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From Andrew Hughes, United Kingdom Exciting news, cricket chums

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013Andrew Hughes, United Kingdom
Exciting news, cricket chums. Today saw the official re-launch of the English Premier League. Better still, I was lucky enough to win a ticket to the press conference by successfully guessing how many fairy cakes Giles Clarke can store in his cheeks at any one time. (The answer is twenty-seven). So here it is: the full details of what could be the most significant day in English cricket since the last most significant day.As the ECB’s Head of Corporate Nonsense, it was the hamster-faced Clarke himself who opened proceedings with a short slide show about his recent holiday in Antigua and his friend Allen. There followed a brief interlude whilst the assembled gentlemen of the press adjourned to the bar, before the esteemed leader of the free cricket world resumed his presentation and explained how the highly successful Indian Premier League had influenced the English version.“Obviously, we can’t just copy the Indians, so you’ll see a few differences,” said Clarke, gnawing on a piece of cheese. “For a start no-one will want to watch it, because it’ll be rubbish. So we’ve gone away from the idea of big stadia and we’re holding it in my back-garden. Well it was either that or Taunton. And we’ve sold the rights to Mongolian State TV, so those lazy old buggers in their armchairs won’t be able to see it either.”Asked whether there would be IPL-style player auctions, Clarke chuckled. “Oh yes, sure,” he replied sarcastically. “What am I bid for this Gareth Batty? Do I see ten pounds. Ten pounds anyone? Don’t be daft, lad.”The English Premier League will run from January to December, with forty-eight rounds of matches, a month of play-offs and a Grand Final to decide which is the least worst team. Amongst the galaxy of international superstars scheduled to take part are Jonas Van Kolpack, brother of someone who almost played for South Africa and former Australian 12th man Carl Rackemann or someone who looks very much like him. The eighteen counties have also been specially renamed for the tournament, the names being chosen by a consultancy firm, ‘Old Rope Associates’ and finely tuned to reflect the diverse reality of modern British life:Lancashire DrizzleDurham Beer BelliesYorkshire MoanNottinghamshire AccentsDerbyshire Fly TippersLeicestershire KolpacksNorthamptonshire Traffic ConesWorcestershire WelliesGloucestershire Flood WarningsGlamorgan Slag HeapsSurrey ShootersMiddlesex MortgagesSussex NimbysHampshire ChemicalsSomerset InebriatesKent BigotsEssex NightclubsWarwickshire Idiots

