The day could hardly have gone more smoothly for Alastair Cook as England moved one step closer to a major achievement that has eluded them for so long

George Dobell at The Oval19-Jun-2013It was not, perhaps, the scenario spectators expected when they bought their tickets. The result was hardly in doubt by 11am; the result was decided before 5pm and several snoozed in the sun for long periods in the afternoon. For the impartial onlooker, this was probably a rather boring game.But from an England perspective, this was wonderfully, gloriously, beautifully boring game. After many years where success in ODI cricket has been a brief interlude in a general drama of pain, England secured their place in the final of a global ODI competition for the first time since 2004 and the second time since 1992. They may never have a better chance of shedding the embarrassing tag as the only team in this competition not to have won such a title.The uncharacteristic show of emotion from Jonathan Trott upon hitting the winning runs was telling. It has been an ambition of his for some time to play in the final of this competition at his home ground of Edgbaston and here he produced a typically calm innings to ensure it will happen.Nerveless and apparently unhurried, he still managed to score at close to a run-a-ball and, in his last 12 ODIs, has now registered one century, five half-centuries and been dismissed for under 37 only once. He has averaged 75.77 in that time. He will never win over all his critics but, in this situation, there is no more reassuring sight in English cricket than Trott scrapping his mark.It would be easy to take Trott’s runs for granted. But, when Alastair Cook and Ian Bell fell, England were 41 for 2 and only another wicket away from seeing their slightly vulnerable middle-order exposed. Pressure appears to bring the best out of Trott, though, and he led the run chase with the remorselessness of a hunter pursuing its prey. “It was quite a high pressure situation,” Cook said afterwards. “Trotty played a great innings,”But this was not a victory set-up by England’s batsmen. It was set-up by England’s excellence in the field and a woefully poor performance with the bat from South Africa. Winning the toss on a humid morning was, doubtless, an advantage and James Anderson, in particular, exploited it expertly. But there is no getting away from the fact that South Africa’s top-order folded with pathetic weakness.So England were fortunate. They were fortunate that South Africa were without Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. They were fortunate to win the toss. And they were fortunate their opposition played so badly.

One game away from “massive achievement”

Alastair Cook said England were “without doubt” capable of winning the final and suggested it would be a “massive achievement.”

“We just need one more performance from whoever is picked. We just need two of the guys to stand up and deliver a man of the match performance and we can win the trophy. That’s how close we are.

“At the beginning of the summer we had certain goals we wanted to achieve. One was to win the Champions Trophy and we’ve given ourselves a great opportunity to do that. It is in our own hands. If we turn up and deliver some good skills we’ve got a chance of winning.

“It would be a massive achievement. It’s taken us so long to get to the final. We got there in 2004 and hopefully this time we can go one better.

“Everyone has loved this tournament. Every game has meant so much, every game has been against high-quality opposition and you’ve had to be on your ‘A’ game to win. All the eight sides would say that. To be through with the quality of opponents we’ve played is a good achievement and hopefully we won’t stop here.”

But they were also fortunate when New Zealand dropped Alastair Cook three times on the way to his match-defining contribution in the previous game. And they were fortunate when Australia batted so poorly against them in their opening match of the tournament.Good fortune tends to follow when a team plays consistently good cricket. It tends to follow when a team applies consistent pressure. It exploits any weakness and forces mistakes. The very best teams may not always be beaten by such a tactic, but it is the best plan England have and they follow it with precision. They will not start the final as favourites, but there are certainly not no-hopers either.If Anderson were the sort to care about such trifles, he might consider himself unfortunate not to be named the Man of the Match. He bowled an excellent first spell that set the tone for the entire game.There has been precious little conventional swing available in this competition, but Anderson found just enough to account for Colin Ingram and Robin Peterson, both of whom were set up by out swing and trapped by deliveries that swung in amid a spell that threatened consistently and offered the batsmen almost nothing.While Steven Finn and Stuart Broad were disappointing, James Tredwell sustained the pressure with a spell that won him the match award. While only the odd delivery turned, it was enough to plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the batsmen and Tredwell, varying his pace subtly and bowling a tight line, benefitted as the ball sometimes turned but more often skidded on to batsmen playing without conviction.There were other impressive performers for England. Jos Buttler, who has enjoyed a fine tournament as a wicketkeeper to date, equalled the England record for the most dismissals in an ODI by claiming six catches – one an excellent diving catch down the legside; another a good diving catch to his right to dismiss Hashim Amla and a couple of neat efforts standing up to Tredwell – while Cook captained with ever increasing confidence and individuality.It would be premature to compare Cook to Mike Brearley or similar but, just as he improved as a Test and then ODI batsman, he showed here that he is developing into far more than a ‘captain by numbers.’ His decision to allow Anderson a seven-over opening spell was unusual, if hardly groundbreaking, while his use of three slips at times showed a welcome desire to attack when appropriate.England may face some tricky selection decisions ahead of the final. Tim Bresnan, his baby now safely delivered, will be available and may well replace Steven Finn, while Tredwell will be hard to omit even if Graeme Swann is fully recovered. They are not the worst issues with which to wrestle.

Steve Waugh, Ian Chappell, Clive Lloyd, MAK Pataudi: some of cricket’s finest captains speak about their craft

Mike Coward15-Oct-2013, Mike Coward spoke to a selection of the game’s most prominent leaders about the demands of captaincy and how they dealt with them. He started with an erudite England tactician and thinker. Mike Brearley: When I started captaining Middlesex I found it much harder to captain people who were older and had better careers than mine. I readily made contact with the younger players but I found it a bit more difficult with the older players.One of the difficulties I had was if people were critical or contemptuous of me I would react either coldly or hotly and not get the best out of them. You have to balance consultation and learning from people – finding out their ideas and knowing their feelings. You need the ability to say things straight from time to time. So the balance is the very key and depends on knowing people well. You have to be able to say things to people they don’t want to hear. You have to be able to take on decisions that aren’t in their personal interests; people are dropped or they don’t get the new ball or they’re demoted from a role in the team as they see it. Or you have to challenge them with the way they’re behaving or the way they’re not practising or not doing this or that or causing difficulties in the group.So you have to have the capacity and the relationship from which you can stand back. But, on the other hand, it’s no good if you’re aloof or distant. People in a team will forgive you more if you’re passionately involved. You may get too angry at times or too impatient or show your feelings in a way that’s not particularly helpful. But if you can sort of say sorry and get on with it and you’re basically on the side of the players and the team and you show passion, I think they’ll forgive you much more than if you’re cold.Ray Illingworth: I always tried to get the players on-side. I always insisted we played under one rule. I used to have a meeting and say: Look, if you want to say anything now’s the time to say it. You’ve an open market, have a go. But I don’t want to hear anything outside this room that you haven’t mentioned in it. So I always brought all the players into it and made them feel part and parcel of it. I think that’s very important. It’s also important that the players think that you know what you’re doing. If they don’t feel that you know what you are doing, you’ve got problems.These days I do look at team photos and there is all this backroom staff. I didn’t need psychiatrists and trick cyclists and all these people. Mine was all in my head. If I’d seen a batsman play once I knew where to put a field to him. That was very, very important. Knowing the game completely and knowing the players, I think, is very important. I knew every player I played against.I learned from playing under a lot of different captains. Going back to my early days, Norman Yardley [captain of England against Don Bradman’s Invincibles in 1948] was a lovely man and a technically good captain. But he wasn’t strong enough on players and they did what they wanted to do.I played under two or three captains that I always felt pushed people one way or the other. You can’t have favourites. You’ve got to be honest and equal with everybody. So I learned from that, and so by the time I took over I think I had a pretty good knowledge of what captains were like and what they could and what they couldn’t do.Kumar Sangakkara: I think you have to enjoy the leadership, because there are a lot of things about it that you don’t enjoy. The one thing that keeps you going and keeps you fresh and keeps you happy is your team performing well on the field. Then you know that whatever happens outside with the petty politics and erratic administration, we are doing our job properly. It becomes a nudge, a little push for us to get better at what we do because then we’re stronger than anything else. The most important thing is to set an example for the younger players.You have to depend on one thing and that is your ability to perform every single day out on the field. And the more you perform, the more respect you gain. People who don’t like you will not like you and people who try to manipulate you will still try to manipulate you. But if you commit to the team and the team stays strong, no outside influence can touch you. You can’t say this is the same everywhere; it’s just unique to Sri Lanka.

