Thursday’s World Cup game between South Africa and West Indies will be the first international game at the Feroz Shah Kotla after the India-Sri Lanka ODI was abandoned in December 2009

Sharda Ugra in Delhi23-Feb-2011When West Indies meets South Africa at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday, it won’t merely be Graeme Smith and Darren Sammy’s men who will be tested. The Feroz Shah Kotla itself is on trial. The first World Cup match between two non-hosting frontline teams is Kotla’s first international match after the India-Sri Lanka ODI was abandoned on December 29, 2009.For a cricket ground that nestles close to the oldest medieval parts of India’s extremely status-conscious capital, Thursday will about more than just cricket. It will be about Kotla saving face; restoring not merely pride, but that very Delhi essential, appearance.At the moment though, all is looking good. For the last six years since the Kotla’s makeover, usually every inch of the frontage of the large, unnamed North Stand at its Delhi Gate end is usually festooned with advertising hoardings whose intentions are not merely to sell products, but also to hurt the human eye. On the eve of its first World Cup game, though, all the stands actually appear almost dignified, covered by the ICC’s uniform signage, making the architect’s unspoilt image, somewhat visible.Yet tomorrow, neither signage nor stands will matter. They are but the window dressing to what will actually count: what happens on its wicket. The Kotla track has spent a good portion of its life being a , the Indian cricketing colloquialism for a flat track, before it morphed into a pit viper as 2009 drew to an end. Abandoned and deemed dangerous by international cricket, the team in charge of the Kotla wicket will spend Wednesday night hoping that they have shape-shifted the serpent into a batting-friendly lamb.West Indian Dwayne Bravo left all that in the hands of the ICC saying that had the ground had not been fit to stage an ODI, the governing body wouldn’t have approved it. South Africa captain Graeme Smith was a bit more cautious, calling the wicket an “unknown factor” before Thursday’s game. There is a good chance that the anxious officials of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) think of it in the same manner.The last game staged at the Kotla was four months ago, when Delhi hosted two Ranji Trophy matches against Bengal and Gujarat in November to test out the wicket laid out after the December 2009 disaster. Scores at the Kotla from that November read: 473, 459, 92 for 3 followed by 71, 437 and 289. The World Cup match will be played not on the “abandoned” patch of land but on the same wicket that staged the Delhi v Bengal game.After the match with Gujarat, Delhi moved all its home games to its other ground at the Roshanara Club, which is what they turn to when “outrights” (victories that carry five points) are needed. The Kotla is the ground where the home team turns up to give its batsmen enough time in the middle. The DDCA officials maintain that once the ICC’s pitch advisor Andy Atkinson had approved the wicket and asked them to give it some ‘rest’ to let the grass grow, they decided to put it into its winter hibernation.Nothing would make the DDCA’s officials happier than if the Kotla awakes on Thursday with the back in its soul with plenty of runs for the taking. The DDCA’s much-maligned officials want their fortress to stand up for their reputations and not become the cricket World Cup’s second disaster zone, following Eden Gardens. Which is probably why there were two policemen wielding rifles found standing around the pitch all day as organisers practiced their pre- and post-match ceremonies and tried out the sound system. (A marvellously powerful rendition of left the South African journalists working in the press box undecided over what was to be shown more respect – their anthem or their deadline.)The unmistakeable figure of Atkinson wandered over to the pitch at regular intervals and even made for a great photo op as he sat on one of Kotla’s light rollers. Match referee Jeff Crowe began his perambulation of the ground as everyone fussed over the wicket: men with guns, Atkinson, ICC officials testing the firmness of its mid-section, groundsmen. Maybe the Kotla will surprise us all tomorrow – neither nor pit viper, but just the ideal venue for an entertaining 100 overs.

While both unorthodox batsmen have had a string of low scores, MS Dhoni’s position is under no threat while Shivnarine Chanderpaul will be wondering whether he’ll go the same way as Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan

Sriram Veera in Dominica05-Jul-2011You can’t take your eyes off Shivnarine Chanderpaul when he is batting. Watching him live at the ground is a disorienting experience; bowling at him must be even more disorienting. His stance reminds you of a batsman at a crowded park on a Sunday in India, where multiple teams jostle for space and where you will often find another batsman standing next to you but playing a different game, on a pitch that runs diagonally across your strip. The present scenario in West Indies cricket, in particular the outlook the board seems to have on the senior players in the side, has made it even more fascinating to watch Chanderpaul bat.He is at a crossroads in his career. “New direction” is the new buzz on the Caribbean circuit these days. There is a feeling in the region that there are people in power who are almost waiting for Chanderpaul to fail so they can dump him. It’s not a great time to be a senior player. Chris Gayle has been sidelined by the board, Ramnaresh Sarwan has just lost his place and the guns are now trained on Chanderpaul.A couple of months ago, Chanderpaul was involved in a spat with the board and the team management. Chanderpaul had felt his commitment had been questioned and retaliated with an angry outburst in which, among other things, he accused the selectors of asking him to retire, the board of not arranging adequate treatment for his injuries and the team management of trying to micromanage his batting. After meetings with the board, he was included in the team for the Tests against Pakistan and IndiaChanderpaul is also, according to people close to him, currently grappling with some personal issues. Overall, he isn’t in a great frame of mind. Ironically, cricket offers him the best escape from all his issues. He can shut his critics up with his bat, and earn himself some mental relief with runs. It’s the one thing that is under his control. In that context, he must have been gutted when he got a shocking lbw decision in the second innings at the Kensington Oval. He, however, did not throw a fit. He did not even linger at the crease. He just turned and walked away. It must have taken tremendous mental discipline.But then, discipline is what defines Chanderpaul’s batting. Abhinav Mukund, the young India opener, said he learnt a lot by just crouching at short-leg during the Barbados Test and watching Chanderpaul bat. “He was leaving deliveries that were so close to the off stump,” Abhinav said. “He always played late. I learned a lot. I also want to leave and play late like that.” The runs, though, aren’t coming for Chanderpaul. He has spent 852 minutes at the crease in his last six innings, but managed only 165 runs at a strike-rate of 29.41. Dominica may not be the last-chance saloon but it’s pretty important that he gets some runs.Another man struggling for runs is someone who, like Chanderpaul, is known for his unorthodox style of batting: India’s captain MS Dhoni. Unlike Chanderpaul, Dhoni is under no pressure. He has been winning everything as a captain and if he wins in Dominica he will be the first India captain to win 2-0 in the West Indies. In fact, India have won two Tests in a series outside the subcontinent only three times: in New Zealand in 1967-68, in England in 1986 and in Zimbabwe in 2005.Dhoni’s scores in this series read 0,16, 2, and 5, and though his position is under no threat it is still an issue he would like to address. He has this knack of coming up with a substantial knock just when you begin to notice his failures. He hit a 98 in November 2010 against New Zealand after going seven innings without a half-century, and followed it up with 90 in Centurion against South Africa. It has since been seven innings in which he hasn’t got a half-century.But these patterns are typical of Dhoni the Test batsman. He is impressively consistent in ODIs but in Tests he often slips into anonymity before coming up with a sparkling knock. He can surprise you sometimes with his poor shot selection: a cut straight to cover point, an uppish drive to mid-off, a tame, lunging push with the bat way ahead of the body. Then, on his good days, that same cut would just clear cover point, the uppish drive would fly past mid-off and the lunging drive would result in an edge past gully. And he would be up and running.Dhoni would probably take a team victory in Dominica, but some runs, ahead of the tougher England series, won’t hurt. Two batsmen, with unorthodox but effective batting styles, will set out on a hunt for runs in Dominica.

Five ways Australia lost the World Cup

Brydon Coverdale25-Mar-2011Spin – bowling it and facing it
On the subcontinent, spin was always going to be a key factor. Australia did not select Nathan Hauritz due to a shoulder injury, nor Xavier Doherty due to a back problem, and the lack of a quality limited-overs slow bowler cost them. Jason Krejza can spin the ball sharply, but he doesn’t have the variety of the best spinners in world cricket. He was easily milked for runs and managed only five wickets at 55.60 in his seven appearances. Steven Smith wasn’t any better, and was dropped for the quarter-final. Equally, the Australian batsmen struggled to score freely against the impressive spinners from India, Pakistan and even Zimbabwe. They hardly used their feet and allowed the bowlers to dictate terms.Not enough wickets from pace bowlers

There’s a common road sign in India that reads “speed thrills but kills”. It’s a sentiment that could be applied to Australia’s attack. Given that spin was Australia’s weakness, their three-pronged pace group of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson needed to rip through opposition line-ups. None of them bowled terribly, and each man shone at times. But Australia needed more than that; given their propensity to leak runs, the trio had to be completely dominant. The only teams they dismissed were Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Canada.Misfiring middle order
Of course, the fast men didn’t always have enough runs on the board to defend. Cameron White was the major culprit in the middle order. He was out of form right throughout the tournament – in fact, throughout Australia’s home summer as well. He batted six times in the World Cup for scores of 22, 22 not out, 2, 4 not out, 8 and 12. Ricky Ponting’s unwavering defence of White didn’t help; dropping him for David Hussey might have improved their chances. Until the quarter-final, Ponting himself struggled for runs as well, and Michael Clarke was the middle-order man who impressed the most.A platform, but nothing more
It might seem harsh to criticise Brad Haddin and Shane Watson, who were Australia’s two leading run scorers in the tournament. But neither of them made a century, and in the matches that mattered, against Pakistan and India, their opening stands were worth 12 and 40. It wasn’t enough. A big start goes a long way to setting up a winning total, and the only times they really achieved that were against the minnows Canada, and in a low-pressure chase against New Zealand.Losing to Pakistan

Yes, losing to India was the knockout blow, but had Australia found a way to beat Pakistan they would not have ended up facing India in Ahmedabad in a knockout quarter-final. Instead, they would have played a much more winnable match against West Indies in Dhaka. And given that Pakistan had beaten Australia only once in their past 10 encounters leading in to the final group match, it was a costly slip for Ponting’s men.

The Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 confirmed that cricket in Pakistan is not just about court cases, and dysfunctional players and management

