Category Uncategorized

Katherine Brunt provides vital support in sixth-wicket stand after India post 222 target

Annesha Ghosh30-Jun-2021England Women 225 for 5 (Dunkley 73, Winfield-Hill 42, Brunt 33*, Poonam 2-63) beat India Women 221 (Raj 59, Verma 44, Cross 5-34, Ecclestone 3-33) by five wicketsKate Cross’s second career five-for and a second successive three-for from Sophie Ecclestone, followed by a sixth-wicket unbeaten 92 stand between half-centurion Sophia Dunkley and Katherine Brunt set up England’s five-wicket win in the second ODI as Mithali Raj’s second fifty in as many games was in vain.India scored 71 off their last 15 overs to set England 222; the hosts needed 65 off theirs to clinch a second straight win and bolster their lead to 6-2 in the seven-match multi-format series. By then, Dunkley, batting for the first time in ODIs having made her debut in the format on Sunday, had put on 24 with Brunt. It took the duo less than 13 of those 15 overs to overhaul the target as Dunkley finished on 73 not out and Brunt on an unbeaten 33.Exuding the nerveless, clear-headed approach that underpinned her 74 not out on Test debut earlier this month, Dunkley steadied England’s chase after the home team lost half their side with 79 still needed. Her release shot – an imperious six into the long-on stands off pacer Shikha Pandey in the 34th over – put England in the driver’s seat after intermittent strikes had denied England’s top five any fifty partnerships.A maiden from Pandey in the first half of the Powerplay set the tone for India’s defence, under stand-in captain Harmanpreet Kaur as Raj didn’t field owing to neck pain. Jhulan Goswami drew first blood with a jaffa in the fifth over. Landing one on a good length, Goswami had it seam away slightly after pitching on middle, when, as replays suggested, the original line had been heading down leg. The misreading of the line caused the in-form Beaumont to be bowled for just 10.Beaumont’s opening partner, Lauren Winfield-Hill, showed early promise with a bouquet of cracking drives through the covers and over the bowler’s head. She hit four fours and a six en route to her 42 but fell to a feather of an edge in Pandey’s second spell thanks to brilliant Taniya Bhatia, standing up, with the gloves.Pandey could have had a second wicket a ball later. Kaur claimed a low catch diving forward to a Sciver lofted drive to mid-off, and was adamant her fingers were under the ball as she did so. The on-field soft signal, however, was not out, and was duly upheld, much to her displeasure, when the zoomed-in TV replays proved inconclusive.Kate Cross claimed a five-for as England took control of the second ODI•PA Photos/Getty Images

It could have proven to be a pivotal flashpoint. Instead, on 92 for 3, with Sciver having added another six runs since the close shave, offspinner Rana caused her to edge to Bhatia for the second of the wicketkeeper’s superb takes. Poonam picked up Amy Jones in the 29th over, keeping India’s chances alive, until Brunt and Dunkley staged a meticulous rebuild.As with their bowling performance, with the bat, India showed better intent than the first ODI. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma’s fifty opening stand came up in the 11th over, but in the next over, the introduction of England’s third pacer, Cross, led to the first breakthrough, with Mandhana chopping on a good-length, scrambled-seam delivery that nipped away from the bat.England had turned to spin as early as the ninth over, with Ecclestone bowling six overs for 20 runs and picking up the wicket of Verma in her first spell. Badly dropped on 21 by Winfield-Hill at mid-off, and parched of runs in the first three balls of the 17th over, Verma, six shy of a maiden ODI fifty, trotted down the pitch but was stumped adeptly by Jones as Ecclestone dragged her length back.No. 3 Jemimah Rodgriues, replacing Punam Raut as one of three changes to India’s XI, struck two emphatic fours in Ecclestone’s fifth over. That’s all she could score in her 15-ball stay before coming down the wicket to Cross, and offering up a leading edge for Brunt to complete an easy take.After India slipped from 56 for 0 to 77 for 3 in the space of 29 balls, Raj and her deputy, Kaur, strung a fourth-wicket stand of 68 runs, their third fifty-plus stand in their last four ODI innings together, to lift India to 145 for 4 by the 34th over. Their stand ended with Cross eliciting a cavalier hoick off Kaur that ended up in a benign top edge for the bowler herself to gobble up.Related

• Tammy Beaumont continues in 'ruthless and relentless' groove as England cruise

• Nat Sciver's patience rewarded as runs return at the right time

• Jhulan Goswami: 'As a bowling unit, we need to take up more responsibility'

