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“We’re just here to have some fun, enjoy this series completely, and take a lot of positives”

Varun Shetty06-Jul-2021The India players who are in Sri Lanka for the upcoming limited-overs series are paying no heed to conversations about them being a second-string team – as Arjuna Ranatunga called them – according to Suryakumar Yadav, who is focused on taking “a lot of positives” from the short tour.”Not really [thinking about being a squad of non-first-choice players]. Everyone is completely focused,” Yadav, 30 but still a newbie at the international level, said on Tuesday. “The way the practice sessions are going, the way the [intra-squad] game went yesterday, it’s going completely fine and we’re really excited about the challenge.”We’re just here to have some fun, enjoy this series completely, and take a lot of positives from here.”Related

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The squad, on tour even as the expanded Test squad gets ready for a five-match series in England after finishing the World Test Championship final, features as many as five players who have earned their maiden call-ups to the national team, and a string of others who are new at the international level – like Yadav. He made his international debut earlier this year at home in a T20I series against England, but, in many ways, is among the senior-most players in the touring party.”That [England] was a different series. This is a different series. But the challenge remains the same – I’ve to go out and perform the same way I did,” he said. “So pressure will be there because if there’s no pressure, there’s no fun. It’ll be a great challenge and I am really looking forward to it.”Every year I’ve learnt something different from all my team-mates [at the Mumbai Indians]. That tournament is a great learning every year. It really helps me wherever I am playing. If you sum up, it’s a great learning process and it has obviously helped me gain a lot of experience.”The bedrock of Yadav’s game as an attacking batter in the IPL has been his ability to be innovative on slow pitches just as well as he is on true batting surfaces. India are scheduled to play all their games at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, and tiring pitches are more than likely to be a feature as the series begins on July 13.”From a conditions perspective, we play in similar conditions in places like Mumbai and Chennai, where the humidity is high,” Yadav said. “Most importantly, we have come here 15-20 days before the series to acclimatise to these conditions. We are adjusting well. Talking about the pitches, the surface for the intra-squad game [on Monday] was really good, and I hope it stays the same. If there are slow pitches, you need to take time and apply yourself. It will be a good challenge and I am really looking forward to it.”

Persistent rain prevented any play on the first day of the second Test between England and New Zealand at Headingley

The Report by George Dobell24-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe covers never shifted on the opening day•PA Photos

Persistent showers prevented any play on the first day of the second Test between England and New Zealand at Headingley.Although there were brief gaps in the clouds, the weather did not relent enough even for the toss to be taken or teams named. The forecast is better for the weekend, though, and an extra half-hour can be added to each remaining day of the game. It was the first time since 1980 that the opening day at Headingley had been washed out.England are expected to name an unchanged team from the side that won the first Test at Lord’s by 170 runs. That means there will be no recall for Tim Bresnan on his home ground and another chance for Steven Finn.New Zealand are expected to make two changes. With left-arm spinner Bruce Martin and wicketkeeper BJ Watling both injured, New Zealand will field a four-man seam attack with Doug Bracewell coming back into the side, while Brendon McCullum will keep wicket and Martin Guptill will strengthen a batting line-up with was blown away for just 68 in the second innings at Lord’s. That would leave Kane Williamson, a part-time offspinner, as their only spin option.

The newly-appointed captain of the Ahmedabad franchise says he has “mentally always been ready” to be a leader

Hemant Brar01-Feb-2022″You don’t have to be a captain to lead.”That’s the view of Hardik Pandya, who will lead the Ahmedabad franchise at IPL 2022. Pandya has captained only once at the senior level – in a tour game against Australia in 2017 – but he isn’t bothered about the lack of experience as he has always been “mentally ready”.”I’ve always believed that you lead in a lot of different ways,” Pandya said in a media interaction on Tuesday. “In my team, yes, I will be the captain but everyone else will be also a leader in their own role. Whatever little opportunities or roles I’ve been given [in the past], I’ve always tried to embrace them and learn something new out of them. And now when I have the opportunity, I’ll try to make sure that I use that experience I’ve got from all these little, little roles in my captaincy.Related

