They have been loyal even during the side’s more abject failures. And their faith is being tested some more

Madiha Khan26-Mar-2014Choice of game
Bangladesh v West Indies, the first game of the host team, my team, in the World Twenty 20 Super 10s. It is a fact that Bangladesh are going through a rough patch, possibly one of the worst patches of their cricketing history so far. The have disappointed before, they might disappoint again. But at the end of the day, Bangladesh is my country. How can I not put my belief in them?Key performer
Before the match, a thunderstorm was expected, as was a Gayle Storm. Neither arrived. Chris Gayle looked happy playing dot balls and rotating the strike, while his opening partner took charge of the run rate. Dwayne Smith scored four successive boundaries in one of Sohag Gazi’s overs, two successive fours in another. He seemed to enjoy the spin bowling as he took 11 off Sabbir Rahman’s over. Mahmudullah finally managed to take his wicket, but not before he too was hit for a six and a four. Smith finished with 72 off 43 balls.It is also worth mentioning that even though Chris Gayle ended up scoring a run-a-ball 48 runs, when Smith was dismissed he had only scored 19 runs off 28 deliveries. From then on he went on to hit two more sixes and three fours to maintain the run rate above eight.One thing you’d have changed
Multiple catches were dropped, boundaries were not saved, wickets were thrown away. I also thought the right bowling changes were not made in the first innings; Shakib could have been brought on earlier to try to break the partnership; Ziaur Rahman, who took one wicket and produced two other chances in the single over he bowled, was only brought on at the back end of the innings.Wow moment

Everything except for a stunner of a catch that Tamim Iqbal took went wrong for Bangladesh. He took a one-handed catch, flying to his right to send back Dwayne Bravo for a duck. Not that it made much of a difference in the context of the game, but his effort was excellent.Shot of the day
A flat six that Smith hit off Al-Amin Hossain to deep square leg.Crowd meter
As you’d expect for a World T20 game in a cricket-crazy nation, the stands were packed. The supporters manage to put the past in the past and find it worth their while to come back their team every single time. Or perhaps it is just the pleasure of watching a World T20 game live? Maybe the spectators arrive in numbers simply to dance in the aisles, spend time with friends and sing the national anthem altogether.Overall
The entire experience of this match was disappointing and frustrating. From the word go things were going wrong for Bangladesh. Mashrafe Mortaza started the match with five wides. That negativity lasted for the entire duration of the match for Bangladesh. By the end of it, I had given up hope. From the way they have been performing I don’t see Bangladesh winning any match in the near future. Unless, by some miracle all their issues are addressed and the team as we knew it makes a comeback.

Plays of the day from the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals

Devashish Fuloria29-Apr-2014The over
Rajasthan Royals had made slow progress to be 25 for 1 at the end of five overs before receiving a boost in the sixth – the last over of the Powerplay – as Morne Morkel leaked 20 runs. But apart from a wide delivery that cost his team three runs, he didn’t do much wrong. Morkel’s second delivery was slogged through mid-on by Sanju Samson without much timing, the third went to the fine-leg boundary off the inside half of the bat, the fifth was top-edged to fine-leg boundary again and the last teased the fielder to the midwicket boundary.The replacement
Shakib Al Hasan was included over Chris Lynn for his value as a wily bowler and he bowled an economical spell of 4-0-23-1. But fielding is where Knight Riders would have missed Lynn. The other night, he took a screamer at the boundary to win them a match. A similar chance flew off Ajinkya Rahane’s bat towards Shakib at deep midwicket. Unfortunately, Shakib misjudged it completely, first running in, then, only managing to get a hand. Had he jumped, he could have taken the catch. The shot went for six runs.The boundary
Hitting a four is a non-event for most top-order batsmen. But not if you are Gautam Gambhir. Since April 4, he had played five matches – four of them in this IPL – and had just a single run. The wait for a boundary – for any runs really – must have been excruciating for Gambhir. He came close to getting there in the first over of the Knight Riders’ innings as he pulled Stuart Binny to deep square leg and made it eventually in the second over, to his relief, punching one through point. The first one was followed by a confident one in the third over – a one-bounce four through midwicket – and finally the monkey was off his back.The referral
Jacques Kallis quickly put his bat under his shoulder and walked off after getting a faint inside edge to the wicketkeeper off a Shane Watson delivery. He didn’t wait for the umpire to raise his finger. Fortunately for him, he got immediate return on his ‘being honest’ policy as the replays showed the bowler had overstepped.The knock
In an age where the fielders and bowlers appeal for anything close, it was strange to hear silence follow a loud woody knock as the ball flew past the outside edge of Kallis’ bat. The wicketkeeper had his hands on his head, the slip fielder had the same expression and the bowler too had despair writ on his face. The sound was heard loud and clear in the replays too with the only thing being close to the ball being the bat.