The next-best partnership was worth just 15, between Raj and Deepti Sharma, whose flick found Dunkley in the deep, as Cross made giant strides on her merry march to the Player-of-the-Match honours. Sharma’s wicket capped off Cross’s four-for, the first by an England bowler in a home ODI since Anya Shrubsole’s epochal five-for in the 2017 World Cup final at Lord’s.Cross sealed her five-for with the wicket of Sneh Rana, who made the XI at the expense of Pooja Vastrakar. Drawing a leading edge similar to Rodrigues’, Rana was held at the second attempt by a relieved Heather Knight, as England celebrated with a group hug to mark a fine performance from a popular player.Ecclestone followed up her 3 for 40 in the first game with 3 for 33 in the second, Bhatia her second scalp at Taunton. In Shikha Pandey, Sciver picked up her 50th ODI wicket.Raj found support towards the end of the innings from No. 10 Goswami, who pulled Brunt twice with aplomb in her unbeaten run-a-ball 19. Regular dismissals at the other end meant Raj dropped the scoring pace somewhat as she neared her fifty, a highlights-worthy compilation of back-foot punches, cuts, trademark cover drives, and a failed attempt at pulling a superb Cross bouncer in the 36th over.On 48, Raj copped a bouncer from Cross on the front of her grille, but quickly shook it off to bring up a half-century, her 57th in the format. However, she was run out nine runs later, after a terrific recovery from Dunkley on the deep square boundary. After recovering from a misfield, her bullet throw was well gathered in front of the stumps by Jones, who whipped off the bails to claim the key scalp among her day’s four dismissals.A 29-run tenth-wicket stand between Goswami and Poonam Yadav, who was picked over Ekta Bisht as the second frontline spin-bowling option, dragged India past 200. Ecclestone bowled Yadav for a 15-ball 10 off the final delivery of the innings. And though India bettered their 201 tally in the first post 221 in the second, it again proved insufficient to get the better of England.

Two cases of the virus reported in the city, with a school in shutdown till March 13

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2020The Sindh provincial government has ruled out moving PSL games out of Karachi amid fears of the coronavirus outbreak. According to reports, there have been five cases of the virus in Pakistan so far, including three in Federal Areas and two in Karachi, where a school has been shut down till March 13.It is understood that the PCB was willing to abide by any decision taken by the government, but after a Sindh cabinet meeting on Tuesday, it was agreed that all the remaining games in Karachi will go ahead according to plan, with strict precautions taken.So far, no overseas player has raised any concerns over the virus, but teams have been exercising caution.Dr Zafar Mirza, special assistant to the Prime Minister of Health, said that standard operating procedures were in place and being further strengthened to contain the disease.”Our simple policy is working so far, it is working well and it needs to be further strengthened,” he said. “We need to prepare ourselves for a worst-case scenario but we should hope for the best.”

Nicholas Pooran has also earned his first call-up to the 50-overs side for the first two matches against England

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-20192:32

Gayle returns for first two ODIs against England

Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis are back in West Indies’ squad for the first two ODIs against England.Gayle last played for West Indies during the home ODI series against Bangladesh in July 2018, and had made himself unavailable for the tours of India and Bangladesh over the 2018-19 winter in order to play the Afghanistan Premier League and the T10 League. Lewis had withdrawn from the India tour for personal reasons, and missed the ODIs in Bangladesh as well, but returned to the squad for the T20Is.Nicholas Pooran, meanwhile, has been called up to the ODI squad for the first time. The left-hand batsman has impressed with his shotmaking ability in the eight T20Is he has played so far, most notably while cracking an unbeaten 53 off 25 balls against India in November.West Indies’ 14-member squad for the first two England ODIs features a number of other changes too. Captain Jason Holder is back, as expected, having made a successful return to the Test side after missing the Bangladesh tour with a shoulder injury. The offspinner Ashley Nurse returns too, having made a comeback to domestic first-class cricket after injuring his shoulder on the India tour.Batsmen Marlon Samuels, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Kieran Powell and Sunil Ambris, and allrounders Roston Chase and Carlos Brathwaite, who were all part of the ODI squad in Bangladesh, have been left out.Samuels, according to chairman of selectors Courtney Browne, is undergoing treatment on a knee injury. He also suggested that the fast bowler Shannon Gabriel could feature in the latter part of the series.”As we continue our Cricket World Cup preparations, the upcoming series against the top ranked ODI side is a great opportunity for us to gauge where we are as a team,” Browne said. “This allows us to identify any areas that need addressing relating to selection and also helps the coaching staff to fine tune their game strategy.”We welcome the return of Chris Gayle who missed the last two series and Ashley Nurse from injury. We are pleased to introduce Nicholas Pooran to the ODI cricket for the first time. He is clearly a young player with undoubted talent and we believe he can add value to our middle order. Shannon Gabriel remains very much in our World Cup plans but with a heavy workload expected in the Test series he will be considered for selection later in the ODI series.”The ODI series against England begins on February 20 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.West Indies squad: Jason Holder (capt), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas
In: Jason Holder, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran
Out: Marlon Samuels, Roston Chase, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Carlos Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Sunil Ambris

