And how the BCCI control the food intake of their players via spectators

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013An intensely-fought first day in Mumbai even with India 266 for 6, and honours provisionally judged as “even, veering towards India” by the Confectionery Stall Momentumometer, a high-tech device which I have constructed in my hotel room, consisting of five budgerigars dressed in cricket kit, listening to commentary of the match on a bird-proof radio, and flapping up and down a miniature see-saw between porcelain figurines of Churchill and Gandhi.This is, I must emphasise, a provisional verdict. I forgot to feed the birds yesterday morning and when I returned after close of play they were pecking vigorously at both of the great men’s noses. (Here endeth the lie. Amen.) Whether or not honours are indeed even will not be known until later in the match. A first-day total of 266 for 6 might prove to be woefully inadequate, match-winningly massive, or precisely par for the pitch. I suspect it will prove above par for this particular pitch. The guilty verdicts returned in so many of England’s recent trials by tweak, and the presence of three Test novices in what had until recently been an almost immovable upper order, suggests that India hold the upper hand.However, they are not holding that upper hand in such a tight grip that it could not escape and slap them firmly in the chops. If Alastair Cook and Matt Prior play as they did in the first Test, if Jonathan Trott plays as he did in Galle, if Kevin Pietersen has one of his eenie-meenie-miney-mo good days, or even one of his randomly-allocated spell-bindingly amazing days, or if Monty Panesar finally builds on the promise of that sweep shot for six he hit off Murali in 2006, then the left-armer’s four excellent wickets could prove to have given England decisive control of the game. Time, the secretive and temperamental little witch, will tell. And she will start telling this morning.Yesterday’s play was notable principally for the continued emergence of a new Indian cricketing superstar in front of an increasingly adoring public, the stirring but one-Test-overdue return of Panesar (still entrenched as England’s second most successful spinner of the last 30 years behind Graeme Swann, after Samit Patel’s failure in Ahmedabad to magically transform from the useful county support bowler he has always been into the new Hedley Verity), and an innings of striking class by India’s No. 8 R Ashwin.Rather unfairly from an English point-of-view, Ashwin scored a rapid, momentum-shifting and often majestic 60 not out, batting like a laboratory Frankensteining of Wally Hammond, Mark Waugh and VVS Laxman, rather than like fellow Test No.8s such as Andy Caddick, Mohammad Sami, and Ajit Agarkar (who, excluding his bolt-from-the-extremely-blue Lord’s century, averaged 6.8 in 22 innings as a number at 8). One cover drive he eased melodiously to the boundary should have prompted the ICC to instantly revoke his licence to bat at 8.Cheteshwar Pujara was again the critical force in the day’s play. He has swiftly batted himself into (a) the hearts of the Indian nation, (b) statistical nirvana, and (c) the nightmares of the England bowlers and supporters. He again displayed flawless technique, 360-degree run-scoring options, the ice-cold temperament of a multi-award-winning penguin, and a deep-seated desire to avoid spending any more time than is absolutely necessary with his team-mates. There must be ructions in the Indian camp. Or perhaps Yuvraj Singh has started learning the trumpet. Maybe Gautam Gambhir has developed a new in-match superstition of reciting the lyrics of Celine Dion songs through a loud-hailer. It is conceivable that Pujara is terrified of Zaheer’ Khan’s lucky crocodile. I am speculating, but Pujara clearly hates being in the dressing room.He also displayed a perfect reading of the match situation in the pacing of his innings, cautious from the early loss of Gambhir to the dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar (17 off 57 balls, 13 in singles), more aggressive in a stand of 58 with Virat Kohli as he prevented the innings stagnating (39 off 65, 11 in singles), before anchoring the innings after Kohli and Yuvraj fell quickly, scoring 58 off the last 157 balls he faced, 30 of which came in singles. His judgement of when to attack and when to defend, and whether to play forward or back, was matched by the decisiveness with which he put those decisions into action.England mostly bowled well throughout the day, but forced barely a handful of errors from him, and were driven to some extremely creative thinking. When you have bowled more than 100 overs to one batsman without dismissing him, you must embrace innovation, and try to discomfort him with unorthodoxies and the unexpected.England almost achieved this successfully when Pujara had scored 94, when a planned training-ground move came close to paying spectacular dividends. A shortish ball goaded the impregnable Rajkot Rock into playing a well-executed pull shot, rolling his wrists in accordance with the holy scriptures of the MCC Coaching Manual, sending the ball downwards towards the ground. Lying there in wait was short-leg’s foot. The ball flew up, as minutely planned by the England strategists, and was caught – but replays showed it had bounced fractionally before striking Cook’s foot. A ricochet off the boot was clearly the most likely means of dismissing a man who, at that point, had negotiated 668 balls in the series undismissed and seldom troubled. Tragically for England, the foot was an agonising few millimetres away from being perfectly placed, and their strategic masterplan was foiled.The giant TV screen duly announced that Pujara was not out, the crowd roared like a stadium of Elvis fans after their giant TV screen announced that The King was not dead after all but had been tied up trying to get his internet dongle to work for the last 45 years. Trott politely enquired to umpires Aleem Dar and Tony Hill as to why it was not out. The two officials explained to the England No. 3 that the batsman cannot be out if the ball touches the ground before being caught. Trott responded, “Oh yes, you’re right, I remember now, you told me that in Ahmedabad, didn’t you? I’ll write it down this time.”● Yesterday was my first experience of watching Test cricket live outside the UK, and it was tremendous enjoyable, a compelling day of hard-fought high-skill cut-and-thrust, played out in front of a crowd that was enthusiastic and of a reasonable size. Once I had managed to get into the stadium. I queued for over an hour ‒ in a not especially heavily-populated queue ‒ to be processed through the almost surreally inefficient ground security, which, to be entirely fair to it, did succeed in its principal task of making sure that no one had any of their own drinks or snacks in the ground.I finally took my seat a couple of minutes before the start of play, in an almost empty stadium. Do people start queuing a week before an IPL game here? At least I, and the rest of the lucky few who had negotiated Gate C in time for the start of play, could settle down to watch Gambhir play brilliantly for one ball, safe in the comforting knowledge that no-one would be able to disrupt play by, for example, crunching on a crisp by the deep midwicket boundary and causing third slip to flunk a crucial catch, or slurping a glug of water too loudly in the top tier of the Sachin Tendulkar Stand just as the great man himself was taking guard and trying to hear the umpire telling him which way to move his bat.Drinks are available in the ground, but they are specially-formulated “quiet drinks”, which are scientifically unslurpable by anyone without a full proboscis. So they are fine.I know there have been instances in the past where a nice, tasty snack has been wrongly used as a nice, tasty projectile, and that, given the less-than-gymnastic qualities of some of the Indian fielders, the BCCI are anxious to control their players’ food intake. (In the past, the PCB had terrible trouble with the supernaturally classy but not-entirely-svelte Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was known to consume up to 8000 calories in a session just by grazing crowd-thrown nibbles in the outfield.) But is confiscating all food really necessary? Particularly when one of the foodstuffs most readily available in the ground is the samosa, the “easily-flingable” triangular snack with “superb ballistic qualities”, according to International Food Fighting Monthly magazine.”Perfectly shaped to fit between the thumb and forefinger,” continues the esteemed publication, “the samosa is ideal for both beginners and experienced food-fighters. It is widely used by professionals in the big-money American NFFL, and is a critical component in the arsenal of any serious mealtime pugilist, its aerodynamic crust enabling precision hurl-control, and its succulent payload of finely-chopped meat and/or vegetables rewarding the skilled comestible-combatant with a potentially bout-winning splatter-radius.”Cameras were also prohibited. But not mobile phones. Most of which contain a camera. Clearly, it is not that the authorities want to prevent paying spectators from having their own personal photographic memento of their day at the Test match. It is just that they want those photographs to be not particularly good. Unless the spectator has a high-spec camera-phone, in which case they have clearly earned the right to snap away like the Patrick Eagars they have always dreamed of being.

