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Regardless of conditions and match-ups, the Australian setup views him as part of their best T20 XI – and he has extensive MCG experience to draw on

Danyal Rasool27-Oct-2022The skies over Melbourne have remained grey for about as long as anyone can remember now, but for Australia, there are suddenly silver linings to be had. New Zealand’s thumping win over them in Sydney might have put them on the ropes early on, but Australia staggered back to their feet with an imperious dismantling of Sri Lanka. Ireland’s stunning vanquishing of England even takes a sliver of pressure off Australia in a key match against their oldest rivals at the MCG on Friday. Crucially, it’s a game that will almost certainly see legspinner Adam Zampa, who sat out the Sri Lanka contest with Covid-19, return to the fray.”We haven’t talked about the team composition yet but Zampa’s feeling a lot better,” captain Aaron Finch said. “He’s been up and about a little bit. He was not crook but he was really flat the day before the [Sri Lanka] game and we wanted to give him as much time as possible to get up for the game but it was thought to be too much of an effort and would take too much out of him. Going into a World Cup game, you want to be at 100% and he felt as though he wasn’t so, that was the reason he pulled out, but I expect that he will be available here.”Related

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On paper, that might not necessarily be the most valuable match-up for Australia. Each of England’s top eight that played against Ireland have excellent strike rates against legspin since the start of last year; Harry Brook’s 123.15 the only one below 138. Moeen Ali’s obvious prowess against that particular type of bowling makes this an especially favourable match-up for England on paper through the late middle overs – a time when Australia tend to turn to Zampa for one to two overs. And against New Zealand, he found himself taken apart somewhat, conceding at least a four or six in each of his four overs as he went for 39.In spite of that, there’s never appeared any doubt in Australia’s mind that their best XI at this T20 World Cup is one that has Zampa in it, no matter the opponent. It was why, at the Junction Oval, where Australia trained indoors as the rain continued to lash Melbourne, Zampa bowled with the intensity of someone who knew he’d be involved against England.For all of England’s prolific record against legspin, the Australian legspinner wasn’t exactly outclassed in the two T20Is the sides played in the build-up, conceding 43 in five overs, two of which came in a game rain shortened to 12 overs each. It also included an absorbing battle with Moeen, one that saw the England batter score just seven off six balls, five of which came in the 17th over and included his wicket. In an innings that saw Moeen smash 44 off 27, Zampa had served more as a nail than a punching bag.It’s a tiny sample size, but Finch believed it was Zampa’s refusal to shirk a challenge which makes him so highly regarded against this England side.

“Zampa’s always up for the challenge and that’s the great trait that he’s got. I think he never ever backs away from a challenge. He takes it on.”Aaron Finch

“[Moeen and Zampa] have had some really good battles. Mo’s obviously an unbelievable striker of spin. But Zampa’s always up for the challenge and that’s the great trait that he’s got. I think he never ever backs away from a challenge. He takes it on. He wants to be there when they’re in the heat of battle and that’s something that that I admire so much about him. Because compared to other guys around the world, he doesn’t spin the ball as much as them but what he what he’s got is a huge heart and his cricket brain is brilliant. The amount of work that he does in the preparation for a game is outstanding.”How effective spin will be at the MCG also remains an intriguing unknown. In the game between India and Pakistan, spin disappeared so frequently it had to be hidden away till as late as possible. England, meanwhile, reaped such rich rewards with legspin they bowled three overs of Liam Livingstone against Ireland – two at the death – meaning Sam Curran, their best T20 death bowler on form, didn’t even complete his full quota.With Zampa having played more T20s at this venue than any other player from either side – he has played for the Melbourne Stars in the BBL since 2015-16 – his nous to hold his own in high-scoring tournaments should stand him in good stead. Just twice in 26 innings has he conceded more than 34 runs here, and of the maximum of 104 possible overs he could have bowled, he has sent down over 99. When Zampa plays at the MCG, Zampa bowls at the MCG – a lot.It might not be the worst time to play an England side still smarting from the defeat to Ireland, and the criticism of the rain-blind approach they took may well create further doubts in England’s minds on a day where the weather is expected to play a huge part again. Precisely the sort of doubts Adam Zampa will be itching to exploit.

Washington Sundar isn’t India’s first-choice spin-bowling allrounder but, not for the first time, showed what he can do if given an opportunity

Deivarayan Muthu28-Jan-20233:11

Washington: Being a finisher ‘demands practice’

Wickets with the ball: check. A sensational return catch: check. A half-century with the bat: check. For most parts of the T20I series opener in Ranchi, it was Washington Sundar vs New Zealand, as his captain Hardik Pandya put it at the post-match presentation.Washington might not have played this game had Ravindra Jadeja been match-fit for international cricket or if Axar Patel not taken a personal break. In their absence, Washington showed glimpses of what he is capable of, on a challenging pitch in Ranchi.The new ball gripped and turned more than the old one did. With Arshdeep Singh and Hardik bowling too full to start with in the powerplay, the captain handed the new ball to Washington for the third over. The offspinner hasn’t bowled for India in the powerplay in T20Is since March 2021, when he was dumped out of the attack by Jos Buttler in Ahmedabad. Injuries have ravaged Washington’s career since, but his new-ball smarts haven’t gone away.Related

