Plays of the day from the first day of the second Test between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh

Firdose Moonda in Harare25-Apr-2013Replay of the day
Zimbabwe’s decision to bowl could have brought almost immediate reward when Keegan Meth induced an edge from Jahurul Islam with his second delivery. In an action replay of his blunder in the first Test, Graeme Cremer dropped the chance at gully. It was at a catchable height, and again Cremer managed to clang it moving to his left. Brendan Taylor was quick to offer him an encouraging pat on the shoulder but he would have been livid at the repeat of the error. Meth went on to drop another catch later in the day and will surely receive some stern words.Chance of the day
The morning session alone brought four, but the one Zimbabwe would have been most upset with was the one that yielded four overthrows. The Bangladesh batsmen made a habit of searching for risky runs, and when Tamim Iqbal worked Meth to square leg at the end of the 18th over, Mohammed Ashraful was the guilty one. He made it halfway up the pitch before seeing Tamim had only moved a few steps, and was not even in the frame when the throw came in. It was accurate but Meth failed to gather and so it ran away for more runs.Waste of the day
Tamim did not succumb to any of the “ordinary” Zimbabwe bowlers, as he called them in 2011, but was eventually out to an extraordinary piece of fielding and self-destruction. In his haste to bring up a half-century, Tamim decided to set off for (another) risky single after pushing to mid-off. Shingi Masakadza had been prowling the region at both ends and had an opportunity to effect a run-out a few overs before. This time he struck the non-strikers’ stumps with a direct hit that found Tamim well short. He had to go without a fifty but he did complete 2000 Test runs.Decision of the day
Ian Gould, who replaced Billy Bowden in this series after the latter had to return home because of a family illness, has obviously been practicing the new laws. From next month, when a bowler breaks the non-strikers’ stumps in his delivery stride, it will be called a no-ball. For now, it’s simply a dead ball. Kyle Jarvis has got a week to get out of the habit if he does not want to be penalised, and he had Gould to remind him today. Twice in the second over after tea, when Jarvis broke the stumps, Gould signalled no-ball, only to quickly change it to dead ball. Soon he won’t have to do that and Jarvis will have to deliver further away from the stumps.Celebration of the day
After close to three hours of trying and failing to dismiss one of Shakib Al Hasan or Mushfiqur Rahim, Elton Chigumbura was finally on the receiving end of another donation. Having just cut for four, Shakib charged a short ball and edged through to Richmond Mutumbani. Chigumbura was so delighted he leapt in the air, ran a long way and did a goosestep kick – a la Kemar Roach – to send Shakib on his way.

Plays of the day for the match between Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab in Delhi

Kanishkaa Balachandran23-Apr-2013The catch
After losing two early wickets, Delhi Daredevils needed to push on and build a partnership. Virender Sehwag was just starting to open up, but Harmeet Singh’s slower deliveries were starting to annoy him. Off the last ball of Harmeet’s second over, he made room and tried to improvise, looking to slap it over the off side. He ended up scooping it towards extra cover and the ball began to dip towards Mandeep Singh, who timed his dive well and hung on. Mandeep, though, didn’t claim the catch immediately, indicating to the umpires that he wasn’t sure. Sehwag too stopped in his tracks. Replays showed that he plucked it clean, leaving little room for doubt and Sehwag was on his way. Kings XI would have scored on the Fair Play points too, if they care about it, thanks to Mandeep’s honesty.The flop
With a top score of 26 in six games (including four single-digit scores), patience was running out for the ageing Adam Gilchrist to finally score big. Being a non-performing overseas captain only increased the pressure on him to perform. With a modest 121 to chase, Gilchrist came out with the intention of hitting his way into form. His first ball was an outside edge off Irfan Pathan that raced to third man for four, while the second was a mistimed loft that cleared cover. Gilchrist didn’t hold back the following ball despite his unconvincing start. Irfan angled it in, Gilchrist tried to clear the infield again but got a tame top edge that swirled to extra cover. Will Kings XI take a tough call on his place next match?The near miss
When Kings XI lost their fourth wicket at 70, Daredevils would have sensed they were at least another quick wicket away from a sniff. Four balls after dismissing Manan Vohra, Johan Botha nearly had another wicket for the over when he got one to straighten to the left-handed David Miller. The ball squeezed through the gap between pad and bat and for a split second it appeared as if the ball clipped the bails. It only just sailed over the stumps and sailed past the wicketkeeper Kedar Jadhav, who barely moved. To make matters worse for Daredevils, they conceded four byes.The run-out
Kings XI set a fine example in the field, keeping the target to a modest 121, but Daredevils had to be twice as good in order to be able to defend that. Mandeep Singh stepped on the gas with a breezy 24, but a promising knock was caught short thanks to a brilliant effort by David Warner. Mandeep rushed out of his crease for a risky single and was sent back by David Miller as Warner attacked the ball from square leg. Mandeep dived and there was a direct hit at the bowler’s end. Replays showed that Mandeep had only just raised his bat when the bails came off the groove. It was a tight call for the third umpire. The fielding effort perked up Daredevils, but only temporarily.