Australia’s marks out of ten, for the Test series against India

Brydon Coverdale25-Mar-20138
Michael Clarke (286 runs at 47.66)
The only Australian to score a century on this tour, Clarke showed from the first day in Chennai how nimble footwork is key to handling Indian conditions. He scored 130 in that innings, and in the second innings was only done in by a nasty ball that stayed low and turned viciously. That was followed by 91 in the first innings in Hyderabad, which could have become another ton had he not tried to hit out when running out of partners. His move up the order to No. 3 in Mohali failed in the first innings, and in the second he was severely hampered by his back pain. Clarke was such a lone beacon for most of the series that India knew if they could get him, they had won half the battle.6.5
Steven Smith (161 runs at 40.25, 1 wicket at 63.00)
Smith only played in Mohali because of the so-called homework sackings, but the Australians were immediately glad of his inclusion. His 92 in the first innings of that match showed that Clarke was not the only batsman in the side capable of using his feet. Smith was busy against the spinners and always looked confident, which couldn’t be said for most of his team-mates. A mature 46 in the first innings in Delhi added to his value, but given how comfortable he looked, the Australians really needed him to go on and turn one of his innings into a big hundred. His part-time bowling was at times awful, but he produced one perfect legbreak to have Sachin Tendulkar caught at bat-pad in Mohali.Peter Siddle (9 wickets at 33.88, 139 runs at 17.37)
Siddle had little impact in the first two Tests, but became an important player in the second half of the series. His 5 for 71 in Mohali prevented India from stretching their lead into triple figures, and in Delhi it was his batting that provided the greatest value. In his previous 40 Tests, Siddle had not scored a half-century, but he dug in to make 51 and 50, top scoring in both innings. Consequently, he became the first batsman in Test history to score half-centuries in both innings at No. 9. His efforts showed up his batting team-mates, and kept Australia in the contest.6
Ed Cowan (265 runs at 33.12)
Although Cowan didn’t build the big scores required of a Test opener, he at least showed his ability to learn. Early in the series he thought the best approach was to attack India’s bowlers, but dancing down the wicket, attempting to go over the top, got him stumped in Chennai. In the next two Tests his scores and time at the crease grew as he changed tack, and chose to occupy time, forcing the Indians to get him out rather than getting himself out – although a poorly judged sweep in Delhi went against that reasoning. M Vijay was the only player from either team to face more balls in the series than Cowan, and his steadiness was admirable given the carnage that often took place around him.James Pattinson (9 wickets at 27.77, 68 runs at 17.00)
The stand-out Australia bowler in Chennai with his 5 for 96 in the first innings, Pattinson used his pace through the air to challenge India’s batsmen in spite of the slow pitch. There was no question that Pattinson was the most sorely missed of the four men dropped in Mohali for failing to complete a homework task set by coach Mickey Arthur, and when he returned in Delhi he didn’t have quite the same impact. Like all of Australia’s tail, he also showed plenty of fight with the bat.In the final Test in Delhi, Nathan Lyon showed that he had learnt how to bowl in India•BCCINathan Lyon (15 wickets at 37.33, 54 runs at 18.00)
The axing of Lyon for the second Test in Hyderabad was one of the most surprising selection strategies of the tour, for although he leaked copious runs in Chennai, he did pick up five wickets, and nobody could have controlled MS Dhoni in such an unconstrained frame of mind. In the final Test in Delhi, Lyon showed that he had learnt how to bowl in India, avoiding too full a length, and adopting an around-the-wicket line to the right-handed batsmen that brought lbws firmly into play. He collected nine wickets for the match, and it should have been ten but for a dropped catch by Matthew Wade. His resilience with the bat at No.11 showed up some of his top-order teammates as well.5
Moises Henriques (156 runs at 31.20, 2 wickets at 77.50)
Chosen for his first Test in Chennai, Henriques showed remarkable resolve with the bat in both innings, and scored 68 and an unbeaten 81. Although he ran out of partners in the second innings, and missed the chance for a hundred on debut, he was the first Australian since 1979 to score a half-century in each innings of his first Test. However, his batting in Hyderabad and Mohali did not live up to his Chennai promise, and as a bowler he lacked penetration.Mitchell Starc (2 wickets at 100.00, 145 runs at 36.25)
This may seem a generous mark for Starc given his failure with the ball, but it is a reflection of the fight and skill he showed with the bat in Mohali. In the first innings he very nearly became the second Australian centurion of the tour, but was caught behind for 99. His 35 in the second innings almost got Australia into a position from which they could dream of preventing an Indian win. His two wickets for the series came in one over during a spell of outstanding swing bowling, but when the ball wasn’t moving, he was of little threat to India’s batsmen.4.5
Brad Haddin (51 runs at 25.50, 4 catches, 1 stumping)
Given another chance in Test cricket due to Wade’s ankle injury in Mohali, Haddin was clean behind the stumps, and even found himself acting as on-field captain when Clarke was off having his sore back treated. He made starts in both innings but was unable to go on.4
David Warner (195 runs at 24.37)
Despite making two half-centuries, Warner had the worst series of his short Test career. His 59 on the first day of the tour was scratchy, and his only innings of real note was 71 in Mohali, when he and Cowan put on 139 for the opening stand. Two edges from loose flashes outside off with no footwork in the first couple of overs in Mohali and Delhi, were especially ugly.Glenn Maxwell (7 wickets at 27.57, 39 runs at 9.75)
The so-called “Big Show” had no impact with the bat, despite being promoted to open in the second innings in Delhi. He did manage to collect four wickets in Hyderabad, and three in Delhi, but has a long way to go before he can be considered a Test batting option.3.5
Phillip Hughes (147 runs at 18.37)
For two and half Tests, Hughes was mesmerised by India’s spin and the conditions, and at one stage had a drought of 58 deliveries against India’s spinners without scoring a run. A new, more aggressive approach helped him in the second innings in Mohali, and he was unlucky to be lbw for 69 to a ball clearly missing leg. In Delhi he contributed 45 in the first innings.Matthew Wade (113 runs at 18.83, 4 catches, 1 stumping)
One decent score – 62 in Hyderabad – was not what Australia needed from Wade after deciding he could serve as a top six batsman on this trip. He had an up-and-down time behind the stumps, sometimes making impressive saves, and on other occasions letting through byes that could have been stopped. Keeping wicket in India is tough, but his lack of footwork did not help his cause. Wade dropped a regulation chance when Dhoni edged Lyon in Delhi, and missed a couple of difficult stumping opportunities.2
Shane Watson (99 runs at 16.50)
This was a hugely disappointing tour for Watson, who chose to embark on it as a specialist batsman in the hope of avoiding bowling injuries. Twice he was out pulling, which is risky on pitches with variable bounce, but found a number of other ways to lose his wicket as well. The homework saga and his reaction to it was Australia’s off-field low point, and although he returned and was given the captaincy in Delhi, overall this series could hardly have gone worse for Watson.Xavier Doherty (4 wickets at 60.50, 24 runs at 24.00)
A limited-overs bowler with limited weapons in the longer format, Doherty played in Hyderabad and Mohali, as the Australian selectors struggled to find their best attack. He was tighter than the other spinners but also far less of a threat.0
Mitchell Johnson (0 wickets, 3 runs at 1.50)
Johnson’s tour consisted of one Test, figures of 0 for 60, a golden duck, an innings of 3 that featured two close lbw shouts, a near run-out, and ended with a leave to a carrom ball that took off stump. He was also sloppy in the field, costing Australia a couple of boundary overthrows, and failed to complete a homework task. Enough said.