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But has he done any preparation for the role?”I don’t think there is a manual to learn how to become a captain,” Pandya said. “But I’ve always been a guy who likes to take up responsibilities in whichever games I have played. I’ll make sure that all the boys who are with me, we play as one [unit]. And that they get enough from me, that is what I’ve learned over the years. I’ll make sure I give a lot of time to the players, my doors will be always open for them. So no preparation as such but I’m looking forward to it and mentally I have always been ready.”During his India and IPL career, Pandya has played under three highly successful captains in MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. When asked what one trait from each of them he would like to have as captain, Pandya said: “From Virat, I would pick his aggression, his passion and his energy, which is tremendous. With Mahi [Dhoni] , the composure, the calmness. In every situation he is the same. From Rohit, I will pick that he lets the players decide what they want to do.”Pandya’s motto as captain, though, is to be there for his players, especially those who are not doing well.”When someone is on a high, when they are doing well, when things are falling in place, generally they don’t need anyone. When someone is having a bad day, that’s when they need you. So as an individual, or as a captain as well, when someone is doing good, I will never bother them. I will let them have their space. But when someone is feeling down, whatever they need from me, I will be always available. That is the motto which I believe in and I’ll try to follow that. And anyone who needs my help, anyone who needs me, I’ll be always there for them.”Pandya made his IPL debut in 2015 and until now, he has played only for one franchise, Mumbai Indians. During the seven seasons he played for them, he was part of the title-winning side on four occasions. Talking about the ideal template for a successful T20 team, Pandya said it’s all about winning the small battles.”No matter how much fireworks you have, it’s all about the situation, it’s all about picking the right moments,” Pandya said. “There are small, small moments which you have to win in a T20 game, and for us, that will be more important. We will be focused on the small, small battles – it might be winning the 14th over, or it might be doing well in the 16th over, for example. Whichever team plays the best [in those] situations will win. So that will be my template for our team.”

‘I always want to play as an allrounder’

In the last couple of years, Pandya hasn’t bowled much because of his back injury. When asked where his bowling is at the moment, he gave a cryptic answer: “It’s a surprise for everyone.”He did say, though, that the Indian team management is aware of his fitness status. “It has been communicated to everyone, so they know where I am.”Of late, there have been many occasions, both for India as well as in the IPL, when Pandya played purely as a batter. And that has been “challenging” for him. However, Pandya is keen to be back as an allrounder.Hardik Pandya has played for the Mumbai Indians since 2015, starring in four title-winning seasons•Sandeep Shetty/BCCI

“I’ve always been someone who has given three areas – fielding, batting and bowling, but at that point of time when I decided that I will [only] bat for some time was because I wanted to spend some time on the ground. It has been challenging yes, but I think we all love challenges and I am one of those who like to face them and fight them out.”Healthy criticism is good but generally, criticism does not bother me. I know what I’m doing, I know how I prepare, I know how much hard yards I put. For me, the results do matter but I don’t work hard for the results, I work hard for the processes and the results look after themselves once you have put in genuine hard work, which I’m doing right now.”I’ve realised one thing that I as an allrounder give a lot of different options to the team. For me as an individual, it has always been that I want to play as an allrounder, and I’ll always try to do that. If something does go wrong, my batting is always there. And you know, Hardik Pandya with bat and ball combined sounds better than just a batter.”With bat, Pandya’s role in T20s has been mainly that of a finisher, with him coming in mostly at No. 5 or below. But will that change now given he is the captain?”I have always been a cricketer who has played the situation and whatever the team requires at that point of time. If my team needs certain roles from me, as a group we will decide that when the matches come, but I have not made any plans regarding that yet. If the situation demands me to go in early, I will go in early. If the situation doesn’t demand that, I will stay back and make sure that I look after back end.”

Spinner suffered ruptured Achilles tendon during Johannesburg Test

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2023Keshav Maharaj, the South Africa spinner, has been ruled out of a planned stint with Middlesex after rupturing his Achilles tendon during the Johannesburg Test against West Indies.Maharaj is expected to be out for six months after suffering the injury while celebrating a dismissal on day four of the Test, putting his participation at the World Cup later this year at risk.He had been due to join up with Middlesex in April for a spell of eight County Championship fixtures and the Vitality Blast.Middlesex’s director of cricket, Alan Coleman, said: “We are naturally extremely disappointed that Keshav will not be joining Middlesex this year after sustaining this freak injury and we are saddened to hear that he will face a significant absence from playing. It goes without saying that everyone at the club wishes him a speedy recovery.”For us to lose Kesh so close to the start of the new season is a blow, however he wasn’t scheduled to begin playing for us until late April, which buys us a little time to put Plan B into action. We will of course keep everyone updated on the situation regarding a replacement overseas player for the coming season.”