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Washington denied New Zealand’s batters the full ball and kept hitting a hard length. All of his 24 balls were on a length or short-of-a-good length, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs. He had also immediately sussed out that the new ball was turning sharply. He used that turn to his advantage to have Finn Allen drag a catch to deep midwicket.Washington then extracted more turn to beat Mark Chapman thrice before making the incision. He cut down his pace, and got some drift to have Chapman spooning a return catch. For a moment, it seemed like the ball was swerving away from Washington’s reach, but his dolphin-bellied dive ensured that the ball ended up in his right hand.He wasn’t done yet. Washington cracked a 25-ball half-century from No. 6, his first in T20Is, to give India’s chase of 177 some late impetus. The first ball he faced was reverse-swept flat and hard from leg stump – or just outside leg stump – past short third for four. Bam!Washington Sundar is learning to blast out attacksIf you had followed Washington’s early career in Chennai, you would have been surprised by this shot. He had started his career as a top-order batter who would see off the new ball and wear down attacks. In this India side, Washington’s role is to deal with the old ball and try to blast out attacks at the death.In IPL 2022, he had been assigned a similar role by his franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad. Since then, he has been working specifically on his power-hitting. In the Indore nets, he repeatedly pumped Yuzvendra Chahal and Shahbaz Ahmed over the top.Watch India vs NZ on ESPN

You can watch the replay of the first T20I on ESPN Player in the UK and on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi in the USA.

The results of that behind-the-scenes work were on display in Ranchi. Washington regularly cleared his front leg and threw his hands, shoulder, and everything into his hits. His batting was so unfettered that at one stage he walloped two sixes and three fours in the space of seven balls.”Yes, growing up I always used to bat up the order – open or bat at No. 3 – but obviously this shift happened ever since I started to play a lot of T20 games, especially in the IPL,” Washington said at the post-match press conference. “Obviously, it demands practice. Any skillset, I feel, if you practice really hard, and if you work in the right way and in a specific way, you will eventually get it and it happened that way to me as well.”You know, I just spent a lot of hours doing what that particular skillset demands, and eventually I’m lucky I got it.”Washington Sundar slammed 50 off 28 balls in India’s unsuccessful chase•BCCIHardik Pandya: Washington ‘is a very big plus’ for IndiaIt’s not easy when you have to change your entire game and slot into a new role after having played a very different role for much of your career. Washington’s lower-order batting is still a work in progress, but his most recent knock in Ranchi and cameos in New Zealand and Bangladesh last year, in ODIs*, are proof of his adaptability and can-do mentality.Washington might still have to make way for Axar or Jadeja when they return for the home ODI series against Australia, but for now, he has two more chances in the shortest format against New Zealand to push his white-ball case.”He’s a very big plus and we’re looking for someone who can bat and bowl,” Hardik said of Washington. “The way he’s bowling and the way he’s batting gives us a lot of confidence going forward. Axar is there and he [Washington] is there right now. If these two guys keep continuing the way they’re batting, it’s going to help for the Indian team.”Since making his international debut in 2017, Washington has missed at least two World Cups because of injuries or lack of enough batting ability. He is now doing everything he can to finally get there.

KKR needed 29 to win in the last over, and Rinku targetted Yash Dayal, who ended up conceding 69 in four overs

Sampath Bandarupalli09-Apr-20234 Batters to have hit five sixes in an over in the IPL: Chris Gayle hit five in a row off Rahul Sharma in 2012, Rahul Tewatia against Sheldon Cottrell in 2020, and Ravindra Jadeja off Harshal Patel in 2021 were the previous three instances. Rinku Singh becomes the fourth player on this list after his feat against Yash Dayal.Related

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31 Runs scored by Knight Riders in the last over, the highest any team has managed in the 20th over to win a men’s T20 chase (where ball-by-ball data is available). The previous highest was 26 by Deccan Chargers against Knight Riders in 2009 when 21 runs were needed in the last over.29 Runs needed for Kolkata Knight Riders in the final over for a win against Gujarat Titans. These are the most runs any team has successfully chased in the 20th over of a men’s T20 (where ball-by-ball data is available).The previous highest was 23, achieved twice: by Sydney Sixers against Sydney Thunder in 2015, and by Rising Pune Supergiants against the erstwhile Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2016.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 Number of instances of a team scoring 30-plus runs in the 20th over of a men’s T20 chase before Knight Riders on Sunday (where ball-by-ball data is available). Somerset scored 34 against Kent in a T20 Blast game in 2015 when they needed 57 from the last over.3 Successful 200-plus chases by Knight Riders in the IPL, the joint second-most for a team, drawing level with Chennai Super Kings (3). Only Punjab Kings with four 200-plus chases are ahead of the two. The 205-target Knight Riders chased down in Ahmedabad was Knight Riders’ second highest behind the 206 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019.0.61 Win probability per ESPNCricinfo’s forecaster when Knight Riders needed 28 runs off the last five balls. After Rinku’s first four sixes, the numbers changed to 1.05, 1.98, 10.0 and 20.56, respectively.Getty Images4 Hat-tricks for Rashid Khan in T20s – the most by any bowler in the format. Rashid was level with five other bowlers on three hat-tricks prior to this game: Amit Mishra, Mohammad Sami, Andre Russell, Andrew Tye and Imran Tahir.69 Runs conceded by Yash Dayal in his four overs. These are the second-most runs conceded by a bowler in an IPL match, behind Basil Thampi’s 70 for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers in 2018.

