sizing up things.Where Royal Challengers do miss out, during the few overs Gayle takes to build, is by having someone like Cheteshwar Pujara at the other end. Pujara himself likes some time to get going. Having a Tillakaratne Dilshan – when in form – or an aggressive batsman to partner Gayle does not allow the innings to stall from both ends at the beginning.Coming back to Gayle’s knock, despite being on 22 off 30 at one stage, he found enough rhythm towards the end to finish with 77 off 53, a strike-rate of 145-plus. Kohli was able to accelerate smoothly as well. As Kohli said at the presentation, if you’d put up 174 on that pitch batting first, you’d done well.When Kings XI came out, it was a different surface. Gilchrist managed mostly mishits for the major part of his innings, but they cleared the infield. They probably wouldn’t have if he was batting first. Azhar Mahmood could not pick a Muttiah Muralitharan doosra but was still able to power it flat over long-on. It would have been tough to clear the fielder if Mahmood was batting first.If the pitch had changed, so had the attack – an attack that few defending captains will feel safe with. Kohli said at the start of the season that Royal Challengers knew there was a weakness in the attack and had gone on a fast-bowler buying spree. Still, you get that old feeling of sameness with the Royal Challengers attack. And the foreboding sense that somehow, a bowler or two will have an off day and will leak runs throughout.They bowl short when they don’t have the pace to hurry batsmen. They bowl length from which they disappear for sixes. They don’t hit the blockhole often, though that is something all bowling sides in the IPL are guilty of. Further, Kohli had chosen the insurance of an extra batsman in Arun Karthik at the expense of a fast bowler. So when two of his bowlers went for runs, he had no back-up.The expectations though, as the question at the presentation showed, were heaped on the Royal Challengers batsmen. Could they have gone harder earlier? Could they have targeted, say 200? With an attack that conceded 176 for 3 in 18.1 overs, it probably wouldn’t have mattered even then.

Though there was much to appreciate about the performance of the Bangladesh openers, Tamim Iqbal spoke about how different, and effective, Kumar Sangakkara’s approach was during his century

Mohammad Isam in Colombo18-Mar-2013In addition to being a very good opening batsman, Tamim Iqbal is also an articulate and pragmatic speaker. It has no disadvantages to any party involved (especially the journalists), except on the day before the match when he doesn’t talk as part of a personal ritual. But on a day when much needed to be explained from the Bangladesh’s point of view, it helps the other batsmen if he takes the questions, and the heat.The message he carried on the third day was not an apology. It was typical Tamim, an admission of how disappointed he was with the outfield, of how much Jahurul Islam’s approach is being appreciated in the dressing room, and where the difference lies between this approach and the one taken by Kumar Sangakkara. It’s a bunch of thoughts going through several batsmen’s minds as they walk back to the pavilion after being dismissed, though Tamim also has the ability to express them in words.Tamim’s opening partner Jahurul had batted well for 236 minutes before going blank, just for a moment, and it ended his carefully-crafted innings. It triggered a mini-collapse as Mahmudullah too fell next ball, unable to cover the line of a Rangana Herath delivery. Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim each offered chances late in the day but Nuwan Kulasekera and Angelo Mathews spilled them.The pitch almost forced the batsmen to play in an ugly fashion, although Tamim termed it as one that is “hard to score off, but easy to bat on.” He saw one big difference between how Sangakkara batted for more than seven hours and what Jahurul did during his time at the crease. “Sangakkara tried his best to take at least one run every over,” Tamim said. “We later discussed it in the dressing room. You as a batsman feel fresh when you rotate the strike.”You are not bogged down for three or four overs on the trot. When you are bogged down for three or four overs without scoring, your mind blocks up. You end up playing a silly shot. I am sure everyone saw Sangakkara closely, and it is the sort of thing you learn when playing against a batsman of his caliber,” Tamim said.Having just recovered from a wrist injury and after getting out early in the first innings, Tamim didn’t do badly himself. Tamim hardly curbed his positive approach, imposing himself early on the Sri Lanka bowlers. He didn’t let Herath settle into a regular length, attacking the left-arm spinner whenever he found it necessary.When the two openers were at the crease, Bangladesh were batting at a circumspect 2.57 per over. There was one over of intent when both Tamim and Jahurul hit a six each off Herath, but once the former got out, Jahurul stopped playing shots. After Tamim got out, Jahurul scored 17 runs off 65 deliveries before suffering from what can only be described as a brain-freeze. As much as he tried, Tamim couldn’t explain Jahurul’s dismissal and to be fair, it was not his explanation to make.Jahurul and Ashraful had crawled to five runs off 31 balls, and the pace of the partnership reflected how poorly Ashraful moved at the crease. He is a naturally aggressive batsman who is going through a career renaissance by stifling his original approach, so one would have to give him time to adjust. Mominul’s efforts to force the ball into the gaps enlivened the third wicket stand. He and Mushfiqur were careful not to give it away towards the end, which would have sealed the game and a series win for Sri Lanka.The fourth day has all the makings of being the last day of the Test series. Bangladesh have taken small steps in their approach to batting in Test cricket, but days like the third day of this Test are usually the cue for things to slide. If there has been progress in this series, Mushfiqur, Mominul and Nasir Hossain have the chance to prove it.

