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Ashwin strikes early to make New Zealand’s final-day task tougher

Hemant Brar28-Nov-20211:30

Jaffer: Iyer backs his game, whatever the situation

Stumps Debutant Shreyas Iyer followed up his 105 in the first innings with 65 to help India set New Zealand a target of 284 in the first Test in Kanpur. He was well-supported by Wriddhiman Saha, who struck an unbeaten 61 after being off the field with a stiff neck on day three.In the morning session, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Ajaz Patel had reduced India to 51 for 5, but Iyer and R Ashwin eased the hosts’ nerves with a 52-run stand for the sixth wicket. Then, Iyer and Saha added 64 for the seventh wicket to take India’s lead past 200.

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Iyer was caught down the leg side off Southee in the last over before tea but Saha and Axar Patel dashed any hopes New Zealand might have had of keeping the target under 250. The two added 67 in 20.4 overs in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand without showing any urgency until the very end.India finally declared on 234 for 7, and in the four overs possible before bad light forced stumps, Ashwin dismissed Will Young lbw with the one that kept low. Had Young opted for the review in time, he would have survived as replays showed the ball was spinning past leg stump.Saha kept wickets at the start of New Zealand’s second innings but was substituted by KS Bharat after only two overs.Earlier, it was surprising to see Kane Williamson starting with batting allrounder Rachin Ravindra after lunch with India placed precariously on 84 for 5. To his credit, Ravindra was tidy but didn’t pose much of a threat. From the other end, Southee’s short-ball ploy against Ashwin didn’t quite come off either.It was Jamieson who eventually broke the stand with Ashwin chopping one onto his stumps, but by then India’s lead had crossed 150.Meanwhile, Iyer showed great maturity, playing the ball late on a slow pitch and picking up the majority of his runs in the third man region. He brought up his half-century off 109 balls, becoming the first India batter – and 16th overall – to score a hundred and a fifty in his first Test.Saha stuck around with Iyer and even hit William Somerville for a four and a six off successive deliveries, the first of those shots bursting through Henry Nicholls’ fingers at midwicket.Iyer looked to bat more freely after his half-century. While he couldn’t add too many to his tally, his knock had put India in a comfortable position.Wriddhiman Saha struck an unbeaten 61 after being off the field with a stiff neck on day three•BCCI

With India starting the day on 14 for 1, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal were offered some freebies on the pads as Jamieson and Southee bowled straight with a catching short midwicket in place. While Agarwal struggled, Pujara made good use of the opportunities and moved to 22 off 32 balls.However, Jameison then banged one short, and even though the ball was angling down the leg side, Pujara ended up fending at it and gloved it to the wicketkeeper. The on-field umpire ruled it not out but New Zealand got the decision overturned on review.Ajinkya Rahane had scored a valuable 35 in the first innings but on Sunday he didn’t look comfortable at the crease. He opened his account off his 14th ball with a four off Ajaz but the left-arm spinner trapped him lbw on the very next ball with the one that went on with the arm.Coming back for his second spell of the day, Southee drew the outside edge of Iyer’s bat straightaway, but the ball went for four through the gap between the wicketkeeper and a wide first slip. That prompted New Zealand to have a more conventional slip cordon, and soon there was another opportunity. In Southee’s next over, Agarwal edged an outswinger to second slip, where Tom Latham took a tumbling catch to his left.Two balls later, Southee jolted India further by dismissing Ravindra Jadeja lbw from around the wicket. With half the side back in the pavilion and it not being clear then if Saha would bat, India’s lead of 100 looked paltry.Iyer and Ashwin, though, eased some of the pressure by hitting four fours in the next three overs and played out the rest of the first session without further damage.

The allrounder explains what “keg ball” is and how he hopes to add runs to his wickets

Firdose Moonda20-Jun-2021Not only did Wiaan Mulder finish the second day of the second Test against West with South Africa’s best bowling figures, but he also picked up a very expensive bar bill. Mulder called “keg ball” on the first delivery of the West Indies’ innings, when Kagiso Rabada had West Indies’ captain Kraigg Brathwaite caught off the glove and now owes his team-mates a round of drinks, as per a fun, spirit-building South African policy.”A keg ball is when you buy a round of drinks for the team. We called a couple this game. I called one the first ball of this game, so unlucky me, but it’s good for the team,” Mulder explained. “It brings a little bit of spirit. When you feel your x-factor coming through and your instinct tells you there’s going to be a wicket, or something is going to happen, that’s when you call a keg ball. There were three or four in this innings and a couple in the last innings.”The term was first explained on the host broadcaster when the commentary team explained why South Africa were more cock-a-hoop than usual when they dismissed Jermaine Blackwood in the second innings of the first Test. Rassie van der Dussen took a low catch at short extra cover after Blackwood attempted a drive off Kagiso Rabada. After van der Dussen completed the catch, he pointed towards Keshav Maharaj, who called “keg ball” on that occasion and picked up the tab.Related