Pressure is supposed to be an impediment to executing your skills. It hacks away and blunts it. Not for Virat Kohli

Abhishek Purohit in Dhaka04-Apr-2014Why is it nearly always him? Why is it he is who is nearly always standing out there at the end of a victorious chase? There are others in this story, of course. There always are others. There is always a supporting cast. There is space even in this format for an opening dash. Likewise, there is also space for a closing sprint. But why is it he who nearly always runs and wins the marathon, for which there is a space even in the shortest format. Why does a high-pressure chase in a world tournament semi-final appear like an algorithm being executed at Virat Kohli’s command?He goes at a strike-rate of 163.63 and still, scores comfortably more than half his runs in singles and twos. He says a single is as important as a six in a format where run a ball is universally considered slow. A format in which the defending champions think only sixes matter. He does not hit his first till his 17th delivery, but that does not stop him from already logging more than run a ball by then. Notice the timing of that six. It comes immediately after a partnership has ended, and the opposition is looking to tighten things. But it does not come against the specialist bowler. He does it against the part-timer.The closing sprinter does his job in the matter of an over. But the marathon is still going on. The opposition’s best bowler will bowl two of the last three overs. Now there is no question of picking bowlers like it was earlier. So the best fast bowler in the world is taken for two fours in an over. Flicked over midwicket. Charged at and carved over point.Skill. High-quality skill. Skill that nearly always comes good under pressure, when it is dearly needed to. Pressure is supposed to be an impediment to executing your skill. It an impediment for most. It hacks away at your skill, blunts it, even though it has been honed over years and years and seems as natural as eating.This format can blunt your skills even further with its everything-or-nothing, ultra-condensed nature. Look at what happened to Pakistan and West Indies, powerful, explosive sides both. They to chase big runs or the tournament was over for them. They just bottled up. Forget going down swinging, they could not even summon themselves to make a decent attempt. The pressure had blunted them so much.Here we have a man who does the very opposite. Pressure sharpens his skills. It gives him an extreme, eerie clarity of mind. He talks lucidly about continuing to pick up singles and twos to avoid that “rush of blood”, that screaming instinct which will implore you to hit a boundary every time you play a couple of dot balls in T20. So what does he do? He just cuts off the dot balls completely.Kohli faced 44 deliveries, of which three were dots. The first one was the first delivery he faced, a 145 kph lifter that nearly every batsman hopeful of batting for any length of time would play out safely. The second one, his 25th, was a superb slow bouncer which he tried to get away, but only managed an inside edge. The third, his 39th, was a quick outswinger that he tried to drive, but was beaten.

India have chased four times this World T20. Three times Kohli has been there when the winning runs were hit with scores of 36*, 57* and 72*.

Astonishing as just three dots in a 44-ball innings are, at least two of them were not intentional from Kohli, and the one that was intentional was also quite a wise choice. So barring that first ball, at no point during his knock was Kohli’s intent to not score runs.And just like his skills are sharpened under pressure, so is his intent. We do not need to peer into the make-up of his innings to know that. This intent business is always overpowering, in-your-face coming from Kohli, although he might want to temper a few manifestations of it when he becomes the captain. Kicking a ball in anger because a team-mate misfields. Waving his bat in frustration if his batting partner, a quite senior one at that, turns down a second run. Pumping his fist when he hits a boundary, especially the ones that appear to come at exactly the moment a big shot is required. Celebrating with raw passion after he has tamed another chase.India have chased four times this World T20. Three times Kohli has been there when the winning runs were hit with scores of 36*, 57* and 72*. The fourth time, by the time he fell he had practically ended the match with his 54. Why? Why is it him again and again and again?”Is that a valid question?” he says, before laughing, and then responding. “I think anyone in the world does the same things. Cricket is played more between your ears than your technique. If you can mentally be strong then you can tell yourself to stay on the wicket.”Today, till about 20 runs, I didn’t hit a boundary. It’s about staying patient and staying calm and not thinking about how many runs or balls are remaining. It is important to back yourself which I think everybody does with time. Once you start scoring runs you start believing in yourself more. That’s something I try to do and try to keep myself in that zone. There is no secret. Everyone wants to do well, everyone wants to score.”Which is what the point is. Everyone wants to, but he is able to, much more than many others are. Like tonight, when there was an able supporting cast. And there was King Kohli.

Sanjay Manjrekar analyses the strengths and weaknesses of India’s top-order contenders touring England

Sanjay Manjrekar05-Jul-2014In spite of not having a sound technique, Shikhar Dhawan has shown some discipline with the way he batted in New Zealand. Avoiding driving the ball early on and being cautious while playing the short ball will work well for him in England.When M Vijay plays Test cricket, he becomes more of a defensive opening batsman, which helped him succeed to an extent in South Africa. The willingness to leave balls alone outside the off stump has been serving him well. His front-foot movement is circumspect, but avoiding playing the ball on the up at the start of his innings should help him notch a couple of substantial innings on the tour.Making a comeback is never easy, but Gautam Gambhir can take heart from the fact that he’s got hard-earned runs on overseas tours. Judging the length accurately to leave balls outside the off stump well should help him preserve his wicket and gain confidence as his innings progresses. With his experience as an opener and ability to play spin well, he could get a look-in in the middle order if circumstances prevail.Decisive footwork, playing the ball with soft hands, and tremendous concentration levels have helped shaped Cheteshwar Pujara’s career thus far. Lack of pace in English conditions could hamper his ability to rotate strike, which he should look to improve upon. With no glaring weakness in technique and a huge appetite for runs, there is no reason why Pujara should not succeed in England.

