All posts by h716a5.icu

A dozen books that will give you an insight into the subcontinent when you visit for the cricket

Suresh Menon10-Mar-2011″A famous historian,” wrote CLR James in , “can write the history of England in the 19th century and never once mention the man who was the best-known Englishman of his time. I can no longer accept the system of values which could not find in his book a place for WG Grace.”By a happy coincidence India’s best known historian, Ramachandra Guha, is also its finest writer on cricket. And Sachin Tendulkar finds a mention in his authoritative .But let me start at the beginning. The brief from ESPNcricinfo’s editor was: what books would you recommend to cricket fans travelling to the subcontinent that will give them a feel for the region? That’s a very specific audience. Not one that’s necessarily looking for literary masterpieces – although some of the books in the list are just that – or profound philosophical conclusions. The choices would have to be contemporary rather than historic, concrete rather than abstract, and take in the countries as a whole rather than focus on specific areas.That would rule out a whole lot of my favourites: by Sunil Khilnani, by Guha, by Kiran Desai, , and of course , a fabulous journey of discovery both for Indians and foreigners. His which is a single volume bringing together his two books ( and ) of anecdotal history of the game in the country is the intelligent fan’s paean comparable to the evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould’s homage to baseball, .VS Naipaul’s is remarkable for anticipating the new India, self-assured, one foot on the world stage but with the other still in the wings. It is his most compassionate book on the country, written before the economic liberalisation but with a sense of impending boom.Two of the best travel books on India are William Dalrymple’s , and Alexander Frater’s . Dalrymple’s travels and encounters in India are written about with a rare empathy, while Frater travelled from Kerala to Meghalaya following the monsoon and capturing the sounds and smells and sights with a sharp eye and limpid prose.In recent years three Indian writers have won the Booker Prize, and many have been shortlisted. Yet the contemporary novel that captures India best is Manu Joseph’s . It brings together the two Indias, the rich and the poor (not just financially, but psychologically, emotionally, and intellectually) and is both non-judgemental and subtly humorous.RecommendedAlexander Frater’s •Henry Holt & Co (P)

by Ramachandra Guha
by VS Naipaul
by Alexander Frater
by William Dalrymple
by Mike Marqusee
by Manu Joseph
by Michael Ondatje
by Romesh Gunasekera
by Aravinda de Silva
by Shehan Karunatilaka
by Mark Trenowden
begins with a cricket match between scratch teams and ends with a one-day international between Sri Lanka and India, possibly the first time an ODI made its way in some detail into a work of fiction.The recent novel , by Shehan Karunatilaka, is the story of an alcoholic sports journalist who seeks out a former player he believes is the island’s greatest cricketer.Sri Lanka have had some erudite cricket captains and officials, but few who have put their experiences down in a book. Roshan Mahanama’s caused a minor controversy when it was released about a decade ago because of a story it contained of a politically incorrect response by Glenn McGrath to Sanath Jayasuriya. Let’s leave it at that. Aravinda de Silva’s autobiography includes the glory year of 1996, when he was the hero in the country’s World Cup triumph in the subcontinent.The most evocative books on Sri Lanka have been written by the Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje, who was born there. is a brilliant story of a beautiful country torn asunder by ethnic divisions; the large story is the background against which the individual stories play out, but you are aware of it all the time. Ondaatje returned to Sri Lanka to understand better his mixed Dutch, Tamil and Sinhalese roots. The result was the autobiographical , written with the sensitivity of a poet and a sense of mischief only the most gifted writers can bring to their works.Monica Ali is probably the best known writer from Bangladesh, but her is set in England. The books that capture her country best are probably , a travelogue by Anne Hamilton and by Mark Trenowden. I say “probably” because these are the only books in the list I haven’t read. They are recommended by friends. Still, I am intrigued by Trenowden’s description as a “full-time village cricketer”.The book that is the most inspiring and explains Bangladesh best is the story of micro-credit, written by the man who changed the lives of millions – the Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. details how what began with a loan of $27 evolved into the Grameen Bank, a six-billion dollar enterprise.What does micro-credit have to do with cricket, a sport where, as the IPL has shown, players become millionaires in one afternoon’s hectic bidding? And why is a history of India important to our understanding of its most popular sport? James, with whom we started, provided the answer decades ago with a question of his own: What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?

While Ireland may be the most promising of all the Associate nations, they still have many problems to confront in their bid to develop as a strong cricketing force