• Mulder replaces Covid-positive Pretorius for West Indies T20Is

• Verreynne learning to go against his instincts

• South Africa seamers bundle out West Indies after de Kock's 96

“It’s an expensive ball, that,” Mulder said. “It creates a little bit of (spirit), a bit of banter while you’re on the field. It’s quite a nice thing when you call keg ball and everybody goes crazy because they know they’ve got free drinks.”This time it will fall to Mulder to provide the post-match refreshments and he expects the drink of choice to fit the venue. “Apparently in this place, there’s a drink called the rum punch,” he said, before quickly clarifying that he won’t be buying many. “But generally the guys don’t drink that much, so it’s just to create a bit of .”

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But before South Africa get to the celebrations, they still have a series to close out. They have a 149-run lead and, with three days left in the match, will fancy their chances of batting West Indies out of the game with a strong second-innings showing before bowling them out to win the series. For Mulder, who has been selected as a batting allrounder, it’s the former discipline he wants to get right after scores of 25 and 8 on this tour so far.”I feel like I am doing all the right things. I am training very hard and spending a lot of time at the crease but I feel like on this wicket every now and then, there’s one ball that’s got your name on it,” he said. “I had a long chat with Aiden [Markram] earlier. I was a little bit (hopeless) and he said you are doing all the right things and at some stage your luck will change. Hopefully I can keep pushing on now and get some runs in the second innings.”

India have been untested yet while New Zealand have been made to scrap hard

Sreshth Shah in Bloemfontein23-Jan-2020Ten hours after their ‘A’ teams meet for a one-dayer at Christchurch, and seventy minutes after their senior teams begin their T20I series in Auckland, the India and New Zealand U-19 sides will face off in Bloemfontein to see which team tops Group A at the World Cup. The winner will avoid the unbeaten and in-form West Indies in the quarter-final.India’s bowling hasn’t been fully tested so far. They’ve bowled out both Sri Lanka and Japan, the efforts have been spearheaded by Kartik Tyagi, the right-arm pacer, left-arm seamer Akash Singh and legspinner Ravi Bishnoi.India made three changes for the Japan game, but couldn’t quite read much into it because of the nature of their 10-wicket win. Kumar Kushagra – who came in for opener Divyaansh Saxena – played only 13 deliveries and Shashwat Rawat – who came in place of allrounder Shubhang Hegde didn’t bat at all.The only clarity India have is what role Vidyadhar Patil, the right-arm medium pacer, plays. He took just one wicket but was consistent in his lines and lengths, even swinging the ball both ways. What that means for Sushant Mishra, the player he replaced, remains to be seen.Imdia haven’t been put under pressure at all, unlike New Zealand, who were in a must-win against Sri Lanka after settling for a point due to a washout against Japan. A loss there could’ve been curtains to their quarter-final hopes, an it needed a final-over six from Kritian Clarke to take them over the line. The victory would have has given New Zealand a sense of self-belief.New Zealand opener Rhys Mariu will be a key wicket for India. He’s scored 51 and 86 in the two games and is playing the role of team anchor at the top, while Beckham Wheeler-Greenall, the attractive middle-order batsman showed in the game against Sri Lanka that he can comfortably tackle spin.Clarke can ramp his pace up to the late 130s early on in his spell and could trouble India’s top order, while the duo of wristspinner Adithya Ashok and the captain and left-arm orthodox bowler Jesse Tashkoff have shown control in the middle overs through the warm-up games and the match against Sri Lanka. Ashok has taken a three-for in each of his last three games, while both spinners found success against India at the pre-World Cup quadrangular tournament as well.That’s not to say India’s batsmen are not capable of tackling New Zealand’s attack. In the last game they played at the quadrangular tournament, they struck Ashok for six runs an over despite losing two wickets to him and scored 252 on a difficult surface. To give one a rough idea of how tricky the Durban surface was – where teams were playing a game every day across ten days – New Zealand were skittled out for 132.Left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar, who hasn’t yet played a World Cup game, was India’s star at that match, taking 3 for 16. Now, he could make his way into the XI against a side that will be aware of the damage he can cause.It’s also worth noting that New Zealand’s highest total in their last seven games is only 243, the one that came against Sri Lanka. The India game will be a good test of their temperament, and they don’t need to go too far back in history to find motivation. When India were under the pressure at the semi-final of the seniors’ World Cup last year, it was underdogs New Zealand who were the thorn in their step to the final.Both sides would prefer to play either England or Australia in their quarterfinal, and for that they need a win. No cracks have yet been found in the Indian team that has looked simply flawless on the field, winning ten of their last 11 games (including practice matches) entering the match-up, but if they are to lose, this would be the only game they can afford to.It’s the final opportunity for both teams to figure their best XIs, and perhaps even commit an error or two. Because once both sides shake their hands and leave the field, they cannot afford to make a single mistake moving forward into the World Cup knockouts.

