Plays of the day from the New Zealand v Pakistan Group D match in Pallekele

Abhishek Purohit in Pallekele23-Sep-2012The belated return gift
On his birthday last year, Ross Taylor had been let off twice by Kamran Akmal early and had capitalised to make a matchwinning counter-attacking century in Pallekele in a World Cup game against Pakistan. Taylor returned the favour today, putting down a sitter at slip when Mohammad Hafeez was still on 0. Hafeez went on to make 43.The image-break
Nasir Jamshed, a solid left-hander, is often compared to Graeme Smith for his burly physique and a clear preference for the on-side. Soon after coming in at No. 3, Jamshed played two exquisite lofted shots over extra cover off Nathan McCullum that were timed so well, both sailed over the rope for six.The underused resource
New Zealand played an extra fast bowler, Adam Milne, in place of an injured Martin Guptill. Milne was the sixth bowler to be brought on and got just one over. Probably Taylor felt he could unnerve Pakistan by putting an extra fast bowler in the team.The crowd goes ‘boom boom’
Shahid Afridi has fans everywhere. He jogged out to bat in the 19th over to cries of ‘boom boom’ from the sizeable crowd on the grass banks and in the grandstand. The fans went berserk when Afridi cut his first delivery to the backward point boundary. Later, he bowled Rob Nicol in his first over, and stood in his trademark celebration style, feet wide apart, one hand high in the air, making the crowd go wild again.The spell
Hafeez, with figures of 4-0-15-0. Nine of those runs came off his final three deliveries.The demotion
When New Zealand’s second wicket fell, Daniel Vettori walked in. When their third wicket fell, Jacob Oram walked in. Where is Ross Taylor, was the question in everyone’s mind? Surely, he wasn’t punishing himself for that Hafeez drop? He finally came in at No. 6.

One of the reasons for the crushing defeats on Monday, is that weaker teams like Nepal and PNG don’t travel enough and are rarely pitched against superior opposition

George Binoy in Townsville13-Aug-2012Nepal and Papua New Guinea found out the hard way what life must be like for forage fish on the Great Barrier Reef. Both Under-19 teams from Associate cricket nations were annihilated by Full Members in Townsville: Nepal dismissed for 82 by Australia after conceding 294, and Papua New Guinea all out for 116, which West Indies chased in 11.4 overs.After the defeat at the Tony Ireland Stadium, Nepal’s captain Prithu Baskota spoke of how instructive such matches against tough opponents were, of how their U-19 cricketers had never faced bowlers of Harry Conway and Gurinder Sandhu’s speed and ability on such a pitch. The issue, however, is the opportunity to put these lessons into practice against superior teams on a regular basis and master them. Nepal don’t have it.They’ll play two more games against England and Ireland, probably compete in the Plate section of the World Cup and go home, where quality competition is scarce. “We don’t have such opposition back home obviously, we need to go abroad, to Test playing nations close by,” says Baskota. “But we haven’t got that opportunity. Hope it comes along in the future.”Pubudu Dassanayake, a former Sri Lanka Test wicketkeeper, is Nepal’s coach at U-19 and senior level and he too emphasizes the need for a more competitive and organized cricket structure in the country: at school and club level. He simply wants more tournaments so that his players are training and testing their skills more often.”When you see this much of opportunity in the country, I want to see us grow a little faster,” Dassanayake says. “It’s a matter of putting little things in place like schools cricket, club cricket, more tournaments. Nepal can fly.”The situation in Papua New Guinea is not so different. They have been leaders in the East Asia Pacific for years at both Under-19 and senior level, where they are ranked 19th in the world. They have made it to six Under-19 World Cups but never to a senior one. Their head coach Peter Anderson, a former Queensland and South Australia wicketkeeper, believes Papua New Guinea have outgrown their region and need exposure against tougher countries.”Bangladesh, Afghanistan … we have got to get to that Asian region where we play better cricketers. I think that’s the future personally,” Anderson says. “That’s not being detrimental to those countries [in the East Asia Pacific], they also need help. I think PNG have outgrown the region and we have to step up.”Several Associates struggle to grow in cricket because the local population doesn’t take to it. And even if and when they do, the nuts and bolts of the game have to be taught to them. Sides from USA and Canada, for instance, contain a lot of expatriates from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. Neither Nepal nor Papua New Guinea have that problem.

Several Associates struggle to grow in cricket because the local population doesn’t take to it. And even if and when they do, the nuts and bolts of the game have to be taught to them