“I didn’t need psychiatrists and trick cyclists and all these people. If I’d seen a batsman play once I knew where to put a field to him”Ray Illingworth

There’s always the case of the artist educating the critic and that’s always been one thing I’ve believed in no matter what anyone says. It’s all up to you at the end and you can make people change opinions. You don’t have to care about them, but I think it’s important to know that there’s a lot you can do, and when you do things people change, attitudes and opinions change. So continue doing things that you know educate the critics.Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi: Captaining India is not very easy. Captaining any team is not easy, but India is particularly difficult – different backgrounds, different languages, different food habits, all those different cultures. I think the best thing to do was to remain as fair as you could to ensure that people never felt that you were being in any way biased or unfair, or you were selecting on a personal basis or something of the like. And, of course, you had to be pretty strong on your strategy and tactics. I think you have to understand the game and they [the players] have to realise, and they did realise, that this chap understands.India had just achieved independence and we were lacking a certain amount in confidence, especially against the white [teams]. I think my first job was to ensure that this lack of confidence, this kind of complex, was dissolved pretty quickly. You have to study, you have to read, and you have to look at your mistakes. You have to read about other situations, how people reacted, how the captains thought. Instinct to me is a mixture of experience and common sense.Clive Lloyd: You have to work with all the ingredients – different islands, different backgrounds, different religions and all speaking differently, thinking differently. We had Hindus, we had Muslims, we had black, we had Portuguese, we had a combination of races. That’s why I always had a Barbadian with a Trinidadian and a Jamaican with a Guyanese and the like. That’s the way you get to understand one another. Michael Holding [Jamaica] and Andy Roberts [Antigua] roomed together during their careers because they got on so well you wouldn’t want to break up that partnership.Really and truly it was so many things you had to get right. You had to say to the guys: we have to dress properly, have to behave in a certain manner and respect not only our teammates but the people that are backing us. You have to respect the crowds and you have to sign an autograph. We were in a privileged position. As a cricketer you get everything done for you – you travel club class and you had good salaries, your food is paid for, your laundry is paid for, so you have to put something back and not only into cricket but to those less fortunate.West Indians everywhere were proud that this small “nation” for 20 years was the best team in the world and nobody could touch them. People were proud of us because we were not snobbish, we would sign autographs we would do anything to please people. We were happy, they were happy, the Caribbean was happy. Cricket is a very important part of our structure and we need to bring that back. We need to get people together and thinking as one. You know Guyana has got the right motto: “One people, one nation, one destiny.” That’s what the West Indies should be. If it’s possible we should have one flag, one anthem and a motto for all. We are one although we are spread round and we play as one. I learnt from the mistakes we made in the past so it was important for me to pass that on. That is what we need to do with our young players. If you don’t know where you come from you don’t know where you’re going. You must respect what other people have done.Kumar Sangakkara: “It’s all up to you at the end and you can make people change opinions”•ICC/GettyMS Dhoni: I try to be honest – that’s the one thing I’m very particular about. I try to be fair in whatever decision I take, and no human emotions should come and affect that feeling. I try to keep things simple and do things that are in the best interests of the team and get the players together in the right attitude. And it’s tough at times. So I’m the captain who has to realise what are the problems in a particular game and generalise the solutions. I just generalise it for the best interests of the team, and I’ve been blessed with a very good side. All of them put in a lot of effort, you know. It’s not always the result that’s important. I think that way I’m very blessed. As captain, I think Test cricket is slightly tougher compared to the other two formats, the reason being the time span. I always felt Test cricket is something that’s a bit tough to captain, especially outside India.Steve Waugh: I had the luxury and freedom of developing my own game before I became captain, and that’s a big positive for any captain. You know, I felt a little bit for people like Graeme Smith and Stephen Fleming, who got thrown the captaincy at a young age.I think it’s almost impossible to captain a cricket team at a young age because, one, you don’t know yourself, two, you don’t know your game, and three, it’s hard to man-manage 15 people, because the captain’s role was basically that in those days. It’s changed a bit now but you really have to manage a whole lot of different personalities and egos and if you are not experienced in life situations it’s a tough job. I think I was really well prepared to take it on.I’m an observer of a lot of stuff. Although I don’t study people intensely, I observe. I learned what does work and how to manage players and expectations. And I learnt most of this from losing. Actually, I don’t think you learn a lot from winning. I learnt the tough facts about being an international cricketer and what it takes to be a good cricketer and a good team from losing. It’s almost a checklist of what not to do. And then, when you are winning, you get the feel or vibe of what you are doing well and try and remember it.Ultimately I had to captain my way and that’s something that took a little bit of time. I think I was captaining by consensus and trying to please everyone because I’d been one of the boys for 14 or 15 years. It’s a big change, you know, from mucking around and pulling pranks and being on the social committees to all of a sudden being captain. The role has changed a lot so it took me a little while to get used to the change.I like to empower people, to give them opportunities. I think I listen and I like to observe. It’s all about putting people in positions they’re probably not accustomed to. I would like to think that by challenging them and putting them in different situations, I made people believe they could do things they didn’t even think possible themselves – treating people equally but differently. You know there’s non-negotiables, like being on time and wearing the right uniform, but then trying to push the buttons to make them the best cricketers and, I guess, the best people they can possibly be. Some people were very low maintenance and some people were high maintenance. Other people you had to give confidence to in the media. It was about pushing the right buttons. I think a leader is about listening and observing.I was more the one-on-one stuff away from the game. I was never big on the big speeches before the game. I felt players were there because they were good players and didn’t need too much talking to at that level. It might be just a couple of words here or there. So it was about backing people and always being positive and having that goal or the team vision. You had to give people with individual flair opportunities but at the end of the day we had to try and achieve something as a team.Richie Benaud: When you go through all the captains, the successful ones have been lucky. I’m not saying luck outweighed it but once, when asked about prerequisites for an outstanding Test captain, I said: It’s 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent skill. Just make sure you’ve got the 10 per cent or you might as well go home.