Trent Boult talks about not beating England in Auckland and confesses to providing misleading information about himself

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi06-May-2013Do you still brood about the final over you bowled against Matt Prior in the third Test in Auckland?
It was frustrating to not get that final wicket. I know that the bowling group and myself had put in everything we could, especially on that last day. We tried as much as we could so. It was a case of being so near yet so far.What were you thinking when you turned in to deliver that final ball?
I remember thinking: I have got to make him play. I knew I did not want to bowl a delivery at the sixth stump, which would be a waste of time. If I had my time again maybe I would have thrown in a yorker.Define aggression.
When you can tell from someone’s body language that he is in a fight and it is a battlefield out there. Dale Steyn is a perfect example of that. You can see the fire in his face, how much he is up for the occasion.You have said Wasim Akram is one your idols. What did you like about his bowling?
I loved how he could move the ball. Those are the kind of skills I’m trying to do in my bowling: swing the ball as much as I can and bowl at a good clip. I just loved the way he moved the ball both ways with such control.What is the most difficult thing to do for a left-arm fast bowler?
To move the ball consistently is the challenge.What is the one rule you would like changed or brought into cricket?
Use DRS consistently across the game.Tell us something we don’t know about you.
My player page on ESPNcricinfo says that I would be a chef if not for cricket. That is not actually correct. During the Under-19 World Cup in 2008, I filled out a form and I tried to be funny, saying I wanted to be a chef. And it has stuck with me. I can’t cook.*Do you play golf?
My handicap is 4. Back in New Zealand I am a member of a local club. It helps me take my mind off cricket.Has cricket ever given you sleepless nights?
Many. There was this interesting incident before my Test debut. I knew I was not playing. I turned up on the morning of the game and Daniel Vettori got injured and I only had about 30 minutes to gather my thoughts and get ready. In a way that worked out better rather than if I had known the night before that I was playing.What has been your most embarrassing moment on the field?
When I was younger, my team needed two runs to win and we had something like ten overs left and I ran myself out. For some reason I was trying to win it in one ball.Have you ever hit a winning six?
It came during the second match of the ODI series against India Under-19 in 2007. It all came down to the last ball and we needed six. I hit my first-ever six.Have you ever met Sir Richard Hadlee?
Yes, a few times. His message has been to be consistent and to ask the right questions and ask them over a long time. He is a man who speaks about patience and hanging in there and having control.* May 6 2013 12.45pm GMT The player profile has since been updated

With the identity of Australia’s specialist spinner still undecided, Nathan Lyon has much to gain – or lose – in the next two Tests

Brydon Coverdale08-Aug-2013In the lead-up to this Ashes series, Steven Smith was described in the as “a bit-part leggie who bowled himself into specialist batsman status”. It was an apt portrait, for Smith played his first two Tests against Pakistan in England as a frontline spinner batting at No. 8, his next three in the last, pre-Argus Ashes as a No. 6 or 7 bowling plenty of overs, and now he is a promising top-six batsman whose legbreaks are rusty, if not completely corroded.Somehow, he is also Australia’s leading spinner in the series. In the 22 overs Michael Clarke has asked of Smith in the first three Tests, he has sent down some full tosses so juicy they could be served for breakfast but he has also winkled out four wickets at 22.25, including Ian Bell twice. His bowling is Australian cricket in a microcosm: good enough at its best, park standard at its worst.Nathan Lyon would be pretty happy to have Smith’s record in this series. Left out for the first two Tests on pitches that suited spin, Lyon was brought in at Old Trafford, where there was more pace and bounce in the surface and the fast men bowled well. There was also turn, though, and Graeme Swann collected five first-innings wickets and six for the match. Lyon managed 1 for 95 from his 35 overs.Of course, life is very different for Lyon than it is for Smith, or even for Swann. As a part-timer, Smith’s introduction for a handful of overs can push a batsman into his shell, trying to avoid the ignominy of falling to him, or over the edge, trying to score too freely. Swann has the benefit of bowling to a line-up with several left-handers who must handle the ball turning away, while outside of Smith and Clarke, few of the Australians use their feet well.Lyon must also bowl to a batting line-up stacked with right-handers, for Alastair Cook is the only member of England’s top seven who bats left-handed. That was one of the reasons the inexperienced teenager Ashton Agar was preferred over Lyon for the first two Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord’s, despite the fact that Lyon had taken nine wickets in his previous Test, against India in Delhi in March.Now, the pressure is back on Lyon to show why he is the No. 1 man. Swann has collected 19 wickets at 27.36 so far in this series, while Australia’s specialist spinners between them have three victims at 117.00. Not that Lyon bowled badly in his only appearance, at Old Trafford – he looped the ball at times and found some turn – but he dried up runs more than threatened wickets. Such roles are necessary in a Test attack.But the next two Tests are a big chance for Lyon to add some important wickets to his tally on pitches that will give him some assistance. How often, for example, will he encounter sluggish, grass-free surfaces during the return Ashes series in Australia later this year? “A little bit dry and quite slow” was how Smith described the Chester-le-Street pitch for the fourth Test when he first saw it on Wednesday.The words could just about describe Lyon. That requires clarification, for it is in no way a comment on his intelligence. Rather, it is a reflection of Lyon’s easygoing attitude. He is a laid-back individual with a deadpan sense of humour. He takes everything in his stride. Even after his demotion following the Chennai Test in India earlier this year he was still smiling, pleased with how he had turned the ball through the gate to bowl Sachin Tendulkar.MS Dhoni had demolished Lyon in that Test and at Old Trafford Kevin Pietersen threatened a similar destruction by advancing to Lyon and lofting him down the ground for sixes. Bell replicated the approach. There is no question that England’s batsmen will continue to go after Lyon over the next two Tests. How he responds will be a test of his character. He is the best spinner in Australia but the selectors have shown they are willing to drop Lyon, and he cannot afford a wicket drought on dry pitches.”We would have seen a lot more wickets if Lyono was given a chance to bowl in the second innings,” Clarke said of the Old Trafford washout. “There were things Nathan wanted to work on and has done so over the last couple of months. He’s spent a lot of time at the Centre of Excellence with his spin bowling coach and on the Australia A tour he had him over in England for a while.”I think he’s bowling beautifully at the moment. I think he’s bowling at a good pace. He always seems to get a lot of bounce, which is a great strength to have, and watching him bowl the other day it looks like he’s getting good drift away from the right-handers as well. His shape is there, which is a really positive sign, so I think he’s bowling really well and I think he would have picked up a lot of wickets on that last day if given the opportunity.”The opportunity didn’t come on the last day at Old Trafford, but it will over the next two Tests. There is much for Lyon to gain during these matches, for he can prove why he should have been part of this side from the first Test at Trent Bridge, and why he deserves the initial chance during the home Ashes. There is also much to lose, if he fails to have impact with wickets. By the home summer, Agar could be in the mix again and Fawad Ahmed will be considered if he starts the season well.Lyon has ten days of Ashes cricket to lock himself in as the No. 1 spinner. Outbowling Steven Smith would be a good start.

