All posts by h716a5.icu

An injury replacement for Aditya Tare, the keeper-batter scored 115 to help Mumbai post a competitive total

Srinidhi Ramanujam15-Jun-2022The sun only shone sporadically at the Just Cricket Academy on Wednesday, but Hardik Tamore made hay anyway.The wicketkeeper-batter brightened gloomy Bengaluru with his 115 and drove Mumbai’s progress on day two of their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Uttar Pradesh as the team posted a first-innings total of 393. It began as a dull morning, and play was delayed by two hours following heavy overnight rain, forcing the first session to be washed out without a ball bowled.But once the sun began to emerge, Tamore and Shams Mulani put Mumbai in the driver’s seat with a century stand before the bowlers took two early wickets to leave Uttar Pradesh on 25 for 2 at stumps.Related

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It has been quite a few months for Tamore. The 24-year-old from Boisar, which lies in the Palghar district in Maharashtra, led Mumbai in the CK Nayudu U-25 tournament early this year, having also previously captained their U-16, U-19 and U-23 teams. Tamore was down with Covid-19 just before landing in Ahmedabad for the CK Nayudu tournament, before returning to score 391 runs at an average of 35.55 – including a hundred and two fifties.But when it came to the Ranji Trophy, Tamore had to play the waiting game. The right-hander had played only four first-class matches prior to the Uttar Pradesh game, having made his debut as a specialist batter during the 2019-20 season. Who knew then that the Ranji Trophy wouldn’t be held the following season?And he may have not even played in 2021-22 at all, had Aditya Tare, Mumbai’s first-choice wicketkeeper, not injured his finger during the quarter-final against Uttarakhand.However, when the opportunity came his way in an all-important fixture, Tamore grabbed it and made a statement.”Before the knockouts, when we were in Bombay, he [Tare] told me ‘Just express yourself. Don’t think much. Just do whatever you have done at the Under-25 level’,” Tamore said after the second day’s play.And that is what he did on Wednesday. After bringing up his half-century off 73 balls on Day 1, he was determined to convert it into a big score. He drove through the covers; pulled and hooked with ease; and punished the half-volleys.File photo – Tamore says Mumbai coach Amol Muzumdar advised him to ‘just stay [at the crease] for as long as possible’•Cricket South AfricaHis real test came in the first hour after lunch, when Uttar Pradesh’s bowlers stuck to a fifth-stump line and hoped to find swing under overcast skies. Once conditions brightened up, though, the fast bowlers toiled as Tamore stitched a solid 113-run partnership with Mulani for the sixth wicket.”I was confident coming into this game,” Tamore said. “I played in an Under-25 tournament recently. All my team-mates, Sarfaraz [Khan] and Amol [Muzumdar, the coach] sir have encouraged me, and sir has always shown faith in me. I just wanted to perform for my team.”I was just waiting for an opportunity to bat. I did not set a target that I have to score this many runs in this match. My plan was just to play till the end. It was cloudy in the morning and the ball was swinging a lot. So Amol sir asked me to just stay for as long as possible. I didn’t want to play any flashy shots, so I relied on my basic cricketing shots.”For all that, though, Tamore stepped away from those basic shots when he was batting on 98. He may have been playing his first first-class game of the season – a semi-final, that too – but when the opportunity arose, he had the confidence to neatly find a gap with a reverse-sweep and pick up the two runs he needed to reach three figures, shortly after tea. He had gotten there in 172 balls.It was an important knock, enabling Mumbai to post a total of 393 after having been 260 for 5 overnight. They could have scored even more had it not been for a late collapse that saw them lose their last four wickets for just seven runs.But by then, Tamore had done exactly what he had set out to do: to “use the opportunity if and when that arrives”.

And No. 3 works well for him – “it’s a fun position to bat at and I really enjoy it”

Shashank Kishore25-Jul-20222:17

Takeaways: Has Shreyas Iyer done enough to keep his spot?

It’s almost as if “short ball” has been written against Shreyas Iyer’s name on the strategy board of every opposition.On Sunday, the first glimpse of it was a burst from Alzarri Joseph. Except, it began after Iyer was set. Still, thrice, he was beaten for pace, once he was late on a shot as the ball brushed his forearm on the way to the wicketkeeper.Related

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Joseph wasn’t being subtle about showing his intentions. And Iyer wasn’t going to hop and jump. If he were to fall, he would go down fighting. But the understanding Iyer has of his game – and his primary weakness – would suggest that the issue is work in progress, behind the scenes.Prior to the ODI series, Iyer said that he had worked extra hard at training with Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour, who had to pull him out of the nets. It was Iyer being Iyer – someone who loves to bat and wants to put in the work to refine his game, because opportunities are proving to be scarce.In England, he got all of one game. When the big guns were back, he was back on the bench. He’s back again now, because the seniors have been rested, and so far, his two innings in the Caribbean have brought him two half-centuries in two winning causes.If his dismissal in the first brought a sense that he had missed a century that was there for the taking, his dismissal on Sunday was slightly unfortunate – out lbw on umpire’s call to a delivery that would have only hit the outside of the leg stump. His 99-run stand with Sanju Samson had brought India back into their chase of 311, even though they weren’t fully out of choppy waters at 178 for 4 in the 33rd over. It needed an Axar Patel special to complete the job in the final over.”I was really happy to get what score I got today, but really unhappy with the way I was dismissed,” Iyer said later. “I thought I could have taken the team through easily. I was setting up the total, but was very unfortunate with the wicket. Hopefully, I get to score a century in the next game.”

“Making half-centuries, I’m fortunate to have got those, but I have to convert it to a hundred. You don’t often get these chances in international cricket. Today was a great chance, I felt”Shreyas Iyer

Iyer’s ODI numbers are excellent for someone who isn’t a certainty yet – 1064 runs in 26 innings at an average of 42.56 and strike rate of 95.51. A shoulder injury last year kept him out for six months, a time during which he slipped down the pecking order after having established himself at No. 4. Now, he’s back on the upward curve, even though, since this year’s IPL, the short-ball weakness has led to him being found out time and again. Brendon McCullum, from the balcony, gesturing to England’s bowlers to bowl at Iyer’s throat in the Edgbaston Test was as open a signal as it could get. He had been with Iyer in the Kolkata Knight Riders dressing room, trying to address the same issue, only six weeks prior.Iyer has worked with a number of coaches over time, but at the senior level, it’s his working relationship with Dravid that has possibly been the longest. He first worked with Dravid in 2015, the year he broke into the IPL at Delhi Daredevils [now Delhi Capitals]. The partnership extended to India A and the several tours he was a part of over the years.”Obviously, whatever hard work you do has to be off the field,” Iyer said, of his work against the short ball. “What you see here is only the reward. I love working hard. I’ve been working very hard lately. The wickets and conditions change, matches keep coming back to back. You have to be fit, you have to motivate yourself. My mindset is that I will control the controllable, only then I can execute.”I was really happy to get what score I got today, but really unhappy with the way I was dismissed”•AFP/Getty Images”I have been working with them [Dravid and Rathour] for many years. We talk technique and temperament on a match-to-match basis. Situations change. When we have team meetings, everyone talks. We don’t come to a conclusion but learn from each other’s views. It’s a good conversation between us. Rahul sir has been supportive throughout, he doesn’t put much pressure on the mind.”Iyer loves batting at No. 3. The “I will bat wherever the team asks me to” cliche is not his. He just wants to make the most of every opportunity he gets at the moment, instead of worrying about his batting position or why he isn’t getting picked. And he wants to convert his scores into big ones instead of being happy with half-centuries.”No. 3 is one of the best positions in ODIs,” he said. “You go in at a tough situation if the openers have fallen. Then you have to see off the new ball and build an innings. But if the openers have started well, you get to carry forward the momentum and ensure the run rate is maintained. It’s a fun position to bat at and I really enjoy it.”Making half-centuries, I’m fortunate to have got those, but I have to convert it to a hundred. You don’t often get these chances in international cricket. Today was a great chance, I felt. In the previous match, I was out to a good catch. I won’t say I threw my wicket away there. But as long as the team wins and you contribute, you feel good.”Playing in the team is not in my hands. What I can do is train hard off the field. When I leave the field, I have no regrets.”