“It’s 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent skill. Just make sure you’ve got the 10 per cent or you might as well go home”Richie Benaud

Ian Chappell: If I was asking for their loyalty as a captain I thought it was only fair I should return it in the same vein. I think it’s part of what our players want out of a captain. You’ve got to earn their respect. I think that’s probably, if not the most important, it is one of the two most important characteristics. The other thing they want from you is honesty. If I’m asking them to bust a boiler on the field they expect me to be busting one for them.I’m not sure when I came up with the quote but I did say that once you’re their captain you’re their captain for all time. I’ve always felt that. If there is a cricketer in trouble, particularly one that I respect, I’ll try and do something to help. And they don’t have to have played under me. But, you know, it’s a bit more so if you’ve captained them. All of those guys did something to enhance my record as a captain, so why am I just going to brush them [off] if they’re in trouble? When I was captain of Australia there was no players’ association, so there was no one there to fight the fight for the players. I always thought if they give me 100 per cent out on the field then I’ve got to return the compliment off the field.Mark Taylor: Probably during the early ’90s I was always thinking about who I’d bowl, where I would put a fieldsman. I think every player should think like that, to be totally honest, and not enough do. I don’t think I ever aspired to be a leader and I was a little bit surprised when I got a phone call in 1992 before the Sri Lankan tour to take over from Geoff Marsh, who was vice-captain. I don’t think I ever thought it was going to happen but I wasn’t shocked either, because I thought I had something to offer as a leader, because a: I didn’t bowl, b: I was an opening batsman, and c: I fielded at slip, which I think is a great place to watch the game.As vice-captain to Allan Border on the 1993 Ashes tour I got to captain a few games and do things the way I thought was right. AB left me to do my own thing and that was, in hindsight, very generous of him because that’s what should happen. I think if a guy takes over he should be left to his own devices. If he needs help a captain should be prepared to ask for help, but [he should] be left to captain the side the way he feels is right. The only real piece of advice I ever got from AB was to captain my way. So taking over from AB was not daunting because he had given me a side that was playing well. We weren’t considered the best in the world but we were close. I was lucky to take over then but I was also very mindful not to captain as AB would do it. I wanted to have my own way of doing things and went about doing it the way I thought I wanted to captain the side. I think my philosophy of captaining certainly developed.All of a sudden I was asked how I was going to take the team forward and what my philosophy was and I didn’t really have anything planned. I remember saying that the team were not going to be pussycats under my captaincy and that was the headline the next day. So I learnt to captain the side by the old “school of hard knocks”, and you said what you thought but with certain reservations. Obviously you worked out very quickly that if you said something that was slightly controversial you could bet it would end up in the news the next day.There is a difference between being a captain and a leader. I think every person who plays in the Australian cricket side should be a leader because you’ve been picked from various states or provinces into a representative cricket team. So, really, you are a leader – you’re a leader of your own country from that point of view. Captaincy is different because all of a sudden you become the leader of the leaders and I think that’s an interesting way to look at it when you take over the captaincy.You are not necessarily going to know everything about the game, because the other 11 guys around you also know a lot about cricket. So I think it’s important that you tap into them, make sure you work with them, because they’re going to be very helpful to you. But also be prepared to make a decision which doesn’t always make them feel happy or make them all agree with you. That’s what captaincy is all about – finding a way of working with those other leaders in your team for the good of the game. And that may not be in the best interests of all the players who are around you. And the more you keep the game simple the better you’ll be.Allen and UnwinAllan Border: Initially I was reluctant. I wasn’t sure that I was the right bloke, whether I wanted to do it. I was quite happy being one of the boys, so that affected captaincy and leadership.I think captaincy on the field is pretty routine. Marshalling the troops out on the field is one thing. It’s more what goes on behind the scenes that’s probably more important. And to be honest, initially I wasn’t very good in that area.When a philosophy starts to develop you realise you have to take this role a bit more front-on. You’ve got to be a bit more of a leader behind the scenes. Then I did start to think it was about creating an atmosphere – an atmosphere where people could play at their best. I tried to promote that environment where players were happy and enjoying themselves. Obviously disciplines are important, because you can’t let certain little things develop that are not for the team. So philosophies did, I think, develop over time.That was my situation. I got better as I evolved as a captain over a 10-year period. I don’t think you’ve got those luxuries in the modern world. I think you’ve got to get into the job and, boom, develop your own style straight away. I think I was given a three- or four-year ride initially to work into becoming a better leader.The Captain Grumpy tag? Oh, look, I think it was justified in the difficult times in the first three or four years as captain. I’m a very hard marker of myself, my own performance, and that sort of spills over into team performance. I just don’t like failure, particularly if you feel you haven’t given it your best. I just felt that was the situation at that period and I could have been doing better. I was probably aware that I wasn’t being the captain and leader I should have been, and that our performances both personally and collectively weren’t up to scratch. So that came out, I suppose, when you have to front the media and some of the questioning is difficult at times. I think I had a pretty good relationship with the cricketing media but sometimes the external media was more difficult. But generally I think I was pretty fairly treated. This is an edited extract from by Mike Coward, published by Allen & Unwin, A$29.99, available now

On this Hamilton pitch, the in-form Sunil Narine would have been looking forward to defending a decent total for West Indies, but in typical fashion their batsmen have let the bowlers down