The middle-order batsman was seen trying a few reverse-sweeps and reverse-laps against spinners ahead of the first Test in Kolkata

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Kolkata14-Nov-20170:46

Important to improve and evolve day by day – Rahane

On Monday, with three days to go for the start of the Test series against Sri Lanka, Ajinkya Rahane walked into the spinners’ net at Eden Gardens and began reverse-sweeping roughly every fourth ball. Every time Kuldeep Yadav floated one a little wide of off stump, down Rahane would go, lithely, onto his back knee to reverse-slap him square or reverse-paddle him fine.He didn’t always connect, and when he did he didn’t always connect cleanly, but this was a clear, concerted effort to practise the shot.”It’s important to improve your game day by day,” Rahane said on Tuesday. “When you’re practising in the nets, it is important to evolve and I am just practising. I just want to improve. I always think that if I improve one shot in the nets session, I’ll be better off during the game – if the opportunity comes in the game, I am 100% confident of playing a particular shot.”I am just practising – reverse-sweep, sweep, paddle sweep. Just an option.”The reverse-sweep isn’t a shot Rahane is known to play all that much, but neither was the orthodox sweep, until a few months ago, when he used it with great effect to disrupt Nathan Lyon’s line in a match-turning second-innings partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara in Bengaluru.Asked if he was comfortable enough with the reverse-sweep to bring it out against Sri Lanka, Rahane said it was a question of feeling confident about it in the middle.”I am comfortable,” he said. “For me, it is important to give my 100% in the nets. If I am comfortable and confident in the game, I’ll play that shot.”Ever since Rangana Herath bowled Sri Lanka to a come-from-behind win in Galle two years ago, India have looked to blunt his threat by going after him at every opportunity, more often than not by using their feet to him. It has worked: since that Galle Test, Herath has averaged 53.61 against India, taking 13 wickets in four Tests and giving away 3.58 runs per over. Rahane might just throw in the odd reverse-sweep to further India’s aggressive approach against him.

An unbroken partnership of 167 between Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, the highest of the series so far, put India in control at the end of Indore’s first day of Test cricket

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy08-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:29

Agarkar: Kohli batted according to the merit of the ball

An unbroken partnership of 167 between Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, the highest of the series so far, put India in control at the end of Indore’s first day of Test cricket. Kohli ended the day on 103, his 13th Test hundred. It was by no means his most enthralling innings, but it was utterly dominant in that he gave New Zealand no inch on a largely attritional day. Rahane, less certain, gutsed it out to stay unbeaten on 79 and India were 267 for 3.Having come together at 100 for 3, with the match in the balance, Kohli and Rahane gradually asserted India’s dominance in front of an enthusiastic crowd numbering over 18,000. Having started watchfully – they added 48 in 20 overs before tea – they grew increasingly fluent, scoring 119 in the final session in 34 overs, at exactly three-and-a-half runs an over.All five of New Zealand’s bowlers were disciplined and had well-thought-out plans, but there was little help for them off a pitch that wasn’t the greatest to look at, with cracks all over its surface, but played more or less true on the first day, if a little slow. The offspinner Jeetan Patel was their best bowler, but his figures – 1 for 65 off 24 overs – told a story: he frequently beat the batsmen in the air, but they usually managed to adjust since it didn’t turn all that much or all that quickly once it landed.Kohli came into the match with scores of 44, 3, 4, 9, 18, 9 and 45 in his last seven Test innings, but the last of them, in Kolkata, had been a superb display of footwork and judgment on a pitch with uneven bounce. It suggested he wasn’t really out of form.Again, in Indore, he avoided the extravagant shots that had got him out in his first three innings of the series, and accumulated steadily, blending into the background for most part. He didn’t offer any clear chances, and the two times he edged the ball, it eluded the fielders: on 39, drift caused him to edge Patel between keeper and slip; on 69, he reached out at a wide-ish length ball from James Neesham, and edged through a vacant first slip.Otherwise, New Zealand could see no way past him and, every now and again, he roused the crowd with his strokeplay. There were a couple of his trademark extra-cover drives, but his most breathtaking shots on the day came on the leg side: a checked pull off Trent Boult, when he adjusted to the ball staying lower than expected; a back-foot whip to the right of midwicket, against the turn, off Mitchell Santner; a clip off the legs, off Boult, that bisected square leg and long leg. All three times, the ball sped away effortlessly, testament both to the quickness of the outfield and to Kohli’s timing.Rahane endured a few nervous moments against the short ball. Twice – on 3 by Matt Henry and on 25 by Neesham – he lifted his hands instinctively to protect his face, and was lucky the ball hit his arm guard on both occasions rather than his glove. On 7, he top-edged a pull as Boult went around the wicket and angled a short ball into his body, and saw the ball fall inches wide of Henry rushing in from the square leg boundary. On 41, he kept his gloves and bat out of the way of a Henry bouncer, but couldn’t move his upper-body across quickly enough to evade it, and took a blow to the back. There were a number of other times when he ducked or swayed awkwardly, with eyes off the ball, as well.Ajinkya Rahane endured a few nervy moments against the short ball•BCCI