The allrounder remains hopeful of finding a place in the T20 World Cup squad

Andrew McGlashan16-Jul-2021Daniel Sams remains comfortable with the decision to make himself unavailable for the tour of West Indies and Bangladesh to prioritise his mental health after the challenges of the IPL, which included catching Covid-19 before the tournament.Sams ended up playing two matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore before being part of the cohort of Australians who had to spend time in the Maldives when the tournament was suspended before they could travel home due to border closures to those who had been in India. He was then one of eight players, including the injured Steven Smith, unavailable for the current tour.”It was quite challenging with getting Covid in India, but it’s been really good to be home. Don’t have any regrets, obviously I’ve had thoughts of ‘wish I was there’ but in the end I made the decision that’s best for me long term,” Sams said. “My relationship is the most important thing, one of the biggest reasons for me pulling out was so I can connect back with my wife Danii because we’d never been apart for that long. That was definitely a priority and then my mental health as well.”I made the decision to come home so I can be good long term where potentially if I went I’d be no good for the summer, the potential World Cup chances, the BBL, all that stuff. I’d love to be over there, but think it was the best decision for me and my family.”Related

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Sams, who plays domestically for New South Wales and Sydney Thunder, does yet know whether he will return for the resumption of the IPL in the UAE but national limited-overs captain Aaron Finch has made it clear he would find it difficult for players to go back to the league having not been available for Australia duty.It is yet to be confirmed whether Australia will have any fixtures directly before the World Cup – there had been plans for a tri-series involving Afghanistan and West Indies – although the domestic season is due to start in mid-September which could need to be traded-off against the value of using the IPL as preparation.”I 100% definitely understand where he’s coming from with that, choosing not to go on this international tour whatever the reasons were, and choosing to go back to the IPL which potentially sacrifices some of the state commitments and whatever commitments there are leading to the World Cup,” Sams said.Daniel Sams showed his batting power against New Zealand•AFP

“That’s something that needs to be considered. There’s two ways to think of it. If you go to the back end of the IPL that’s T20 cricket that you’ll be playing so you’ll be going into the World Cup on the back of playing all these games. There’s a couple of ways to look at it.”Sams, who has played four T20Is, retains hope of making the final cut for the T20 World Cup. He showed his batting power with 41 off 15 balls against New Zealand in Dunedin and has eyes on the finisher’s position.”I’d like to improve on my bowling a little internationally,” he said, “but I feel more than confident I can be a big part of the Australian T20 team. I’d like to bat as high as possible, but being realistic batting seven, there’s been a lot of talk about the finisher role, and that’s something I feel I could potentially do.”With Covid-19 currently causing lockdowns in Australia and the Delta strain proving very difficult to quell, there is the prospect of bubble life again being part of the cricket season. If that’s the case, Sams believes players may need to take time away as well as find ways to help deal with the strain of a hotel-to-cricket ground existence.”It’s definitely something we’ll figure out plans and ways to manage yourself,” he said. “So if that means you’ll have to take some time off then you’ll have to take some time off [or] if that means you need to work with someone constantly. For me it has definitely been something like ‘okay, we’re going to be in bubbles again, how am I going to get through it so I can perform the best that I can’.”That’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about and wanting to put some things in place – I’m not quite sure what it’s going to look like – to be able to manage myself while in those bubbles.”

Glamorgan recover from 132 for 7 through van der Gugten and Dan Douthwaite fifties