Osman Samiuddin02-Jul-2011A better domestic final than that of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 in Faisalabad is difficult to recall, certainly from recent memory. The favourites – Karachi Dolphins – didn’t win it, which is always a good script for finals to follow, while other big sides, like Sialkot, Lahore and Faisalabad, fell by the wayside. It was a berserk climax; Rawalpindi Rams lost wickets regularly but managed to stay alive till they entered the final over, needing nine to win with two wickets in hand.Umar Amin lofted Azam Hussain for six off the second ball and with two balls to go, the scores were level. The game should’ve been over, yet Hussain’s left-arm spin accounted for the last two wickets off successive balls – the last, deliciously and bravely floated up, spun away and produced a stumping – and a Super Over.In it, Rawalpindi took 16 off the tournament’s best bowler, Sohail Khan. Karachi’s chase against the left-arm spinner Raza Hasan began with a six, had a wicket go down next ball, a catch dropped third ball and a stumping appeal turned down off the fourth. Hasan’s final three balls were dots and amid crazy tension, the over lasted what felt like 20 minutes. Unfancied Rawalpindi, led by Sohail Tanvir, duly exploded in joy. The crowd, another packed house, joined in. Karachi – and they’ve lost enough Twenty20 finals now to be called chokers – were appropriately despondent.Nobody does a post-match presentation ceremony quite like the PCB and broadcaster , so there was a whole squad – 14 in all – of officials of all shapes, sizes and designations, lined up to hand out awards. They should’ve been the ninth team of the tournament. It was a memorable ceremony as well, single-handedly livened up by Sohail Khan’s honest confession that he dreaded returning to Karachi empty-handed to a possibly hostile reception, “” (faces blackened in disgrace).The presentations host Sikander Bakht, former fast bowler, TV personality, commentator and now father figure, then told Khan off on live TV – politely – and reminded him what a great game it had been and that no side had been disgraced. Tanvir’s shout out to his influential Rawalpindi coach Sabih Azhar, in its own way, was overdue acknowledgement. His response to Bakht’s query of how the players will now party was beautifully bewildered: “Errr … maybe not here.”It capped quite a wonderful tournament, as energetically organised as it was supported and played. A number of big name Twenty20 specialists were missing, but you wouldn’t have guessed it. There was enough feeling among the players involved, none more than in the Karachi-Sialkot semi-final. Though eventually one-sided, it was an electric, spicy game, fuelled by the feeling among Karachi players of being unfairly overlooked for national selection and by a Sialkot side that has lorded it over the domestic Twenty20 circuit for the last half-decade.The stands held even greater passion. They don’t just love their cricket in Faisalabad, they turn up to watch it. Previous Twenty20 tournaments in bigger cities have always pulled crowds on finals day, but evening matches through the week in Iqbal Stadium were near-full. Soon after the final ended fans managed to rush on to the ground, but it hardly felt like a security breach.

They don’t just love their cricket in Faisalabad, they turn up to watch it. Previous Twenty20 tournaments in bigger cities have always pulled crowds on finals day, but evening matches through the week in Iqbal Stadium were near-full. Soon after the final ended fans managed to rush on to the ground, but it hardly felt like a security breach

Significantly, a sponsor was found for each of the eight sides, indicating that if done right, the private sector is willing to invest in Pakistani cricket. It was tackily done, but at least it was done. The winner’s cheque of 2.5 million rupees wasn’t a piddling amount and all the teams were put up at the leading hotel in the city (though the reported that daily allowances were pitiably low).With Pakistan due to tour Zimbabwe for a full series and Mohsin Khan eager to explore new options for the national Twenty20 side, a number of players put themselves in the picture. Karachi’s Rameez Raja played two of the tournament’s most explosive innings and only scored less than 29 once. He bears a fair physical resemblance to Salman Butt but is a different player altogether, more direct, less delicate. And he is not named, incidentally, after the other Rameez Raja.It will also be difficult to ignore Khan, the leading wicket-taker, taking four in the semi-final and five in the final. He was much-hyped after his extraordinary debut season in 2007-08, when he took a record 91 wickets. In his first appearances for Pakistan he looked willing but limited, and fell away as Mohammad Amir took off. But over the last season he has progressed again, finishing with 69 wickets. He is smarter, more rounded now. He’s still quick and hits the bat hard and high, but he has better control over lengths and far more variety than before; his slower balls are genuine wicket-taking deliveries.There are others. Rawalpindi’s Jamal Anwar was unlucky to be dismissed for a duck in the final, but his batting and glovework have looked good through the tournament. Raza Hasan has been a Pakistan prospect for over a year now and 11 very economical wickets over the week will do his chances no harm. Sharjeel Khan’s batting here and for Pakistan A earlier mean the left-hand batsman could be one of the few players from Hyderabad to represent Pakistan.The subplot through the week was what this could mean for the return of international cricket. The honest, realistic answer is not much – that it is not in the PCB’s hands. But it is another timely confirmation that cricket here is not just about court cases, and dysfunctional players and management. It lives and it breathes. And to link it to international prospects is to belittle the domestic game, to imply that it serves no other purpose. Instead of worrying about when teams will tour Pakistan again, perhaps we should turn our attentions to the domestic scene once more and rejoice in it.

England struggled against the spinners and their final total proved too small for Sri Lanka’s record-breaking opening pair

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan26-Mar-2011England’s biggest chance to win was if they could pile up a big total and apply pressure on an untested and shaky Sri Lankan middle order. While the toss did go in England’s favour, nothing much after went according to plan. The spin-heavy attack of Sri Lanka stifled the scoring in the initial overs so much so that England just managed to reach their fifty in the 16th over. The partnership between Jonathan Trott and Eoin Morgan for the fourth wicket was in sharp contrast to the batting in the rest of the innings. Trott was assured throughout while Morgan took a few risks to provide some impetus to an otherwise slow-paced innings. However, Morgan’s fall just before the batting Powerplay proved crucial. Only 23 runs were scored in the five overs of the Powerplay for the loss of two wickets. An unfit Muttiah Muralitharan proved slightly more expensive than usual, but picked up two crucial wickets including that of Trott. Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath were outstanding conceding just 81 runs in their 20 overs.Sri Lanka nullified any hopes that England may have harboured with a fantastic opening stand. The opening pair which had put on 282 against Zimbabwe was superb again against the new ball. Tharanga set the tone early by stepping down the track to Swann and hitting him for the first six of the game. Dilshan, who looked out of sorts early, soon found his touch and increased the tempo. While it took 28 overs for England to reach the 100-run mark, Sri Lanka achieved the same in just 19 overs. England stuttered through the batting Powerplay losing three wickets and passed 200 only in the 47th over. Sri Lanka, on the other hand passed 200 in just the 36th over. The 230-run target which was supposed to be competitive was hopelessly inadequate on a day where the Sri Lankan openers were in top form against a ragged England attack. The fact that Sri Lanka scored more boundaries in their first 20 overs than England did in their entire innings is a clear indicator of how England struggled to come to grips with the spin attack and the conditions. Overall, Sri Lanka hit 22 fours and three sixes whereas England managed just 12 fours in their innings.