Plays of the day from the match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai

Mohammad Isam09-Apr-2013The fizz outIt was billed as a fantasy league-type opening partnership, but the “Pondulkar” didn’t fire once again. Ricky Ponting holed out at mid-off in the first over before Sachin Tendulkar fell a long way short of the crease, unable to beat Mahela Jayawardene’s throw from mid-off in the next over. Two batting legends out in the space of four balls, and the hype took a backseat…The catch…but you can’t keep legends away from the action for too long. Off the first ball of Delhi Daredevils’ chase, Ponting slung himself full-length to his right to pluck a superb take off Unmukt Chand’s top-edge. The bowler was Harbhajan Singh, Ponting’s scourge in many a battle over the past decade. The hug to celebrate the catch was a spinmeister’s fantasy fulfilled.The shotRohit Sharma brings out the odd cliché from commentators, but he played to his talented tag perfectly. As he took the Mumbai innings towards the final over, there was the inevitability that he would finally open up his shoulders. After two sixes, he rocked back and pulled Nehra over square-leg off the last ball, effortlessly. It looked great, and it was a nice way to yank momentum from Delhi’s hands.The anti-climaxDavid Warner started off slowly, like Dinesh Karthik, before he began finding the boundaries. By the 10th over, though, the sixes started to come in and Daredevils were ahead of Mumbai. But soon after hitting 11 off three balls off Mitchell Johnson, Warner holed out to Ambati Rayudu at deep point. It shrunk the visitors’ chances of pulling off a famous run chase, as they quickly lost their way thereafter.

Hyderabad’s cricket is as rich as the city’s history

Devashish Fuloria21-Mar-2013Hyderabad, the city of Nizams, is now one of India’s information-technology centres – a reflection of the changing times. While a century ago it was home to one of the richest persons in the world, made famous by his collection of Rolls Royces, the city now hosts global giants like Google and Microsoft.Hyderabad has a rich cricket tradition – largely to do with the supple wrists of the batsmen it produces – but it hasn’t been a major international venue. The old Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium has now passed on the mantle of hosting all meaningful cricket to the state-of-the-art Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. The old ground has hosted two Tests, the new one, three.The new stadium boasts top facilities for both players and the 50,000-plus spectators that it can hold. However, a common gripe is the absence of shade. The cricket and the frequent appearances of popular local tennis star Sania Mirza at the ground are the only respite when the sun beats down.Ground page | Fixtures | MapGreat matches

India v New Zealand, 1999
Sachin Tendulkar, in his prime, smashed the ball around the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium to bring up 186 not out. Rahul Dravid, with a career-best 153, matched Tendulkar in aggression. Together, the two put on 331 for the second wicket – still the highest stand for any wicket in ODIs. After witnessing the blinding onslaught, New Zealand caved in and lost the match by 174 runs.Tendulkar has dazzled the Hyderabad crowd on more than one occasion•Getty ImagesIndia v Australia, November 2009

It could have been the innings that Sachin Tendulkar’s fans used as the clincher in an argument with those who doubt his ability in chases. Tendulkar single-handedly mastered the chase with an epic 175 while wickets tumbled around him. He brought the team to within 19 runs of the 351-run target. But his tame dismissal followed by the capitulation of the tail meant India fell three short.Major players
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi | Mohammad Azharuddin | VVS Laxman | ML Jaisimha | Arshad AyubHome team
Hyderabad’s Ranji team has made five appearances in finals and won two titles, the last of which came in 1987.The city’s IPL franchise has had a rollercoaster ride. Deccan Chargers finished at the bottom of the table in the opening season in 2008, but shot up to win the title the following year. They caught the downward spiral after that performance, which ended with the scrapping of the franchise in 2012. The city has since acquired a new franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad, which won the title in 2016.