Dreams of a 1992 reprise gather steam as Pakistan’s trusted template kicks into gear with Babar and Rizwan finding form

Danyal Rasool09-Nov-20229:59

Rizwan: ‘Our boys are hoping India make it to the final’

Shaheen Shah Afridi bowls to Finn Allen. The rust looks to have long left Afridi, even if it was painfully evident against India and through much of the first half of Pakistan’s World Cup campaign. This, really, is the game right here, and Shaheen is sharp enough to understand it. Allen is the most explosive T20I opener in the world; among those who’ve batted at least 20 times since his debut, no one has a better strike rate than his 165.68 before this game. New Zealand have never lost a match where he has scored 30. He knocked Australia out of their home World Cup in effectively the first ten overs of their campaign.But coming into this contest, Allen has lost his wicket every 8.73 balls to left-arm quicks, and now he isn’t just facing any left-arm quick. Shaheen won’t be daunted by being driven first ball for four; he continues to pitch the ball up, gunning for Allen’s wicket, match-winner pitted against match-winner before the game can even warm up. The ball is pitched up each of the next two deliveries, beating the New Zealand batter both times. The second time, he’s trapped plumb in front. Shaheen is taking first-over wickets again. Suddenly, this is all too familiar.Related

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It is a game Pakistan have played before, often enough to make one lose count, and yet, it is a game Pakistan have waited to play through what has, at times, been a strained World Cup campaign. Not because they beat New Zealand in a World Cup semi-final – again. Not because they seem to have on their side – again. Not because they will play a World Cup final at the MCG – again. It is because this blueprint is exactly what helped this particular Pakistan side produce its most impressive wins over the last year. It is the way this Pakistan side is built to win T20Is. Restrict the opposition to a below-par total with a sensational bowling performance, and hand over to Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. No chaos, all clinic.Three days after it appeared Pakistan had effectively thrown away the template they had spent the last two years perfecting, it reappeared, in all its splendour, at a buoyant Sydney Cricket Ground, as if it had never gone away.

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It’s a glorious day in Sydney, a light breeze stirring the surface of the Parramatta River, which shimmers and glistens in the warm spring sunshine. It’s a great day for a languid evening walk around the city – perhaps along the Harbour Bridge, or one of the many parks dotted about Australia’s largest city. But most of the people out on foot have a much more purposeful gait, and they aren’t tourists taking in the views over the bridge. They’re wearing the resplendent green of Pakistan, and all roads, walking paths and light rails seem to lead to the SCG. Sure, there are a few fans in New Zealand shirts, too, but in truth, it’d be easier to find Waldo.The contrast between the paths these sides took to Sydney is extreme. It feels like New Zealand arrived in a business suit, laptops open, Powerpoint presentation at the ready. Pakistan dashed in fifteen minutes late, glasses askew, shirt out, probably having forgotten their laptops at home. It’s exactly how Pakistan seem to arrive at the back end of any world event, and it’s what the legions of fans making their way to the SCG absolutely live for.Pakistan were tight with the ball and electric in the field•ICC via GettyNew Zealand choose to bat first, an arrangement that has resulted in a win in five of the six previous games at the SCG. But the last person to arrive in a room often ends up taking charge, and Pakistan, at a World Cup party they should by all logic have departed by now, suddenly find themselves in control. Egged on by the parallels of 1992 that catalyse any Pakistan World Cup campaign, the belief that it is destined to happen allows a strange calm to come over this perpetually restless side.New Zealand are not the type to throw in the towel after an early setback. But the tone Pakistan have set will not ever be unset through the evening as the sun disappears behind the Members’ Pavilion, allowing crystal twilight and then the artificial lights to take over. While New Zealand scrap, Pakistan seem to saunter. Deprived of the boundaries they need to put up a total somewhere near par, they find ways to pick up the extra run; they score 21 twos all told, more than anyone has managed in an innings at this World Cup. But having given away only 12 boundaries in 20 overs, Pakistan feel comfortable in the knowledge that they are only allowing New Zealand to feed off scraps.Pakistan stroll about the SCG with an entitlement that belies the fortuitous path they took here. Haris Rauf runs in for two Powerplay overs, and when someone regularly breaches 150kph, batters will find it tricky, used pitch or not. Shadab Khan inflicts a run-out with a brilliant pick-up and throw. Mohammad Nawaz is turned to against Glenn Phillips, who finds slow left-arm bowling his (relative) Achilles heel. He lasts two balls against it. There’s even a swagger to the way Shaheen is bowled out by the 17th over, Babar trusting Naseem Shah to finish off the job at the death. With the ball reversing, New Zealand manage all of one single, two doubles, two byes and one leg-bye. There are no wides and no no-balls all innings. Scraps, indeed.Babar and Rizwan decided to go after the bowling in the powerplay and rediscovered their fluency in the process•Getty ImagesBut this is the bit that Pakistan always do well. Hitherto at this World Cup, it is the handover of the baton to Babar and Rizwan where Pakistan have stumbled. When Trent Boult gets the first ball Babar faces to seam away and take his outside edge, the SCG is jolted back to reality. But Devon Conway puts down a sharp chance, and the SCG dreams once more.Gone, suddenly, are the jitters of the first five games for this pair. Rizwan begins the innings by slashing Boult through the covers first ball, and he follows up with two more boundaries in the third over. By the end of the powerplay, he has raced to 28 off 17; before tonight, he had the slowest strike rate at this World Cup of all players who had faced at least 100 balls in the Super 12s stage.Babar, meanwhile, is enjoying a rebirth of his own. He had struggled inelegantly so far, but Pakistan had never once wavered in their conviction that their captain would come good, with mentor Matthew Hayden pushing hard at any suggestion to the contrary on Tuesday. A caress off Lockie Ferguson’s first ball snaps him out of that rut, a half-step forward before pure timing lasers the ball past mid-off.”Rizwan and my plan was to utilize the Powerplay by attacking and putting New Zealand on the back foot,” Babar says afterwards. “We were successful on that front. When you chase you have to take risks, Our partnership gave us momentum and we didn’t let it snap. We wanted to finish the game off, but when I got out, the way [Mohammad] Haris played was outstanding. The way a youngster like him is having an impact, it doesn’t seem he’s playing his first World Cup. The way he’s showcasing his batting bodes very well for us.”The Powerplay is almost a montage of Babar and Rizwan at their best; a tribute video by a dedicated fan would struggle to improve on it. In five overs, Pakistan have put together 47, their third-best showing at that stage in the last two years. In the Powerplay, Pakistan hit nine fours, one fewer than New Zealand managed all innings.They are soon bringing up the 100 partnership. They have done this for fun over the past two years, and the last few games suddenly feel like an aberration rather than a decline. The target almost seems irrelevant; this, suddenly, is a celebration. Not just of Pakistan confirming a place in a World Cup final, but also a sense that the last two years were building towards something worthwhile.Shan Masood knocks off the winning runs, and the SCG, a blaze of glory, allows itself one last singalong as reverberates around Sydney. It’s been imperfect, uncertain, and fortuitous, and Pakistan, having broken New Zealand hearts, find themselves on their way to Melbourne to play for World Cup glory, potentially against England.Suddenly, it feels all too familiar.