Ger Siggins31-May-2011The 2-0 defeat against Pakistan in the just concluded ODI series, while disappointing, was a very useful experience for Ireland, as bilateral series against Full Members is high on the priority list for Cricket Ireland. But the games in Stormont also highlighted the challenges that confront the most ambitious of the Associate nations.The most pressing problem, of course, is the one that comes to a head in Hong Kong in late June when the ICC executive must decide whether they will turn the ICC Cricket World Cup into a glorified ‘Full Members Trophy’.It is a decision that has transfixed this land, and exercised government ministers on both sides of the border. For what is at stake is arguably the whole future of the sport in Ireland.The fears can be summarised thus: the plan to develop a national stadium will lose impetus without top-class competition, the commercial funds flocking to the sport will dwindle without World Cup exposure, and a drop in such funding will mean an inevitable slippage in playing standards.The high-quality cricket and thrilling memories Ireland brought to successive World Cups could soon be mere footnotes in a history book.Some of the challenges encountered in Stormont are insurmountable – Ireland’s location on the fringes of the north Atlantic ensures a damp climate where temperatures rarely test the manufacturers of sun-block. The first game against Pakistan started more than three hours late, which was better than what happened the previous two weekends, when almost no cricket was played in the northern part of the island. A five-month summer season can hardly afford to lose so much playing time.The attendance, too, was disappointing. The weather can be blamed for a lack of walk-up spectators, but the 2,000 who attended on Saturday were mainly there to support the visitors. Cricket Ireland, and its players, has done fantastic work spreading the game in recent years but outside Dublin there is a worrying shortage of support for the national team.The final challenge is to increase the number of potential international players – and retain them. The performances at the weekend were not helped by the absence through injury of George Dockrell, Niall O’Brien and Hamish Marshall – and the loss of Eoin Morgan to England still rankles with local followers. A small squad cannot afford to lose key players to injury – and certainly can’t afford to lose any more permanently to its neighbours.The excellent youth development programme can also be encouraged, and has been successful in bringing many of the current side to that level. Several youngsters have already linked up with English counties, and names such as Graeme McCarter (Gloucestershire), Jordan Coghlan (Hampshire) and Craig Young (Sussex) are likely to be in Ireland sides of the near future.Others can be brought on by strengthening and streamlining the domestic game. The inter-union competition was dropped in 2003, and has been partly reintroduced this year with two North v South games (the first of which was cancelled due to rain). For those eight years the only, tiny, bridge between Saturday afternoon club cricket and the team that plays in World Cups were infrequent A-internationals.Of course all the improvements made on the playing and administrative side – and those in the pipeline – will be a complete waste of time if ICC opts to bar the associates from qualifying for 2015.Had a voting member of the ICC Executive Board walked through the gates at Stormont yesterday, he would surely have seen enough in the breathtaking innings of Paul Stirling to convince him that he and his team-mates must be at the 2015 World Cup. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq confessed to enjoying watching Stirling bat, even as his best bowlers were put to the sword.The idea that Stirling, plus World Cup heroes Dockrell and Kevin O’Brien, might never be seen again on such a stage terrifies those who care about cricket in the Celtic outpost.

Hashim Amla has been a rarity in this series: a batsman prepared to play with the right blend of caution and intent to fashion a Test innings

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers19-Nov-2011Hashim Amla watched five of the first eight deliveries he faced go through to Brad Haddin. The other three, he defended. Twenty-two balls and half an hour after coming to the crease, Amla scored his first boundary, off a ball that was angled on his hips, which he flicked through the leg-side.His was the third individual performance of the match, after AB de Villiers and Ashwell Prince’s first innings efforts, that showed the temperament and technique required to bat in Test cricket. But, it was the best example of the type of execution that the longer form of the game requires.While Shane Watson and Jacques Rudolph played as though they were under instructions to ensure an early end, Amla was happy to leave some balls, defend others and push some into the gap for an ambled single. On the 13 occasions, when he could find the boundary, he did. Amla’s innings brought serenity to the series that has been missing so far, with frenetic batting and poor shot selection negating the efforts of high run-rates and extravagant strokeplay.In Cape Town, Amla played a classy knock, with Graeme Smith on the other end fighting his way back into form. Under the circumstances, on a spicy pitch, with wickets falling at the mere sight of a bowler, Amla’s innings was integral to South Africa’s win. With Smith’s the more emotive knock, Amla’s has had to be content with its place in the shadows of Smith’s comeback, but its importance has been reflected in the context of this game.When other batsmen have been rushed into shots or being tempted by the state of the pitch, Amla has played with the right blend of caution and intent to fashion a Test innings. He has refused to be hurried and remained stoic in his cause to construct an innings, rather than simply allow one to land on the pitch. “Hashim played with great responsibility over the last couple of months,” Jacques Rudolph said.It probably helps that Amla was not involved in the IPL and the Champions League T20 and spent the spring playing first-class cricket. He did not need to change tempo or build the stamina required for a long stint at the crease, something which other South African batsmen have lacked. “Maybe we are guilty of being in too much of a hurry in the first innings, maybe we were a bit anxious, given the importance of the game,” Russell Domingo, South Africa’s assistant coach, said.Since January, South Africa’s players have competed in an ODI series against India, the World Cup, the IPL, the Champions League T20 and a T20 and ODI series against Australia. Many of them are simply not Test match fit and Domingo believes they probably still aren’t.”It’s still pretty early in our Test cricket, I wouldn’t say we have completely adjusted,” Domingo said. “Maybe some of those dismissals can be attributed to that in the first innings, where the guys are still a little it loose and trying to find their way. We are one day closer to getting back into proper Test mode but probably not quite there yet.”One of the players who should be there is comeback opening batsmen Rudolph, who has had time playing first-class cricket but has yet to translate that. This season Rudolph is the leading run-scorer in the SuperSport Series, with 592 runs from four matches, including a double hundred. His Test scores read: 18, 14, 30 and 24 and although they got progressively better, they spin a yarn of potential wasted. Rudolph has looked confident at the crease, especially when driving but as he soon as he has started to find his first-class stride, has been stopped.”When you get recalled, you are desperate to get that one score so that you know you’re back in,” HD Ackerman, the former Test opening batsmen said. “So, you forget about the how you constructed all those other hundreds. The big thing is that Jacques has looked as though he belongs and he is at home in international cricket.”Rudolph did not dispute that he feels comfortable in his country’s whites but admits that he should have more to show for his assurance. “I’ve had a four starts now and it’s time for me to go on to the big one,” he said.In South Africa’s second innings, Rudolph was out to a top edge after a pulling a Pat Cummins delivery that seemed to surprise him. “It’s not really my game plan to pull up front,” he said. “It was one of those balls where you see it and you act instinctively on it. In hindsight, I wouldn’t play it again.”Impulsive batting like that has troubled batsmen from both sides in the series and it is something that Ackerman says is a result of the growth of shorter formats. Instead of blaming 20-over cricket for breeding bad habits, Ackerman said it has, like many other stimulants, been the cause of players letting go of certain inhibitions.”Once players began to understand their capabilities, which is something T20 cricket may have taught them, they are more prepared to take risks,” he said. “In T20 cricket, there are no slips, so you could get one to third-man, and if you are lucky, you may even get four but in Test cricket, there are slips so if you play an expansive shot and you get it wrong, you will get caught.”The high run-rates in this Test match, have given Ackerman a reason to remind players what the longest form of the game is all about. Test cricket is still played over five days and that’s the real Test – it’s about the resilience of players,” he said. “Hashim Amla is playing a proper Test innings out there.”Amla ended the day unbeaten on 89, with his camp saying their main focus will be to score briskly but safely enough in the 11 overs before the second new ball to allow South Africa to bat into the afternoon. Standard instructions for a Test match. Luckily, South Africa have the one player in the batting line-up who is best place to understand and carry them out, at the crease.