Batting stats of both teams

Team	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Dots	1s/2s	4s/6s
England	Overall	229	6	145	119/19	12/0
Sri Lanka	Overall	231	0	123	77/9	22/3
England	1-15	46	2	62	19/4	4/0
Sri Lanka	1-15	77	0	56	21/2	7/1
England	16-40	127	1	61	68/13	5/0
Sri Lanka	16-40	154	0	67	56/7	15/2
England	41-50	56	3	22	32/2	3/0

More stats from the gameSri Lanka’s score of 231 for 0 is the highest target chased successfully without the loss of a single wicket in a World Cup match surpassing the 221 by West Indies against Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup.Dilshan and Tharanga put on their second 200-plus stand of their tournament. No other batting pair has shared more than one 200-plus partnership in the same World Cup tournament.Both opening batsmen scored centuries during the ten-wicket win. It is the 2nd time in World Cups and 23rd time in ODIs that both openers have scored centuries in the innings.The ten-wicket win is the 2nd in a knockout game in World Cups following Pakistan’s win over West Indies in Mirpur. The win is also Sri Lanka’s second ten-wicket win in World Cups and fifth overall in ODIs.Trott, in the course of his 86, became the highest run-getter in the World Cup. He now has 422 runs in seven matches at an average of 60.28.Only on two occasions have England scored fewer fours in an innings score of over 200 in ODIs since 2000. The lowest is ten fours against Australia in Sydney in January 2011.Tharanga, with his sixth 200-plus stand, moved level second with Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly on the list of players to be involved in the most 200-plus stands in ODIs. Ricky Ponting is on top with seven 200-plus stands in ODIs.

In bowler-friendly conditions, Sri Lanka have their task cut out against a strong South African team keen to win their first home series in three years

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan14-Dec-2011In seven years between 1997 and 2004, Sri Lanka and South Africa played each other in five series. But since then, the teams have met just once, in Sri Lanka, and it has almost been nine years since they played a Test in South Africa. Over the years, both teams have been vulnerable when touring the other country: Sri Lanka have poorly on pace-friendly pitches outside the subcontinent, and South Africa struggling on tracks conducive to spin.South Africa, who have historically done well in spin-friendly conditions in India, were comprehensively beaten on their two previous tours of Sri Lanka and failed to win a single Test. On the other hand, Sri Lanka have lost six out of seven Tests in South Africa. More recently, even their home stats have suffered, with a draw against a weak West Indies team and a defeat against Australia. Overseas, they’re still waiting for their first Test win in three countries – Australia, South Africa and India.Despite possessing a strong outfit, South Africa, surprisingly, have been unable to close out Test series at home in the last few years. They have lost one and drawn three of their last four home series against England, India and Australia. However, they will feel that they can regain their winning ways in this series.South Africa have won six of the seven Tests against Sri Lanka at home. The extent of their domination in these contests is reflected in the difference between the batting and bowling averages. South Africa’s batting average of 36.92 seems even higher than it is when compared to Sri Lanka’s 21.60. On the spin-friendly tracks of Sri Lanka, though, South Africa have a 2-4 win-loss record, and the batting and bowling averages are obviously in Sri Lanka’s favour. Overall, South Africa are slightly ahead with an average difference of 2.74.

South Africa’s record against Sri Lanka in Tests

PlayedWonLostDrawnW/L ratioBat avgBowl avgAvg diffMatches in South Africa7601-36.9221.6015.32Matches in Sri Lanka102440.5030.1737.50-7.33Overall178452.0032.5729.832.74Sri Lanka’s win-loss ratio in home Tests since 1990 is an excellent 2.15 and their dominance at home is reflected in the high value of the average difference (10.42). Although their overall away performance itself is poor (win-loss ratio of 0.47), their display in Tests outside the subcontinent is worse. Apart from the odd innings like Sanath Jayasuriya’s 213 at The Oval in 1998 and Kumar Sangakkara’s outstanding 192 in Hobart in 2007, there have not been too many notable performances.In England, Sri Lanka have been competitive, winning two Tests. However, Muralitharan’s bowling played a huge part in both wins and his absence was felt seriously on their latest tour of England, when they struggled to check the flow of runs. While the average difference of -12.55 in Tests in England is poor, it’s better than the performances in South Africa (-15.32) and Australia (-30.62). Their bowling averages in these countries indicate that their attack has been largely toothless in these conditions.

Sri Lanka’s contrasting home and away records (in England, South Africa and Australia) since 1990

PlayedWonLostDrawnW/L ratioBat avgBowl avgAvg diffHome924119322.1539.3728.9510.42Away (overall)861838300.4730.6138.09-7.48In England112540.4032.5445.09-12.55In South Africa70610.0021.6036.92-15.32In Australia70610.0027.2057.82-30.62South Africa are playing at home, but of late they haven’t been that good at utilizing that advantage. Since the 2-1 series win against West Indies in 2007-08, they’ve only beaten New Zealand and Bangladesh at home. In 2008-09, England drew the series 1-1 after holding on to draws in two matches with one wicket remaining. This series was followed by a 2-1 loss to Australia and 1-1 draws against India and Australia in the last two series. In the meanwhile, they have done much better away, winning in West Indies and drawing 1-1 in India.Sri Lanka’s fortunes have gone downhill since the retirement of Muralitharan in August 2010. Their strong home record was blighted recently by Australia, who secured a 1-0 series win and dominated the contests. In away Tests, the results have been familiar. After two heavy defeats in India, Sri Lanka lost the first Test against England after an astonishing collapse in their second innings in Cardiff. Even in the recent Test series against Pakistan, Sri Lanka were far from inspiring and went down 1-0. Sri Lanka’s overseas bowling stats are particularly disappointing – they average 61 runs per wicket since 2009.