Recent events have fractured what was a harmonious relationship between India and South Africa. While the BCCI has been perceived as flexing its muscles to have its way, CSA has not handled the situation professionally as it could have

Firdose Moonda03-Sep-2013There are few break-ups that can be described as completely amicable and few people who can part ways without harbouring some ill feeling. The tensions between the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA) seem to be ending the way the worst separations occur: with broken glass, and burnt bridges. Looking at them now, it’s difficult to believe they once romanced each other with the enthusiasm of teenagers but as recently as three years ago, they did.The Indian and South African cricket boards have had a special association for years, from the time when India were the loudest voice in banning South Africa from international cricket in 1970 – a deserved punishment for the atrocity which was Apartheid – and in welcoming them back in after unity in 1991. They were the first country to host South Africa after readmission and the first to tour these shores.The 1992-93 series was aptly called the Friendship tour and consisted of four Tests and seven ODIs – almost as long as the one which was proposed for the 2013-14 season. Ali Bacher, who was the South African cricket boss at the time, explained South Africa wanted to host India before anyone else as a “gesture of appreciation,” for the role India played in getting South Africa back into the international game.The real opportunity to pay the BCCI back only came 16 years later and CSA snapped it up. When the general elections in India made the hosting of IPL 2009 impossible in that country, South Africa offered to organise the multi-million dollar event with little more than three weeks’ notice.Gerald Majola, then the CEO of CSA, said it was an opportunity to demonstrate the closeness of the two boards and CSA went all out. They provided staff ranging from administrative assistants to groundsmen, many of whom, such as Wanderers’ pitch doctor Chris Scott, had to have leave cancelled as the South African offseason had just begun. CSA helped in contacting partners, hotels, airlines and security personnel, they sold tickets, they marketed the event with even more gusto than they often did with their own and they pulled it off, start to finish, to perfection.

The franchise impact

The strained relationship between the BCCI and CSA will affect South African franchises, sponsors and the fans most. The Wanderers has asked and not been given an answer to clarify how the fifth day of their Test against India can be played if it clashed with an ODI India are due to play in New Zealand. Johannesburg’s Bullring seems destined to lose out on an India Test for the second tour running if the series is limited to two Tests. For Newlands and Kingsmead there are other worries. The former has put season tickets on sale advertising a T20, ODI and Test, which they have billed as Sachin Tendulkar’s 200th, on sale. Not only are they likely to lose one of the limited-overs games but Tendulkar is due to play his milestone match at home and the false advertising could lead to a demand for refunds later on. Kingsmead may miss out on a Boxing Day Test if the Tests happen before the ODIs.
And that is before even getting to whether East London’s Buffalo Park and Bloemfontein will see India at all. With the series set to be downscaled from seven, the ‘smaller grounds’ may be back in cricketing wilderness. Given CSA’s attempts to build fan bases in this area, that will be a major blow.
The same worry extends to sponsors. After the Majola affair, CSA lost all its major corporate backers and had to offer naming rights of series to charity – such as the T20s against Australia at the end of 2011 – or at bargain basement prices – like the deal signed with cooking oil manufacturers Sunfoil for the Test series also that season. As they made commitments to change and better corporate governance, money came back. Last season, CSA had a full house of sponsors and it looks as though they will not get the promised bang for their buck because of fewer fixtures.