Hampshire are one-day kings but they can also add promotion to their CV

George Dobell30-Mar-2013Last year: 4th, CC Div 2; Winners, FLt20; Winners, CB40.2012 in a nutshell: Excellent in limited-overs cricket and mediocre in the Championship. Hampshire won the limited-overs double in 2012 and, with three games to play in the Championship season, were in a promotion position. They lost all three (against Leicestershire, Essex and Derbyshire) and slipped into mid-table. They topped their CB40 group with seven wins from 10 completed matches and then defeated Sussex and, in the final, Warwickshire off the last ball to lift the trophy. In the T20 they reached finals day in Cardiff, beating Somerset in a low-scoring semi-final and outwitting Yorkshire in the final. Glenn Maxwell proved an astute signing, with slow bowlers Liam Dawson and Danny Briggs maintaining excellent control and Dimitri Mascarenhas providing a reminder of his excellence as a T20 cricketer.2013 prospects: Hampshire should continue to challenge in the shorter formats and must be considered one of the promotion favourites. Their top-order batting, containing Jimmy Adams, Michael Carberry, overseas player George Bailey and, from June, Neil McKenzie, is as strong as any in Division Two. Adam Wheater, Sean Ervine and James Vince will add impetus while Liam Dawson will be asked to bat long and slow. The bowling is, at first glance, slightly less impressive but, led by David Balcombe, strong as a bull and determined to make up for lost time in his career, and the left-arm swing of James Tomlinson, it will also be augmented by the spin of Saeed Ajaml for the last few weeks of the season. Having won four limited-overs trophies in the last four years, they clearly have a decent formula and there is little reason why that should change .Key player: Signing Adam Wheater as a wicketkeeper batsman was somewhat controversial. Not only did Wheater have a year of his contract to run at Essex, but his arrival threatens the position of Michael Bates, a homegrown Hampshire keeper who has made such a fine impression with the gloves. But Wheater, at 23, only eight months older than Bates, is a vastly superior batsman – he averages 20 more an innings – and will add depth to Hampshire’s batting line-up.Bright young thing: Such is James Vince’s talent that the England selectors ignored his largely unsuccessful season in Division Two last year – he averaged 24.52 and only passed 50 once – and took him on the Lions’ one-day tour to Australia. He struggled there but, at 22, remains a talented and unusually elegant young batsman, capable of scoring freely against decent bowling. His strength, at present, remains in the limited-overs formats – he averaged 55.50 in the CB40 and was Hampshire’s leading run-scorer in the FLt20 – but if he can curb his attacking instincts just a little, he can flourish in all formats.Captain / coach: Jimmy Adams will continue to lead the side in a positive, cheerful manner, leaving Giles White, the head coach, to continue in unobtrusive style. The days when Hampshire could rely upon being bankrolled by Rod Bransgrove are gone – it didn’t really work, anyway – leaving the club more reliant on player development. They seem stronger for it.ESPNcricinfo verdict: Hampshire look capable of winning promotion this year. The batting is unusually strong and the acquisition of Saeed Ajmal on late-season pitches is a major scoop. The one concern is the pre-Ajmal bowling attack which, with the heavy roller back in operation this year, may face some long days in the field. It won’t be easy to follow up a double-winning season, but Hampshire should continue to be a threat in the shorter formats.

Plays of the day from the fourth day at Old Trafford

George Dobell, Jarrod Kimber and Brydon Coverdale04-Aug-2013Gary Pratt of the day
It wouldn’t be an Ashes series without a run-out from a sub fielder. And this one even featured the Australia captain, just like Gary Pratt’s effort against Ricky Ponting at Trent Bridge in 2005. Only this time, it was Michael Clarke’s partner, Steven Smith, who was the victim. Smith steered a delivery from James Anderson down to third man and positively Usain Bolted through for the first run while Clarke strolled. Smith was already two-thirds down the pitch for a second run – which was clearly there – when he realised Clarke wasn’t coming. A relay throw from Matt Prior found Smith short of his ground and the man who had hurled the ball in from third man was Tom Craddock, the Essex legspinner, who was on the field for Kevin Pietersen. It was a brief and eventful spell on the ground; Pietersen jogged back on as Smith trudged off.Clash of the day
David Warner bolted out on the field, perhaps hoping to be out in the middle before the crowd realised it was him. He faced 57 balls. None of those were delivered by Joe Root. Root didn’t even warm up near him. They might have shared the same field, but that was about as close as it got. But the link between them couldn’t be broken that easily. A short ball from Tim Bresnan was pulled out to deep square leg. As it travelled for those fleeting moments, you could hear people start to say “Is that Root?” followed by the catch, and then “That is Root!” Then laughter.Tune of the day
Whatever Warner achieves in his career, it seems he will always be remembered for punching Root in a bar in Birmingham. Certainly the English crowd will never let him forget it. Here Billy Cooper, the Barmy Army trumpeter making his first appearance of the summer at this Test having been forbidden from playing in the first two games, played the theme from Rocky when Warner came out to bat in Australia’s second innings.Boundary of the day
A pleasing stroke from Stuart Broad in the eighth over of the day, a back-foot drive through cover off the bowling of Ryan Harris, drew prolonged applause from another full-house crowd of 25,000 at Old Trafford. But the applause was not just for a nicely timed stroke from a man who seems to be rediscovering some form with the bat. It was because it was the stroke that ensured England had averted the follow-on and therefore significantly reduced Australia’s chances of winning this game.Walk of the day
After the mountain of criticism Broad attracted for failing to walk after edge at Trent Bridge, it was particularly noticeable that he did not wait for the umpire’s decision here. Prodding forward to a nice delivery from Nathan Lyon that turned enough to brush the edge of the bat, it was a far less obvious nick than the one Broad survived in Nottingham, suggesting he may have reflected on events that day and decided to change his approach. Equally, it may be he decided that, with the follow-on already averted, the circumstances of the match made such a move a canny piece of PR. Graeme Swann also walked a few minutes later in similar circumstances.Review of the day
Broad was briefly in the umpires’ good books when he walked but later in the day he and the officials weren’t seeing eye to eye. Broad was convinced he had Warner caught behind trying to hook a bouncer, but Tony Hill disagreed. England reviewed the call and there was no mark on Hot Spot and no evidence that Warner had tickled the ball, and the decision stood. But England were convinced Warner was out, and Broad and James Anderson talked at length to Hill after the decision came down from the third official. Later, Snicko suggested Warner might have hit the ball after all, but there was no way on the evidence available at the time Kumar Dharmasena could have overruled Hill.