Recent Test form of both teams (since 2009) excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe matches

TeamVenuePlayedWins/LossesBat avgBowl avgAvg diff100/505WI/10WMSouth AfricaHome124/535.8430.785.0617/259/0Sri LankaHome145/241.1734.476.7015/3610/0South AfricaAway83/246.3438.008.3413/183/1Sri LankaAway110/438.9061.08-22.1816/212/0Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have been the two outstanding batsmen for Sri Lanka over the last decade, but their stats outside the subcontinent present quite a contrast. The pair put on a record 624 against South Africa at the SSC in 2006, and Jayawardene has scored five Test hundreds against them, but he has failed to impress in South Africa. While he averages 105.27 in seven Tests in Sri Lanka (against South Africa), his average drops to just 31.40 in matches played in South Africa. In Tests played outside the subcontinent since 2006, Jayawardene has struggled, averaging just over 31 in 12 matches. Sangakkara has done much better scoring four centuries at an average of 51.35. Both batsmen have a fairly similar percentage distribution of dismissals against pace and spin but Sangakkara has a much higher value of balls-per-dismissal against the fast bowlers. Tillekaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera, two of the more experienced Sri Lankan batsmen, have also done much better against spinners but have found the going a lot tougher against pace.

Sri Lanka’s batsmen outside the subcontinent since 2006

BatsmanMatchesRunsAverage100/50% dismissals, balls/dismissal (pace)% dismissals, balls/dismissal (spin)Kumar Sangakkara11102751.354/485.00, 85.8215.00, 134.33Mahela Jayawardene1274631.083/187.50, 56.0012.50, 117.66Tillekaratne Dilshan755943.001/484.61, 60.007.69, 204.00Thilan Samaraweera843933.761/376.92, 60.1015.38, 117.00For South Africa too, lack of batting consistency has been a worry at home. The opening pair looks far from settled, though Jacques Rudolph deserves a longer run to prove his class. The middle order, although solid on paper, has been shown to be vulnerable especially because of the repeated failures of Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher. Jacques Kallis, who recently went past Brian Lara’s Test aggregate, has by far been South Africa’s finest batsman at home. He has scored six centuries in hist last 12 Tests at home, including a hundred in both innings against India in Cape Town. His record against pace bowlers is excellent with a balls-per-dismissal figure of 101.50 but this is completely overshadowed by his stunning performance against spin. Kallis has been dismissed only once by spinners in the last three years while facing 617 deliveries.AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith complete a powerful top-order line-up and have a strong record in recent years. However, both of them, plus Prince and Boucher, have fallen to spinners fairly often, which is an aspect that should encourage Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath.

South Africa’s batsmen at home since 2009 (excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe matches)

BatsmanMatchesRunsAverage100/50% dismissals, balls/dismissal (pace)% dismissals, balls/dismissal (spin)Jacques Kallis12120867.116/388.88, 101.505.55, 617.00AB de Villiers1297951.523/678.94, 77.2021.05, 127.50Hashim Amla1294745.094/480.95, 84.4119.04, 88.25Graeme Smith1182648.583/370.58, 90.4123.52, 70.25Mark Boucher1249529.110/458.82, 63.2041.17, 38.14Ashwell Prince1042030.001/164.28, 80.3328.57, 37.00Dale Steyn was playing only his seventh Test when Sri Lanka amassed 756 for 5 at the SSC. In South African conditions, though, it’s unlikely that Steyn and Co will need to toil so hard for wickets. He missed out on becoming the fastest bowler to reach the 250-wicket mark after a below-par second-innings display against Australia in Johannesburg. However, in the company of Vernon Philander, who picked up 14 wickets in his first two Tests, and Morne Morkel, Steyn will be more than a handful for the Sri Lankan batsmen. The presence of Imran Tahir also provides the necessary variety in an otherwise pace-dominant attack.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have very little experience to fall back on. Dilhara Fernando, who picked up six wickets in the close three-wicket loss in Centurion on the previous visit in 2002-03, has hardly been impressive in recent years, averaging 51.00 since 2007. However, considering that many South African batsmen do not have a great record against spin, Sri Lanka will bank heavily on their slow bowlers to create an impression.Centurion, the venue for the first Test, has generally been a result-oriented track with just one draw in the last six matches. The only team to win a match in Centurion after batting first in the last five years is South Africa, who beat New Zealand by 128 runs in April 2006. The first-innings average in Centurion is the lowest among the three venues for the Test series. Unlike Durban and Cape Town, where there has been some success for spinners, Centurion has mostly been a venue that has favoured pace bowlers (151 wickets at 30.60). Overcast conditions and a green pitch will make the task that much tougher for Sri Lanka.