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton21-Dec-20130:00

McGlashan: Early Christmas present for NZ

Bowling last on this pitch should have given West Indies a significant advantage. However, Sunil Narine needed a workable total to defend. Instead, having claimed a career-best 6 for 91, he stood at the non-striker’s end as Tim Southee took three wickets in an over to bowl out West Indies in a session. From a position of parity when Narine wrapped up New Zealand’s first innings, the series was all but done and dusted a little over two hours later and Narine was back at the bowling crease for the final over of the day.He would have posed a significant threat with a target of 200 to defend. The final advantage of 121, despite his box of tricks, is surely not enough even given the way New Zealand chased nervously in Dunedin. None of the New Zealand batsmen have picked Narine consistently, even the prolific Ross Taylor, and often Narine’s carrom ball spun too much but he has been badly let down by the batsmen. That is an all-to familiar remark about West Indies.”New Zealand went out there and showed us exactly how to bowl on that wicket,” Narine said. “We had targeted around 250-300 but that changed. You never know in the world of cricket what may happen tomorrow. Wickets send jitters, hopefully, you never know, we can get a couple of wickets and go from there.”They had pushed New Zealand hard for two-and-a-half days in this Test, made them look nervous and had them commenting on their surprise at the nature of the pitch. But they have fallen prey to another those dreadful sessions with the bat that so often appears for them. It was also one of those passages of play during which they could not have assured victory, but could assure defeat. The latter has come to fruition.”There’s genuine excitement,” Taylor said at the prospect of wrapping up victory on the fourth day. “Anything over 180-200 could have been very realistic [for West Indies] but to keep it down to 122 was outstanding. The way that they [the New Zealand pacers] bowled and the aggression they showed, they need a lot of pats on the back for the hostility they showed.”One of the significant themes of this match has been the frequency of the new balls having to be changed. It has happened in each innings. On this occasion the ball lasted less than three overs before the umpires were forced to delve into the box. The one that came out started to swing for Trent Boult and he made full use of it, yet again, albeit with a helping hand from some poor strokes – not least Kraigg Brathwaite who aimed horribly across the line. It was the beginning of a trend.Sunil Narine would have had hopes of tripping up New Zealand in the chase, but his batsmen have made his task that much harder•Getty ImagesNew Zealand’s catching was vital, too. Southee (developing into as good a pace-bowling catcher as James Anderson) took a sharp one at third slip, BJ Watling a neat one down the leg side but they both paled in comparison to Kane Williamson’s out-stretched right hand, low at gully, to snaffle Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Given the speed the ball came at, and the fact the catchers were standing closer due to the slow nature of the pitch, it was a catch to rival Boult’s in Wellington. This match has not been short on good grabs; Darren Sammy’s stooping caught-and-bowled yesterday was the pick of three top-class efforts from him.Williamson is one of the finest gully fielders in the world. He held his nerve to control a juggled catch in the first innings to remove Marlon Samuels and held a sharp one in Wellington. A quick look around YouTube will highlight a brace of magnificent results from Colombo a little over a year ago.He put one down in the first innings (at midwicket) during what was one of New Zealand’s less distinguished catching displays. Four went down in total, but it appears to have been a momentary blimp. They were almost faultless in Wellington. There entire slip cordon is top-notch with Taylor and Peter Fulton rarely missing an opportunity. Static footwork from West Indies’ batsmen and a bowling attack that creates regular chances means they are constantly in the game.”The way we caught was outstanding,” Taylor said. “Boulty came off 10 wickets and I wouldn’t say he struggled [in the first innings] but it wasn’t quite working for him. Today was a new day and he bowled outstandingly well and Tim didn’t get the rewards. They complement each other very well. Neil Wagner bowled the best he has all series. Today he had a bit more zip and we were probably further back than we have been all series and to have Corey Anderson there, I think Ish is probably wondering when he’s going to bowl again.”The final session of the third day, however, was not a good advert for Test batting. Regardless of the spin or swing on offer this remained a more-than-decent batting surface. It needed concentration and resilience (see exhibit A: Ross Taylor), someone to sell their wicket dearly. One batsman battling their way to 80 would have given West Indies a chance on a pitch they could hardly have expected in this country. But nobody does a collapse quite like West Indies.

How does a team lose after having the opposition 67 for 8? Ask Bangladesh

Madiha Khan18-Feb-2014Choice of game
I haven’t had a shortage of games to witness at this ground, but they only leave me craving for more. Bangladesh has had a splendid record in home ODIs and I was convinced they wouldn’t disappoint me. Alas.Who were you rooting for?

As always, I was there to cheer my team on, ready to back them the entire way regardless of how they performed. Unfortunately Bangladesh left me disappointed after a very long time.Key performer
Thisara Perera without a doubt. He walked into a desperate situation and single-handedly plucked Sri Lanka out of the doldrums. He scored 80 off 57 balls, boldly hitting boundaries when eight wickets had already fallen. As they say, luck favours the brave, though Sri Lanka had nothing to lose at that point.One thing you’d have changed
To choose a single thing that I would have liked to change would be very difficult to do for yesterday’s match. With four catches being dropped – two by our finest fielders Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain – unnecessary run-outs and shots played in the air, the Bangladesh fans were left gob-smacked repeatedly after their team got off to a terrific start. The most desirable change of all would have to be the result of the game.Wow moment

Mushfiqur Rahim’s brilliant fielding resulted in a direct throw, dismissing Kithuruwan Vithange. Not seeing the cheerful Captain Mushy behind the stumps was a novelty. Witnessing his stunning fielding filled our hearts with pride. The real wow moment though, was seeing the Lankans reduced to 67 for 8. I doubt if there was anybody at that point who thought Bangladesh would lose the game from there on.Close encounter
Lasith Malinga fielded at the boundary near where I sat for much of the second innings. Every once in a while he would turn around and wave to the fans who were calling out to him; I believe he even signed an autograph for a fan as well. His behaviour towards the Bangladeshi fans was civil and a refreshing sight.Crowd meter
The stadium was not jam-packed as it usually is for a Bangladesh ODI match in Dhaka, but there was a good crowd turnout nonetheless. The people in the stands were as lively as ever: continuous Mexican waves went around the ground followed by claps of appreciation.Throughout the match the DJ’s choice of music was quite disappointing. Patriotic songs (which I have nothing against) were being played when upbeat, cheerful songs were required to lift the players’ and the viewers’ morale.
There was a significant number of Sri Lankan fans who at the start of the game were not very enthusiastic but went home with smiles much bigger than ours.There was a man dressed in a gorilla costume who received a lot of attention, especially from the children. The ever-present passionate “Tigers” tried hard in picking up the energy of the spectators as the Bangladesh wickets fell hopelessly. But the crowd’s disappointment became apparent as the match continued to slip further away from us and most of the spectators started leaving.Overall
Overall the match left me feeling bitterly disappointed. After having exhibited tremendous talent and the ability to win matches under extreme pressure, this kind of a loss is simply inexcusable in my opinion. How do you justify letting the opponents score 180 runs at the end of an innings from 67 for 8? How do you get bowled out for 167 after being 113 for 2?Wins and losses are part of playing matches, but what you don’t want to see is your team giving less than their 100%. Having said that, hats off to the Sri Lankans for pulling themselves back into a game that seemed like it would end with half a day to spare.