But a good batsman makes runs even in discomfort, and Rahane did not let these moments affect him. His defence was solid, and he got his head right on top of the ball while striding forward to the spinners – a failure to do so had cost him his wicket twice in Kanpur. Occasionally, he served up a reminder of his timing, such as when he lofted Patel back over his head and when he drove Santner inside-out to the cover boundary. He went past fifty with a six, stepping out to Patel, not quite reaching the pitch of the ball, but adjusting by playing with an almost horizontal bat to swat the ball over wide long-on.Given the look of the surface, India seemed to gain an early advantage when they won their third toss of the series and their eighth in a row in home Tests. Batting, by general consensus, would be easiest on days one and two. But India didn’t really press their advantage in the first two sessions, despite their batsmen looking fairly comfortable in the middle.The crowd was treated to an entertaining start as M Vijay drove Boult on the up for two fours through the covers in the third over of the morning, and Gautam Gambhir, returning to the Test side after two years to replace the injured Shikhar Dhawan, pulled Henry for successive sixes in the fourth over. Kane Williamson, back in charge of New Zealand after missing the Kolkata Test with illness, brought Patel on in the fifth over, and he struck with his fifth ball, getting it to dip on Vijay, who looked to flick a long way in front of his body and gave Tom Latham the chance to pull off a juggling reflex catch at short leg.There was little turn on offer for Patel and Santner, who bowled from both ends till the 11th over, and Cheteshwar Pujara and Gambhir settled down nicely before Boult and Henry came back into the attack. The quicks changed their lengths to Gambhir in their second spells, bowling noticeably fuller and trying to exploit the left-hander’s tendency to shuffle across his crease. He grew quieter against this mode of attack, scoring only two runs in 20 balls before he was lbw to Boult, bringing his bat down at an angle to a full one that nipped in slightly.Pujara looked serene through to lunch, using his feet to the spinners, getting nicely on top of the rising ball against the quicks, putting the bad ball away, and showing more willingness than in Kolkata – given the lack of turn or seam movement off this surface – to change the angle of his bat face to look for singles on both sides of the pitch.After lunch, however, both he and Kohli had to work hard for their runs as Patel settled into a good rhythm. He caused both batsmen problems, bellowing out an lbw appeal after Kohli went back to a quicker one on a good length – the ball striking his pad just outside the line – and throwing his hands up in the air when Pujara came down the track, failed to cover for drift, and edged a defensive push through backward point.It was Santner, though, who gave New Zealand the breakthrough, in the second over of a new spell. Firing one in just short of a good length, he caused indecision in Pujara, who pressed half-forward, and then went halfway back and ended up caught on the crease as the ball spun sharply past his defensive bat and hit his off stump.

Among the more intent listeners to Darren Lehmann and Rodf Marsh on the outfield at Wantage Road was the young allrounder Mitchell Marsh, left out of the team for Trent Bridge but determined to draw triumph out of the chaos of this trip

Daniel Brettig13-Aug-2015On the Wantage Road outfield, the selection chairman Rod Marsh and the coach Darren Lehmann exchanged frank words with Australia’s 2015 Ashes tourists. For around 15 minutes the two old salts spoke passionately, in the sort of team discussion that invariably follows the kinds of defeats endured at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge. The only response could be seen coming from Mitchell Johnson, now very much the senior man in the Test XI.The retiring captain Michael Clarke is in London, Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin have gone home. They leave a gulf in experience and knowledge, but also confidence arising from their long-time ability to get the job done for Australia.Marsh and Lehmann want Clarke to be suitably farewelled from international cricket at the Kia Oval, but they also want this team to take something from the series. They want this latest Ashes defeat in England to be the last for some time.Of those present, none of Johnson, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Fawad Ahmed or Shaun Marsh can reasonably expect to take part in another Ashes series on these shores. Lehmann and Marsh are unlikely to be around either. But among the more intent listeners was the young allrounder Mitchell Marsh, who was left out of the team for Trent Bridge but is determined to draw triumph out of the chaos of this trip.”As an Australian team you go out to win every Test match, and even though the series is over we’ve got a lot to play for in this match as everyone knows,” Marsh said. “To send our skipper out on a winning note is a big emphasis for us, so we’ll be doing everything we can. We’ve been working extremely hard off the field to try and get it right on the field and it just hasn’t happened for us. So we’ll be doing everything we can.”Marsh, who can expect to be recalled at the Oval, has always been a confident character, backing his ability against anyone. But his exposure to the harshest light of Ashes pressure gave him pause to consider his readiness for it, and by his own admission both his dismissals at Edgbaston were illustrative of a young player not quite knowing how to respond to a seaming pitch, a baying crowd and a tense match scenario.Asked whether the pressure of the occasion had weighed down on his batting, Marsh offered the following. “Missing straight ones is not what you want to do, and chasing one a foot outside off third ball is not what you want to do,” he said.” Read into that what you want.”It certainly was an eye-opener. When I first got picked in the Test team Justin Langer said from Australian first-class cricket the step up is not that much bigger. It’s more just the outside pressure and the pressure of being in a Test match. Edgbaston was certainly the first time I really felt the pressure of a whole Test match … but I enjoyed it and I loved it, not that I was out there for too long.”That’s what you play for, that’s what you work hard for, to try and combat those times. It was certainly a great experience and hopefully I’ll be better for that in big moments in future.”The future stretches out ahead of Marsh, with the calendar offering non-stop international cricket for those good enough to handle those aforementioned pressures. But there is also a question of priorities – the fame and cash presented by the IPL, or the more modest surrounds of English County competition and a rounded education in how to bat and bowl here. Marsh is eager to take the latter path. Six Tests over the past 12 months will afford him the visa qualification to do so.”That’s something I’ve wanted to do over the past few years,” he said. “Now that I do qualify over the next few years hopefully it gives me an opportunity to come over here and play as much cricket as I can to prepare for coming years. Hopefully over the next few years I’ll be playing for Australia and won’t get too much time, but when the time does come hopefully I’ll be able to get over here.”To be able to learn my trade in these conditions would be awesome. Everyone that comes over here says that it’s awesome for your cricket. Hopefully that’s the case for me. I’ve probably put IPL on the back stall for the past few years and I’ve seen the gains in my cricket from that. It will be a case of judging it when it comes and seeing what happens in the future.”Rod Marsh and Darren Lehmann certainly had the future on their minds as they addressed the team at Wantage Road. The content of the exchange will remain between players and selectors for now. Only the years will measure whether this moment will be of great significance for Mitchell Marsh and other young players, or simply a show of passion too late to change the course of the summer of 2015.

Australia will go into their final practice match before the first Test against India with three spinners in their XI