That he was out drinking with senior players and was targeted by David Warner’s misfiring aim proves Joe Root is firmly a part of Team England

George Dobell12-Jun-2013It was always likely that the first blows of an Ashes year would be thrown in Birmingham over the weekend, but few could have predicted England would have prevailed so overwhelmingly.It was not just a comfortable victory in the Champions Trophy. It was not just the faintly ridiculous image of David Warner, the Australian opener, reacting so humourlessly to a novelty wig that he threw an unprovoked punch at an England player so fresh-faced and innocent looking that it was hard to avoid the vision of Warner as a buffoon who can’t handle his drink or the pressures of international cricket. And it was not just that Warner had done it so hopelessly. Warner, it seems, doesn’t just float like a butterfly, he stings and bats like one, too.It was not even that “Wig-gate” is a PR disaster for Australia. While the England camp have handled the incident with the ease of a Mitchell Johnson half-volley on leg stump – the perfectly worded statement from the ECB made their stance clear: they were innocent, the matter was closed and Australia have a mess to resolve.No, perhaps the most pleasing aspect from an England perspective is that is underlines Joe Root’s position at the heart of the England team.The Malvolios among us may disagree, but it bodes well for England that Root was out with his team-mates celebrating a victory. There were times on the tour to India when Root looked somewhat ill at ease in the England set-up; a man apart, spending his time at the party in the kitchen.But all that changed after his smooth debut in Nagpur. It wasn’t that the England squad were any more welcoming – that had never been an issue – more that Root finally knew he belonged in that company. He has grown in stature with every performance since. News that he is comfortable and popular enough to socialise with older colleagues should be welcomed. It is, in part, in such moments that bonding takes place and it is, in part, such moments that help young men mature and develop.England’s players were not disregarding any curfew, they had not over-indulged and they did not provoke or retaliate. Neither side, or third-party witnesses, refute any of that. Indeed, Root’s decision not to involve the police might be considered rather magnanimous. There is surely a time to allow sportsmen the opportunity to enjoy the sort of evening out that young men their age take for granted. Those who suggest that the midst of a major tournament may not be that time should take a look at England’s schedule: they are pretty much always on the brink of or in the midst of another major series.Alastair Cook made it clear he had no issues with the players enjoying a night out “within certain parameters we set as a team”.

Steven Finn is understood to have been understandably disappointed to be dropped against Australia but sometimes a little setback is just the stimulus required to encourage improvement.

“We didn’t have training for a couple of days,” Cook said. “If there’s a back-to-back game it’s a very different issue. We had a couple of days off and then a couple of days’ training. You don’t often get those positions in a tournament and it’s very important that sometimes you do let your hair down because to celebrate wins also builds team spirit.”We’ve investigated the matter and we believe we haven’t done anything wrong. Clearly our conduct, as international players, is vitally important. We are aware of the position we hold and how lucky and responsible we are to be wearing the England shirt. It’s a matter which we’ve taken seriously.”But Root’s central role within the England team extends far beyond the social. Not only has he nailed down a place in the Test side, but he has done a pretty decent job of securing a place in the ODI team too. His ability to adapt as a middle-order batsman has been the most noticeable aspect of his cricket, but his developing spin bowling has added a depth to the side that could prove crucial before the end of the Champions Trophy.With the pitches in this event providing far more help to spin bowlers than most had anticipated, the balance of England’s side has had to alter. The plan to field five specialist bowlers – four seamers and a spinner – has been shelved and instead England have selected allrounder Ravi Bopara with a view to strengthening and emboldening the batting. Bopara’s latest comeback has been quietly impressive.There must now be a temptation to play both Graeme Swann, now recovered from his back injury, and James Tredwell alongside just two specialist seamers. The two offspinners would surely enjoy the conditions. But that might also lengthen England’s tail and reduce their ability to damage opposition with their seamers’ ability to reverse swing the white ball.Root may well be the solution. He has taken important wickets in the last couple of ODIs and is quickly emerging as a spinner who can be entrusted with a meaningful number of overs in such conditions. He is not anywhere near the class of Tredwell as yet, but he is a decent compromise to the balance problem and, alongside Bopara, might now be considered something of an allrounder.With the sides using a new pitch against Sri Lanka at The Oval, it seems unlikely there will be the extravagant assistance available for spinners we have seen elsewhere, so England may well resist the temptation to play Tredwell, Root and Swann if all 15 of their squad are available.But that may not be the case. With Tim Bresnan’s wife now well overdue with their child, his availability could become an issue at any moment. Both Tredwell and Steven Finn are potential replacements for Bresnan, with Finn the more likely in the conditions expected at The Oval.Finn is understood to have been understandably disappointed to be dropped against Australia but that is not such a bad thing. Sometimes a little setback is just the stimulus required to encourage improvement. Besides, such competition for places is valuable. After a year of coasting, Stuart Broad is performing with pleasing intensity.It is pleasing, too, that England have demonstrated something of a Plan B. Their original plans for the tournament – to damage their opposition with the new ball – may have had to change after it became apparent the white balls will offer little conventional swing, but the ability to reverse swing the ball has proved valuable. The debate will rage about England’s strategy with the bat but, if England beat Sri Lanka, they are in the semi-finals.

A charming collection of essays that bring out several interesting facts, prompting a reader to research deeper into the subject

Suresh Menon18-Aug-2013Henry Ford might have thought that history was bunk, but here’s evidence that it can be fun. Most histories of sport tend to suffer from two handicaps: they tend to be centred around one region and thus miss the bigger picture or they are overly sombre and ignore the fact that sport is fun, and that digressions and distractions only add to its tale.When you set out to write a history in 100 objects (which means in effect, 100 essays), you acknowledge that being comprehensive is not part of the package, but what you gain – as this book does – is a lightness of touch, and a non-linearity that can be quite charming. You can dip into it anywhere and be guaranteed of an unexpected fact or a startling connection that traditional histories miss. is entertaining, the tone disguising the research involved. Some of the conclusions are provocative enough to send the reader rushing to a deeper study of the subject, which is as it should be. It is a book both for the specialist and the casual reader, especially when you consider that the latter is unlikely to read the tomes by Altham and Swanton or Rowland Bowen, or even more recent histories of the game.Despite (or perhaps because of) answers to the essential questions of origin and evolution of cricket lacking in historical authenticity, and thus our having to make do with the most likely theories and intelligent guesswork, the game is well served by its myths and legends, which have gained by repetition. Such words and phrases as “Hambledon”, “Nyren”, “Bat and Ball”, “Fredrick Louis”, “Christina Willes” and others evoke a set of responses that have solidified over the years, thanks to history books.In bringing these and other elements together and spreading the net beyond Hampshire and Lord’s and the MCC, the author has attempted to reflect the global nature of the game, which originated in England but is claimed by other countries as their own too.Thus you will find here Lord Hawke as well as Sachin Tendulkar, WG Grace as well as Hanif Mohammad, Lord’s as well as Eden Gardens, the first-ever international (US v Canada, 1844) as well as the IPL. Written in a chatty, informal style this is a history of the game for those who hate reading about the history of games.In keeping with the tone, chapter headings are not generic. Under “Sitar”, there is the story of Hanif – I couldn’t find a connection other than the exaggerated stereotype that everybody in the subcontinent is either a sitar player or has elephants as pets. Under the Beatles’ single “Love Me Do” is the story of the end of the professional-amateur divide in English cricket. The connection? The year, 1962. Under “Protractor” is the story of Muttiah Muralitharan, possibly because of a throwaway line in the essay about the bowler’s skill – “Pass that protractor, this could get complicated…”There is, too, the story of Charles Darwin arriving on the in New Zealand and being unimpressed until he saw a cricket match, which evoked England and cheered him up. The strength of the book is in details like that.A History of Cricket in 100 Objects
by Gavin Mortimer
Serpent’s Tail
&pound12.99, 317 pages (hardback)

Australia’s Ashes performance wasn’t far off what was expected: a wholehearted, often impressive, bowling attack but an inconsistent batting order, although there are signs of promise

Daniel Brettig26-Aug-2013

9

Ryan Harris
Harris arrived in England as an ageing, injury-prone selectors’ gamble, but he leaves as Australia’s undisputed best fast bowler, and among the top handful in the world. Concern about whether Harris would last the distance during this series were underlined by his omission from the team for the Trent Bridge Test, but from the moment he nipped out Joe Root and Kevin Pietersen on the first morning at Lord’s he has been consistently the most vexing opponent for Alastair Cook’s men. Other memorable spells at Old Trafford and Durham should have been rewarded with victories. Harris also threw himself around the field and fought hard with the bat. Nearing 34, he looms as a pivotal player Down Under over the forthcoming Ashes bout; Australia will preserve him for as long as they possibly can.

7.5

Peter Siddle
There is nothing so reliable in Australian cricket as the sight of Siddle steaming in, giving his all for the national team and searching batsmen’s reserves of technique, application and courage. Unlike previous Ashes series, he has also done so with exceptional skill as well as persistence, his use of the crease a particular highlight. On the first day of the series it was Siddle who set the tone for Australia’s bowlers by plucking five wickets and showing England’s batsmen could be restricted. He has kept fighting every innings since, even if his returns have tailed off slightly due to the accumulated fatigue of five Tests. Among the pacemen, only the exceptionally durable James Anderson has bowled more overs. He can expect to more of the same this southern summer.

7

Chris Rogers
Handpicked for English conditions after waiting what seemed to him an eternity for a proper chance at Test cricket, Rogers has not let Australia down, placing the highest price on his wicket and consistently forcing the hosts into second and third spells to dislodge him. Save for a poor Test at Lord’s, his quality has been demonstrated by a range of innings from a startlingly fluent 84 in Manchester to a wonderfully dogged first century in Durham. Rogers has also been largely adept at his use of the DRS to escape close calls. Problems against Graeme Swann have been noticeable, and will be the major hurdle for him to overcome between now and the return series, where he will continue a remarkably late blooming Test career.Steven Smith
Not chosen in the initial squad because it was felt his technique would not stand up to English pitches and seam bowling, Smith found his way into the team via a combination of Michael Clarke’s dodgy back and his own strong scoring for Australia A. His contributions have been spotty at times, but have consistently improved, from a handy half century in Nottingham to a stirring first century at the Oval. Smith’s legspin provided three surprise wickets at Lord’s and he has fielded with typical enthusiasm. Most importantly, he has shown as a young player that he is learning how to cope with top quality bowling. A prospective leader now guaranteed to bat in the top six at the Gabba, Smith is the major long-term positive to arrive for Australia this year.Nathan Lyon did not start the series but his performances showed he should have done•Getty Images