England’s hopes of ending a long and arduous campaign with their first overseas Test victory in 13 attempts were blunted by an obdurate opening stand before bad light halted play

The Report by Andrew Miller02-Apr-2018 New Zealand 278 and 42 for 0 (Latham 25*, Raval 17*) need another 340 runs to beat England 307 and 352 for 9 dec (Vince 76, Stoneman 60, Root 54, Malan 53, de Grandhomme 4-94)

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland’s hopes of ending a long and arduous campaign with their first overseas Test victory in 13 attempts were blunted by an obdurate opening stand from New Zealand’s Tom Latham and Jeet Raval, as well as the onset of the antipodean autumn, as bad light descended shortly after tea to saw 24 overs off the day’s allocation.Despite an attempt to rage against the dying of the light, with England turning to the spin of Jack Leach and Joe Root after being informed by the umpires that their quicks could no longer be used, the players left the field with New Zealand sitting pretty on 42 for 0 after 23 overs of hard graft.The net result was that the home side will need a further 340 runs for victory on the final day – an outlandish prospect, given the likelihood of further lost overs. However, with ten wickets in the bank, New Zealand will surely believe they can bat out for the draw that will secure them their first series win over England since 1999, and their first at home since 1983-84.England’s bowlers, however, were not repelled without a fight. James Anderson and Stuart Broad hounded the outside edge of both openers in another gruelling new-ball spell, with Raval taking a nasty blow to the torso from Broad as he was forced to wait 15 deliveries to get off the mark. But it was Anderson who forced England’s one clear-cut opportunity – when Latham, on 23, was dropped by James Vince, a tough but genuine chance, diving to his left at third slip in the brief final session.Mark Wood, not for the first time in this Test, was energetic but misdirected in his brief foray before tea, but – with the ball now losing its shine – it may well be the debutant Leach who has the biggest say on a wicket that isn’t exactly breaking up, but was beginning to offer some reward for his accuracy when the umpires called time on England’s efforts.In hindsight, England may regret the lack of intent that they showed in their own second innings, having resumed on 202 for 3 overnight, with an already handy lead of 231 in the bank. Following on from the efforts of Vince and Mark Stoneman on the third afternoon, England found another pair of half-centurions in Root and Dawid Malan, but were forced in the end to scramble for their declaration due to another familiar and untimely clatter of wickets.For the first 90 minutes of the day, Root and Malan had batted with uncomplicated purpose in easing along to a 97-run stand for England’s fourth wicket, but New Zealand’s decision to delay the second new ball paid dividends, as both were dragged out of their comfort zones in their attempts to pick up the tempo.First to go was Malan, caught at short midwicket as Colin de Grandhomme tailed one into his pads from round the wicket. Henry Nicholls snaffled the chance at head height, to complete the 24th dismissal of the match, and the first by any of the change bowlers on either side.And in Neil Wagner’s very next over, Root had a flash at a full-length outswinger and skimmed a thin nick through to BJ Watling, to put the seal on an intensely frustrating winter for England’s captain – seven fifty-plus scores in 13 innings, but no hundreds.England’s misfiring continued in the first over after lunch, as Ben Stokes holed out to midwicket off another de Grandhomme inswinger. But New Zealand’s hopes of stealing the ascendancy were, to all intents and purposes, ended two balls later, when Jonny Bairstow survived a vociferous appeal for caught behind off Trent Boult. Replays proved that umpire Marais Erasmus had missed a thin nick that would have left England seven-down with a lead of 311, but with no more reviews to turn to, New Zealand’s moment was lost.Their bowlers continued to chip away regardless. De Grandhomme traded tail-end slogs for wickets as Broad was suckered by a slower ball before Wood was bowled by a big inswinger two overs later. But, with Leach providing obdurate support, Bairstow turned on the afterburners. He smoked Boult for three fours in five balls as the lead began to accelerate, and when he eventually top-edged Wagner to deep midwicket for 36, Root immediately declared, with a lead of 382 and an hour of the afternoon session still to come.That first hour came and went in a flurry of defensive prods and pokes, as Latham and Raval repelled the new ball with gritted teeth and a degree of well-earned luck. But if England went to tea believing that their breakthoughs were only a matter of time, the final session gave them yet more cause for doubt. Eleven overs, eight runs, one dropped catch, and no chance to dictate terms as the gloom began to envelop their Test prospects once more.