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2013Australia will go into their final practice match before the first Test against India with three spinners in their XI. Their captain Michael Clarke and opener David Warner will sit out of the game, as they continue their rehabilitation from injuries in order to be fit for the Chennai Test from February 22.Included in the XI for the three-day game against India A is Ashton Agar, the 19-year old left-arm spinner who has been asked to stay on tour instead of returning home as planned. Agar will bowl alongside Australia’s frontline spinner Nathan Lyon and Xavier Doherty at the ICL Guru Nanak College ground in Chennai, with Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc being the two quick bowlers.In his first media interaction after arriving in India, Clarke reeled off his team’s XI, and four of the top six – Ed Cowan, Usman Khawaja, Moses Henriques and Matthew Wade – had played in the first practice match. Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes are the other two lining up against the India A bowlers.Australia were treating their first practice match – a two-day game against the Board President’s XI – as a “victory”, Clarke said. After being dismissed for 241, the Australians skittled the opposition for 230. “To bowl them out for less than what we had scored in conditions they are really accustomed to was a good sign for us.”Playing three spinners with Siddle and Starc in the three-day match, Clarke said, would give him a chance to “assess where our players are at, have a look at the guys in preparation for the Test team. We are giving our spinners the best chance by playing [all] three.”Australia’s practice session at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the venue for the first Test, had to be cancelled due to overnight rain, but Clarke turned up to test his hamstring. The conditions at the practice match venue, he said, were different to those at the stadium. “From what I was looking at the conditions, spin bowling is going to play a really big part throughout this first Test match.” India picked four spinners, including Ravindra Jadeja, for the first two Tests and Clarke said he believed, “a lot of those guys if not all of them” could end up playing in Chennai.In a raw Australian batting line-up, Clarke is the best and most experienced batsman against spin. However, he remembered what his 2010 tour, when he scored 35 runs in four innings, had been like. “I think reputation is irrelevant to be honest, especially my reputation. I start on zero like everybody else. My last tour to India wasn’t anywhere near as successful as I would have liked. I really enjoy the challenge of facing spin bowling but it still gets me out, like every player.”Clarke’s debut series in India in 2004, however, had been memorable. Apart from his maiden century in Bangalore, Clarke also took 6 for 9 in the third Test in Mumbai. “You will see the spin bowling of Michael Clarke in Chennai – five wickets,” he said with a laugh at the end of his meet with the press.There were pleasantries and good humour before the start of what Clarke said was his toughest series as captain. The general tone of the pre-series build-up bore little resemblance to the usual verbal cut and thrust of an India-Australia contest. Much of the difference is due to the relative inexperience of Clarke’s team in what he termed, “red ball cricket” in India.”To me it’s not about what you say, it’s about what you do. As a player and as the Australian cricket team, that’s our goal. It’s no good us making statements or comments and not backing them up. I would rather people say less and do more.”Clarke was asked about the absence of the Decision Review System in the forthcoming series and said that while he believed the system helped to “get the decisions as consistent as we possibly can,” he was “not bothered” about it not being used.”I would like to see it consistently used – I would want us to say, yes we’re going to use it in all the Test matches, all the one-dayers. I would like the ICC to make a decision on that. Personally it’s saved me from getting out on a couple of occasions, it’s probably got me given out on a couple of occasions, as well. What the game of cricket is trying to do is get the decisions as consistent as we possibly can and technology has helped that.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between England and Pakistan, in Dubai

The Preview by David Hopps16-Jan-2012

Match facts

Misbah-ul-Haq and Andrew Strauss have both spoken about letting the cricket provide the headlines in this series•AFP

Tuesday, January 17-21, Dubai
Start time 1000 (0600 GMT)

Big Picture

History will hang heavily over this series. Three Pakistan players are serving custodial sentences after being found guilty on match-rigging charges during the 2010 series in England. However much England suggest that the affair is now largely a media obsession and Pakistan provide indications of more stable and contented times, such matters cannot be easily waved aside.That Pakistan recover their strength and reputation is vital for the health of world cricket and England have been reminded of their responsibilities to contest the series in a natural manner and to rise above any resentment, which does exist, over what has gone before without losing the competitive and aggressive edge that has contributed to their rise to the No. 1 Test side in the world.Pakistan are careful not to speak of “home advantage” because Dubai, however much the conditions might be similar to those in Lahore or Karachi, is simply not home. But sub-consciously England feel themselves in an away series, not a neutral one. Their policy of six specialist batsmen, three pace bowlers and a solitary spinner automatically comes under strain on placid surfaces and the loss of Tim Bresnan, the most capable batsmen in their lower order, does not make a change of tack easy.Test series between Pakistan and England have often been wonderfully combative affairs. As long as the pitches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi encourage attractive cricket, it is an appealing prospect.

Form guide

Pakistan: WWDWD
England: WWWWW

Players to watch

Saeed Ajmal has enlivened the build-up to the Test by announcing, Shane Warne-style, that he is about to unleash a formidable new delivery. The doosra – “the other one” – is about to be supported by the teesra – “the third one”.
Whatever the impact of that proves to be, Ajmal will test England’s improvement against spin bowling to the utmost. For England, Stuart Broad will be desperate to escape the run of injuries that have disrupted his progress over the past year. A bruised foot suffered when batting in the nets is unlikely to hinder him, but it gives a further impression of vulnerability that he could do without.

Team news

Any temptation that England felt to abandon their policy of six batsmen disappeared the moment that Tim Bresnan, the sturdiest batsman among the bowling attack, left the tour through injury. To include Monty Panesar as a second spinner would therefore entail perming three fast bowlers from six. In the first Test at least, they are likely to exclude Panesar and stick to a proven formula.
England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Chris Tremlett
Pakistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnam Akmal (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Wahab Riaz

Pitch and conditions

England are bracing themselves for a demanding bowling experience on a benign surface, in conditions that do not offer the fast bowlers much help. The two Tests played at the DICS so far don’t entirely support that view with only one total so far in excess of 400.

Stats and trivia

• England are sure to remain top of the ICC Test Championship if they do not lose to Pakistan by more than a one-Test margin in the three-Test series.
• England have three bowlers – Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Stuart Broad – in the top four of the Test rankings.
• In their last home series against Pakistan, England dismissed the opposition for less than 100 on three occasions.
• Pakistan have won nine, lost 11 and drawn seven of their 27 Tests since their loss of home Tests because of security concerns. Only seven of those Tests have been at a neutral venue.

Quotes

“It’s all a bit smoke and mirrors isn’t it. Just remember, you don’t play the bowler and what he says, you play the ball that comes out of his hand.”
“It’s good to see every player backing the other. The days of infighting and rifts seem to be over.”
“We play our cricket very, very hard. There’s no way Jimmy Anderson, who is a grumpy bowler, is not going to be grumpy. The guys will still be aggressive, that’s what has got us to No 1.”

A round-up of the World Cup warm-up matches played on February 8 in Dubai

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2011Kenya won their second successive warm-up game, chasing down Ireland‘s 176 despite losing seven wickets in the end at the ICC Global Cricket Academy. Maurice Ouma led the chase with a patient half-century after Seren Waters and David Obuya had given Kenya a quick start, putting on 46 inside nine overs. Andre Botha, who was the pick of the Irish bowlers, dismissed the openers but Ouma found enough support in Collins Obuya and Rakep Patel to take Kenya closer. A clutch of wickets fell towards the end, but Kenya finally closed out the game in the 46th over.The fact that Ireland managed what they did was largely due to Ed Joyce. He rebuilt the innings in the company of the tail after Kenya’s seam attack had run through seven Irish batsmen for 63 runs. Nehemiah Odhiambo, Peter Ongondo, Elijah Otieno and Thomas Odoyo were more than a handful, and despite a steady start at 52 for 2, Ireland lost the next five wickets for 11. But Joyce and Andrew White dug in to take them past 100, and the tail managed to play out all but one of the 50 overs to guide them to 176, which proved too little in the end.After the win against Afghanistan two days ago, this victory will further boost Kenya’s confidence that would have been dented heavily after they lost all five games to sides comprising mostly of age-group players on their recent tour of Indian state Gujarat.Zimbabwe made short work of Netherlands at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, rustling up 249 and then blowing Netherlands away for 134. Brendan Taylor made another half-century at the top of the order, and there were also useful contributions from Tatenda Taibu and Regis Chakabva. But Mudassar Bukhari and Bernard Loots took some quick wickets as Zimbabwe slipped to 158 for 7 at one stage. Graeme Cremer responded with a run-a-ball 42, and together with Prosper Utseya and Shingirai Masakadza took Zimbabwe to the brink of 250.Chris Mpofu and Elton Chigumbura tore through Netherlands after Ed Rainsford had provided an early breakthrough, taking six wickets between them. Netherlands lost regular wickets and were never in the game, getting bowled out for 134 in the 34th over. Opener Alexei Kervezee’s 33 was the highest score for them. Bukhari hammered two sixes in his 28 and Bradley Kruger three fours in his 22, but there was not much else to cheer about.Afghanistan shot out Canada for 105, and then chased down the target with more than 26 overs to spare in Dubai. Hamid Hassan, the Afghanistan captain, and Shapoor Zadran almost ended the match as a contest soon after Canada chose to bat, sending back half the side with eight runs on the board. But Khurram Chohan and Jimmy Hansra stuck in to make twenties, and Balaji Rao and Harvir Baidwan took Canada just past 100. Mirwais Ashraf ensured Canada didn’t have too much of a recovery, taking 4 for 39.Canada’s bowlers tried gamely, but there weren’t enough runs to defend. Asghar Stanikzai made a quick 27, and the others chipped in as Afghanistan won comfortably with five wickets remaining.