West Indies want to correct the wrongs they committed during their 2-0 series defeat in 2011-12 and Darren Sammy is confident his team is Test-ready after a lay-off

Nagraj Gollapudi in Kolkata05-Nov-2013″Saachin. Saachin!” Darren Sammy entered the press briefing by chanting the name of the most popular figure in India at the moment. The West Indies captain does not mind being a cheerleader at the Sachin Tendulkar farewell celebrations. However, that is where the courtesy to Tendulkar and India stops. Sammy is clear: West Indies want to correct the wrongs they committed during their 2-0 series defeat in 2011-12.Although England got the better of India last year with a spirited effort, not many teams in the past decade, barring South Africa, have given India enough stress. However, Sammy’s team will enter this series on the back of a positive stat: West Indies have won their last six Tests, starting July 2012.And this time they have arrived with a much more experienced batting department including Chris Gayle, who will play a Test series in India for only the second time after his maiden tour in 2002. Gayle scored just one half-century on that trip, but in his last Test, against Zimbabwe, he scored 101.Clearly, batting remains West Indies’ strongest suit. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo have been their best two batsmen in the last two years in Asia while Marlon Samuels is not far behind. Kieran Powell has shown he has the wherewithal to stand strong against the new ball while Sammy himself can play a useful cameo lower down the order.”We went to win six Tests since the India series. We have come back here much more experienced,” Sammy said, summarising the progress West Indies had made since their last trip to India. “Our young batsmen would have gained more exposure and experience playing Test cricket. We are in a better frame of mind and we are playing much better.”According to Sammy, during their previous trip West Indies had managed to apply pressure on the Indian batting and proof of that was they had managed to bowl out the opposition nearly thrice during the three-Test tour. However, this time the challenge for West Indies would be much more considering neither of the two strike seamers – the Barbados pair of Kemar Roach and Tino Best – have had the experience of playing in India.Both men have the aggression and pace to disturb the concentration of the best batsmen, but on slower and flatter surfaces, as would be the case in Kolkata and Mumbai, can they display the patience as well as the skills to worry the Indian batsmen?”We have respect for India. When you look at their recent one-day series their batsmen have been in good nick. No one wicket is the prized wicket. Everybody in the top six minus M Vijay has been playing really good and has been in good form. It would be a tough battle for our bowlers. Last time we were bowling against Sehwag, Gambhir, Laxman, Dravid, Sachin and Dhoni. And we bowled them out three (sic. 2) times with four bowlers. We are going to come confident and look to execute our plans and look to get 20 important wickets,” Sammy said.Interestingly, both India and West Indies have not played Test cricket in the last seven months. India’s last Test series was their 4-0 whitewash of Australia in March. Around the same time West Indies finished their home series win against Zimbabwe. The fact that India, who won the Champions Trophy in June, have been busy playing ODIs in the last month, was not lost upon Sammy.He hoped that the Indian batsmen would still be in their ODI mode for his bowlers to force a mistake quickly. “It was a run-fest the last one-day series (against Australia). So hopefully their batsmen will come out playing a lot of shots and we will get some edges down at slip or some lbws or some bowled outs. So hopefully they will be in that same frame of mind and make more mistakes early in their innings,” Sammy said.As for the challenge to adapt themselves quickly to the longer format, Sammy remained confident about that on the basis of his team’s performance in the drawn game against Uttar Pradesh last week. “We got what we wanted from that practice game. We last played Test cricket in March. So it was about getting used to the red ball again and spending time in the middle and the bowlers getting some miles in their legs. We did really well on a very, very flat wicket. This Test match will pose an even bigger challenge but it is one that we are ready for,” Sammy said.If West Indies win this series by a 1-0 margin, they will jump two places from No.6 to 4 in the ICC Test rankings. That is a good enough prize to gatecrash Tendulkar’s party.