England’s Under-19 World Cup record is poor and raising perceptions of English cricket would certainly be timely

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2017Harry Brook, the Yorkshire batsman, has been appointed captain of a 15-man England squad for the Under-19s World Cup in New Zealand which starts next month.Brook, who played for Yorkshire six times in his debut season in 2017, carries an onerous responsibility as a World Cup skipper – even allowing for the relative lack of coverage of age group cricket – during a period when England’s behaviour is permanently under scrutiny.England have not won the trophy since 1998 and have failed to reach a final since that solitary success, their best performance being a third-place finish in 2014 under the captaincy of Will Rhodes.Of that 2014 side that lost narrowly to Pakistan in the semi-final, only Ben Duckett has gone on to represent England – and the less said about that at the moment the better.The squad includes four players from Middlesex – Savin Perera, Luke Hollman, Ethan Bamber and wicketkeeper Jack Davies – and three from Somerset – Tom Lammonby, Fin Trenouth and another wicketkeeper, Tom Banton.”The players have shown with their performances in the Tri-Series in South Africa over the last couple of weeks that they can travel with plenty of optimism,” said David Graveney, a member of the Under-19s selection panel with John Abrahams and Jon Lewis, who will be head coach for the World Cup.Lewis will be assisted by Jonathan Trott as batting coach, Neil Killeen as fast bowling coach, and Chris Taylor as fielding coach – his last tournament as the ECB’s fielding lead before joining Surrey.England Under-19s contest the tournament without a full-time coach after Andy Hurry resigned to take the head coach’s role at Somerset. The position will not be filled until after the tournament.Squad: Harry Brook (Yorkshire, captain), Ethan Bamber (Middlesex), Liam Banks (Warwickshire), Tom Banton (Somerset, wk), Jack Davies (Middlesex, wk), Adam Finch (Worcestershire), Luke Hollman (Middlesex), Will Jacks (Surrey), Tom Lammonby (Somerset), Dillon Pennington (Worcestershire), Savin Perera (Middlesex), Prem Sisodiya (Glamorgan), Tom Scriven (Hampshire), Fin Trenouth (Somerset), Roman Walker (Glamorgan).
Warm-up matches: January 9: Ireland (Christchurch); January 11: Sri Lanka (Lincoln).
World Cup group matches: January 15: Namibia (Queenstown); January 18: Bangladesh (Queenstown); January 20: Canada (Queenstown).

South Africa couldn’t have asked for a better start to their summer. After having achieved their initial objective – a series win – they are in a position to inflict a whitewash against the top-ranked ODI side

The Preview by Firdose Moonda11-Oct-2016

Match facts

October 12, 2016
Start time 1330 local (1130 GMT)South Africa have an opportunity to inflict the first whitewash of Australia in a five-match series•AFP

Big Picture

South Africa couldn’t have asked for a better start to their summer. After having achieved their initial objective – a series win – they are in a position to inflict a whitewash against the top-ranked ODI side.The margins of victory reflect how South Africa have been dominant in every aspect. Two of the wins have come with more than 10 overs to spare, another by more than 140 runs. In the only match Australia threatened to come close, in Kingsmead, a freak performance by an out-of-form David Miller sealed the series.Miller apart, South Africa have been helped with contributions from Rilee Rossouw, Andile Phehlukwayo and Kyle Abbott, all of whom were considered fringe players coming into the series. That has meant South Africa are spoilt for choice, something Australia will covet.That Australian haven’t bowled South Africa out even once in the series reiterates the inexperience in their attack. But that doesn’t mean there are no other headaches. Australia have crossed 300 just once and have been bowled out for under 220 twice. Their over-reliance on big names hasn’t helped their cause. But they have the added motivation of trying to avoid being blanked.That they will have to do that at one of South Africa’s favourite grounds, in front of a sell-out crowd, will be a challenge. Newlands had earlier raised concerns about the match being scheduled on the same day as a religious holiday, , but it seems the enthusiasm is hardly affected by that.