Venue stats for the series (matches since 2006)

VenueWins/Losses/draws (South Africa)Wins (batting first)1st inns2nd inns3rd inns4th innsWickets, avg (pace)Wickets, avg (spin)Centurion5/0/1126.7946.8829.0724.86151, 30.6034, 41.20Durban2/4/0428.9336.6534.3627.20150, 31.2444, 30.18Cape Town5/1/3031.3434.2327.4045.03214, 30.3564, 39.04

Sunil Narine’s subtle variations proved too much for Chennai Super Kings

Nitin Sundar at the MA Chidambaram Stadium03-Oct-2011After coming unstuck in the dying moments twice in two games, Trinidad & Tobago produced a bowling performance of almost indescribable variety to keep their Champions League campaign afloat. Leading the gang of spinning assortments today was Sunil Narine, modestly classified as a purveyor of right-arm offbreaks by ESPNcricinfo. Anyone who saw Narine operate against Chennai Super Kings would consider that an outrageous understatement.For a mystery spinner, Narine’s bowling action is daringly open. He holds the ball high over his head in his right hand as he gets into delivery stride, giving the batsman a good view of his grip. The deception begins right there: there’s little in his grip to suggest what he is doing with the ball. His finger positioning variations are so subtle, and his release so quick, that the TV commentators could only guess what he was up to, even after watching slow-motion replays. The home batsmen fared much worse, on a pitch so dead that it began to haunt them.Under the conditions, T&T’s score of 123 was competitive, and Narine sensed his kill straight away. M Vijay’s propensity to swing across the line compulsively made him easy prey, and Narine needed only three flat offbreaks on the stumps to get past him.Suresh Raina then succumbed to a more evolved three-card trick. The first one was the sliding offbreak, which Raina played inside the line of. In his next over, Narine produced his mystery delivery – a cross between the Mendis-Ashwin carom ball and the orthodox legbreak. Delivered with a loose wrist, the ball was released with a corkscrew twist of two fingers that made it grip, turn into the left-hander and bounce disconcertingly. Raina lunged forward and drove loosely to get an inside edge. He was had the next ball, playing early to a tossed up delivery outside off, clearly concerned that he hadn’t picked which way it was going to turn.Narine then squared up S Badrinath with the legbreak, and nearly had him lbw with an offbreak before training his guns on MS Dhoni. The man who tamed Muttiah Muralitharan with consummate authority in the World Cup final was reduced to meek pokes and dabs from the crease. Dhoni stabbed unconvincingly at a couple of the mystery legbreaks, before scooping a full delivery right back to Narine and end his agonising stay. Narine finished with figures of 4-0-8-3 – his victims being CSK’s three best Indian batsmen – exceptional work, even on a sluggish track.Sunil Narine (right) removed Chennai Super Kings’ three best Indian players•AFP”I call it [the variation] the knuckle ball,” Narine revealed later. “In Trinidad we play wind-ball [tennis ball] cricket, and you look to spin that ball. I decided to do it in practice one day and it wasn’t working out that well. But I kept practising and it came out as a good ball.”Narine’s nonchalant explanation was par for the course, since unconventional variations are a way of life in this T&T attack. Samuel Badree once again rolled out four overs of unhittable googlies and straighter ones to finish with an economy rate of 3.50; Kevon Cooper backed up his batting heroics with a series of offcutters and backspinners that kept catching Dhoni and co by surprise; Ravi Rampaul had an ordinary day, but made the most important incision when he got Mike Hussey edging, and Sherwin Ganga managed to keep the in-form Dwayne Bravo quiet enough.Hussey said the variable bounce on the track undid CSK’s chase, and revealed that Narine’s action remained indecipherable. “A few of our batsmen found it difficult to read which way he was turning the ball,” Hussey said. “Sometimes it is difficult if you haven’t seen much of a bowler before, especially in T20 where you need to keep the run-rate going.”If we play against him more we’ll get used to his action and which way he’s turning the ball a lot more. Much like Ajantha Mendis when he first came on, he was very difficult to read. But then after a while, batsmen start to read him a bit better.”Given the factory line of spinning talent T&T has produced in recent years, though, Hussey and his mates might be faced with a new set of mystery-men the next time they run into them.

Kim Hughes never completed reading the statement he’d prepared for the press during his emotional resignation in 1984. The person who did recalls that most poignant day

