Dominance of legspinner in the powerplay establishes agenda in comfortable England win

Matt Roller16-Mar-20211:53

Gambhir: Buttler one of the best T20 batters in the world

Close your eyes and think of Jos Buttler batting in a T20 game. Which shot is he playing: shuffling across to the off side and scooping over fine leg? Or creaming a reverse-sweep through backward point?Based on his innings in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night, it should be skipping down the pitch and crashing a legspinner over long-on. While Buttler is best known for his unorthodoxy in limited-overs cricket, it was his dominance while playing conventional shots that put England ahead of the game in their run-chase, and kept them there throughout their cruise to an eight-wicket win.Buttler’s record against Yuzvendra Chahal has been a mixed bag across his T20 career. He has struggled to score fluently against him in the IPL in particular, scoring at less than a run a ball, and in the first match of the series, Chahal trapped him lbw with the second ball he bowled to him.In that light, it was no surprise to see Virat Kohli bring his legspinner into the attack early, with England 16 for 0 after three overs and India searching for an early wicket to help defend a middling target of 157. Perhaps the expectation was that Buttler would look to get off-strike by nudging him around, knowing he had never taken him down in the past, but he saw things very differently.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I felt it was a great opportunity to try and attack him,” Buttler explained. “The ball had swung a little bit for the seamers and was standing up so I felt like spin was going to be the best time to attack in the powerplay. With the fact that he’s had success against me before, he might not have expected me to attack him, so it felt like the right thing to do and I was confident to take him on.”Chahal’s first ball pitched on a good length, seemingly looking to draw an edge to slip from a defensive steer. Buttler shimmied down the pitch, turning it into a half-volley, and dumped him over long-on with disdain, as though he was range-hitting against a net bowler.Four balls later, after Jason Roy had been caught reverse-sweeping, he repeated the trick: Chahal went a fraction fuller and wider outside off, but Buttler backed his hand-eye coordination, again skipping down to clout him over the sightscreen. As he lifted his back leg in the mould of Kevin Pietersen, Buttler’s ability to innovate seemed irrelevant: this was a clinic in T20 hitting.After he was beaten by a sharply-spun legbreak off the final ball of Chahal’s over, Buttler reasoned that he ought to keep attacking. So as Shardul Thakur strayed down the leg side, he used a low, stable base to flick him off his pads for four, before pulling him for four more off a slower ball and repeating the same shot with more power to clear square leg two balls later.Related

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In Chahal’s second over, Buttler decided it was time to unfurl his unorthodoxy: Chahal fired one in at 63mph/101kph on his pads, spotting his premeditation, but Buttler dragged the ball through point regardless, reverse-sweeping with strong wrists. Off the final ball of the powerplay, as Chahal dropped too short, Buttler rocked back and carved him through the leg side. In the space of three overs, he had added 36 runs to his own score while facing 11 balls, and had broken the back of the chase single-handedly.”You always want to get off to good starts, chasing any target,” he said. “Chasing 160 can be one of those in-between scores where if you start slow the rate can creep up and you create pressure on your own team and others that you may not necessarily need to.”If you look at the two powerplays today, as a bowling unit we bowled fantastically well and kept them well under par in the powerplay. And then we got off to a nice start, which really set us up to allow us not to have to take too many risks as the game went on, and get home pretty comfortably in the end.”Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler walk off after sealing England’s victory•Getty ImagesAs Buttler suggested, the main contrast between the two innings was the six-over scores: India were 24 for 3 at that stage after a superb new-ball burst from Mark Wood in particular, while England were 57 for 1. Having pummelled 43 off 17 balls in the powerplay, Buttler simply milked the ball around from that point on, scoring 40 off his next 35 as India bowled defensively to him, looking to contain rather than attack.When Washington Sundar eventually tossed one up, hoping to draw a big shot, Buttler calculated that a full offbreak in his arc was exactly the sort of ball he should take on: he promptly swung him over the fielder at long-on, and into the lower tier. He did have a late let-off when Virat Kohli spilled another reverse-sweep off Chahal’s final ball, but by then he had 76 to his name and the rate was down to a run a ball.Buttler’s innings provided yet another reminder as to why England have chosen him as an opener in 16 successive games in this format. After his unbeaten innings of 83 – his highest score in the format for England – he averages 51.23 with a strike rate of 153.10 opening in T20Is; just as importantly, England have won 13 out of the 17 games they have played with him in that role. Nobody doubts the ability Buttler has to change games from the middle of the batting order, but when he is at the top, he has the opportunity to dominate them.”People seem to quite enjoy talking about it and I certainly sometimes feel the pressure of that,” he said. “There’s obviously loads of us who can open the batting in this team, but I’ve got the full backing from Morgs to go and do that and that gives me a lot of confidence. I really enjoy the role. It is my preference in T20 cricket – it’s the best place to bat. I know Morgs is keen for me to open, and I’ll do that with his backing.”

Alex Carey also remains in Australia’s Test plans, while Matthew Wade may yet play the T20 World Cup

Andrew McGlashan23-Apr-2021Earn promotion

This was the over-riding message, especially when it comes to the Test batting line-up. Standout candidates are not obvious for a couple of positions, so the race will be on ahead of the Ashes next season. That means there are vacancies yet for an opening partner for David Warner – although you could argue that despite another injury, Will Pucovski couldn’t have done much more to be first-choice opener – and the No. 5 spot while assuming Cameron Green has locked himself in at No. 6, which him being given a contract suggests.Travis Head can probably feel a little hard done by despite being dropped against India. He had been in the squad for the originally scheduled South Africa tour although he wasn’t a certainty to make the XI, and scored 893 Shield runs for South Australia. But the move to clearly say batting positions are open should give the start of next season an edge.Related

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Matthew Wade and Joe Burns see Test hope fade
Wade made an irresistible case for a Test recall – which came for the 2019 Ashes – but did not make an irresistible case to be retained. In the two Australia seasons prior to his return, he averaged 52.34 with part of that coming when the Test side was shorn of Warner and Steven Smith. There was a school of thought that the recall could have come earlier. And when it did, he made two centuries against England and has played every Test since, but an overall return of 31.60 – with just one other score over fifty – was not enough. The writing was on the wall when he was left out of the squad for the postponed South Africa tour, with a loss of contract confirming the slide.And although Burns is two years younger than Wade but will need a very big start to the next season to push himself back into the frame, especially if Pucovski’s recovery goes to plan. However, as he showed with his brilliant 171 against Tasmania, at his best he remains a very fine opening batter.Matthew Wade captained Australia in a T20I during the 2020-21 home season•Getty ImagesAustralia will need far more than 17 players
Despite not being on today’s list, Wade is among a number of players who we are still very likely to see in Australia squads over the coming months. Touring parties are going to need to remain large due to Covid-19 restrictions and along with Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, Wade is an incumbent in the T20I side where he has been vice-captain – and briefly captain – in Pat Cummins’ absence.All three stand a very good chance of being in the squad for the West Indies tour in July. There could also be plenty of others: the likes of Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams and Riley Meredith, who were all in New Zealand, will be pushing for T20I spots even when the first-choice players who missed that trip are available.Rotation back on the agenda
Australia fielded the same bowling attack throughout the four Tests against India and although the loads were relatively light in the first two games, by the end of the Gabba Test, there were some tired bodies. With six Tests likely in less than two months next season – one against Afghanistan and five against England – chief selector Trevor Hohns suggested another look at workload.”That comes back to the management of our fast bowlers and we’ve seriously got to have a look at it,” he said. “Sure, they may feel okay in themselves but we’ve really got to monitor that a little bit harder I think.”Mitchell Swepson has made a strong case for a chance at Test cricket•Getty ImagesOn the fringe
Two players who featured in the recent Sheffield Shield final will wonder what next season holds. Michael Neser and Mitchell Swepson were always unlikely to gain central contracts, but they have certainly made strong cases for a chance at Test cricket. Neser has been an ever-present in Test squads over the last two years, while Swepson has just completed the season of his life. Hohns indicated that James Pattinson remains the next in line of the quicks – so Neser may need a couple of players to make way, especially if and when they are rested or rotated – but he had a strong endorsement of Swepson.”He can certainly challenge Nathan [Lyon], whether he’ll ever take his place while Nathan is fit who knows,” Hohns exclaimed. “Mitch is going very nicely and it’s quite exciting to see a legspinner emerge and someone with the talent Mitch has, I can certainly see a bright future for him. He’s still only 27, and as far as a spin bowler goes, is coming into his best years.”Alex Carey’s standing
Carey is only in possession of a place in one of the three formats for Australia – the ODI side – but retains a contract. He lost his spot in the T20I side to Wade against England last year and wasn’t able to reclaim it against India. Carey then missed out on the New Zealand tour after being included in the Test squad for South Africa.That latter position confirmed he is next-in-line behind Tim Paine, but it is an interesting year coming up for Carey if, in 12 months’ time, Paine will have brought the curtain down on his career. No doubt he will be eager to get back into the mix for the T20 World Cup, but it could work in his favour if he stays out of the set-up because it would allow him a run of Sheffield Shield cricket early next season. Watch out for Josh Inglis coming up on the inside as well.

Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Rahul Tewatia, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Shivam Mavi on their memories of watching the 2011 World Cup as young cricket fans

Interviews by Nagraj Gollapudi and Rajan Raj02-Apr-2021Prithvi Shaw21, India and Mumbai batsman
I was 11 or 12 and I was at the Wankhede for the final, sitting right next to the players and watching and cheering with Arjun and Sara and Anjali aunty [Sachin Tendulkar’s children and wife].Yuvraj Singh’s performances through the World Cup stood out for me. And also, Sachin sir and [Virender] Sehwag sir’s batting – everyone loves to watch them. One thing that I have never experienced before or after is seeing the crowd after the victory in the final. It gave me goosebumps. Everything was India, India, India. I was also going crazy. I had to go home by train, but it took me one to two hours to be able to catch the train because the crowds outside the stadium were crazy and weren’t moving at all. I really enjoyed that moment.The team I’d like to face in a World Cup final would be Australia or Pakistan.Vijay Shankar30, Tamil Nadu and India allrounder
I was 20 and was watching the 2011 World Cup final at home. My family is so crazy about cricket that they don’t miss any match, but I watched it in my room by myself. At the time I was making a mark in first-class cricket, so I followed that World Cup closely. I have this habit of watching matches alone when I am home because then I can learn things and grasp more.MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir’s 90-odd scores in the final were very, very special innings. Before that, too, there were a lot of good knocks for India, from Tendulkar, Sehwag, and of course, Yuvraj Singh – he was at his best. Overall, it was an amazing World Cup for India. I celebrated the win by jumping and cheering. That moment is very special for everyone in India. Every one of us will remember forever.I’d like to face Pakistan in a World Cup final. When I played against them in the 2019 World Cup [in Manchester], the atmosphere was totally, totally different compared to the other games. The pressure, the crowd, the build-up just before that game, the people outside the team hotel – all that was very different compared to other matches. You get goosebumps when you stand for the national anthem at a World Cup.With 21 wickets, including two in the final, Zaheer Khan was the joint leading wicket-taker of the World Cup along with Shahid Afridi•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesShivam Mavi22, Uttar Pradesh fast bowler
I was around 12 then and I watched every match of the tournament. It was such a big deal for the Indian team. In fact, while watching I felt like I was playing myself! It was really fun to watch it with my family. And when India won, I really felt like I had lifted the World Cup. My family was like, “Wow, we won the World Cup!” I had goosebumps. If I had to pick one player from that India team who inspired my career, it would be Zaheer Khan. He picked up wickets in tough situations and helped in the victories. I always remember that.I would like to face England in a World Cup final. They are one of the tougher teams, so to perform against them would be challenging and to do well against them would make me happy.Ajinkya Rahane32, India batsman
I was 22 and I remember watching the World Cup final in Jaipur while getting ready for that year’s IPL. That was a memorable day for all Indians. Apart from Dhoni and Gambhir’s match-winning knocks in the final, Tendulkar’s hundred against England is one of the many performances that stood out for me. I was practising when India won the World Cup, so that’s how I celebrated. It was the biggest victory in the 50-over format after 1983 and I think many youngsters in India were inspired because of that.Abhimanyu Easwaran25, India A batsman and Bengal captain
April 2 is always memorable because it also happens to be my mother’s birthday. I was 15 years old and I remember sitting next to her, following the final at our home in Dehradun. Like everyone else, we did not move and remained sitting in our places, especially during the partnership between Gambhir and Dhoni, which was really important for us to win the game. My mother didn’t know much about cricket at first and was a little wary of me going out and playing, but now she loves cricket and is a fan of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.My favourite performance of the World Cup was Dhoni in the final. He had not got many runs earlier in the tournament, so to come in early and take responsibility – he came before Yuvraj, because he knew two offspinners were bowling; Sri Lanka didn’t have a left-arm spinner – and then get the team through the World Cup final really showed character. And that’s something I really like watching.It was a magical night if you were an India fan•Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty ImagesAnother favourite memory is of Yuvraj playing the tournament despite his sickness and staying there till the end. It was great to watch. After the victory, we cut the cake. My sister took pictures of the celebrations outside. We also had relatives at home, so we had a good get-together.I would like to face Pakistan in a World Cup final. They are a great opposition to play, especially in the World Cup, which is always the most-watched moment in sport.Shivam Dube27, Mumbai and India allrounder
I was 17 and was watching the final at a friend’s place. MS Dhoni’s winning shot will always stay with me. I cannot forget it. [After the final] we roamed the streets of Mumbai. Our car was meant for only five passengers, but nearly a dozen of us squeezed in and celebrated India’s win.The best teams play at a World Cup, so I’d be really happy to face any team and win a final for my country.Rahul Tewatia27, Haryana allrounder
I was 17. I watched the final with my family at home. What I remember most is the innings from Gautam [Gambhir] and obviously the last-ball six from Mahi [Dhoni]. After that six, the whole family erupted in joy and started dancing. My dad ordered jalebis and then we went out onto the streets to continue with the celebrations.Playing Pakistan in a World Cup final probably would be the best feeling for me.

Ten-for in win over Durham was Harmer’s sixth for Essex, comprised of his 21st and 22nd five-fors

Andrew Miller19-Apr-2021Simon Harmer clambered over Chelmsford’s advertising hoardings, beer in hand and grin on face, with the gentle hum of low-key celebration from the Essex dressing-room blending with that of the groundsman’s mower. Another day, another victory, sealed in dramatic fashion by a son of Pretoria who has found his spiritual home.Amid all the anxious chatter about how miserable life is these days for English spinners in first-class cricket – with the season dispatched to the margins, where fingers are as numbed by the cold as deliveries are numbed by the early-season surfaces – Harmer’s displays in the past fortnight for Essex have shown another side of the story, one in which surviving and thriving as a spin bowler essentially comes down to a command of similar basics.In last week’s season opener against Worcestershire, there was nothing on offer for bowlers of any type, bar a dramatic flurry when Sam Cook got stuck in with the hard new ball. But Harmer sucked up the yakka, and got on with an unglamorous bout of gruntwork. Never before in his county career had he been asked to bowl as many as 61.3 overs in an innings, and yet, with an economy rate a tick over 2, he retained the respect of a deeply entrenched opposition, and earned his rewards late in the innings for the highly respectable figures of 3 for 126.Related

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Which paved the way for the Durham bunfight – an exceptional four-day tussle that could have been ripped in either direction at multiple junctures, but which ultimately toppled, like a felled oak, in Essex’s favour as Harmer’s unrelenting will to win seized the day. Qualitatively, there was little between the two performances, for all that match figures of 10 for 136 will suggest otherwise. The common thread is that he was there throughout, asking the tough questions, giving nothing away, and taking everything that he possibly could – for himself, but ultimately, for his team.”It’s April. It’s never going to rag in April, even at Chelmsford … even at Taunton,” Harmer said, adding a not-so-subtle dig at Somerset’s woes in their West Country derby, where Gloucestershire’s uncomplicated run-chase delivered their first home defeat since June 2017. “It just so happened that this week was mine. But next week, it could be Ports [Jamie Porter], it could be Sam Cook. You have to find ways to get what you can out of the wicket.”Essex had been braced for the end of a record every bit as proud as Somerset’s, after slumping to 96 all out in their first innings and conceding a deficit of 163. Instead they’ve now won 12 and drawn one of their previous 13 home games, dating back to Surrey’s 10-wicket win in September 2018 in their own Championship-winning season.”It’s not often that we find our backs against the wall like that,” Harmer said. “But for us to rally together, for Ben Allison [52 from No.9] to bat the way that he did in his second game was incredible. For us to conjure up 160-odd for them to chase, it shows the character of the boys, given what we’ve achieved over the last four years. It shows that we’re not only good when we’re ahead. We weren’t at our best by any means, but we found a way to win.”It is impossible to under-estimate the Harmer factor, however. It’s a fact of the Chelmsford experience that club legends are to be found everywhere you turn – even in the midst of a pandemic. And long before the denouement, the chat among sage judges such as Keith Fletcher, their original Championship-winning captain, was that any target in triple figures would give Durham the heebie-jeebies, given the ferocity with which they knew it would be defended.

“It’s easy to take wickets in the first innings and be happy with that. But actually, it’s the second innings that wins games…”Simon Harmer

And little wonder, given Harmer’s record for Essex since joining them for their return to Division One in 2017, when his 74 wickets at 19.31 set them on the way to the first of their three top-flight titles in four years. His returns have not wavered from that ferocious peak of excellence at any point since. This week’s ten-for was his sixth for the club, comprised of his 21st and 22nd five-fors, and he now has a tally of 268 wickets at 19.58. These are levels that transcend the apparently inhospitable conditions, and become self-fulfilling prophecies when matches such as the Durham game are there for the taking.”It’s about finding a way on different wickets,” he said. “From last week’s wicket to this week’s wicket, different balls work, and different variations work. Speed, trajectory, all of that plays a part, but the quicker you work it out, the easier it becomes.”It’s about getting back into the groove, and thinking in the right way. Doing the right basics is the biggest thing at the start of the season, so that come June, it’s pretty much ‘press a button and off you go’.”Harmer’s self-assurance is intoxicating, not least for the batsmen in his sights. But it all stems from a desire to be right in the thick of the action – a difficult mindset for less established spinners to rehearse, given how marginalised their involvement can be at this time of year, but one that has to be mastered given how much expectation can weigh on the breed come that pivotal fourth innings, when all eyes turn to the team’s tweaker.Simon Harmer celebrates a wicket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I really enjoy taking wickets in the second innings of the game,” he said. “That’s when it matters. It’s easy to take wickets in the first innings and be happy with that. But actually, it’s the second innings that wins games, so to be able to do it when we needed is always enjoyable.”He was made to wait on this latest occasion, however. Durham resumed the final day needing 108 more to win with seven wickets in hand, and that requirement had been whittled down to 85 before Harmer struck for the first time in 16 tight but unrewarded overs – as Jack Burnham took one chance too many and holed out to long-on for 43. From that moment, the contest pirouetted. After no wickets in his first 101 deliveries of the innings, he ripped out all five in 39.”We always knew that we needed two new batters at the crease,” Harmer said. “That situation at Chelmsford on day four with the ball turning, it was always going to be difficult for them. It was about finding a way, and being patient enough, and disciplined enough, to understand that they will make a mistake, and perhaps that was the difference between us and them.”It’s not that we’re used to winning, but we know how to go about constructing day four when we don’t have a lot of runs on the board. We understood that we just needed to be patient and sit in, and ultimately, if they batted out of their skins this morning and knocked off the runs, then fair play to them.”But it was literally about getting that first wicket because, when we got Burnham, all of a sudden, the pressure moved on to Scottie Borthwick and the new batters coming in, having to find a way to score runs. It’s easy to sit back now, but we were very aware of what one just one wicket would do for us.”This Essex side has what money cannot buy,” Harmer added. “In situations like that, it’s about the group of guys that you’re on the field with. You don’t want to let them down and that’s how we find ways out of the situations that we find ourselves in. We are willing to fight for one another. It’s not about me, it’s about us. When you’ve got your mates around you, it’s really enjoyable to see the character shown by this group of players and local Essex boys.”

This was an important day for India even though it won’t have much say on this Test

Sidharth Monga26-Aug-20213:10

Maninder Singh: Ishant Sharma seemed to be lacking in confidence

This day of cricket was supposed to be a rude reality check for the utterly pampered and spoiled followers of Indian cricket who started post 2015. They had been bowled out for 78, the pitch had flattened out, the opposition had got off to a start and there was a long day staring them in the face. They knew they couldn’t bowl as full as England did because any assistance from the pitch had vanished. They knew the batters were under no scoreboard pressure.This was the kind of day that had become commonplace watching India’s rag-tag bowling attack in 2011 and 2011-12. It was as though India were providing writing and meme material to Sacred Games: “utho, nahao, pito, so jao (wake up, take a bath, get hit, go back to sleep).” Such a day was feared in Australia earlier this year when almost all of India’s first-choice bowling unit was out with injury. It didn’t materialise.For patches on day two, especially when Ishant Sharma was having his rare bad Test, it seemed finally the sufferers of 2011 and 2011-12 might be able to tell younger followers, this is what it feels like. And still, India came out with 303 for 8, which, in isolation, is not a bad effort at all in the best batting conditions of the series and in a match situation where there is no pressure on the batters. Five wickets in the final session is something they can even be proud of.Related

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These days are a lose-lose day. If you bowl a side out on such a day, it is probably worse news for your team because that means batting in the second innings is not going to be easy. So all you hope for is to stick to restrictive plans and slowly work towards the odd wicket.Only problem is, Ishant was truly off colour. Ishant was having perhaps his first ordinary Test in seven years. He was cut away for three boundaries in his first four overs. The last time he conceded more than three boundaries in a whole Test – to the cut shot – was in December 2017*. It doesn’t need GPS trackers to know he was slower in his run-up than he probably has ever been. The speeds were down too. He bowled 22 overs without a maiden, the longest an opening bowler has gone without one in England since 2002.All bar four of Ishant’s dearer spells than this came before 2015. That he has had to be so drastically off rhythm to be reminded of those bad old days is testament to his turnaround. Those bad old days were when often he would be the only bowler fit enough to toil for long spells. Here he had Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah to pick up the slack. In an innings that Ishant and Mohammed Siraj drew a mistake once every 10 balls or slower, Bumrah and Shami kept doing so once an over.Mohammed Shami celebrates a wicket with team-mates•Getty ImagesShami of late has become a bowler whom you can wake up in the middle of the night and he will run up and start bowling with an upright seam on the shorter part of the good-length band. If Shami doesn’t draw any movement from a pitch, you can call an excavation party, you won’t find it. The only drawback with Shami on days like this one is that he is an aggressive bowler and keeps attacking the stumps. Over time, though, he has eliminated some of the deliveries that used to end up on leg.The Rory Burns wicket he took was a perfect illustration: hitting top of off after seaming the ball in. Jonny Bairstow went fishing outside off, and Jos Buttler fell to the leg trap. If Shami brought the run rate down through wickets, Bumrah was more methodical. He just bowled lengths that were hard to hit, resulting in 10 maidens out of 27 and an economy rate of 2.14 in an innings that went at 3.27 an over.Joe Root has been batting like a dream, averaging 126.75 in the series, but Bumrah has dismissed him three times for an average of 33. All three have been great deliveries, making him play without being full, moving the ball each way. Twice coming into this Test, it had been outside edges; at Leeds he managed to go past the inside edge from a similar pitching point.This was an important day for India even though it won’t have much say on this Test. Any salvaging process will have to start with the bat. But this is the start of three back-to-back Tests, and India would have hated to be kept in the field for two days. It is hard to make a comeback in a series after successive bad days in the field; imagine if England had made it three in a row.Shami said it was a day when it is the bowler’s responsibility to not let their heads go down, but to keep finding a way to make it difficult for the batters. While Ishant’s fitness and form will be a matter of concern, the two big fast bowlers managed to achieve that fairly well given the conditions and match situation. In the process they avoided an encore of the bad old days.

India are now left with just three batters with more than ten Tests’ experience for the Kanpur game

Sidharth Monga23-Nov-20213:15

Pujara: I changed my approach and was a little fearless in England

The last time India were forced to give a Test debut to a player before the Covid-19 pandemic was when Rohit Sharma injured himself as captain MS Dhoni was walking out for the toss in Nagpur in 2010. It was a particularly controversial selection because Dhoni was given just the six batters in a 15-member squad, which would ensure India had no option but to give a Test cap to S Badrinath, who had been on the bench for a while. When VVS Laxman was unwell a day before the match, India were lucky Rohit was in Nagpur for a domestic match and called him up.When Rohit tripped over and was ruled out minutes before the toss, India were forced to play Wriddhiman Saha as a specialist batter. Not having Hanuma Vihari in India is not quite the face-off that 2010 was, but there doesn’t seem to have been great coordination between the selectors and the team management regarding this.On the face of it – and the India selectors for some reason are not allowed to explain their decisions anymore – it seems such a last-minute injury scenario was a risk the selectors were willing to take when they sent Vihari for the South Africa A tour instead. It seemed they anyway wanted to try Shubman Gill in the middle order for the one Test that Virat Kohli would miss so it was better off letting Vihari gain some experience in South Africa instead of warming the bench in India.The worst-case scenario has now materialised in that the injured batter is an opener, KL Rahul. It means Gill will have to make his comeback as an opener, leaving stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane no choice but to give Shreyas Iyer a Test debut when Vihari would have deserved what would have been only his second home Test much more. It would have been different in the case of Gill playing ahead of Vihari because that seems a direction India want to take.KL Rahul has a muscle strain on his left thigh and will miss the Test series against New Zealand•Getty ImagesThe selectors will hopefully be on the phone with Vihari as soon as the day’s play ends in Bloemfontein, but for the team management in Kanpur, there are more immediate concerns. They are left with just three batters with more than ten Tests’ experience. One of them is Mayank Agarwal, who is making a comeback to the opening slot after he was dropped in Australia.The other two, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahane, you have to believe, must be under some pressure. Rahane is averaging under 25 over the last 15 Tests with one century. At home, he has averaged 18.66 in four Tests in this period. Pujara is averaging under 29 over his last 22 Tests and he hasn’t scored a century. His average of 32.25 in nine home Tests in this period is a cause for concern.Two days before the Test, Pujara said he and Rahane were both batting well without the results to show for it. “I have been scoring runs, 50-80-90, not centuries, but I am not worried about my scores,” Pujara said. “As long as I keep batting well and as long as I keep contributing to the team’s total, I am happy with that. The century will happen when it has to happen but my focus is to prepare well and bat well. As long as I am doing that, the big one is around the corner.”Pujara also said that Rahane was looking good in the nets. “He is a great player,” Pujara said. “I think there are times when a player goes through tough times. That is part of this game. There will be ups and downs but I feel he is a confident player, he is someone who works hard on his game, and I am very sure he is just one innings way. Once he gets a big score, once he gets a big hundred, he will be back in form. He has been working hard in the nets. I have seen the way he has been batting. He is in good touch, and hoping that he will score big runs in this game.”Related

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If Rahul Dravid has taken over a side not already in transition, he has to start thinking of it at least. And when you talk batting transition, these are the first two names that roll off the tongue. As of now, though, Dravid and India will need big runs from them, the captain and the vice-captain of the side for the first Test.There might be a temptation, especially with Rishabh Pant not there to shore up the batting, to play an extra batter to cover up for an inexperienced line-up. On the face of it, it goes against the ethos of the side that Ravi Shastri and Kohli built – not to mention further heartbreak for Vihari if two batters debut ahead of him – but at the end of the day the decision should be made keeping in mind what is best for India and not any statement of aggression.The conditions will probably dictate the final selection now. If the pitch is a turner from day one, India might just play the extra batter and sacrifice a third spinner or a second fast bowler. If it is not a square turner, they might play five bowlers. It is a situation that everybody will feel was avoidable and hope it serves as a reminder of the need for coordination without costing them too much.

“A dream start,” he called it, and it really was, as Australia started the latest edition of the Ashes exactly as they would have wanted

Andrew McGlashan08-Dec-2021You dream of your first day as Test captain. The way Pat Cummins got here is not how he would have imagined, but it the opening day of the Ashes. How does it play out? Would probably be nice to avoid a tricky decision at the toss. An early wicket would be great. A few scalps in your own tally would be a good start. What about seeing the opposition’s best player falling for a duck. Let’s not get carried away. Things don’t run to a script like that.Cummins said he “probably” would have batted had the coin fallen his way. We’ll never know. It certainly was in the category of a handy one to lose with overcast skies, a green-tinged surface and two under-prepared batting line-ups. But it also meant he was immediately into the game, both in his new role and the one he has performed magnificently in for a long time.Half an hour later, the pomp and ceremony completed, Mitchell Starc was at the top of his mark with 20,000 spectators behind him (minus the small contingent of local England fans) as, finally, after a bizarre build-up and still some uncertainty over how the rest of the series might play out, the first ball of the Ashes went down at 10am local time.Over the wicket, full, was it slipping down the leg side? Rory Burns shuffled across, shaped to flick the ball off his pads, but got nowhere near it as the delivery snaked back and clattered into leg stump. For just the second time, a wicket had fallen to the first ball of a men’s Ashes series. A penny for Cummins’ thoughts in that moment… at least the printable ones.Starc had been under some scrutiny leading in to the series after taking 11 wickets at 40.72 against India last season. He played through the emotional turmoil of knowing his father was gravely ill. As Burns’ leg stump was splattered, the ground erupted and so did Starc as he peeled away in celebration. The vein in his neck looked ready to pop.Related

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First overs of Ashes series do have a history of setting the tone, although when England lost a wicket in the opening over in 2010-11 – Andrew Strauss cutting to gully third ball – they would escape the Gabba with a draw and take the Ashes 3-1. It’s only been one day, and let’s not forget India were bowled out for 36 in Adelaide last year, but that feels a long way off.Still, amid the heady scenes of Starc’s first delivery, it was only one little part of the job done. As he flagged ahead of the game, Cummins did not give himself the new ball and went with Josh Hazlewood, who was immediately on the mark and soon made Dawid Malan play at one he could have left. A settling first Test catch for Alex Carey behind the stumps.Joe Root walked in and Cummins made his first move. Starc was out of the attack after two overs. In the end, Cummins never bowled to his opposite number, who he has removed seven times in 11 Tests. Instead it was Hazlewood, another nemesis, who pushed his length up a smidgen fuller and found the outside edge, which was pouched first slip. The year’s tally of 1455 runs was not extended. Hazlewood would take a break with figures of 7-4-3-2.However, when Cummins did make his first impact, it was a statement. Coming around the wicket to Ben Stokes, England’s second-best batter behind Root, he squared up the left-hander and Marnus Labuschagne took an excellent catch at third slip. Australia had picked out their catching as an area for improvement. They had made a good start.England made it to lunch four down, but not much further. Cummins gave himself the first over after the interval and took Haseeb Hameed’s edge.Then there was a bit of a rally as Jos Buttler took on Hazlewood and Ollie Pope was sharp on the quick single. Australia had bought themselves considerable leeway with the early wickets, but it was the first counterpunch of the series. However, just when it looked like Buttler may thrive on his “nothing to lose” attitude, Starc slanted one across and Australia had their opening.Despite being into the lower order, Cummins then threw the ball to Cameron Green, who had been given a brief bowl before lunch but was still waiting for that first Test wicket 46 overs into his career. With the first delivery of his second spell, he sent down a bouncer at Pope, who couldn’t keep the hook down and it was brilliantly caught at long-leg by Hazlewood. There was a mixture of delight and relief on Green’s face.The rest was over in the blink of an eye. With the thunderclouds rolling in, Nathan Lyon was brought back on but couldn’t nab No. 400. Although, really, it felt inevitable that with Cummins poised on four wickets the final one would go to the captain. And so it did, when Chris Woakes hooked and Hazlewood hauled in another superb take.England all out 147. Cummins 13.1-3-38-5. A first Ashes five-wicket haul and walking off the field with the ball held aloft. How was that first day, Pat? “A dream start,” he said.

Young performers in Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Yasir Ali, Will Jacks find spots too

Mohammad Isam19-Feb-2022A few familiar names, some exciting new talent from Bangladesh and a group of overseas players who stood out make it to ESPNcricinfo’s BPL XI after the eighth season came to a close on Friday with Comilla Victorians winning their third title.Tamim Iqbal – 407 runs, 132.57 strike-rate, 1×100, 4x50sTamim Iqbal did really well, but his team, Minister Group Dhaka, not so much•BCBA century against Sylhet was the highlight of Tamim’s BPL campaign this year. He also struck four fifties but he played for the generally disappointing Minister Group Dhaka, who ended up fifth in the points table, failing to reach the playoffs. Tamim got quick runs at the top, and often provided a good start with Mohammad Shahzad. But as the tournament wore on, Dhaka’s other batters did worse. This is the third time that Tamim crossed 400 runs in a BPL season.Will Jacks – 414 runs, 155.05 strike-rate, 4x50sWill Jacks was a standout player for Chattogram Challengers•Chattogram ChallengersJacks lived up to his billing as one of the players to watch in the BPL. He finished as the highest run-getter, as well as the best batter in the powerplay. Jacks single-handedly powered Chattogram Challengers in the latter stages, particularly in the last league game when his unbeaten 92 took them into the last four. Jacks believed that he will leave Bangladesh as a better player of spin”.Andre Fletcher – 410 runs, 138.98 strike-rate, 1×100, 3x50sAndre Fletcher was a shining light for Khulna Tigers•AFP/Getty ImagesThe Spiceman finished the BPL as the second-highest run-getter, which also made up for his disappointing 2019-20 season with Sylhet Thunder. For Khulna Tigers this year, he provided fast starts and often took the innings deep. The standout innings was the century against Comilla Victorians that gave Khulna the points to get into the last four. This was also Fletcher’s best franchise campaign in a few years, and will surely bring him back to the BPL next season.Shakib Al Hasan (capt) – 284 runs, 16 wickets, 3x50sShakib Al Hasan was named Player of the BPL 2022•BCBShakib led Fortune Barishal from the front quite literally, being among their top run-getters and wicket-takers. His revival in form after the first few matches helped Barishal turn a corner. Shakib became the first cricketer to clinch five consecutive Player-of-the-Match awards in T20 history. Barishal went into the final with a run of seven wins in a row, but Shakib couldn’t quite break through Comilla.Moeen Ali – 225 runs, 9 wickets, 1×50Moeen Ali was a big hit for Comilla Victorians•BCBIn his return to the BPL after nine years, Moeen proved to be a big hit with the eventual champions Comilla Victorians. His 38 in the final came after they slipped to 95 for 6. Moeen made important runs and took key wickets throughout his time in the BPL. He played the role of middle-order enforcer for Comilla, who missed his big-hitting in the first few matches. Moeen also seemed to have found a good bowling rhythm in the subcontinent having already done very well in the last IPL and decently in the PSL too.Related

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Yasir Ali – 219 runs, 139.49 strike-rate, 1×50It would be a big surprise if the Bangladesh selectors ignored Yasir for the T20I side. He has already made his return to the ODI squad after nearly three years, but that was probably on account of his impressive showing in his first three Tests. His form in the BPL suggests that he didn’t lose his T20 touch, which is what brought him to attention in the first place. Yasir struck important runs for Khulna, who often fell into a hole in the middle overs. Yasir put together good partnerships with Mushfiqur Rahim, winning them a few games.Anamul Haque (wk) – 280 runs, 121.73 strike-rate, 4 dismissals, 1×50It wasn’t a rewarding tournament for wicketkeeper-batters in this season’s BPL. Anamul wins this spot on the back of his 280 runs, the most by any wicketkeeper, but his job behind the stumps wasn’t really up to the mark. But those who kept well – Nurul Hasan and Mahidul Islam – didn’t do justice with the bat. Anamul never really played a match-winning knock for Sylhet Sunrisers, but was easily their best batter until Colin Ingram began to blaze the runs during the Sylhet phase.Sunil Narine – 159 runs, 198.75 strike-rate, 4 wickets, 2x50sSunil Narine came good in the clutch for Comilla•AFP/Getty ImagesIt would have been hard to justify Narine’s place in this XI if you only viewed his numbers in isolation. But his Player-of-the-Match performances in the second qualifier and final showed him to be one of the most valuable allrounders in the BPL this season. He made a 13-ball half-century in the second qualifier, before a 21-ball fifty plus a brilliant bowling performance got Comilla their third trophy.Shohidul Islam – 14 wickets at 16.92 average, 9.00 economyPutting the exclamation point in this season’s BPL wasn’t Shohidul’s only contribution in the tournament for Comilla. As well as he bowled, giving away eight runs in the last over against Fortune Barishal, it was simply a continuation of his performances in the two playoffs where he took three wickets each. He had started the BPL well, but lost his way midway. His death overs performance should help the Bangladesh selectors take notice.Mrittunjoy Chowdhury – 15 wickets at 14.93 average, 9.14 economyMrittunjoy Chowdhury took a hat-trick on BPL debut•Chattogram ChallengersAfter a hat-trick on debut against Sylhet, Mrittunjoy became the most exciting bowling talent in the BPL. He knocked off four wickets in the end of their match against Barishal, before taking another three-for against Sylhet. Like Shohidul, Mrittunjoy showed great poise in the death overs, and he is a capable left-handed bat too.Mustafizur Rahman – 19 wickets at 13.47 average, 6.62 economyMustafizur Rahman was a banker in the final overs for Comilla•BCBIt wasn’t a huge surprise that Bangladesh’s only IPL pick in this year’s auction was the BPL’s top wicket-taker. Mustafizur led the Comilla attack superbly, often giving them early breakthroughs, and always being a banker in the last five overs. His six-run penultimate over in the final was all class, starting with his legcutter that duped Najmul Hossain Shanto. Bangladesh are getting some new fast bowling talent, but Mustafizur’s standard remains undisputed.

Is Shakib at fault or is it the BCB? What’s all the toing-and-froing really about? Who gains? Who loses?

Mohammad Isam14-Mar-2022Uff, what now?
Where do I begin? TL;DR: it’s Shakib vs BCB and, somehow, Shakib vs Shakib.All right, no TL;DR, the whole dirt please.
We go back to February 28 then. BCB president Nazmul Hassan, we call him Papon here in Bangladesh, instructed Shakib to tour South Africa in March. This was after Shakib had, apparently, told the BCB that he wanted some time off from Test cricket.Three days later, the selectors announced the Test and ODI squads for South Africa. Shakib was in both.So Shakib said that wasn’t going to happen, he wasn’t going.You want rest, we’ll give you rest, the BCB said, kind of. And Shakib is out. A couple of people, Papon among them, criticise Shakib and question his commitment, etc for good measure.That might have hurt. Anyway, Shakib is now going to South Africa. He will take rest, he says, when the board gives him rest.Shakib wants a break from Test cricket, but he isn’t getting it right away•AFP/Getty ImagesWait! First, why exactly does he keep pulling out of tours?
You’re right, it has happened before. Shakib has missed a number of tours in the last five years. He skipped Tests in South Africa and Sri Lanka while also missing out on four tours because of suspensions and injuries. After he skipped Bangladesh’s New Zealand tour in January, many people did expect him to skip South Africa too. Then, when he wasn’t picked in the IPL auction…Aha! The IPL. That must be the real reason, right? Somehow?
If you let me finish… When he wasn’t picked in the IPL auction, it was then assumed he would be available for the tour. But Shakib said that he wasn’t physically and mentally fit to play.So, say it, it was the IPL.
It’s not that straightforward. Before the auction took place, Shakib made himself available for the IPL during the Test phase of the South Africa tour. Since the BCB had approved of that plan, Shakib can’t be faulted for assuming he could go ahead with his plans. And, really, his performances have earned him the ticket to ask for a break: he is one of the finest allrounders in the world, after all. He has numbers that debunk the theory that he’s not committed to Bangladesh cricket. It’s also worth noting though that Shakib’s family lives in the US, which means that every time he gets a break, a week goes into travelling and all of that.So, tell me, does Shakib have a problem with authority? Or does the BCB have an issue with him?
How long do you have? But, seriously, it can’t be denied that Shakib has had run-ins with the BCB for a long time. Let me go back… In 2009, he challenged the then board president AHM Mustafa Kamal for criticising the Bangladesh team in a public function. He’s been banned twice on disciplinary grounds. And remember how he kicked the stumps during a domestic T20 game last year? I might be missing a couple of instances, but you get the picture.Shakib does get angry from time to time, not always with himself•AFP/Getty ImagesSo it’s Shakib then, it’s his fault?
Not really. The BCB has actually handled Shakib poorly in the last 12 years. See, he is Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer ever, there’s no contest there. So the BCB avoids punishing him too harshly, as was in 2010 when he abused someone in the crowd for not moving away from the sightscreen, or when he flipped a fan during the 2011 World Cup. They reduced his ban when he threatened to quit the Bangladesh team as he wasn’t allowed to play in the CPL. When the ICC banned him in 2019, the board didn’t even announce an internal investigation.So what now? He goes to South Africa, plays the games he wants, and then…
If he can change his mind about touring South Africa twice, you think anyone can stop Shakib from picking and choosing the games he plays?Tell me, do his team-mates like Shakib at all?
He generally gets along with his team-mates, but he will face a confused team management that had probably activated Plan B when they heard he was on leave.I get the sense that he’s too big for the Bangladesh team. Why doesn’t he just retire and become a T20 freelancer?
But Shakib still needs Bangladesh, especially now when it looks like the IPL is unlikely to feature in his schedule at all. Given his age, he has a few good years left in him, but he would want to go out on a high. And, for that, he will need to perform for Bangladesh.Until the next time then?
Until the next time, Bangladesh have a Test tour, perhaps.

Manjrekar has asked for LED lights to do the job bails do, Shastri doesn’t want change after a “one-off case”

Nagraj Gollapudi and Raunak Kapoor13-May-20224:29

Is it time to do away with the bails?

Yuzvendra Chahal agrees with Sanjay Manjrekar that if a ball hits the stumps and the bails light up but don’t get dislodged, it should still be declared out.One such moment came during Rajasthan Royals’ loss against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday when off the last ball of Chahal’s first over, he beat David Warner with a legbreak that went on to hit the stumps. Unfortunately for Chahal, and Royals, Warner survived as the bails didn’t fall. Warner was on 22 at the time and the Capitals were 94 adrift of the target with 11 overs to go. Warner eventually walked back undefeated on 52 having seen Capitals home comfortably.Related

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“Since it was first time this happened with me, even I was shocked because the ball hit the wickets and the bails did not fall,” Chahal told ESPNcricnfo on Thursday. “If such a thing happens at a crucial time especially with a batsman like Warner, who does not offer too many chances… so if he had got out at that juncture then probably the match result could have been different.”Chahal said he had planned Warner’s wicket, leaving a point and just one fielder to man the covers. With the ball turning, Chahal said he went “fuller”. “The way he plays with a short backlift [trying to hit more square of the pitch], I wanted to create the gap [between the bat and the ball] because if the ball is turning, I have to go for the wicket.”The plan worked like a charm, and both Chahal and Sanju Samson started to celebrate, only to have their celebrations cut short.The LED-stump technology is used by match officials to adjudicate three forms of dismissals: bowled, stumpings, and run-outs. The existing playing condition dictate that the bails have to fall off the top of the stumps for the batter to be declared out. And the LED lights flash only when both spigots on one or both bails are dislodged from the groove, though they can settle back in.On Wednesday, just as the legbreak hit the stumps, the left bail came off the groove. Momentarily igniting the lights. But it rested back in the groove, reprieving Warner.Warner said cheekily after the match that he was “due some luck”. “You do the hard yards at training and you create your own luck and I think tonight I had some,” he told Mitchell Marsh during an interaction. “Spinners complain when the ball doesn’t spin and they complain when the ball does spin. It was one of those things where the stumps were jammed in the ground.”Chahal said while he respected the rule, he was in favour of it being changed. “We can do that because at a crucial time, and it is a big event or match or final, then something like this happens because if the ball hits the wicket then it should be out,” he said. “If it is given not out just because the bails have not fallen off then it could cost you a match. It definitely will affect the [bowling] team.”

“If you have bails, then the bails should fall off. If tomorrow you say get rid of the bails, then go by the lights. It’s a case of basically getting rid of the bails. But why change it? It’s there for a 100 years and the fun element is there, and the luck factor comes in”Ravi Shastri

Talking on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out on Wednesday, Manjrekar had stated that bails be made “redundant”, considering LED stumps are widely used these days. “It would have been a wicket, deserving for Chahal who bowled superbly,” he said. “It was a terrible shot from Warner, and it didn’t get a wicket. Unless it’s adding an aesthetic value, they should just get rid of the bails because they’re completely redundant with LED technology.”Ravi Shastri, though, had a more traditional viewpoint, saying that bails, which had been introduced in cricket to allow match officials to determine if the ball had hit the stumps or not, should stay. “It’s a Catch-22 situation,” he told ESPNcricinfo on Thursday. “Suppose I play a forward defence and the ball rolls on to the stumps at a very slow pace and touches the stumps, and the bails don’t fall off – is he out or not out? The debate will start there as well.Yuzvendra Chahal executed his plan against David Warner perfectly, only for the batter to get lucky•BCCI”If you are looking from the bowler’s point of view, you might say the lights have flashed, you should be given out. But if that’s the rule that has existed over a 100 years, there’s an element of suspense, whether it will fall or not fall, that makes the luck factor come into play. I think it’s very rare the bails won’t fall, you’ll have a one-off case like this.”If you have bails, then the bails should fall off. If tomorrow you say get rid of the bails, then go by the lights. It’s a case of basically getting rid of the bails. But why change it? It’s there for a 100 years and the fun element is there, and the luck factor comes in.”Shastri cited an example from his playing days when he was at the “receiving end” in a dismissal where the bails had fallen off without anyone noticing it. “I remember a game in Mumbai where I was batting against West Indies at the Wankhede and [Michael] Holding was bowling. I was batting on 70 or something and there’s one that nipped back and went to [Jeffrey] Dujon. And after a minute, there was an appeal because one bail had fallen down. No one heard anything, but the bail had fallen down and I was given out. It was the right decision because when they really showed it in slow motion, it was the pace of Holding. It might not have touched the stumps but the speed at which the ball was going it dislodged the bail. And that’s cricket. I was at the receiving end of it.”He, however, admitted that he would reluctantly agree for the existing rule to be tweaked. “If you see most of the rules, if they are in favour of the batsmen, then this one as a bowler to get something back, it’s not a bad thought,” Shastri said. “I don’t want to change things for the sake of changing.”