Talking to people whom he could trust and staying confident in his abilities helped Ross Taylor overcome the difficult period where he lost the New Zealand captaincy and find the form of his life

Abhishek Purohit in Auckland05-Feb-2014Tongue sticking out while soaking in the applause – that has been the image of Ross Taylor’s golden New Zealand summer. Three successive Test hundreds against West Indies, two successive ODI centuries against India. He has sought out all corners to find the space he is in at the moment, where everything seems to be going right. Not too long ago, when the captaincy was yanked away from him, nothing was. Unable to focus, Taylor even pulled out of the game for a while.But he was determined to not go down fighting a lone battle, and sought help. From his mentor Martin Crowe and from All Blacks sports psychologist Gilbert Enoka, among others. It was an honest admission from the man that he needed assistance, and rather than view that as something suggesting frailty, as some might, Taylor sees it in a positive hue.”Just ask questions and seek help in areas you want to improve on. I think it is a sign of strength that you can go and seek help and not think about everything yourself,” Taylor said. “Other people specialise in those areas and it’s nice to pick their brain. It’s not about listening to them wholeheartedly. It’s just about picking their brains and if there’s one or two things that you pick up, then you are a better player for it.”Talked to my mentor, worked with a couple of psychologists as well to try and get me in the most relaxed frame of mind as possible,” Taylor said. “Controlling what you can control [is what it’s about]. There’s a lot of things that do come into your mind before and during games and if you deal with it, hopefully the better you can go out there and perform. Cricket is a mental game and at the moment, I am pretty happy about where I am at.”Taylor says Crowe has been “outstanding” in helping him reach that happy place. “He has been a world-class player in his own right and it’s nice to get him to look at your technique. Our batting coach at New Zealand has to look at a lot of players. He can look at my game from an individual point of view and pick up things that maybe our batting coach might miss. He has gone through lots of ups and downs in his career. It’s nice for him to pass that knowledge on to me, about how to deal with different situations.”Apart from talking to people he felt he could trust, Taylor said it was also critical to keep believing in himself while his overcame his difficult patch. “A lot of people never saw that side of me but it was nice to come out probably a lot stronger mentally. A lot of people that I have talked about so far have helped out in that process. The whole time, you have to trust your abilities and who you work with. I don’t think if you don’t trust them, you would be working with them in the first place.”You have just got to trust yourself and know you are good enough. At times, when you are out of form, you go searching for things that don’t need fixing. You just need a little bit of luck to go your way and still trust your own game and your processes. Sometimes when you are out of form, you try and look at things too indepthly. Just try and relax and trust your abilities.”I think the older you get, the better you get at relaxing. And it’s nice to pick the brains of other individuals and if you can do that, then hopefully they can take the pressure off you and you don’t focus on the negative side too much.”One thing that has remained the focus has been Taylor’s relationship with the man who replaced him as captain, Brendon McCullum, and the man who had a major role in him being replaced, coach Mike Hesson. Taylor had said earlier that his interactions with Hesson have improved and that they share a “very good working relationship” now.The one with McCullum is different. It goes back to their junior days together. After all that has happened around the captaincy, Taylor and McCullum made a lovely picture sitting together at the press conference after the ODI series was taken 4-0 in Wellington. Taylor kept playfully needling McCullum about his failure to win any toss in the series, and also told him to desist from speaking about the “blueprint”, a word McCullum had used often through the series.”I have been team-mates with Brendon for a long time, right from Under-19s to now. We are good team-mates.”If I see something, I always tell Brendon. Even before I was captain, I’d always tell [Daniel] Vettori little things. There is no use thinking these ideas and keeping them to yourself. You got to tell them and then at the end of the day, it’s the captain’s decision whether to use it or not.”He may no longer be the leader, but Taylor says the captaincy brought out the best in him as a batsman, and that he still likes to mentor young team-mates. “I think the leadership side, I lead by scoring runs and trying to get as many people to follow [suit] as possible. As a senior batsman, you need to lead from the front and hopefully I am doing that.”A lot of the time, they have their own routines but when you are out there in the middle, you probably talk a lot more to them and try and bat them through their innings, especially at the start of it. When we are off the field, I am always open to individuals coming over to have a chat with me. I don’t throw things upon them but if they have questions, then I will answer them.”Taylor knows it is the runs that matter in the end, and that as long as they keep coming, all will be well. Being in the best form of his life certainly helps, but Taylor has been through too much to start taking things for granted.”Any time you are scoring runs and winning games, it makes it a lot easier and obviously it’s a happy team. I am hitting the ball very well and I think I am in the best mindset that I have ever been in my career. I don’t want to get too carried away, though, I just want to go with the same routine that I have had and hopefully I can have some more success. Just the way I train and go about my business, work hard. It’s nice when you do work hard, and put the time and effort in, to get results.”

While Kumar Sangakkara has developed into a dominating one-day batsman, Tillakaratne Dilshan has become a reformed dasher. Together they are one-day cricket’s form pairing

Andrew Fidel Fernando31-May-2014Through the course of life, people move in and out of each others’ grasp. They forge alliances, break them, move together and then drift apart. Lifelong bonds are most rewarding, but rare. More often, people make temporary associations, built on a coincidence of interests or desires.In the Sri Lanka team, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene share an elemental connection. On the field, on tour and in the public imagination, they are inseparable. In both ODI and Test partnership lists, they are the only non-openers in the top five.But in recent years, they are not the pair who have brought most success for Sri Lanka in ODIs. Not even close. As reflexes, techniques and temperaments change in the twilight of their careers, Sangakkara has come to a confluence with Tillakaratne Dilshan. They are an odd couple, but strangely good together. The nature of their association has been even more surprising than its success.At 36, Sangakkara has never been a better ODI batsman. Some sportsmen are said to age like a fine red wine, but in cricket, few have lived that maxim out more emphatically than Sangakkara. He has hit more than 1000 runs in each of the past three calendar years, and is more than halfway to that target again in 2014. In the first decade of his career, he managed it only twice.There are more arrows in his quiver now: lap-scoops to the fine-leg boundary and uppercuts over third man. Since 2013, he dominates attacks, when he used to wear them down. Not many batsmen in the game are in better shape.A year older, Dilshan seems to be on an inexorable decline. At Lord’s, he had four attempts at crashing wide balls through the covers in the Powerplay, and mistimed the stroke each time. That shot was once his most productive. Yet, through a combination of will and wit, he is now the best ODI batsman he has ever been as well. In his last 16 innings, Dilshan has failed to reach thirty only four times. Of the 12 successful innings, he struck at over 90 runs per 100 balls only once.Sri Lanka’s 172-run second-wicket stand on Saturday seemed like a role-reversal to some but, in reality, it is the new order of things: Sangakkara the bold aggressor with Dilshan’s steady support in tow. They have made prolific progress this way.Since 2012, they have hit 2044 runs in each others’ company, at an average of 56.77. No other pair has scored more than 1500, and that average is easily the highest among pairs to have hit 1000 together. It is odd to think that while Sangakkara has become an out-and-out matchwinner, Dilshan has become the more consistent batsman. Since 2012, Dilshan has also made 1081 alongside Mahela Jayawardene – the fourth duo on the list.Like all good partnerships, Dilshan and Sangakkara are counterpoints to the other’s weakness. Sangakkara is unsteady early in his innings, poking at the ball with hard hands, but Dilshan is a more effortless starter, regularly finding the square boundary on either side of the pitch. At Lord’s, Sangakkara was in visible strife in the Powerplay but Dilshan eased their burden with two scoops for four off James Anderson. Sangakkara would not climb out of his rut until his score was 8 off 26 deliveries.As the field goes out and Dilshan’s scoring dips, Sangakkara moves to even out the run rate, picking gaps powerfully, forcing field changes, then mocking the new arrangements with a spate of calculated strikes. Dilshan had been on 35 before Sangakkara went into double figures, but Sangakkara would reach fifty first, by one ball. They had had a nearly equal share of the first 100 runs of their partnership, but as Sangakkara grew more fluent, he hit 46 of the last 72 runs, and Dilshan only 21.Beyond the challenges their right-hand/left-hand combination poses for fielding captains, contrasting styles prevents bowlers from finding rhythm in the middle overs. Sangakkara likes to play spin from the crease, but Dilshan charges forward or slides right back. Sangakkara hits to traditional parts of the ground, but Dilshan puts the ball in strange spaces. Alaistair Cook tried all his bowlers and a variety of fields during the partnership, but only the artificial urgency brought on by the batting Powerplay could shake the pair’s grip on the innings.When Dilshan departed for 71 in the 36th over, Sri Lanka were already well-placed to push for 300. Typically, Sangakkara would forge ahead to triple figures. Of his 19 ODI tons, more than 40% have come since 2012. As their careers twist in different directions, he and Dilshan have found sudden room for each other. Pushed to the brink of defeat in the series, their happy meeting of the ways kept Sri Lanka alive for the final game.