David Hopps08-Apr-2021There has surely never been a bleaker start to the Championship season than this, well, not since last year anyway. Cricket took place at Headingley, but it was cold comfort, staged stoically in front of empty stands in the hope of better times ahead.Perhaps Yorkshire can be grateful the stands were empty. As Glamorgan played with startling enterprise to turn 132 for 7 into 310 for 8 by the close, Headingley was not quite the same without a few derisive cries of “Rubbish, Yorkshire!” and “Call yourself Champions!” (They’re not but that’s just unnecessary detail). They’ll all be watching on in-house streaming services and can be trusted to store up resentment for when the crowds finally return.Timm van der Gugten was Glamorgan’s unlikely batting stalwart. His career-best 80 not out at No. 9, from 134 balls, was an innings of optimistic muscularity and only the fourth time he had passed 50. A rebellious stand of 122 in 33 overs with Dan Douthwaite was followed by some hearty wind-ups by Michael Hogan, who walked off with 40 and will have visions of his fourth first-class fifty in the morning.Batting mayhem from the lower orders is hard enough to bear on the hottest days when the pitch is flat and the sun beats down, but somehow it is crueller still when a fast bowler can’t feel his fingers and a pitch he imagined might be his friend has lost interest.Douthwaite produced the most considered resistance in that late spree. He failed to break through at Surrey and Warwickshire and was given his chance at Glamorgan during studies at Cardiff University. After a decent all-round season in 2019, he had a stint at No. 6 last summer, but he was back at eight, at least for now.Douthwaite was finally silenced with the second new ball five overs old when he allowed a delivery from Ben Coad to strike his off stump. He will relish memories of a hooked six against Duanne Olivier which was high enough to have required stepladders. Telling Olivier it’s not a pitch for bouncers is like advising Piers Morgan to avoid publicity.Even Douthwaite’s belligerence came with moments of fortune, most notably in a wild slog against Matthew Fisher which careered over slips. As the seamers flagged, he deposited the offspin of Joe Root over long-on for six in a manner that informed Root that part-time offspin might have its moments in international cricket, but it had no place on a freezing day of the Championship in April.Six years have now passed since Yorkshire’s back-to-back Championships under the stewardship of Jason Gillespie, and Mark Arthur, Yorkshire’s chief executive, has told the annual meeting on Zoom that the county can boast its strongest squad in his near-decade in charge.In these parts that represents title talk – and leaving out David Willey did suggest either strength in depth, misguided selection or a little bit of both. Willey appeared as 12th man at one point in a hi-vis jacket, Yorkshire woolly hat and face mask which was not how it used to be done in the days of Lord Hawke.Douthwaite’s misjudgement extended the disastrous leave-alones to three, one in each session. Without them, Glamorgan’s situation could have been even better. Fisher, who, at 23, needs to kick on this summer to justify the expectations of his teenaged years, tailed the ball in slightly to hit the off stumps of David Lloyd in the morning and Callum Taylor after lunch.Glamorgan’s gusto brought life to these strange, slightly artificial proceedings. Infection rates may be falling fast, but Yorkshire is now Covid Central according to figures from Centre for Cities, which suggests that seven of the top eight towns and cities for new infections are in the county. The storm is not yet weathered.Nevertheless, Championship cricket has withstood jokes for at least half-a-century about how nobody watches it, which suggests it is perfectly designed to play to quarter-full grounds from May 17. Even those who do turn up tend to prefer their own company so much that they inventing social distancing long before anybody had even heard of the phrase.Before van der Gugten and Douthwaite wrested attention, pre-match interest had centred upon only the second cricket meeting of the Root brothers, the previous being a Royal London Cup tie four years ago. “I’ve not seen him since September,” observed Billy, who has been locked down in Wales while Joe pushed his Test batting average towards 50 with impressive shows in Sri Lanka and India.Reintroductions were made from third slip as Billy reached the wicket at 29 for 3. He fashioned Glamorgan’s early resistance with a workmanlike 43, and narrowly survived being run out by Joe on 38 when he pushed Fisher into the off side, chanced a single and was short of his ground when the throw missed the stumps. Coad eventually dismissed him, from around the wicket, leaving him for Jonny Tattersall to hold a low catch to his left. There was a flirty half-century, too, for Kiran Carlson, who seems to like a square drive.Yorkshire will need to be more resourceful when they are up against it if their imagined title challenge is to materialise. The new-ball pair of Fisher and Coad can sustain them, but the captain, Steve Patterson, is 37 now, and Olivier must dream on days like this of the hot sun and fast, bouncy pitches of his native South Africa.

Get your dose of analysis, stats and colour from Trent Bridge on ESPNcricinfo’s live blog

Sidharth Monga06-Aug-2021

Rain has the final say on day three

Getty Images

No more play. The rain has won this session. India now have a maximum of 196 overs in which to force a result. I leave you with a teaser from my final report

Ravindra Jadeja pulled out his sword celebration, Jasprit Bumrah hit a six and also his top score in Tests, Mohammed Shami displayed text-book defensive pushes, and Mohammed Siraj had some fun too as India’s much-maligned lower order took them into a position of strength, a first-innings lead of 95 runs, in the Trent Bridge Test. Not before KL Rahul added 27 to his already fine overnight 57.Rain, though, frustrated them as only 49.2 overs of cricket was possible on the third day, England playing out the 11.1 bowled to them without the loss of a wicket. India now had a maximum of 196 overs to force a result in.Not long ago, in the World Test Championship final in the same country but against a different opponent, India lost their seventh wicket on 205, the same score as here, but lost the remaining three for 12 runs. Then the last four added 28 in the second innings. The difference in two lower orders – home ones generally tend to outscore their opponents – was believed to be the difference between the two sides leading into the series.

Then Ben Stokes pulled out.5.40pmOkay the rain is back, and the resumption is pushed back to 6.10pm.5.25pmThe rain has cleared out, and we are set for a resumption at 5.45pm. Remember we can play on till 7.30pm.

England catch a breather

5.10pmTwenty-five minutes into the final session of the day, England catch a break with the rain arriving without any forecast. It is not very dark, and it is windy, so we are not expecting this to be a long shower. England 25 for 0 in 11.1 overs, Burns 11 off 38, Sibley 9 off 33. Batting has looked slightly easier than the first time around, which shows in how India are operating with two slips and a gully, but by no means would you call it easy out there. Be back soon.

Tea. (And cakes for India)

4.25pmEngland go to tea at 11 for 0 with largely uneventful six overs behind them. They still trail by 84. Yet another session that belonged to India with their score going for 205 for 7 to 278. Interestingly India opened with Bumrah and Siraj, and not Shami.