At just 22, the India batter has played two World Cups, the Commonwealth Games, and won the inaugural WPL title, but she’s just getting started

S Sudarshanan07-Jul-20231:21

“Wicketkeeping has helped me pick deliveries out of bowlers’ hands better while batting”

Yastika Bhatia has featured in only 13 of the 35 women’s T20Is India have played since the start of 2022. Two of those were crunch matches – the Commonwealth Games final in August 2022 and the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final in February this year. While it said a bit about how Yastika fit into India’s T20I plans, it also revealed the management looks at her as someone who can hold her own under pressure.”I am still learning about how to play in that situation,” she says, ahead of India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh. “That usually comes only from experience.”In the CWG final, Yastika walked out to bat at No. 9, with India needing 17 off 11, as a replacement for the concussed Taniya Bhatia, and was the last player out for a five-ball 2. She was trapped lbw when she missed a reverse sweep against Australia’s Jess Jonassen, and India fell short by nine runs.Related

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“Anybody can sit outside and say you should have done this or that,” she reflects. “When you are inside, you know what’s going on and how to tackle the situation.”If that shot had come off and it [had] been a boundary, everybody would have said something else. I just take it in my stride, whatever has happened. My intent was to win the match for the team. That will always be there. I will always put my best foot forward, never anything else.”Tackling pressure at the international level is vastly different from that in domestic cricket, Yastika says. She scored 223 in six matches in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, 212 in six outings in the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal Trophy, and 203 in four outings in the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy in the 2022-23 season. She often stayed unbeaten in tricky chases, including in the final of the T20 Challenger Trophy for India D.Yastika doesn’t rue her missed chance in the CWG final: “If that shot had come off and it was a boundary, everybody would have said something else”•Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press”At the domestic level, if you face four dots and then if you hit a boundary on the fifth ball, you can cover up,” Yastika says. “But at the international level, you don’t get boundaries easily. You have to be on your toes from the first ball and cannot afford too many mistakes. That is what brings the best out of you. If you just play for Baroda, how would you understand your capacity? You understand that only at the international level.”Yastika is coming off a successful Women’s Premier League (WPL), where she was part of Mumbai Indians’ title-winning outfit. She formed a potent opening pair with West Indies’ Hayley Matthews, scoring 214 runs in the tournament. She flourished at the franchise under India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and a coaching set-up that made her feel valued.Head coach Charlotte Edwards’ clear message to Yastika – that she would play all games in the season – helped, giving her a “boost of confidence”, she says.”You must have seen in the WPL how that translated!” she laughs. “She gave me a lot of freedom. [Edwards said] ‘You just go out and play like a youngster would, without any pressure. There are a lot of good batters after you, so you need not just rotate strike. Just play your game and go for fours and sixes.'”At 22 and in only her second year of international cricket, Yastika has played an ODI and T20 World Cup each, the Commonwealth Games, and a Test – a checklist that many aspire to tick over a long career. She is well aware of what works for her and which of her skills she needs to hone.”If I focus on one thing, I more often than not accomplish it. That has been one of my biggest strengths since childhood and I am proud of that,” she says, reflecting on her learnings from the World Cups.”It is not always that [the expectations at world events] get fulfilled because the other team is also there [to win] after [putting in] a lot of effort. Perhaps our efforts may not be enough, and we need to do more. It is about learning from other teams or by looking at players from your own team; what they have done better, we can learn and apply [those lessons]. You only understand these once you go through those situations. Playing World Cups showed me what I am and what I need to do better. That was an important experience for my career.”Yastika was Mumbai Indians’ fourth highest run-scorer in the WPL, with 214 runs from ten games•BCCIAnd for times when things don’t go to plan, Yastika has her support system to lean on.”I vent to my parents – they listen and don’t say much, but I know they are there for me. They don’t judge me at all and are like ” [You have overcome multiple obstacles, so this is also something you can get through]. My coaches Kiran [More] sir and Santosh [Chaughule] sir help me in terms of what’s lacking in my game. For them, I am their kid.”You will treat your child the same, whether they have scored a century or a zero. Their [the coaches’] behaviour is the same and they shower me with a lot of love. That gives me belief that my support will be the same irrespective of results.”The white-ball tour to Bangladesh next month is the start of a busy season for India, one that features Tests against England and Australia, apart from white-ball series against South Africa and New Zealand. One eye will also be on the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh next year. Yastika has had a taste of it all, and she wants more of it.