“I’ve been in the Associate world for a long time now. Nepal is one of the countries where lots of people watch and follow cricket. The base is there, the interest is there,” says Dassanayake. “Whenever the national team plays in Kathmandu, you’ll see about 15,000 people watching the match.”The BSP School Kriket Programme managed by Cricket PNG won the ICC award of Best Junior Participation initiative for the last two years. “Cricket’s growth is phenomenal, 116,000 children [taking up the game] in the last two years,” says Anderson. “They talk about Afghanistan being a real success story. I think PNG is way up there.”Though Nepal is in the Himalayas and Papua New Guinea a collection of islands in the Pacific Ocean, their cricket structures have more similarities. The sport is centered in one city in each nation – Kathmandu in Nepal and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.Dassanayake compares the cricket facility at the Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu to the Tony Ireland Stadium – “Nice outfield, decent pavilion, mountains all around” – and says the government of Nepal, the Asian Cricket Council and Cricket Association of Nepal are building grounds in different parts of the country, where facilities and playing experience is sub-standard at present. A goal Dassanayake wants achieved before his one-year contract expires is the setting up of an academy in the capital, where a facility has already been identified.More than 95% of Papua New Guinea’s cricketers come from its capital, and most of them from Hanuabada, a coastal village on its outskirts. That’s because the infrastructure – three turf wickets, indoor and outdoor practice facilities, six synthetic nets – is all at Amini Park Sports Complex in Port Moresby. In 2008, there were no turf wickets in Papua New Guinea.One of PNG’s biggest problems is the below-par infrastructure in areas outside Port Moresby, and travel between islands isn’t cheap•ICC/Thusith Wijedoru “We’ve come a long way in a couple of years,” says Anderson, who succeeded former Australia bowler Andy Bichel as head coach. “We had a lot of squatters so we had to clear all that off and tidy up the grounds. Gradually, we’re getting a really good set up there.”A lot of the internal travel between islands is by air in Papua New Guinea and it is expensive, forming a barrier to entry for talent outside the capital. Most of it never sees the facilities at Port Moresby, where Anderson says Cricket PNG is also working on setting up an academy. And there’s below-par infrastructure on other islands because of the costs of transport.Anderson is also hoping to build a relationship with Queensland Cricket to aid development of his players. “They are really family-orientated people [in PNG] and don’t like being away but what I’ve pushed for is for ten scholarship players to go to the Gold Coast cricket competition, plus four girls,” he says. “We’ve had meetings with Queensland Cricket about one of our players being their 18th contracted player in the KFC big bash.”Most of the cricketers comprising the Nepal and Papua New Guinea senior teams have played U-19 cricket and most of them at the U-19 World Cup in Townsville have come through the age-group structure as well. Dassanayake wants that to change in Nepal. He wants a player at a particular age group to earn his place at the next level and not progress because there’s nobody else challenging from outside the age system.”If someone misses the U-19 right now, it might be hard to get a break at the national level,” says Dassanayake. “That has to change and that’s why we need more tournaments [so players can come from outside the age-group structure]. When one of these youngsters wants to get into the national team, they should really have to perform to get in, and not because one of the [Nepal] seniors has left that they get a place.”And there lies a difference between the cricket structures in these two countries. Lots of Nepal’s cricketers have been and are lost between the ages of 25 and 30 because they have to look outside the game for financial security. While some talent escapes Cricket PNG as well – to work or a laid-back island lifestyle – they have a better structure in place to keep their players. They contract some players and employ more as staff.”We have 18 contracted players. There is money there,” says Anderson. “We employ about 84 staff, and most of them are cricketers. We incorporate them into the system – administration and coaching. So all our guys are actually out on the road coaching throughout Port Moresby.”Nepal have made a small start too. “Cricket Association of Nepal began to pay about 20 players six months ago. It’s not a big amount but something we have started,” Dassanayake says. “The armed police force has a team and they have hired about 15 cricketers so far. It’s a start, but you need to do these things to keep players. Eventually I hope it will grow and we can take care of them better.”Otherwise there’s no way to retain players. They have to look after their life; cricket doesn’t bring any money. Some of the players have been playing for the last ten years. They have given those years to the game without thinking about the future.”One of those Nepal cricketers presently giving years to the game is their Under-19 captain Baskota, who’s from Kathmandu and began playing the game after watching Ricky Ponting bat on television. He’s come through the age-group system and has already played for the national team. Baskota’s hoping he won’t have to make a hard decision in about five years time.”I hope the situation changes because I’m just 19 now,” Baskota says. “If I see a career in cricket I will love to continue in it. If I don’t, I’ll have to think about it.”Baskota’s immediate target, and that of Dassanayake, is to perform better against England than they did against Australia, then try and win the Plate Championship. Anderson believes Papua New Guinea can go the same distance too.

Kamal Passi missed the opening game against West Indies for the sake of playing more spinners. Today, he seized his chance with a six-for and a blazing late-innings cameo

George Binoy in Townsville14-Aug-2012When Kamal Passi was asked after his Man-of-the-Match performance against Zimbabwe whether he considered himself an allrounder, his response was: ” (totally), and I’ll prove it too.”He had already done his bit to prove it: 24 blitzed off five balls and a career-best 6 for 23 to put India on course for the quarter-finals of the Under-19 World Cup.Passi did not play in the defeat against West Indies on Sunday because India picked three spinners and preferred Sandeep Sharma and Rush Kalaria as the seamers. He was chosen over Kalaria today. When Passi had his first opportunity to make an impact on the game, at No. 8 in the batting order, India were 237 for 6 and time was running out: there were five balls left in the innings.”There were five balls remaining, I was new, Smit [Patel] was already batting,” Passi said. “I told him, I’ll take a single and then you play. But I got all those short balls…”Passi pulled the first one, from medium-pacer Curthbert Musoko, to the midwicket boundary. He was lucky against the second: he swung so hard that the top edge carried over fine leg for six. The third also disappeared over fine leg, more intentionally this time and, after a two to long-on, the final ball disappeared over the midwicket boundary once again. His innings had lifted India to a target that was on the right side of competitive.During the lunch break, Passi warmed up by bowling at the coach Bharat Arun, while his team-mates went through fielding drills. The second over, with the second new ball, was his. He bowled primarily good-length balls that swung into the right-handers with a front-on, open-chested action, running through the crease as he delivers at around 130kph. A bowler with a wiry physique, Passi has less of a jump than Ashish Nehra does.He conceded only one run in his opening over from the River End, and struck off consecutive balls – the last of the second over and first of the third. Kevin Kasuza did not move his feet while trying to cut and was caught behind, while Luke Masasire was bowling trying to hoick across the line at a full delivery that swung. Two more wickets came off short balls, one was edged to the keeper and the other pulled to midwicket.After an opening spell of seven overs, Passi spent the next couple of hours watching Malcolm Lake score an outstanding hundred that raised Zimbabwe’s hopes of a come-from-behind victory. “The Zimbabwe team batted well and during the slog overs it seemed as if the game might change,” Passi said. “Those runs I scored were important, if I had not the score would have been 240. It was good for our bowlers.”There were two wickets remaining and 70 runs to get. Passi got both, with a full ball and a slower one, in seven deliveries to finish with 8.1-1-23-6.Passi made the India Under-19 team after progressing through age-group cricket in Punjab. He played for the state U-15 team in 2007, the U-16s the following year, and the U-19s in 2009.”At U-19 I’ve performed at state level for two years,” he said. “I had a very good feeling I could play for my country and my performance today is my best for India.”Passi’s first U-19 game for India was during the Quadrangular Series involving India, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Australia in Visakhapatnam in September 2011. He took five wickets in three matches and made six runs with two not outs in the lower order. Not quite a proven allrounder yet.He then came to Townsville for another quadrangular tournament earlier this year and took six wickets in five games. He also made 41 off 30 balls against Australia, batting at No. 9. He went wicketless and was expensive in the semi-finals and finals of that tournament. “I first toured here in April, and everyone thinks on a bouncy track you can try short balls, but that’s no use here because overseas batsmen play the short ball well,” he said. “So I worked on my basics and bowled a good line and length this time.”The Under-19 Asia Cup did not happen for Passi because of a hamstring injury. While his team-mates were experiencing the pressure of one-run defeats and tied matches, Passi was undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.”I was playing district matches and I got injured, so I missed the Asia Cup,” he said. “I felt very bad … but whatever has happened has happened for the best. Had I gone to the Asia Cup and got injured there, I would have perhaps missed the World Cup.”Passi’s performance today has made him almost impossible to drop, so as long as he stays fit, it’s unlikely he’ll be missing any more of the World Cup.