It was also that IPL which was the source of CSA’s biggest scandal since Hansie Cronje’s admission of match-fixing almost a decade earlier. Majola accepted R4.7 million (then US$671,428) in bonuses for him and 39 other staff members but did not pass the money through the CSA board, who had already awarded their employees money for their IPL work.CSA’s auditors discovered the indiscretion in 2010 and what followed was a three-year-long saga that involved a series of investigations into Majola’s wrongdoing, intervention by the country’s sports minister, withdrawal of all major sponsors and eventually, Majola’s sacking.Through all of that, the BCCI did not have the need to respond. In fact, their dealings with CSA got stronger with the formation of the Champions League T20 – a partnership between the BCCI, Cricket Australia and CSA – and an additional tour.India asked South Africa to play two Tests in 2010, as part of their quest to hold on to their No.1 ranking. South Africa obliged but won the first Test in Nagpur courtesy a stunning Dale Steyn performance, only to lose the second in Kolkata and set a scintillating contest for the return series later in the year. The quality of cricket played in the 2010-11 summer was some of the highest in recent times and the 1-1 draw left a lot of unfinished business ahead of this season’s series, which is now in danger of being severely curtailed.The kernel of the recent friction between the BCCI and CSA appear to boil down to one man: Haroon Lorgat. The parties locked horns over a variety of issues when Lorgat was the ICC CEO and neither side has been willing to disclose exactly what those are.When he was appointed as Majola’s replacement, Lorgat said he was surprised to learn the BCCI disapproved of it and even threatened CSA with a shortened or cancelled tour. He said he regarded the BCCI as “friends” and would do whatever it took to smooth things over, even if it meant sitting across a table and apologising. His words were reassuring but his actions have not been.To date, Lorgat has made no plans to visit India and has not even been willing to acknowledge the obvious signs that the series will be affected. CSA’s only statement is that they will not respond to speculation and that they have not heard from the BCCI about revisions to the existing itinerary. The financial implications are huge for CSA, who stand to lose out on R175 million if a shortened series happens.While the BCCI was out of place in trying to dictate internal affairs at CSA and reams have been written about the danger their growing hegemony on world cricket poses. But CSA have not dealt with the situation as professionally as they could have.CSA have been unwilling to address any of the issues related to a possible reduced itinerary. Instead, they’ve busied themselves with conferences – a CEO’s one last week, a sponsor’s forum this week – and given their fans nothing to ease their concerns. While it is understandable that CSA do not have answers yet, it is difficult to fathom why they are ignoring the problem to this extent.It’s clear to even the casual observer that CSA are being pushed around and that it is not right but given India’s clout through cash, it is also perhaps unavoidable. Under the radar, there are murmurings of CSA being pushed out of the CLT20. This year’s fixtures were released without their consultation and their staff who were due to work at the event in India, have been told their services are not needed. There is also talk of another board being invited to replace CSA.Should they eventually be displaced, both from the CLT20 and India’s plans, the losses will be both financial and cricketing. The CLT20 was one of the franchise’s most important sources of earning. CSA make at least four times more money off an India incoming tour than any other. And cricket lovers, judging on the responses on social media, want to see at least three Tests between the two teams this summer. What is obvious is that this is not the time for CSA to resort to the silent treatment.

Australia have got close to England a few times in the series only to be unable to quite catch them and when they have let chances slip they have done so in style

Jarrod Kimber at Chester-le-Street12-Aug-2013Wile E. Coyote spent his entire cartoon life thinking he would catch the roadrunner. On so many occasions he thought he had his dinner, only to end up falling off a cliff, getting caught in his own trap, being outsmarted or just blowing himself up.Australia put England in an innings-long chokehold to gain the momentum. And then give it away with a bad collapse in their innings. Snap. Australia take three quick wickets to take charge of the match. And then can’t stop Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell. Beep, beep. Australia take Bell and Matt Prior in two balls to keep the total chasable. And then England’s tail mock them. Thud. Australia start their innings like the total of 299 is easy. And then they lose one wicket. Bam.Other than routinely giving away good positions, Australia have done nothing consistently. Even their two collapses in this Test weren’t consistent. One was half hearted after trying very hard to get a lead. The other was whole and complete. They stepped into the doom entirely, even before the clouds came over.There are things they cannot be blamed for. Bell is better than them. Stuart Broad has those Tests. England are more professional. England have better players. England have a coach they’re used to. England are playing at home. England are the better side.But Australia are now 3-0 down from four Tests. In three of those Tests they have had chances. One was denied by weather, and KP. The other two they combined their worst with some of England’s best. As far as losers go, they’ve been good ones. But losers just the same.Ryan Harris probably doesn’t deserve to be thought of as a loser. When in two years time he can’t walk without wincing, it’ll be because of days like today when he had to do the entirety of the world. As Tim Bresnan slogged him you could hear the fluid in his knee joints boil.Peter Siddle was the batsman who offered the final catch as the dark clouds hovered above Lumley castle. In Ashes cricket he’s taken hat tricks, large hauls, and put every single vital organ on the line Test after Test. For his trouble he’s lost three Ashes series. Nathan Lyon, the spinner that nobody wanted, took seven wickets. Shane Watson came in at No. 6, a position he would have found unpalatable a few weeks ago, and played his best Test innings since he was at the Wanderers in 2011.Even the accidental opening partnership did well. A player that Australia ignored because they always assumed they could find someone better, and the other who almost missed the entire tour for being an idiot. They batted in such a way that Australia believed they could finally catch England. David Warner proved again that when his head is still, and he wants to use it, he can score runs at important times. Chris Rogers hang on to the side of the boat for both innings, but no matter how many times England tried to force him off, he clung on.But that’s all Australia have been this Test, this series and of recent times, a team that can cling onto the edge and wait for the other team to break their fingers so they fall off. And when Australia fall, they fall. Today they fell so quickly it was impossible to distinguish each body from the next.Had they been beaten by a truly great team, or even a team playing at their very best, they could draw something from that. This is not the case. England can only get better. Australia are two injuries to Harris and Clarke away from being a club side with grand ambitions. If Tony Hill and Aleem Dar could see Australia’s future, they’d take them off the field for being too dark.They will continue to fight, win the odd moral battle, have some great individual performances, and even steal the odd Test.They can see the roadrunner, but he’s just better than them, and despite the odd good sign, they might not catch it for a long time.