6

Nathan Lyon
Took his omission from the first Test team with rare grace, a reaction that would look all the more admirable when he did finally get the chance to bowl in the third match of the series. With the help of Clarke’s empathy and tactical sharpness, Lyon has steadily developed into an offspin bowler of high quality, and to watch him duel with Kevin Pietersen at the Oval was to see that he is far from outmatched in such rare company. For his sake it is to be hoped that Australia’s selectors recognise this and cease second-guessing him, as they did in India and again at the start of the Ashes.Brad Haddin
Called into the team as Clarke’s best lieutenant and also an accomplished performer in each of the past two Ashes series, Haddin very nearly stole the Trent Bridge Test from under English noses with a fearless innings on the final morning. That he did not weighed heavily on the vice-captain, and his batting contributions were not so strident thereafter. However, he caught well with one or two exceptions, surpassing the selector Rod Marsh’s record for dismissals in a series, and provided a valuable leadership presence both on the field and off it. Towards the end of the series he stated his desire to keep playing until the 2015 World Cup; if he can keep scoring runs it is a realistic goal.

5.5

Michael Clarke
Whether cracking a century at Old Trafford, leading with typical alertness or catching most chances at slip, Clarke performed creditably at the head of a poorly performing team. But he has also shown signs that the batting mastery of 2011-12 has faded, as much because of an increasingly dodgy back as England’s considered plans for him. Stuart Broad was a consistent source of trouble, while James Anderson also saved his best ball of the series for him at Trent Bridge. A desire to bat at No. 5 forced numerous shuffles around him, and he ended the series at No. 4 anyway. Clarke has looked crestfallen at times on the tour, as he did in India, for he knows that however he performs individually, the team’s results will define his legacy. The home summer affords an opportunity to ensure it does not slip away.

5

Shane Watson
Even for a figure as polarising as Watson this was a more enigmatic series than most. Starting as an opening batsman, ridiculed for his lbw frailty, demoted to No. 6 while bowling steadily, injured and recovered then clattering his finest Test century at the Oval, he was never far from a headline. Despite that final innings, Watson’s series was largely disappointing because when the destination of the Ashes was still to be decided, he was nowhere, repeatedly betrayed by his ever-so-prominent front pad, more often than not by the undersung Tim Bresnan. But he has learned valuable lessons that he may be able to use during the return matches in Australia. Watson will start at No. 3 in Brisbane on the strength of his Oval knock, and Australia will hope he can repeat it with the urn on the line.Ashton Agar’s Test debut was a wonderful story, but his bowling wasn’t up to the task•Getty ImagesMitchell Starc
He may not appreciate it now, but Mitchell Starc is being steadily groomed for a long and fruitful international career. His bowling can be extraordinary at times and decidedly ordinary at others, and he retains the ability to remove the best batsmen. Australia have maintained a policy of playing him in alternate Test matches, something that has so far kept him from too much injury harm while also allowing him to grow gradually more consistent. The improvement has been more incremental than dramatic thus far, and he will hope to push on during the home summer, where he flirted with a match-winning display on the first morning against South Africa in Perth last season before losing his form dramatically in the second innings. Whether Starc does graduate from alternate to permanent next series or not, there is plenty to work with.Ashton Agar
An innings of a lifetime in Nottingham made Agar an instant celebrity, before his embryonic left-arm spin was shown to be a long way from the finished article. Given the loose-limbed elegance and poise he showed in the aforementioned 98, it was possible to wonder whether Agar is more likely to develop as a batsman rather than a bowler. Either way, he has plenty of talent, but it was fair to conclude that his call-up had arrived a little too soon. Agar is unlikely to figure in the return series, as he fashions his game in domestic competition and decides where exactly in the team his future may lie.Phillip Hughes
The curious selection decisions that have surrounded Hughes’ still young career continued when he was dropped a Test match after a most composed unbeaten 81 at Trent Bridge, in the Michael Hussey middle order role he had prepared for in the lead-up matches. While Hughes’ technical pops and ticks are well known, he thrives most of all on confidence, and having gained plenty in Nottingham, it ebbed away again as he sat on the boundary’s edge for three Tests. It remains to be seen whether he is still part of the selectors’ plans for the home summer, but Hughes has reason to feel a little hard done by on the flight back to Australia.James Pattinson
Before the series Pattinson was billed as the leader of Australia’s attack, his older brother Darren’s unhappy and brief England career a potent backstory. He seemed somewhat overawed by the task with the ball in his hands at Trent Bridge and Lord’s, bowling one or two excellent spells amid many rather more indifferent ones. But his desire to succeed could never be questioned, and his doughty batting at No. 11 in both matches won plenty of admirers. A back injury then curtailed his tour, but he remained a part of the squad on tour, and if fit will be a central part of the team to line-up in Brisbane.Another false start: Usman Khawaja finished another series outside the XI•Getty Images

4

Usman Khawaja
Finally granted the sorts of opportunities he had been waiting for, under the wing of a coach he admires in Darren Lehmann, Khawaja failed to take them. There was one horrible shot followed by a substantial knock at Lord’s and one ghastly decision to end his innings at Old Trafford, but the overall impression was of a batsman looking at home but then finding ways to get out. His departure at Durham, missing a straight ball from Graeme Swann, may be the last glimpse of Khawaja at Test level for some time, until he can regain the habit of making hundreds.David Warner
A pair of firm innings at the top of the order have probably shored up Warner’s position as Rogers’ opening partner when the Ashes contest resumes in Australia, but they served also to remind observers of what the tourists had lost with his hare-brained swipe at Joe Root in a Birmingham bar. He can never be so wasteful again or risk an international career that should be punctuated by the sorts of shots he reeled off in the second innings at Chester-le-Street, when he momentarily filled England’s bowlers with rare doubt.Jackson Bird
A worthy back-up to Harris, Siddle and Pattinson, Bird delivered some decent bowling stints in Durham but will be remembered most for being coshed for crucial runs by Bresnan on the fourth morning. His seam and swing is decent enough but he may need to find another gear in future – this may be provided in the short-term at least by the pacier pitches he will have to work with in Australia. He ended the tour complaining of back pain, but will remain part of the team’s impressive and important pace bowling depth.James Faulkner
Straining for a chance all series, Faulkner finally had one at the Oval where he did much as would have been expected. He batted unselfishly, bowled serviceably and spoke punchily, but overall looked fractionally short of the top rank. A little like Bird, Faulkner’s bowling record has been inflated by Australian domestic pitches malleable to his art, meaning he may be more dangerous to England at home than he was on the other side of the world.

3

Ed Cowan
One Test match, a bad stomach bug, a pair of heedless cover drives and a swift removal from the side was not how Cowan would have envisaged his Ashes. His hard graft in India seemingly forgotten, Cowan seems unlikely to be called upon again unless he can sway the selectors in the manner of Simon Katich by compiling record tallies of domestic runs.This feature is in association with .

Stats highlights from the third day’s play between Australia and England at Adelaide Oval

Shiva Jayaraman07-Dec-2013

Also, six-for losers, fastest keeper to 100 dismissals, Clifford Roach’s unbreakable records, and keeper-captain feats

Steven Lynch03-Dec-2013Virat Kohli reached 5000 one-day internationals recently. Did he get there faster than anyone else? asked Mukesh Subhan from Kolkata
Virat Kohli reached 5000 runs in his 120th one-day international – the first one against West Indies, in Kochi on November 21 – to equal the record set by Brian Lara. Gordon Greenidge got there in 122 matches. Kohli did just shade Lara in terms of innings batted (118 to 114), but has to share top billing there with another great West Indian: Viv Richards also reached 5000 in 114 innings (from 126 matches). Kohli’s first 5000 ODI runs included a record 17 centuries – Saeed Anwar made 14 – while only Richards (53.01) and Michael Bevan (56.25) averaged more after the innings in which they passed 5000 than Kohli’s 52.14. Michael Hussey and MS Dhoni also averaged over 50 at that point of their careers.In the first Ashes Test, 32 of the 37 wickets to fall were out caught. Is this some kind of record? asked Naushad Kazi from South Africa
It is very close to the Test record, which stands at 33 batsmen out caught (out of 36) in the match between Australia and India in Perth in February 1992. One of the rare wickets that wasn’t caught in that match – Mark Taylor lbw – was Kapil Dev’s 400th in Test cricket. The Ashes opener in Brisbane was the fifth Test match to feature 32 caught dismissals. In one of those – New Zealand v Pakistan in Auckland in 1993-94 – only 35 wickets went down, as against 37 in Brisbane (and all 40 in the other three instances). For the full list, click here.Dale Steyn took six wickets the other day but ended up losing. Were these the best figures by anyone on the losing side in a one-day international? asked Ricky Dooley from Egypt
Dale Steyn took 6 for 39 for South Africa against Pakistan in Port Elizabeth last week. This was actually the ninth time a bowler had taken six wickets in an ODI in vain: three of the hauls were cheaper than Steyn’s, with the list being topped by Imran Khan. He took 6 for 14 against India in Sharjah in March 1985 – but Pakistan still ended up losing. Mainly thanks to Imran, India were bowled out for 125 – but Pakistan were then skittled for 87 themselves. Shane Bond (6 for 23 for New Zealand v Australia in Port Elizabeth in the 2003 World Cup) and Shaun Pollock (6 for 35 for South Africa v West Indies in East London in 1998-99) also had cheaper six-fors in losing causes, while the others to have achieved this bittersweet feat are Ajit Agarkar (6 for 42 for India v Australia in Melbourne in 2003-04), Chris Woakes (6 for 45 for England v Australia in Brisbane in 2010-11), Tony Gray (6 for 50 for West Indies v Australia in Port-of-Spain in 1990-91), Christopher Mpofu (6 for 52 for Zimbabwe v Kenya in Nairobi in 2008-09) and Ashish Nehra (6 for 59 for India v Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2005).Who was the fastest wicketkeeper to make 100 dismissals in Tests, and ODIs? asked Tom Metcalfe from London
Australia’s Adam Gilchrist reached a century of dismissals in just 22 Tests, one quicker than Mark Boucher of South Africa. Another Australian, Wally Grout, reached 100 dismissals in 24 Tests, as did Boucher’s South African predecessor Dave Richardson – his first hundred, uniquely, containing no stumpings at all. Boucher and Gilchrist lie third and fourth on the one-day list: the fastest to 100 dismissals in ODIs is Brad Haddin, who got there in his 61st match, one quicker than Ridley Jacobs. Boucher got there in 65 matches, Gilchrist in 67, and Kumar Sangakkara and Denesh Ramdin in 68.Which three unbreakable records did Clifford Roach establish in 1930? asked James Piper from England
Clifford Roach, a right-hand batsman from Trinidad, was the first man to score a Test century for West Indies, with 122 against England in Bridgetown in January 1930 (George Headley made 176 in the second innings). Two matches later, Roach added West Indies’ first double-century: 209 in Georgetown. I think the other record came in the fourth and final Test of that series, in Kingston. It’s not quite unbreakable, although the chances of it being surpassed are indeed tiny! In the second innings at Sabina Park, Roach was caught by 50-year-old George Gunn off the bowling of Wilfred Rhodes, who was 52. Their combined ages (including the odd months) added up to more than 103 years, which remains the Test record for a single dismissal.Is MS Dhoni the first man to captain in 150 one-day internationals while keeping wicket? asked Cherise Asha Clarke from Trinidad & Tobago
Well, the answer is an emphatic yes: the second match against West Indies in Visakhapatnam last week was MS Dhoni’s 150th one-day international as India’s captain and designated wicketkeeper (only five non-keepers have done more: Ricky Ponting leads the way with 230). In fact, no other wicketkeeper has captained in as many as 50 ODIs – Andy Flower led in 46, Kumar Sangakkara in 45, and Alec Stewart in 39. Lee Germon played 37 ODIs for New Zealand, and was captain and wicketkeeper in 36 of them.

His career may have been in the balance but, just as he did alongside AB de Villiers six years ago, JP Duminy produced an important innings when it mattered

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth21-Feb-20140:00

Cullinan: Parnell could be the difference

JP Duminy probably should not have played this Test match. Before it, he was holding down his place in the side as a part-time bowler. If that sounds too harsh, consider that his previous seven innings yielded just 77 runs.This story should probably not be about JP Duminy. AB de Villiers was the man that took over the South Africa recovery and stood it up. He was the one whose carefree calm made batting look smooth on a pitch where the ball appeared stuck to the surface at times. He was the one who cheekily beat the four short midwicket fielders Michael Clarke had planted to wait for the mistimed pull by going over the quartet when he smacked Peter Siddle for six.De Villiers’ is probably the century you will remember from this innings, Duminy’s is the one you should not forget. It was only the third of his career but it could turn out to be the one that saves it.There could not have been a clearer sign that it needed resuscitating when, after Dean Elgar was dismissed on the first afternoon, it was not Duminy but the debutant Quinton de Kock who strode in at No. 6. Duminy occupied that position in his last three Tests. Even though Duminy has batted at No. 7, with Jacques Kallis’ retirement sending South Africa back to a more regular six specialist batsmen structure, it was thought the No. 6 spot was Duminy’s to keep.’There were a few butterfies’ – Duminy

JP Duminy admitted some nerves when he walked out to the crease, knowing he was under pressure to keep his place in the Test XI. Duminy and AB de Villiers put on 149 runs for the sixth wicket and both scored centuries, Duminy ending a lean run of 13 innings without a Test hundred.
“There were a few butterflies around. It was a big day for the team and a big day for me personally. The most important thing was that we built a partnership,” he said. “When the band is screaming ‘JP jou lekker ding’, it raises a few goosebumps.”
But after all that, Duminy’s day hit a downer when he dropped Nathan Lyon in the last over of the day. “It probably does take the shine of my innings,” he said. “Especially coming off such a high after the way the day unfolded. Hopefully we will catch them tomorrow.
“We knew that the bounce was only going to be with the new ball and we would have to capitalise. Tomorrow, for the first 10 overs there may be a bit of carry but after that we have to box smartly.”
Duminy spent enough time on the surface to have worked out the best way to succeed on it. “The key was to stay patient and stick to your gameplans. Against Lyon, my gameplan was to try and sweep him and that worked really well,” he said.

His demotion was a not-so-subtle hint that if runs did not come soon, he could go the same way as Robin Peterson. And his replacement, de Kock, was being teed up ahead of him.What would have been more immediate in Duminy’s mind was that, as he walked out to bat, South Africa had lost two wickets in the space of half an hour. A difficult day in which scoring had been laboured could have been handed to Australia had another wicket fallen at that point. Duminy’s defence had to be almost as strong as it was when he faced Australia on debut in Perth six years ago.Then, South Africa were chasing history. Kallis had been dismissed and the match was in the balance. Duminy was up against Mitchell Johnson and Siddle. He faced 24 balls that evening for just six runs. Now, South Africa are trying to build on the history they have already created. Duminy was up against Australia’s slower bowlers in fading light. He faced 15 fairly innocuous deliveries for 2 and he may have resumed even more nervous than he was at the WACA.In both situations, Duminy had de Villiers on the other end. That year, 2008, de Villiers was in one of the best streaks of his career. It was the calendar year in which he scored the most runs, 1061. This time, de Villiers has just played a 12th consecutive Test in which he has scored at least a fifty, surpassing a record held by Viv Richards, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag. An in-form de Villiers is worth more to South Africa than just the runs he produces because, as he showed with Duminy then and now, he can usher another player to do the same.With de Villiers well settled, Duminy had the time to play himself in without the pressure to do it quickly. He didn’t even need too much of it. After looking in good touch before throwing it away against Australia last week, Duminy picked up from that this morning. He played Johnson with absolute assurance, even though Johnson had the new ball in hand, and sent his third over for 12 runs, which included a delicate touch on the leg side and the pull shot.Australia did not use the second new ball as well as they did the first and could not suffocate South Africa in the same way. Although the surface continued to offer almost nothing at all, their disciplines were looser and they allowed de Villiers and Duminy to score at 4.5 runs an over for the first half hour, after they had battled to get the run rate above three throughout the first day.The seamers were getting tired, understandably so. When they went to lunch wicketless, it was the first time since the Old Trafford Test last August that their bowlers had not struck in a session. After the break, that stretched to the longest they’d been in the field since March last year, against India in Hyderabad, longer than in two Ashes series and more than double the time they spent on the park in either innings in Centurion. It was starting to take its toll on them and work to Duminy’s benefit.JP Duminy made only his third Test century in a career spanning more than five years•Getty ImagesTo preserve his quicks, Clarke brought himself on, as well as using David Warner and Steven Smith. Sometimes using the lesser bowlers can cause a lapse in concentration but Duminy, being one himself, did not allow that to happen. He showed the same care against every bowler he was up against and showed his capability against the slower bowlers, with the sweep shot one of his best.It was only fitting that was the stroke he played to bring up his century. It was powerfully played in front of square and greeted with a smile that told a story of relief. Duminy was still on one knee when the ball crossed the boundary. He looked down at his bat as if to thank it for serving him well in his hour of need and gave it a reaffirming shake, like he was taking someone by the hand.Wayne Parnell was standing mid-pitch, applauding. Clarke, at first slip, was doing the same. The band were in full cry with “JP, jou lekker ding” ringing around St George’s Park. Duminy stayed in that position until he realised he would have to get up. When he did it wasn’t with a leap or an air punch. It was simply without the burden of being stuck in a rut.He acknowledged everyone there was to recognise and then continued with the same seriousness, knowing the job was not done. His irritation when Parnell flashed at one the ball before tea and was caught behind illustrated that Duminy was still focused on batting South Africa into a position where they had a safety net.He didn’t do it for much longer. In the second over after tea, he was out reverse-sweeping off Lyon. But he did do it to the point where South Africa would have felt comfortable, to within three runs of their eventual total of 423. Earlier this week, Russell Domingo called Duminy a “class act”, who South Africa will persist with because “he has done it before against Australia”. Now he has done it again and at time when it mattered just as much as it did in 2008.

Australia’s batting coach Michael Di Venuto wants his charges to adopt the persistent attitude shown by Chris Rogers in the Ashes to find the consistency of the great batsmen

Daniel Brettig30-Dec-2013A rapid, even impish century to deliver the Boxing Day Test for Australia brought much glory to Chris Rogers. What the national team’s batting coach, Michael Di Venuto, wants the rest of his pupils to learn from is how Rogers fought and scraped through the rest of the series to get there. “You don’t have to be in good form to score runs,” Di Venuto said. “That’s just a myth.”The Australian batsmen have looked somewhat vulnerable throughout the Ashes, despite their 4-0 margin over England. Di Venuto is seeking to instil the idea that scoring runs when feeling good about doing so is only a small part of the job. Far more important is the ability to do it when the bat feels more toothpick than sabre, the ball more squash than beach-sized. To borrow from golf, batting can be a game judged less by the quality of your best days than by that of your worst.”Sometimes you go out and the ball hits the middle of the bat and you are away. Other times it doesn’t happen,” Di Venuto said the morning after Australia’s eight-wicket win at the MCG. “What Chris does, and what he has done his whole career, is that no matter what sort of form he is in he scores runs. That is the name of the game.”There is no point scoring runs only when you are in top form and nothing when you’re not hitting them that well. He finds a way to score runs. He is a run scorer. When he is in top form like he was yesterday he hit a beautiful century. The best players average 50 and 60 because when they’re not in top form, they still get a score.”They might battle around and scratch around but they still contribute to the team and get into a partnership and then when they have their days they go on and get a big hundred. You don’t have to be in great form to score runs but the longer you stay out there you might actually start running into a bit of form.”Staying out there is what Rogers has had to subsist on for most of the summer, scrounging out handy runs here and there when others might have thrown it in with an early waft. Some of this is to do with his lifelong calling as a workaday professional, adept at putting in a solid shift whether it be at Melbourne in December or Northampton in May.It is not always easy. When Rogers concluded his first Ashes series in England earlier this summer, he played again for Middlesex within a few days of the fifth Test concluding. Fatigued by the mental strain of it all and heavy on his feet, he failed twice in a heavy defeat. So began a sequence in which Rogers struggled mightily for “form”, the often elusive marriage of technique and temperament.With Victoria at home, Rogers found it very difficult initially to find his batting rhythm. He dug in at the crease but without any real flow, eventually cajoling himself into some sort of touch with 88 and 117 against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. But he was out twice cheaply in the final match before the Gabba Test, and fell rapidly again on the first morning of the series.At this point, there may have been the first murmurings about his place emerging in the more hyperactive corners of the media. On the second day of the Gabba Test, Rogers walked out with David Warner after Mitchell Johnson had torn a gaping hole in England’s batting. Early wickets were imperative for the tourists, who were not yet the listless lot that trudged around the MCG. Barely middling a ball, Rogers hung around for 94 key minutes to add 67 with a far more fluent Warner.There was a first innings contribution in Adelaide, despite fluency remaining elusive. A batting session with Justin Langer in Perth provided some impetus to move forward, then a hare-brained run out in Perth while looking strong stalled Rogers’ progress. Nonetheless, he persevered, with scores of 54, 61 and 116 reflecting the sort of upward curve any batsman would cherish.For Di Venuto, Rogers’ series is a pointer to the likes of Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke and George Bailey that there is more than one way to make runs. A strong Australian first innings at the SCG, or in South Africa beyond, cannot come to pass without a few ugly 50s and 60s to go alongside the bristling century of the man who finds form on the day.”Our first innings definitely needs to improve and that’s something we’ve talked about regularly,” Di Venuto said. “All the batters are in form, all the batters are scoring runs, it’s just a matter of putting it together in that first innings, which is so important in the game. It sets the match up.”So we’ve been lucky this series where Brad Haddin’s been outstanding and come to the rescue of the top order in every first innings so far, but we don’t want to get into a situation where we’re relying on Brad Haddin to drag us out of trouble every time. Hopefully it’s a matter of guys going out there, building partnerships and getting runs on the board.”Whether he is in decent touch or well out of it, Rogers can be expected to contribute.