Given all Pakistan’s success in T20 it was incongruous that they were the only one of the top eight nations not to have an individual hundred: Ahmed Shehzad picked the perfect moment to change that

Abhishek Purohit in Mirpur30-Mar-2014Pakistan have played the most number of T20s and won the most number of T20s. They have been the most consistent side in the World T20, winning the title in 2009, making it to the final in 2007, and reaching the semi-finals in 2010 and 2012. It is a disservice to what Pakistan have achieved in Tests and one-dayers when it is said that their style of play is naturally suited to T20s. However, that their flair is often expressed more freely, and causes more impact, in the shortest format cannot be denied.Given this, it was a bit incongruous that all the top eight Test nations had T20 centurions before this afternoon, barring Pakistan. Even England, limited-over cricket’s bridesmaids or under-achievers for so long barring 2010, had joined the list with Alex Hales’ effort against Sri Lanka three days ago in Chittagong. Ahmed Shehzad has corrected that anomaly with his unbeaten 111 against Bangladesh.Shehzad could have put Pakistan on the list in August last year. He was on 97 against Zimbabwe and facing the last ball of the innings. He had a go, but could not place it wide enough of deep midwicket, and had to settle for a single. It was already the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in T20s.In a way, it was probably fitting that the landmark did not come in a two-game bilateral series and was achieved in a world event with plenty riding on the outcome of the match. Pakistan needed to beat Bangladesh for their final group game against West Indies to remain a virtual quarter-final.Your Nos. 2, 3 and 4 making 9, 8 and 0 after you have chosen to bat is not the way you want to begin a must-win game. Your No. 5 then comes in and struggles to time the ball. Normally, all this would have spelled trouble for the batting side, but Shehzad was in such supreme flow that these happenings at the other end barely registered, or mattered.Shehzad’s touch was evident from the manner in which he stepped out and timed Mashrafe Mortaza comfortably over the straight boundary as early as the third over, in which he had already taken three successive fours off the bowler. Shehzad was to take 87 off 39 deliveries against the Bangladesh seamers. He had seen Kamran Akmal fall in the second over of spin, to a ball that gripped, spun and bounced enough for him to top-edge a sweep.Shehzad said the plan had been to target the seamers, as Pakistan knew it would be relatively harder against spin on a slow pitch. “In Bangladesh, the ball does spin and grip,” Shehzad said. “The idea was to score as much as possible against the fast bowlers so that we don’t have to try anything extra against the spinners, take as little risk as possible against them. It was expected that in a 3.30pm [start], the ball will grip.”With plans sorted and execution happening so smoothly, it had to be a question of not giving it away. The first three Pakistan batsmen did. Shehzad threatened to, when a top-edged pull off Shakib Al Hasan fell in the vacant midwicket beating several advancing fielders, but by that time he was already in the eighties.At 71 for 3 in the tenth over, a total of 190 seemed unlikely but Shehzad was able to forge a partnership of 83 with Shoaib Malik, who may have made only 26 but had a major role in helping his junior partner reach his century, Shehzad said. “Unfortunately we lost three early wickets but when Shoaib came in, we had a very good partnership. He had a big role to play in my hundred because he ran brilliantly between the wickets. When you run well, then you don’t have to take many risks. He also gets a lot of credit for my hundred.”Probably the only thing that did not fit in an otherwise remarkable display of strokeplay was Shehzad’s attempted paddle-sweeps, which he missed on every attempt. Shehzad said there was a thought behind those endeavours, even though they did not come off. “It is to disturb the bowler, you can’t be predictable in this format because the bowlers have become very sharp, they work hard and come up with plans. The paddle I didn’t connect but fine leg went out and covers came up. So I hit two fours over cover. That is the thing, to manoeuvre the field, get into the minds of the captain and the bowlers. This is what T20 cricket is about.”

New Zealand’s Test series against West Indies will be a huge test for their spinners, and of the ability of their batsmen to play spin

Bishen Jeswant07-Jun-2014Coming off a couple of torrid tours against India and New Zealand where they suffered three innings-defeats and never came anywhere near winning a single game, West Indies will now be looking to use their home advantage to set things right under Denesh Ramdin, their newly-anointed captain. For inspiration, they needn’t look beyond New Zealand’s previous tour to the Caribbean, when the visitors were beaten 2-0.West Indies and New Zealand have played each other in only 12 Tests since the turn of the century, and five of these games have come after January 2012. By the end of this series, these teams would have played each other eight times in less than two years – a marked change considering they met only seven times in the 12 years before that. In the 12 games in the 21st century, New Zealand have had the upper hand, winning five and losing only two, while drawing the remaining five. However, in the 42 Tests the two teams have played against each other, West Indies have the edge with 12 wins against New Zealand’s 11. The contest has been fairly even in recent times, with both New Zealand and West Indies having won a couple of games each on their respective home turfs since January 2012.

West Indies v New Zealand – Head to head

Span	Matches	NZ Wins	WI Wins	Draws
Overall	42	11	12	19
Since Jan 2001	12	5	2	5
Since Jan 2012	5	2	2	1

The recent Test records of both teams have been dismal, with both having lost more than they have won since January 2012. West Indies have won a couple of games each against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and New Zealand in this period and have eight losses against the higher-ranked nations. New Zealand have had fewer wins than West Indies in this period despite having played more games. However, New Zealand’s victories include an away win against Sri Lanka (in Colombo), something that even South Africa have not been able to do since 2000. They also had a 1-0 series victory against India and a closely fought 1-0 series loss to South Africa, both at home.

Tests between West Indies and New Zealand since Jan 2012

Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Draw
West Indies	17	6	8	3
New Zealand	24	5	10	9

One department in which West Indies have suffered the most is pace. Till 2000, the West Indian pacers averaged 26.61, but since then it’s dropped to 37.03. This changing trend is also a reflection of the local pitches. Till 2000, spinners averaged 44.64 at the Sabina Park, the venue of the first Test in this series. The number has since improved to 28.16.All through the 20th century, the West Indies were known for their pace bowling, to the extent that West Indies played 10 matches during that period where not a single over was bowled by a spinner. In that era, their fast bowlers took more than three times the number of wickets their spinners took; since January 2012, pace has accounted for only 15 more wickets than spin. The tables below brings out this difference.