Great weather, good pitch, strong start from the home side, superb fightback from the visitors. Lord’s. The perfect day

Sudhindra Prasad18-Jul-2014Choice of game
I have been at Lord’s Tests in the past, but never on Day 1 which invariably falls on a work day. But this time I wanted to be a part of the special day, and I was in luck since I got tickets allotted by the MCC lottery.Team supported
India all the way. But being a cricket lover, I was also looking to witness the class of Alastair Cook and James Anderson, as well as the exciting new talent in Joe Root, Gary Ballance etc. Anderson did not disappoint.Key performer
Ajinkya Rahane by a long margin. He battled through the tough second session and made most of the opportunities in the third. Though there is a lot of cricket left to be played in this Test, I feel the extra 100 added to the score will play a huge role in determining the outcome of the game.Face-off I relished
Plunkett v Rahane. During the second session, Plunkett was beating the bat very often with his measured outswing. Rahane was lucky to survive that duel. Captain Cook set a rather intriguing leg side field for a seemingly Mitchell Johnson type of attack. However, that ended up playing into the hands of Rahane, who was well set by then.My Accessories
None of my usual India ’99 Cricket World Cup Jersey, Indian scarf, tri-colour paint, flaming headgear / hairdo, bugle etc. were on, since I was invited by a MCC member for a tour of the pavilion (Read: Formal attire only). So, it was just a suit for the day and I had to dig into my tie collection to pull out a rare 1983 Prudential World Cup tie, to proudly display India’s greatest achievement to date at the Home of Cricket. My iPad had to go along to type down my Fan following report.Close encounter (also generation gap)
On their way back from the nursery ground, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes were caught by autograph-hunting kids. One individual sat on the first row of the Edrich Lower stand – the former England player, Nick Knight, who was taking a break from his hospitality duties. I went over and sat next to him and had a nice time talking about the current India and England teams. The kids eventually found out and were all over Nick for selfies, the new autograph.Shot of the day

That six by Rahane, which was a very good shot. As he was three maximums away from his century, someone in the crowd screamed out to him to get three sixes. Almost on cue, Rahane belted out a surprise maximum.Crowd meter

Normal service was restored with Indian supporters looked increasingly worried at the fall of each India wicket. I say normal service since less than two weeks ago, Lord’s had witnessed Indian supporters screaming out “Colly, Colly” on his hat-trick delivery after he had dismissed that man, Rahul Dravid for a golden duck.Hardship factor
The Mound, the grand and upper sections of Compton and Edrich stands were subject to scorching sunshine all through the day. It was a glorious day for cricket alright, but probably a bit too hot for some patrons and there were constant announcements for spectators to keep themselves well hydrated. Shelter for the Compton and Edrich upper stands on the cards?Songs and chants
On noticing a steady improvement in strokeplay from Cheteshwar Pujara, the Indian supporters started off singing “La La La La, La La La La, Che Pujara” to the tune of “La La La La, La La La La, Say goodbye”. After a second rendition of the tune, Pujara was spectacularly castled by Ben Stokes. Needless to say, the English supporters sang the original to bid the batsman goodbye.Tests v ODIs
I strongly feel that there is enough space and reason for both formats to co-exist. Personally I like Tests more than any other format. Just the ebb and flow of today’s play, with batting collapses, excellent seam bowling, and a good lower-order fightback, provided ample evidence of how exciting Test match cricket can be.TV v stadium
The preparation as a cricket fan starts with having to look for ticket sales, grab them, make travel plans with friends and family, book accommodation, plan the required accessories, the anticipation, the banter, braving the weather and the overly strict security at the ground entrance, the joy of victory and celebrating with unknown fellow fans, stopping the chants just before the point of delivery so as not to miss the action, the food and beer lines, the souvenir shops, the friends made in the stands and so on. All that experience is worth the effort. Stadium trumps TV, any day of the year!Marks out of 10
10. Great weather at Lord’s, nice seaming pitch, good start by England, an excellent fightback by the under-rated Rahane and Jimmy on song. The good performances and fight by both teams will stay in memory for a long time to come.Want to do a Fan Following report? Read our FAQ here

In between ICC events and India series’, Australia provide Zimbabwe Cricket with a rare chance to boost its coffers; that’s what it is looking to do during the upcoming tri-series, but it’s not that straightforward

Firdose Moonda in Harare07-Aug-2014Among the myriad myths attached to Zimbabwe, those that concern money stand out most.In the 1800s, explorers who came across the Great Zimbabwe ruins believed they had found the city of Ophir, home to King Soloman’s Mines. Only the absence of gold would have told them they had not. More than two hundred years later, wheelbarrows filled with cash could create the impression of wealth. In reality all they could buy was a loaf of bread. Similarly cricket in Zimbabwe operates under various states of illusions about its financial viability, which will be in the spotlight over the next month as it hosts South Africa and Australia.Less than two weeks ago, there were fears Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) was headed for monetary meltdown. Again. Peter Chingoka’s stepping down as chairman after a more than two-decade reign, the culling of a domestic franchise and the restructuring of some parts of the administration all aroused suspicions of a looming financial crisis.The casual observer would know nothing of those concerns because at first glance nothing seems amiss at Harare Sports Club. The outfield is a lush green, as though it had been kissed with summer rainfall for months. The last cloudburst in Zimbabwe’s capital was experienced in May, which tells you how much work the groundstaff has been doing.Just beyond the boundary, a trench is being dug in which a fibre-optic cable will be planted in the next 24 hours, providing Harare Sports Club with a high-speed connection to the outside world. The clubhouse itself is having a small refurbishment on one side while its restaurant, these days called the Centurion, will have a relaunch party in a week’s time. One of Zimbabwe’s most prominent musicians, Oliver Mtukudzi, an artist who does not come cheaply, is the headline act for the event.All this is in fact a mirage through which a struggling ZC may be able to portray that not much is wrong. Harare Sports Club and the Centurion are not ZC entities but the administration is looking to use them to boost its own image and, possibly, its coffers over the next month.ZC will charge spectators the usual US$1 or US$2 if they want to occupy a seat anywhere in the ground for the Test but are considering hiking up entry fees for the tri-series which will also include Australia. Tickets for those ODIS which usually cost US$5 could be put up to US$7.All the gate-takings belong to ZC, including those for the Centurion, which the establishment has always handed over. However, insiders have indicated management could resist the US$7 fee because it considers it unreasonable and does not want to be used by ZC in an attempt to boost revenue. The Centurion has threatened to close its doors if ZC does not relent and allow fans in for the usual US$5 fee. ZC may get around that by erecting a temporary stand in front of the pub, effectively blocking patrons from seeing the match but allowing more spectators in to do the same.All this may seem like a big fuss over very little because crowd figures are generally low, but that may not be the case this time. The Test kicks off as school holidays begin and will be played over a weekend and two public holidays, which should attract many spectators. Similarly, the tri-series will take place with children on vacation, and both South Africa and Australia are expected to be major draw-cards. Add to that that Zimbabwe will not host cricket for another year and you can see why ZC wants to cash in while the opportunity presents itself.According to a proposed FTP, of which ESPNcricinfo has a copy, after this tour Zimbabweans will only see more international cricket next July, when they are scheduled to play India for three ODIs and a T20, and New Zealand for the same number of matches. The India visit will be the next money-making exercise for ZC at home and will likely tide the board over for a few months, as it did when India visited for five ODIs last year.Before that, ZC will receive money from next year’s World Cup, which is expected to provide the cushion for it to finance the game for a while. But in between ICC events and India visits, ZC’s only other opportunity to make money, like most cricket countries, is when Australia or England tour. Because the latter have political reasons for not being able to visit Zimbabwe, Australia is their only other cash cow, with South Africa being a break-even tour. Now that the cow is turning up, albeit only to play in a fifty-over tri-series which will last little over two weeks, ZC wants to milk it for all it is worth while it has the chance.

A cheat sheet to help the visitor understand the idiosyncrasies of the New Zealand sports fan in his natural environment

Paul Ford15-Dec-2014

The basics

Sobriquets: If you hear that you’re in Aotearoa, Godzone, Land of the Long White Cloud or God’s Own Country, don’t freak out. You’re not lost: these are all nicknames for New Zealand. You should also know that when you hear the word kiwi, it may be referencing the flightless bird, a person from NZ, a furry fruit, or the New Zealand dollar.Flags: Do understand the differences between the New Zealand flag and the Australian flag. Both are blue and have a Union Jack in the top left corner. The NZ edition has four red stars, representing the or Southern Cross constellation. The Aussie version has six white stars.Teams: Heaps of New Zealand sporting teams have a moniker that includes the word black or silver: All Blacks (rugby), Black Caps (cricket), Silver Ferns (netball), Black Sox (softball), Iron Blacks (gridiron), Black Sticks (hockey), Black Ferns (women’s rugby), Black Fins (surf lifesaving), Wheel Blacks (wheelchair rugby), Tall Blacks (basketball) and Blackjacks (bowls). Things famously went off the rails when New Zealand badminton rolled the dice and tried to become the Black Cocks. It didn’t last long.Geography: There are two main islands: the North Island and the South Island, which are separated by a challenging strip of water (and a bloody expensive one to cross by boat or plane) called the Cook Strait. The latter is often referred to as the Mainland as it is larger in size. It is also perceived as tougher and less posh. You will blow locals’ minds if you can name any other islands in our island nation such as Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, Great Barrier Island, d’Urville Island or Waiheke Island.Don’t say: “You mean those rocks south of Australia are a country?”•UniversalImagesGroupPrime minister: Our PM is a bloke called John Key, recently re-elected for a third three-year term. He once hit Shane Warne for three boundaries in a low-intensity charity cricket match at the Basin Reserve. “Be gentle, son,” he told Warne, and the eccentric Australian tweaker obliged.

Cricket culture

Criticising the Black Caps is a national sport: The team have been whipping boys in the eyes of the sporting public for large periods of their history. Like most NZ sporting teams, they suffer from a sporting milieu dominated by the All Blacks, the national rugby team who have won 75% of their matches over the past 111 years. To get on this bandwagon, say things like: “No consistency…”, “The top order is so brittle…”, “If only we had a guy like Hadlee…”Keep an eye out for the eighties mafia: The decent New Zealand team of the 1980s are still floating around in many cricket circles, making their presence felt and talking about things back in their day (when medallions and moustaches were rife). There are some from the era who are less than keen for the current crop to eclipse their achievements in the heyday of one-day cricket.Chris Cairns: The most controversial man in New Zealand cricket. There is a pro-Cairns camp and an anti-Cairns camp. You probably want to walk the tightrope and stay out of the raging arguments and just describe the match-fixing allegations fiasco as a sad episode and a blight on the game. Especially in Canterbury.The guy in the crowd holding a kiwi: That is Sonny Shaw and he is both an obsessive cricket fan and a peculiar individual. He aims to position himself at each game to get on TV as much as possible, and he’s got a back story with some skeletons. Approach with care.The underarm: Never forgive, never forget. This is the reason so many New Zealand cricket fans still hate Australia. That and the procession of plonkers who followed in the Chappells’ footsteps: Greg Matthews, Dean Jones, Greg Dyer, Brad Haddin…The two types of spectator attire at New Zealand grounds•Getty Images1992 World Cup legacy: It was the perfect tournament in so many ways, and cricket gripped New Zealand on the back of Martin Crowe’s magnificent batting and captaincy, Mark Greatbatch’s red-line tonking, and the strangulation techniques of Gavin Larsen and Dipak Patel with the ball. Swot up what happened in this tournament because New Zealand cricket fans will be discussing this ad nauseum.Eric Tindill: To demonstrate your staggering sporting awareness, ensure you know the story of Snowy Tindill – the only man to have completed a truly extraordinary double double: playing cricket and rugby for New Zealand and also refereeing international rugby and umpiring a cricket Test. Legend.Alternative commentary: There is no doyen commentator in New Zealand. On the TV, portly wicketkeeping legend Ian Smith is the main man, and on radio it is the long-toothed, short-legged and high-pantsed Bryan Waddle. In recent summers, the ACC’s cult cricket commentary has emerged too, appealing to those who like a bit of innuendo and risqué discussion with their ball-by-ball.

Slang: what you’ll hear and what to say

“Bring back Buck” A reference to former All Black captain and notorious hard man Wayne “Buck” Shelford who was dropped from the team despite never losing a match as captain. Signs with this phrase on it pop up at sporting events all over the world.“BYC” That’s backyard cricket, the great Kiwi summer pastime. Halls, lawns, beaches, parks, roads – anywhere really. In high-end BYC the tennis ball is taped on one side for swing.“Cackhanded” Left-handed like Jesse Ryder or James Franklin.“Chilly bin” Compulsory at all cricket matches except stadiums with over-exuberant rules. It’s an esky or insulated plastic box for keeping food and drink chilled.“Choice” This is not about decision-making – it’s an expression that means very good. Example: “Corey Anderson’s $98 haircut is choice.”“Chunder” To vomit. Example: “Jesse doesn’t look well, reckon he might chunder?”“Eh” Pronounced “ay”. It is often used at the end of sentences to turn a statement into a question. Example: “It sucks that the beers here are $11, eh?” It is also used as a substitute for “pardon” or “what”.Be prepared for plenty of ’80s nostalgia•Getty Images“Hard case” A person who is funny. Example: “That Mattress McCullum, he’s a hard case.”“Hissy fit”/”Wobbly”/”Pack a sad” Throw a tantrum. Example: “Look at Mitchell Johnson over there having a hissy fit.”“Jandal” Rubber sandals, default footwear for a day at a cricket ground with an embankment or heading to the beach.“L&P” A unique New Zealand drink that combines lemon flavour with spring water from the North Island town of Paeroa.“Loo” The toilet. The best one in NZ cricket is at the Basin Reserve, where you can keep an eye on the cricket from the urinal at the southern end.“Pakeha” A Maori word referencing a Caucasian/European New Zealander. It’s not offensive.“Piece of piss” Easy. Example: “Beating South Africa in a World Cup knockout match is a piece of piss.”“Scarfie” A university student, probably from Otago Uni in Dunedin.“Sweet as” This simply means something is good. Example: “Daniel Vettori’s running style is sweet as.”“Zed” The way we say the 26th letter of the alphabet.

Plays of the day from the fifth ODI in Ranchi

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Nov-2014The mix upBoth Ambati Rayudu and Virat Kohli have been involved in run-outs stemming from miscommunication this series, and together they contrived perhaps the worst mix up of the series, when both batsmen had looked set to make big scores. Kohli bottom-edged a ball from Shaminda Eranga in the 28th over, and though it seemed headed toward third man, Dinesh Chandimal made a good diving stop from behind the stumps. Rayudu had already committed to the run though, and had sped almost to the strikers’ crease before realising that a stationary Kohli had not responded to his call. He turned and sprinted in the other direction, but Eranga had collected the throw and taken the bails off long before he made his ground. Kohli was apologetic as Rayudu trudged back to the dressing room.The superman diveHaving scored 139 not out and removed both openers, Angelo Mathews was taking India on almost on his own, but there was more to come. He had made a misfield in the early overs, but his hands were safe when there was more on the line. Robin Uthappa had just begun to warm to his work when he failed to control a flick off Ajantha Mendis in the 34th over. The ball was some distance from Mathews at short midwicket, and dipping low in its trajectory, but Mathews flung himself forward and to his right, intercepting the ball ten centimeters from the turf while completely horizontal.The pushKohli’s on-side game was typically strong on Sunday, but it was a stroke through the off side that confirmed he was in century-making touch. Eranga sent a length ball down to him just outside off stump in the 12th over, and as the ball did not deserve punishment, Kohli merely slinked close to it and pushed firmly to the left of cover. The timing was so good, and the placement so perfect, it was clear the shot would bring four before it had even beaten the infield.The death stareHaving already expressed contrition when he ran Rayudu out, Kohli went through a wide range of human emotions as Sri Lanka began to exert pressure through the middle overs. He had been visibly disappointed at Kedar Jadav’s dismissal, and though he experienced joy when he completed his 21st ton in the 43rd over, he was irate in the 44th. Stuart Binny charged Mendis first ball, and was stumped comfortably. If Binny had turned his eyes towards his captain on the way back, he would have been met with a glare as harsh as any India player has worn in the series.The impersonationIf it is a close finish for India, generally MS Dhoni is at the crease, to oversee the approach, then deliver the final shellacking. In Dhoni’s absence though, Kohli provided a near stroke-perfect imitation. When Ajantha Mendis pitched one full in the penultimate over, Kohli cleared his front leg, whipped his wrists through the shot and sent the ball high over the long on fence, as he completed the helicopter-follow through to boot. Three balls later, Kohli launched Mendis over long-on again, closing out the chase in Dhoni style. The detail that rounded off that finish did not escape Kohli either: “Playing in MS’ hometown that was a perfect finish for us,” he said at the presentation. The only thing that would have made the impersonation more precise, was if he had taken the game into the final over, and perhaps struck the sixes off Shaminda Eranga, as Dhoni did in the Caribbean last year.

Like many other destructive batsmen, he has quick hands. Unlike them, he plays the field set for him, not the bowler

Aakash Chopra10-Feb-2015What are the chances of seeing, even in a T20 game, a reverse sweep being played by a batsman to a ball pitched a couple of feet outside leg? While the shot is often lucrative towards the end of an innings, how many batsmen would be audacious enough to try it if there were more overs left in the game than had been bowled?Glenn Maxwell is one such player who is rewriting the rules of batting in the shorter formats of the game. The shot mentioned above was played against R Ashwin in Kings XI Punjab’s first IPL game last year. ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary described it in this way:

3.2 Ashwin to Maxwell, FOUR, no need to get your eye in, just pull out that reverse sweep and drag the carrom ball from way outside leg stump to the point boundary. That is just a top shot.