Australia’s wicketkeeper has repeatedly been the man of the hour and arguably the man of the series

Daniel Brettig at the SCG03-Jan-20140:00

Mitchell Johnson has deservedly attracted accolades such as these, but Brad Haddin has made a huge contribution

“We don’t want to get into a situation where we’re relying on Brad Haddin to drag us out of trouble every time.”When Australia’s batting coach, Michael Di Venuto, said these words in the aftermath of the Boxing Day Test, he was reflecting on an Ashes series in which his team’s top order have proven consistently vulnerable in the first innings. But on the first day of Test cricket in Australia for 2014, as Haddin performed his act of dragging for the fifth time in as many matches and took Steven Smith merrily along with him, a blue-blooded SCG crowd of 45,352 had reason aplenty to ask the question: why the hell not?More sober reflection offers plenty of reasons to worry at how Michael Clarke’s team have repeatedly asked Haddin to man the pumps, not least the thought that South Africa in February and March won’t be anywhere near as courteous to the tail as England have been. Nonetheless, there has been a wonderfully entertaining and carefree air about the way Australia’s platforms for Test victories have been assembled, with Haddin the fearless, fighting and fluent centre of it all.Brad Haddin underlined his central role in Australia regaining the Ashes with another half-century•AFPVisceral though Mitchell Johnson’s contribution to the series has been, epitomised by a three-over burst this evening, he would not have been given anywhere near the sorts of totals he bowled behind in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth or Sydney without Haddin’s interventions. It has been a common and logical assumption that Johnson will be named Man of the Series. But by lodging a nomination in which he has passed 50 in every first innings while taking sundry catches besides and also serving as Michael Clarke’s most trusted lieutenant, Haddin has made a case for a share of the award at the very least.The SCG’s atmosphere may have been a little more New Year’s festive than Ashes tense, given the series margin, but Haddin’s contribution was very much representative of all he had done in earlier, weightier matches. England’s bowlers used the movement on offer decently after an indifferent start, extracting seam when many might have expected a little more swing under cloudy skies. Australia’s batsmen responded with strokes either overconfident or indeterminate, conveying a porous technique that has now been evident on seaming surfaces for the best part of a decade.David Warner’s feet were nowhere to a Stuart Broad delivery that moved away enough to flick off stump, Chris Rogers let his guard down and dragged a presumptuous pull shot on to his wicket, Clarke pushed too firmly at a ball moving away from him, Shane Watson reminded anyone who had forgotten about his prominent front pad, and George Bailey fiddled and fell, again demonstrating a weakness against steady bowling in the channel outside off stump that will surely be his millstone if pitted against Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.So Haddin walked out with England’s bowlers seemingly sure of themselves and their plans, rejoicing in a scoreline of 5 for 97 and gaining most of the help they wanted from an SCG pitch similar to that on which Mohammad Asif had filleted Australia for 127 in 2010. Having marked his guard, Haddin negotiated his first five balls from Broad studiously, gaining a rough appreciation for the way the surface was playing and the manner of the bowling, before walking down the pitch at the end of the over to discuss the match situation with his New South Wales team-mate and leadership protege Smith.Often, Haddin’s innings can begin with a starburst of strokes to announce his arrival, to his batting partner, spectators but most pointedly opponents. This time he settled in for a little over half an hour, reaching 12 from 34 balls. In that period he eluded a review for a catch by James Anderson when ball had hit front and back pad rather than bat, before narrowing his focus on Ben Stokes.England’s youngest and most promising bowler, Stokes has won deserved praise this series for showing sterner stuff than some of his more storied counterparts. But here, as in Perth, Haddin used the Durham allrounder’s impatience for another wicket to his advantage, goading him – verbally or otherwise – into the short-pitched bowling that allowed runs to be added crisply and quickly, while coaxing England away from the length that reaped the earlier wickets. In all, Haddin cracked 29 from the 21 balls Stokes hurled at him.

“It was great to sit up the other end. In tough circumstances he comes in and tries to switch the momentum of the game and he’s done it on numerous occasions in this series”Steven Smith on Brad Haddin’s innings

In what seemed like no time at all, Haddin’s fifty arrived, inspiring a frustration among the visitors that Stokes articulated after play. “It’s just the way he comes out and plays his natural game whatever the situation,” he said. “Quite a lot’s gone his way but fair play to him, he’s played his natural game and taken every chance he’s had to get runs and played really well. When he came in today and starts hitting you back over your head you’re almost standing there scratching your head thinking ‘This isn’t meant to happen’…”While Haddin scrambled on, taking increasingly garish liberties against Anderson among others, Smith was able to construct another innings to underline his immense potential to anchor Australia’s middle order for years to come. The WACA Ground again came to mind as Smith grew in confidence as a result of the clarity with which Haddin played. This can be illustrated neatly by the two halves of what became Smith’s third Test hundred. In Haddin’s company, he reached 55 from 95 balls. After he was dismissed, Smith surged, ransacking 60 from his final 59 deliveries.”The way he played his shots today was brilliant, to form a partnership with him and get into the position we’re in was great,” Smith said of Haddin. “We were basically just saying ‘Watch the ball closely and have a clear mind’, and Brad was certainly clear in what he was doing. It was great to just sit up the other end. In tough circumstances he comes in and tries to switch the momentum of the game and he’s done it on numerous occasions in this series.”For numerous occasions, read every occasion that mattered. When Michael Carberry, Alastair Cook and the reluctant nightwatchman James Anderson hopped around in the SCG twilight, now confronted by a score around double the tally hoped for in the minutes after lunch, they were caught in between their two main sources of torment this summer. Ahead of them, at the top of his mark, stood Johnson. Behind them, flashing a pitiless smile while brandishing his gloves, was Haddin.Australia would do well not to rely on him so completely in future, not least because, at 36, they do not know how far into that future he will keep playing. But for this Ashes series, there has been no reason not to. He has been the man of the hour, and arguably the summer.