Sidharth Monga26-Dec-2011It is the most poignant cricket press conference of all time. It’s November 26, 1984, and Kim Hughes has finally given in. At the Gabba, after Australia have lost to West Indies for the fifth straight time, Hughes has finally decided it isn’t worth it anymore. During the regular post-match press conference, Hughes reaches out for a piece of paper in his pocket, and starts reading out from it.”The constant speculation, criticism and innuendo by former players and section of the media over the past four-five years have finally taken their toll. It is in the interest of the team…” Hughes then pauses. He is choking. He licks his upper lip. He holds back emotion.From the background a voice says, “I think the spelling is right. In the interest of the team…” As if to remind Hughes where he has stopped. Hughes gulps and then says, “It’s in the interest of the team and Australian cricket.” He chokes again. He decides he can’t have more of it. And tells that voice, “You read it.” Bob Merriman, then the manager of the Australian team, finishes the statement.It was the saddest day, and one of the longest, in nearly the 50 years Merriman has spent in cricket. It began early in the morning when Hughes asked him to join him at breakfast before the fourth day’s play. Hughes had already batted in the second innings, and still needing 135 to avoid an innings defeat, the last five wickets weren’t expected to take the match much further. At 8am the two, “very friendly” captain and manager met.”He told me that morning that he wanted to give it away,” Merriman remembers. “And then he asked me to get hold of Greg Chappell, which I did, because Greg was a selector and a very close friend. We were in Brisbane fortunately, where Greg lived. I got Greg in, we met at the ground, and it just flowed from there.”Except it didn’t quite flow. Hughes, Merriman and Chappell were the only three who knew, and David Boon and Wayne Philips got into a partnership out there. Every minute was uncomfortable. “It wasn’t good. It was not good at all,” Merriman says of that wait, although he hadn’t been taken by surprise by Hughes’ decision. “I could see that he was not happy with what was occurring with his own form,” he says. “He wasn’t happy that his own batting was falling down. The team wasn’t performing well. We were getting well and truly beaten by West Indies. They were a great side and he had had 10 matches on the trot against them, which was very difficult, and he had a reflection on the tour of England in ’81, and the World Cup ’83. They hadn’t been very successful for him. I think it all just built up.”What had also built up was that two of his team-mates, Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee, never respected him as captain. “He was one hell of a follower,” Marsh said of Hughes, his captain. Marsh was the vice-captain when former captain Chappell retired, but the job went to Hughes. Hughes’ two riled-up Western Australian team-mates thought he was a softie, and made life difficult for him.Hughes wrote the entire statement, all in his handwriting. “I put one word in it,” Merriman says. “I was asking him to make it shorter. I had the feeling it was too long. He wrote it. It was all in his handwriting. In a part of it he said he didn’t have the support from journalists. I put in the word ‘some’ in there. He had great support from Peter McFarline, he had great support from Michael Coward. He had support from the guy in Adelaide, whose name escapes me. He put a general statement that the journalists he had no support from. I put the word ‘some’ in there. That’s the only change I made.”Merriman never expected it would turn out the way it did. When he did finish the statement, the room of journalists, who were moments ago trying to follow Hughes with their microphones, went quiet. “Stunned. Quiet. Just hush.” It was an interesting moment. You can feel the journalists would have been stunned beyond imagination, especially when the man, the Australian cricket captain, broke down in front of them, but not even a single question? “Oh Michael Coward asked one. I forget the question, but he did ask.”The immediate concern for Merriman was to look after Hughes. “We had a few moments in the dressing room,” he says. “Maybe half an hour. To their credit, Graeme Wood in particular, and Terry Alderman, both Western Australians, looked after Kim really, really well. Graeme Wood and Terry took Kim out and tried to settle things down before they flew home the next day. They flew home together.”Hughes played only two more Tests, scoring three ducks and a couple. Immediately after he was dropped, Australia won a Test, in Sydney, finally stopping the West Indies juggernaut, which had been rolling for 11 straight Tests. He remains one of the most fascinating stories of Australian cricket. Merriman went on to become one of the more important administrators. He played part in convincing a young Allan Border to not give up captaincy after he had lost to Jeremy Coney’s New Zealand. He also became Cricket Australia’s chairman in 2001.Hughes’ hand-written statement, that piece of paper, is still with Merriman. Where does he keep it? “I am not going to tell you.”

Despite the Test series whitewash against Pakistan, England are unlikely to make many changes for the short tour of Sri Lanka

George Dobell27-Feb-2012In a less enlightened, more chaotic age of England cricket, the announcement of the squad to tour Sri Lanka might be anticipated with some anxiety by those who lost the Test series in the UAE 3-0 to Pakistan. There was a time such a reverse would have precipitated much wailing, gnashing of teeth and the dropping of several players.Those days are, largely, gone. Despite suffering a Test series whitewash against Pakistan, England will keep faith with the majority of the squad that travelled to the UAE. While it is accepted that most of the batsmen endured a poor series, responsibility has been taken collectively and those that struggled in the UAE will be given an opportunity to show they have learned the lessons. England will play two Tests in Sri Lanka and no limited-overs cricket. The squad will be announced on Tuesday at 9.30am UK time and most of the players informed after the final Twenty20 against Pakistan on Monday night.The squad that lost in the UAE was, by and large, the same one that took England to No. 1 in the Test rankings. While they have questions to answer in Asian conditions, most impartial judges would agree the 12 players who represented England in the Tests against Pakistan were the best available. Failure has been, in part, blamed on the lengthy lay-off that preceded the tour. Time will tell if the answer is that simple, but it is a mistake England will not make again.Besides, the continuity of selection policy has served England well in recent years. Whereas desperate selectors called upon 29 players in the Ashes of 1989, they utilised just 13 in 2010-11. It is not coincidental that England lost the first series 4-0 and won the second 3-1. Often, when it comes to selection, less is more.Ian Bell, who averaged just 8.5 in the Test series in the UAE, will be included, as will Kevin Pietersen (11.16) and, of course, the captain Andrew Strauss (25). Indeed, Bell and Strauss will be among those travelling to Sri Lanka early to gain extra acclimatisation time. To suffer one poor tour may be regarded as a misfortune by the selectors; only after suffering two will the selectors regard it as career threatening.That is not to say that there may not be a couple of changes. Eoin Morgan, in particular, is waiting uncomfortably. England have invested a lot of time in Morgan and will be loathe to abandon him now. But he has endured a wretched tour of the UAE and, unlike some of his middle-order colleagues, does not have the excellent record of past achievement in Test cricket to suggest recent struggles are any more than a blip. He averaged just 13.66 in the Test series against Pakistan and has progressed beyond 31 only four times in his last 21 Test innings. He will have found little comfort in Andy Flower’s distinctly equivocal backing.”He’s had little glimpses of success,” Flower, the England coach, said. “I think he’s got a couple of Test centuries. But he’s had a tough tour of the UAE, there’s no doubt about that. And I think his record would suggest that he’s found Test cricket pretty tough. I think he’s averaging about 30 so he’s got some work to do in that regard.”There are several men pushing for his place in the side. The first is Ravi Bopara who enjoyed a more than respectable ODI series in the UAE (he averaged 54, scoring half-centuries in each of his two innings) and could be used as a third seamer in a Test attack including two specialist fast bowlers and two spinners. Bopara is capable of generating reverse swing as a bowler and there is guarded optimism that, aged 26, he has added the requisite composure to his undoubted talent.Probable England squad

Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Ravi Bopara, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Samit Patel, Monty Panesar, James Anderson, Steven Finn

Samit Patel, too, could win a place on his first Test tour. While it is hard to see Patel’s left-arm spin squeezing Monty Panesar out of the team, he could provide another option at No.6 and fill the role as third spinner. More realistically, he could be utilised as back-up should either Panesar or Graeme Swann sustain an injury.And then there is Jonny Bairstow. He could replace Morgan as a batsman or Steve Davies as reserve wicketkeeper. While it may seem that one very good T20I innings has overshadowed a modest Lions tour of Sri Lanka – Bairstow averaged 24 in five List A games on the Lions’ tour of Sri Lanka, but helped England win the second Twenty20 in the UAE with a very fine, unbeaten innings of 60 – the 22-year-old from Yorkshire has shown the talent and temperament required to thrive at the top level. He is not the finished article with bat or gloves, but the England team management have identified a special quality – a cool, inner steel – in Bairstow that could, with guidance, develop into something that could serve them well for many years.It would be a harsh blow for the blameless Davies, but Flower and co. have shown they are not afraid of taking tough decisions if they think it for the best. There is little room for sentiment in the England camp.The bowling attack performed admirably in the UAE and requires little alteration. The unfortunate Chris Tremlett, aged 30 and with an injury history that would require several volumes to relate, was forced home early from the UAE for back surgery and may well have played his last international game. Steven Finn, Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions all wait in the wings for a tour on which two seamers may well suffice. It is just possible that Finn could edge out Anderson when it comes to Test selection, though he may have to wait a little while yet.The Test series in Sri Lanka also sees Strauss’ return as captain. Flower said he felt it too early to draw any conclusions about the experiment with three captains – on each for Tests, ODIs and T20s – but those who believe it will cause division within the team misunderstand the England set-up. The respect in which Strauss is held by his team is immense. Personal ambition from other captaincy candidates will not be responsible for his downfall.A lack of runs might be, however. While no-one doubts Strauss’ qualities as a leader or his past as a batsman, his record of just one century in his last 46 Test innings – and none in his last 21 going back to November 2010 – is a growing concern. Strauss actually struggled less than some in the UAE but, aged 35 within the week, he needs a much improved tour to prove to himself, as much as anyone, that he still has what it takes to thrive at international level. He will not lack support from the England team or management but, as Flower suggested when talking about captaincy in general, runs and wickets are the primary currency on which players can be judged. While Alastair Cook is not pushing for promotion, his success as ODI captain in the UAE suggests England does have a viable alternative.”He’s a very fine leader; a very fine cricketer.” Flower said when asked about Strauss. “He’s done some great things for England cricket. All the guys realise when you are made captain it does not mean you’re captain forever. It’s like almost a playing position, you’ll be constantly monitored. If as a player you go through extended periods of bad form, someone else will be pushing you. Same as a captain. You’ve got to ensure you’re doing the job well for England. You’re not given the job for life.”

Stats highlights from day four of the first Test at The Oval

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan22-Jul-2012
Amla’s 311 is the highest individual score by a South African batsman. He went past AB de Villiers’ 278 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2010. When Amla reached 278, he surpassed Graeme Smith to hold the record for the highest individual score by a South African batsman against England. It is also Amla’s second 200-plus score after the 253 against India in Nagpur in 2010. The triple-century is also the first in England since Graham Gooch’s 333 against India at Lord’s in 1990. Amla’s 311 is joint-fourth on the list of highest individual scores in Tests in England and the second-highest at The Oval. The highest at the venue remains Len Hutton’s 364 in 1938. It is only the eighth 300-plus score by a batsman in Tests against England. The number of minutes Amla batted (790) is the fifth-highest for a batsman in a single innings. He became only the fourth batsman after Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene and Younis Khan to have two innings lasting 11 hours or more. Kallis’ century is his 43rd in Tests and eighth against England. It is, however, only his second century in Tests in England. Kallis has improved his average in England from 29.30 at the start of the tour to 38.40. Kallis’ 182 is his personal best score against England and the fifth-highest of his career. The South African innings featured three centuries. This is the fourth time that three South African players have scored a century in the same innings against England and the 16th time they have managed the feat in Tests. This is also the seventh such instance (three centuries in an innings) in a Test at The Oval. The 377-run stand between Amla and Kallis is the highest partnership in South Africa-England Tests. The pair went past the previous record of 338 between Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith in 2003. The partnership is also the third-highest ever for South Africa. Amla and Kallis became only the second pair after Gibbs and Smith to feature in three triple-century stands. The two have also been involved in six 200-plus stands, a record they share with Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer. Kallis has now featured in 20 partnerships of 200 runs or more. The South African innings featured two 200-plus stands. This is only the third time that they have had two 200-plus stands in the same innings. It is also the second time in Tests that a team has had two consecutive 200-plus partnerships for the second and third wickets. This is also the second time (after the Australia-India Test in Sydney in 2012) that there have been two 250-plus stands in a single team innings. South Africa’s total of 637 is their second-highest in Tests against England. However, the number of wickets lost (2) is their lowest ever for a 600-plus total. The visitors’ total is also the eighth-highest by a visiting team at The Oval. The highest remains Pakistan’s 708 in 1987. The run aggregate for the second and third wickets (636) is the highest ever in Tests surpassing the 632 runs for Sri Lanka against South Africa in 2006. The number of overs bowled by England (189) is the fifth-highest in a home Test since 1990. This is the fewest number of wickets picked up by England in an innings in which they have bowled 600 or more deliveries. Graeme Swann conceded 151 runs off his 52 overs. This is the highest number of overs he has bowled in an innings and the second-highest number of runs he has conceded in a single innings.