It’s a fine country – in more ways than one – our correspondent finds, in his first few weeks covering India’s tour down under

Sidharth Monga13-Jan-2012December 22
Melbourne. Spent years dreaming of the MCG. Feel blank now. Long flight. Delays. Hours spent on runway in Singapore. Sleep-deprived.Melbourne knows no pretence. Electric wires dangle in the open, old buildings don’t wear new facades. Seems an old city. An approachable old city. Got to be quick with a one-liner.Try to go to the MCG but not allowed. Haven’t collected accreditation yet. “No go,” says steward. Have heard Australia is the most regulated of cricket countries. Fear it might be true.December 23
The MCG finally. Lovely bronze statues outside. Shane Warne the latest. Louis Laumen, the sculptor, knows what he is doing. Attention to detail shows best in statue of Bill Ponsford. The top hand coming off on the flick, the old sheer gloves. Then there are the bowling actions of Warne and Dennis Lillee. The hair of Keith Miller. The other sportsmen. Footie stars, athletes, they all form a beautiful inner circumference for the ground, the outer one being Yarra Park. Don Bradman the odd man out. Others seen in action, Bradman prosaically raising the bat. Others’ descriptions talk of their qualities as cricketers, Bradman’s of the number of runs he scored.December 24
Read in a paper: “Trams are the cleverest mode of transport. To suggest otherwise you have to be mad. Or from Sydney. Or both.” Melbourne trams are interesting. Convenient. Having paid no fares so far, read warnings of a fine of A$180 for fare-evaders. Ask co-passenger how much to pay for the MCG from Swanston Street. “Not worth paying for such a short trip.” Oh well.December 25
Australia and New Zealand the best at smart advertising. This at a drycleaner’s: “Wanted: Wire coathangers. Last seen escaping from this business under a customer’s clothing. Believed to be hiding in wardrobes and cupboards in the area. Please return. Reward: less mess around the house.” Or this at a coffee shop: “You can sleep when you’re dead.”Don’t like the Melbourne weather? Walk five minutes. Golf-ball-sized hail at 7pm. Need sunglasses while having dinner at a quarter to nine.December 26
Boxing Day. A crowd of more than 70,000 to watch Australia play India. Michael Clarke chooses to bat first in difficult conditions. The top order does okay, but Zaheer Khan pulls India back in his final spell of the day. MS Dhoni welcomes Brad Haddin, at 211 for 5, later 214 for 6, with a deep midwicket and a long-on. Prefers bowling sides out for 310 rather than conceding 360 in an attempt to dismiss them for 260.Outside, impromptu games of cricket. Innovative equipment. Slippers are bats, pillars stumps.December 27
Paul Kelly. Singer, songwriter, legspinner, Test cricket lover. Sang “Behind the Bowler’s Arm”, an improvisation on a Chinese proverb. Says everybody’s days are numbered, but those spent watching cricket aren’t counted. Especially those spent ten rows back at the MCG on Boxing Day, “right behind the bowler’s arm”. Doesn’t like how Boxing Day has turned into a corporate blockbuster. Can still be seen on the second day, though, in the Great Southern Stand, ten rows behind the bowler’s arm. Meet him later at a pub, the venue of his first gig in Melbourne. He can’t believe how much the place has changed. Listens more than he talks. Traditionalist, but likes the element of drama that the DRS brings. Thinks Test cricket is a radio sport. Doesn’t demand attention, but is there. Can dive in and out.December 28
The day begins with a Ben Hilfenhaus corker to Rahul Dravid. Australia roar back into the contest. The Indian bowlers roar right back before Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey lead Australian fightback. Australia 230 ahead at stumps, two wickets in hand. Lovely final day set up.The kiss cam is introduced to Test cricket. A lady flips the camera the bird during a drinks break. Later writes on her blog: “What they’re actually doing when they home in on unsuspecting couples and associates alike, coercing them into kissing for kicks, is undermining Tendulkar’s elegance with the bat, Sehwag’s solid-footed theatrics, Hilfenhaus’ resurgence with the ball and Siddle’s terrifying aggression with the same. Cricket be damned, they’re saying, let’s watch people make out for no reason.”December 29
“Under the Southern Cross I stand / A sprig of wattle in hand / A native of my native land/ Australia, you f***** beauty”.Australia beat India by 122 runs. First against this opposition in the last nine attempts. India, at home, have been winning the big moments. Here Australia seize them. With late runs. With Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket in the last over on day two. With Dravid’s in the first over the next morning. With late runs again. A game of five days, won in five moments.Could only be one man•ESPNcricinfo LtdMoving celebrations out in the open after everybody else has left the ground about two hours after the finish. Not for the TV cameras. Huddle by the pitch. Ice box in the middle. One man on it. Loud cheers. Team-mates enjoying being together in a deserted MCG. Then the victory song, often sung indoors or after series wins. Shows how important the win is. Finally huddle breaks after about 20 minutes. Australia, you beauty.December 30
A day off because of an early finish. Not a good idea. Cash traveller’s cheque. Forget the rest at the counter. Get a call from Corinne – Western Australian, pleasant, talkative – who changed them.”Did you lose something?””Err…””Your traveller’s cheques…”Rush back to counter. “I panicked. Thought I might have to come to Sydney to return those to you.” Corinne, you beauty.December 31