Form guide

South Africa: WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia: LLLLW

In the spotlight

With seven wickets in four matches, Andile Phehlukwayo has underlined the difference between both sides so far. Phehlukwayo is not part of the national squad in any other formats yet, but his ability to change pace and his maturity in accepting the responsibility of bowling at the death could change that. He has proved himself handy with the bat too, and can further boost his claim to be an allrounder.Steven Smith and David Warner are the only two Australians to have scored a hundred so far. Smith, the captain, doesn’t seem to bring as much out of his men as Warner did when he led them to an ODI series win in Sri Lanka. Before the series, Smith said he hoped to continue riding the wave Warner had created, but now may be left wondering if his one-day leadership credentials could be measured against Warner’s.

Team news

South Africa are looking at bringing back their big bowling guns in search of a clean sweep. That means Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada may force one of Kyle Abbott or Phehlukwayo out of the XI. They may continue with two spinners, with Imran Tahir likely to be brought back in place of Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm wrist spinner. With the Tests looming, there’s merit in giving Shamsi a breather and allowing him to fully recover from a quad niggle. Others walking wounded include Rossouw, who hurt his finger, and Farhaan Behardien, who tweaked a hamstring. Both passed fitness Tests, but Temba Bavuma has been at training as cover, while Miller has made sufficient progress from his groin strain.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Rilee Rossouw, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien/David Miller, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 and 9 Andile Phehlukwayo/Kyle Abbott/Dale Steyn/Kagiso Rabada, 10 Aaron Phangiso, 11 Imran TahirHaving tried all their bowling combinations in vain, Australia could make their young attack draw straws to decide which of Chris Tremain, Daniel Worrall, Joe Mennie or Scott Boland has to play the final ODI. Usman Khawaja has not been used at all and may be brought in to add depth to the batting.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch/Usman Khawaja, 3 Steve Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Travis Head, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 John Hastings, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 and 11 Chris Tremain/Scott Boland/Daniel Worrall/Joe Mennie

Pitch and conditions

A cold front early in the week brought rain to Cape Town on Tuesday, but Newlands has a new drainage system which should keep the outfield dry should the rain stay away. Groundsman Evan Flint does not predict a run-fest, instead aiming for a surface that will offer the bowlers something as well. The weather is expected to be mild with temperatures in the teens, with a light breeze.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have never lost all of the matches in a five-game ODI series. The last time they lost all the matches played in an ODI series was in 2006-07 when they were beaten 3-0 by New Zealand. The only other time they were blanked 3-0 was by England, in 1997
• South Africa have beaten Australia 4-1 before, in a series in Australia in 2009

Quotes

“If you play against Australia, every little mental thing you can get on your side does play a role. It’s important for everyone to be in good touch. The one-percenters play a big role.”

Alastair Cook and Joe Root restored England’s equilibrium after defeat at Lord’s with immaculate hundreds on a flawless pitch on the opening day of the Old Trafford Test

The Report by David Hopps22-Jul-2016England 314 for 4 (Root 141*, Cook 105) v Pakistan

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFor England, the opening forays in the Old Trafford Test presented a chance to restate basic values, an opportunity to eradicate the slackness that had characterised their batting during a 75-run defeat at Lord’s. Their leading lights, Alastair Cook and Joe Root, did their utmost to set the tone: centuries claimed by both on a day of Pakistan toil.England were fortunate they did because Alex Hales, James Vince and Gary Ballance – the latter against the second new ball – all fell cheaply as the middle order failed to assert itself in excellent batting conditions.Cook’s 29th Test hundred took him alongside Don Bradman, albeit in about three times as many innings, and there was such a skip in his step that he had it signed, sealed and delivered 15 minutes before tea, his second fifty at virtually a run a ball.It would have been tempting to call it an immaculate hundred on a flawless pitch, were it not for the evidence of what became the last ball before tea. He was bowled for 105 by Mohammad Amir, betrayed on the back foot by a delivery that scuttled through malevolently to bowl him off a defensive cue end.Root was 87 upon Cook’s dismissal, the partnership worth 185 in 49 overs, but his desire to recalibrate extended to the close at which point he was unbeaten on 141. There has been a growing sense that Root has felt in such bountiful form at the crease that he has been lulled into over ambition, but this was an innings of unremitting virtue, straighter of stroke, as he committed himself to eliminating risk and was rewarded for his discretion.The last time Cook made a Test hundred, it broke Len Hutton’s record for the longest Test innings, in terms of minutes, ever assembled by an England batsman. Pakistan conceded that one, too, in a high-scoring stalemate in Abu Dhabi in November. There will be some suffering for bowlers before this Test turns in their favour, but stalemate seems unlikely.Amir possessed most verve for Pakistan. He had received a gracious welcome at Lord’s on his return to Test cricket and the sense of a sentence served, and a career reborn, largely survived in Manchester. There were sporadic taunts of “no-ball” from the crowd, a contrast to Lord’s where even talking loudly is viewed as indecorous, but there was no malevolence, and he should view that as fair enough in his comeback series.It will be no surprise if his growing confidence that forgiveness is widespread – and that even those who would have life-banned him have made their peace with the decision – is indicated in the growing ambition of his haircut. It was wild and flowing in his teenaged years, assumed military sobriety on his return from suspension as if a symbol of repentance laid down by the High Sparrow, but there is a sign now of something imaginative going on.Hales was the England batsman to fall in the morning, his progress in the series against Sri Lanka so far stilled by a Pakistan left-arm pace attack of higher quality. He was cleaned up by Amir, a ball that might have been driveable had his footwork possessed more conviction and it not swung in with pace and malice to bowl him through the gate.By then, Hales had been given a bit of a going-over. A leave against Rahat Ali was perilously close, an lbw appeal resulting from a Rahat inswinger also adjacent, and three balls before his dismissal a boundary against Amir burst through gully’s hands. This is an examination of far greater intensity than the one provided by the Sri Lanka attack that Sanath Jayasuriya risibly billed as the best in the world.England have not lost at Old Trafford since 2001, a warm day told of a gathering summer and, if the pitch was not quite as quick as some hoped, it had pace and evenness enough to make batting an enjoyable proposition for Cook and Root.Pakistan employed Yasir’s legspin as early as the 13th over and he completed two short spells by lunch, but in the afternoon, with Cook and Root in absolute control, he was reduced to negativity when he went around the wicket to Root, hunting out imaginary rough created by Pakistan’s imaginary right-arm quicks. He will be more of a handful second time around – although 31 overs on the opening day was quite a burden.For Cook, such an easeful innings was rare; here is a batsman who has proceeded through a productive Test career by virtue of dogged concentration and pared-down risk. His introductory boundaries were edgy affairs – Amir causing him to edge wide of third slip with the sixth ball of the day – but he rarely had so many opportunities to unveil his favourite cut shot and a measured first 50 turned into a dance in the park.Root looked crisp of mind and stroke from the outset, his approach an assertion that he had tired of himself as “The Great Entertainer”. That he rode a blow on the shoulder from Amir, rather than risk a pull with two men back, told of his mindset. He reduced risk against the left-arm angle by driving determinedly straight off the front foot and square off the back foot. His afternoon began with a controlled pull against Rahat, and was rounded off with his first slog-sweep, against the spin of Yasir, with the ball full enough to minimise the risk and the wrists rolled.Take away Cook and Root and not everything was rosy for England. Vince still has no half-century in an increasingly troubled introductory Test summer in which has dismissal, driving at a wide one from , has become his own version of Groundhog Day. Nothing has removed the suspicion held by many county watchers that for all his mournful-faced style he is prone to error.Ballance battled to take advantage of his second Test phase, but he looked uncertain here, arising from his stance like a mole emerging from a mound of earth, not entirely sure of its bearings. Rahat bowled him, a delivery angled in by the left-armer which Ballance tried to chop behind point when it was too close for the shot and instead deflected on to his stumps.Pakistan’s pace bowlers were at their least impressive with the second new ball, Misbah-ul-Haq almost indicating that he expected as much by semi-defensive fields. How a four-strong attack must have regretted the lack of Mohammad Hafeez’s offspin – his action is due to be retested after a 12-month ban expired – because a few holding overs would have helped them through the day.

Steven Smith is prepared to shelve his attacking mindset and “bore” the batsmen out if that is what is needed to succeed in his first full series as Australia’s Test captain, in Bangladesh in October