The Sheffield Shield used to be a factory for producing Test-ready batsmen. But a combination of green seaming pitches and flawed techniques has resulted in the cupboard becoming alarmingly bare

Brydon Coverdale06-Nov-2012Seven years ago this week, a 30-year-old Michael Hussey walked out on to the Gabba to make his Test debut. He was well prepared. Hussey had accumulated 15,313 first-class runs at an average of 52.80 before he was handed a baggy green. On Friday, Rob Quiney will make his Test debut at the same venue. He too is 30. But he will embark on Test cricket with only 3092 first-class runs to his name, at an average of 37.70.That is not to disparage Quiney’s selection. Two consistently strong Sheffield Shield seasons made him the best man to replace the injured Shane Watson. And he is far from alone: Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh both averaged less than 40 at first-class level when they made their Test debuts. David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Phillip Hughes had better figures, but were picked after relatively little first-class cricket.Whichever way you spin it, things have changed dramatically from the days when the Test selectors could look at Sheffield Shield cricket and see mountains of runs being piled up by Darren Lehmann or Brad Hodge, Justin Langer or Jamie Siddons, Matthew Elliott or Martin Love. Or Michael Hussey. It is a shame for Chris Rogers and David Hussey that their best seasons came when Australia’s batting line-up was more settled.When John Inverarity’s panel searched for Watson’s replacement, they saw that Khawaja has been stalling after promising starts, Hughes continues to tease but has a chequered Test past, and Marsh has been dropped to club cricket. Tasmania’s Alex Doolan, who made 162 against the South Africans for Australia A at the weekend, and Queensland’s Joe Burns are two to watch. But the first-class batting cupboard is alarmingly bare, as evidenced by the fact that the 37-year-old Ricky Ponting is the leading Shield run scorer this season.So where have all the young batsmen gone?There is no question that the standard of domestic pitches around the country has played a part. Michael Hussey returned to the Sheffield Shield last week and was alarmed at how difficult the conditions were at the MCG. So far this season, the Sheffield Shield has produced 20 completed innings in which teams have scored less than 250. There have been only 13 totals of 250-plus.The last men to make 1000 runs in a Sheffield Shield season were Rogers and Michael Klinger, who both achieved the feat four years ago. Quiney went close last summer, when he scored 932 runs, and Cowan accumulated 921. In Hussey’s eyes, those performances were the equivalent of 1200-run summers a decade ago.”It was pretty different,” Hussey told ESPNcricinfo of last week’s Shield game. “The conditions were pretty conducive to seam bowling. Certainly when I was growing up, the pitches were a lot truer and a lot better for batting, so as a batsman 1000 runs was a good benchmark and if you got to that, you knew you’d had a good season. But I think that has certainly lowered in the last few years.

“I’m concerned that batters aren’t learning to bat for six hours and construct long innings and concentrate for long periods of time”Michael Hussey

“I’m a bit concerned, to be honest. It seems like the nature of pitches around the country are really result-based. I’m concerned that batters aren’t learning to bat for six hours and construct long innings and concentrate for long periods of time.”Hussey’s worries go even further. If life for the batsmen is so difficult, then it also creates a false sense of achievement for young fast bowlers. And on seaming wickets, young spinners are left feeling irrelevant.”I’m concerned that we’re not allowing spinners to develop because spinners aren’t even required, because seam bowlers do the job and have a better chance of getting the wickets,” Hussey said. “And I’m even concerned about preparing seam bowlers for Test cricket, because the margin for error is so big, they just have to lob the ball somewhere up there and it will do a fair bit and they’re going to pick up their wickets. [But] in Test match cricket you’ve got to be very patient, very disciplined, for long periods of time. I’m a little bit concerned that we’re not developing players and skills for Test match cricket.”Hussey is not alone in his assessment of domestic surfaces. This week, South Australia’s coach Darren Berry voiced his concerns that pitches were being tailored towards results instead of towards providing an even contest. And the Australia coach Mickey Arthur was upset conditions for the most recent Shield match in Hobart were so seam-friendly that the offspinner Nathan Lyon, who must this week bowl to the South Africans in a Test match, was barely used.”We’ve been disappointed [with Shield pitches],” Arthur said. “When you see Shield games going two and a half days, it’s not great. It was disappointing for us when our spinner, who could play in the Test match, bowled three overs in the game. I know that this issue is being addressed at a higher level.”But the lack of big runs is not all down to the pitches. As Quiney and Cowan have shown, there are runs available if a batsman possesses the technique and is prepared to work hard. Last year Ponting questioned the techniques of the emerging crop of domestic batsmen and said many were “nowhere near what they need it to be to play Test cricket”. Earlier this year Rogers analysed the techniques of several of the country’s Test batting candidates and found plenty of problems. Rogers, Ponting and Hussey all know what it takes to bat for a full day and come back the next morning hungry for more runs. Between them, they have scored more than 60,000 first-class runs. Their credentials are impeccable.Brad Hodge fits that category as well. For 16 years he piled up runs at first-class level until one day, playing for Victoria in a Shield match, he was facing the second new ball and knew that his job was to get through until stumps. But within two balls he had driven the fast bowler Peter George for a massive six over long-on. Hodge made 195 in that innings, but knew he no longer possessed the discipline for the long format. Now he makes his living exclusively as a T20 player. The format has been good to him, but he fears it has been detrimental to the development of young batsmen.Brad Hodge: “I think the IPL changed the way young people thought, what they wanted to do and what they wanted to achieve”•AFP”I think the game dramatically changed the day the IPL came into the system,” Hodge told ESPNcricinfo while watching last week’s Sheffield Shield match at the MCG. “I honestly believe that. I think it changed the way young people thought, what they wanted to do and what they wanted to achieve. To be honest, you can play in the IPL and your technique doesn’t have to be 100% up to the standard of a Test match player, and get away with it, and make a lot of money doing so.”Some batsmen have made their name in T20 and still developed into Test players. Warner is one, Quiney another. Others have slipped by the wayside. Others still are young enough to make the transition over the coming years. It was fitting that shortly after Hodge spoke of batsmen being geared to T20, he would have seen Mitchell Marsh throw his wicket away for 2 from 6 balls, chasing a wide ball from Peter Siddle.Hodge, speaking before Quiney’s call-up to the national squad, said the lack of batting depth had become such that if a batsman like Ponting were to suddenly be injured and miss the next Test, there was not an obvious replacement knocking down the door.”There was a time when you could say someone could come in and do an 80% job of what Ricky can,” Hodge said. “I reckon you’d be saying someone could do a 50% job now. There’s just no one out there screaming absolute talent. Phil Hughes is one who is good, I think he’s a real good player. Khawaja is good but inconsistent at this level. You need consistency at this level and he’s lacked that.”You’re going to get found out for sure. When you’re picking guys with an average of 30, you’re going to get an average of 30 in Test match cricket. You’re not going to get 50. Guys average 30 at this level for a reason. They’ve got flaws in their technique. Until guys start making 1000 runs, you’re never going to be sure of any guy in the competition.”But if nothing else, the past few months have shown that there are at least some batsmen to watch. One of those is Joe Burns, who made an unbeaten 74 for Australia A on their tour of England this year and averages 45.71 in first-class cricket. An organised, well-rounded player, who notably is yet to play T20 cricket, Burns has made 116 and 64 in his last two Shield games. He is one of the young batsmen who have impressed Victoria’s coach Greg Shipperd over the past couple of years.”I’m impressed with Alex Doolan’s technique, he looks like a very pure, technical player,” Shipperd said. “I like the look of him. Joe Burns’ weight of runs is starting to open people’s minds about him. Hughes, of course, this year has made some runs and he’s still such a young player, so he will have plenty to offer going forward. They’re probably the three best young players, and Khawaja is another.”But there are few others who have made compelling cases for Test consideration. And if domestic pitches remain treacherous and techniques flawed, don’t expect Hussey-like figures any time soon.