Ahead of his milestone 100th ODI, Bairstow acknowledged the “ups and downs” in his journey

Matt Roller09-Oct-2023Jonny Bairstow will win his 100th ODI cap for England when they play Bangladesh in Dharamsala on Tuesday. It is an achievement he said will make him “immensely proud” and a milestone in a journey he acknowledged has not always been easy: “There’s been a few ups and downs, hasn’t there?”It has been a career of two halves in this format. Bairstow found things difficult during his first six years as an ODI cricketer, spending three years out of the side after his first seven appearances and then forcing his way into the squad more regularly, generally as batting cover for the first-choice side.But since his promotion to open the batting in 2017, firstly when Jason Roy lost form in the Champions Trophy and then when Alex Hales was suspended due to his involvement in the infamous Bristol street fight, Bairstow has become one of the world’s best. His strike rate of 107.34 as an ODI opener is unmatched in the format’s history.Related

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In that light, it might come as a surprise that Bairstow has not reached this milestone already. Six members of this England squad have more caps than him in the format, and his debut came back in 2011 when he hit 41 not out off 21 balls to rescue a rain-reduced run chase against India in Cardiff: “I think we’ve just found a player,” Alastair Cook, who was England’s one-day captain at the time, said.Bairstow had been called into the squad the previous day, along with another uncapped 21-year-old batter in Jos Buttler. “It’s a fantastic achievement for Jonny,” Jos Buttler reflected on Monday. “He’s been a huge part of the one-day team for a really long period of time.”The longevity he’s shown to play 100 caps is fantastic. He’s been one of the best openers in world cricket, in 50-over cricket, for a long time. He’s been a great servant for us and he’s got plenty more ahead of him as well. We’re delighted to have him in the team; he’s a fantastic player and his record shows that.”In 2015, Bairstow was widely considered unfortunate not to feature in England’s first squad of their new era in white-ball cricket, as Eoin Morgan and the team’s management looked to blood the group of players who would feature for them in the 2019 World Cup.

“There was a period where he was out of the team and any time he got his opportunity, he scored runs and banged the door down to make sure he’s one of the first names on the team sheet”Jos Buttler on Jonny Bairstow

But he was called into the squad the day before the final ODI and hit 83 not out off 60 balls, the first of several innings over the following two years in which he stated his credentials for more regular inclusion. It presented a dilemma for Morgan, who was determined to introduce the consistency of selection that England had often lacked and enable his regulars to thrive.Morgan is in Dharamsala this week, covering the tournament as a pundit. “Jonny, for a long time, was the example as to how you want a strong cricketing team to play – certainly in my early days as captain,” he said on Monday.”You want people banging down the door, and also asking continuous questions of the players within that XI, simply because it should be a tough place to get into and it makes selection a lot harder. Jonny did that for about a year and a half and would come in sporadically and perform brilliantly.”Buttler added, “As he’s always done, any time he’s been challenged, he comes back very strong. There was a period where he was out of the team and any time he got his opportunity, he scored runs and banged the door down to make sure he’s one of the first names on the team sheet.”Jonny Bairstow impressed on his very first outing in ODIs, in 2011 as a 21-year-old•Associated PressBairstow’s partnership with Roy is undoubtedly England’s greatest in 50-over cricket, and statistically stacks up with the best of all time. While they have played in an era that has favoured attacking opening batters, with flat pitches and two new balls, their legacy was confirmed four years ago when they helped England win their first men’s World Cup in the format.”Him at the top of the order with Jason Roy have just been phenomenal. They complemented each other unbelievably well, scoring in different areas – although being very imposing cricketers,” Morgan said. “To play in the manner that he has for 100 games, completely selflessly, and just get better and better is unbelievable.”There has been a shift heading into this World Cup, with fitness and form contributing to Roy’s omission from England’s final squad and Dawid Malan’s promotion to open the batting. England’s heavy defeat to New Zealand in Ahmedabad was only the third time they have opened together, and Bairstow acknowledged there has been a slight shift in approach.”Naturally, that change does have an impact,” he said. “I’ve played with Dawid for a number of years. There’s a change in the way he plays compared to Jason. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing at all, but naturally, it will take a little bit of time to bed in and to get used to different tempos and styles.”Bairstow has been short of runs since returning to ODI cricket at the end of England’s home summer, with 52 in his last four innings. But there were signs against New Zealand that he is returning to form – not least when he flicked the second ball of the tournament over square leg for six, off Trent Boult.England will hope that Bairstow’s landmark coincides with things clicking for him in Dharamsala on Tuesday. It is a game that they cannot afford to lose after their drubbing on the opening night.

Once the dust settles, they will be remembered not for the lows of this World Cup, but the highs of the preceding seven years

Matt Roller10-Nov-20234:26

Harmison: Even if some England careers finish, they’ve been absolutely outstanding

It is the end of an era. England will lose their status as reigning champions in both men’s white-ball formats next Sunday, and the golden generation of players who underpinned their unprecedented limited-overs success will splinter. Saturday’s fixture against Pakistan in Kolkata will be the final match of several storied ODI careers.David Willey has already announced his international retirement, and while there is no incentive for others to follow suit – they all have central contracts which run until September 2024 or beyond – there is widespread recognition that England need to rejuvenate. After all, 11 of their 15-man squad are aged 30 or older.Rob Key, their managing director, and Luke Wright, the national selector, have returned to India, and have been speaking to captain Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott about selection for next month’s tour of the West Indies. England play three ODIs and five T20Is there, and are expected to refresh both squads.Related

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The T20I squad may look a little more familiar, with a World Cup defence looming in June 2024, but players accept that it is time for a fresh start. Moeen Ali has described backing a new generation as “common sense”, while Dawid Malan said on Friday, “Ultimately, when you get to a stage like this, you have to make decisions.”Malan is the second-oldest player in the England squad at 36, three months younger than Moeen, and is among those who believes Saturday could be his final international appearance. “I don’t know what my future holds,” he said. “Tomorrow could be the last game of cricket for England for me, and it could still be the start of another journey.”He laughed off the notion that he could be involved in the 2027 World Cup – “There’s no way I’m running around at 40 years old!” – and said that he would accept England’s decision if they opted to move on. “You’re quite realistic when you get to a certain stage… I’ve enjoyed every moment of it.”Malan has been a regular in England’s T20I side for the last four years and played at the last two T20 World Cups, but is not holding his breath about reaching next year’s in the West Indies and USA: “I’d love to play – I still feel I can – but it’s not my decision,” he said. “There could be a total overhaul for both [white-ball teams]. Who knows?”England’s players accept that it is time for a fresh start•Getty ImagesLong before this World Cup went up in smoke, England had earmarked the upcoming ODIs against West Indies as an opportunity to test their depth and select young players – and they will not play again in the format until September 2024 – when they host Australia. By then, the 50-over side could look very different.Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root have both expressed a desire to play on until the 2027 World Cup, but have managed 372 runs between them in this edition. Neither has scored a half-century in the last month, and their form has demonstrated the pitfalls of coming into the tournament with limited relevant practice.Chris Woakes said earlier this year that he would be “amazed” if he played another ODI after the World Cup, and looks certain to move on from the format. And while Mark Wood’s three-year contract suggests that he will continue to be considered, his focus will primarily be on Test and T20 cricket.For those players who never feature again, this will not be the ending they had pictured. England boarded their flight to India six weeks back with high hopes of defending their title, yet find themselves scrambling for a Champions Trophy 2025 spot. Their comfortable victory over Netherlands on Wednesday means that is nearly confirmed.Six England players out of the XI that lost the T20 World Cup final at Eden in 2016 are all but set to step out again on Saturday•Getty Images”We’re seventh on the log, which isn’t where we’d like to be at this stage of the tournament,” Malan said. “We’d have hoped to come here pushing for a semi-final spot and preparing for that, but we just haven’t been good enough… we’re so disappointed in the fact that we are here, playing against Pakistan at Eden Gardens, and we’re not in the race for it.”It is a tournament that England want to consign to history as soon as possible. They had reached the semi-finals of five consecutive men’s ICC events – three T20 World Cups, a 50-over World Cup and a Champions Trophy – and had won two of them, but have lost six out of their eight games during this World Cup in India.There will be extensive post-mortems over the coming days, weeks and months, identifying exactly what went wrong, and who, if anyone, is to blame. Perhaps the explanation is simple: that this has been one tournament too far for a squad that has passed its peak.But their return to Eden Gardens for a floodlit training session on Friday – the venue where they came so close to winning the 2016 T20 World Cup – was a reminder of just how much they achieved. Six players from that XI – Root, Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen, Willey and Adil Rashid – are all but set to step out on the field again on Saturday afternoon, further highlighting how long this squad has been around for, and the fact that age is catching up with most of them.But once the dust from this World Cup settles, this England team will be remembered not for the lows of the past six weeks, but the highs of the preceding seven years.

The defending champions made it three wins in three at home, and they did it in style

Alagappan Muthu09-Apr-20241:26

‘Deshpande has been right on the money’

“I hope he doesn’t come out to bat.”Dwayne Bravo was pushing his luck. Not long after he made this dirty little secret of his public, the IPL’s biggest power hitter was making his way out to the middle.Andre Russell knows he is chaos condensed into skin, bone and muscle. And he entered Chepauk in a manner befitting it, flat out charging to the crease, slowing down only for a little stretch where he bounced on one leg while lifting the other up to his waist. Once he was at the crease, he looked around, as if it mattered to him where the fielders were, as if he hasn’t been clearing them all his life. Six hundred (!) and seventy eight sixes was staring down at Chennai Super Kings.Related

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Bravo was at the boundary line now. Pacing. He always does this in the death overs. It’s almost as if he has withdrawal, having dominated that stage of play for virtually his whole career. All of that experience is why he was brought into the CSK coaching set-up and given free reign. This team splits up during its training sessions and the bowlers become Bravo’s responsibility entirely.The field that was set to Russell was intriguing. Tushar Deshpande had his mid-off up. And as soon as he bowled his first ball it became clear why. It was banged in, at top speed, cramping the Kolkata Knight Rider for room. Exactly the kind of situation that could result in a top-edge. Mid-off was a catching fielder.In the next over, the 18th, Mustafizur Rahman ran in from over the wicket with three men on the off side fence. He also seemed to deliver from as wide of the crease as he could. And finally, he never put pace on. Everything was the offcutter. So even though he was going full – which was the most hittable length on this pitch – he was making it work for him.CSK had weaponised the angle across the right-hander. They denied him the easiest access to sixes. They denied him the entire leg side. Mustafizur vs Russell was seven balls: two plays and misses, one bottom edge, one catch drop, one wide, one single, one four and all pressure.Now it was Deshpande’s turn to keep at it. But he did better than that. He too tried to slant the ball across Russell by moving around the wicket. Bravo used to do this all the time in the death, packing the offside and asking his opponents to drag him to leg knowing the risks that came with it.Russell fell for 10 off 10, caught at long-on. Even his power wasn’t enough when CSK had stacked so many things against him. As soon as it happened, Bravo punched the air and Deshpande pointed to him before breaking into the old Gangnam style dance. Well, the hands part of it anyway.The flashlights were out among the crowd when MS Dhoni was in the middle•AFP/Getty ImagesThe Chepauk pitch played a big role in all of this. It was the same one that was used for the season opener last month. Back then it had a fair bit of pace and bounce. Now it seemed to have lost both to the extent that even a brand new ball was sneaking under Sunil Narine’s bat.Ravindra Jadeja is tailor made for this situation. He knew all he had to do was not bowl full; not bypass the natural variation that was on offer. Nineteen of his 24 deliveries were on a length or, like the one that took Narine out, just short of it. That ball held in the surface and made the batter lose his shape so badly his bottom hand came off. It was beautiful, the simplicity, the precision and the discipline.Jadeja knew that in conditions like these, where there was low bounce, he could limit scoring options just by hitting a hard length and targeting the stumps. Plus, with him bowling at almost 100 kph, KKR never had time to get a shot away. They tried. Backing off and bringing out the horizontal bats but they could barely breach the infield. KKR struck only one boundary off him. He took three wickets off them.”Whenever I play in Chennai, I always feel good,” Jadeja said as he collected the Player-of-the-Match award, “Whenever I play on this kind of track, I always enjoy my bowling.”There was a very real chance, at the end of the night, that he’d get to seal the win that he’d set up for his team. He was in full kit. He’d picked up the bat. He was preparing to come out. Then all of a sudden he made a giant U-turn and returned to his seat. Close-ups of the whole thing revealed that it was all an elaborate prank.”Yeah, a little while earlier [MS Dhoni] had spoken to Jaddu that you go out, but I’ll go to bat, and I overheard that” Deshpande told the IPL website.”He just gave the crowd a glimpse of himself,” Jadeja added, “So they would get their money’s worth for their tickets.” walked out to from the Rajinikanth movie . At first the song was totally drowned out. Russell, who was fielding on the boundary, had to shut his ears. The crowd weren’t just loud. They were thunderous. Eventually, though, they began to vibe with the music. And belt out the lyrics. [a few may tarnish his name] [Hundreds try to take his title away] [But if you look over behind that little wall] [He has crores willing to give their life for him]. There was a little extra behind that last line.

Head coach believes England are battle-hardened from ‘scrapping and clawing’ through tournament

Matt Roller26-Jun-2024England have spent the last three weeks enjoying the West Indies’ most popular tourist destinations: Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia. Their arrival in Georgetown, Guyana on Tuesday morning brought with it a major change of mood: their hotel overlooks the brown, silty meeting point of the Demerara River and the Atlantic, rather than the bright blue of the Caribbean sea.It is a venture into the unknown. England’s men have not played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana since 2010, when they snuck through to the second phase of the World T20 on net run-rate after defeat to West Indies and a washout against Ireland. Chris Jordan is the only squad member with any experience at Providence, amounting to two CPL games five years ago.Georgetown is a city that is changing rapidly, with extensive redevelopment everywhere you look. Guyana has the fastest-growing economy in the world after the discovery of an estimated 11 billion barrels worth of oil off its coast. Billboards and posters throughout the capital declare that ‘Essequibo is Guyana’, making clear its stance on a major territorial dispute with Venezuela.Related