A clear-eyed, well-researched account of the ecosystem of gambling, betting, and “approaching” that operates alongside professional cricket

Sharda Ugra21-Jul-2013At the start of the last chapter of , Ed Hawkins writes, “with every step… on the long trip to cricket’s corrupt core, my confidence in the sport eroded… It has now ceased to be.” He signs off with a final paragraph that begins, “The pessimist that I have become will never truly believe the game is pure. It cannot be.”It is a deadening and soul-numbing conclusion, but at the end of the book’s 200-odd pages, no other can be arrived it. Only those suffering from delusions could possibly toss the book aside and hang on to the notion that cricket lives and operates in an exalted realm of “purity of spirit”. names no names, though Hawkins says as many as 45 international and domestic cricketers “have been mentioned to me as being up to no good”. In some parts of the book, certain names are XXXX-ed out, protecting Hawkins from being libellous, but at the end of it, the disguised identities somehow do not matter. This is not a book about selective naming and shaming. It is more a clear-eyed account about an entire ecosystem of gambling, betting, and “approaching” that operates alongside and beneath professional cricket. And about why it cannot be stopped.Hawkins, whose twitter handle is @cricketbetting, is an award-winning journalist specialising in the sports-betting business. His research for this book has been exhaustive and impressive: he spent months interacting with an entire cast of characters – “first-tier” bookies, syndicate bosses, punters, cricket officials, ICC anti-corruption officers, and men from an Indian government agency who carried out investigations into match-fixing in 2000. explains in clear terms, particularly for the non-punting type, the illegal betting mafia, its methods, its cast of characters and the force and weight of its finances. Indian cricket’s financial strength is not merely centred around broadcasting deals and a cash-rich board. There is another rolling, surging revenue stream that oils the moving parts of the game’s betting industry, both legal and illegal, and it is driven by Indian bookies and punters.Full of incident and detail, the book shows us that far from being a shady cloak-and-dagger business, cricket betting in India is run by a well-organised network of around 100,000 bookies who operate on cash transactions through trust. Bets can be placed on four “markets” essentially: overall match odds; the (the innings-runs market, where punters are given a spread of innings runs that they can bet under or over); brackets (or sessions betting around the scoring of runs over ten-over chunks); and the “lunch favourite”, which are Test match lunch scores or innings-breaks scores in ODIs. The punter and the bookie are constantly in a tussle with each other over any extra piece of information pertaining to weather, injury, and team composition.Perhaps the most fascinating detail in the book is the manner in which Indian bookie can exert influence by “moving” or manipulating the odds, even on legitimate betting websites. A single text message from a bookie to his customers has the market load itself with Indian gambling money, and can turn the odds the way the bookie wants. Hawkins writes, “At the click of [his] fingers, the Indian bookmaker dictates to the rest of the world. It is not a delicate alchemy. It is not done through smoke and mirrors. It is sheer weight of money. A controlled landslide.”The match that sparked Hawkins’ interest in getting to the heart of “cricket’s underworld” was a knockout in the 2011 ICC World Cup. During the game, he received – as it must be said did dozens of people – a text from an Indian bookie known to him, who “predicted” the course of the game. The ICC called the claim spurious, and every time Hawkins tried to find out more about the game through his bookie contacts, even those who had shared much about their trade, he was met with a dead bat; the topic was always changed. The ominous enforcer of the silence was understood to be the organised D-company, or the Dawood Ibrahim gang. At one stage a bookie says, “D-Company has given bookmakers a bad name… We are the fair people. It is wrong to say bookmakers make the threats.” It would be comic if it didn’t sound so sincere; is full of the most bizarre but completely believable conversations that do happen around cricket.Even when trying to confirm a genuine fix, Hawkins retains a healthy dose of scepticism when it comes to the biggest gamblers boasting about what they control. The “no-ball” fix was merely Mazhar Majeed trying to display his influence, it turns out – no bookmaker, even in India’s illegal industry, takes bets on no-balls.Hawkins proves that cricket’s corruption need not touch every single player, but that it does permeate many layers. Fixes exists, more in domestic games like county cricket and the IPL – too many matches, too many players. They mark a key step in the tug of war for inside information, and the advent of pre-scripted passages of play that move match odds in either the bookie’s or the punter’s favour, rather than only dictating the result of a game.Every cricket fan should read to get a grasp of reality. Cricket is a game of much beauty but we must accept that it co-exists with what looks like an indestructible ugliness.Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy: A Journey to the Heart of Cricket’s Underworld
by Ed Hawkins
Bloomsbury 2012