Maxwell played a few more fours after that one, with equal success.Still, there are a few batsmen who, in spite of being phenomenally good in T20, find it tough to translate that success to the 50-over game, for they simply do not have the game to take on quality bowlers who aren’t hamstrung by being able to bowl only four overs a game. Most batsmen who are T20 successes are lethal against lesser bowlers, and reasonably aggressive against better bowlers, but if a quality bowler is allowed to have an extended spell against them, they are found out. However, though Maxwell is not a runaway success in ODIs yet, his knock against England in the tri-series final and against India in the warm-up game are a fair indicator of what to expect from him in the World Cup. While he might not be the standout performer for Australia – he plays in a side with proven match-winners in it, and bats too low to make a regular impact – he is likely to play a few crucial knocks when they matter.Some of his more outrageous shots may work in the IPL but not on the faster pitches and bigger grounds of Australia•BCCIMaxwell, like a lot of modern batsmen, has quick hands that allow him to generate great bat speed. It’s a quality that’s needed if you aren’t built like Chris Gayle or Kieron Pollard. There’s no substitute for hitting the ball hard once it gets old and the field spreads. While there’s still a lot of merit in putting the ball in gaps and running hard, 300-plus in an ODI and 200-plus in a T20 can’t be achieved without hitting fours and sixes, and Maxwell is good at it.What makes Maxwell different from most players is the fact that he doesn’t play the bowler or the ball that is bowled to him but the field that has been set for him. Once he’s reasonably confident about his form on the day, his choice of strokes is totally a reaction to where the fielders are. The reverse sweep I mentioned earlier was a result of the point fielder being inside the circle to Ashwin. So Maxwell had to either beat the inner ring or hit over it. Yes, there’s still a lot of risk because of the lack of complete control while playing a reverse sweep, because of the angles involved, but Maxwell isn’t one to fuss over percentages.That’s another quality most batsmen who pull off these unorthodox shots share – they are completely convinced that they will pull it off almost every single time. Virender Sehwag would play Muttiah Muralitharan against the spin all the time with a conviction that the ball wouldn’t go through the gap between bat and pad. If it did, he’d consider it an aberration and play against the spin again when Murali came on. Sometimes you envy these players’ mindsets; most “thinking” cricketers spend their time wondering about what will happen if they don’t connect.If the third-man fielder is inside the circle, it is almost a given that Maxwell will attempt a reverse sweep sooner rather than later. If the point fielder is inside to a fast bowler, Maxwell will attempt an inside-out shot, backing away. The good thing about playing the gaps is that he doesn’t need to hit a 70-yard shot every time, and since he only needs to clear the 30-yard circle, he doesn’t hit the ball too hard, which means he can maintain shape on most occasions. Reading the field also gives you an insight into the bowler’s plan. For example, if the third-man and fine-leg fielders are inside the circle, the bouncer is out of the question; instead a slower one is much more likely. If the mid-off fielder is inside the circle to a fast bowler, you don’t expect full balls.Opposition captains are likely to find success if they bounce him soon as he walks in•Getty ImagesObviously it’s not easy to reverse-sweep a fast bowler, or to hit him down the ground if it is short, but the rewards are worth the risk. There’s a bit of criticism about Maxwell sometimes throwing his wicket away when ten to 12 overs are left in the game, but that’s the nature of the beast. You can’t play high-risk, low-percentage cricket and score big hundreds regularly. Also, given his batting position, he’s not really required to score hundreds; his job is to maximise the scoring potential.While there are many things that are going Maxwell’s way at the moment, teams might want to look at the chinks in his game.For starters, he isn’t 100% comfortable against good quick bouncers, so opposition attacks may want to look at using the big grounds in Australia to lay traps. Maxwell gets away with playing attacking shots against bouncers in the IPL because of the slower pitches and smaller grounds, but he might get into trouble if he tries the same things in Australia. It won’t be a bad idea to throw the ball to your fastest bowler when Maxwell walks in.The second ball that’s likely to work is the yorker. Targeting the nose and toes is fairly established as a successful tactic in the death overs, but with Maxwell you cannot afford to wait till the death overs, because he gets going as soon as he walks in to bat. If you allow him to find his feet, chances are you’ll end up paying a huge price.

For the fans, an India-Pakistan match isn’t just a game of cricket, but a communal life experience. It’s a memory they will either loathe or cherish for the rest of their lives

Jarrod Kimber in Adelaide15-Feb-2015Blue, with a streak of green. It is unmistakable.Everywhere you look, the colours of the country are on show. The longer you look, you start noticing the green dots amid the blue ocean. Green and blue is on everyone, everywhere.The entire ground is dressed in colours. One man wears an Indian flag court jester hat, a traditional Indian vest over an Indian cricket shirt. One young Pakistani seems to be wearing two Pakistan shirts. A mother straightens the Indian shirt of a little girl in her sling. There is a group of fans who have come from Zimbabwe, they wear a shirt of their own design, part India, part Zimbabwe. An older woman wears a fashionable green skirt, which is the exact same colour of the Pakistan 99 World Cup kit.One man claims to have not worn his India shirt in 30 years. This despite the fact that he does not even look 30, and that coloured shirts weren’t really available then.Sports fans love a uniform. Sports fans love to belong. This isn’t about sport. This is about identity. This isn’t about sport, or citizenship or even nationality. This is about culture. The India or Pakistan on the chest is a statement of who they are. What they are. Their colour. Them.”The spirit of this game”, according to Karl Telfer of the Kaurna Clan “unites us”.It has united them right here in Adelaide. People have come from Singapore, Mumbai, Denver, Lahore, London, San Francisco, Melbourne, Sydney, Florida, Dallas, Michigan and Mombasa. Not for the glory of cricket, but for the glory of India and Pakistan.The crowd is made up of dental practitioners, accountants, CEOs, CTOs and engineers. Some have paid over six-hundred dollars just to come over from Sydney. One man tells me, “Oh, thousands, I couldn’t even add it all up, and I’m only seeing this one game”.This one game.”I’ve come from Dallas”, says one woman. Are you going to another game? “No, just this one”. Her husband then tells her she is going to another game. There are no other games.India and Pakistan fans in raptures ahead of the game. Only one group will still be smiling eight hours later•ICCThere are two types of fans here, and they are often sitting together. A smart dressed man in a turban and smart casual light blue shirt sits next to his mate who is dressed in a Pakistan shirt. The Pakistani fan proudly tells me that he came all the way from Singapore for this game, and that if Pakistan weren’t playing India, he wouldn’t have bothered making the trip. His friend in the smart shirt is from Mumbai, and he would have come regardless. Mr Mumbai is a cricket fan, Mr Singapore is an India-Pakistan fan.There is a difference. Aman has flown in from Melbourne. Recently, he took his mother to see India play Australia in Tests. She was bored and showed no interest. He tells me that she is loving today. She doesn’t know about the hashtags of #realfinal, or #wewontgiveitback.She doesn’t know about Mohit Sharma’s late call-up or why Umar Akmal is keeping . She doesn’t know any of the players. She doesn’t need to. For her – for many, in fact – this isn’t about the players. After the game, she won’t be starting Facebook memes about Suresh Raina or RTing funny photos of Pakistanis. She will just be happy or sad.Many in the crowd are like this. They cheer a ball that Dhawan has played horribly, because it gets a run. The quality of a Pakistani wicket doesn’t change the sound made by the fans.There are children here as well. Prams are carried up the stairs to seats high up in the stands. The children are too young to understand where they are, or what they are watching. A two-year-old clutches at his father with his hand over his face. He will hardly see a ball. He wouldn’t understand even if he did. Every Pakistani cheer startles him. Every Indian cheer terrifies him. In years to come, his dad will proudly tell him, “You were there”. The memory will be implanted if it has to be.The new generation isn’t like the last. The younger people don’t have the same level of animosity. They want their team to win. They want it passionately. Loudly. But half of the crowd seems to have at least one friend from the rival-colour clan. A Facebook friend, or a real friend. They study with them. They work with them. They live together. They marry each other.”Of course the initial jingoism of these games has worn off on me by now”, Alokpi says. “And given how distant I feel from all the players on the Indian team, I’m not really sure I’d be able to muster enough enthusiasm to even root for India all the way in this World Cup. But put me in a room full of Indian fans watching the game and suddenly you might find me eyes bulging and yelling ecstatically, completely caught in a total frenzy.”When the national anthems are played, almost all the younger people stand for both anthems. Only a few of the older ones sit when it isn’t their anthem. The younger fans film both anthems on their smart phones. These are middle, mostly middle class. It is a different kind of fan. A different kind of fanaticism. They dance like crazy just like the old fans, but they also post to Facebook that they are dancing like crazy. They want to be part of it, they want people to know they are part of it.Away from the ground, on online forums like Reddit and Quora, people are still part of it.Adelaide Oval was shrouded in blue at the start of Pakistan’s innings•Getty Images”You can only know how deeply a single match affected the nation by being a part of it” ashi31 says. “As a muslim nation, the Pakistan cricket and prayers go hand in hand. By the sixth and seventh wicket most of us were busy praying for a miracle rather than paying attention to the match.”NiX_Nabilz writes, “When Yuvraj Singh was bowled first ball by Wahab at Mohali, you would not believe that not fire crackers, but bullets were fired in the air just like a territory has been conquered, just like a battle has been won.””Our mom came and handed over the tea to my brother as usual,” Vinesh Thota writes. “And then our god Sachin was bowled at 93 by Abdul Razzaq. He threw that tea cup out of the window and shouted I will never have tea in my life.””People who like sport remember their lives better than those who don’t,” Dan Harris explains in his piece about losing his wife and gaining the Ashes, in the magazine.Pakistan-India games are moments in people’s lives they remember forever. Chachachoudhary watched them on a 16-inch TV at a Saras milk parlour. Shriman_Ripley prayed not just for an Indian victory, but for the Indian victory that would inspire his uncle to buy him a samosa. Justarslan celebrated a victory with naan and haleem. Others had family picnics, walked out on job interviews, saw it in a basement, were the only Pakistani surrounded by 70 Indians, sat in a bar, went back home. There is also Kamalfan, who watched it in room 214 with his mate Viki. “I didn’t know he won’t be there for the next India Pak game.”A game of cricket, a communal life experience. The country remembers it, the culture remembers it, and even those who don’t know how it started feel it all.”It’s about the history, I don’t real know what actually happened, but the history is there,” a 17-year-old girl says. She tells her friend that her plan is to scream until she loses her voice. She wears her colours. She screams. She will remember this.The Indian fans raise two fists in unison as the last catch is taken. Behind the stands, many mothers stand holding sleeping children, rocking prams, and one bench has a woman stroking her two kids asleep. She cranes her neck back to look through the entrance to the main stand as the people in blue scream.This is her memory. One day it will be her kid’s memories as well. This is a cricket match. This is a moment in millions of blue and green lives. This game.