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Afghanistan’s dramatic sixth-wicket partnership, particularly Asghar Stanikzai’s innings, was a window into the mentality of Associate cricketers; the concept of going for broke against a top side is no longer considered the only route to success

Mohammad Isam in Fatullah01-Mar-2014Against Bangladesh, Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari played the sort of innings that reminds you that international cricket still has some folklore left in it, amid all the excess and frills. In real world terms, these two innings speak of how far and deep cricket can go in the world and what it can come to mean, even to countries that have embraced it not so long ago.The Stanikzai-Shenwari partnership – 164 in 138 balls for the sixth wicket – turned Afghanistan’s innings at one go into launch pad and fortress, and set up the Asia Cup’s most magical match till now. The pair battled hard when the team needed it; just when Afghanistan looked to be giving it away, the pair conjured up a stunning final ten overs. It happens to be the best sixth-wicket partnership among Associate nations. That categorisation however didn’t matter; Stanikzai-Shenwari tackled the situation with the chutzpah of hardened competitors.This Saturday in Fatullah will always be remembered by Afghanistan’s cricket team and its tens of thousands of fans. For world cricket, it was a match to cause reflection. The fact that cricket is not the sport for underdogs is quite obvious these days. Afghanistan and their cricket, though, have always brought surprise and joy. And on Saturday afternoon, this batting pair provided reason to believe that cricket can still be followed in a different way; by watching unknown batsmen bat, and finding out more and more about them until you turn into a fan.This dramatic sixth-wicket partnership, particularly Stanikzai’s innings, became a window into the mentality of Associate cricketers; the concept of going for broke against an international side is no longer considered the only route to success. It could be the effect of the considerable number of longer-version matches that Afghanistan and their fellow Associates get to play these days. While Stanikzai’s was a display of this mindset, Shenwari’s innings wasn’t just a Sunday hit-out either. He hardly hit anything that looked out of place at the top level during his chanceless knock. Technically Shenwari’s 81 was highly competent.These two innings, in terms of impact, could be compared with Kevin O’Brien’s 113 against England in the 2011 World Cup or John Davison’s 111 against West Indies in the 2003 World Cup. Shenwari would stand toe-to-toe with Davison or O’Brien for his hitting, but Stanikzai’s unbeaten 90 was a superbly-paced innings and should get all the plaudits. He beat his previous highest, 66, against Australia – also Afghanistan’s highest against Test-playing nations. In this instance, he first had to ensure his team’s total gained respectability before squeezing enough to put pressure on Bangladesh. It took him 73 balls to get to 37, during which time he had ensured Afghanistan had touched 150 in the 41st over.From that point onwards, Stanikzai helped his team to 100 more runs in nine overs. His contribution was 53 off the next 30 balls, during which he hit all his boundaries – six fours and three sixes. Shenwari was the free scoring batsman in the partnership until Stanikzai decided to step into turbo mode.Afghanistan had created a chance for themselves in their previous match, against Pakistan, before Umar Akmal’s century. It was Shenwari who had dropped him in that game. On Saturday, he left a far better imprint on the game. He was in many ways the engine driver of the match-turning partnership, aggressor from the start. He had come in to bat 90 for 5, found the off-side gaps more often than Stanikzai, and when the need arose for big hits, Afghanistan had their next best thing to Mohammad Nabi.When Nabi fell in the 27th over, the fifth man out, Afghanistan were hanging by a thread. With their last recognised pair in the middle, there had to be a lot of patience and perseverance. Stanikzai, who a reputation of being a battler in the worst of times, was the man who understood that. He had apparently taken some criticism back home for batting slowly against Pakistan; he made 40 off 91 balls against one of the more highly-rated bowling attacks in the world. Here, he started slowly again, but then accelerated at the right time. The dramatic acceleration took everyone by surprise. One would claim that he had been helped by Imrul Kayes’ two dropped catches in consecutive overs, but that was when he had already got to 72 and 77. By the time he got those lives, he had proved his worth as a batsman.In late November last year, Stanikzai left Fatullah with a second-ball duck. It was his final innings for Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Dhaka Premier League, and he must have wondered at the time if he would play on Bangladesh’s domestic cricket circuit again. With this unbeaten 90, he has set right his reputation in Bangladesh and, with Shenwari, shown that the tournament’s underdog can do more than challenge.

A absorbing account of a universally loved cricketer and the impressive bowling feat he achieved eight decades ago