Melbourne stops you on the street and talks to you. Sydney mistakes you for a bum. Both must have their reasons.New Year’s eve. Millions of dollars’ worth of fireworks go off at Sydney Harbour Bridge. Thousands and thousands gather as early as afternoon to secure vantage points. Almost like waiting for a rock concert to start. At half-past midnight, rush to find a bus back home.January 1
Sydney a city of many small villages. All self-sufficient. All superbly connected by public transport. Busier and quicker than Melbourne.Glenn McGrath. Promoting the Jane McGrath Foundation’s cause. Pink polo shirt and formal trousers. Still stands with hands on his hips, as if an umpire has turned down an lbw appeal. Ask him why only batsmen get to lead the singing of “Under the Southern Cross”. Says, “Batsmen have to do something. Bowlers do all the work in the game.”January 2
Subroto Banerjee. Former India medium-pacer. Debuted against West Indies in an ODI in Perth, in 1991. India tied after scoring just 126. Took three wickets. One of them Brian Lara’s. “Lara maan,” as Banerjee calls him. “Lara maan can change the game anytime, if he starts whacking. Whatever you do, get Lara maan out.” Remembers the West Indies tail’s resistance. Anderson Cummins in particular. After 40 overs all India’s bowlers bowled out. One wicket still needed. Tendulkar goes to Mohammad Azharuddin: ” [Get me on, I’ll get the wicket]”. Tendulkar gets Cummins out on 24. Lovely low catch by Azhar at second slip. Says Banerjee: “Catches and Azzu… what a player. I would pay anything to watch him. I was at my peak – would be bowling beautiful outswing, and he would play it to midwicket. Somebody asked him how to tackle the offspinner. ‘Offspinner, play through off. Legspinner, play through leg.'”January 3
Dhoni chooses to bat on a green pitch. India bowled out for 191. Decision not overly criticised. Never seen any captain criticised for batting first. Considered brave when erring on the batting-first side. Cowards when fielding first, especially when captain is a batsman.Finally break resolution to use only public transport. First time in an Australian taxi. Egyptian driver. Says everybody mistakes him for an Indian. Especially the Indians, who start talking in their language.January 4
Australia 37 for 3 at one stage, 325 for 3 at another. Ray Flockton wouldn’t have liked it. Played 35 games for New South Wales in the ’50s and ’60s. Worked as traffic cop too. Much-loved character around the SCG. Known for his humour. Won’t see another SCG Test. Died on November 22 last year. Could never pronounce “th” properly. So 3 for 33 was “free for firty-free”. The score, and variations, are called “Flockos” in Australia. In the first SCG Test after Flockton, Australia miss reaching Flocko by four runs, and then by eight.It’s 3am, you’re in the middle of nowhere. Would you like a fine on top of that?•ESPNcricinfo LtdJanuary 5
Clarke and Michael Hussey continue to beat India into the dust. Crowd want a contest. Their radios provide them one. In the ABC commentary booth, Harsha Bhogle dares Kerry O’Keeffe to eat a chilli, which the latter turns down. Crowd turns around and gives him a slow clap. O’Keeffe notices, as do players out in the middle. O’Keeffe tells Bhogle that if Clarke were to get out then, he’d be the man to be blamed. Bhogle gets away with that: Clarke and Hussey keep pounding India. No contest.January 6
Tendulkar, Dravid and VVS Laxman will never win a series in Australia or South Africa. Read this again and again. That’s how it shall end. Feel bad for them.Spot Virat Kohli signing autographs for Aussie kids an hour after the game is over. Flipped the bird a couple of days ago. The latter is on camera.January 7
Newcastle. Three hours on the train from Sydney. Rick McCosker lives here. Batted with a broken jaw in the Centenary Test at the MCG. Is surprised everyone knows “Under the Southern Cross” now. “It was something sacred to us, apart from the language. It was something meant just for the 12 of us. The whole time I was playing, it was always done that way. It was never talked about outside. No one I knew knew what was actually happening. Only once did my wife overhear it.”Go to Fort Scratchley, among one of the breathtaking seaside places around. During the shelling of Newcastle in World War II by the Japanese submarine I-21, Australia retaliated, firing from Scratchley. No substantial damage caused. On Anzac Day now, shells are fired in memory.January 8
Gosford. Somewhere between Newcastle and Sydney. Find self here after messing up train timings. Stranded for two hours at the station. From 2 to 4am. Creatures of the night around. Man believing he is a cop because he has a “top for cops” badge on his shirt. Another man says he can tell drug dealers by the way they walk and behave. Another swears at nobody. A fight on the other platform. Could well be at a Mumbai platform, waiting for the first morning train.January 9
Australia is a fine country. Monetary fines for almost every conceivable insignificant offence. Feet up on the seat in a train? That’ll be 100 bucks. Sitting in front of the stairway at Gosford train station? How about 200? Unauthorised parking? Twelve hundred. Step behind those black drapes on an airport carousel? That’ll be $5000, thank you, sir.Take a photo of the warning at Perth airport. Reported to police. By an alert and responsible citizen, no doubt. Longish interview to explain curiosity about fines. No fine for suspiciously taking photographs. Ultimate irony.January 10
Run into Wasim Akram on a Perth street.”Looking for food?” he asks.”No.””Oh, but I have always seen you at the food table at the grounds.”

Jamaican has the qualities to provide more stability in West Indies batting order

Nagraj Gollapudi at Lord's20-May-2012England can blame Steve Waugh, now that West Indies have forced them to turn out on the fifth day at Lord’s. Of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, it was natural to imagine he would drop anchor. But to expect the same of Marlon Samuels, was like imagining Lord’s basking in sunshine.Well, what do we know? Though the sun never made an appearance at the end of the penultimate day, West Indies left with pride, hope and sunny smiles. And that was down to Samuels, whose 157-run alliance with Chanderpaul surprised England and put West Indies in control of the Test.And that is where Waugh could have played a hand. At the completion of his debut Test series, which was in Australia, the then 19-year-old Samuels asked Waugh for his famous red cloth, which the former Australian captain always carried in his pocket. Waugh was generous and obliged and today that piece of cloth was in Samuels’ pocket. Samuels has always valued the piece of cloth as one of the most significant treasures of his life. Just like the rag injected Waugh with more grit and determination, Samuels, too, brought that same never-say-die attitude to the ground today.It was imperative that Chanderpaul had someone at the other end to offer stability. Considering there was only one more specialist batsman left in the ranks, it became more critical that Samuels stay put. It is an irony that a man of his talent does not inspire confidence easily. That is as much a result of his trouble-riddled past including the two-year ban he had to serve after a four-man WICB panel including the current team manager Richie Richardson said he had violated the ICC code of conduct for having links with an Indian bookmaker.Last year Samuels said how he had got his life back on track and was hungry to prove himself once again. After his return Samuels has scored five half centuries but none could be more talismanic than this today’s. England obviously had a plan for Samuels early on as they bowled full and on the fourth stump. Samuels had chased a similar length delivery in the first innings and was caught at backward point as he went for an expansive drive.But today Samuels left those balls alone. So England deployed an alternate plan: fire in an as many short-pitched deliveries as possible and let him face the music. Samuels did appear a little disoriented as he responded unconvincingly. It was a tough ask considering both Anderson and Broad were gunning for nothing less than Samuels’ head. Broad even managed to hit Samuels on the helmet as he ducked under a short ball. Even as he flinched, what Samuels did not forget was to take his eye off the ball.

West Indies needed another man who could play the foil to Chanderpaul; a batsman capable of playing the bad cop and good cop depending on the situation. Samuels today showed he has the credentials to apply for that job.

However, the urge to respond did not go away. Having pulled Broad twice in the same over after he was hit, Samuels tried to hook Anderson, despite Kevin Pietersen patrolling deep square-leg. Sensibly, two balls later, he punched a straight drive to the left of the mid-off to reach is fifty to hearty applause. West Indies now trailed by three runs. He said good morning to Swann with consecutive boundaries, cover drives off the back foot, to put the visitors in the lead.As his confidence grew, he became more relaxed. He even refused Chanderpaul a single and shooed his senior partner back to his crease with a casual flick of the left wrist when Chanderpaul, having tapped an Anderson delivery towards mid-off, had set off for a non-existent single. There had been too many communication gaffes involving Chanderpaul already, and Samuels decided it was time to stem the rot.The pair had silently helped West Indies go without losing a wicket in an hour for the first time in the match. In fact, this was one of the rare times England had failed to dent at least one hole in the opposition ranks.Recently there was an instance of that happening during the second day of the third Test of the away series against Pakistan after England had gone wicketless after lunch until stumps, as Younis Khan and Azhar Ali dug in in Dubai. On the home front, it was the pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Amit Mishra, unbeaten at stumps on the fourth evening of the final Test at the Oval last summer, who denied a wicket in the first session on the final day, to stall England from accomplishing a whitewash.Samuels would be peeved that having the won the battle against the old ball convincingly, his one moment of distraction came shortly after England took the new ball, an over into the afternoon session, robbing him of getting his name inscribed on the honours board. As he edged Broad, who was more relieved and even forgot his two-pistol send-off, Samuels practised the leave, which should have been his response. Waugh would definitely tell him that the biggest lesson in life is to learn from your mistakes.But he should not berate himself too much. West Indies needed another man who could play the foil to Chanderpaul; a batsman capable of playing the bad cop and good cop depending on the situation. Samuels showed he has the credentials to apply for that job. But it is now for him to grow more confident and build on this innings.

England might be forgiven for considering themselves unfortunate after the first day of the Headingley Test. But great teams do not trust to luck, they shape their own fortunes.

George Dobell02-Aug-2012England might be forgiven for considering themselves unfortunate after the first day of the Headingley Test. They might bemoan the dropped chances, the catch from a dead ball and the lack of assistance they found from the green-tinged surface on which they inserted the opposition. They might curse that fact that Alviro Petersen got off the mark with a four edged past the slip cordon, that the sun came out shortly after South Africa started to bat and that the alignment of Jupiter in the house of Orion made this a tough day for bowling.But great teams do not trust to luck, they shape their own fortunes.So, while it may be tempting to curse their luck, England would be ill-served in the long run by doing so. It is not poor luck to drop catches; it is not poor luck to select an unbalanced side; it is not poor luck to gamble on inserting the opposition and then wasting any assistance that might have been available because some of your bowlers have failed to maintain a good line. And it not poor luck for a leading bowler to go into a Test match with a flaw such as bashing into the stumps that might be considered an accident waiting to happen.Indeed, England might consider themselves fortunate to have ended the first day of this game just about still on level terms. They might consider themselves flattered by the close of play scorecard and fortunate to have taken as many wickets as they did. After all, one (Graeme Smith) came from an innocuous leg stump delivery, one came from a run-out (Hashim Amla) and another came when a bastman (Jacques Kallis) cut to slip. England would be deluding themselves if they hid behind excusesIt all combined to leave the game just about in the balance. But England will know that, for long periods, their bowling was again rendered close to innocuous – they had, taking into account their experience at The Oval, spent three minutes over 10 hours in the field without claiming a wicket when Smith clipped the ball to square leg – and that the problems with their slip catching are now too frequent to be dismissed as an aberration.It was not all negative from an England perspective. James Anderson bowled tidily, Steven Finn added a degree of hostility to the attack and, in the last hour or so, Stuart Broad finally rediscovered some of the intent that had made him such a dangerous bowler over the last year or so. Every one of the attack bowled appreciably better after tea when South Africa added 99 runs in 35 overs for the loss of two wickets.In some ways, though, that just rendered so much of what went before all the more frustrating. Why did it take a second new ball and an increasingly daunting scoreline to summon the best out of Broad? And, while Finn’s pace was an asset, he still conceded close to four-an-over which was the reason he was dropped from the side after the Adelaide Test on the Ashes tour of 2010-11. England, who for so long have made consistency their greatest strength, are suddenly becoming inconsistent.Afterwards Anderson insisted that England were “pretty pleased” with their day, though he confessed to having “no idea” why England’s slip catching had deteriorated.”We created chances all day,” Anderson said. “They played a missed a lot against the new ball and we had a few catches go down. We were pretty pleased with the way we fought all day and the new ball burst by the two big lads could have swung it back our way.”We didn’t really get frustrated. We knew there was a lot more encouragement in this pitch than there was at The Oval. We knew if we stuck at it, the wickets would come. We didn’t really let them get away and we created some pressure.”I really can’t explain the issue with the slip catching. We’ve put a few catches down, but our work ethic with our slip catching is as hard as ever. We work flipping hard at it. We worked on it on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. But we’re putting chances down and it’s really frustrating. We’ll be striving very hard not to do it in future.”Anderson appeared to distance himself from the decision to omit Graeme Swann, however, underlining how unusual it was for England to enter a Test without a speiclaist spinner. The last occasion was also at Headingley in 2003.”Obviously the captain and the coach thought the pitch lent itself towards four seamers and didn’t think spin would play a massive part on it,” Anderson said. “I imagine it was a very difficult decision. He – Graeme Swann – has been an integral part of team for a couple of years now. It’s not often you see a team going into a Test without a spinner.”

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the second day in Mumbai

George Dobell in Mumbai24-Nov-2012Tactic of the day
India’s tactic of opening the bowling with two spinners is remarkably unusual. It is thought to be the first time England have faced an all spin opening attack since the 1967 Trent Bridge Test against Pakistan. On that occasion, requiring only three for victory in the fourth innings, England were confronted by Mushtaq Mohammad and Saeed Ahmed. England also opened with two spinners after South Africa were obliged to follow-on at Lord’s in 2008. With bad light threatening, England utilised Monty Panesar and Kevin Pietersen instead of their seamers. Both of those occasions were in the opposition’s second innings, though, and it is thought that this game marks the first occurrence of two spinners opening the bowling with spin bowling (there were occasions when spinners bowled a couple of overs of seam) in their opposition’s first innings since 1910.Milestone of the day
The wicket of Harbhajan Singh leg before gave Graeme Swann his 200th Test wicket. By doing so in his 48th Test, he became the fourth quickest England bowler to reach the landmark after Ian Botham (41 Tests), Alec Bedser (44 Tests) and Fred Trueman (47 Tests). Later Swann claimed two more wickets to draw level with John Snow on 202 victims; only 12 England bowlers have claimed more.Reprieve of the day
A recurring theme of England’s recent cricket has been the number of chances they have missed in the field. While the one offered by Harbhajan, edging a delivery from Monty Panesar when he had scored 1, was far from easy, it was the sort of half chance that the best sides take and England, of late, rarely have taken. On this occasion the ball flew between the wicketkeeper Matt Prior and Jonathan Trott, at first slip, with neither man laying a hand on the delivery. While Trott’s view would have been impaired by Prior, England may also want to reflect on the positioning of their slip fielders. For the second day in succession, they paid the penalty for leaving too large a space between them. Whether it is a reflection of their desire to cover as much space as possible or simply a teething problem as new individuals feel their way into the role remains to be seen.Shock of the day
It cost them 382 runs, took them 790 balls and 1,016 minutes (that is four minutes short of 17 hours) but England finally dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara. Such has been his assurance in this series that there have been times when Pujara has looked impenetrably solid but, left with only the tail to accompany him, he selflessly opted to attack. Skipping down the wicket to a Swann delivery that was pushed slightly wide and barely spun, Pujara was slightly deceived in the flight and ran past the ball. It was the first time he had been stumped in his 70 match first-class career.Blow of the day
England may have struggled to get rid of Pujara when he batted, but Alastair Cook may have inflicted a more telling blow on him when he was fielding. It was Pujara’s misfortune to be at short-leg when Cook middled a sweep off the bowling of R Ashwin only to see the ball thump into Pujara’s rib cage. He was helped form the field in obvious discomfort and did not reappear for the remainder of the day. His replacement, Ajinkya Rahane, later also sustained a crushing blow in the same position as he felt the full force of a Kevin Pietersen sweep.Error of the day
Aleem Dar has a well-earned reputation for excellence as an umpire but, proving that even the best are fallible, he is enduring a disappointing series. Here he adjudged Zaheer Khan caught at short leg when replays suggested he had missed the ball by a relatively large distance. While it was probably not a decision that will turn a game, it was a reminder of the benefits of the DRS and an example of the type of ‘howler’ that it is designed to eliminate.

Bump him up to No. 6 and see the magic unfold

Andy Zaltzman26-Feb-2013You did not need to be a qualified mathematician to calculate that – as of the close of play on day four of the Chennai Test – MS Dhoni had scored 224 runs in the series so far. At an average of 224. After one mesmeric innings, Dhoni has already posted his second highest ever series aggregate, his best having come more than four years ago, on Australia’s 2008-09 visit to India. Since then, Dhoni has played three Tests in seven separate series, and four Tests in two (as well as five two-Test rubbers). His previous highest series aggregate in those encounters was 220, in eight innings in England, as he led his team on their post-World-Cup “Back To Earth With A Splodge 2011 Comedown Special” World Tour. Even since his best period as a Test batsman ended in early 2010, his performances have been adequate rather than disastrous for a wicketkeeper, but, for a man who so regularly grabs ODI matches, series and tournaments by the scruff of their necks and barks at them until they call him “Sir”, he has often had little or sporadic impact on Test series.Perhaps this is changing. In his two Test innings since he elevated himself from his customary No. 7 spot to bat at 6 (or was forcibly elevated from 7 to 6) (ask him if you see him), he has scored 99 and 224. Is this coincidence, or a man reacting to a fresh challenge and the deservedly increased pressure on his captaincy?Over the course of his Test career, Dhoni has batted predominantly at 7 in Tests – 89 innings, with two centuries and an average of 31. Batting at both 6 and 8, he has hit two hundreds and averages over 70 (in 13 and 10 innings respectively). This pattern is repeated, to an extent, in ODIs. He has batted most often at 6 – 82 innings, averaging 42, with no hundreds and a strike rate of 81. In his 114 innings batting elsewhere in the order – most often at 5 and 7, but with striking success in his few innings at 3 and 4 – he averages 58, with eight centuries, and a strike rate of 92, and he has found or cleared the boundary rope 25% more regularly than when batting at 6.Perhaps these are statistical coincidences. Perhaps not. Perhaps India’s captain is a man who thrives when out of his zone of comfort and familiarity, and thrust into novel scenarios, voluntarily or otherwise. Since the knives started being earnestly sharpened and waggled in his captaincy’s general direction after India’s abject subsidence in December’s Kolkata Test, he has scored his first ODI hundred for almost three years, after coming in at 29 for 5 against Pakistan, and, in Tests, played a dogged if ultimately pointless innings in Nagpur, and his match-grasping masterpiece in Chennai.Australia’s green bowling attack, in which only Peter Siddle has taken more than 100 first-class wickets (but which should be far better suited to English pitches), presented less of a challenge than England’s seasoned pack of proven Test performers, who were themselves toothless in their first Test in November. It would, moreover, be simplistic to say that what we saw in Chennai was a great player seizing the moment when his team most needed it – there have been too many moments since his World Cup final apotheosis have not merely been unseized as barely even tickled. But Dhoni’s innings was a monument of skill and will, another spectacular chapter in one of 21st-century cricket’s most fascinating personal narratives.● Seven Indians were bowled out in their first innings, the first time this millennium that the bails have bailed by the ball seven times in an innings, and the equal most occasions that bowlers have tinkled the timbers in a Test innings since eight Englishmen were castled by Kiwis in Wellington in 1950-51. No team has bowled out seven Indians in a Test innings since West Indies, led by an explosive Roy Gilchrist, repeatedly smashed the ash to wrap up India’s heaviest ever defeat at Eden Gardens in 1958-59.● In India’s last four Tests, since Umesh Yadav and Zaheer Khan took five wickets between them in England’s second innings in Ahmedabad, their pacers have taken 5 for 413 in 151 overs. They have not bowled much, and when they have, they have been almost heroically ineffective. Only two of those five wickets have come in the first 100 overs of an innings – the exceptions being Ishant’s early bolts from the statistical blue on that comatose hippopotamus of a pitch in Nagpur.If Ishant fails to harvest Australia’s final wicket in Chennai this morning, it will be his first wicketless match in the 26 Tests he has played since February 2010. On an extremely flippety flip-side, however, it will also mean that he has taken the less than Philanderian, almost Salisburyesque, total of 16 wickets in his last 12 Tests, averaging close to 80, and dispatching a batsman pavilionwards once every 25 overs.● Moises Henriques, batting with the poise and panache of someone who should have a higher first-class average than 30, not only became the first lower-order batsman to pass 60 in both innings of his first Test match, but also ended the three-decade wait for an Australian to score two half-centuries on debut.In the late 1970s, you could hardly move for baggy green batsmen who hit twin debut fifties. Or at least, you couldn’t if you were stuck in a bobsled with Peter Toohey, Rick Darling and Bruce Laird. Which you might have been, for all I know. Before the Australian government commissions too many 100-foot-high gold statues of the man who looks set to establish himself as the greatest ever Portugual-born cricketer, however, it should remember that passing fifty twice in your first Test is no guarantee that you will go on to serially singe the pages of Wisden with incendiary deeds of batting brilliance. Darling, Toohey and Laird between them played a further 47 Tests, posting just a single century – Toohey’s 122 against a Packer-ravaged West Indies in 1978 ¬¬- and collectively averaging 29.By way of a counter-however to that however, however, before prime minister Julia Gillard completely dismisses the plans for a giant golden Moises in every town square by 2025, they should also remember that the last three players to hit double debut demi-tons in India have been Alastair Cook, Gordon Greenidge, and Clive Lloyd. Who have scored over 7000 runs each, and collectively played 305 Tests, hit 61 centuries, and averaged almost 47.Conclusion: Moises Henriques might or might not prove to be an adequate or outstanding Test Match batsman. As I write, at close of play on day four, he is, with a Test career average of 143, a 43.08% better batsman than Don Bradman. And 7150% better than Pommie Mbangwa. He is unlikely to remain ahead of both over the course of his career. He will be disappointed if he remains ahead of neither. (It will take immediate dismissal today, followed by 70 consecutive ducks, to get him below Pommie’s career average of 2.00.)● AB de Villiers has scored three centuries and three half-centuries in his most recent six Tests as wicketkeeper, over three months. His only half-century in eight previous Tests with the gloves had been an unbeaten 52 in his first game as keeper, against England in 2004-05. He has now scored more hundreds in his last six Tests than Mark Boucher did in his last 123.

From Kaushik Bhattacharya, UK

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
Under-rated, despite his Test achievements•Getty ImagesGiven he’s the most celebrated cricketer India have had (with the exception of Tendulkar), it feels strange to say MS Dhoni is underrated. But I do think he’s not given due credit for his achievements as a Test match wicketkeeper-batsman.Partly, I think it’s his excellence as an ODI cricketer (second-highest batting average among all players with 4000-plus runs) that overshadows his achievements in the Test arena. Add to that, he looks somewhat ungainly (both as a wicketkeeper and a batsman), and for some unfathomable reason most people have the view that great Test match players need to be elegant or graceful. The recent Test thrashings meted out to his team in England and Australia have given fodder to his bashers to begin the “Oh, but he can’t play Test cricket” refrain.Ultimately, the things that matter are performance on the field, the numbers you rack up and the results you deliver. Let’s have a look at the stats. Starting off small-scale, there’s no doubt that Dhoni’s been India’s best Test wicketkeeper-batsmen ever (and he’s not finished yet). He has the most dismissals already and at a rate (dismissals per innings) higher than anyone else who’s played at least 10 games with only Dinesh Karthik coming close. Also (again for keepers who’ve played at least 10 Tests), his batting average is higher than his closest rival (Budhi Kunderan) by over four runs per innings. And he needs to play only 22 matches more to go past Kirmani as the most tenured Indian wicketkeeper.Going further afield, if you look at top wicketkeepers of all time, Dhoni ranks ninth in terms of overall dismissals and 14th if you look at dismissals per innings (for players who’ve kept in more than 30 Tests).Turning to batting, his average is the sixth-highest of all time (again for players who’ve kept in more than 30 Tests) and ahead of men like Alec Stewart and Brendon McCullum who’ve played as specialist batsmen at times.Plus, he’s captained the side in 37 of his 67 Tests and has a win-loss ratio that’s the best ever for an Indian captain and the eleventh-best for all captains (who’ve led their side in 35-plus Tests). This without a bowling attack half as good as that which any of the ten men above him had at their disposal. He didn’t even have Srinath and Kumble (unlike Ganguly, who had at least the latter for much of his reign) who are probably India’s best modern-day pace and spin bowlers respectively.So, give the man his due and stop branding him as only an ODI and T20 champion. He’s been good in Tests but needs better support from his team (especially the bowlers) to keep proving.P.S: For those who say he can’t score runs in pace-friendly conditions, he averages 39 in England and 31 in South Africa, though he’s been poor in Australia, averaging 19.

Stats highlights from India’s 26-run win against South Africa in their group B league match of the Champions Trophy at Cardiff

Shiva Jayaraman06-Jun-2013South Africa have now lost seven of the 11 ODIs they have played in England since 2007. They have won only two of these games with two games ending without a result. Their win-loss ratio of 0.28 is the worst for visiting teams in England. India’s score of 331 for 7 was their second highest in ODIs against South Africa, their highest being 401 for 3 at Gwalior in 2010, when Sachin Tendulkar scored the first 200 in ODIs. This was also the highest ODI score at Cardiff. The previous highest at this ground was 304 for 6, also by India. This was India’s highest total against South Africa in matches played outside India. Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s 2 for 83 in this match was the third most expensive spell by a South African bowler against India, after Wayne Parnell’s 2 for 95 and Dale Steyn’s 0 for 89 in the same Gwalior match. This was only the tenth time in ODIs that two or more bowlers from the same team went for 80 or more runs in their spells. South Africa have been the bowling team on four of these 10 occasions, none of the other teams have more than one instance. Two of these instances for South Africa have come against India. The 127-run opening partnership between Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma was the first opening century partnership for India outside the sub-continent since Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag put on 201* against New Zealand at Hamilton in March 2009. AB de Villiers scored his fourth consecutive fifty in as many innings, in this match. This was the eighth instance of a South African batsman scoring fifty-plus runs in four or more consecutive innings. Pakistan have 13 instances of batsmen scoring four or more consecutive fifties, the most for any team.This was the 66th instance of both teams scoring 300-plus runs in a match. India have been involved in 30 of these 66 matches.David Miller got out for a duck without facing a ball in South Africa’s innings. There have been 123 such instances in ODIs. Miller was only the fifth South African batsman to get out for a ‘diamond-duck’. South Africa have the lowest number of such ducks among the eight teams in the Champions Trophy.