232 pages. £8.99

While Dinesh Chandimal has shown the aptitude to captain Sri Lanka, he seems to be shackled by it, and this has badly affected in his limited-overs batting of late

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Nov-2013When Sri Lanka appointed Tillakaratne Dilshan captain in 2011, he rushed back mid-IPL to accept the post. The man that appeared before the press shortly after was unlike any Dilshan that had been seen before. The designer beard had been replaced by a plain goatee, the earring had vanished, and he spoke and behaved in a manner he felt was fitting for an international captain.Yet, despite his efforts, there was something amiss about his new public avatar. Beneath the weight of all that responsibility, Dilshan had lost something of himself. A man who struggles to get his point across in any language was suddenly wading through scores of interviews in his second language, stumbling over rote-learned lines, slipping on generic phrases.There were occasional outbursts of mirth, like when Sri Lanka won their first Test in South Africa, but Dilshan mostly caged his mischief, and the team and his own form could not wear his feigned virtues well. It was not until he was relieved of the reins that he truly regained himself. The two years since have been among the most productive of his career, in limited-overs cricket in particular.Dilshan’s tale should inspire caution in Sri Lanka’s selectors and the young men they are grooming for leadership. Angelo Mathews had two years as vice-captain before he was placed in charge, and perhaps thanks to that incubation period, there has been no serious slip in his cricket – though there have been no substantial gains either.Dinesh Chandimal has not been so fortunate. In 23 limited-overs innings since March, Chandimal has not hit one fifty. In ODIs he averages 16.81 and has scored his runs at a strike rate of 62. In four Twenty20 knocks, his average is in the single figures.There is no doubt that he is batting woefully out of position, and is often tasked with finishing the innings – a job which his cricket is patently not suited to. But even so, his returns have been appalling. Worse, he must now seek to build a side for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, where he, ostensibly, will lead the campaign.There can equally be no doubt in Chandimal’s ability. On Test debut, he withstood Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Jacques Kallis and Marchant de Lange, to produce two half-centuries that were vital for Sri Lanka’s innings, and their eventual, famous win. In his first ODI at Lord’s he arrived at No. 3 to lead the chase, and hit a hundred in what he feels is still his best cricketing moment. In Sydney this year, and in Colombo, he has played Test innings that have required considerable fortitude in tough situations. In the longest format, he still averages 58.But, like Dilshan, there is something clearly amiss with Chandimal now. He has allowed leadership to curb his spirit. The big, extravagant strokes replete with the high follow-through, the deft trips down the pitch, the exuberance – even in defence – have all given way to cautious prods and unsteady footwork. He had quickly gained a reputation as team mischief-maker soon after he arrived at the top level, but now he is fretful and afraid, at the crease and in public.After Tuesday’s washout, a journalist had jovially asked him what he did on wet, miserable nights. Conceding a smile, but turning around to the team manager to confirm that he should answer, Chandimal launched into a 90-second description on how he and his young team-mates spend their time extracting nuggets of cricketing wisdom from the older men, on how to face certain balls and particular bowlers.Not only that, he said, they cluster together and go from senior player to senior player, like ascetics learning at the feet of enlightened gurus. It was the most correct thing to say, perhaps, and exceptionally uncontroversial, but unless Sri Lanka’s youngsters are the most hideously boring 20-something-year-olds on the planet, it probably wasn’t completely true either.Unlike Dilshan, Chandimal has already proven to be a gifted captain. He is rarely short of ideas, thinks laterally and has the makings of a fine record. Accordingly, Sri Lanka’s selectors are unlikely to strip him of the captaincy, particularly considering the potential for damage to Chandimal’s confidence.As a leader, though, he has not learnt to feel comfortable in his own skin. Unless he rediscovers the verve that once propelled his cricket and made him such a joy to watch, his batting may continue to be a poor reflection of his personality and his talent.