Ivo Tennant23-Jun-2014No one had an unkind word to say about Hedley Verity. Not Sir Donald Bradman, whom he dismissed more times than any other Test bowler, nor any other batsman, not his Yorkshire team-mates, and most certainly not Douglas Jardine, the England captain with whom he forged a seemingly unlikely but close friendship – to the extent that he named his son after him.Verity and Jardine: two of the most fascinating figures in English cricket. It is quite possible, of course, that the affection in which this unquestionably great left-arm spin bowler is held has something to do with the fact that he was killed in the Second World War. He was only 38. It is mind-boggling to consider the number of wickets he would have taken had he been granted a full life and a full career. No wonder Geoffrey Boycott (who also bowled wearing a cap) is always banging on about uncovered pitches.If there had been anyone, dead or still alive, who did have a bad word to say about Verity, rest assured Chris Waters, the author of (Bloomsbury £10.99; it should have been priced at £10.10), would have unearthed the detail.Waters spoke to the last surviving player of the match in question in 1932 between Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, Frank Shipston, whose eyes misted over at the memory. “Such a fine chap and such a fine bowler.” He is now dead, as is another man whom Waters also met who was present that day at Headingley, John Richardson. It was the only time he saw Verity play. Such reminiscences make for an absorbing book.How good was Verity? Bradman reckoned he could never entirely fathom him, which must be the ultimate compliment. His action was classical; his accuracy and reluctance to give runs away was drilled into him in Yorkshire. Waters writes that he “spun the ball just enough and, allied to his ability to make it lift, a skill intensified in wet conditions and a weapon known as his perching ball”. He could well have been describing, three decades later, Verity’s heir, Derek Underwood, who would have been worth interviewing for this book.Jardine, that summer of 1932, reckoned Verity would be the ideal bowler to shore up an end in Australia that winter while the fast bowlers accounted for Bradman and other leading Australian batsmen. Verity, from a very different background to his captain, admired his tactical thinking and planning. This was, of course, an era in which the captain’s command was obeyed, and sportsmen, even the greatest ones, would sign up to fight for “the old country” without question, but it was still an intriguing relationship.As well, inevitably, as there being little footage of Verity the man and the cricketer, there are few quotes from him about his bowling and his life that can be dug up by the biographer. Sportsmen of the day did not provide end-of-play commentaries. Douglas, Verity’s son, now also sadly dead ­- it is just as well Waters began his research some years ago – ­added telling family detail. “This is the end of my cricket career,” Verity told his father, Hedley senior, a coal merchant, as war was imminent in 1939. Nonsense, was the reply. “I tell you, this is the end of cricket for me.”Verity correctly predicted the war would last six years. He was killed after four, in 1943, when with the Green Howards in Sicily. His great friend and Yorkshire and England colleague Bill Bowes heard the news in a prisoner of war camp on the Adriatic coast. “Say, there was some cricketer guy at Caserta,” said a Canadian airman who had just been shot down over Naples. “Bowes staggered into the deserted roadway that ran through the camp,” writes Waters. “Pain sliced through the pit of his stomach.”Meanwhile, Jardine, who had been lucky to survive in France after becoming detached from his men, was picked up and shown to a destroyer. “We’re bound to be all right now, sir,” said his batman. “She’s named after your favourite bowler.”The ship was called HMS Verity.10 for 10: Hedley Verity and the Story of Cricket’s Greatest Bowling Feat
by Chris Waters
Bloomsbury, 2014
£10.99

A stats analysis of MS Dhoni’s captaincy record across formats

Bishen Jeswant04-Sep-2014After winning the fourth ODI against England at Edgbaston, MS Dhoni surpassed Mohammad Azharuddin to become the Indian captain to have achieved the most ODI victories. Dhoni is also India’s most successful captain in Tests and T20Is, making it a good time to look back at Dhoni’s captaincy career and analyse whether he can be considered India’s best captain.Dhoni in ODIs
While Azhar, the earlier record holder, had 90 wins from 174 matches, Dhoni has 91 wins from from 12 fewer ODIs – 162. In all, there have been seven Indian captains who have won 10 or more ODIs. The table below offers a quick look at their records.

Dhoni’s win percentage of 61.5 is clearly head and shoulders above the rest, with Rahul Dravid being the next best. Dhoni has therefore not only won the most matches, but has also done it more frequently than any of his predecessors. During Dhoni’s stint, India have won almost every ODI tournament of note, including the Asia Cup in 2010, the World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013. However, if there is one criticism against Dhoni, it is that his ODI campaigns outside Asia have been less successful than those in familiar conditions.

While MS Dhoni does have some creditable wins outside Asia, such as the Champions Trophy in England and the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia, his win percentage drops in ODIs outside Asia. Dhoni’s win percentage in the subcontinent is 65%, which drops to 53% outside Asia. Sourav Ganguly, on the other hand, has a win percentage of 49% in Asia, but a significantly better 59% outside the subcontinent. However, Ganguly only has a solitary trophy outside Asia, the NatWest Series in 2002, despite taking the team to eight finals. Dhoni, on the other hand, has a 100% record in finals outside Asia winning all four that he has captained in – the Champions Trophy, the West Indies Tri-Nation series and the Commonwealth Bank series (two finals). This table lists Indian captains who have won the most finals, at home and away.

Azhar took the team to 19 finals, while Ganguly took the team to 14. However, Azhar managed 11 victories, while Ganguly could squeeze out only one. The high number of finals in which Azhar and Ganguly captained is partly down to the fact that they played at a time when triangulars and quadrangulars were at the peak of their popularity. Azhar captained in four finals against Sri Lanka, winning all four, while Ganguly led in five against them but won none. Dhoni has captained the team to only 11 finals in comparison, but has won seven of those, giving him a win percentage of 64, the highest among Indian captains who have led in more than one ODI final. The table below compares Dhoni with other captains who have led their country in at least 100 ODIs.

While Dhoni’s win percentage is not comparable with that of Ricky Ponting or Hansie Cronje, the numbers indicate that he is certainly in the league of Steve Waugh, Graeme Smith and Allan Border, statistically. What must also be factored in is that Dhoni probably captained teams that did not have a bowling attack of the quality that some of the above mentioned captains were fortunate to have. In addition to captaining the side, he performs the arduous task of keeping wickets as well, and is the only captain-keeper, apart from Kumar Sangakkara, to have scored more than 500 runs and effected more than 50 dismissals in ODI cricket.Dhoni in Tests and T20Is
In the fifth Test against England at The Oval, Dhoni equalled Ganguly’s record for most away Tests as India captain, 28. Dhoni’s Test captaincy has come under far more scrutiny than his ODI captaincy, especially as the away losses have piled up. A quick look at how his overall record in comparison with other captains who have led India in at least 25 Tests.

Dhoni is the only captain to lead India in more than 50 Tests. India have won 27 Tests under him, which is six more than the next best, Ganguly. However Ganguly has the better win-loss ratio. Dhoni still wins a greater percentage of his Tests though, which only means that Ganguly had a greater percentage of draws. Dhoni has been heavily criticised for his Test captaincy record outside the subcontinent. A look at the records of India captains who have led the team in at least ten Tests outside the subcontinent, except Zimbabwe.

Despite winning four Tests, more than any other Indian captain, Dhoni’s win-loss ratio is a dismal 0.3 and worse than many of the captains in the above table. While Ganguly has only won three Tests, his win-loss ratio is 0.42 as he lost only seven Tests, compared to Dhoni’s 13. Dhoni has seemed to be unable to eke out draws in Tests that are unwinnable. Even Azhar, who didn’t have a single victory in these conditions, managed to draw 57% of his Tests, while the corresponding percentage for Dhoni is 29. The Indian captain with the most impressive record may well be Dravid, who is the only captain to have won more Tests than he has lost in these circumstances, including Test victories in England, South Africa and West Indies.A comparison of Dhoni with other subcontinent captains who have led their countries in at least ten Tests outside the subcontinent, shows that nobody has won more Tests than Dhoni, but that Dhoni has also lost more Tests than other captains. The five subcontinent captains with the best win-loss ratios under the said circumstances are all from Pakistan. Only Arjuna Ranatunga and Intikhab Alam have a win-loss ratio worse than Dhoni’s.

While Dhoni’s captaincy may be criticised for the losses outside the subcontinent, he has usually fought valiantly with the bat before India have slid to defeat. Some innings that come to mind are his 90 in Centurion in 2010 and his 74* at Edgbaston in 2011. Even during the recent losses at Old Trafford and The Oval, Dhoni showed some resistance with scores of 71 and 82 respectively.

Depending on how you look at it, you could either say that Dhoni sticks it out when the chips are down, or that he only scores easy and meaningless runs when the writing is already on the wall.Dhoni’s legacy will always be tested through comparisons with other captains from across the world. The table below looks at the win percentages of individuals who have captained in at least 50 Tests.

The numbers show that Steve Waugh was the best captain, at least statistically. He won 72% of his matches and had a win-loss ratio of 4.55, far better than the others. Dhoni has a win percentage of 46.6, which is comparable, statistically, to the likes of Clive Llyod and Graeme Smith. Allan Border’s win-loss ratio is, in fact, poorer than Dhoni’s. The win-loss ratio of India, as a country, over the years has been 0.79, with a win percentage of 25. India’s numbers under Dhoni, in both respects, are significantly superior. For context, Australia’s win-loss ratio over the years is 1.77, while their win percentage is 46.9. Australian captains will therefore need to do more than their India counterparts to remain on par with their country’s performance through history. Dhoni’s win percentage of 46.6 is far greater than India’s 25% over the years, and even comparable to Australia’s 46.9%.In T20Is, India have mostly been led by Dhoni, thereby not allowing for much comparison.

In fact, even across countries, Dhoni has played and won most matches as captain in T20Is. Dhoni had even taken India to victory in the inaugural edition of the World T20 and to the final of the latest edition, though India fared disappointingly in the intervening World T20s.

If Dhoni can improve his overseas Test record, assuming he will have the opportunity to do so, he will make an almost irrefutably strong claim to being India’s best captain. If not, Ganguly definitely makes a case to be considered India’s best captain in overseas conditions, while Dravid’s Test captaincy record outside Asia has been impressive as well, though with a much smaller sample set for comparison.

The pros make a match of it at the SCG, but all-round entertainment is available elsewhere in Harbour City

Benjamin Golby28-Nov-2014Sydney is the beating heart of cricket in Australia. The city has one of the strongest club systems on earth and has produced the lion’s share of the Australian side over the years, including some of the world’s greats. Sydney hosts a proud cricketing culture and, for the visitor, the game offers a number of ways to explore this magnificent city beyond its more regulation tourist activities.The Sydney Cricket Ground is a good destination, even on a rest day, but many of the game’s delights are to be found at lower stations of play. Weekends see a flush of park cricket, from the highest-level grade competition to lower shires or league games, much of it great to watch. Some of the grounds are set in gorgeous surrounds and attended by a curious collection of Australian characters. It all makes club cricket a marvellous excursion from the World Cup.The genteel North Sydney Oval•Getty ImagesVisiting the SCG
The SCG is not only the best ground in Australia at which to watch international cricket but an institution that can be explored on non-match days. Combined tours around the Sydney Football and Cricket Grounds are offered on weekdays and Saturday mornings, as part of which one is taken through the player facilities, onto the field and into the more rarefied areas restricted to Members.While it’s fascinating to see the dressing rooms (and their surprising austerity), it is the ground’s traditions that are most impressive. Statues of Sydney’s great cricketers – Fred Spofforth, Stan McCabe, Richie Benaud and Steve Waugh – line the oval, while the Members’ reserve symbolises the ground’s rich past with wood-panelled bars, antique furniture and ornate stands. The tour concludes underneath the Ladies’ Pavilion in the SCG Museum (accessible only to Members on match day), which contains bats, baggy greens, pictures and other memorabilia.

Getting there

UniversalImagesGroup

The SCG/Centennial Park: With no train, it’s a bit of a bother to get to the SCG. However, there are a plethora of buses from the various city railway stations to the ground. On match days, the special No. 1 Moore Park express shuttle from Central Station is the most direct route. Alternatively, a cab may prove the best conveyance; fares are around A$20 from the city.
From the SCG, Centennial Park is a 15-minute walk leading through the film and television studios of Sydney’s entertainment quarter. This is a fairly sterile neighbourhood but there are sports bars and restaurants along the way, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays, a Farmer’s Market with fresh produce and food stalls. To return to the city, head back to the SCG and board one of the buses frequently running down Anzac Parade.
North Sydney Oval: It’s a quick train ride on the North Shore line or an exhilarating walk over the Harbour Bridge to North Sydney Station. From the station, North Sydney Oval is a 15-minute walk up Miller Street with a number of buses also plying the route.
To return to the city, take a bus from out the front of the oval on Miller Street. There are frequent services but check the destination with the driver before boarding (it will also be displayed on the front of the bus)
Manly Oval: The Manly ferry leaves from Circular Quay every 30 minutes. The magnificent sail through Sydney Harbour takes half an hour. Tickets are labelled MyFerry 2 and can be purchased at the wharf. From Manly Wharf it’s a five-minute walk up Belgrave Street to the oval. Stop at the Visitor’s Information Centre for a map.

After a match, with buses crammed full, it’s quite nice to walk from the SCG to the city down the steep backstreets of Surry Hills. This is a time-honoured path, with plenty of wonderfully grungy pubs along the way, like The Bat and Ball, The Cricketers’ Arms and The Forresters.Centennial Parklands
The SCG sits near the sweeping belt of the Centennial Parklands, a green swathe of ovals set across Sydney’s south-eastern suburbs. This is a wonderful spot to see the whimsical world of Australian amateur cricket with an extensive set of pitches (including turf wickets) and, on the weekend, countless games in progress. These range from terse shires matches, with players all in whites, to motley affairs where an amiable visitor may be able to talk himself into a side.The grand Centennial Park offers facilities to hire a bike or even a horse to navigate its gardens, ornamental ponds and magnificent vegetation.Aside from the opportunity to watch cricket, it makes a marvellous spot for a picnic or a nap underneath a shaded tree. The adjacent Moore Park (just across from the SCG) and Queens Park (over from Centennial Park in Waverley) are less scenic but abound with cricket pitches and assorted games. There is a café and kiosk overlooking the cricket fields, where you can try the time-honoured Australian fare of a meat pie with tomato sauce.North Sydney Oval
North Sydney Oval is the most charming of Sydney’s suburban cricket grounds. Lying over the harbour bridge within the affluent Lower North Shore, it is a picture of gentility with green tin-roofed pavilions, red wooden benches, a boundary picket fence and inviting grass banks. The Moreton Bay fig trees, and the palms in neighbouring St Leonard’s Park, enhance this graceful ground’s topical allure.Take a ferry to Manly from Circular Quay•Getty ImagesNorth Sydney Oval’s small boundary and sound wicket make for fast, exciting cricket. Through the day, there is the merry din of clubbed sixes battering the canopies. For a visitor desiring a relaxed day watching good cricket, an afternoon at the ground is one well spent. A laze on the hill, trip to the barbeque, and a saunter about the oval (with a gander at its various characters) is a fantastic expedition into Sydney grade cricket.Predominantly a business district, North Sydney is fairly quiet, but the adjoining neighbourhood of Crows Nest abounds with restaurants and bars. The ramen at Ryo’s Noodles, a five-minute walk from the oval to Falcon Street, is outstanding.Manly Oval
The coastal neighbourhood of Manly is a stunning outing from Sydney. The voyage on the Manly Ferry alone is extraordinary, leaving from the city’s Circular Quay on a superb route past the Harbour Bridge and Opera House through the breadth of Port Jackson to Manly Peninsula. Here, just up from the wharf, sits Manly Oval, an elegant cricket ground bordered by pines and braced by the sea air. It is a proud and historic club (which has numbered Keith Miller among its players), there’s always a good game on the weekend, and it’s a great spot to drop by for a beer. What makes this chance to watch cricket in beautiful surrounds unique, though, is the natural wonder of the surrounding area.A short walk from the oval lies Manly Beach, a long and golden stretch of sand that sinks into the Pacific. On a summer’s day, it is a fine sight with sunbathers, paddlers, surfers, and a horizon of endless ocean. At the southern stretch is Shelley Beach, a sheltered cove famous for snorkelling. Milling about the waters are Wobbegong sharks (no threat to humans), otherworldly blue gropers, and teeming schools of various fish. Above the beach is a craggy headland which you can climb for staggering views across the harbour and across to the sheer cliffs that mark its southern entrance. If one is fortunate enough to combine this with a couple of hours watching play at the cricket ground, it may prove the abiding memory of an Australian trip.Bathe and bake in Manly beach•Getty ImagesWithin Manly there is a profusion of bars, cafés and restaurants throughout the central mall and by the waterfront. Manly’s pubs were once rough drinking dens – with the Hotel Steyne along the waterfront particularly infamous – but are now presentably redeveloped (and somewhat devoid of character). Fish and chips along with an ice cream from the beachside boardwalk, is a perennial favourite.

Shane Watson recalls his World Cup memories and picks his impact players

Daniel Brettig09-Feb-2015What is your first World Cup memory?
The home World Cup in 1992. That really stands out. The interesting uniforms the teams had with the colours on the shoulders, also watching the final and seeing Wasim Akram bowl those couple of incredible balls to change the game.Who will be the breakthrough player in this World Cup?
Steven Smith.Who’s the best death bowler you’ve seen?
Lasith Malinga. For his consistency, where he hits his yorkers all the time in all the tournaments he’s played, it’s pretty incredible to watch but not so much fun to face!Who is the best finisher with the bat?
I’d say Jimmy Faulkner. He’s done it consistently for the last 18 months under a lot of pressure, he’s got it done just about every single time. So for me Jimmy by quite a long way.When is the best time to take the batting Powerplay?
A lot of it depends on the conditions but on good wickets with two new balls, 35 overs is usually a perfect time. In slower conditions, where the ball’s going to turn a bit more and get a little bit older, the earlier the better.The best World Cup match you’ve watched or played in?
The 2007 World Cup final against Sri Lanka. To see Adam Gilchrist go absolutely bananas after he didn’t have the best tournament leading up to that final, on such a big stage, was pretty amazing.Have you ever had a proper job?
Yeah I was a pizza delivery boy when I was 18. I actually trashed my car one night when I was trying to find the street numbers in the dark.Who will Australia play in the World Cup final?
South Africa.

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2015Their openers could not last long though and Amjad Ali and Andri Berenger were dismissed by the 11th over•Getty ImagesKhurram Khan struck 45 off 55 to steady the innings and drive UAE past their hundred•ICCThen Shaiman Anwar built on that foundation with 67 off 50 balls to power UAE to 285•ICCSikandar Raza got Zimbabwe’s chase off to a good start but after he fell to Mohammad Tauqir, UAE sensed a chance•AFPTight bowling from Amjad Javed and Mohammad Naveed forced the Zimbabwe batsmen to be circumspect•AFPSolomon Mire’s wicket caused minor jitters in the Zimbabwe camp, but Sean Williams addressed them with a well-composed half-century•ICCCraig Ervine, who looked and played identically to Williams, was part of 83-run sixth wicket stand that secured Zimbabwe’s victory•ICC

England threw what ever they had at West Indies on the final day, but an unhelpful surface exacerbated their weariness and yielded only five wickets

George Dobell at North Sound18-Apr-2015Hot, weary and frustrated, England hardly seemed in the mood to celebrate James Anderson’s achievement in becoming his nation’s leading Test wicket-taker.Kept in the field for 129.4 overs, they knew they had not only failed to take a chance to go ahead in the series, but that they only had a three-day turnaround before they have to do it all again. For a team whose captain and coach are, rightly or wrongly, under such scrutiny, the sense of frustration will be magnified. They remain without a Test win overseas since Kolkata at the end of 2012.It would not be fair to say that England searched for excuses for their failure to take more than five wickets on the final day. It is true that they pointed out that the pitch was unusually flat – “You could start another Test on that wicket and it would last another five days,” was Alastair Cook’s blunt assessment – and that the balls are offering little reverse, but their opposite numbers in West Indies’ team said pretty much the same thing. It really was a painfully slow wicket by the end.And England did not, by any means, bowl poorly. Ben Stokes bowled far better than his match figures suggested and there were a couple of spells from Chris Jordan – who bowled the fastest delivery of the match (91.8mph) – which promised good things for the future.There was no lack of effort or invention, either. England tried innovative fields, experimented with the ball, declared plenty early enough and, though there were a couple of tough half-chances, did not miss a clear-cut opportunity. Jason Holder, in particular, was deeply impressive and deserves much credit.But there is no avoiding the fact that England looked toothless for long sessions of the final day. And they looked toothless against a side with a modest battling line-up that is currently ranked No. 8. Life will become no easier for England as the year progresses.James Tredwell had, in many ways, a decent game. He hardly bowled a poor ball, he guaranteed his captain control and, in the first innings, he claimed four wickets through some clever, patient bowling.But the primary job of a spinner is to threaten in the fourth innings and this he generally failed to do.Tredwell might be something of an oddity: a spinner who is more useful in the first innings of a match. With little spin to work with, he is adept at maintaining control and tricking batsmen trying to attack with subtle changes of pace and flight.But given some footholes and a match to win and he appears to lack the weapons. There were times when Joe Root looked more dangerous. It would be a surprise if Moeen Ali, with his extra pace, does not replace Tredwell for the second Test.It was probably fitting that Anderson should break Sir Ian Botham’s record on such a docile pitch.Anderson has been at the heart of just about everything good that has happened in England’s Test cricket for a decade: Ashes wins home and away, a Test series victory in India and a brief moment at No. 1 in the ICC rankings.But increasingly, England are asking too much of him. Increasingly, he is the man thrown the ball when all plans have failed and asked to use his tricks – his swing, his cutters, his disguises and his control – to engineer a breakthrough.Of course, Cook threw him the ball in the dying moments in Antigua. Of course, Anderson bowled more overs than any other seamer involved in the match. Of course, he was willing and committed in everything he did.The worry is, the more that is asked of him, the less he has to give. The swing, once so potent, is present less often than it was. The pace, at the start of his career so sharp, can still be summoned, but not for so long. The length, once so probing, is now shorter as the fear of being driven has grown.He remains a fine bowler and England’s best. But there are a lot of miles in the legs. And with 16 more Tests to come in the next nine months, you fear that the gentle decline could become terminal. Two more Tests on this sort of wicket – “there aren’t many flatter” was his view – is no way to treat such a precious talent.The same could be said of Stuart Broad. Broad had a decent game with the ball and, in managing to trick Marlon Samuels with a cutter in the first innings and bounce out Kraigg Brathwaite in the second, showed that he had the package of skills to take wickets even on such surfaces.But it was noticeable on the last afternoon that, armed with the second new ball, for all his effort and bluster, he rarely managed to bowl quicker than 81 mph. He, too, may simply have too many miles on the clock.Whether England bring in a fresh seamer for the second Test depends on two factors: how the members of the current team react to their exertions and how the pitch in Grenada appears. While Mark Wood, bowling with pace and swing, is in pole position, it seems likely the next wicket will also be slow and placid.”I honestly don’t think there was much we could have done different,” Cook said afterwards. “We tried everything. We tried different tactics. We tried getting it to reverse. We bowled pretty good areas all day.”We threw everything we had at the West Indies. We played a pretty good match and came up just a little short.”It will be tempting to look for quick fixes. It will be tempting, for example, to suggest that the presence of a left-arm fast bowler or legspinner might have offered more variation in the attack.While there are some talented left-arm fast bowlers in county cricket – Mark Footitt is probably the most polished, but Tymal Mills and Atif Sheikh are also promising – it would be disingenuous to suggest any would necessarily have unlocked any devil in this pitch.Equally, while the concept of including a legspinner in the side is attractive, the reality of Adil Rashid’s bowling of late has been less so. His flaw is that, while he can bowl with skill and control for Yorkshire, there is a perception that he lacks the pace to succeed on Test surfaces and against Test batsmen. Then, when he tries to bowl with more pace, he loses control.”I think the whole dressing has a bit of a downer on because we left everything on the pitch, as we had to do,” Cook said.You can’t ask more from a team than they do their best and England gave that, in the field at least, in Antigua. It may well not be a fair surface on which to judge a bowling attack, but it does remain a lingering concern that England appear to lack the weapons damage opposition in such circumstances.

In the second half of the tournament, at every training huddle, players were told treat each match as a final. That resonated with Mumbai’s talismans who lifted their games admirably

Nagraj Gollapudi25-May-20152:38

Mumbai Indians overcame a poor start to seal their second IPL title

Tournament overview

During the first timeout of the Chennai Super Kings innings in the IPL final, Ricky Ponting led the entire support staff onto the field. Shane Bond, Robin Singh and Jonty Rhodes were in tow with the Mumbai Indians head coach as they strode purposefully onto the field. Only to pat the backs and joke around with Rohit Sharma and his men for they were doing nothing wrong.This philosophy to bond together, keep a light head, have good game sense and adapt when necessary has been the hallmark of Mumbai’s success this season. Both Ponting and Rohit deserve credit for creating an atmosphere where every player buys into the winning mentality and plays hard to come out on top at all cost.Mumbai, we could say, have patented bounceabackability. They lost their first four matches, and with only only one win in six had to win each of their last eight matches to make the play-offs.Jokes about their coaching staff being a stronger outfit only became louder In the first half of the tournament. But as Kieron Pollard pointed out franchise sport is a maze: it takes time to find the right way out.For Ponting, the challenge was understanding his soldiers and finding the right way to communicate his message. Luckily, he already had his captain’s trust and respect: Rohit has acknowledged Ponting’s inputs, as consultant, in Mumbai winning the Champions League Twenty20 in 2013.And at the outset of the 2015 triumph, Ponting had made it clear that he wanted to run the team. Although he did not mind the presence of former Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble as mentors, he did not want any interference. Ponting’s intention was not to confuse the players with too many voices.In the second half of the tournament, at every training huddle, players were told treat each match as a final. That resonated with Mumbai. Lasith Malinga found his pace and his yorkers. Pollard found a bigger role than just being a murderous finisher and also helped guide the young and raw Hardik Pandya. Harbhajan Singh found his flight and drift. He helped inexperienced left-arm spinner J Suchith beat his own nerves and opposition batsmen.Emotionally lost at the beginning, Rohit found his voice to bolster his men. He was seen as a dejected figure, sitting away from the team at times. On Sunday though, as Vinay Kumar ran in to bowl the last ball of the IPL, Rohit started his own victory run. Leaping up ecstatically and pumping his fists in glory.Mumbai Indians won nine of their last 10 matches, and blitzed past Chennai Super Kings in the final•BCCI

High Point

“Every time you go into the game and come out of it, you’ve got to think how you can improve at least by 10%.” Rohit Sharma said that after Mumbai stomped on David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad with a nine-wicket victory with six overs to spare. It was the final league match of the tournament and the stakes could not have been higher: if Mumbai had lost they “would go home”, as Rohit described it. Instead the secured the second spot on the table with attacking bowling followed by a 106-run opening stand between Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel that sealed the result.

Low Point

Four defeats on the trot in the first four matches.

Top of the class

If it had been mentioned that Lendl Simmons would end up as Mumbai’s best batsman at the start of the tournament, you would roll your eyes. More than the runs, he kept a cool head and helped raise a platform at the top of the order consistently. His alliance with Parthiv Patel yielded 619 runs, the second-most by any pair in this IPL. Simmons’ match-winning half-century in the final was his sixth 50-plus score in the season, the most by a Mumbai batsman across all IPLs.The way Simmons constructed his innings showed he wanted to be a catalyst. Simmons’ natural game is to be an aggressor, but this season he showed a calmness especially in the first six overs. His strike-rate in the Powerplay was 120.33, rising to 132.50 in the next nine overs and thereafter it soared to to 155.5.

Under-par performer

R Vinay Kumar is not just a workhorse. He has a smart grasp of conditions and a good knowledge of the batsman’s weak points. Those skills have helped his domestic side Karnataka complete the treble (winning Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy and Vijay Hazare) for the last two years. Vinay brought his domestic form into the IPL last year when Kolkata Knight Riders won the tournament. But this season Vinay has been ineffective: he managed just seven wickets, the fewest for any bowler who has bowled at least 40 overs this IPL. His average of 52.57 is the second-worst in this bracket.

Tip for 2016

As amazing as the adrenaline-pumping, mad rush was in the back nine games, Mumbai will do better to establish a winning trend on the front nine going forward.

Statistical highlights from the second day of the first Ashes Test in Cardiff

Bishen Jeswant09-Jul-20157 Number of consecutive 50-plus scores for Chris Rogers in Tests, a world record (joint). The other players to have done this are Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Everton Weekes, Andy Flower and Kumar Sangakkara. Rogers is the only opening batsman of these five. He is also the only one of these five to not score at least one century during the seven-innings streak.0 Number of times that England posted a 400-plus score during the last two Ashes series. They have already scored 430 in the first innings of this Ashes series.21 Number of times Mitchell Johnson has conceded 100-plus runs in a Test innings, the second-most for any Australian bowler after Shane Warne (40). He returned figures of 0 for 111 in the first innings.2 Number of times Johnson has conceded 100-plus runs in a Test innings when he has not taken a wicket – both times against England. He had figures of 0 for 104 in Brisbane in 2010, making his figures of 0 for 111 in the first innings of this Test, his worst ever in Tests.95 Runs scored by Rogers in the first innings of this Test. If he had scored five more runs, Rogers would have become the first Australian opener to score five centuries after the age of 35. Matthew Hayden scored four.77 Runs scored by Moeen Ali in the first innings, the highest score by a No. 8 batsman at Cardiff. This is also the third-highest score by any English No. 8 batsman against Australia at home.0 Number of 50-plus scores for Stuart Broad in Tests since being hit by a Varun Aaron bouncer at Old Trafford in 2014. He has scored 147 runs in 10 innings since then at an average of 14.70. Since getting hit, Broad has made three ducks and only two scores of more than 25. His career batting average in 103 innings till he got hit was 23.95, including 10 fifties and one century.0 Number of sixes hit by Rogers during his Test career prior to this Test. He hit a top-edged a six off Stuart Broad during Australia’s first innings. This was Rogers’ 40th Test innings.

After a ten-month free-fall, Cheteshwar Pujara will turn out for India once again at the traditional batting paradise that is the SSC. Can he make it count?

Sharda Ugra in Colombo25-Aug-20151:22

‘We can make Pujara open’ – Kohli

Michael Holding once made a telling statement about the business of picking an XI. Selection, he said, “is not about justice. It is about balance.” Cheteshwar Pujara heads into the third Sri Lanka v India Test at the SSC looking for both: seeking equilibrium in his career after a 10-month free-fall and a slice of divine justice to get him back into the India XI.India’s growing injury list has meant that the team itself is looking for balance by making full use of whatever options are available for one last tilt at a rare series victory here in Sri Lanka. Twenty-two years since the last one, folks, in case you’d forgotten. Pujara has virtually been picked in the Indian XI by his captain in public for the third Test due to injury to opener M Vijay. India, who came to Sri Lanka with three openers, are now left with one specialist, KL Rahul, centurion from the P Sara Test, who also doubled up as part-time wicketkeeper as Wriddhiman Saha did in his hamstring. Going by the team’s misfortunes in terms of injury on tour, there’s a strong possibility team director Ravi Shastri could be driving the team bus on Friday morning, because the driver hurt his wrist just as they got onto Galle Road.More seriously, the good news is that Pujara has done this stuff before. Stepping up to front the innings due to an openers’ injury. In fact he averages 101. 5 as opener in his three Tests in the six months between November 2012 and March 2013. He first stepped in during the home series in England to cover for Gautam Gambhir in the second innings in Ahmedabad and once again turned up as stop-gap second innings opener for the the injured Shikhar Dhawan versus Australia after Dhawan’s barnburner debut in Mohali. Pujara’s scores as Test opener read: 41*, 28, 52 and 82*.The only difference between the situation then and that of two years later is that the Pujara who opened for India in 2012-13 and the one who turns up in Colombo are not two different batsmen, but one cricketer attempting to find closure to a very trying life experience. When Pujara first opened for India it was not to prove his ability but on the basis of credentials already established. At the time, he was feted and recognised as a solid and reliable India No. 3, a worthwhile successor to Rahul Dravid. Between August 2012 and December 2013, Pujara scored 1483 runs in 23 innings, including six centuries and three fifties.What followed after his 16-month glut was what can only be called Pujara’s “blue period”: three series and 20 innings – where he averaged 24.15 – against quality attacks who offered not only the discomfiture of pace but also lateral movement on demanding surfaces. For a batsman whose game is built of composure, a good defence and an ability to crank up his run-scoring tempo after getting settled in, early failures in New Zealand carried through to England and Australia. It was not that he did not get starts in his 20 innings, particularly at the start of the tours in England and Australia, he was just unable to knuckle down and follow through with bigger and more substantial scores.Virat Kohli said it wasn’t difficult telling Cheteshwar Pujara about his stop-gap role•Associated PressIn his first five innings in England, Pujara’s scores read: 38, 55, 28, 43 and 24. In Australia, in his six innings he got: 73, 21, 18, 43, 25 and 21. It is not that Pujara did not try; it is merely that, on the scoreboard, he did not succeed. It is not that India did not try giving him a long rope, much like they are trying to do with Rohit Sharma currently. Twenty innings is a substantial enough number in a team that is walking the high wire, playing with six specialist batsmen. In his last innings for India in the Boxing Day Test, Pujara was sent down to No. 6, much like Rohit was bumped down at the P Sara. The man who occupied Pujara’s old No. 3 spot in Melbourne 2014? KL Rahul, with whom he will most probably go out to open the Indian innings now.”It was disappointing that I could not convert good starts into big scores,” Pujara said about the Australia tour in an interview to Sportskeeda website in April. “I was batting well and feeling confident but somehow I did not kick on. At times, I played loose shots, and sometimes I got absolute rippers.”India A coach Rahul Dravid, however, believed “a player like Pujara will find the way”. “He has got the desire, the hunger, he is looking to get better, he has got the technique, and he is keen to improve,” Dravid said last month. “It is just matter of time before he comes back and gets a chance to play in the XI, and one or two scores will change things for him.”Pujara’s induction into the XI as an opener, captain Virat Kohli said at the end of the P Sara game, was to give the team “more batting options to play around with”.His approach to Pujara’s situation was both pragmatic and ruthless: telling Pujara about his stop-gap role was, Kohli said, “not difficult at all”. “We have communicated this in the team before, that no one is playing in this team for personal glory or personal achievements in this tour… Eventually what you want to do is win a Test match. That should be your ultimate aim… Someone like Pujara, if he has to step in for the next game and miss out for the next, he will understand that it is the situation that demands for him to do so. And we need that balance in the next game, which he will provide if he opens for us in one-odd Test match. That’s an understandable thing as a professional athlete.”Professional athletes learn how to rebuild their careers from a detritus of the type Pujara has had to deal with. He is said to be itching to get under his India helmet again and go out to open for India on the moon without oxygen if asked to. He will be going out on one of the best batting pitches in the subcontinent, a place where, it is joked, bowlers should ideally wear black bands and batsmen should carry tents with them. This will be Cheteshwar Pujara’s base camp.