Fast bowler promises caution in comeback but plans to commit to all international formats

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Nov-2022″A small day but still a big day,” was how Jofra Archer described day one of this three-day match between the Test squad and the England Lions.Wednesday was the first time since March 2021 that Archer had bowled in an England shirt, even if he was doing so for the Lions, and his first proper run-out since July 2021. Those nine overs of 0 for 38, split across spells of five and four, are a small aside in the context of this week, as England focus in on a three-Test tour of Pakistan. For Archer, however, it was the first of a number of calculated steps on the horizon.The next will come in January in the SA20 where Archer has signed for MI Cape Town. He will play two games for the franchise before joining up with England for their three-match series against South Africa. A limited-overs tour of Bangladesh will follow before moving onto the IPL with Mumbai Indians.And then, come June, England will be gearing up for the Ashes before switching their focus to the defence of their 50-over crown in the ODI World Cup in India later that winter. Whether Archer will be involved in each phase of this itinerary will depend on how he makes it through the plan that he has concocted with the ECB physios and director of men’s cricket Rob Key.”The absolute key for Jofra is that we don’t want him to have to go through what he has been through for the last year and a half ever again,” Key said. “There is no perfect scenario [in recovery], but this bit now is so crucial to make sure that [his] bone density and all the other things I don’t understand are strong, so he is robust enough for the rigours of being a multi-format cricketer, who is going to have franchise deals and stuff like that, so we can get the best out of him when it really matters.”This is not simply an Archer comeback crescendo-ing to Australia’s visit next summer. This is about building long-term durability after almost two years out of action, due to stress fractures of his elbow and then back. Simply, it is about Jofra Archer.”This is probably the first time I’ve been so close to umpires in about 18 months as well,” Archer said with a smile. “It’s really good to be back and being here with all the guys is probably the best way to do it as well.”He had been out in Dubai with the Lions since the start of November before moving to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening ahead of this match. Preparation has been tapered with match situations at close to match intensity, which is how he was able to crank up to speeds of 90mph – as per the ECB’s on-site speed gun – and pin opener Zak Crawley in the head with the sixth ball of the match. “I wasn’t even trying to hit him, I was just trying to get out of the over!”Of course, the most important aspect of what he did on Wednesday was how he felt on Thursday. Thankfully for all concerned, the aches Archer does feel give him comfort.Jofra Archer trained with England in Barbados as part of his rehabilitation earlier this year, until a stress fracture of his back•Getty Images”I feel sore – the usual when you bowl. Nothing to worry about at all. It’s weird feeling this way again. This is probably the best soreness I’ve ever had after bowling. I’ll take this!”Hopefully it stays like this, as I play some more cricket and it goes on. It was really nice, yesterday was a really really big day. It was a small day but still a big day.”To Archer’s mind, he is “fully back”, but in the sense that he is bowling sharply and is around the team in a meaningful way. He believes that this is the beginning of the end of what has been a period of deep frustration and torment.”I think getting on the plane and coming here was the start,” he said. “Obviously to get back to the first team is my number one priority at the minute. But also getting back there as safely as possible.”Resisting the temptation to rush to the end is paramount. “You’d be crazy not to say you want to go to Pakistan,” he admitted, wide-eyed, clearly desperate to add to 13 Test caps and 42 wickets. ” But that might not be the best move.” He will also not be considered for selection for March’s two-Test series in New Zealand.”I’d rather take these last few months very seriously, more serious than probably all of the rehab. Because once this phase goes right, then it can set me up for the next three to four years injury-free. That’s the goal right now.”Underpinning the meticulous planning, medical expertise and diligence from those working with Archer is a clear maturity from the man himself. It is evident when he recalls the timeline of events that kept him out of action for this long. The clarity of thought, the appreciation of misfortune, no resenting the universe or the cricketing gods. And acceptance that, particularly in the case of stress fractures, they can happen again but he should not live in fear of that.”It wasn’t 18 months continuously. First time, I was getting ready to play the Hundred that summer [2021] and the results of the scan came in and said I had a stressy [elbow]. I literally had my kit bag packed and everything was ready to go. Then I got that call saying I had a stressy so then I took some time off and rehabbed.”And then when the Tests were in Barbados [March 2022] I was in Barbados as well and it was probably about 80 percent then. And then my back went. So, I don’t feel I was out for that long doing nothing, because I was training, then had to stop, then built up training again and then had to stop.”You’re still a little bit wary because I’ve done it twice and it’s happened. It’s in the back of your mind. But I think I’ve just about got past it… and yesterday was probably the first time I could let it go. If it happens, it happens, but you can’t just keep taking a back step.”Jofra Archer hasn’t featured in an England international since the tour of India in March 2021•Getty ImagesIt helped that Archer was away from England – spending, he reckons, 80 percent of his time at home in Barbados. “It hurt but not that bad: I was already home with my family and my friends and my dogs, so it was a bit easier to deal with.”He was also away from prying eyes during his various stints of recovery and, equally helpful, was a bit of distance between him and the team to which he had previously been integral.”Luckily being in Barbados, the time difference helped a lot with not being able to watch a lot of cricket. Obviously I watched the semi-final in Dubai, the T20 one [2021]. I watched that, but a lot of the games I tried my best not to watch.”I watched some of the Ashes because it would come on just as I was going to bed. So I watched a little bit, but you don’t watch as intently because the wickets were really good in Oz this year, I’m not going to lie. It was a little bit painful to watch it on TV.”You’ve just got to take yourself away a little bit. It’s not that you’re not supporting the lads or anything like that, but you’ve got a long time away and you’re no help to the lads or yourself if you’re just droning in the background feeling down.”At the same time, Archer has been able to appreciate the glory without feeling a sense of FOMO. The T20 World Cup earlier this month “wasn’t painful at all”, because at no point did he feel Jos Buttler needed him – in the best way possible.Related