David Green’s tales of county cricket, which he played and then covered, are well-written and loads of fun

Paul Edwards09-Nov-2013″You’re a virgin! Excellent!” said David Green, and his eyes widened in anticipation of six hours’ innocent fun.Already a word of explanation is necessary. The former Lancashire and Gloucestershire opening batsman was speaking in the Old Trafford press box sometime in late August 2004. He was addressing this writer, who, after years of writing about cricket in comparative obscurity, had decided to make an honest woman of his craft and try his hand working for a national newspaper. To his astonishment the ; the account of the brief duel between a hungover Alan Brown of Kent and the similarly handicapped Green is quite hilarious. This is not a sober book, thank god.Yet it is far, far more than a retelling of drunken escapades. For one thing there is detailed technical analysis – Milton is much to the fore here, too – as Green explains the development of his method and considers the technical accomplishments of the cricketers of his time. And for all that the author disparages his own writing when compared with that of, say, John Woodcock, there are more than a few telling phrases. For example, a conversation about the late Brian Statham, whose accuracy was unparalleled, ends with the following: “Rather than Geoff Boycott’s ‘corridor of uncertainty’ Brian aimed at a hairline crack.”Even the title of the book is evocative, since the phrase “handful of confetti” celebrates those “whole hearted fellows… who rush up as if they are aiming for the pace of Larwood or Trueman but only manage to propel the pill some 20, 30 or even 40 miles per hour slower than England’s two greatest fast bowlers. That title, Green eventually decided, was better than another contender, . Those readers who are intrigued as to why the latter was considered at all will need to buy this most entertaining of cricket books. Is it repetitious at times? Certainly. Are some of the tales rather scandalous? Oh, to be sure, they are. But is it also a lot of fun and one of the most informative reads likely to appear on bookshop shelves frequently dominated by the dull autobiographies of Test cricketers? The answer to that is yes, as well. Nice one, Greeny, and thanks for changing my nappies.A Handful of Confetti
David Green
TME Publishing
165 pages
Available through mail order (£12.99, including P&P). Please email: [email protected] to order a copy

The second leg of our correspondent’s South Africa tour diary features steel bands, pelvic thrusts, Ethiopian food, and a low-key last innings

Sidharth Monga02-Jan-2014December 16
“Must” has overtaken “should”. “How are you” has become “howzit”. “I am fine, thank you?” has become “goodandyou?” “Shap shap” is okay, all right, thank you, everything. Enough time has been spent in South Africa. There hasn’t been much cricket, though. Only two completed matches in 16 days. Only one team turned up during those.Elsewhere, people have begun draining out of Johannesburg. Restaurants and coffee shops are closed for the year. Biggest loss, Wolves. Nice little coffee shop and bar near the Wanderers, with free wi-fi. Owned by slightly obscure South African rock band, the delightfully named Desmond & the Tutus. One of their songs is “Car Guard Tan”, a tan presumably got from doing standing and doing nothing all day. All of Johannesburg away for a car-guard tan.December 17
Jimmy Cook. Former South Africa opener. Most of his career passed during apartheid. When the chance finally arrived, he was out first ball of a Test. Caught at slip off Kapil Dev. Jolly good talker of cricket. Has mentored and coached Graeme Smith since his childhood. As he has Stephen Cook, his son. Stephen is part of South Africa Invitation XI that was supposed to play India but couldn’t because of bad weather and a wet outfield. Story of his life, says Jimmy.”He had one fantastic season. One-day cricket, he batted beautifully. He did really well in the four-day stuff. He had had his best year by miles. And they were picking an SA A team to go to Zimbabwe. And I said, ‘He has got to get in there. He must be there.’ Anyway the team came out, and his name wasn’t there. I said, ‘Geez, you are unlucky.’ So I looked down the names, and I said, ‘Ah I can see who they have put in his place. Don’t even know this bloke. Who is this little bloke they put in in his place?'”It was AB de Villiers.December 18
Commentary boxes at the Wanderers are next to the press box. When off air, some commentators shoot the breeze in the lounge area and watch cricket on TV, which has a lag. One way to kill time is to predict from the crowd reaction what has happened, then watch on TV to see who’s right. Shaun Pollock knows his Wanderers crowd well, and wins a lot. Not a lot of wickets to cheer on day one, though. Especially after India’s openers are gone for 24. Virat Kohli, in his first Test in South Africa, scores a century to give the first signs India can compete in South Africa.December 19
Those sleep scientists “must” conduct their studies on South Africa. Incredibly sleepy country. Especially when it pitter-patters continuously. Wake up to rain, go back to sleep, certain play won’t start on time. Wanderers drainage has other ideas, and we have not lost a minute.Lots of wickets are lost, though. India lose their last five for 16, but fight back through their quicks to take five South African wickets for 16 and leave the Test in the balance.December 20
Vernon Philander becomes the fastest South African to reach 100 Test wickets. Morne Morkel injures himself when he slips while fielding. Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli add 222 for the third wicket to start batting South Africa out of the game.Ethiopian food in the evening in the inner-city suburb of Kensington. Almost miss the restaurant because it seems locked. Turns out they take guests in, then lock the doors again. Not very safe late in the night, they say. Surprised to see a lot of Indian influence in their food, and music: Lots of unfit singers dancing in music videos. A -like feel even to dances around a bonfire in the desert. Informed of a large Indian population working in Ethiopia. bread it is, then.December 21
With Morkel injured, India rack up the runs before leaving South Africa 135 overs to bat to save or win the Test. Jacques Kallis bowls 20 overs to make up for Morkel’s absence, so he doesn’t bat at No. 4. Faf du Plessis is his replacement. Sign of things to come?Moyo’s. Restaurant that serves African food. Has live bands every Saturday evening. Congolese this night. Despite it being live, the music is trance-like, looping. Loud. Pelvic thrusts by the frontman. Crazy. Goes on for hours. Almost possessed. Turns around to thrust to each band member’s solo. Band play with straight faces. Sreesanth, man last seen with such thrusts on a cricket field, might be missed in this Test.December 22
Great finish to Wanderers Test. Du Plessis. Hard little nut. Reprises Adelaide. AB de Villiers. Considered soft. No more. Scores a hundred that keeps chase alive. Both teams get into one-upmanship after draw. Kohli says South Africa gave up chase, Smith says India didn’t have bowling to bowl them out. Crowd boos Dale Steyn and Philander who shut shop, knowing Morkel can’t even stand up properly, and Imran Tahir is no good with the bat. Need to appreciate how much rests on decisions Steyn and Philander make. Could easily have ruined all the hard work done by du Plessis and de Villiers.December 23
Tongaat. Outside Durban. Indian town. Temples. Sugarcane farms. White gold, they called sugar when they brought indentured labour to work here. Chinatown-type establishments. Start with provisions store. One door leads into a residential hotel. Cross it to reach bar. Another door into a private bar. Door at end of bar opens into a gambling den and pool parlour. Somewhere off this road used to live the Amlas. Logan and Mirinda live there now. Mirinda was Hashim’s teacher in primary school. Logan was “Logan uncle” to Hashim.Visit TV room where Dr Mohamed Amla and babies Hashim and Ahmed spent hours and hours and days and days watching and discussing cricket. Backyard where Dr Amla installed a bowling machine and net and built a swimming pool for the kids to do their stuff. Mirinda remembers a shy kid. Balls Hashim used to practise with still lie around in the house. Dr Amla still visits Tongaat everyday to work at his surgery – South African for “clinic”.December 24
Some things I know about Durban:Its roads go up and down so steeply it is like being on a rollercoaster.
Vasco da Gama discovered it on Christmas Eve, and named it Rio de Natal, meaning “Christmas river”.
Malcolm Marshall played domestic cricket here. They still talk about it with awe.
Over 100 streets have recently been renamed to honour heroes of the struggle against apartheid. Still, people use mostly the old names.
Durban Poison is the name of a punk-rock band in Canada.
Sixto Rodriguez: big in South Africa•Getty ImagesDecember 25
Christmas day. Not many present to watch practice at Kingsmead. Kallis bowls a lot of overs in nets. Later South Africa media manager in the dressing room seen discussing stuff with Kallis. Later he takes the seat and looks at her laptop. Don’t realise he is reading the media release that hours later will inform everybody he is retiring from Test cricket. Now the slightly sombre mood during their training a day before makes sense. Told they all shed tears when informed of the decision on December 24. Also told that Smith was the first one to know when Kallis told him from second slip during Wanderers Test. Haven’t confirmed it. Better this way. Shouldn’t ruin a great story.December 26
Boxing day. Crowd not great. This is Kallis’ last Test. Joke goes around he would have got a bigger crowd had he retired in India. Quietly M Vijay accumulates 91 on stop-start day, showing admirable discipline in leaving balls outside off. Says later he had realised he was playing at too many balls in home series against Australia. Good awareness of own game.Sixto Rodriguez. Folk singer-songwriter. Born in Detroit. Completely unknown in his country. Unbeknownst to him, he became a huge hit in South Africa. tells his fascinating story. Has footage of when he was finally found – he had been rumoured to have killed himself during a performance – and brought over to play in South Africa. Goosebumps stuff. Meet people who were at the homecoming concert. They remember how he had even forgotten his lyrics. Pretty old by the time he was rediscovered. Can’t take away from his earlier work, though.December 27
Zaheer Khan plays a horrible shot first ball as India lose their last five wickets for 14 runs. Second time this series, Ajinkya Rahane stranded at the other end. Punters at the nearby Suncoast Casino more careful. Suncoast not quite Vegas. No glamour here. People mean business. Can tell these are regular faces. Running tables must be extremely difficult. Dealing with someone else’s money. Place bets for different people with different coloured chips. Calculate earnings after every spin. Sometimes times 35, sometimes 17, sometimes seven. Watch ecstasy, glee, despair, sadness. Beginner’s luck. Veteran’s muck. Chat sometimes. Stay indifferent at others. Watched by cameras all along. Wonder if they ever gamble themselves.December 28
Kallis is batting for possibly one last time, but no crowd again. Is he going too slow, though? Rain around. Forecast not bright. Alviro Petersen says you can’t trust South Africa’s weatherman. Can’t plan for the weather. Truer words never spoken.December 29
Kallis goes on to get a century in his final Test, only third South African after Barry Richards and Lee Irvine. A low-key innings from a man who forever wanted to stay low-key. Setting South Africa up for win if weather stays good.If it’s Saturday, it must be Moyo’s. Storytelling through dances this time. Steel band makes a late appearance. Originated in West Africa, perfected in Trinidad.December 30
Steyn does it for South Africa once again. Went more than 70 overs without a wicket during the series. Now has run through India twice. Says he had to do it for Kallis. When asked how it feels to have the power to change games single-handedly, humbly says anybody could have done it. Also adds, “Kinda cool.”And suddenly it is all over. Everybody is asking about flight plans, saying farewells. Stand outside press box at Kingsmead and look at buildings that have become familiar. Want to know what will go on there and at Kingsmead tomorrow. Just like when passing a cricket field on a train and wondering what happened next ball. Shall never know.

At 30 for 3, New Zealand were tottering, but Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum laid down the marker to remind the visitors that they would not find the Tests any easier than they did the ODIs

Abhishek Purohit in Auckland06-Feb-20140:00

Crowe: McCullum tailored his game for occasion

As Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum walked off the ground at tea, Virat Kohli gestured in their direction, trying to catch their attention from around 50 feet away. McCullum looked to his left, Kohli clapped, and the New Zealand captain acknowledged the well-earned praise with a nod.McCullum and Williamson had taken 125 runs off the 27 overs between lunch and tea. This after New Zealand were 30 for 3, having lost the toss on a grassy pitch under overcast skies. The pair would stretch that partnership to 221 runs at more than four an over before Williamson’s unfortunate dismissal, feathering Zaheer Khan down the leg side.By then though, New Zealand had shown beyond doubt that it was not going to get easier for India in the Tests than it was in the ODIs. New Zealand have been making a mockery of expectations and predictions throughout this series against the big boys from India. Few expected them to be anything more than competitive in the one-dayers, but they found refreshing consistency and almost swept the five-match series.Surely it would be harder to match skills and temperament with a much higher ranked opponent in the longest format? At 30 for 3, it seemed to be so. Peter Fulton had two reprieves and still made only 13, Hamish Rutherford played too many shots too soon, and Ross Taylor was due a failure after successive centuries in the ODIs.But another man, Williamson, was due a failure even more. Going back to New Zealand’s last game in the Champions Trophy, Williamson has now made two centuries and ten fifties from his previous 16 international innings with a further two forties. Only once during this period has he fallen before reaching 10. It is one thing to be consistent, but to string together such a run at the age of 23 is incredible. It also shows how much belief he has in his own game to be able to stick to a plan irrespective of the situation.Even Taylor seemed rattled in his short stay with the new ball kicking and seaming, but Williamson remained as calm as ever. He edged early, but with soft hands. He felt comfortable enough to step out and loft Jadeja at the stroke of lunch. Two balls after being put down on 32, he eased into a lovely push down the ground. Williamson has been widely marked for years to become one of New Zealand’s best ever, but what about the captain?This has to be one of the most crucial innings McCullum has played, both for his team and for himself. Such has been the recent history of New Zealand cricket that with Taylor’s golden run, McCullum’s relatively fallow period would inevitably stand out starker for many.After a slightly underwhelming outing with the bat in the ODIs, Brendon McCullum made a significant mark in the first Test•Getty ImagesMcCullum did more or less do the job he had to in three of his five innings in the ODIs – getting some quick runs after Williamson and Taylor’s big partnerships. But he also had two successive ducks, and with Taylor sitting by his side after the end of the ODI series, McCullum was asked whether his own form was a concern. “Yes,” he had replied.And even before a reporter had finished the question about the toss the day before the Test, McCullum had interrupted him to say New Zealand would bowl. He felt the toss would be crucial on this pitch, and losing his sixth successive one to Dhoni this morning wouldn’t have been too encouraging.McCullum said after the toss that some hard work lay ahead for New Zealand’s batsmen, and at 30 for 3, his job had become even more difficult. It is fascinating to watch an attacking batsman like McCullum being forced to curb his aggression in Test cricket. But apart from the odd swing-and-miss, McCullum curbed himself well during that crucial period before lunch. He was 5 off 20 at the break.Even more fascinating was to watch McCullum and Williamson slowly but surely force Dhoni to spread the field a bit. In the 32nd over, McCullum cut Ishant Sharma in front of square for four. Dhoni removed one of his two gullys and put a man at extra cover. Next ball, McCullum cut again, this time through point for four more.

It is one thing to be consistent, but to string together such a run at the age of 23 is incredible. It also shows how much belief Williamson has in his own game to be able to stick to a plan irrespective of the situation

This was the period when whatever pressure the three wickets had created began to dissipate. Two balls after these fours, Williamson hooked Mohammed Shami for six. In the next over, McCullum pulled and slashed Zaheer for more runs through boundaries.Dhoni began the 43rd over from Zaheer with deep point in place. McCullum reached his fifty with a push down the ground, and made room to cut the next ball to the third-man rope. The 45th over started with another slip being removed and two men at fine leg and deep square leg. But unfazed as ever, McCullum hooked, and split the gap between those two men.It wasn’t all boundaries, though. In the last over before tea, when Ishant bowled a few bouncers, both batsmen, who had pulled and hooked so well, just ducked.Williamson credited McCullum for continuing to bat solidly after he had reached his hundred, something he personally could not do. McCullum hit only three boundaries after the landmark, and one of them was off an inside edge.The one-day series triumph was the best he had been part of, McCullum had said. While he could justifiably take credit for that as the captain, the chief batting roles were performed by Taylor and Williamson. By ending the first day of the first Test on 143, McCullum has stamped a more personal mark on this contest.

A T20 special that includes worst bowling figures, lowest team totals, and minnow wins

Steven Lynch01-Apr-2014Following Alex Hales’ heroics against Sri Lanka, how many other hundreds have been scored in the second innings of a Twenty20 international? asked Trevor Ashworth from Canada

Alex Hales’ sensational 116 not out for England against Sri Lanka in Chittagong in the World Twenty20 last week was the 11th century in T20 internationals (Ahmed Shehzad added the 12th three days later). Only two others came in the second innings of the match: Richard Levi’s rapid 117 not out for South Africa against New Zealand in Hamilton in February 2012 (he reached his hundred in 45 balls), and Martin Guptill’s 101 not out for New Zealand v South Africa in East London in December 2012.In their stunning victory over Ireland, Netherlands’ run rate was nearly 14 per over. What’s the Twenty20 international record? asked Andrew Bailey from Australia

Netherlands scored 193 for 4 in 13.5 overs against Ireland in Sylhet in the World Twenty20 preliminary phase – that’s a rate of 13.95 an over. And that has never been exceeded in an uninterrupted match: the only quicker scoring overall was by New Zealand during the 2009 World Twenty20 at The Oval, when they piled up 90 for 3 in six overs – that’s exactly 15 an over – to overhaul Scotland’s 89 for 4. That, though, was in a match restricted by rain to seven overs per side. The next-highest scoring rate in a completed innings is 13 per over, by Sri Lanka in their record T20 international total of 260 for 6 against Kenya in Johannesburg during the first World Twenty20 in September 2007.Mashrafe Mortaza’s four overs cost 63 against Pakistan. Were these the most expensive figures in a Twenty20 international? asked Keith Moore from England

Mashrafe Mortaza’s 4-0-63-0 against Pakistan in Mirpur on Sunday equalled the worst figures for Bangladesh in T20 internationals – Rubel Hossain finished with 4-0-63-2 against West Indies in Mirpur in December 2012. But Mashrafe will be (slightly) relieved to know that they weren’t quite the worst figures in all T20 internationals: Jimmy Anderson’s four overs for England against Australia in Sydney in January 2007 cost 64 runs. Later the same year Sanath Jayasuriya also conceded 64 for Sri Lanka against Pakistan in the inaugural World Twenty20 in Johannesburg. Unlike Anderson, Jayasuriya didn’t even have the consolation of a wicket.Netherlands just failed to beat South Africa in the World Twenty20. How many victories have there been for Associate nations against Test-playing teams? asked Henry Parkinson from Portugal

Well, perhaps until yesterday’s upset in Chittagong, the most famous T20 victory by an Associate team over a Test-playing one was also by Netherlands over England – at Lord’s, no less – in the World Twenty20 in 2009. The Dutch have now met England twice in T20 internationals… and won them both! They also beat Bangladesh by one wicket in The Hague in July 2012, two days after Scotland also overcame them at the same ground. Ireland have recorded three T20 victories over senior opposition: they beat Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in the 2009 World Twenty20, toppled West Indies in Kingston earlier this year, and beat Zimbabwe in Sylhet in the qualifying stage of this World Twenty20. And finally, also in this tournament, Hong Kong beat Bangladesh by two wickets in Chittagong.Netherlands were dismissed for 39 by Sri Lanka. Was this the lowest team total in any Twenty20 match? asked Ricky Dooley from New Zealand

Netherlands’ embarrassing collapse to 39 all out against Sri Lanka in Chittagong last week was easily the lowest in T20 internationals, undercutting Kenya’s 56 against Afghanistan in Sharjah in September 2013. The lowest by a Test-playing nation is 60, by New Zealand against Sri Lanka at Chittagong yesterday; prior to that it was 74 – by India against Australia in Melbourne in February 2008, and also by Pakistan against Australia in Dubai in September 2012. There has been only one lower total in any senior T20 match: in October 2009 Tripura were bowled out for 30 by Jharkhand in Dhanbad, with Mihir Dawakar taking 5 for 6. For the overall list, click here.A couple of months back West Indies successfully defended a total of 96 against Ireland. Is that the lowest first-innings total to win a complete Twenty20 international? asked Faraz Ahmed from Pakistan

The match you’re talking about was in Kingston in February: West Indies managed only 96 for 9, but then bowled Ireland out for 85 to win by 11 runs. It was the lowest total to win an uninterrupted T20 international, but there have been two lower successful totals in rain-affected games: Ireland scored only 43 for 7 in an innings reduced to nine overs in Belfast in August 2008, but somehow restricted Bermuda to 41 for 8. And in Hambantota in the last World Twenty20 in September 2012, South Africa made 78 for 4 in seven overs, and restricted Sri Lanka to 46 for 5 in reply.