Ashton Agar’s historic Test debut revealed England’s over-reliance upon James Anderson and a worrying trend to freeze under pressure

George Dobell11-Jul-2013To allow one No. 11 to set a world record score against you might be considered unfortunate, but to allow it to happen twice in a year suggests, as Oscar Wilde so almost said, something approaching carelessness. Tino Best last year, Ashton Agar this: it is all hard for England to take.Let us start by giving credit where it is due. Agar batted beautifully and deserved his success. With a lovely, easy swing of the arms, a readiness to get into line and a compact defensive technique which should serve him well for many years, this was not a fortunate innings but a classy innings.It was just a little reminiscent of the international debut of Ben Hollioake, another Victorian, who smashed a quick 63 against Australia on his ODI debut as a 19-year-old in 1997. His unabashed, charming grin that spoke volumes for the simple joy of a young man playing the game he loves, was more than a little reminiscent, too.So England’s bowlers could be forgiven for struggling to end Australia’s 10th wicket stand. On a pitch that is far better than the scores suggest, Agar and Phil Hughes exposed many of the earlier errors of the batsmen of both sides and prospered by adhering adages that many more experienced players would have done well to heed: blocking the good ball, punishing the poor and not chasing after wide deliveries.In years to come, England’s players and spectators present at Trent Bridge may consider themselves blessed to have witnessed it. In the short term, they may consider it agony.The stand between Hughes and Agar exposed more than a blameless pitch and some raw talent, though. It also exposed England’s uncomfortable reliance upon James Anderson and their propensity – a propensity demonstrated several times in recent months not least in the Test at Ahmedabad, the Champions Trophy final Edgbaston and in the Test against South Africa at The Oval – to freeze under pressure.The last time England were punished by a No. 11, when Tino Best thrashed them around Edgbaston, they could claim some mitigation. Anderson and Stuart Broad had both been rested and Best made merry against the less experienced seam trio of Tim Bresnan, Steven Finn and Graham Onions.The fact that Finn was present on both occasions is not coincidence. He is a talented, exciting cricketer who could develop into one of the world’s top fast bowlers. But, three years after his debut and 18-months after he was dropped in Australia for conceding four runs an over, he is still struggling to maintain a consistent line and length and here he conceded in excess of five-an-over.It was not just his insistence on banging the ball into the middle of the pitch – Agar hooked and pulled him for a succession of commanding fours – but his habit of wasting an off-side field that included several slips by bowling on Hughes’ or Agar’s legs or over-pitching and gifting half-volleys.His pitch map looked like it had been painted by Georges Seurat: spots everywhere; more a mountain range than a pitch mountain. In all he conceded 23 runs from 16 balls at Agar and forced Alastair Cook to recall Anderson into the attack.That is a worry. Anderson had already bowled for an hour, his control of reverse swing helping England take five wickets for nine runs in 32 balls. He delivered eight balls at Agar at the start of his innings but could be forgiven for thinking his work was done when he came off with nine wickets down.While Anderson denied any concerns over the burden he is expected to carry for this side, he is clearly one of England’s most precious assets and requires careful workload management. There are only three scheduled days between the first and second Tests and any injury to Anderson would prove a hammer blow to England’s Ashes hopes.Anderson’s burden was increased by the injury to Broad. While Broad took the field at the start of the day, he did not bowl for more than 30 overs, which raised questions about the wisdom of allowing him to field when clearly below his best.For a while, though, England’s tactics were close to unfathomable. Perhaps failing to respect Hughes or Agar sufficiently, they appeared to attempt a swift kill and, in the process, failed to maintain the basic disciplines of line and length that had earned them a strong position in the first place. And, as the ball sailed to the boundary again and again, there was a noticeable absence of help or advice being shown to Cook by his senior colleagues.It may be wrong to blame Cook, though. At times, with the seamers Finn and Broad in particular, he set fields that demanded a ‘fourth stump’ line and good length only to see his bowlers deliver such short and leg side fare that Agar and Hughes accepted it with glee.Even Swann, usually so reliable, appeared a little rattled as his attempts to entice Agar into mistakes with flight were met with lovely straight sixes and his attempts to force him back were met with a clever sweep and fine late cut. Neither Broad nor Finn delivered a single yorker and, while Anderson’s pitch map contains a concentrated square of attack, Broad’s and Finn’s are chaotic.While it may be stretching a point to suggest England panicked, there was a lack of calm, a lack of coherent plan and a lack of Plan B, all of which underlined the fear that, whatever happens in this series, England are some way from contemplating a return to the top of the Test rankings.

As South Africa look to improve a dismal record in Sri Lanka, their spinners will have to rethink their strategy and find better ways to utilise the helpful conditions

Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Jul-2013One of the more stunning statistics in ODI cricket is South Africa’s record in Sri Lanka. The teams have now played 12 completed matches on the island. Out of those, South Africa have won one. Their captain in that game was Kepler Wessels, and current chief selector Andrew Hudson opened the batting. In almost two decades since, they haven’t even come close to the hosts, and so far in this series, they have been outplayed just as comprehensively.It has not helped that South Africa’s best bowler and best batsman have not played in the series. Dale Steyn was ruled out of the tour through injury, and Hashim Amla missed the first match with neck spasms, before sustaining a grade one tear in his groin while fielding in the second. But another one of South Africa’s woes, which has little to do with either player, has been the bane of their ODI game for long.Spin bowlers Robin Peterson and Aaron Phangiso bowled their full quota of overs on Tuesday, and took one wicket apiece. On the surface, this not have seemed a poor return, but in South Africa’s innings, their inadequacy was laid bare. Tillakaratne Dilshan, who is better than a part-timer perhaps, but still no ace with the ball, out-bowled South Africa’s frontline spinners and extracted more turn than either. His modes of attack were more creative – flighting several outside off before darting a couple on the toes to finish the over. The visiting slow bowlers persevered on a humdrum line, without major variations to flight or pace, and reaped results that fit their bland exertion. On a pitch as slow as this worn Premadasa track, Sri Lanka’s 223 for 9 was always going to be a testing total, even with Amla opening the innings and without the intermittent rain.Part of South Africa’s problem is that their opponents are too adept at defusing left-arm spin. Sri Lankan batsmen are weaned on the stuff and the domestic competitions have lately been inundated with high-quality, left-arm spinners. There are also five left-handed batsmen in Sri Lanka’s top eight, who will not be daunted by the ball turning into them, particularly as neither spinner possesses a delivery that spins the other way. So thin are South Africa’s slow-bowling stocks, there is also no offspinner to call on apart from the part-time efforts of JP Duminy. Imran Tahir, meanwhile, appears to have been discarded like so many South African slow bowlers before him.Yet, even given these handicaps, Peterson and Phangiso have hardly made the best of helpful conditions. Rangana Herath may be the finest proponent of the left-arm slow bowlers’ craft in the world, but he still should not have more wickets from 12.5 overs than all three of South Africa’s spinners combined, who have collectively sent down 44. Herath is bowling in familiar conditions, but he is effective the world over, and adapts his game cleverly and quickly. He is no great spinner of the ball either and his guile, calculation and subtlety may mark the route to progress for the visiting spinners. Their captain might also be persuaded to set more attacking fields in conditions where slow bowlers should be dismissing batsmen.The action now moves to Pallekele, where South Africa may have some respite on a surface that tends to be faster, bouncier and more seam-friendly than the track they have encountered in Colombo. Their pace attack may set about hiding the flaws in the slow-bowling there, but for a side aspiring to build a cricketing dynasty, that cannot suffice. A greater emphasis on developing spin-bowling talent – at least at the top-level, may light the way, or perhaps a prodigy must be unearthed and moulded to plug the mighty hole in an otherwise impressive ship.Less than a year ago, they were the top team in all formats, but now they have slid to fifth in the ODI rankings, behind Sri Lanka, and have ceded the top T20 spot to the same team. Their limited-overs woes should serve as an ongoing reminder to South Africa that although they fly through in Tests on their vicious pace attack and a formidable row of batsmen, there may come a day when they succumb to their kryptonite, even in the longest format.

Stats highlights from the second day’s play of the Eden Gardens Test between India and West Indies

Shiva Jayaraman07-Nov-2013

• Rohit’s unbeaten 127 is the highest individual score on debut and the fifth hundred on debut at the Eden Gardens. Rohit’s hundred was the 11th against West Indies and the fourth-highest score against them by a batsman on debut.
• Rohit’s hundred is the 14th by an India batsman on debut and the fourth-highest score, at present, by an India batsman on debut. Only Shikhar Dhawan (187 v Australia, Mohali, 2013), Gundappa Viswanath (137 v Australia, Kanpur, 1969) and Sourav Ganguly (131 v England, Lord’s, 1996) have scored more on debut.
• M Vijay’s wicket was Shane Shillingford’s 50th in Tests. Along with Sonny Ramadhin – who also got to the landmark in 11 Tests – he is the second-fastest West Indies spinner to 50 Test wickets. Alf Valentine, who took just eight Tests, is the fastest spinner to 50 wickets for West Indies. Click here for a list of bowlers fastest to 50 wickets in Tests.
• Shillingford’s four-wicket haul is only the ninth occasion of a West Indies spinner taking four or more wickets in an innings in Tests against India in India. Carl Hooper’s five-wicket haul at Nagpur in 1994 was the last such occasion.
• Ashwin’s unbeaten 92 is his fifth score of fifty or more runs and his second-highest in Tests. His only hundred in Tests came against the same opposition, in Mumbai in 2011. Among India batsmen, only Kapil Dev (13) and Harbhajan Singh (7) have more fifty-plus scores in Tests batting at No. 8. With this innings, he has drawn level with MS Dhoni and Syed Kirmani, who also have five fifty-plus scores batting at No. 8 for India.
• India’s late middle-order made up for the rather shaky start to their innings: the 261 runs scored together by Rohit, Dhoni and Ashwin are the third-highest ever for India in Tests by their No.6, No. 7 and No.8 batsmen. Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik and Irfan Pathan added 295 runs in a Test against Pakistan in Bangalore in 2007, the highest added for India in Test by their batsman batting at No. 6 to 8. This was also only the sixth time in Tests that India’s No. 6 to 8 hit 40 or more runs in an innings.
• India’s batsmen have been quite vulnerable against quality-spin bowling in the last couple of years. Out of the 18 innings in Tests in India since January 2012, opposition spinners have taken four or more wickets in an innings against India on ten occasions. Considering that the 51 wickets that spinners took in these innings have come at a strike rate of 42.7 and at an average of 20.90, India batsman have been dismissed cheaply to boot.
• The 271 runs that were added by the partnerships between Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, and Rohit and R Ashwin is only the sixth time in Tests for India that 250 or more runs have been added by the sixth and the seventh wicket. The highest runs added for the sixth and seventh wickets for India are 307, also at the Eden Gardens, against South Africa in 2010.

Can Ireland convince their up-and-coming stars that home is where the heart is?

Tim Brooks 05-Nov-2013Something strange and almost eerie happened on September 3 this year. The twitterati focused on non-Test cricket. For several hours the Irishmen leading England’s charge over their countrymen was a trending topic. That the top run-scorer, Eoin Morgan, and the strike bowler, Boyd Rankin, had both previously played for Ireland was trivia gold, the currency of choice in social media reporting.It provoked many to consider the selection policy of the ECB and, perhaps for the first time, to view this not just in the context of English success but also in light of the development of cricket on the continent. The prevailing view of the commentators and columnists was that Test cricket would always be the pinnacle of a player’s career and therefore that as long as eligibility criteria were met the opportunities should follow. It was tough luck on Ireland, they conceded, but they could be proud of the calibre of the players they produced.There were a few nods to Ireland’s formal application for full member status but these amounted to little more than an acknowledgement that the availability of Morgan and Rankin would be jolly useful in such a lofty aim. Very few got to the nub, which is that Ireland are being assessed for a decision on which the whole future of their cricket hinges, without being able to showcase their best players. This issue is anything but trivial to Irish cricket.It seems the old adage that the ultimate honour and accomplishment in sport is to represent your country is, sadly, just a romantic notion. Rankin had the opportunity to spearhead Ireland’s emergence as a major cricketing force, to leave a true and lasting legacy. Instead he chose to explore the possibilities of Test cricket and that choice is up to him. The ECB have set out their stall. They will select the best players available for selection, and will not in any way jeopardise their own aspirations to be the leading team in the world.This leaves us with Ireland and their challenge to steer a course to full membership when their best players are jumping ship. Warren Deutrom, CEO of Cricket Ireland, explains what they have done to retain their players. “We surveyed our players last year and asked them directly what sort of structures we needed to retain our best talent in Ireland. The primary responses revolved around developing our own professional domestic structure, striving to play Test cricket, and putting in place our own national academy. These are now live initiatives that form the spine of our strategic objectives for the national squad.”Ireland is one of six associate nations that form part of the ICC’s High Performance Programme, seeking to bridge the gap between leading associate nations and full members. This provides additional funding that enables Cricket Ireland to offer contracts to their players and they hope to use this financial incentive to gain long-term commitment from senior players.”We intend to offer our most important players two-year contracts that take us up to the World Cup,” says Deutrom. “One of the roles of our new national academy manager will be to instil in our young players the desire to remain loyal to their country and to sell the benefits that will accrue cricket-wise and financially as the game continues to grow in Ireland.”The model for Irish success is Kevin O’Brien, who has enjoyed a professional career and gained a global profile through starring for Ireland. In Deutrom’s words: “He doesn’t need to play for an English county in order to further his cricket career”.Cricket Ireland has notified the ECB of their professional squad of players for the 2015 World Cup and hope that their English counterparts will not seek to undermine their preparation. “The ECB recognised that the ICC has invested significant funding into Ireland to help us to be more competitive on the world stage and that, as the World Cup is the most high-profile benchmark of competitive progress, it stands to reason that we should prepare for that event without fear of losing vital players in the lead-up.”

With the Future Tours Programme already creaking with fixture fatigue and the full members’ share of revenue set to shrink if there is an 11th slice of the pie, Ireland will need philanthropy to prevail over finances

While acknowledging that losing Morgan and Rankin has lessened their chances of full member scalps, Deutrom is focusing on the future and pointing to the young squad that secured recent victories over Scotland, as well as the exciting crop of teenagers who will be nurtured in their academy. “ICC will only be concerned if we don’t identify and develop new talent to take the place of those we lose, and all we had was just one ‘golden generation’. ICC also looks at the broader picture of whether the game is growing in popularity: whether there is media coverage, whether there is corporate buy-in, and government support. We are only getting stronger on and off the pitch and we believe that, eventually, our case for elevation will become unanswerable.”Of course that desire, however strong Ireland’s case, will be decided by the full members, who dominate decision-making in the ICC’s governance structure. Unsurprisingly, in such a system self-interest often prevails. In this way Ireland’s objective is as much to win support amongst the full members, as Bangladesh did, as meet the ICC’s criteria. But with the Future Tours Programme already creaking with fixture fatigue and the full members’ share of revenue set to shrink if there is an 11th slice of the pie, they will need philanthropy to prevail over finances.Ger Siggins, a seasoned Irish cricket correspondent and champion of their bid for full member status, believes the lure of Test cricket holds the key. “The players who have gone to England said they wanted to play Test cricket, so obviously that is what Ireland has to push for. The only difference then would be the money, and Cricket Ireland can’t compete with the ECB there. To keep players interested Ireland will need to upgrade its fixture list, keep qualifying for ICC events and bring more money into the domestic game.”It is incredibly damaging that Ireland cannot field a full-strength side. Bangladesh got into the elite on little more than one win at the 1999 World Cup. Ireland has beaten five full members in the last decade, some several times, and still can’t get a sniff of full member status.”But this is not just a case of a full member exploiting the resources of an associate neighbour, wherever you stand on how ethical or significant that is. A fortnight before the game in Malahide, Kyle Jarvis, the promising Zimbabwean seamer, ditched country for county in signing for Lancashire. He could play Test cricket but has chosen not to. Perhaps then it isn’t about Test cricket at all but personal ambition. Kevin O’Brien is an associate player earning a good living, courted by lucrative Twenty20 franchises and boasting a global fan-base. Jarvis is a Test player for an unfashionable team with little career security.Ryan ten Doeschate used Netherlands as a springboard for wealth and fortune. If Ireland enable Paul Stirling to do the same perhaps he won’t listen to English overtures and who knows, in doing so in time he may find himself playing Test cricket for his home nation.

Through hell and back, Jesse Ryder is happy that he is back, and in love with cricket again

Abhishek Purohit in Auckland04-Feb-2014Jesse Ryder is happy just to be playing again with his team-mates. At one point he had got so fed up of everything he stopped playing. When he wanted to return, he was seriously injured in an assault and had to fight for his life. He has finally returned to the cricket field again. He knows he has underachieved in his career for various reasons. For the moment, though, he is grateful just to be able to be part of the New Zealand side, although having gone through what he has, he agrees there is a lot more to life than cricket.”Yeah, the year I have had last year, you certainly can say that but I have worked hard over the season to get back into this side,” Ryder said. “I am just happy being back and involved with the team.”I just love the sport, you know. And to have the enjoyment again. A couple of years ago, I stopped playing international cricket because I wasn’t enjoying it. Just a lot of off-field stuff going on, just stuff I don’t really want to talk about. It’s in the past now. I think the break did me wonders. To be back and enjoying cricket again, I am just loving life at the moment. I have worked real hard over the winter and this season to lose heaps of weight, and I am feeling really good at the moment.”The game he had stopped enjoying is what has drawn him back onto the field. Ryder shifted to Otago in New Zealand domestic cricket, and the change turned it around for him. “I figured it’s the time off I have had,” Ryder said. “The move to Otago, that has done me wonders. New set-up, new team, new environment. That sort of brought back the passion to get back into the international side.”It (cricket) has always been a motivation. I wanted to first and foremost fare well for Otago when I first went down there, and making the Black Caps squad again was just the goal I had set in place for the start of the season. I am just lucky enough to be playing after what happened.”Ryder said he had learned from his past to take life at an easier pace, and was “pretty chilled out” now. “I don’t let too much bother me, which is a good thing,” Ryder said. “I know in the past, I have let stuff get to me and get angry and beat myself up and stuff like that, especially when not scoring runs. But these days, it is a lot more relaxed and lot more easy-going, which is probably making the cricket easy as well.”

“I’d love to be playing Test cricket. I want to work on the average and stuff like that, and be known as one of New Zealand’s best Test batsmen”

Getting back was an achievement, but Ryder knows he could have done a lot more with the talent he has. “I know deep down that I probably haven’t fulfilled my potential, but you know I have got time to do that, and I am just finding my feet back in the New Zealand team at the moment. Hopefully I can continue the form I have shown,” Ryder said.That Ryder is in superb touch was evident in the ODIs against India, but he could not convert even one of his five starts. “That was probably the frustrating thing,” Ryder said. “I was getting starts, but wasn’t able to carry on. I kept throwing it away a little bit, but they bowled well at times as well. Getting the start and getting out was the frustrating thing.”Ryder is part of the Test squad only as cover for Ross Taylor but he said the longest format was the one he wanted to make his name in. “I’d love to be playing Test cricket,” Ryder said. “I want to work on the average and stuff like that, and be known as one of New Zealand’s best Test batsmen. In the past, I have done well against India. Certainly that always gives you confidence going in to a series like this. All would depend on if I am playing or not, so I hopefully I can get a run in one of the games.”I value Test cricket. I think it’s the true traditional game of cricket. You have to got to work a little harder for your runs and stuff like that in the Test arena. It’s Test cricket for me, probably the biggest one that I want to play.”

Stats highlights from the ODI series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the UAE

Shiva Jayaraman28-Dec-2013

• Mohammad Hafeez’s 448 runs is the second-highest aggregate in an ODI series by a Pakistan batsman. He fell three short of Salman Butt’s 451 in a five-match series against Bangladesh in 2007-08. Click here for a list of batsmen with most runs in bilateral series.
• Hafeez’s three centuries equal the most by a Pakistan batsman in any ODI series. Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar have also scored three tons in a series; they did it in consecutive ODIs. Zaheer hit three hundreds against India in 1982-83, scoring 346 runs at 86.50 from four matches, while Anwar’s three centuries came in a tri-series involving Sri Lanka and West Indies in Sharjah, in which he scored 387 runs at 77.40 from five matches.
• In addition to Hafeez’s three centuries, Ahmed Shehzad made one as well. It was only the fifth time that Pakistan have had at least four centuries in an ODI series.
• Hafeez’s 1301 ODI runs in 2013 is the most he has scored in a year, and the second time in three years that he has scored more than 1000 in a year. He previously hit 1075 runs at 37.06 in 32 matches in 2011.
• Misbah-ul-Haq’s two fifties took his tally of ODI half-centuries for 2013 to 15, the most by any batsman in a year. However, he did not make a hundred, a record for the most ODI fifties without a century in a year. Younis Khan (2002), Sourav Ganguly (2007) and Graeme Smith (2007) had made 12 fifties without a century in a year.
• Misbah ended the year with 1373 ODI runs, the most by any batsman. Hafeez is second on that list, making 2013 the only year since 1992 when two Pakistan batsmen have topped the run-scorers list. In 1992, Javed Miandad (942), Rameez Raja (865) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (818) were the top three runs-scorers.
• Including their win against India in the series that ended in January this year, this was the seventh bilateral series-win in ODIs for Pakistan in 2013, which is the most they have won in a calendar year. In 2011, Pakistan had won six bilateral series in ODIs. The most series they have won in a year, bilateral or otherwise, is eight, in 2002, when they won six and were declared joint-winners of two other series.
• Pakistan scored 1318 runs, which is their third highest aggregate in a five-ODI series. Their batsmen collectively averaged 50.69, which is also their third highest in a five-match series.
• Junaid Khan’s 13 wickets is the second-highest aggregate for a Pakistan bowler in a bilateral series, after Naved-ul-Hasan’s 15 wickets against India in 2004-05. Naved-ul-Hasan, however, played one ODI more than Junaid’s five in this series.
• Junaid also equalled the second most wickets in a series for a left-arm quick. New Zealand’s Geoff Allott and Australia’s Mitchell Johnson lead this list with 14 wickets from seven ODIs.
• Kumar Sangakkara’s two half-centuries took his tally of 50-plus scores in ODIs this year to 12, the joint second highest by a Sri Lanka batsman in a year. Sangakkara also holds the record for the most 50-plus scores in a year for Sri Lanka – 13 in 2006.
• Tillakaratne Dilshan completed 1000 ODI runs for a second year in a row during this series. He scored 1160 runs at 61.05 with three centuries in 2013. In ODIs since 2012, he is the third highest run-scorer behind Sangakkara and Virat Kohli. Only Kohli has more hundreds than Dilshan during this period.
• Ashan Priyanjan’s 74 in the fourth ODI was Sri Lanka’s highest individual score on debut beating Chamara Silva’s 55 against Australia in Colombo in 1999.