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“To be honest, I don’t think I really wanted to be there because obviously the guys at the tournament I had absolute faith that they were going to do it, so there was no need for me to go.”I spoke to CJ [Chris Jordan] everyday, he even called me just after the game [final] finished and you still felt like you were part of the team and part of the celebrations. Hopefully when he gets back I get to see his medal. We’ve got a World Cup coming up next year as well so hopefully get a chance to help defend that.”It’s worth reiterating, even on behalf of Archer, that he never entertained the idea of playing exclusively white-ball cricket upon returning. He himself is bemused at just how often it comes up.”I’m actually surprised that I actually hear it that often. Everyone, from the very first week I was off, up until the last few weeks of rehab, you know?”Test cricket is his passion, and the Ashes could represent a milestone in his journey so far, after the manner in which he impressed in his maiden international season. “I’m more than prepared to do some extra bowling and stuff in and around some other cricket, just to put my name in the hat [for that series].”But there’s plenty of love on offer for the other formats. The depth of players and the tailored plans around selection (specifially, rotation) gives him the belief that players can get their fill of all codes without doing themselves mischief.”Given the strength of our squad, you can do it because you don’t have to play every single game,” he said. “The squad is strong enough that we can rotate players. I would love to play every game, but I don’t think the physio would let me.”Amid the interest in his return to match bowling this week came a wave of goodwill messages across social media. “My phone kept going off a long time after,” he said of the reaction to photos of him with whites and a red ball in his hand. One of his friends commented on the scale of the reaction on Twitter. His Instagram account was just as full of love.He smiles at the mention of the umpteen tags on his own Instagram after he had reposted some of those well-wishes. At the same time, he is taking nothing for granted.”It’s a practice game, and it’s been very good to get some cobwebs off. I’ve probably got a few, maybe 50 or 60 days, before the next set of white-ball stuff, so after this I’m going to continue training because for me now, I can’t relax. I can’t take it particularly easy because I want to be ready for when the opportunity comes.”

Both teams showed glimpses of how good they can be in a recently concluded three-match series, but there is still work to do

Firdose Moonda22-Mar-2023In a fifty-over World Cup year, it may sound strange to hear players talk about a series having “no point,” but there were literally no points on offer as South Africa took on West Indies over the last week. Their three ODIs – one of them was washed out – were an opportunity to experiment with both teams still some way away from reaching the 2023 World Cup. And so they did. The 1-1 result showed some glimpses of what the two of them can do and highlighted several areas they need to work on as they attempt to secure spots in India later this year.South Africa need to:Beat Netherlands 2-0 on March 31 and April 2. They have held their best players from going to the IPL for three days in order to achieve that. The results will only see South Africa through to the World Cup if Sri Lanka lose at least two of their three games to New Zealand in a series that starts at the weekend and Ireland lose at least one against Bangladesh in a three-match series in May. Crucially, after missing several players through illness and injury, including captain Temba Bavuma who tweaked a hamstring in the second ODI, South Africa’s main goal is to have everyone fit to take on Netherlands, and if they do they will look at:Consistency in selection Partly in an attempt to widen their talent pool and mostly because having players available for ODIs has not always been possible, South Africa have used 33 players in 33 matches since the time Mark Boucher took over in December 2019. While that is not as many as India, West Indies, Sri Lanka, England, Zimbabwe, Pakistan or Nepal, South Africa are not typically a side that operates well without structure, and several players have spoken out about their desire for consistency in selection.Heinrich Klaasen has played 20 of the 33 matches since December 2019•AFP/Getty ImagesThe latest is the match-winner from last night, Heinrich Klaasen who has played in 20 of those 33 matches and said he feels it is “the first time I’ve got a decent run in a team.” Klaasen has been tasked as being one of the finishers in a line-up that also includes David Miller so where, for example, does that leave Tristan Stubbs?South Africa are yet to identify their core group of around 15 ODI players which will make World Cup selection tricky but they know they have options for each spot. The Netherlands matches are too important for them to use anyone other than what they consider their best XI, so, barring any fitness issues, we will know who they are.Keep believing in the batting blueprintFor a while, South Africa called their style of play ‘brave cricket’ but over that period they rarely actually played that way. Over the last five matches (three against England and two against West Indies) captain Bavuma said they experienced “a watershed moment,” and finally walked the talk. “We’ve been speaking and speaking about how we want to play. There have been moments before it today but when a guy goes and plays like Heinrich did, it builds that belief and confidence and I hope it also builds that trust in people who are watching us as a team.”Klaasen’s 54-ball century was the fourth-fastest by a South African and ensured they swept aside a target of 261 inside 30 overs. In the second ODI, Bavuma scored a century that put them within reach of a record chase of 335 at Buffalo Park in East London. And in January, another Bavuma hundred saw South Africa chase 343 against England in Bloemfontein. They may not have a sexy name for it but South Africa’s batters can play aggressively and many of them have recently opened up different scoring areas on the field. The next step is to accept that batting that way doesn’t always work and some failure is inevitable, but it won’t be easy to deal with any slip-ups before they get to the World Cup.West Indies need to find a strike bowler•AFPWest Indies need to:Get to the final of the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe between June 18 and July 9. Luckily for them, they have been there and done that before. West Indies were runners-up in this event in 2018 and know what it takes to navigate what can be a tricky tournament. It may not even be such a bad thing for them to go the long way around because their recent lack of ODI cricket means they have plenty to work on in terms of finding the right combinations for a World Cup. Between August 2022 and March 2023, West Indies did not play any ODIs and appointed a new captain, Shai Hope. They will soon also have a white-ball-specific coach. With so many changes, Hope also wants to see a shift in mindset to make West Indies’ more competitive.”I’d like to see the attitude improve,” he said. “We need to show that die-hard fight for a lot longer. Winning is a habit, and the same way, losing can be a habit as well. We need to find ways to turn it around. As long as you have that attitude to win. Things will happen in your favour.”For that to happen, this is what they need to look at.Sort out the batting line-up Hope’s elevation to the captaincy has necessitated a move down the order to No. 4 which appears counterintuitive at first. Hope has scored almost 60% of his ODI runs (2612 runs out of a total of 4452) in the opening berth and averages 60.72 there. But, apart from the difficulties of batting upfront, captaining and keeping wicket, Hope has been deemed too slow to start innings. His strike rate of 68.15 in the first 10 overs since August 2019, is the slowest of the six batters West Indies have used in the position. Kyle Mayers’ strike rate of 82.85 is markedly better and is why he is batting at the top alongside Brandon King.Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran might bat at No. 4 and No. 5 for West Indies•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty ImagesShamarh Brooks’ position at No. 3 will have to be looked at, as he has only scored one half-century in his last 13 innings, and then West Indies need to find someone at No. 5 or 6 who can act as a finisher. Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran were the two leading run-scorers in last season’s Super50 Cup and understandably hold the positions but West Indies may look to cast the net wider, to someone like Alick Athanaze, who travelled for the Test tour to South Africa and was sixth on the domestic run-charts, or go back to the experience of a player like Shimron Hetmeyer (his issues with the board aside) or even Johnson Charles.Add another strike bowler to the attackWhile Alzarri Joseph has accepted the role of leading the pace pack, and Jason Holder’s impact is so noticeable that when he left the field for treatment on his ankle in the 11th over of South Africa’s reply in the Potchefstroom ODI, West Indies unravelled. They appear to be lacking some depth in this department. Shannon Gabriel was part of the ODI squad and did not play a game, despite being the joint-leading bowler in the Super50 so there’s justification for picking him in Zimbabwe. West Indies may also look to someone like Obed McCoy, who has only played two ODIs but is part of the T20 playing group and whose firepower could make a real difference to the way West Indies handle opposition line-ups in the middle overs.