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2015Steven Smith is prepared to shelve his attacking mindset and “bore” the batsmen out if that is what is needed to succeed in his first full series as Australia’s Test captain, in Bangladesh in October. Australia will play Tests in Chittagong and Mirpur, their first bilateral series in the country since 2006.”I think that’s something I’m going to have to adapt to with my captaincy,” Smith said. “In Australia you can be a little bit more attacking. In places on the subcontinent you’ve got to find ways to get batsmen out, you might have to bore them out.”For me it’s about being adaptable wherever we play. So you might have to be more defensive with that and when the ball starts to spin and reverse swing, that’s when you can attack.”Smith has led Australia in Tests before, when Michael Clarke was injured for three matches at home against India in 2014-15, but this will be his first assignment as full-time captain. He is taking a new-look squad to Bangladesh, one shorn of the experience of Clarke, Ryan Harris, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers and Brad Haddin, all of whom retired at various points during Australia’s tour of England, where the Ashes were lost 2-3.With David Warner unavailable for the Bangladesh tour as well because of a fractured thumb, Smith said he hoped the new Queensland captain Usman Khawaja would take his chance in the top order. Khawaja has played nine Tests, the last of which was in the 2013 Ashes, and is making a comeback from a severe knee injury he suffered in December 2014.”He’s got another opportunity, he’s worked really hard to get back,” Smith said. “He’s had a tough time of it with his knee but he’s back in the squad now and I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings.”Smith said he had not seen much of the newest addition to Australia’s pace attack – Tasmania’s 30-year old Andrew Fekete, who has played only two seasons of Shield cricket. “I haven’t seen Fekete bowl for a while,” he said. “Last time I saw him bowl he got me out in a second XI game and I was part of a hat-trick.”Fekete made the squad for Bangladesh because Australia rested fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood from the tour. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Peter Siddle make up the rest of the pace attack. Siddle is the most experienced player in the squad, having played 57 Tests, but he made his debut two years after Australia’s last tour to Bangladesh. He hoped his experience of bowling in the subcontinent – six Tests in India and Sri Lanka – would help him succeed in Bangladesh.”A big part of my game, especially in Australian conditions, has been reverse swing,” Siddle said. “That does benefit me a lot over there, and what I normally do is what I’ll do over there – be patient, build pressure and bowl in the right areas. And I think my experience, not in Bangladesh, but in those conditions, will help.”

Lasith Malinga announced his return to full fitness by storming his way to an unprecedented second World Cup hat-trick that shut out Kenya

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran01-Mar-2011 Sri Lanka 146 for 1 (Tharanga 67*, Dilshan 44) beat Kenya 142 (C Obuya 52, D Obuya 51, Malinga 6-38) by nine wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kenya had no answer to Lasith Malinga•AFP

Lasith Malinga announced his return to full fitness by storming his way to an unprecedented second World Cup hat-trick with an exhibition of yorker-on-demand bowling that proved too much for Kenya’s tail at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The visitors imploded to 142 all out despite dogged half-centuries from the Obuya brothers, who enjoyed plenty of fortune in a determined 94-run stand that kept the varied threats of Sri Lanka’s bowling at bay for nearly 30 overs. Sri Lanka’s batsmen barely had to break a sweat in the chase, finishing it off in 18 overs.

Smart Stats

• Lasith Malinga became the only bowler to pick up two hat-tricks in World Cups. His previous one had come against South Africa in 2007. So far, six bowlers have taken a hat-trick in World Cups.

• This was also the first instance of bowlers taking hat-tricks in consecutive matches in a World Cup. The 2003 World Cup was the last edition to see two hat-tricks.

• Malinga’s 6 for 38 is the second-best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan bowler in World Cups, behind Chaminda Vaas’ 6 for 25 against Bangladesh in 2003.

• The 94-run stand between David Obuya and Collins Obuya is the fourth-best for Kenya for the third wicket in World Cups.

• Apart from David Obuya and Collins Obuya, the rest of the batsmen failed to reach double figures and aggregated just 20 runs among them. From a decent position of 120 for 3, Kenya lost the last seven wickets for just 22 runs to be bowled out for 142.

• David Obuya’s strike-rate of 48.11 and Collins Obuya’s strike-rate of 52 are third and seventh on the list of lowest strike-rates for scores between 50 and 99 in World Cups. The lowest is Ishwar Maraj’s 53 off 155 balls, at a strike-rate of 34.19 against South Africa in 2003.

• The 188 dot-balls in the Kenya innings is the second-highest in the 2011 World Cup, behind the 194 dots in Canada’s innings against Zimbabwe.

• Sri Lanka’s nine-wicket win over Kenya was achieved with 188 balls to spare. This is third on the list of victories with most balls to spare for Sri Lanka in World Cups.