The manner in which Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla pulled their side from a position of total disarray to one of strength on the first day in Nagpur, underlined the way they have evolved as Test batsmen in the last few years

S Aga06-Feb-2010It’s one of cricket’s great mysteries that Jacques Kallis, with his impeccable technique, never mastered English conditions. He made a century on his first tour in 1998, but the returns since, diminished alarmingly. In 2008, he arrived in the old country firmly established as one of the greats of the modern game, and proceeded to have the sort of tour that has ended careers. Apart from a 64 at Edgbaston, he never managed to exceed 13, and there were more than a few English columnists who reckoned that the end was nigh.Hashim Amla started that series with a match-saving century at Lord’s, but then lost his rhythm as South Africa seized control in Headingley and Birmingham. He too had bad memories of the English. Back in 2004-05, after a nervous debut in India, he made just 36 runs in Durban and Cape Town. Stephen Harmison, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff were at the peak of their powers and Amla, groomed for leadership from the time he was at Durban Boys’ High School, found them too hot to handle. “Too much, too soon,” said the wiser heads. “Quota player”, whispered the cynics.Being dropped after the victory at Newlands was the best thing that could have happened to him. Had he been part of the side annihilated home and away by Australia a year later, a fledging career might have ended with broken dreams of flight. Instead, he went back to the Dolphins, smoothed out some of the rougher edges in his game, and returned determined to prove the doubters wrong. The 149 at Newlands against New Zealand sent him on his way, and he’s seldom had to look back since.The last two years have been especially productive, with five centuries in 22 Tests and an average of 51.69. His solidity at what is perhaps the most crucial position in the batting order has also freed Kallis to play with a freedom that few associated with his game. After that disastrous trip to England, Kallis arrived in Australia – another unhappy hunting ground till then – with much to do to rebuild his reputation. And though it is the names of Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy that are initially recalled when people talk of that remarkable run chase at the WACA, Kallis more than played his part with two half-centuries and aggressive strokeplay that infused a belief that South Africa had never had, on previous trips across the Indian Ocean.Amla too played his part in that triumph, playing second fiddle to Smith as they overcame the early loss of Neil McKenzie. And while he grew into his role, Kallis freed himself of the shackles and illustrated why it was so foolish to stereotype him as a one-paced wonder. Since the beginning of that Australian tour, Kallis has scored seven runs more for every 100 balls that he’s faced. The critics often forgot that like Rahul Dravid for India, Kallis played a certain way because he was the implacable foundation of his team. With Amla ready to don that mantle, Kallis could take on the bowlers knowing that his exit didn’t necessarily spell doom for the side.When they came together on Saturday morning, South Africa were in disarray. Ashwell Prince had been unlucky, with no review system in place to reprieve him, and Smith had been undone by inward movement from Zaheer Khan. But slowly, and with the steadiness you associate with both men, they resuscitated the innings. Kallis was in prime form, having scored two centuries against England, and Amla was more than content to turn the strike over in the second hour. Though there was slow turn for both Amit Mishra and Harbhajan Singh, a couple of mighty cleaves from the Kallis’ bat quickly told India that they wouldn’t be allowed to dictate terms.As Kallis began to play strokes with increasing fluency, the field scattered, and the singles were always there for the taking. “Their powers of concentration were exceptional,” said Kepler Wessels, the batting consultant, after the day’s play. “The shot selection was very good. I don’t think you’ll often see Harbhajan go through a day without bowling a maiden.”In his view, Kallis’ innings was yet another example of a man performing at the peak of his powers. “As he’s grown in stature, he’s got his game so well worked out,” said Wessels. “He knows exactly how to bat in different conditions. He can bat time, assess the situation and capitalise when the time’s right.”Amla’s role was no less significant. Having taken 132 balls to ease to a half-century, he was much more decisive in the final session, taking just a further 72 balls for his hundred. There were a couple of edges off the impressive Zaheer that might have gone to hand on another day, and a few airy wafts against Mishra, but by and large he was the perfect foil. “That No.3 slot, as we saw today, is such an important position,” said Wessels. “Hashim has done very well now for a couple of years. He’s very strong mentally, and I’m not surprised that he got runs today. His preparation has been very very good.”The same couldn’t be said of India, whose muddled squad selection and injury woes have left them in a pickle. Zaheer was superb in his opening spell and looked the most likely to break through even when he returned, while Ishant Sharma and Mishra toiled diligently in unhelpful conditions. Harbhajan was poor though, apparently not having watched how Graeme Swann used an attacking outside-off stump line to snare several South African wickets in the recent series.On a slow and low pitch, all is not lost for the hosts. But the opening day certainly belonged to the master and his apprentice. Solid in defence, swift between the wickets and certain about which balls to punish, they had India chasing shadows all day long.