The manner in which individuals handle pressure will determine how successful Bangladesh are as a unit against India, as they look to turn around their poor showing so far in 2014

Mohammad Isam13-Jun-20142:13

Isam: Bangladesh have gained some confidence

There is a neat division of pressure levels – five to be precise – in the Bangladesh squad ahead of their three-match ODI series against India. The biggest demands will be placed on experienced players who have to tackle lack of form, confidence, and rising expectations, as the team look to start winning after ordinary performances in the year.Most of the pressure will be on the trio of captain Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Abdur Razzak, who have all played more than 100 games. As the most experienced players, they will face the most heat for their lack of form and position in the team. Mushfiqur has been the team’s highest scorer in this format in 2014 but he has also overseen a 0-7 ODI record. With a new set of coaches, Mushfiqur’s predominant role will be to coax the best performances from his players.There have been some questions about Mushfiqur’s decisions on the field, particularly when Bangladesh have been on top of situations in a game. His reluctance to use left-arm spinners against left-hand batsmen has been one of the signs of his rigidity. Mushfiqur would hope for Tamim and Razzak’s quick return to form, as it could have a ripple effect on other players facing similar crises in form and confidence.Tamim recently stressed that he was doing everything to return to form, but the pressure will be palpable given the murmurs over his place in the side during the World T20. Razzak, the country’s highest wicket-taker in ODIs, has struggled to cut the runs and pick up wickets. Both Tamim and Razzak have had injuries this year, but they are important to the ODI team and will be expected to perform at a higher level than they did between January and April.Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain and Sohag Gazi will face the next, slightly lower level of pressure. Their contributions ensured the team had an easy balance when they won the ODI series against West Indies in 2012, drew the one-dayers against Sri Lanka and crushed New Zealand 3-0 in 2013.Mushfiqur Rahim has scored runs but has also had a record of seven straight losses in 2014•AFPMahmudullah, however, has been out of form for some time now and also lost his place in the side. Nasir has suffered his first dip in form since his 2011 debut and Gazi’s form has resembled a yo-yo. When he has found a reason to do well, Gazi has gone all out but there have been times when he has lacked motivation.After a poor Bangladesh A tour to England in mid-2013, he bounced back superbly against New Zealand with a hat-trick and hundred in the same Test and then played a key role in the side’s 3-0 win in the ODIs. This year, however, he has had five poor games, averaging 56 with the ball.The third wave of pressure will be on Anamul Haque, Shamsur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman, who have been in and out of the side. Anamul made a comeback at the start of the year and has slowly got himself into a position where he is now an automatic choice to open the innings with Tamim. He has to improve upon his strike rate of 68.26, in 2014, and 70 overall.With two low scores in the World T20, Shamsur will have to wait his turn. He has started well in all three formats but has given it away as soon as he got going. Given how Anamul has been scoring, Shamsur will have to build on his starts to regain his place in the team. Ziaur can expect a bit-part role in the series, which has been his problem – he is judged by these small opportunities where he is expected to deliver the maximum.Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque and Mashrafe Mortaza will face less pressure as they have shown an ability to deal with expectations. Shakib will be buoyant after contributing to Kolkata Knight Riders’ second IPL triumph. He was in a media storm during the World T20, after a bizarre interview in a local newspaper, but he has always handled pressure and controversy effectively. Mominul, while not at Shakib’s level as a player, has been similarly indifferent to pressure. As an ODI batsman, Mominul has a lot to improve on but his willingness makes him an attractive player to watch.Mashrafe, too, has handled pressure effectively. He has made several comebacks from injury, taking very little time to adjust to on-field happenings and will be looking to improve his wickets tally in this series.The least amount of pressure will be on Al-Amin Hossain, Mohammad Mithun and Taskin Ahmed, and it should remain that way regardless of their performances in the series.Al-Amin has improved rapidly as a bowler and his next target should be to bring down his economy rate, which he tried doing in the World T20. Mithun and Taskin are newcomers and they should be allowed to play freely whenever they are given the chance.As an emotional cricket team, Bangladesh will do well if they can handle pressure at an individual level. The series will be an eye-opener for new head coach Chandika Hathurusingha and bowling coach Heath Streak, but for now, it is Mushfiqur who will have to be the main man, handling his own share of pressure, while helping his side climb out of the rut.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the 4th ODI

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's31-May-2014Tackle of the dayMaybe Joe Root’s motto should be if you can’t get them out take them out. His flooring of Tillakaratne Dilshan was entirely accidental – Root was going for the ball and got into a tangle with Dilshan’s legs – but it could well have played a part in Dilshan’s dismissal. He needed treatment to his ankle after being crunched by Root, his legs getting trapped under Root’s body as they both ended up in a heap at the crease. It also cost Sri Lanka a single and an over later Dilshan fell to James Anderson.Trio of the dayPlaying yourself in can be underrated these days. Kumar Sangakkara took 13 balls to open his account and was not middling much in the early stage of his innings. But then, facing Root, he collected a hat-trick of boundaries. Twice he used his feet to loft him down the ground and then he pierced the offside with another drive. He was up and running.Unusual sight of the dayIn almost every instance of an uncertain catch referred to the TV umpire the decision comes back as not out, so it was something of a surprise when Gary Ballance’s low grab at short fine-leg off Lahiru Thirimanne went the other way. Ballance had made it clear he was not sure over the catch and the England players were back in their fielding positions when the third umpire, Chris Gaffaney gave the decision.Mix-up of the dayYou would like to think that Root and Ballance would have a good understanding batting together, both playing their county cricket for Yorkshire. For a moment during their laboured stand of 84 it did not look like that when, with the total on 50, Ballance cut to point and both batsmen ended up in the middle of pitch. Sri Lanka could have run out either, but managed neither.Gap of the dayEngland believe they have the right mix of batsmen in their one-day line-up. Sometimes it does look that way, but this run chase was not one of those occasions. From the ninth over until the 31st – 130 deliveries to be precise – they did not manage to hit a boundary, chasing a score of 300.