The Obuyas weren’t exactly convincing – testing every edge of their bat, surviving close lbw calls, regularly air-driving outside off and rarely reading the spinner’s variations – but hung on obdurately to take Kenya into triple-digits. A solid platform was in place when they had hauled Kenya to 102 for 2, but Malinga’s burst demolished the tail as the final eight wickets were blasted out for 40 runs. None of the other Kenyan batsmen made it past single-figures.The Kenyan collapse was rapid: it took only 22 deliveries for them to go from 127 for 4 to being bowled out. Muttiah Muralitharan started it off by getting the set batsman David Obuya to slog-sweep to midwicket.Then it was Malinga time. Jimmy Kamande barely found his bearings after being struck by a toe-crusher, and decided to go for a single when the ball was only a couple of metres away from him. Chamara Silva pounced from midwicket and did a passable imitation of Jonty Rhodes from 1992 to crash into the stumps and dismiss Kamande.Tanmay Mishra was next, becoming the first victim of Malinga’s hat-trick after missing a full delivery on leg stump to fall for a 13-ball duck. It was the final ball of the over, and Malinga gave Peter Ongondo the warmest welcome possible to the tournament in the first ball of his next – a yorker that uprooted middle. The staggered dismissals meant many in the crowd weren’t aware that Malinga was on a hat-trick. He steamed in and middle stump was dismantled again next ball, the clueless batsman this time was Shem Ngoche.Attention then shifted to whether Malinga could repeat his outrageous four-in-four from the 2007 World Cup, but he sprayed a wild delivery for five leg-side wides. Elijah Otieno defended the next ball, but that was followed by another unstoppable yorker from Malinga that thud into leg stump to end Kenya’s innings. Malinga had taken four in five legal deliveries to finish with 6 for 38.A tiresomely familiar tale seemed set to play out earlier in the afternoon when Kenya slid to 8 for 2 in the third over. Nuwan Kulasekara and Malinga removed the openers cheaply with their favourite weapons – Kulasekara getting Maurice Ouma with an inducker, and Malinga dislodging Seren Waters with an inswinging yorker that left the batsman on his knees.The Obuyas ensured there wasn’t a repeat of Kenya’s house-of-cards performance against New Zealand. Kulasekara gave away only nine runs in a constricting six-over opening spell, but Kenya were more at ease against Angelo Mathews, who was taken for a couple of boundaries.Sri Lanka brought on the spin of Ajantha Mendis in the 14th over to break the frustrating stand, but though the batsmen weren’t sure which way the ball would turn, they survived his bag of tricks with some dour defence. Kumar Sangakkara then turned to Muttiah Muralitharan to get the wickets, but though there were leading edges and outside edges, Murali couldn’t break through, with the batsmen negotiating him with a series of sweeps.It was painfully slow progress from the Obuyas, and after more than two hours of defiance, it was that most deadly of weapons that separated them – a Malinga yorker. Some more of those left Sri Lanka chasing a tiny target in front of a raucous Colombo crowd.The fans had even more to cheer when Sri Lanka batted, as Tillkaratne Dilshan provided a typically fast start with an array of punches through cover. He picked up a couple of boundaries in three successive overs to power Sri Lanka to 51 in the sixth over. Upul Tharanga, who started sedately, then joined the party with three fours in the next over. Dilshan fell short of a half-century, but Tharanga went on to make 67 with a string of lofted boundaries in the batting Powerplay to hasten the finish, and push Sri Lanka to the top of the table on net run-rate.

Match Timeline

England captain Andrew Strauss has defended the trip to Germany that resulted in star seamer James Anderson suffering a broken rib.

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2010England captain Andrew Strauss has defended the trip to Germany that resulted in fast bowler James Anderson suffering a broken rib.The England management opted to send the squad for what has been dubbed by sections of the press as a boot camp. The bonding sessions has been described as extremely positive ahead of what is likely to be a demanding Ashes tour, but it came at a cost as Anderson emerged from a spell of boxing with a broken rib.The Ashes gets underway on November 25 and Strauss is confident Anderson will be available to lead the attack at the Gabba.Asked if the camp was a mistake, Strauss told : “I don’t think so. We gained a huge amount out of it. The reason we had it when we did was it gave us a huge amount of time ahead of the first Test in case there were injuries. We weren’t expecting injuries and the guys taking the course were told to make sure that did not happen, but things do happen.”We are professional sportsmen and you are going to get injuries, whether it is in the nets, the gym sessions or on one of these camps. It is not ideal but we have every confidence Jimmy will be fighting fit well before the first Test.”Hopefully the side benefited from a shared experience, it was a tough one and we will need to be tough over there.”It has been reported that Anderson is touch and go to make the first Test, but Strauss claims the indications are the Lancashire bowler will be a 100% for the Brisbane curtain raiser.”Ideally that will be the case,” Strauss said in response to questions on whether Anderson will be ready for the lead-up to the tournament. “The indications are he will have a reasonable amount of time before the first Test but you never know. We have to be prepared as in any tour you will get injuries.”Chris Tremlett is said to have landed the blow that got through Anderson’s defences and Strauss joked that his boxing technique may need improvement. “I don’t know who it was with, it was three minutes of boxing each. We were well protected so Jimmy’s defensive technique needs working on.”