Stats highlights from the eighth round of Ranji Trophy matches

S Rajesh25-Dec-2012

• In the eighth round of this Ranji Trophy season, five out of 12 matches produced decisive results, with wins for Gujarat, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha and Kerala. Punjab, the group A leaders, suffered their second defeat of the season, despite which they finished on top with 32 points from their eight matches. In 96 matches in this season so far, 38 have produced decisive results, while 58 have been drawn.
• The eighth round was a better one for bowlers than the previous ones: the runs per wicket in this round was 29.03, compared to 33.60 in the previous seven rounds. Eighteen hundreds were scored in this round, while 155 had been scored in the previous seven (an average of 22 per round). There were also 12 five-fors in this round, taking the overall tally for this season to 103. The strike rate improved to 60.2 balls per wicket, from 70 in the previous seven rounds.
• The two highest scores in this round came from No.9 and No.7 batsmen, in the same match, as Haryana’s Jayant Yadav and Amit Mishra scored double-hundreds against Karnataka in Hubli. Yadav made 211 while Mishra was unbeaten on 202. Among the bowlers, Ali Murtaza’s 7 for 80, against Tamil Nadu, were the best figures of the round – he also scored a century and took ten wickets in the match. Among those who took five-fors was Zaheer Khan, whose 5 for 79 in the second innings helped Mumbai eke out a seven-run win against Madhya Pradesh in Indore. (Click here for the list of highest run-getters, and here for the list of leading wicket-takers, in the Ranji Trophy season so far.)
• The batting highlight of this round was the 392-run eighth-wicket stand between Mishra and Yadav, against Karnataka in Hubli. Coming in to bat at an uncomfortable 168 for 7, they turned the tables on the home team with that stunning partnership which completely shut Karnataka out of the match. Coming into this match, Mishra’s highest first-class was 84, and Yadav’s 66. Here, though, both scored double-hundreds, and their partnership is the highest for the eighth wicket in Ranji Trophy history. It’s the second-highest for that wicket in any first-class match, next only to the 433-run stand between Arthur Sims and Victor Trumper in a match between Canterbury and the Australians way back in 1914.
• Karnataka were so numbed by that onslaught that they collapsed for 272 in their first innings, with only Kunal Kapoor batting more than two hours. He scored 106 in that innings, and then followed that with an unbeaten 100 in the second, thus becoming the first batsman from Karnataka to score a century in each innings in Ranji Trophy.
• The all-round performance of the round – and indeed the season – came from Uttar Pradesh’s Murtaza: he scored 106 in the first innings, and then took 7 for 80 and 3 for 62 – match figures of 10 for 142 – as Tamil Nadu were thrashed by 195 runs in Chennai. It’s the first time in five years that a player has scored a century and taken ten in a match in a Ranji Trophy game: the last player before Murtaza to do so was Baroda’s Yusuf Pathan – he scored 183 and took 10 for 119 against Bengal in Vadodara in 2007. Murtaza is the third player from Uttar Pradesh to achieve this feat, after Praveen Kumar and Anand Shukla.
• Of the 18 centuries scored in this round, six were by openers, but only one of them batted through an entire team innings and remained unbeaten: Mumbai’s Kaustubh Pawar scored 111 not out, out of Mumbai’s total of 304 against Madhya Pradesh in Indore. He is only the second opener from Mumbai to carry his bat through an innings in a Ranji Trophy game, after Madhav Mantri, who scored an unbeaten 64 out of a team score of 229 against Gujarat in 1951.

England’s Lydia Greenway on what helps make her one of the best fielders in the world

Interview by Abhishek Purohit07-Feb-2013England’s Lydia Greenway is rated by many as the best fielder in women’s cricket. She made her international debut at the age of 17 in 2003 and is only the sixth player from England to have played 100 ODIs. Greenway is also a mainstay of the batting, but it is on the field that she has made quite a name for herself. She spoke to ESPNcricinfo in Mumbai ahead of England’s Super Six game against Australia.How does it feel to have the reputation of being probably the best fielder in the women’s game?
Of course it feels nice. It is something I enjoy doing, trying to contribute through fielding. Hopefully I can continue to do that for our team and contribute to wins.Good fielders always like the ball coming to them.
Yeah. I grew up playing games with my brothers and sisters that were really competitive. At that young age, to develop that kind of mentality when you are growing up… I have thoroughly enjoyed fielding and I see it is as a challenge.There is a YouTube video of you, where you leap in the air in the deep, take the ball one-handed, find yourself going over the rope and throw it back into play before stepping outside the boundary. What kind of work goes into developing such skill?
In the backyard, my brother would hit a lot of tennis balls at me with a tennis racquet. It was quite a lot of fun doing that growing up. I think it is also playing a lot of different sports that helps you with your agility. A lot of other girls in our team are also like that.When you go flat out on the field, isn’t there a feeling in your mind that you could sustain a career-threatening injury?
No, not really. If you enjoy fielding, you will always want the ball to come to you. When that happens, it takes away any fear that you may have, and you back yourself that you are going to stop it and not get hurt.How much of fielding is down to pure instinct?
I think a lot of it is actually down to hard work and practice. A lot of it also comes down to instinct – say, trying to anticipate what the bowler is trying to do when you see where the ball is going. That is a quite big part of the game now. Especially when you are out on the boundary and trying to stop the ball. Also, when you are in the ring and trying to get that run-out – sort of read the batsman’s mind and see what they are trying to do next.Do you have a favourite fielding position?
I like fielding at deep midwicket, for the T20s especially. You always know the ball is going to come that way. In the one-dayers I start off in the ring at point, where it is hard to position yourself with the angle. I really enjoy that.Jonty Rhodes used to say that at point, if you stand closer to the batsman it helps in cutting down the angle you speak about. Does it work that way for you as well?
Yes, the closer you are, the more you cut the angle down. But you cover that much more ground if you stand a bit further away, and you also have more time to react. I guess it depends on the stage of the game and what you are trying to get out of it.Greenway was named England women’s cricketer of the year in 2011•Getty ImagesIs being a good fielder like being a goalkeeper, that no matter what you won’t let that ball go past you?
Yeah, I remember when I was growing up, playing football with my brother, and I was the one saving goal. That is where I get the mentality of not allowing the ball to go past me.Would you say as a batsman that your fielding helps you stay in the side over competitors?
It obviously helps if you have got something to offer to the team. It is something I really enjoy. We have got ourselves a brilliant fielding team and I think everyone sets high standards in the middle.Kapil Dev once said that when you stop a ball inside the boundary after a chase, it feels like winning a 100-metre sprint.
Yes. You don’t want the ball to go past you, and when it does, you will do everything possible to try and stop it from going for four. It is a great feeling when you do stop them when you get yourself away towards the boundary.How often do you field in the slips?
I have never really been in the slips much. There are some very good slip fielders in our team who specialise in doing it. They go out and practise the nicks every session.How have the recovery routines changed over the years?
We do things like ice-baths to help in quick recovery. The following day, we have a session on the field which involves a lot of stretching, just to help prepare ourselves for the schedule, as games come thick and fast. We are playing every other day and also training in between. Recovery now plays a huge part in our preparations.You are a fine batsman as well. What gives you more satisfaction?
To be honest, I don’t really mind, as long as I am contributing to the team’s success. As long as that happens, I don’t really mind how I am known.