In 24 hours, there was a glorious little glimmer from both the A team as well as the seniors of what they could yet become

Danyal Rasool24-Jul-2023That was a good 24 hours for Pakistan cricket. Try and say those words out loud, to a friend, at a dinner party, even to yourself in an empty room. Notice the inflection in your voice as you reach the end of that sentence? It’s surprisingly difficult to voice that sentiment without the muscle memory in your vocal chords preparing for the caveat which always qualifies such a sentence, an unfortunate extended phenotype spawned by painstaking years of real-world experience.”That was a good day, but what is it the English are saying about our suspiciously sudden reverse swing? That was a good day, but why do I suddenly have to pay attention to the Supreme Court and someone called Justice Qayyum? That was a good day but heavens, why can’t we find the wicket-keeper in his hotel room? That was a good day, but oh my, weren’t those two no-balls really rather huge?”Calm your vocal chords, though, and say it again like you mean it, because days like these are what supporters suffer with their team for. Not for year-end financial reports, and certainly not for long-term plans. Have a look at what’s going on at the PCB and see if you feel optimistic about any plan that’ll survive beyond the next political or administrative upheaval. A moribund patient doesn’t eat cabbages and lettuce and wait for the six-pack that’ll come a year later. They take the sugar hit when it presents itself, and in the last 24 hours, Pakistan got theirs.Related

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Few beyond the tragics in Pakistan will pretend they were paying much attention to the Emerging Men’s Asia Cup until they checked the score halfway through the Pakistan innings on Sunday, and saw the dominance they were exercising over the Indian bowlers in Colombo. Having been turned over comprehensively by that same side earlier in the week, there was little interest and fewer expectations. But as the Ashes in Manchester reached its sodden, wet denouement, Pakistan’s young team were on fire putting India’s bowlers to the sword before running through their batters, a 128-run win seeing them gallop away with the trophy.Yes, Pakistan had sent a much more seasoned side to the tournament than India, but when you want that dopamine hit, you ignore that downer of a friend pointing this out. The senior Pakistan team, also in Colombo on the eve of the second Test against Sri Lanka, appeared to have no such analytical qualms as they revelled in the A side’s glory. Despite an early start on Monday, they were up well past their bedtimes to serenade Mohammad Haris and his team as he walked in with the trophy, Shaheen embracing him in a bear hug.There’s never a bad time for cake in Pakistan cricket, and one was magically conjured up, a rather modest looking chocolate fudge pie. What mattered more, though, was the message scribbled on the icing, one directed as much at the senior team as their recently triumphant junior counterparts. “The Pakistan Way,” it simply said, a catch-all term the coaching and management staff hope will translate into a brand of cricket that entertains as well as exceeds.A former Pakistan player who made his debut in the 90s spoke of the stark divide that existed between the younger and more experienced players, and the terrifying authority they exercised over already intimidated newcomers. On his debut, he sat down in one of the comfy chairs in the pavilion a senior player had marked as his own. When the player noticed what this young upstart had the audacity to do, he barked at him “Who do you think you are?” in front of the whole team, before turfing him out of the chair.No such divide existed here as Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and the Pakistan side sat down on the marble steps of the Cinnamon Grand with the A side, laughing, joking, feeding each other cake. As you looked from emerging player to senior player, it became impossible to tell which was which. No one was more equal than the other.

****

Babar Azam and Naseem Shah celebrate the fall of Angelo Mathews•AFP/Getty ImagesMorning in Colombo, and now it is the senior side’s turn. Babar loses the toss – some things never change, after all – and Sri Lanka insert themselves in on a flat, demon-free wicket. But it doesn’t matter how flat a wicket is if you’re going to take on a fielding side that has metamorphosised, almost overnight, into a world-class outfit.The openers take on Shan Masood with a quick single. Unwise, because Masood can do a bit of everything. He bats, he sometimes bowls, he often comes out for quality interviews. And he really, really fields well. He picks the ball up, and, in the same motion, knocks down the stumps with a direct hit. It’s almost as supple and languid as his cover drive, and here, it’s equally effective.Naseem Shah takes over. Naseem is young enough to be part of the A side that just won that trophy yesterday; he is two years younger, in fact, than the average age of that squad. He’s now up against Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne, two of the best players of a generation that blossomed while Naseem was trying to convince his parents to let him pursue cricket. But he’s well on top of Mathews, who keeps getting beaten by one that seams and nips away. He’s lucky enough to miss it twice, but the third time’s a charm for the Pakistan bowler. Weren’t there supposed to be no demons in this pitch?He can soon discuss that point with Karunaratne in the dressing room, because Naseem has sent perhaps the world’s best opener packing, too. He’s thrown one up fuller, lighting Karunaratne’s eyes up. This’ll be an easy put-away, as the Sri Lankan opener has made a career out of surviving good deliveries to put ones like these away. He leans into an expansive drive, but there’s that’s seam movement again. A feather of an inside edge, a collision of leather and timber, the jiggle of a pair of disturbed bails. Pakistan are flying.Sri Lanka mount a hopelessly late attempt to cage that bird, to dull the excitement with a gritty fifth-wicket partnership, just like they did in Galle. It works, to a point, and Pakistan’s edge is being dulled, the game neutralised. Only until Naseem returns, and this time with a different strategy. He might have swing and seam, but he also possesses bounce and pace. A short delivery rears up slightly, and Dinesh Chandimal, out of patience, hands Imam-ul-Haq a straightforward catch.Pakistan A players celebrate after winning the Emerging Cup•SLCIt might as well be seen as an act of surrender for what follows. Pakistan are sharing the joy around, and they let Abrar Ahmed take over now. The wickets that fall aren’t spectacular in the same way Naseem’s are, but there is a clinical efficiency about Pakistan wrapping up the lower order, a frustrating Achilles heel in the past.Babar, often accused of captaincy by autopilot, has taken control, manipulating both the field and the bowling changes with impressive, calculating guile. Dhananjaya de Silva picks out a man stationed exactly for the pull shot that sees him hole out to Saud Shakeel. Prabath Jayasuriya takes on Masood again; he presumably missed the early part of the innings. And to round off, Ramesh Mendis holes out to Shakeel in a similar way to de Silva.There’s still a session to go, and Pakistan aren’t done keeping their foot on the pedal. They shake off an early Imam dismissal. Abdullah Shafique and Masood, starved for runs, go about accumulating them at breathtaking speed, hitting the seamers out of the attack before clobbering Mendis and Jayasuriya over the top. Masood was particularly aggrieved last week when on the harsh end of a Hawk Eye call he thought should have gone the other way. Today, he’s caught dead in front, but the umpire can’t see it, and Sri Lanka somehow fail to review.Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. It’s a backhanded compliment that’s hung around Masood for much of his career, but today, he shows he can be both. It is him, in particular, who gives the spinners no hiding place, plundering them for 30 runs off 28 balls as Pakistan bring up a 103-ball hundred, the fastest first-innings hundred for them since records began. Masood, turns out, can do more than just a bit of batting. His half-century, a first in 17 innings, comes in just 44 balls. Shafique, too, combines luck and quality, surviving a dropped catch and an lbw shout as he brings up his first half-century in 12 innings.There is nothing that isn’t working for Pakistan, and by the time the sun sets, they’re within touching distance of Sri Lanka’s score. They will move into the lead early tomorrow, and, on the evidence of this, gallop over the hills and far out of sight.That, at least, is what The Pakistan Way would have you believe. No one quite knows what it is, and it’s a term that may always lack a clear definition. But over the past 24 hours, there was a glorious little glimmer of what it might yet become

Cold swims and close family, complemented by a happy dressing room on the same page, have seen 36-year old Sean Williams hit a purple patch

Firdose Moonda23-Jun-2023With midday temperatures in the upper 20s, Zimbabwe in June is no-one’s idea of winter. But when Sean Williams gets into the swimming pool at 6am each morning, that’s the season he experiences, all year round.”A lot of people don’t like the cold but once you get in it and you’ve done it for a while, it’s almost something you can’t do without,” Williams told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s basically about learning not to fight the situation. If you fight the cold water, you are going to feel the cold. But if you keep still, concentrate on your breathing and just relax and take it easy, you can be there for a while.”This has been Williams’ approach to life over the last 18 months, a period of time in which he lost his father Ray to cancer and welcomed his second daughter, Rylee-Rae (named in honour of her grandfather) into the world. The juxtaposition of these two life-altering events made Williams realise the importance of persistence in moments when things get tough. “Quite often I will get agitated and frustrated and a situation will get the better of me. Learning how to breathe and control and just be calm is something I have been practicing quite a bit of,” he said.Related

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As it happens, the ability to show staying power is what Zimbabwe’s coach Dave Houghton identified as the main thing for Williams to focus on ahead of the Qualifiers. Houghton called Williams “the most talented” batter in his squad because of the ease at which he gets starts but also the one who could then play a rash stroke and be dismissed. So far, not so.Williams scored what was then the fastest hundred for Zimbabwe, off 70 balls, in their chase of 291 against Nepal in their tournament opener last Sunday and followed it up with 91 in their third-highest successful chase of all time, against Netherlands. He still doesn’t waste time when he gets to the crease: he was 15 off 13 balls against Nepal and 17 off 10 against Netherlands, but he picks his shots with more precision.”We are trying to be a lot more positive and a lot less reckless. There’s quite a big difference between the two,” Williams said.The proof is in the game plans. Against Nepal, he watched offspinner Rohit Paudel’s flight before he judged that he could take it on; against Netherlands, he worked left-arm spinner Clayton Floyd around before going for the big shot. In both instances, he could rely on a middle and lower order that are in form, equally unafraid and have been empowered to handle tricky match situations.”Sometimes, previously, we were told what to do. Now, we’ve been taught how to think for ourselves and make decisions. We don’t have to send a message out onto the field anymore because the guys are seeing for themselves what to do,” Williams said.That’s all part of a culture of change that has come under Houghton, who has championed a more mature style of player management. “There’s a lot of thought that goes in and measured decisions made for the players around family time or taking a break,” Williams said. “For example, Sikandar Raza had come back from the IPL and management said you’re important to us so you should go home for a few days before the qualifiers. We’d rather see you not tired because you are valuable. That makes a huge difference.”Sean Williams walks out with his daughter, Charlotte, ahead of his 150th ODI game•ICC/Getty ImagesAnd it paid off. Against Netherlands, Raza broke the record Williams set in the previous game and smashed a century off 54 balls. Was Williams, who was dismissed for 91 off 58 balls, a little annoyed that Raza had broken his record? “No, not at all.””I had an opportunity to do it myself and if I had, Raza might not have had the opportunity to do so. The biggest thing for me at the end of the day is all as we are winning.”For now, Zimbabwe are doing exactly that. With two big wins from their opening two games, they are all but into the Super Sixes. Three teams from each group advances and carries the points and the net run-rate from the teams who progress with them from the first round.That makes Zimbabwe’s match against West Indies on Saturday vitally important. The winner of that game will likely take the most points into the next stage, where they are highly likely to face a clinical Sri Lankan side, a plucky Scotland team – who Zimbabwe tied with in the 2018 edition – and one of Oman, Ireland or the UAE and Williams is wary of them all.”Every team in the tournament has got a very good squad but those you have to watch out for are the ones who have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I find those teams dangerous,” he said.Williams has first hand experience of what teams like that can do. He was part of the XI that lost to UAE five years ago and that slip up cost them their World Cup place. After that heartbreak, reaching the World Cup this time would be both a balm and a boon for this Zimbabwean side.It would show they have properly moved on from the team they were five years ago and the World Cup participation fee is substantial, especially for players living through some of the worst hyperinflation in the world. But Williams will not allow himself to look that far ahead right now.”We can’t do that,” he said. “We’re focusing on our environment right now. It’s relaxed, which gives us freedom to play but that freedom also gives you responsibility – that responsibility of being professional, doing the right things and staying in the moment. If we can continue doing the things we are doing now well, and improve in certain areas, we can do well in this tournament.”For Williams, the memories he has made so far at this competition could well be career-defining. His century came in his 150th ODI with his mom Patricia, his wife Chantelle and his daughters Charlotte and Rylee-Rae in attendance. “It was just wow. One hell of a day. The perfect day,” he said.It was also Father’s Day and he dedicated the hundred to Ray, and celebrated it with his children. “It went from being an emotional day to a happy day and if there was one day of cricket I will remember, it will be that one,” he said. “Having my kids here has been helpful for me because I am not on my phone as much. I am trying to spend more time with them and they take me away from things I don’t need to worry about. They help me to stay in the moment.”Them, and the cold water, has got Williams, who is now 36, thinking about the cricketing legacy he’d want to leave behind. “I’d like to leave the Zimbabwe Cricket shirt in a better place than what I found it. And that’s something you can’t do alone. We are all contributing, and learning and growing along the way.”

The track at Newlands, and the cricket it produced, was like something from the 1800s, leading to mayhem in the middle and exaggeration in the analysis

Mark Nicholas05-Jan-2024What is a bad pitch? One that favours batters so heavily that it results in a five-day draw? Or one that favours bowlers of a particular type and finishes in 107 overs?What is bad batting? Is it technical – as in poor footwork, playing around the front pad, going hard at the ball – or is it poor shot selection?What is good bowling? Hitting “the right areas” on pitches where the ball moves laterally or, worse still, bounces unevenly? Or swinging/spinning the ball on pitches that offer little help to such skills?Related

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Neither Barry Richards, a wonderfully gifted batter from an age long past, nor Dean Elgar, one from the modern era and less gifted but no less committed, were prepared to call out the same Newlands pitch that a very great South African golfer, whose love of cricket goes back to a childhood hitting as many cricket balls as golf balls, called “shocking”.Rohit Sharma said he didn’t mind playing on such seam-friendly surfaces so long as pitches in India were were not marked down for being spin-friendly. In fact, Rohit almost admitted to enjoying the challenge. Virat Kohli fairly revelled in the contest at both Supersport Park and Newlands, reckoning that he batted about as well as he can do. Elgar at the former and Aiden Markram at the latter played the innings of their lives.Cricket is a multifaceted game. One day is rarely, if ever, the same as the last or the next. Cricket takes all sorts, sizes and shapes, and will frustrate as often as it will fulfil. It follows no rules, only the laws by which it is regulated, and the consequence is that in games that are not limited by the overs each side receives, there is no telling what will happen or how long it will last. I helped friends with tickets for the third day at Newlands but they didn’t get close to seeing a ball bowled live. “What the hell sort of a wicket was that???” WhatsApped one of them. A belter for Markram, I replied.Cricket is the most artistic of all games. It is frequently difficult and frustrating but even the most prosaic of players can give pleasure with a mighty strike, an unlikely wicket or a brilliant catch. It has mainly instinctive skills and yet relies on method for excellence. Batting pleases the eye because it is a thing of straight lines that is subject to angles and dimensions. This feels like an accident but it is in the interpretation.

We might, in hindsight, call these psychological pitches; ones that required the right mindset both in preparation and at the moment of performance. For a batter to fear the worst was to invite failure; for a bowler to assume the best was to invite hubris

Above all, batting is fragile. One minute you have it, the next it is gone. A single ball will undo hours, days, weeks of preparation. For sure, batting – cricket indeed – is not to be trusted. Ask Elgar and ask Marco Jansen about bowling. At the halfway stage of the World Cup, he had the ball on a string before he was blasted all around Eden Gardens and he suddenly couldn’t land it on the cut bit. During these two Test matches against India he has resorted to bowling round the wicket and trying to stick to a fullish line outside the off stump. For conviction, he has explored limitation. Only late in the denouement yesterday, when there was nothing but crumbs left to play for, did he let go and watch the red ball fly again. In short, the fear of failure was nowhere to be seen and almost by magic, his rhythm returned.Cricket is a game played out on the edge of nerves. It examines character, explores personality and exposes vulnerabilities. A man – Markram, say – scores nothing one day and a hundred the next. This is wicked, it is unkind, but it is tempting and it is exhilarating. Raise your bat once and you will ache to do so again.The art of cricket is a beautiful journey and a beautiful result. This beauty holds its place in our heart even at a time when all roads point to change. It is why there is an immense responsibility as we search to modernise a game that has its roots in the past. After all, it is the roots that define it.My view is that this was a poor pitch because it was too heavily weighted in favour of fast bowling. The key to the game is a fair pitch that gives every player hope. It looked odd, as if the plate-like cracks had been glued together by a different make and colour of grass from the one elsewhere on the surface. From these, and from the indentations created when the ball pitched, came the sideways movement, uneven pace and unpredictable bounce. I would mark it down for this but I would not condemn.The pitch in Centurion was no sinecure either. India, a side rammed with exceptional batters, were bowled for 131 in the third innings and lost the match by a mile. A lot of the cricket played in both matches was ordinary and sometimes worse. A lot of the rest that was played was very good, even thrilling. The matches swung in quality like few I have seen, and yet, in the main, the best players commanded the best results. We might, in hindsight, call these psychological pitches; ones that required the right mindset both in preparation and at the moment of performance. For a batter to fear the worst was to invite failure; for a bowler to assume the best was to invite hubris.2:05

Sanjay Manjrekar: ‘No malice intended in pitches for this series’

In truth, incredible things happened that had everyone talking – 55 all out and six wickets without a run being scored the most notable – and still we could celebrate fine batting and the craftwork in seam and swing bowling. Athletic catches were taken in the slips and the crowd rose to its feet on numerous occasions to raucously celebrate the many striking events they were fortunate to witness with their own eyes. Indeed, had you put aside just two days to watch Test cricket and these were them, you’d think it was quite some show. After all, few modern batters boast techniques as good as Kohli and KL Rahul, or strokeplay as eye-catching as Rohit and Markram. Few modern fast bowlers come close to Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah.It’s just that it all happened so quickly. It was like when it all began in the late 1800s and the pitches were usually not much good and always uncovered and the bats were planks and techniques were being worked out at origin and bowlers fizzed the ball from their fingers with little pace but plenty of cut and they homed in a length so difficult to play that WG Grace averaged 32 with the bat and Sydney Barnes 16 with the ball. There you go! Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.So I’m inclined to call this a one-off. I don’t think it was a South African plot to have such surfaces, only that the coach might have requested a little grass to give encouragement to the quicks. Given the track the grass lay upon, this led to mayhem. Such extremes – and especially those on the scoreboard – lead to exaggeration in the analysis.I’m moved to say that cricket can be anything, and yes, in general we want better pitches for a longer Test match game and a greater range of skills to show their face. But we also want the players to react to the challenges of nature and nurture with equal relish and to accept, without rancour, that nothing is perfect and nor will it be. Only that cricket lives on at Test level for the very reason that days like these past five in South Africa surprise, amaze and amuse us. And that best of all, cricket is the talk of the town.

Against England and New Zealand, they have exposed their opponents’ flaws

Ian Chappell10-Mar-2024We’ve seen a variety of captaincy styles in the two current Test series between the best four sides in the competition, India, England, Australia and New Zealand.Rohit Sharma and Ben Stokes have waged an intriguing captaincy battle in their Test series. However Stokes’ aggressive leadership faltered at a crucial time and India – well led by Rohit – claimed the series with a resounding victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi.On the third evening Stokes desperately needed to start India’s chase with his best two bowlers and try to claim at least one wicket. Incredibly, he gave the ball to a part-timer, Joe Root, and ignored the experienced, probing bowling of Jimmy Anderson. India took full advantage and scored an invaluable 40 runs off just eight overs.Related

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Stokes missed a trick in Ranchi. He then compounded his error by allowing too many easy singles on the final day by resorting to some cautious field placings. At a time when Stokes needed to be extremely brave as captain and hope he got lucky, he was abnormally conservative.India probably would still have won but at least by going on the attack, Stokes would have given England their best chance of an upset victory. Stokes could improve his captaincy in demanding chases if he took the example of the leadership master in those situations – Pakistan’s Javed Miandad.Rohit proceeded to take full advantage of the tentative field placings with a thoughtful innings and India’s solid opening partnership helped seal victory.The second innings should have been a time to force the Indian batters into taking a risk, but by allowing easy singles, Stokes gave his opponents the upper hand. He also needed to use the experience and guile of Anderson to try and force the issue on the third evening but instead relied on the part-time spin of Root.The use of Root could probably be put down to an over-reliance on the right-left combination to get the wicket of India’s accomplished opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. There are times when good captaincy hinges on gut feel rather than statistics or theories; this was such an occasion.In Wellington a week or so ago, New Zealand captain Tim Southee lost the plot by allowing Cameron Green and batting rabbit Josh Hazlewood to amass a century stand for Australia’s last wicket. New Zealand made numerous mistakes to comfortably lose the Test but despite Green’s undoubted skill in shepherding the tail, Southee’s leadership blunder was monumental.

In both India and New Zealand some techniques have been questionable. Why do right-handers get caught at leg slip against an offspinner? In fact, why are they trying to hit the ball there when there is a leg slip in place?

Continually dropping catches has certainly hurt New Zealand but allowing a mammoth tenth-wicket partnership is an unpardonable sin. New Zealand’s feeble batting – they failed to reach 200 in either innings – called into question their tentative approach against Australia, and spoke of their inability to cope with the offspin of Nathan Lyon.The inability to battle against Australia is in sharp contrast to the New Zealand rugby team. In recent years the All Blacks have been dominant against Australia on the rugby field but the opposite is true on the cricket ground.As for playing offspin, in both India and New Zealand some techniques have been questionable. Why do right-handers get caught at leg slip against an offspinner? In fact, why are they trying to hit the ball there when there is a leg slip in place? American baseballer “Wee” Willie Keeler’s credo of “Hit ’em where they ain’t” is equally applicable to cricket.In the final Test in India, England again capitulated to spin – this time it was the wrist version, from the talented Kuldeep Yadav, who broke open England’s vulnerable batting order while R Ashwin plundered the bottom half as offspin was again dominant.India have been getting stronger in this series, while England are regularly being overwhelmed by spin. They’re fortunate it’s the final Test. Meanwhile, in Christchurch, New Zealand’s capitulation continued; they slumped to a third consecutive score below 200, this time at the hands of Australia’s excellent fast bowlers.Despite all the feel-good stories and bold predictions, India and Australia are still flexing their muscles as dominant teams.

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Steven Lynch23-Apr-2024We’ve seen all sorts of tall scoring in this IPL, including the highest total and the highest match aggregate – but what are the equivalent records for the lowest? asked Sumit Shah from India
You’re right that the current IPL has seen the competition’s highest total so far (Sunrisers’ 287 for 3 against Royal Challengers in Bengaluru last week), and the highest two-innings aggregate (549 runs in the same match, after RCB replied with 262 for 7).The lowest all-out total in an IPL game remains Royal Challengers’ 49 against Kolkata Knight Riders (who made 131) at Eden Gardens in 2017.The fewest runs in an IPL match with a positive result is 135, also in 2017, set in Mohali, where Kings XI Punjab skittled Delhi Capitals for 67 then knocked off the runs without loss. The smallest aggregate in an IPL match that lasted the full 40 overs is 208, in the game between Chennai Super Kings (116 for 9) and Kings XI Punjab (92 for 8) in Durban in 2009.There were only two balls bowled in a T20 match in Rawalpindi last week. Was this the shortest international game ever played? asked Hamza Ali Shah from Pakistan
The match in question was the first T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand in Rawalpindi last Thursday, which was rained off after just two balls. Before the heavens opened there was time for the New Zealand debutant Tim Robinson to collect two leg-byes off the first delivery and be bowled for a duck by the second.That game was actually the third official men’s international that amounted to two balls. The first was the World Cup match between India and Sri Lanka in Mackay in February 1992, when Kris Srikkanth scored the match’s solitary run before it was abandoned due to rain. This was the only senior men’s international staged at Harrup Park in this Queensland coastal city, although there have been several women’s matches there.The other blink-and-miss-it match was a T20I between England and New Zealand at The Oval in June 2013. Michael Lumb took two off Mitchell McClenaghan’s first delivery but was then caught at slip off the second. Then it rained… and rained, which meant the international captaincy career of England’s James Tredwell lasted just two balls.There have also been 17 men’s internationals (and two women’s) that had no play at all, but count in the records as appearances for the players concerned as the toss was made, which officially starts the match.What is the highest individual score by a batter to win a Test match? asked Vidula Wijesirinarayana from Sri Lanka
Assuming you mean the highest individual score in a fourth-innings chase, there have been two scores of over 200, both by West Indians. Against England at Lord’s in 1984, opener Gordon Greenidge cracked 214 not out as his side made light of a target of 342, strolling home by nine wickets with about an hour to spare after David Gower’s last-day declaration.And in Chattogram in February 2021, Kyle Mayers – who was making his debut – helped haul in an even bigger target (395) with 210 not out as Bangladesh were beaten by three wickets.The next two were actually in the same match: in the Ashes Test at Headingley in 1948, Australia made 404 for 3 in the final innings – a record chase at the time – with Arthur Morris scoring 182 and Don Bradman 173 not out.If you just mean the highest score in any Test win, it’s the 380 by Australia’s Matthew Hayden in an innings victory over Zimbabwe in Perth in 2003. Brian Lara’s 400 not out, the only higher individual score in a Test, came in a drawn game.Laura Wolvaardt’s 184 in Potchefstroom overtook Chamari Athapaththu’s 178 as the highest individual score in a loss in women’s ODIs•Gallo ImagesLaura Wolvaardt made 184 in a one-day international the other day – but ended up losing! Was this the highest score in a losing cause in a women’s ODI ? asked WHO
South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt scored 184 not out – her eighth and biggest international century – in the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Potchefstroom last week (she’d also scored 110 not out in the previous match). But it wasn’t enough for victory, mainly because Chamari Athapaththu collected 195 not out (the third highest in women’s ODIs) as Sri Lanka chased down their target of 302 with something to spare.Wolvaardt’s score was indeed the highest score in a losing cause in a women’s ODI, beating 178 not out by… Chamari Athapaththu, against Australia in Bristol during the 2017 World Cup.The record in a men’s ODI is 194 not out, by Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry against Bangladesh in Bulawayo in August 2009.Raman Subba Row, who died last week, made his highest Test score in his final innings. How many people have done this (given a score of over 100)? asked Vipul Shah from the UAE
Left-hander Raman Subba Row, who was England’s oldest Test player before his recent death aged 92, made his highest Test score of 137 in his final innings, against Australia at The Oval in 1961. He then retired, at the early age of 29, although he remained a considerable presence in the game as an administrator.The record for a player making his highest score in his final Test innings belongs to the West Indian Seymour Nurse, who hit 258 against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1968-69: he retired after the match and couldn’t be persuaded to make a comeback. There’s an unlikely name high on the list: after going in as nightwatcher in Chattogram in April 2006, Jason Gillespie lasted long enough to reach 201 not out – but this proved to be the last of his 71 Tests.The others with a higher score than Subba Row in their final Test innings are England’s Maurice Leyland (187 against Australia at The Oval in 1938), Afghanistan’s Asghar Afghan (164 vs Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi in 2020-21), Vijay Merchant of India (154 vs England in Delhi in 1951-52), Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams (151 not out vs Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi in 2020-21), Mahmudullah of Bangladesh (150 not out vs Zimbabwe in Harare in 2021), Australia’s Reggie Duff (146 vs England at The Oval in 1905), and Colin Milburn of England (139 vs Pakistan in Karachi in 1969-69). The West Indian Kenneth “Bam Bam” Weekes also scored 137 in his last Test innings, against England at The Oval in 1939. Williams may yet play again.Others have made higher scores in their final Test, but not their last innings (England’s Andy Sandham holds this record, with 325 – Test cricket’s first triple-century – against West Indies in Kingston in 1929-30).Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions