All posts by h716a5.icu

West Indies will have to reduce the number of loose deliveries drastically to avoid another hiding

The Preview by George Binoy27-Jun-2009Match factsSunday, June 28, 2009
Start time 09.30 (14.30 GMT)
The Big PictureShivnarine Chanderpaul was one of several West Indian batsmen who didn’t bat long enough to take his team to victory•AFPIndia gained a 1-0 lead in the four-ODI series against West Indies but there was plenty of scope for improvement in the performance which resulted in a 20-run win at Sabina Park on Friday. MS Dhoni did not appear to be a happy man as he shook hands with the West Indian batsmen after the game. The victory was largely due to Yuvraj Singh’s brilliance, his 131 off 102 balls making up for the loss of early wickets and ensuring that a wayward bowling attack had enough to defend.The Indian top-order remained suspect against the short ball with Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma falling to miscued pulls. Even Yuvraj and Dinesh Karthik succeeded only after surviving nervous moments against the rising delivery. It was only after the ball grew older on a slow pitch, and Jerome Taylor gave way to less threatening bowlers, that India began to dominate. The Indian bowling was also far from satisfactory; the problems caused by the inability to contain the West Indian batsmen were compounded by an unacceptable number of extras. India’s bowlers conceded 19 of the 29 extras through wides and bowled two front-foot no-balls.West Indies did well to get so close to a monstrous target but they could have done better and pulled off a stunning chase if one of their top-order batsmen played a long innings. Chris Gayle, Runako Morton, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul all made valuable contributions to keep West Indies in the game but got out just as they were beginning to dominate India. The pressure on the Indian bowlers, therefore, dissipated and left the lower-order batsmen with too much to do.That West Indies were chasing a total of 340 was down to their bowlers indiscipline in line and length and their inability to fight back once the Indian batsmen raised the tempo. They will have to reduce the number of loose deliveries drastically to avoid another hiding on Sunday.ODI form guide (last five matches, most recent first)
India – WLWWN
West Indies – LLLNL
Watch out for …Yuvraj Singh came into the series bearing the responsibility of India’s most experienced batsman in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, and he delivered spectacularly. He began his innings with India on 32 for 2, battled through a tentative period, and then successfully attacked anyone who bowled at him. Yuvraj paced himself superbly, playing cautiously when Karthik fell, before going berserk during the batting Powerplay.Jerome Taylor bowled an outstanding first spell, bouncing the top-order batsmen, and beating them repeatedly by seaming the ball from short of a length. He took 1 for 16 off his first five overs but was unable to sustain his intensity during later spells. He hemorrhaged 37 runs in two overs during the batting Powerplay and never recovered from that onslaught. In the absence of Fidel Edwards, West Indies need Taylor to step up and deliver consistently.Team newsIndia are unlikely to change their XI from the first ODI unless there are injury or fatigue concerns with some players.India (likely): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Dinesh Karthik, 3 Rohit Sharma, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 RP Singh, 11 Ashish Nehra.West Indies only have a squad of 13 to pick from for the first two ODIs and the players who missed out on Friday were Ravi Rampaul and Narsingh Deonarine. The one possible change they could make is to replace Lionel Baker with Rampaul.West Indies (likely): 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Runako Morton, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Darren Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Jerome Taylor, 9 David Bernard, 10 Suleiman Benn, 11 Lionel Baker/ Ravi Rampaul.Stats and trivia Yuvraj Singh’s 131 was the second-highest individual score at Sabina Park, after Imran Nazir’s 160 against Zimbabwe in 2007. Taylor’s analysis of 1 for 74 in 10 overs was his most expensive completed spell in ODIs. His second most expensive, 0 for 71, was also against India in Nagpur in 2007.The total of 23 sixes hit by India and West Indies combined in the first match was the fourth-highest number of sixes in an ODI, and the highest for an ODI in the Caribbean.Quotes”Once Yuvraj (Singh) gets in he always gives us a good score with a very good strike rate and we depend a lot on him because he bats at a very crucial position for us – at number four.”
“He did not show any signs of nerves because he also did well in the outfield and I hope he can go on to make a bigger score whenever he gets the opportunity again.”

Tottenham Hotspur could find their next Eric Dier if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato.it, Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici will look to sign another defender from the Serie A during the January transfer window, this time targeting AS Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez.

Journalist Enrico Camelio told the website’s football show that the north London outfit “really like” the Brazilian colossus and will try to sign him at the next possible opportunity.

It remains to be seen if the Italian side would be willing to part ways with the first-team star and for how much, although Transfermarkt currently value him at £22.5m, with the 22-year-old under contract in Rome until 2025.

Dier 2.0

Ibanez has started every single league game at centre-back under Jose Mourinho at the Stadio Olimpico so far this season but he is capable of also doing a job at right-back and in defensive midfield.

During an initial loan spell at Roma last season, the young versatile defender proved to be an absolute rock at the back, where he averaged two tackles, 2.2 aerial duels won, 2.3 interceptions, 2.6 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

This really displayed his ability to defend but he too was equally adept with the ball at his feet, managing an 86.9% passing accuracy, which has since increased up to 90.8% this season and as we know, Mourinho likes to play out from the back, so this is a crucial aspect of his game.

In some ways, this further highlights why Spurs could receive another Dier-like presence in the squad after the England international was signed from Sporting Lisbon at a young age and was converted into a centre-back, having played most of his career in defensive midfield.

One-time Spurs managerial target Paulo Fonseca managed him in the Italian capital and once described him as “a talent” to The Athletic. “It’s not easy to find fast, aggressive central defenders,” he added. “But Roger has another side to his game. He has a lot of quality and courage on the ball.”

In Ibanez, Paratici could well find Spurs their next Dier, whether he will be available or not certainly remains to be seen but if a deal can be struck, then the Brazil U23 international could add a lot to Nuno Santo’s backline in 2022.

AND in other news, Steven Bergwijn posts worrying injury update…

There is no truth in a rumour linking Liverpool with a swap deal involving Thiago Alcantara and Franck Kessie, according to James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Liverpool linked with Kessie move

The Reds did minimal transfer business in the summer window and it may be that Jurgen Klopp is far busier next year, adding some freshness to his squad.

One report has linked Liverpool with a move for AC Milan midfielder Kessie, with Thiago surprisingly tipped to head the other way.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Latest: Pearce shuts down rumour

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Sunday, however, Pearce claimed there was no truth in the rumour at all, with Thiago not going anywhere

When asked by a Liverpool supporter about the Reds’ apparent interest in the AC Milan midfielder, the journalist replied: “Not aware of any truth in the Kessie speculation mate. Certainly the idea of a swap deal with Thiago is absolutely ridiculous. No chance. For a start Kessie is a free agent next summer.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-2/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Thiago a vital player to Liverpool

It makes no sense whatsoever to sell Thiago, with his superb performance away to Leeds United last weekend summing up his brilliance and importance to Klopp’s side.

Granted, his Reds career is yet to fully ignite – he was injured for several months last season – but he looks fit, fresh and ready to become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. For instance, only three of his team-mates can better his average of 1.7 tackles per match.

He has forged a great understanding with Fabinho in midfield, so the idea of suddenly breaking that up just to sign Kessie makes no sense at all. Hopefully Pearce’s short shrift of the rumoured swap deal proves accurate.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been left wowed by a gesture from one Reds player. Read more here.

Samit Patel, dropped from England’s ODI and Twenty20 sides for being overweight, took out his disappointment against New Zealand A on the first day of England Lions’ four-day match at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln

Cricinfo staff07-Mar-2009
Scorecard
Samit Patel, dropped from England’s ODI and Twenty20 sides for being overweight, took out his disappointment against New Zealand A on the first day of England Lions’ four-day match at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. Patel answered his critics with a fluent 64 as England Lions recovered after losing five early wickets to reach 331 for 9.New Zealand won the toss and had reduced England Lions to 154 for 6 on a slow track, Ewen Thompson (3 for 85) and Brent Arnel (3 for 46) doing the damage, but Patel forged a 52-run stand with Joe Denly (12). Patel hit seven boundaries and a pair of sixes in his innings, which consumed 101 deliveries.Later Luke Wright (69) and Gareth Batty (64) scored at a quicker pace to get the total above 300. Wright and Batty added 65 for the seventh wicket while and there were further helpful hands from Liam Plunkett (29) and Sajid Mahmood (40 not out).

Aston Villa travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening to take on Chelsea in the Premier League.

Thomas Tuchel is sweating on the fitness of Romelu Lukaku, N’Golo Kante and Kai Havertz, which unsurprisingly has had a number of Villa supporters talking on social media.

According to The Daily Express, the Belgium striker is set to undergo a scan on his thigh, the German has been struggling with flu-like symptoms and Kante pulled out of France’s squad for their World Cup qualifiers after suffering an injury against Liverpool a fortnight ago.

Reece James is suspended and Thiago Silva looks set to miss the game as well after a five-day ban was invoked by FIFA, so Villa could well be taking on the Champions League winners without numerous key players this weekend.

Villa fans react

@AVFCFaithful_ shared the news regarding Havertz, Kante and Lukaku on social media on Wednesday.

Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one describing the Chelsea trio’s possible absence as ‘fantastic’.

“Who blessed us?”

Credit: @AVFC_Bailey

“6-0 Villa, Ings and Watkins hat tricks”

Credit: @Joe_E_Young

“Fantastic until you realise Kovacic, Pulisic and Ziyech come in”

Credit: @mrthompson81

“Imagine”

Credit: @will_avfc

“Let’s hope so”

Credit: @RoundAboutMagic

“It’s coming home…”

Credit: @jonboy_avfc

In other news: ‘Statue outside VP’ – Many Villa fans ‘love’ star’s ‘brilliant’ international antics.  

Frank McAvennie has given his reaction to the news that Patrick Bamford has signed a new deal at Leeds United.

The Lowdown: Bamford signs

As confirmed in August by the Elland Road faithful on their official website, Bamford has signed a new five-year contract with them.

This comes after a very impressive 2020/21 season in the Premier League, in which he played in every single game, scoring no fewer than 17 goals and making a further eight assists (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: McAvennie on Bamford deal

Speaking to Football Insider, former Celtic and West Ham United striker McAvennie admitted that he was ‘shocked’ that Bamford was not given a new deal sooner, but claimed that it was a ‘great’ move by Marcelo Bielsa’s team to tie him down:

“I’m shocked it didn’t happen sooner.

“He’s the main man for Leeds and he will have been gutted the fans weren’t in there last season.

“Elland Road is magnificent when it’s full and bouncing, it’s a great venue that deserves great players.

“Bamford was that last season, he scored a load of goals and proved everyone wrong.

“It’s a simple move to give him a deal but a great one as well.

“He played so many games too so he’s obviously fit as anything. They need to keep him fit this season.”

The Verdict: Great move

As McAvennie points out, it is a great move by the Yorkshire club to get Bamford to sign a new contract.

Described as an ‘exceptional’ player by Jurgen Klopp back in April, the striker showed his qualities last term and has carried on his form into this campaign, scoring one goal and supplying one assist in three matches in the top flight so far (Transfermarkt).

Bamford’s form has now been recognised by Gareth Southgate, who has recently called the 27-year-old up to the England squad, and deservedly so.

In other news, find out what move for this Whites ace looked to have fallen through on Deadline Day here!

Tottenham would only consider an initial loan move for Aston Villa target Weston McKennie.

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who admitted there are other Premier League clubs keen on the Juventus midfielder, which had a number of Villa fans talking on social media.

McKennie emerged as a player of interest to Villa earlier in the week, with reports suggesting both Villa and Crystal Palace had joined Spurs in the race for the 22-year-old.

Romano revealed on Thursday that Tottenham aren’t considering any swap deal and would ideally want to sign the USA international on loan.

Reports elsewhere have claimed that the Italian giants would want cash offers only for McKennie.

Villa have already made three big-money signings in Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings, so McKennie could well be the fourth in a late swoop, should Villa firm up their interest.

Villa fans react

Romano’s post regarding Spurs, McKennie and other interested Premier League clubs on Thursday had these Villa supporters talking.

“Villa and Everton are looking like the other contenders, Lange do ur thing”

Credit: @Avfc_Barry

“GET IT DONE VILLA”

Credit: @ConnorFlynn719

“Gotta be us”

Credit: @Avfc_Barry

“Come on Villa”

Credit: @JackAVFC__

“Who else want him and are they negotiating? Villa please!”

Credit: @TheVillaDecree

“McKennie to villa here-we-go”

Credit: @KONSAISTHEGOAT

In other news: Aston Villa source: Talks opened for ‘brilliant’ ace to leave; Smith already given his blessing. 

Davie Provan has partially blamed Glasgow Rangers’ Champions League exit on striker Alfredo Morelos after he returned late to Ibrox following his holiday.

The Lowdown: Morelos late

Morelos took a break after the Copa America, where he and his Colombia teammates reached the semi-finals. He didn’t return to Glasgow until the end of July, with Steven Gerrard saying that he didn’t know when the 25-year-old would be available (via The Scottish Sun).

He missed the Gers’ Champions League third qualifying round first leg clash with Malmo, which the Gers lost 2-1. He did score in the second leg at Ibrox, but the 55-time Scottish champions were defeated by the same scoreline to exit 4-2 on aggregate.

The Latest: Provan slams Morelos

Writing in The Scottish Sun, Provan slammed Morelos over his late return from international duty which caused him to miss the first leg against Malmo. He fumed:

“Beating Malmo and Ludogorets could have seen Rangers collect the thick end of £80m within a year.

“That would have given them a decent chance of keeping their better players. Not now. Unless Park has discovered oil under Ibrox, he’ll have to sell.

“Alfredo Morelos would be a good place to start. Eighteen months ago the striker was dropped for a Scottish Cup tie at Tynecastle after returning late from Colombia.

“Ahead of the Malmo first leg Gerrard admitted he didn’t know when to expect the striker back in Glasgow. Biggest game of the season and Morelos can’t get himself on a plane in time?

“Sorry, but that reflects as poorly on Gerrard as it does Morelos.

“Too often the Gers gaffer has put his own credibility on the line for Morelos and been let down.

“Look, I get Gerrard’s support of the Colombian. Football coaches would pick Jack the Ripper if he was good for 20 goals a season.

“But Morelos has disrespected everyone who’s gone out on a limb for him.

“What did team-mates make of his no-show for the game in Sweden?

“Morelos is on record saying he wants to play in a better league, Rangers should give him the chance now.”

The Verdict: Difficult situation

On the one hand, the £10.8m-valued Morelos (Transfermarkt) deserves a break. While he did not play a huge role in Colombia’s Copa America run, he still needed to be mentally and physically prepared for the entire tournament, so he could not afford to switch off. It is only natural that he took some time off to recover once the competition had come to an end.

However, as Provan hinted, the issue is Gerrard not knowing when his star striker would be available. How can the manager be expected to get the Gers ready to compete at the highest level if he does not know what is going on with one of his most important players? There has to be better communication, but Morelos can still make up for his absence if he helps the Gers reach the Europa League group stage.

In other news, many Rangers fans hammered this man’s performance against Malmo.

Dudnath Ramkessoon has sent his letter of resignation from the Trinidad & Tobago selection committee after he was removed as the head of the committee earlier this month

Cricinfo staff13-Dec-2008Dudnath Ramkessoon has sent his letter of resignation from the Trinidad & Tobago selection committee after he was removed as the head of the committee earlier this month.Ramkessoon, who headed the selection committee for five years, said the T&T board’s justification for replacing him as part of giving opportunities to others to gain experience was simply a case of “political victimisation”. Ramkessoon criticised the decision to replace him, first by Larry Gomes and then Narine Bidhesi. “The decision to relieve Mr Larry Gomes of the chairmanship and appoint Mr Narine Bidhesi as part of your overnight decision of succession planning … is in my view a convenient use of terms for what others and I see as ‘political victimisation’,” Ramkessoon wrote in a letter to Deryck Murray, the T&T board president. During his term, T&T won the regional domestic one-day competition thrice and the first-class competition once.He alleged that some senior board officials were trying to interfere in the selection process. “Recent occurrences were pointing to subtle attempts being made by certain senior officials of the board to interfere in, and to prejudice the selection process, as well as to compromise my integrity and the independence of the selection panel.” He said the decision to demote him was “a crude and callous attempt to frustrate me”.Earlier this week a letter from the national players to the board stating their unhappiness over Ramkessoon’s removal was leaked to the media.

George Binoy rates the Indian players’ performances in the Test series against Australia

George Binoy11-Nov-2008

Gautam Gambhir finished as the leading run-getter in the series © AFP
Mahendra Singh Dhoni – 9
Mahendra Singh Dhoni led India in both their victories in this series. Heinfused energy into India’s approach with creative field placements inMohali and displayed ruthlessness in Nagpur by choking Australia’srun-flow with a restrictive eight-one offside field. He was criticisedseverely for his unattractive tactics but didn’t care a jot. Heading intoa tense final day, Dhoni stayed calm even when Hayden briefly threatenedto destroy India’s best-laid plans. Dhoni also made invaluablecontributions with the bat. In Mohali, he batted aggressively and his twohalf-centuries helped India gain time. In Nagpur his 56 in the firstinnings was part of a 119-run stand with Ganguly and his 55 in the secondrescued India from 166 for 6 and helped take the target out of Australia’sreach.Gautam Gambhir – 9
Australia possessed a fast-bowling attack that was inexperienced in Indianconditions and Gautam Gambhir took advantage of it. His form wasconsistently excellent and he shared two half-century partnerships and onecentury stand with Virender Sehwag. He had a vital role in India winningthe Mohali Test, scoring 67 in the first innings and 104 in the second.His attacking approach was best captured by the shot with which he broughtup his first century in India: a jump down the track against Shane Watson,followed by a savage pull into the stands at wide long-on. He followedthat performance with a maiden double-century in Delhi, an innings whichhelped India eliminate the possibility of Australia winning the Test. Ablot, however, was Gambhir’s altercation with Watson which resulted in aone-Test ban. But despite playing only three Tests, Gambhir was still thetop-scorer of the series with 463 runs at average of 77.Ishant Sharma – 8.5
Ishant Sharma was the first Indian fast bowler to win a Player-of-the-Series award at home since Kapil Dev in 1983. He took 15 wickets at an average of 27 and struck significant blows in every innings apart from the first in Delhi. Ishant is India’s most-improved bowler over the last year and he displayed the ability to adapt on unresponsivepitches. He surprised Australia’s batsmen with a surprise slower delivery onthe sluggish surface at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and bowled cross seam inorder to get the ball to reverse early in Mohali. He broke Australia’ssecond innings in that match by dismissing Ricky Ponting and Shane Watsonduring a terrific spell of reverse-swing bowling.Sachin Tendulkar – 8.5
Sachin Tendulkar began the series on the verge of becoming the highestrun-scorer in Test cricket and, during the course of achieving thelandmark, he made important contributions when his team was vulnerable.His gritty 49 in the final innings in Bangalore helped India bat out thefinal day to save the Test; his 88 in Mohali came after three wickets hadfallen for 17 runs; his 68 in Delhi helped India recover from 27 for 2;and his 109 in Nagpur consolidated the innings after a top-order wobble.He was as reliable as ever in the middle-order and was the second highestrun-scorer of the series with 396 runs at an average of 57.Virender Sehwag – 8
Virender Sehwag usually scores one big hundred in a series but he missedout this time, scoring three half-centuries in his tally of 351 runs.Sehwag’s performance after the first three Tests was average: he hadeither got out early or failed to convert a start, with the exception of asecond-innings 90 in Mohali. His biggest challenge was in Nagpur whenIndia were without Gambhir. Sehwag responded superbly, scoring 66 and 92at rapid pace, contributing to his overall strike-rate of 82 in theseries. He was also India’s fifth bowler, bowling 82 overs in the series,and took his first five-wicket haul in Delhi.Sourav Ganguly – 7.5
Ganguly ended his career on a high. He had announced that this serieswould be his last before the first Test in Bangalore and went on to score324 runs at 54, far higher than his pre-series average of 32against Australia. He scored at a steady clip and helped India buildformidable first-innings totals in both their victories, scoring 102 outof India’s 469 in Mohali, and 85 out of 441 in Nagpur.
Ishant Sharma was the first Indian fast bowler to be win a Man-of-the-Series award at home since Kapil Dev in 1983 © AFP
Harbhajan Singh – 7.5
Harbhajan Singh was the joint highest wicket-taker with 15 at 29 apiecebut his most valuable contributions came with the bat when Australia werepoised to take grip of two Test matches. In Bangalore, India were trailingby 198 runs in the first innings with three wickets in hand when Harbhajanscored a half-century to help whittle Australia’s lead to below a hundred.In Nagpur, India had lost six wickets for 50 runs and were in danger ofsetting Australia a below-par target; Harbhajan scored anotherhalf-century – his fourth against Australia – in a 108-run stand withDhoni which helped secure the Border-Gavaskar trophy. He followed that up with 4 for 64 in the final innings.VVS Laxman – 7.5
VVS Laxman begin the series with a duck in Bangalore but his 42 off 142deliveries in the second helped India save the Test. He didn’t play amajor role in India’s victory in Mohali but scored an unbeaten 200 in thefirst innings at the Feroz Shah Kotla and followed it up with 59 in thesecond. Laxman played his 100th Test in Nagpur and scored a half-centuryto help India recover after losing three wickets quickly in the firstinnings. He averaged 95.25 at the end of the series.Zaheer Khan – 7
Zaheer Khan’s stats aren’t impressive – 11 wickets costing 43 apiece – but he ensured that Australia lost an early wicket by dismissing Hayden cheaply in the first three innings of the series. He completed his first five-wicket haul in India by mopping up Australia’s tail in the first innings in Bangalore and was Harbhajan’s partner during that vital rearguard partnership, contributing 57 runs to India’s bid to save the first Test. In Mohali, Zaheer executed Australia’s tail on the final day in a breathtaking spell of swing bowling but his form dipped in Delhi where he took no wickets. He was wayward at the start of the decisive Nagpur Test too but recovered on the third morning and bowled long spellswith precision to back up the eight-one strategy.Amit Mishra – 7
Amit Mishra would not have played in this series were it not for Anil Kumble’sshoulder injury. Mishra grabbed his opportunity and took a five-for in the first innings and seven overall on debut in Mohali. His performance prompted a raging debate over whether he should make way for Kumble in Delhi. As it turned out Harbhajan missed the third Test but Mishra had a poor game, taking 2 for 146. Dhoni didn’t seem to have much confidence in the legspinner in Nagpur and brought him into the attack late in the first innings. Mishra, though, made a significant contribution in the second: his direct hit dismissed Ponting and he broke an intimidating partnership between Michael Hussey and Hayden in his first over.M Vijay – 7
Vijay was celebrating his double-century in a Ranji Trophy match when hereceived an eleventh-hour call-up to the Test squad as a replacement forGambhir. Less than 48 hours later, he was facing Brett Lee on debut. Aperformance in one Test isn’t much to go by but Vijay batted with poiseand calmness in Nagpur. He didn’t try to do anything flash – he rarelywent after deliveries outside off stump – and played with a predominantlystraight bat. He made contributions of 33 and 41 but the time he spent atthe crease allowed Sehwag to bat aggressively and resulted in openingpartnerships of 98 and 116. Vijay was outstanding in the field too and ranout Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey in the first innings.
Rahul Dravid’s lean patch continued © AFP
Anil Kumble – 4
Kumble was India’s appointed captain of the series but a shoulder injuryruled him out of the Mohali Test before a gash to his finger prompted himto retire after the third Test. He struggled to have an impact with theball in the series. The fizz, skid and bounce – factors that are crucialto his success – were missing and he bowled 51 overs in Bangalore withouttaking a wicket. He wasn’t the force he used to be at the Kotla either forhe picked up only 3 for 112 in 43.3 overs. Kumble, however, couldn’t befaulted for effort. He bowled despite his shoulder injury in Bangalore andtoiled in Delhi after needing 11 stitches to sew up a cut on his left hand. His last wicket in Test cricket was a caught and bowled.Rahul Dravid – 2
Rahul Dravid had a miserable series. The pitches at all four venues wererelatively placid, yet Dravid’s slump continued and he was the weak link in the batting line-up. He had a promising start, scoring 51 in the first innings in Bangalore,but finished with 120 runs at an average of 17. He ended the series with 0and 3 in Nagpur. Dravid appeared to time the ball well in several inningsbut he either got a good ball, or he lost concentration and played a looseshot. Dravid’s fragility at No. 3 meant that the middle order often had toconsolidate after a substantial opening partnership was followed by acouple of quick wickets.