And why Australia have no choice but to win the Ashes

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013With three weeks still to go before the much-awaited mid-table clash of the hemispheres begins in Brisbane, between Europe’s No. 1-ranked cricket nation and one of Oceania’s strongest teams, attention turned once again to India, and Virender Sehwag’s continuing campaign to make the world’s bowlers wish they had been born in a non-cricket-playing country, as a woman, to parents who disapproved of all sport as a worthless and flippant pursuit, in the mid-15th century.Sehwag’s eventual dismissal, to a concrete-footed, cross-batted, across-the-line prod reminiscent of a young Alan Mullally, ended another masterclass of twhackmanship from one of cricket’s greatest treasures. The greatest praise, however, must be reserved for Rahul Dravid’s extraordinary display of humanitarianism at the other end.Dravid is a gentleman. He knew New Zealand’s bowlers were fragile after a testing couple of years, he knew the wicket would offer them little assistance, and he had seen Sehwag bat before. Therefore, Dravid, cleverly using the cloak of supposed poor form, sportingly minimised the trauma of Sehwag’s onslaught by stodge-blocking for a couple of hours, comforting the bowlers like an award-winning priest until the worst was over. Thereafter, he unfurled Chapter 2 of the MCC Coaching Manual, and humanely finished off the job like the master surgeon he would have been if he had been given a scalpel for his fifth birthday instead of a cricket bat.Australia, meanwhile, have continued their Ashes build-up with another perfectly judged defeat in the first ODI against Sri Lanka. This was clearly part of a wide-ranging tactical masterplan that has included:1. Striving ceaselessly to engender complacency in the England ranks. This will not be easy in the modern, professional, hyper-prepared age of English cricket, but you can only admire the persistence with which Australia are going about their task, throwing away winning positions like an attractive but committed nun discards Valentine’s cards. The English press have taken the bait, hook, line and over-excited sinker. Will the team be so easily duped?2. A long-term economic scheme concocted by the Australian government and Cricket Australia, to unnaturally strengthen the Australian dollar, thus pricing out all but the barmiest of England’s Barmy Army from travelling south. Due to UK government cutbacks, the real army is no longer in a position to supply reinforcements or air support to the Barmy Army, who may be reduced to relying on the Territorial Barmy Army and mercenary sports fans from Serbia and Colombia, and disillusioned former members of the French Foreign Legion.3. Hoping that Nathan Hauritz is hit on the head by a piece of falling masonry, and wakes up thinking he is Bill O’Reilly.4. Hoping that the falling masonry then ricochets onto Michael Hussey’s head and he wakes up thinking he is Michael Hussey, 2005-2007 version.A few weeks ago, I outlined the statistics that prove that England (a) will, and (b) won’t, win the Ashes. I will now do the same for Australia, who can be shown to be either (a) a collection of world-beaters about to explode into life, who, with a small amount of luck, would have won the Ashes in England and drawn an away series in India; or (b) a ragtag baggy-green band of has-beens, haven’t-beens, crocks and losers barely fit even to try to spell the word Bradman.Part (A): The Indestructible Ricky Ponting And His Fearsomely Invincible Ashes-Scalping Band Of Warriors, set to extend a record of one defeat in their last 13 home series, and 19 wins in their last 26 home Ashes Tests. Simon Katich
The supernaturally awkward-looking left-hander may look like he is playing a different sport in a different universe to David Gower, Richie Richardson or Mark Waugh, but Katich has a better Test average than any of them. Until the recent India series, he had averaged over 40 in all 10 series since his 2008 recall, in which time he had an average of 54. Also bowls wrist spin. Since June 1993, Australian wrist spinners, collectively, have taken 239 English wickets at 24. Admittedly, other Australian wrist spinners than Katich have taken 238 of them. But the point stands. He is basically Bradman and Warne rolled into one.Shane Watson
Since his recall as a makeshift opener during the non-victorious 2009 Ashes, Watson has averaged 50.44, making him a 16% better Test opening batsman than Mark Taylor and 53% better than Victor Trumper. You cannot argue with a statistic like that. Because if you did, the statistic would run away and hide. But this one would stand its ground like a man: Watson has reached 50 in 46% of his innings in Australia’s top order (batsmen 1 to 5). Only two batsmen can better that. One is Bradman, with 52%, although if he had played in the modern era, his figures would have been considerably worse (on the grounds that he would have been initially very old, and, latterly, dead). The other is Darren Lehmann (46-and-a-bit%). The new, improved, post-recall Watson can also chuck a bowling average of 24 into the teapot. He is basically Bradman and Warne rolled into one.Ricky Ponting
Unquestioned member of Tasmania’s All-Time Greatest XI, nominated for ESPNcricinfo’s all-time Australian XI (ahead of Greg Ritchie, Trevor Chappell and even Garfield Sobers), a giant of the modern game with career averages of 54 in all Tests and 60 in his 79 matches at home. Ponting averaged 12 in his first home Ashes, 52 in his second (up by 40), and 82 in his third (up by 30). He will therefore improve by another 20 to average 102 in this, his fourth. The last time he tried to regain the Ashes, he began the series with 457 runs in two Tests, treating England’s bowlers like a hungry lion devouring a bucket of zebra-print hot dogs. Look out England, the baggiest of all the greens has statistics on his side, and statistics are more powerful than God, as the Pope himself must surely acknowledge, privately if not publicly.Michael Clarke
Averaging 54 since being dropped five years ago, Clarke might have been officially awarded Australian Cricket’s Least Threatening Face Since Kim Hughes at the International Sporting Intimidation Foundation’s recent Hall of Shame Awards (surprisingly defeating Nathan Hauritz), but Clarke can waggle an Ashes average of 55 in England’s direction. No England batsman can waggle anything close to that back at him. (Apart from Trott, who has only played one Ashes Test, an insufficient waggling sample).Michael Hussey
Despite his recent slump, Hussey can still boast a career average of 49 – better than any England player to have made his debut since Ken Barrington in 1955 (other than the still-early-in-his-career Trott). He has also been building up his confidence by going to sleep in pyjamas embroidered in solid gold thread with his averages in all home Tests (62) and in the 2006-07 Ashes (91). He wakes up every morning, folds his pyjamas neatly, puts them under his pillow, and mutters, “I’m not finished embroidering you yet, Mr Jim-Jam.” Was averaging close to 100. Now chips in with occasional useful knocks. He is, therefore, basically Bradman and Warne rolled into one.Marcus North
The most devastating batsman in the history of Test cricket. Once he passes 21 (10 innings, five hundreds, four more innings over 67). As soon as those first 21 runs are out of the way, he basically becomes a more reliable version of Bradman. Also a better bowler than Warne (based on best Test figures at Lord’s – 6 for 55 versus 4 for 57).Brad Haddin
A significant improvement on the painfully run-of-the-mill Adam Gilchrist. If you only take the last two-and-a-half years of Gilchrist’s career (average 30, to Haddin’s 38). Haddin also lines up 44 boiled eggs on his breakfast plate every Sunday morning, representing his average in Tests in Australia. He then draws an England wicketkeeper’s face on each one, and says, “I’m going to have you on toast,” whilst telling his wife and son that England’s wicketkeepers in Australia have, between them, averaged 20 in the last 35 years.Mitchell Johnson
Bowled like a distressed haddock in the 2009 Ashes, and still took 20 wickets (more than any English bowler) at a not-nearly-as-shambolic-as-you-would-expect-and-better-than-Brett-Lee-ever-managed-in-an-Ashes-series average of 32. If he even bowls as well as psychologically well-adjusted haddock this time round, he could cause major damage. Has taken 84 wickets at 25 in his 17 home Tests. Aerodynamic face could prove useful in warmer conditions. Nathan Hauritz
The lynchpin of Australia’s Inculcating Complacency strategy, Hauritz exudes the fearsome threat and intensity of a soldier. Unfortunately, the soldier in question is a small rectangle of buttered toast, not a hollering, scimitar-toting warrior. But Hauritz took 29 wickets in six home Tests in 2009-10, at an average of 26, and had a better average than Swann in 2009. He averages 34 with the ball and 25 with the bat in Tests, compared with 50 and 16 in other first-class cricket, making him 50% better at international cricket than normal cricket and thus, statistically, the greatest big-game player in cricket history. Probably.Ben Hilfenhaus
Top bowler in terms of wickets (22) and average (27) in the 2009 Ashes, and averages a 19th-century-style 14 in home Tests. Albeit in only one match. Against West Indies. In previous Ashes series in Australia, England have had problems with bowlers possessing Hilfenhaus’ two main characteristics as a bowler − he swings it, and he’s Australian.Doug Bollinger
A strong if belated start to his Test career has brought him 49 wickets at 23 in 11 matches. Glenn McGrath’s first 11 Tests brought him 34 wickets at 33. If Bollinger plays another 113 Tests like McGrath, and maintains the same statistical superiority, he will end his career with 836 wickets at an average of 15.2. Charges in like a vengeful Halloween pumpkin seeking retribution for having its flesh ripped out and replaced with a cheap candle. May scare Ian Bell.So, it appears that England have absolutely no chance, and should regard a 4-0 defeat with a freakish thunderstorm saving them in the fifth match as a national triumph. Or should they? Tune in next time to find out why Brigadier Stats says that Australia are heading for the mother-in-law of all whoopings.

Mushfiqur Rahim has matured as a batsman and captain, and one of his immediate goals is to improve Bangladesh’s record in away Tests

Mohammad Isam in Galle11-Mar-2013Reactions to Mushfiqur’s double

“He was the baby of the team when he made his debut at Lord’s. We didn’t realise at the time that he is a very mentally-strong player. He has taken up so many responsibilities on this tour. It is hard to think of Bangladesh doing so well in Sri Lanka, and without two top players. It is remarkable.”

“Mushfiq has improved vastly as a batsman ever since taking over the captaincy. I think he has done the right things for the Bangladesh team. It was easier for me because he was a set batsman at the other end.”

“I picked him as a batsman in the 2005 England tour, because I thought he was very strong technically. I think he’s the most technically sound batsman in the team these days. It also helps that he is in form and he’s the captain.”

“It was an extraordinary innings. Mushfiqur is a guy who plans very well. The other players can learn from him. He batted like a captain but I expect more from him.”

“It was such a great innings to watch. Mushfiqur batted very well, and just imagine we almost had two double-hundreds.”

“I feel it is symbolic for a guy who made his Test debut as specialist batsman, it goes to show the quality of his batting. He was probably the youngest debutant at Lord’s at the time. I was talking to David Frith, the great cricket historian, but mid-sentence he told me, ‘wait, there’s a 16 year old going out to bat’.”

By becoming Bangladesh’s first double centurion, Mushfiqur Rahim achieved a major landmark for a country that has struggled to be competitive during its 13-year existence as a Test nation. Historical importance aside, the innings was also a greater boost to his captaincy than any of his other weighty performances over the last two years.Mushfiqur’s unflagging concentration for more than seven hours was not surprising for a gritty batsman who is technically sound. The situation required the ability to assess potential trouble that was just around the corner, when he walked in to bat at 177 for 4 on the third morning in Galle.He had to ensure the senior batsman at the other end, the perplexing Mohammad Ashraful, also remained steadfast as Bangladesh sought to avoid the follow-on. Mushfiqur had to be mindful of the usual frailties as session breaks approached, and when the mind and body tired towards the end of the day. When Nasir Hossain came to the crease, Mushfiqur let the youngster lead the partnership, just as he had led the 267-run stand with Ashraful. Mushfiqur had given Ashraful the time and space to bat in a new way, and with Nasir at the other end he needed to focus on reaching the 200-run milestone.The change in roles was smart thinking on Mushfiqur’s part and he reached the double just after lunch on the fourth day, but his astuteness is no surprise. He is a batsman who has not had a dip in form in the last two years, a claim only Shakib Al Hasan can make in the team.Bangladesh were without two of their most important players – Shakib and Tamim Iqbal – and have been dealing with several off-field issues. The captain, especially of a young and struggling side like Bangladesh have been for a long time, needed to lead by example in such a situation. Mushfiqur will complete two years as captain in a few months, and this innings came at the right time: in his first Test in charge away from home.”You would want to lead with runs and wickets, as a captain,” Mushfiqur said. “I am happy but the happiness is just not for myself. Nasir, Ashraful and Mominul did very well, so credit goes to them too.”Sri Lanka have a very good record in Galle, and some of our best players didn’t come. There were expectations on me, as well as a lot of pressure. It is a very positive sign that we can overcome these challenges.”Mushfiqur survived the axe following Bangladesh’s exit from the 2011 World Cup, in which he failed to contribute significantly, and has not looked back. After he was handed the captaincy in controversial circumstances in mid-2011, he has grown into the role, taking lessons from phases of his career that weren’t pleasant.Mushfiqur was the wicketkeeper who displaced Khaled Mashud, the crisis man during Bangladesh’s early days as a Test nation and a popular figure in the country. How he transformed from accidental villain to exemplary figure in six years is worth a closer look.It wasn’t just hard work, but also how he carried himself that made a world of difference. Though a strict disciplinarian in his personal life, Mushfiqur never tried to impose his personal traits on his team-mates. But as leaders hope, the younger players are, unwittingly or otherwise, adopting their way of thinking – that the only path to runs, wickets and wins is hard work and focus.Mushfiqur said after the fourth day’s play that he had discussed the probability of a double-century with Ashraful, but not just for himself. “We had dinner together. I told him that, ‘I want you to score the 200 first. Go for the 250-mark too, so that I can make a double-hundred too.’ That’s how we were planning yesterday: we will get to milestones together. I am seriously feeling very bad for him because he deserved the double thoroughly.”His immediate challenge is to guide his team through this Test match, this series and perhaps win a series away from home in the next two months.

Indian cricketers are the chief beneficiaries of the IPL’s salary boom

Amrit Mathur22-Apr-2013Here’s the most telling stat about star player salaries in the IPL: Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni earn Rs 1 crore (about $180,000) every year as part of BCCI’s Grade A list of centrally contracted players. That is said to be a fair estimate of the amount they also make from a single 20-over, 3.5 hour IPL game.Recently I talked about this to Rahul Dravid, who said the commercially driven IPL has dramatically changed cricket’s ecosystem and with it the mindset of players. He cautioned that we shouldn’t be taken in by the politically correct noises players make about Test cricket being the ultimate challenge. The truth is, every young player wants to somehow land an IPL contract. That is what he is playing for. It is like every bright Indian student who wants to crack the Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Management exams to get into the country’s most prestigious colleges.Indian cricketers are the chief beneficiaries of the IPL’s salary boom. As the tournament mandates that each team must play seven Indian players in its starting XI, the nine franchisees need to hire about 14 Indian players to build their squads. This means that approximately 125 Indian players benefit from what is effectively the BCCI/ IPL’s employment guarantee scheme.Player salaries for capped Indian (and overseas) players are decided by forces more complex than in the era when cricketers were paid by their boards in a structure dictated by them. In a departure from that norm, the value of the players’ skills at the IPL are settled through an open and transparent auction. This hammer price becomes a combination of many different aspects: talent, important skill sets (in the 20-over format, multi-utility allrounders are priceless), specific team needs, and/or the whims of an indulgent owner.This ends up leaving little room for reputations or sentiment. All that matters is the perceived ability of the player to deliver in exceedingly challenging pressure situations. No surprise then that VVS Laxman, stately and stylish, did not interest buyers, Sourav Ganguly was spurned and Brian Lara received no bids. Meanwhile Adam Gilchrist and the Hussey brothers continue to go for plenty. Even an unproven Glenn Maxwell gets a massive million-dollar contract, while Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke, neither known for their T20 skills, attract much lower numbers.When asked what the IPL means for seasoned pros like him, Dravid smiled and neatly deflected the question: it is a different world altogether, he said. “The other day I walked the ramp as part of a promotional event. When I started my career, I never imagined this would be part of a cricketer’s life!”Non-cricket factors also affect a player’s price, as teams are mindful of the commercial value they bring to their table. Three seasons ago, when Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan had moved to other teams, Delhi opted for “value” picks but the change provoked disapproval from sponsors, who bemoaned the lack of buzz around the squad. Not only does a team need stars who perform on the field but also marquee names that excite their commercial partners, who are looking for to find a way to leverage their association and reach their customers.In this complex arrangement there are some unsaid, unwritten rules. One: Indian players count. Except for a handful of overseas names like Gilchrist, Brett Lee and Kevin Pietersen, Indian corporates and Indian fans want Indian cricket stars, which is why Munaf Patel and R Ashwin matter more than Morne Morkel and de Villiers. Two: controversy is bad for commerce, so there is no place for anyone, however good, if he spells trouble.While commercial forces may be fundamental to every aspect of the IPL’s functioning (including the franchise sale in the first place), the IPL’s most bizarre move has been denying domestic Indian players market-driven rewards. Instead, it has arbitrarily capped payments to Ranji and Under-19 players, ostensibly to prevent them from getting “corrupted” by cash. Under these regulations, Ambati Rayudu, who is yet to play for India, can only earn Rs 30 lakhs (about $55,000) while Saurabh Tiwary, Venugopal Rao, Abhishek Nayar – all of whom represented India briefly – fetch far more.Even at these artificially depressed rates, there still remains a crazy scramble for IPL contracts among uncapped domestic cricketers. The contracts are a passport to a dazzling world of unimaginable fame and riches. All manner of player agents – sleazy, slick and suave – have popped up and they lobby and aggressively pitch on behalf of their clients. Most Indian cricketers, including U-19s now operate through these agents. It is not unusual for IPL team managers to have their inbox flooded with smartly produced player portfolios.

Not only does a team need stars who perform on the field but also marquee names that excite their commercial partners, who in turn need to find a way to leverage their association and reach their customers

In the early days of the IPL, franchisees paid serious money to hire top players in order to attract attention towards their brands and engage with fans. Later, faced with financial losses, and alive to the danger of rising player cost that could damage the balance sheet and permanently cripple their business, teams got smarter in picking players. They are still a distance away from the levels, but a clear understanding now exists that the player salary expense, unless capped, can wreak havoc.Players have become rich, but for some, the cash has become a curse. Yusuf Pathan, Saurabh Tiwary and a host of high-cost players have withered, crushed by the weight of expectation, the gnawing anxiety to justify their cost and the fearsome, although tacit, disapproval of annoyed owners.There are two sides to earning large salaries in the IPL. Players who earn large sums may also have to surrender some of their commercial rights to team sponsors and partners. Player images are used for advertising but conditions apply: the association of sponsors must be with the team as a whole and advertising cannot be turned into a player’s personal endorsement. Players are not individually required to promote a product and any commercial communication requires a minimum of three players to feature together, all wearing the official team jersey.Players believe there are not enough safeguards in place to protect personal endorsements, because in the wake of the IPL, the market has slumped sharply and demand for individual player endorsements has dried up, except for the few Big Boys (like Tendulkar, Dhoni, and Virat Kohli) who have commercial currency of their own. The rest have been blown away in a marketplace where it makes better business sense for sponsors to associate with a team, and gain access to key players through this partnership.Still, players stand to benefit cost-wise. For overseas players the money on offer for six weeks of work is game-changing. Sensing this ground reality, cricket boards (especially those with a history of payment defaults and delays) have made peace with their players about participation in the IPL. The ECB is yet to sort out its response, but after the KP controversy and Matt Prior’s articulations and the PCA statements, there should be some shift in its position soon.For Indian players, the IPL is a major leap towards making cricket a viable career. The money offers incentive, insurance, compensation and a certain amount of job security. Of all the IPL’s stakeholders, the players are the most critical. The player contract reflects this and is completely pro-player – all players are assured performance-delinked guaranteed payment, and there is no penalty clause. The extent of pay protection in the IPL far exceeds that provided by the Indian government to its employees. (I say this as a former government employee myself). The suggestion some seasons ago that 20% of a contracted player wage would be payable only if the team qualifies for the Champions League was promptly shot down by Indian players.Besides the comfort of assured payments, there are other benefits too. The IPL mandates that at least 50% of prize money is shared with players. Any trading or transfer can only take place with the consent of the player, and his wage can’t be lowered during the contract period under any circumstance.The peripherals are equally enticing: players are entitled to business-class travel, five-star hotel stay, and a $100 daily allowance. The franchise picks up the service-tax liability, and in the case of foreign players, contributes 10% of the salary to their national boards. Players lose out on minor amounts when they miss games due to injury (50% of the match fee, which is an individual calculation based on their auction fee divided by the number of matches they play) and for non-selection.In any business, the customer is king but in cricket normal rules of economics don’t apply. In the IPL ecosystem it is the players, and in this case the Indian players, who call the shots.

The Plays of the Day from the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai

Sidharth Monga28-Apr-2013The byes
This is one of the rare instances in any cricket. Dirk Nannes bounds in, bowls short of a length, beats the pull, hits the top of off. Four runs to the batting side. That’s because this was a free hit, and the ricochet bounced over the cordon for four byes.The over
Marlon Samuels can finish his T20 full spells in the time it took Nannes to bowl the first over of the chase. He began with a wide down the leg side that MS Dhoni failed to collect, followed by a front-foot no-ball. The free hit hit the bails and went for four byes. One legal ball, 10 conceded, none off the bat. Three uneventful deliveries later, Nannes bowled another wide. The nine-ball over went for 18. Only six of them came off the bat.The field
Kolkata Knight Riders were taken to the cleaners by Michael Hussey, but Gautam Gambhir showed he is an optimistic soul with the field he welcomed the new batsman with after finally getting Hussey out for 95. It was the 16th over, and Chennai Super Kings were 158 for 2, but Dhoni walked out to face Sunil Narine with a slip and a silly mid-off. Dhoni played out a dot, which he would have probably done anyway considering it was the last ball of Narine’s quota.The shot
In the 13th over of the Super Kings innings, Hussey went down on a knee to sweep, and Rajat Bhatia changed the delivery to bowl wide outside off. However, despite the premeditation, Hussey had enough time to change the shot, and drive it square, between point and cover-point for four. Hussey tried the sweep off the next ball too, Bhatia bowled wide and full again, but this time Hussey couldn’t recover in time, and could get just the single off the full toss.The wide that wasn’t
In the 18th over of the first innings, with Dhoni’s killer intent obvious to all, L Balaji bowled a perfect wide yorker, which swung in a touch, and bounced inside the white guide line for a wide. This being a batsman’s game, though, Simon Taufel penalised him for it by calling it a wide. Balaji responded with a trademark grin, but he must have hurt inside. That was not the total cost of the call; the compensatory delivery, the seventh of the over, went for the first four of that over, ruining an otherwise good over.The run-out that wasn’t
Three balls after missing Jacques Kallis’ stumping, MS Dhoni pulled off what should have been a spectacular run-out. Manvinder Bisla was taking it easy when Dhoni deflected a wide throw – with his back to the stumps – onto the stumps. The replays showed Bisla’s bat was clearly in the air. Everyone agreed, but the third umpire C Shamsuddin, who saw hundreds of replays before ruling it not-out. One for those who knock Super Kings for the umpiring calls going their way.