Australia thought victory over Zimbabwe was a sure thing but they were courting trouble by underestimating their opponents

Brydon Coverdale31-Aug-2014In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in 1983, Australia’s prime minister Bob Hawke famously told the country that “any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum”. had just won the America’s Cup. It was one of the nation’s most defining moments of the 1980s, the end of New York Yacht Club’s 132-year hold on the trophy.If that seems a lifetime ago – or more – consider that it was also in 1983 that Zimbabwe last beat Australia in a one-day international. Until today. Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up to work in Australia today will have other reasons. They might not even believe Australia were currently playing a series, such is the dominance of other sports at this time of year.Michael Clarke and his men won’t mind a bit if this loss, and their subsequent plummet from No.1 in the ODI world to No.4, is buried under the weight of AFL and NRL news in the sports pages. But for the players, coaches and selectors it will serve as a timely reminder that you can be too clever for your own good. It is courting trouble to underestimate your opponents. Better to be reminded of that now than in a World Cup.Trevor Hohns, the selector on duty, looked a lonely figure as Australia slid towards defeat, sitting in an empty bank of chairs in front of the change rooms. He quit as Australia’s chairman of selectors in April 2006, after the team had just won a Test series in South Africa 3-0. Now, on his first tour having been reinstated to the selection panel, he has picked a team that lost to Zimbabwe.Australia thought victory over Zimbabwe was a sure thing. They won’t admit that. But there is no other reason to have left Mitchell Johnson out of the side. There are occasions when fast bowlers need a break, but two matches into a one-day series after a long winter’s break is not one of them. They wanted to see other options. Now they’ve seen them, don’t expect Johnson to rest again any time soon.Not that Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, Ben Cutting and James Faulkner had much to work with on a Harare pitch that held the ball up more than a clay tennis court. Johnson has shown at venues like Adelaide that he can still make batsmen hop on slow surfaces, and Zimbabwe’s batsmen must have breathed easier when they discovered he wasn’t playing. There was nothing there for the rest of the seamers.

This loss will teach Australia some lessons but will ultimately cost them little. For Zimbabwe, it will make heroes of men like Elton Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya, and will boost the team and their fans immeasurably

All the more reason, you would think, to have chosen Steven Smith. That Australia resorted to two gentle overs from Aaron Finch shows how much they missed an extra spinner. Nathan Lyon couldn’t do it all, though he nearly did enough. Just as importantly, Smith is Australia’s best player of spin besides Clarke. This match proved again that spin-heavy attacks on spin-friendly surfaces will always trouble Australia. Always.A Clarke-less Australia on spinning pitches doesn’t bear thinking about, hence the decision to send him home after the Zimbabwe loss to be assessed after re-injuring the hamstring that kept him out of the first two games. Australia’s next engagements, including two Tests, are against Pakistan in the UAE in October. Getting right for that series must be his only focus.No doubt Clarke was extremely disappointed to lead Australia to their first ODI loss to Zimbabwe in 31 years. But by the end of the summer, or the end of the World Cup, or the end of next year’s Ashes tour of England, he will view it with more perspective. It might be the loss that reminds his men, until today the No.1-ranked ODI side and until recently No.1 in Tests, that they are mortal. That’s no bad thing.Maybe he will even recognise that Australia’s loss was good for cricket. In fact it was great for cricket. There are only ten ICC full members and two have been floundering for years. A win like this for Zimbabwe, in front of loyal and passionate home fans, can only strengthen cricket in Zimbabwe, and that in turn can only be a positive for world cricket.To see the looks of joyous disbelief from the fans at the ground in Harare was to witness that greatest of sporting stories, the broken drought. This loss will teach Australia some lessons but, unless Clarke aggravated his hamstring even more by returning to the field late in the game, will ultimately cost them little. For Zimbabwe, it will make heroes of men like Elton Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya, and will boost the team and their fans immeasurably.No doubt they celebrated like it was 1983. Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up to work in Zimbabwe on Monday is a bum.

For the first hour on day three, despite the heat and the largely unhelpful pitch, India’s fast bowlers showed a level of intensity and penetration rarely seen from them; in the second hour, things mostly reverted to type

Sidharth Monga at the Gabba19-Dec-20144:53

Agarkar: No point trying to blow tail-enders away these days

Sixty-three minutes of pressure. Not one boundary ball, not one loose ball, not one down leg, not one short and wide, not one half-volley. Good hustle with two bowlers bowling quicker than 140kmph, and one not much slower than 140. Three boundaries are hit in this period – an edge, a good shot and a bit of an improvisation. Two wickets fall. Only 39 runs are scored. There is discipline, intensity, perseverance, and aggression. It is hard to remember India quicks under MS Dhoni bowling better as a unit for an hour. Unfortunately, what followed over 57 minutes after that – 14 boundaries and 91 runs for no wicket – is easy to remember. You can take your pick of reference points for a mini session where India lose control of a match.The first 63 minutes, though, can bear retelling, if only because they are a massive improvement from Adelaide. India fast bowlers have taken more wickets in less time previously, but mostly through magic balls on pitches that are assisting them. On hot days, on good pitches with nice even bounce, when there isn’t much seam movement on offer, you usually have at least one bowler releasing the pressure. Not on this hot day. Not in the first 63 minutes at least.It is 32 degrees by the time India come out of their huddle at 10am. Add five degrees to that because of the cauldron of the Gabba and the humidity. India have made yet another change to their slip cordon. Virat Kohli has moved in, and M Vijay has gone to mid-off. Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron begin. Both are outside off, neither is too full nor too short. Steven Smith scores four runs through good shots, but Aaron beats Mithcell Marsh with one that holds its line outside off.For the next three overs, pressure builds. Eleven runs have come off the first 4.5 overs. Slips are around, a gully is there. You can hear the Indian fielders on the stumps mic. They sense they are closing in. It’s important they don’t release the pressure. Ishant doesn’t. He pitches just short of a length, around a set of stumps outside off. Marsh leaves it alone on length. It doesn’t bounce as much as expected. The top of off is hit. You bowl this well, you push the batsman back, you give yourself the best chance to make use of misbehaviour in the surface.Brad Haddin – average under 11 since the last Ashes – is the new man in. India are at Australia again. Smith feels the pressure. He looks to drive off the back foot. The ball is not close to him. He gets an edge, which goes safely through gully for four. It is important to not lose the plot here. Dhoni takes the game a notch higher. Aaron goes round the wicket, gets a short leg in, and a short square leg right behind him. Aaron bowls two good short balls. One at the body, one just outside off.This is a crucial time. On the last trip to Australia, India had Australia down at 5 for 205 in Melbourne when Haddin walked out. He saw another wicket fall immediately. He began his innings with a long-on and deep midwicket in place. Dhoni seems to have learnt his lesson. He has looked a better, more proactive captain all match. Also Haddin is going through a lean phase. Most of all, though, his bowlers have been accurate. He continues attacking. Gets two short legs in. Ishant bowls full and nearly has Haddin lbw. Aaron goes round the wicket and aims for the ribs. Haddin gets one boundary through leg gully, but that gap is plugged.Ishant takes a breather after his first spell of 4-1-9-1, and Umesh begins with a maiden to Smith. When he bowls one short and wide, it is not put away. The batsmen just haven’t been in scoring mode. Dhoni has a chat with Aaron, who gets another over. He goes round the wicket with a short leg and a leg gully in place. This is short, this is quick, headed for the ribs from that angle. Haddin tries to get himself inside its line but the ball follows. He doesn’t fancy a hit in the ribs so he just raises his bat meekly. Short leg takes an easy catch. Mark Nicholas on air is reminded of Mitchell Johnson to Jonathan Trott last season.Johnson was Johnson because he had Ryan Harris building the pressure at the other end. India are looking dangerous with their pace because they haven’t bowled a loose ball all morning.Johnson hasn’t been Johnson this Test. He hasn’t taken a wicket. Rohit Sharma reminds him of that as he walks in to bat with Australia 161 behind. The Indian fielders, it seems, have been given free rein. They have been in the ear of the batsmen. Rohit has had a finger-pointing chat with umpire Ian Gould. India are looking to ape Australia in every way.Johnson gets a short leg and a leg gully first up. India are going to bounce him. They have let him know too. This is life in the fast lane. It can unravel fast. It didn’t at Lord’s. It worked at Lord’s. So India go to the bouncer after one double bluff – a full ball, which Johnson times through mid-on for three. Smith, meanwhile, has ramped a bouncer over slip.Ishant comes back to replace Aaron, who has gone off to get his left shoulder some attention. He has dived badly at the end of his spell of 5-0-26-1. He has bowled better than the figures suggest. Ishant comes back, and wants to continue what Aaron has been doing. What he himself did at Lord’s. Bowl bouncers. He bowls one at 133kmph, it is about chest high, and Johnson scorches it along the ground through square leg for four. This is not just four runs. This should be a message. Johnson can pull. He is going to pull. Use it sparingly. Ishant bowls another. No sting in that bouncer again. Four through midwicket. All of a sudden the partnership is reading 24 off 14.The next bouncer from Ishant is higher than the shoulder, but Johnson manages to keep it down. In the next over Umesh tries to bounce him. The ball is pulled down into the ground again. In the next over Ishant looks to bounce him, and is ramped over slips. In the next, when Umesh pitches it up, Johnson is beaten. Surely there is a message in there?Ian Healy on commentary says Johnson has a tendency of missing full and straight balls. India are not bowling that. They are going at his throat, and going for runs. Johnson is 26 off 20, and has played only three scoring shots in the off side. One of them a ramp to the bouncer. Seventeen of these 20 balls have been either short or short of a length. He’s loving it.Can’t be sure if it is ego or bad planning, but India keep persisting with the short ball. They have even started giving Smith the easy single. So now they have begun to try getting only one man out, and are going about it the wrong way. The rest of the unravelling is mere details, but the figures say it all: the last four added 258 in just 48.3 overs, the top six got 247 in 61.1 overs.It should have been 210 for the last four wickets, but Dhoni doesn’t go for a catch an arm’s length to his left. The ball dies in front of first slip, and Josh Hazlewood adds 32 unbeaten runs to his nought at the time. That’s the finishing touch every self-respecting Indian unravelling in the field yearns for.