Spin v pace for West Indies (1928 – 2000)

Bowling type	Players	Mat	Wkts	Ave	Econ	SR	5	10
Pace	105	366	4016	26.55	2.69	59.10	161	19
Spin	82	356	1228	37.29	2.27	98.10	54	6

Spin v pace for West Indies (2012 – current)

Bowling type	Players	Mat	Wkts	Ave	Econ	SR	5	10
Pace	9	17	135	34.62	3.28	63.2	6	1
Spin	12	17	120	30.20	3.02	59.9	8	2

While West Indian spinners have become more proficient, New Zealand’s spin battery for this series comprises of Kane Williamson, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig, all of whom average more than 40 at the first-class level. The New Zealand spinners took only five wickets, compared to 54 for the seamers, during the home series against West Indies in December 2013.Also interesting is that opposition spinners have averaged 29.75 against New Zealand’s batsmen since January 2012. Zimbabwe are the only team against whom spinners have done better in this period. In conditions likely to favour spinners, New Zealand’s spin bowling and their batting against spin will both be put to the test during this tour.Among the individuals players, West Indies’ Shane Shillingford has made a significant impact at the world stage. Among bowlers who have taken 50-plus wickets since January 2012, Shillingford is the only one who has played fewer than 10 games. He has taken two ten-wicket hauls in this period, with only Saeed Ajmal and Rangana Herath having taken more.

Top wicket-takers for New Zealand and West Indies since Jan 2012

Player	Mat	Inns	Mdns	Wkts	Ave	Econ	SR	5	10
TA Boult	21	38	167	78	26.93	2.92	55.30	3	1
TG Southee	16	30	125	72	23.97	2.90	49.50	3	1
S Shillingford	9	15	89	51	25.60	2.89	53.00	6	2
N Wagner	14	26	98	50	35.00	3.48	60.30	1	0
KAJ Roach	9	18	59	42	22.69	3.18	42.70	3	1
DAJ Bracewell	15	27	66	34	44.26	3.50	75.80	0	0
TL Best	11	18	32	29	32.00	3.64	52.70	2	0
DJG Sammy	17	28	84	25	49.36	3.03	97.70	0	0
CS Martin	7	12	40	23	27.86	3.32	50.30	1	0
SP Narine	6	11	60	21	40.52	3.09	78.50	2	0

Among the batsmen, only one West Indian – Shivnarine Chanderpaul – features in the list of top 20 run-getters in Tests since January 2012. The list does have a few New Zealanders though – Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson – which is partly down to the fact that New Zealand have played a fairly high number of Tests during this period. Only Australia and England have played more matches than New Zealand’s 24 in this period.

Top run-getters from New Zealand and West Indies since Jan 2012

Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	Ave	SR	100	50
BB McCullum	24	42	1742	43.55	58.67	3	9
LRPL Taylor	21	37	1729	59.62	55.93	6	6
S Chanderpaul	16	27	1510	79.47	48.44	5	6
KS Williamson	23	41	1476	37.84	41.97	4	9
MN Samuels	14	23	1159	52.68	53.23	3	7
DM Bravo	14	25	856	37.21	44.81	2	2
KOA Powell	16	30	847	29.20	52.28	3	0
BJ Watling	15	23	847	40.33	44.00	3	5
D Ramdin	14	22	753	44.29	52.73	3	3
DJG Sammy	17	27	697	27.88	70.54	1	4

Chanderpaul’s batting average of 79.47 is the
highest for any batsmen during this period (minimum 200 runs). The top five players in the above table have had more than ten 50-plus scores. There have been 19 such players in the world since January 2012. In the recent series between these teams in New Zealand, Ross Taylor was in belligerent form scoring 495 runs in three matches at an average of 247.50, including three centuries. Keeping him quiet will be one of the priorities for West Indies.Chris Gayle is on the verge of reaching a couple of milestones during this series. The next Test match that Gayle plays will be his 100th, and he is also only 67 runs shy of 7000 runs in Tests. On a quirkier note, if Gayle does not bowl in this match (and this seems likely considering his recent injuries) and scores exactly 81 runs, both his Test batting and bowling averages will become exactly 42. As of today, no Test player (past or present) has the exact same batting and bowling average.

New Zealand’s Test series against West Indies will be a huge test for their spinners, and of the ability of their batsmen to play spin

Bishen Jeswant07-Jun-2014Coming off a couple of torrid tours against India and New Zealand where they suffered three innings-defeats and never came anywhere near winning a single game, West Indies will now be looking to use their home advantage to set things right under Denesh Ramdin, their newly-anointed captain. For inspiration, they needn’t look beyond New Zealand’s previous tour to the Caribbean, when the visitors were beaten 2-0.West Indies and New Zealand have played each other in only 12 Tests since the turn of the century, and five of these games have come after January 2012. By the end of this series, these teams would have played each other eight times in less than two years – a marked change considering they met only seven times in the 12 years before that. In the 12 games in the 21st century, New Zealand have had the upper hand, winning five and losing only two, while drawing the remaining five. However, in the 42 Tests the two teams have played against each other, West Indies have the edge with 12 wins against New Zealand’s 11. The contest has been fairly even in recent times, with both New Zealand and West Indies having won a couple of games each on their respective home turfs since January 2012.

West Indies v New Zealand – Head to head

SpanMatchesNZ WinsWI WinsDrawsOverall42111219Since Jan 200112525Since Jan 20125221The recent Test records of both teams have been dismal, with both having lost more than they have won since January 2012. West Indies have won a couple of games each against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and New Zealand in this period and have eight losses against the higher-ranked nations. New Zealand have had fewer wins than West Indies in this period despite having played more games. However, New Zealand’s victories include an away win against Sri Lanka (in Colombo), something that even South Africa have not been able to do since 2000. They also had a 1-0 series victory against India and a closely fought 1-0 series loss to South Africa, both at home.

Tests between West Indies and New Zealand since Jan 2012

TeamMatchesWonLostDrawWest Indies17683New Zealand245109One department in which West Indies have suffered the most is pace. Till 2000, the West Indian pacers averaged 26.61, but since then it’s dropped to 37.03. This changing trend is also a reflection of the local pitches. Till 2000, spinners averaged 44.64 at the Sabina Park, the venue of the first Test in this series. The number has since improved to 28.16.All through the 20th century, the West Indies were known for their pace bowling, to the extent that West Indies played 10 matches during that period where not a single over was bowled by a spinner. In that era, their fast bowlers took more than three times the number of wickets their spinners took; since January 2012, pace has accounted for only 15 more wickets than spin. The tables below brings out this difference.

Spin v pace for West Indies (1928 – 2000)

Bowling typePlayersMatWktsAveEconSR510Pace105366401626.552.6959.1016119Spin82356122837.292.2798.10546

Spin v pace for West Indies (2012 – current)

Bowling typePlayersMatWktsAveEconSR510Pace91713534.623.2863.261Spin121712030.203.0259.982

While West Indian spinners have become more proficient, New Zealand’s spin battery for this series comprises of Kane Williamson, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig, all of whom average more than 40 at the first-class level. The New Zealand spinners took only five wickets, compared to 54 for the seamers, during the home series against West Indies in December 2013.Also interesting is that opposition spinners have averaged 29.75 against New Zealand’s batsmen since January 2012. Zimbabwe are the only team against whom spinners have done better in this period. In conditions likely to favour spinners, New Zealand’s spin bowling and their batting against spin will both be put to the test during this tour.Among the individuals players, West Indies’ Shane Shillingford has made a significant impact at the world stage. Among bowlers who have taken 50-plus wickets since January 2012, Shillingford is the only one who has played fewer than 10 games. He has taken two ten-wicket hauls in this period, with only Saeed Ajmal and Rangana Herath having taken more.

Top wicket-takers for New Zealand and West Indies since Jan 2012

PlayerMatInnsMdnsWktsAveEconSR510TA Boult21381677826.932.9255.3031TG Southee16301257223.972.9049.5031S Shillingford915895125.602.8953.0062N Wagner1426985035.003.4860.3010KAJ Roach918594222.693.1842.7031DAJ Bracewell1527663444.263.5075.8000TL Best1118322932.003.6452.7020DJG Sammy1728842549.363.0397.7000CS Martin712402327.863.3250.3010SP Narine611602140.523.0978.5020Among the batsmen, only one West Indian – Shivnarine Chanderpaul – features in the list of top 20 run-getters in Tests since January 2012. The list does have a few New Zealanders though – Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson – which is partly down to the fact that New Zealand have played a fairly high number of Tests during this period. Only Australia and England have played more matches than New Zealand’s 24 in this period.

Top run-getters from New Zealand and West Indies since Jan 2012

PlayerMatInnsRunsAveSR10050BB McCullum2442174243.5558.6739LRPL Taylor2137172959.6255.9366S Chanderpaul1627151079.4748.4456KS Williamson2341147637.8441.9749MN Samuels1423115952.6853.2337DM Bravo142585637.2144.8122KOA Powell163084729.2052.2830BJ Watling152384740.3344.0035D Ramdin142275344.2952.7333DJG Sammy172769727.8870.5414Chanderpaul’s batting average of 79.47 is the highest for any batsmen during this period (minimum 200 runs). The top five players in the above table have had more than ten 50-plus scores. There have been 19 such players in the world since January 2012. In the recent series between these teams in New Zealand, Ross Taylor was in belligerent form scoring 495 runs in three matches at an average of 247.50, including three centuries. Keeping him quiet will be one of the priorities for West Indies.Chris Gayle is on the verge of reaching a couple of milestones during this series. The next Test match that Gayle plays will be his 100th, and he is also only 67 runs shy of 7000 runs in Tests. On a quirkier note, if Gayle does not bowl in this match (and this seems likely considering his recent injuries) and scores exactly 81 runs, both his Test batting and bowling averages will become exactly 42. As of today, no Test player (past or present) has the exact same batting and bowling average.

Nineteen-year-old Kuldeep Yadav wanted to become a seamer, but his coach felt he lacked the pace to be successful. He however noticed the bowler’s penchant for left-arm wrist spin, and encouraged him to try a different route

Amol Karhadkar04-Oct-2014Just like he always does before leaving for a game, Kuldeep Yadav called his coach Kapil Pandey on Saturday afternoon before Kolkata Knight Riders departed to Bangalore for the Champions League Twenty20 final. Besides just seeking the coach’s advice and blessings, Kuldeep asked Pandey to “distribute sweets to all the players at the academy” on his behalf and organise a lavish party once he returns home.”That’s the way he is. Down to earth, well-mannered and caring,” Pandey said of his favourite protégé, who earned a maiden call-up to the national side after being named in India’s squad for the first three ODIs against West Indies. “He was obviously excited but at the same time was focused on tonight’s big match.”Kuldeep, who is an exponent of a rare art – chinaman bowling, was the star of India’s campaign at the Under-19 World Cup in the UAE earlier this year, where he also became the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in the junior World Cup. Still, barring eight Twenty20 games – four each for Uttar Pradesh and Kolkata Knight Riders – Kuldeep does not have any experience of playing senior competitive cricket at a higher level.Though he was a part of Uttar Pradesh’s squad for the zonal one-day competition last season, he could not get a game. Pandey, the coach who transformed Kuldeep into a spin bowler from a wannabe pacer, admitted that the India call-up came much sooner than he expected.”I was always confident that Kuldeep had the potential to be a world-class bowler and had no hesitation in him playing for India soon, but this has come a little earlier than expected,” Pandey said. “I was thinking that once Kuldeep would prove himself in the Ranji Trophy and continues to trouble top batsmen, he would be selected. I am glad that the selectors are convinced he is ready to take the next step.”Pandey said as a matter of fact that it was he who asked Kuldeep at a tender age to start bowling spin, but he does not brag about converting him into a chinaman.”A few days after his father enrolled him into my coaching centre, I noticed that he was too slow to be a successful pacer, so I asked him to try spin,” Pandey said. “He was unhappy, wept for a few days but then realized he had this uncanny ability to bowl wrist spin with left hand. That was natural. But he was so consistent that I decided to give more attention towards him.”Pandey then studied the actions of various great spinners across different eras, but was particularly fascinated with Shane Warne’s legbreaks.”I noticed Kuldeep had the vital ingredient to be a quality bowler, which was to keep things simple and tight. Then we started working on the variations by watching Shane Warne’s videos. And he is such a fast learner that it’s remarkable he has added so many deliveries to his armoury at such a young age.”Son of an entrepreneur, Ram Singh, who owns a brick kiln, Kuldeep used to live with his family in Unnao, about 20 kilometres away from Kanpur. However, once he son started showing promise in street cricket, they decided to move to Kanpur, the home of Uttar Pradesh cricket.Pandey stressed that had it not been for his father’s encouragement, Kuldeep would have never been able to make a mark on the field. With cricket taking centre stage, Kuldeep’s education has unsurprisingly taken a backseat, as he is yet to appear for his higher secondary exams. In 2012, Kuldeep was signed by Mumbai Indians in the IPL and got the first taste of top-quality cricket. Till then, he was only playing age-group cricket for Uttar Pradesh. Though his ability impressed everyone in the Mumbai dressing room, the coaching staff felt he was too slow to deceive senior batsmen and advised him to work on his fitness.Pandey said the IPL experience made Kuldeep richer and he started putting in extra yards in the gym. Then came the successful stint with the Under-19 team, which gave Kuldeep the confidence that he could be the best even at the highest level. He subsequently grabbed the CLT20 opportunity with both hands, which has given him the big break.Going by his track record, Pandey has no doubts that Kuldeep will excel in international cricket whenever he gets an opportunity to prove his worth.