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The T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final between England and India has the sense of a business trip, a three-day in-and-out: neither team is hanging around, with both due to fly to Barbados straight after Thursday’s game. They will hardly leave their hotels beyond Wednesday’s training sessions due to underlying concerns around security, and their strong focus on preparing for the venue’s unique conditions.England only learned on Monday afternoon that they would be coming to South America, when India confirmed their progress as group winners. They were supported by thousands of travelling fans throughout the two group stages, but there will hardly be any in Georgetown, with last-minute flights and hotel rooms nearly impossible to source.The ICC’s decision to predetermine that India would play in the second semi-final reflects the reality of cricket’s economic model, which is utterly dependent on the value of broadcast rights in one dominant market. It is why every game India have played at this World Cup has started at 10.30am local time, which equates to a primetime 8pm spot for the huge television audience back home.But that has raised questions about sporting integrity: England have been scrambling to learn more about this venue in the last 48 hours, relying heavily on their consultant coach Kieron Pollard; India, by contrast, have known for months that they would play in Guyana if they progressed this far. “I don’t see this as an advantage,” Rohit Sharma, their captain, insisted. “You’ve got to play good cricket to win a cricket game: that’s how I look at it.”Matthew Mott on Kieron Pollard: “He has been a really strong voice in the use of the wind”•Gareth Copley/GettyBy contrast, England’s coach Matthew Mott believes that the predetermined venue could play into India’s hands. “We knew all about it from the start, and that’s a decision way above my pay grade,” Mott told ESPNcricinfo at Providence before England trained on Wednesday. “And to be honest, I think it could be an advantage for them.”The short turnaround to Saturday’s final means there is no reserve day, although a ten-over-a-side game could start as late as 4.14pm local time, which will be 5 hours and 44 minutes after the scheduled start. The forecast has improved significantly in recent days, but there are still heavy showers anticipated; in the event of a no-result, India will qualify after topping their Super Eight group.”It’s something we’ve known about since the start of the tournament, so to cry foul over it now probably doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Mott said. “I’m not going to lie: it would be great to have a reserve day because the weather can change from day to day, but I think there will be enough time to get some cricket in… Maybe that’s something the ICC need to look at, [in the] long term.”England were on the brink of elimination after losing their first completed match against Australia, and Mott believes that has been beneficial: “The advantage for us is we feel like we’ve had to scrap and claw our way through this tournament. Then when you get into the semi-finals, you feel really match-hardened for that cut-and-thrust of knockout stuff.”He is one of the few members of England’s staff who has been to Guyana before, with his Australia side playing here in the 2018 Women’s World T20. “It’s a pitch where you’re going to have to use your graft and your skills,” Mott said. “One of the things that has come out [of England’s research] is that it’s actually not a huge turning ground: it’s more to do with the lack of bounce where spin comes into play.No team other than England has reached the semi-finals of the last four men’s T20 World Cups•ICC/Getty Images”We’ve certainly chatted a lot about it as a spin group, making sure that we keep the stumps in play… Pollard has been exceptional about just making sure that we stick to that sort of stuff. He’s been a really strong voice in the use of the wind, and how we can use that as a batting and bowling group.”Thursday’s match will be played on the central strip, Pitch No. 3, which was used for a low-scorer between Uganda and Papua New Guinea in the group stages. “It’s going to be one of those games where the information-gathering is going to have to happen in those first couple of overs,” Mott said. “Something that we’ve done really well is get that communication back and forth… it is a pretty unique facility.”England did not select their team until after their training session, and were considering a number of different options. They have picked four seamers in their last four games, but will consider replacing one with a batter against India, most likely Will Jacks.”We feel like we’ve got all bases covered, and I don’t think that any change is going to be massive,” Mott said. “It’ll be a little tweak here or there – and that could be the edge.”No other team has reached the semi-finals of the last four men’s T20 World Cups, and England are chasing history: the trophy has never been successfully defended. It is a tantalising prospect for them, but the conditions mean they are underdogs on Thursday, despite the thrashing they inflicted on India at this stage of the 2022 tournament.”We would have bitten your hand off a couple of weeks ago to get to this spot,” Mott said. “There’s a lot of work to do, but a lot of incentive to get through and get to that final as well – and there’d be nothing better than beating a very strong Indian team in a semi-final.”It would surely rank as one of their best T20I wins.

RCB became the first team to win by nine or more wickets while chasing a 200-plus target in the IPL

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Apr-20242:26

Is Kohli a different batter when chasing?

2010 The previous and only other instance of Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully chasing a 200-plus target – against Kings XI Punjab. RCB had lost all 16 chases where the target was 200 and above in the 14 years between 2010 and 2024.24 Balls remaining when RCB achieved the target of 201 against Gujarat Titans. It equalled the largest win by balls remaining while chasing a 200-plus target in T20 cricket.Related

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1 RCB are the first team to win by nine or more wickets while chasing a target of more than 200 in the IPL.41 Number of balls Will Jacks took to score his hundred against Titans – the fifth fastest hundred in the IPL and the second fastest for RCB, behind Chris Gayle’s 30-ball century against Pune Warriors in 2013.95 Runs scored by Jacks during the middle overs (7-16 overs) against Titans – the third most runs by a batter during middle overs of an IPL innings. Virender Sehwag scored 107 runs against Deccan Chargers in 2011, while Gayle scored 105 against Warriors in 2013.10 Number of balls Jacks took to reach his century (41 balls) after getting to his fifty (31 balls) – the fewest deliveries a batter has taken to go from 50 to 100 in the IPL. The previous best was Gayle, who reached his century off 30 balls against Pune Warriors in 2013 after getting to fifty in 17 balls.Will Jacks raced from 50 to 100 in record time•BCCI7 IPL seasons in which Virat Kohli has scored 500-plus runs – 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024. David Warner is the only other batter with 500-plus runs in seven IPL seasons.4 T20 hundreds for Jacks and all have come in 50 or fewer balls. His previous three T20 hundreds came off 47 balls against Southern Brave in 2022, 41 balls versus Durban Super Giants in 2024, and off 50 balls against Chattogram Challengers in 2024. Gayle (10), Glenn Maxwell (5) and Suryakumar Yadav (4) are the other batters with four or more hundreds off 50 or fewer balls in T20 cricket (where data is available).143 Runs scored by RCB in the middle overs (7-16) of the chase against Titans – the fourth highest by any team in middle overs in an IPL innings.61 Runs scored by Kohli against the Titans’ spinners on Sunday – the most he has scored against spin in a T20 innings, surpassing the 54 runs he scored during his maiden T20I hundred in 2022 against Afghanistan.29 Runs conceded by Rashid Khan in the 16th over of RCB’s chase – equalling the most expensive over of his T20 career. Rashid had also conceded 29 in an over against South Africa during the 2016 T20 World Cup.

And is R Ashwin the only player to take a five-for and score a hundred in a Test at the same ground twice?

Steven Lynch01-Oct-2024Kamindu Mendis reached 1000 Test runs in just his 13th innings. Was this a record? asked Asitha Silva from Sri Lanka
The seemingly unstoppable Kamindu Mendis passed 1000 runs during his 182 not out in the first innings of the second Test against New Zealand in Galle last week. He’s in good company, as Don Bradman also got there in 13 innings, but two batters were even quicker to the mark: England’s Herbert Sutcliffe and Everton Weekes of West Indies both reached 1000 runs during their 12th Test innings. Bradman got there in his seventh Test, Mendis in his eighth, and Sutcliffe and Weekes in their ninth.Mendis did break one record though: it was his eighth Test, and he has had an innings of at least 50 in all of them, beating the seven from debut set recently by Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel.There could be a similar close call coming up for bowlers: after the Galle Test, his 16th, Sri Lanka’s slow left-armer Prabath Jayasuriya had 97 wickets. The only man to reach 100 in 16 Tests was the 19th century England seamer George Lohmann. Four men so far – Charles Turner, Sydney Barnes, Clarrie Grimmett and Yasir Shah – have taken their 100th wicket in their 17th Test.Sri Lanka had a first-innings lead of more than 500 at Galle – have there been any bigger leads in Tests? asked Gordon Mitchell from England
Sri Lanka (602 for 5) led New Zealand (88) by 514 runs after the respective first innings in the recent second Test in Galle. That turns out to be the fifth-largest first-innings advantage in any Test, a list headed by England (903 for 7) with a 702-run lead over Australia (201) at The Oval in 1938. Sri Lanka already lie second: in Colombo in 2006 , they bowled South Africa out for 169 after scoring 756 for 5, so led by 587. Pakistan (643) led New Zealand (73) by 570 runs in Lahore in 2002, while England (849) led West Indies (286) by 563 in Kingston in 1930.There have been two other first-innings leads of more than 500 in Tests: South Africa (682 for 6) led England (173) by 509 runs at Lord’s in 2003, while Australia (645) headed England (141) by 504 in Brisbane in the first postwar Ashes Test in 1946.I noticed that Ajaz Patel has 70 Test wickets, but none of them have come at home in New Zealand. Has anyone matched this? asked Shane Worrell on Facebook
Slow left-armer Ajaz Patel had 70 Test wickets to his name after the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. You’re right that none of them have come at home in New Zealand, where he has played three Tests without taking a wicket.Patel currently tops the list for most wickets in a Test career without any at home: the 19th century Yorkshire allrounder Willie Bates had 50. He made three tours of Australia, but never played a Test in England. Next comes the Indian seamer RP Singh, whose 40 wickets all came away from home (he played two Tests in India without taking a wicket).The current Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah took 79 Test wickets before finally striking at home. The 1950s West Indian spinners Alf Valentine (65) and Sonny Ramadhin (52) come next on that particular list.The answers given here exclude some Pakistan bowlers who did not have the chance to play at home: Saeed Ajmal took 178 wickets (67 in “home” Tests in the UAE), Mohammad Amir 119, Wahab Riaz 83 and Junaid Khan 71. Yasir Shah picked up 207 Test wickets before finally taking one in Pakistan.Ian Botham has taken a five-for and scored a hundred in the same Test five times, though all at different grounds•Adrian Murrell/Getty ImagesI know there are a few players who have scored a century and taken a five-for in a Test more than once. But is Ravichandran Ashwin the only man to do it twice on the same ground? asked Pavam Mahadasu from India
This particular double has now been completed on 37 occasions in Tests. R Ashwin did it for the fourth time in the recent Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. He’d previously achieved the feat there against England in 2021. He’s also done it twice against West Indies, in Mumbai in 2011 and in Antigua in 2016.Ian Botham is the only man to have done this double more often than Ashwin: he achieved the feat on five occasions. But all of them were at different grounds, and you’re right to think that Ashwin is the only man to have done it more than once at the same venue. Five others have done it twice (at different grounds): Garry Sobers (West Indies), Mushtaq Mohammad (Pakistan), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) and Ravindra Jadeja (India).However, when you look at the equivalent list for women’s Tests, you can see that the Australian allrounder Betty Wilson did it three times, including twice in Adelaide, against England in 1949 and again nine seasons later in 1958. England’s Enid Bakewell – who is still playing club cricket in her eighties – also did it three times, but on different grounds.Was Rashid Khan the first bowler to take five wickets in a one-day international on his birthday? asked Madhav Gokhale from India
When legspinner Rashid Khan took 5 for 19 in a thumping Afghanistan victory over South Africa in Sharjah on September 20, he was indeed the first man to collect an ODI five-for on his birthday (his 26th). The best birthday performances before this was a pair of four-fors: Vernon Philander celebrated his 22nd birthday – and his ODI debut – with 4 for 12 for South Africa against Ireland in Belfast in 2007, while Stuart Broad took 4 for 44 against Australia in Cardiff on his 24th birthday in 2010.In T20Is, the Indian left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav collected a 29th-birthday present of 5 for 17 against South Africa in Johannesburg in December 2023. Four other men – Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Imran Tahir (South Africa), Kushal Malla (Nepal) and Karthik Meiyappan (UAE) – have taken four wickets in a T20I on their birthday.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions