Eight wickets down, 32 runs still to get, and a WTC final spot at stake; there were more than a few jangling nerves at SuperSport Park

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Rabada and Jansen were already doing that. Rabada hit the second and eighth balls he faced for four, Jansen was five off six at the break and together, they had put on 17 runs. They had started to steady a collapse that started when Bavuma walked despite not inside-edging Mohammed Abbas and resulted in four wickets falling in the space of 12 balls. Bavuma retreated to the bathroom but Jansen and Rabada had to keep things going on, and they settled on their plan early.”I came in and I said to him, I’m going to look to be positive,” Rabada said. “Without any hesitation, he (Jansen) said, ‘okay.’ And he had his own game plan. I didn’t tell him how to bat. His main thing was one ball at a time, play it on his merit and that’s what he did. He was a bit more orthodox. I was a bit more unorthodox.”Post-lunch, Rabada took the first risk, when he drove away from his body and edged Abbas but the chance fell short. “I was going after the drive and it felt like I could get nicked off, and I did,” he said. “And it bounced short. So I’m thankful for that.”It didn’t stop him from playing his shots. In the next over Naseem Shah offered it short and wide, Rabada got up on his toes and cracked the shot over cover, just as he planned to. “I said to myself, ‘just give me a cut, give me a cut, I’m setting up for the cut’,” Rabada said “And then he gave me a cut. I set it up nicely and connected it.”For Conrad, who sat stony-faced on the dressing room balcony, “there were little visions of Brian Charles (Lara) at times,” as he watched Rabada bat. Bavuma was still in the bathroom. He only dared to emerge an over later, when Jansen had crisply hit Abbas through cover and South Africa needed 15 runs. “I could hear the guys clapping and Kyle Verreynne shouting. The way he was shouting, it was positive shouts, so I thought, ‘okay, let me come show my face’,” Bavuma said.Still, Rababa and Jansen were not so sure. They knew Pakistan’s bowling quality, they had seen their top and middle order blown away and they understood that they were the last pair South Africa could rely on. “I just kept thinking, I’m not going to leave it to Patto (Dane Paterson),” Rabada said. “Not that I don’t have any faith in him but sometimes there’s two voices in your head: the one voice says, you’re not going to do this. And the other one has to overpower it.”The first ball Rabada faced off Aamer Jamal was a no-ball and he took a single off it. Thirteen needed. He had to wait until the penultimate ball of the over to face again, after Jansen ducked, watched one down leg, defended and then cut him for one. Rabada smoked the final ball of the over back over Jamal’s head and then creamed the last one through the covers to leave South Africa one hit away. But it was only after he got Jansen back on strike and South Africa needed two to win that Rabada believed South Africa had it.The South Africa players did a lap of honour after sealing a spot in the WTC final•Gallo Images”Before that, I just kept thinking, ‘don’t drop the ball, just keep with your processes’. The main thing I was thinking was, continue to stay positive,” he said. “If I looked to get into my shell, and I got out trying to do that, then I would have been more upset. If I got out being positive, I would have accepted that.”Bavuma may not have. By then, he was fully invested in Rabada getting the runs. “How he did it. I couldn’t care, to be honest,” Bavuma joked. “It’s weird with him. You never know what type of KG is going to come out with the bat: it’s the one who wants to play all correct, and then there’s the other guy who played the way that he did today.”In the end, Rabada finished with the third-highest score by a No.10 in a successful chase and called it “without a doubt” the best Test innings of his career. “With a lot of pressure on, it’s the one innings that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”He won’t be the only one. Bavuma emerged from his self-imposed exile to see Rabada bat and then saw him down at the stairs and “jumped on him with joy”, so much so that he “found myself to be taken aback by the emotion.” In the moment Conrad was left speechless. “I don’t think we can put into words what that was. You can’t script that,” he said. And for the 3,600 people who were in the ground and the many, many others watching on television screens, it sent a message about what to do when your team is under pressure. As Bavuma and Conrad and Rabada and Jansen did: be yourself.

He was rewarded for being aggressive yet conventional in a match-turning spell against SRH

Matt Roller17-Apr-20251:02

How Jacks’ part-time offspin found success

The old art of orthodox right-arm offspin is on its deathbed in the IPL. R Ashwin, once its standard-bearer, was dropped by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this week after spending six games predominantly bowling carrom balls, and Washington Sundar can hardly get a game for Gujarat Titans (GT). Sunil Narine and Maheesh Theekshana? They are better categorised as mystery spinners. Glenn Maxwell is still going, but tends to spear in darts rather than looking to turn the ball.But on Thursday night at the Wankhede, an improbable saviour emerged. Will Jacks’ spell of 2 for 14 from three overs ensured that Mumbai Indians (MI) hardly missed the legspin of Karn Sharma when he went off injured, and put the brakes on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) just as they looked to accelerate. Perhaps there is a pulse after all: reports of offspin’s demise in the T20 format were an exaggeration.Harbhajan Singh is one of the all-time great offspinners, and a four-time IPL champion. On the eve of this season, he bemoaned what he perceives to be the defensive approach of the modern offspinner: “They are scared of getting hit for sixes… [They] are more interested in conceding less runs than taking wickets. The reason for specialist offspinners disappearing is this mindset.”Related

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Yet Jacks is unlike most occasional spinners in that he actively looks to turn the ball: he has a classical action, tries to get flight and dip, and at 6ft 2in, his height unlocks extra bounce. He only bowls an average of one over per match in T20s, but Surrey have used him as a frontline spinner in the County Championship and he even has a Test-match six-for to his name.Jacks came into this game sweating on his place, after a quiet start to the season with his new franchise. But he was told at training on Wednesday that he should expect to bowl early on against SRH’s left-handed top three: he came on for the seventh over, with Abhishek Sharma – whom he had dropped first ball at slip – and Travis Head riding their luck early on.At last year’s T20 World Cup, England threw Jacks the ball for the second over against Australia in Barbados, and he disappeared for 22 runs as Head ruthlessly targeted a short square boundary, helped by a stiff crosswind. His third ball, tossed up and crunched back down the ground, must have brought back bad memories: “We’ve had a few good battles,” Jacks said after Thursday’s match, grimacing.But it proved to be the only boundary that he conceded, and his second over featured the ball of the night: a slow, flighted offbreak which had Ishan Kishan charging down the pitch and spun sharply – 5.4 degrees – to beat his outside edge. By the time that Ryan Rickelton had whipped the bails off, Jacks was halfway towards Hardik Pandya at mid-off in celebration.0:55

Bangar: Hardik was spot-on with his captaincy

Hardik’s decision to bring Jacks back ahead of his frontline overseas spinner, Mitchell Santner, was immediately vindicated at the start of his third over: Head charged down and picked out long-off, bringing an uncharacteristically sluggish innings to a tame end. Jacks then proved that he can bowl to right-hand batters too, with five precious dots (and a wide) to Heinrich Klaasen.”If you bowl tentatively to people like that, it’s only going to end one way,” Jacks said. “Originally, I thought I was going to bowl in the powerplay; I didn’t, so I had a bit more protection. I knew I could bowl with confidence and use my skills: I’m a tall bowler, I get good turn and bounce, so that’s what I was trying to do.”Jacks is an unlikely candidate to keep the right-arm offspinner relevant, but his words must be heartening for Harbhajan to hear. “Sometimes, I feel like I can be too defensive instead of using what I’m good at,” he said. “It’s very easy to focus on the batters, but you’ve got to remember that you have your skill as well – and you’re there to get them out.”I knew there was going to be a bit of spin assistance, so as long as I wasn’t floating the ball up there and bowling aggressively… That’s what I was trying to do, looking to get them out. As an offspinner to two left-handers, I’m always looking to take wickets and be aggressive: I know they’re always going to come after me as well, being the sixth bowler.”Jacks is a quick offspinner, and bowled between 90.7-100.9kph throughout his spell. But his combination of bounce, drop and turn was match-turning. “He came up against our three left-handers,” Daniel Vettori, the SRH head coach, said. “All those batsmen said it was hard to get down [the pitch] to him, and when he did drop short, it sat in the wicket and was difficult to hit.”His runs with the bat – 36 off 26 from No. 3, after an early reprieve from Head at cover – ensured that he will have plenty more opportunities to bowl his offbreaks this season. In doing so, he has the chance to prove that there is still a role for his secondary skill in this league – and this format.

Australia threw two legspinners at Virat Kohli and he scored off both with ease to control India’s chase

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Mar-20251:55

Kumble: Kohli always in control during chases

When you have lived the kind of made-for-television existence that Virat Kohli has for the past 15 years, how much mystique, and how much freshness, does the spotlight leave for you? Kohli has invited much of the attention. There is arguably no cricketer in history that has revelled in this glow so much as Kohli, the broadcaster’s Kohlicam a self-perpetuating highlights package waiting to be cut to quicken the pulse of hundreds of millions.But human beings are complex. And though it feels like there are few dark corners waiting to be revealed about Kohli the person, and certainly no mysteries to Kohli the batter, there are some moments that he wants to keep to himself.On the eve of the Pakistan vs India match of this Champions Trophy, for instance, Kohli showed up to the nets of the ICC’s academy hours before he was scheduled to be there, and had a big throwdowns session, with one or two net bowlers in attendance. This was long before the media believed he would arrive, so it is difficult to figure what exactly he worked on. But when word spread that Kohli had landed, fans showed up and were kept outside the gates, from where they could catch only the barest of glimpses.Related

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This is Kohli’s life. Many would show up just to watch him sneeze, and then replay the video of the sneeze with friends, then discuss at length what could possibly have caused it, and whether he looked like he was suppressing any more sneezes, and at what velocity exactly the air was coming out of his nose. Were there any hints of snot? No, surely. The vegan diet. The punishing exercise regimen. In this body? No way. There is no excess mucus there.Kohli, the batter, has had recent trials against legspin. With other players you might not even notice. Wristspin anyway rocks the world on South Asian tracks right now. Also the ODI sample size is tiny.And because it is Kohli, and this career is under the electron microscope, facts that you would not discover about others, you do discover about Kohli. Since the start of 2024, Kohli had been out five times to legspin in the six ODI innings he had faced legspin in. His batting strike rate against legspinners was 48.64.This is a very specific kind of bowling, in a currently unfavoured format, so the data can only reveal so much. But how you have tended to get out in your last few innings is the thing that opposition bowlers tend to prey on. This is the blood in the water that the great white sharks – which Australia tend to embody in big tournaments – are drawn to.

“When you play 300 games, you will end up getting out to some of the spinners – so that’s okay. He’s got a hundred in this competition [against Pakistan], he’s got a [84] in this competition, and when you’ve got runs in this competition, you will eventually get out to some kind of a bowler”Gautam Gambhir

But although great whites generally rule the oceans, they are not the apex predator in this particular food chain. Kohli is an orca. On Tuesday, he stunned the sharks, and ate them up. Australia bowled 96 balls of legspin in this game, bringing in Tanveer Sangha to complement Adam Zampa. Only 14 of those 96 balls came when Kohli was not in the middle.Against Zampa, one of the best white-ball bowlers going, Kohli made 23 off 24 balls. Against Sangha, he hit 12 off 9. All up, that’s 35 off 33 balls against a type of bowling he is supposed to be struggling against. He even deployed the sweep against Sangha’s bowling – not one of his favoured shots. He got him away through fine leg for four.Kohli would eventually get out to Zampa, holing out to long-on on 84. Zampa bowled a googly that Kohli picked, but he wanted to crash it high over that long-on boundary anyway. Maybe in the very back of Kohli’s brain, right near the section neuroscience professors might label “impulse centre”, there was a thought that if he sent this ball high and long into the night, there would be no more doubts about him and legspin. Whether this is Kohli being intensely attuned to what people might be saying about him, or Kohli being intensely attuned to his own cricketing reality, it is hard to tell.Virat Kohli might have a problem against legspin, but there was little evidence of it on Tuesday night•ICC/Getty ImagesBut it is worth noting that this shot came only when India’s victory was all but assured. They needed 40 off 45 when he played that shot, with KL Rahul already batting well, and Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja to come. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that winning matches for India is not important to Kohli.”When you play 300 games, you will end up getting out to some of the spinners – so that’s okay,” coach Gautam Gambhir said after the match when asked about Kohli’s recent brushes with legspin. “He’s got a hundred in this competition [against Pakistan], he’s got a [84] in this competition, and when you’ve got runs in this competition, you will eventually get out to some kind of a bowler. So rather than dissecting and bisecting that he’s got out to legspin and then… when you’ve played 300 ODIs you will eventually get out to certain kind of bowlers.”The end of Kohli’s innings in this particular match revealed something brand new about a player it was thought there was no more to be known. He could have cruised his way to a 52nd ODI hundred, extending his lead at the top of a leaderboard that he will likely rule forever. But there was some part of him that also needed to crash a top-quality legspinner over long-on. And who could possibly deny the fun, the freshness, and the mystique in that?

England’s captain said he had a feeling on an auspicious date, and so it transpired

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Jul-20250:55

Manjrekar: Stokes always makes things happen

Ben Stokes had a hunch when he woke up on Monday morning.On the sixth anniversary of England’s 2019 ODI World Cup win, on the final day at Lord’s, with six wickets to get before India achieved the remaining 135 to win this third Test, Stokes felt there was only one man who should start the day with the ball.It was not from the end from which Jofra Archer bowled that famous Super Over against New Zealand. Stokes still had two deliveries left after taking out nightwatcher Akash Deep with what became his final ball on Sunday. But the Pavilion End, from where Archer, on Thursday, had taken his first Test wicket since February 24, 2021, would do just fine. Especially when fate was calling.Related

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So it proved. A six-over spell produced a pearler to send Rishabh Pant’s off stump for a walk, then a stunning reflex catch – Archer sprawling to his right in his follow-through – did for Washington Sundar. Since 2006, when such records started being kept, Archer’s was the sixth fastest day-five spell recorded.”It felt right in my tummy that Jofra was going to do something this morning to break the game open,” Stokes said. “Gut feel doesn’t always work, but those two wickets he got this morning swung the game massively in our favour.”Undoubtedly, it was Stokes’ dismissal of KL Rahul, sandwiched by Archer’s strikes, that was top of the podium. England’s three wickets in the first seven overs of play had put them out in front. And just when it looked as though India were creeping back into the picture with their ninth-wicket stand, Stokes returned to prise out Jasprit Bumrah, even if the No. 10’s shot selection was curious given the situation.England’s heroes in that 2019 final – both the man who dragged them to that Super Over, and the one who held his nerve to defend 15 therein – were back at it in 2025. Cricket is a sport that, more often than not, baits romance rather than serves it up. However, for Stokes to bowl as much as he did, and for Archer to be back bowling in a Test match at all, provided a moment – as was the case six years ago – that English cricket will not be able to take for granted.Then and now: Six years on from the 2019 World Cup final, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer were centre stage at Lord’s•Getty Images

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Archer was at midwicket when the final ball of the match trickled agonisingly onto Mohammed Siraj’s leg stump. As Shoaib Bashir charged off towards the Grandstand – where Archer himself had been enveloped by Bashir after removing Jaiswal four days earlier – Archer fell to the floor.His resting place was more or less the same patch of grass onto which he had sprinted and dived after Jos Buttler had run out Martin Guptill from Jason Roy’s throw. But the significance of that moment is probably a little overblown, considering Archer could not recall why July 14 was special when Stokes broached it with him”You know what day today is, don’t you?” Stokes had asked before the start of play, looking to stir the 30-year-old. It turns out, Archer thought this was the anniversary of India’s two-wicket win over England at Lord’s in 2002’s NatWest series final. “You know that highlight package of India knocking off 300-odd back in the day with Ganguly?” Stokes explained to the media, referencing the then-India captain windmilling his shirt over his head on the away balcony. “He thought that was a World Cup final. He thought that was six years ago today.”The confusion was broadly understandable. That fixture actually took place on July 13, and highlights of that 325-plays-326 slobberknocker were on the television screens on Monday morning when England arrived at the ground. When Stokes informed Archer he meant the World Cup “we won”, Archer responded with, “oh, that one”.Ben Stokes at the centre surrounded by the rest of England•Getty Images

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Archer will have known which one, of course, and confusing it with a match that took place 23 years ago suggests 2019’s final feels more recent than it actually is.The memories from that summer have kept Archer going, and kept England so invested – literally – in getting him back to this point. He had followed his World Cup haul of 20 dismissals at 23.05 (the third most in the tournament) with 22 more at 20.27 in the men’s Ashes, all of them underpinned by express pace. Few players have had such a sweet first taste of international cricket, and fewer still have nailed their own involvement so spectacularly.Archer’s problems have come ever since. From that summer into this one, his nine Test caps brought just 20 further wickets at 42. When people doubted that Archer could return as the bowler he had been back in 2019, they had their reasons.During this period, England did overbowl him, most notably on a flat pitch in Mount Maunganui, where he sent down 42 in a single innings. The link between his elbow and lower-back stress fractures was easy to make.Even on his thrilling Test debut at Lord’s against Australia, England were already playing recklessly with their new toy, as he sent down 44 overs in the match. And though he did get into a 40th on this comeback, the breakdown of his work suggests lessons have been learned.In 2019, there was an eight- and seven-over spell, along with six other spells at least four. This time, there were only six spells of four or more across the four days England spent in the field, with his two longest at five when opening the first innings, and six on this final morning.Much of that is down to the fact Stokes shouldered the longest burdens. Going into stumps on day four with 4.4 overs, he resumed in the morning for 9.2 more, and then later in the day for 10.While Archer did the post-match media rounds, looking fresh and beaming from ear to ear, an exhausted Stokes, carrying his bowling boots in one hand, blood seeping through the sock on his left foot, began his session for the written media with a simple request: “Any chance you can just do ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions?”2:32

Stokes: I was going to decide when I stop bowling

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The connection between Stokes and Archer truly began in 2019, bound by that World Cup win.Stokes was the first to go over to Archer in the moment of victory, putting his arms around him during those celebrations on the outfield. They have gone on to become good friends, gaming together, even becoming business partners. And as Test captain, with Archer trending towards full fitness throughout Stokes’ tenure, the 34-year-old has been his biggest cheerleader and defender during various setbacks.Despite all the affection, Stokes did lose his cool with Archer on Sunday evening.During Archer’s third over, after Karun Nair had hit him for a second boundary through the covers in four deliveries, he gestured for a man to be placed out as insurance. Stokes refused.At the start of the 16th over, Rahul’s bunt out to deep square-leg was not immediately attacked, resulting in Stokes throwing his arms out at Archer, who was stationed back on the leg-side boundary. As the players walked off after Stokes had taken out Akash Deep’s off stump, Sky cameras caught Archer trying to speak to Stokes, who gave him short shrift.This is not Archer’s first Test in which Stokes has been captain, but it is his first since his regime officially began in 2022. Though Archer has been with the team since the second Test, this was the first time he was really “in it”. It is not a total surprise he is not up to speed with some of the non-negotiables.One insistence he seemed to fall foul of was asking for negative field settings – Stokes believes every fielder should be affecting a dismissal, something he reiterates by telling his bowlers he simply does not care about their economy rates. The other “must” is giving your all in fielding. No dawdling or escorting. A great example was Bashir, an over before he took the final wicket. Nursing a broken pinkie on his left hand that has ruled him out for the rest of the series, Bashir slid along the point boundary to intercept the ball inside the rope – scooping it with his right hand, then cradling it in the pit of his right elbow.Archer, by Monday, had clearly got the memo, diving about in the field, and letting his captain set whatever field he demanded. In return, he maintained his express pace throughout, including when he struck Siraj on the shoulder with a fierce bumper clocking in at 88mph. It turned out to be his final delivery of the match.Ben Stokes celebrates after sending back Jasprit Bumrah•Getty Images

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Stokes revealed the main sticking point he had with Archer on the penultimate evening was not to do with his fielding but where people were stationed. Specifically, Stokes himself.”He wanted me to come to mid-on and Carsey [Brydon Carse] to go to leg slip so he could talk to me,” Stokes said. “But I didn’t trust Carsey at leg slip, to be honest. Honestly, that whole thing was he wanted me to come to mid-on so we could chat about what he’s trying to do.”Even in the heat of this Test match, it was a rare moment of vulnerability from Archer. Public-facing, too. Those chats would have been tactical, but there is something to be said for the extra comfort Stokes would have brought Archer by his side.Stokes was at mid-on for the last ball of the Super Over, collapsing onto his back at its conclusion. His unbeaten 84 had left the match all-square in normal time. But more important even that the eight extra runs he picked off alongside Jos Buttler in setting New Zealand a Super Over target of 16 was his advice to Archer before he took centre stage.Though Archer already had the confidence – he knew he’d have to bowl the Super Over even before Eoin Morgan had confirmed it – he was wary. He would later admit: “I don’t know what I would have done tomorrow” had he been responsible for losing that final.Stokes, however, had experience of that from 2016’s World T20 final in Kolkata. And so, he took Archer to one side and offered the following: “Win or lose, today does not define you. Everyone believes in you.”The irony is failure in this Test may have re-defined Archer. It would have been proof, in the eyes of the doubters, that he was a waste of central contracts. That he has been coddled by the ECB. That maybe he does only care for franchise riches, that he is only good for white-ball cricket. That, you know what, he is overrated. Speaking to Sky in the moment of victory, he railed against the “keyboard warriors” who had been the bane of his rehab for four years.Now, those thoughts can settle down. Of course, much will depend on how Archer recovers from this week’s exploits, though the nine days between now and the fourth Test will help him. A meaningful role in this winter’s Ashes is now a genuine possibility.A lot has happened in six years. And yet here we are, back at Lord’s, with English cricket grateful for Stokes and giddy about Archer all over again. All told, it’s good to be back.

And does Sunil Gavaskar hold the record for scoring the lowest percentage of career runs in wins?

Steven Lynch26-Aug-2025Matt Breetzke just scored his fourth half-century in his fourth ODI. Has anyone else done this? asked Harvey Osborne from South Africa
By scoring 88 against Australia in Mackay last week, South Africa’s Matthew Breetzke became the first man to reach 50 in all of his first four one-day internationals: he started with 150 against New Zealand in Lahore in February, added 83 against Pakistan two days later, and then started last week with 57 against Australia in Cairns.Although Breetzke is the first to reach 50 in his first four ODI matches, there is another man who did it in his first four innings: India’s Navjot Singh Sidhu started his ODI career during the 1987 World Cup with innings of 73, 55, 51 and 55 – but that run included a match against Zimbabwe in which he did not bat.Only two other men have scored half-centuries in their first three ODIs, and both were representing Netherlands: Tom Cooper and Max O’Dowd.Australia’s top three all made centuries in the recent ODI in Mackay. Was this a first? asked Mike Roberts from Australia
Australia’s huge total of 431 for 2 against South Africa in Mackay last weekend included 142 from Travis Head, a round 100 by captain Mitchell Marsh, and an unbeaten 118 from Cameron Green. It was the fifth ODI innings to contain three centuries, but only the second time these had come from the top three in the order, after South Africa (439 for 2) against West Indies in Johannesburg in 2015, when Hashim Amla made 153 not out, Rilee Rossouw 128 and AB de Villiers 149 from 44 balls at No. 3. De Villiers’ century needed only 31 deliveries, the ODI record: Green’s 47-ball ton in Mackay puts him joint 11th on that list.Here are some more statistical highlights from the weekend’s match.No batter is repeated in Kraigg Brathwaite’s (left) haul of 29 Test wickets so far•AFP via Getty ImagesWhen Sam Konstas made his Test debut he was the youngest player in the side by about 11 years. Was this a record? asked Dean Harrison from Australia
Sam Konstas made his Test debut for Australia in Melbourne last year at 19: unusually, there was no one in their twenties in that Australian side; the next youngest was Marnus Labuschagne, who was 30 at the time.The age difference between Konstas and Labuschagne (about 11 years three months) is indeed a record for the youngest member of any Test side. Previously the record was nine years four months, between Aaqib Javed (aged 16) and Saleem Malik (25) for Pakistan against New Zealand in Wellington in 1989.There are a few bigger gaps between the most senior member of a Test team and the next oldest. The biggest of all is 17 years nine months, between Miran Bakhsh (aged 47) and Pakistan’s captain Abdul Hafeez Kardar (30) in two Tests in India early in 1955.In the very first Test, against Australia in Melbourne in 1877, England’s James Southerton – the oldest Test debutant of all, at 49 – was nearly 14 years older than his team-mate Tom Emmett, who was 35.Although Sunil Gavaskar scored more than 10,000 Test runs, only 1671 of them came in winning causes. Is that the lowest in terms of percentage in a career, among players who scored a minimum of 3000 runs? asked Kumar Bhagat from the UAE
You’re right that only 1671 of Sunil Gavaskar’s 10,122 Test runs came in victories. That’s 16.51%, which actually isn’t too bad for a time when India won rather less often than they do now. Among those who scored 3000 Test runs, there are 11 men whose percentage in wins is lower than Gavaskar’s: they include four other Indians – Vijay Manjrekar (270 out of 3208, or 8.42%), Polly Umrigar (456/3631, 12.56%), Ravi Shastri (492/3830, 12.85%) and Chandu Borde (504/3061, 16.47%).Lowest of all is Bangladesh’s Habibul Bashar: he scored 3026 Test runs, but only 149 (4.92%) came in wins. Two famous names come next: Hanif Mohammad made 3915 Test runs for Pakistan, but only 285 (7.28%) in wins, while John Reid’s 3428 runs for New Zealand included just 297 (8.66%) in victories.Who has taken the most Test wickets without ever dismissing one batter more than once? asked Ayan Ghosh from India
The leader here is a current player, although he’s out of favour at the moment and so might not get the chance to add to his tally. The West Indian opener Kraigg Brathwaite has taken 29 Test wickets so far, all of them different batters.Mohammad Ashraful of Bangladesh dismissed 21 different batters, and Sajeewa de Silva of Sri Lanka 16. Travis Head of Australia has dismissed 16 different men so far. The Surrey and England pair of Mark Butcher and Gareth Batty both took 15 Test wickets, all different people.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

If Hardik Pandya is one half of India’s white-ball cheat code, Axar is the other, and he proved this again with an all-round masterclass at Carrara Oval

Sidharth Monga06-Nov-2025

Axar Patel used angles to take his wickets and then to celebrate them•Getty Images

T20 unfolds so quickly it is sometimes difficult to figure out what is going on or what has caused the goings-on. One moment Australia are looking comfortable chasing 168, the next they are getting out hooking Shivam Dube. Before you know it, Washington Sundar is on a hat-trick, and India have won the Carrara Oval T20I by 48 runs.Australia had been dominating the game. An Arshdeep Singh over had gone for 15, Varun Chakravarthy had been pulled for a huge six, and India needed an intervention to stay alive in the contest.At this juncture, Axar Patel came on inside the powerplay and dragged Australia back, executing a simple plan to perfection. He said he was looking to bowl the 5-6m length to batters looking to hit down the ground, and full to those looking to sweep.Related

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Axar used his wide release to create an angle into the right-hand batters in the Australian line-up, cramping them for room. Only eight of the balls that Axar bowled in his night’s work of 4-0-20-2 ended up outside off at the plane of the stumps. Everything else was either hitting the stumps or following batters who were backing away to create room. Not one ball let them play an attacking shot off the back foot.Axar got Matt Short on the sweep, but the incredible part was that he landed the ball full enough to defy that angle, and both hit the batter in line and be projected to hit the stumps. He also convinced his captain to take the review when the umpire, understandably, didn’t quite believe both were possible. Against Josh Inglis, Axar saw the advance down the wicket and both slowed the ball down and pulled his length back.This was a crucial spell because Axar was the fourth bowler India tried, and their options for the fifth bowler were Dube, Washington, who hadn’t bowled in the third T20I because of the right-hander-heavy line-up, and Abhishek Sharma. India needed some asking-rate pressure for any of these bowlers to be effective. Axar created that with three overs for 17 runs out of the first nine, giving India a chance to be able to use the uneven bounce and the big square boundaries; Dube, for one, did this with smart use of off-pace bouncers.Axar Patel’s handy 21* carried India to 167•Getty ImagesFor all of Axar’s bowling smarts, limited-overs cricket is too unforgiving for specialist fingerspinners to thrive in, but his batting has also been a big part of India’s domination in T20 cricket. Here at Carrara Oval, he had scored an unbeaten 11-ball 21 that included a final-over push that took them to a fighting total.With increasing batting responsibilities both at Delhi Capitals and in ODIs, Axar has flourished as an allrounder in limited-overs cricket. He is one half of the cheat code – Hardik Pandya is the other – that gives India depth in both departments.You can easily imagine teams that will be happy to play just Axar the batter. Unlike Ravindra Jadeja, India’s T20 spin allrounder before Axar and for a while alongside him, it is not easy to shut Axar down. He can be a spin disruptor, he can play like a proper middle-order batter, and he can also bat at the death.This was Axar’s eighth Player-of-the-Match award in T20Is, which moved him past another left-arm spinner and batter, Yuvraj Singh. Only Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma have won more match awards for India. If this is not enough to prove his value, consider this. You can find substitutes for most players in Indias’ line-up, who may not be as good as the player they’ve replaced but can still do a job. It is nigh on impossible to find someone who does what Axar does.

Marnus Labuschagne has churned out runs, Steven Smith looks primed and Scott Boland has been in the wickets

Andrew McGlashan15-Nov-20252:17

Weatherald or Labuschagne – who will open in Perth?

Usman Khawaja

Sheffield Shield – Matches: 3; Runs: 202; Average: 50.50; 100s: 0A solid build-up for Khawaja, who was always scheduled to miss the game against Western Australia having played the first three. Made contributions in all the matches and looked good for his 87 against New South Wales, although the real test will come against the extra pace in England’s attack.

Jake Weatherald

Sheffield Shield – Matches: 4; Runs: 301; Average: 37.62; 100s: 0
One-Day Cup – Matches: 2; Runs: 28; Average: 14.00Though he hasn’t nailed a huge score, his rapid 94 against Western Australia helped seal his first Test call after starting with twin fifties on a docile Allan Border Field pitch on the back of his 900-run 2024-25 summer. Two lean rounds heading into the series isn’t ideal but Weatherald is a cricketer very comfortable with where he is at in his career. Has been picked because of his naturally positive game, so don’t expect that to change if he makes the XI.Related

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Marnus Labuschagne

Sheffield Shield – Matches: 4; Runs: 402; Average: 67.00; 100s: 2
One-Day Cup – Matches: 4; Runs: 338; Average: 84.50; 100s: 3Has done everything, and probably more, asked of him after being dropped in the West Indies. While the volume of runs will be pleasing for the selectors, it’s the manner in which Labuschagne has made them that has probably been the most important factor – back to the positive intent that was a hallmark of his prolific time as a Test batter a few years ago. Seems to be less worried about the little things.

Steven Smith

Sheffield Shield – Matches: 2; Runs: 231; Average: 115.50; 100s: 1Smith said he was ready before he had hit a ball in anger this season and his returns in two New South Wales outings has backed that up. He was especially impressive on a tricky SCG pitch against Victoria. Also took a brilliant catch at slip to suggest the reflexes are still in top working order.

Travis Head

ODIs – Matches: 3; Runs 65; Average: 21.66
T20Is – Matches: 6; Runs: 78; Average: 15.60
Sheffield Shield – Matches: 1; Runs: 21Head is a critical figure in Australia’s batting order but enters the Ashes with question marks over his form. While T20s aren’t the best barometer, he also didn’t get going in the ODIs against India. Then, in his one Shield outing, he made two low scores in a bowler-dominated game against Tasmania. The hope will be that his big-game temperament shines through when needed. “I take confidence in the last Test series we played in West Indies,” he told . “I felt like on tough wickets I played well… I try to adapt to conditions and win games of cricket for Australia. I’m not too worried about output, I know I’m working hard, I know I’m ready to go.”Cameron Green ticked every box in his Shield outing against Queensland•Getty Images

Cameron Green

Sheffield Shield – Matches: 3; Runs: 195; Average: 32.50; 100s: 0 | Overs: 20; Wickets: 2It had been a slightly disjointed start to the season for Green after a side niggle interrupted his preparations, but he ticked every box in his Shield outing against Queensland, getting through 16 overs at good pace across the two innings and making 94. Four years into his Test career, Green’s numbers are solid – can he now go to the next level?

Beau Webster

Sheffield Shield – Matches: 2; Runs: 38; Average: 9.50 | Overs: 47.5; Wickets: 9; Average: 19.66
One-Day Cup – Matches 3; Runs 159; Average: 53.00 | Overs: 19.4; Wickets: 5; Average: 18.40Webster’s immediate Test future hangs in the balance, largely through no fault of his own. However, it wasn’t a great time to have two lean outings with the bat for Tasmania after an ankle injury meant he missed the start of the Shield season. But with the ball he has been excellent – the injuries Australia have suffered may yet work in his favour if the selectors opt for extra bowling depth – and he would certainly be an asset in the field.

Alex Carey

ODIs – Matches: 2; Runs: 33; Average: 16.50
T20Is – Matches: 3; Runs 8; Average: 4.00
Sheffield Shield – Matches: 2; Runs: 126; Average: 31.50; 100s: 0
One-Day Cup – Matches 1; Runs 8It hasn’t been the most prolific six weeks for Carey but there won’t be too many concerns. His half-century against Tasmania was a timely tune-up ahead of next week. The original plan was probably for him to have three Shield outings, but he was a late call-up for the T20Is in New Zealand after Josh Inglis was injured.

Josh Inglis

T20Is – Matches: 5; Runs: 33; Average: 11.00
Sheffield Shield – Matches: 1; Runs: 32Barring an injury to Carey, it’s unlikely Inglis will be needed, at least early in the Ashes. It’s been a frustrating season so far with a calf problem leaving him short of match time. He struggled in the T20Is against India and then made 4 and 28 in Western Australia’s thrilling one-wicket win over Queensland.Mitchell Starc bowled with pace against Victoria at the SCG•Getty Images

Mitchell Starc

ODIs – Matches: 3; Wickets: 3; Average: 38.33
Sheffield Shield – Matches: 1; Overs: 31; Wickets: 5; Average: 27.80Starc voluntarily offered up that he had been searching for rhythm a little after a lengthy lay-off since the West Indies tour. Things hadn’t quite felt right in the ODIs against India but signs were promising in his Shield outing where he produced a rapid spell after lunch on the first day. His durability is legendary but will be tested this summer.

Nathan Lyon

Sheffield Shield – Matches: 4; Overs: 150; Wickets: 12; Average: 34.00Lyon’s pre-season plan was to play three of the four Shield games before the first Test, but with seamers dominating the first two he opted for an extra outing to build his workload. Wickets didn’t come in abundance, but he looked to be finding a nice groove against Victoria. “I feel like I’ve been building nicely,” he said during the game. “Especially over at the Gabba and here now. It’s feeling really good.”

Scott Boland

Sheffield Shield – Matches: 3; Overs: 90.4; Wickets: 14; Average: 17.57Boland, who is now likely to see much more Ashes action than may have originally been the case, looks to have timed his run perfectly. By his own high standards, he wasn’t quite at his best against NSW in Melbourne but still claimed a match-winning eight wickets. Was a constant threat in the return fixture at the SCG.

Brendan Doggett

Sheffield Shield – Matches: 2; Overs: 64.4; Wickets: 13; Average: 14.69
One-Day Cup – Matches: 1; Wickets 2After a hamstring injury ruled him out of the first two Shield matches, Doggett has put his name up in lights with a bagful of wickets for South Australia. Josh Hazlewood’s injury has put him on the brink of a Test debut in Perth and he looks like a bowler ready for the step up.

Michael Neser

Sheffield Shield – Matches 3; Overs: 115.3; Wickets: 14; Average: 24.38
One-Day Cup – Matches 2: Overs 20; Wickets: 4; Average: 26.25A late call-up after the major loss of Hazlewood for the first Test. Neser has been as probing as ever, particularly in his first two Shield outings in October that brought 11 wickets. Missed the third round to manage his workload.

Already one of UAE’s mainstays with his explosive batting, Alishan Sharafu is trying to be the team’s man for all situations

Shashank Kishore14-Sep-2025Alishan Sharafu, 22, has lived almost all his life in the UAE. But the love of cricket began in Kerala, when he would visit family in the summers. As he grew older, he naturally gravitated towards the game without really knowing if he could make a career out of it.Nearly 15 years after he first started playing, Sharafu is one of UAE’s batting mainstays, and has grown into a valuable retain-worthy local talent in the ILT20, where he represents Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.In UAE’s Asia Cup opener against India, Sharafu was their top scorer in an otherwise forgettable batting performance. What he is unlikely to forget is the range of shots he displayed – backing away to smash Axar Patel inside-out over cover for six, or whipping Jasprit Bumrah off his hips. It’s the confidence from those shots that he is hoping to carry forward when UAE play gulf-rivals Oman on Monday.Related

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“My first memory of cricket was the 2011 World Cup,” he tells ESPNcricinfo. “I was supporting India, obviously, and they went on to win it. It was Sachin’s [Tendulkar] last World Cup, and that was the point where I wanted to play the game. That was when cricket became a passion.”Today, that passion has allowed him opportunities to face Sunil Narine in the nets, and train and learn from Andre Russell and Phil Salt, among others. And in the UAE, such exposure is gold.”Every game is a big opportunity,” Sharafu says. “Because there are only two local players in the XI [at ILT20], you never know how many chances you’ll get. Maybe just one in the whole season. So you have to do well. Fortunately, I played every game in my first season [2024], which was a privilege. You learn from the best – just watching how they go about their game.”For Sharafu, while cricket continues to be the priority, he has ticked off another box along the way on his parents’ insistence. He has completed a degree in cyber security, even though he is fairly certain he won’t have to use it anytime soon.”Initially, my mom was a little skeptical about cricket, because for every parent, education comes first,” he says. “But once I started playing international cricket, she understood. I think I did okay to manage both. I met her expectations, whatever she wanted. But yeah, it was difficult once I got to university. I had to do both. There was no option.”

“Everyone wants to be the best in the country. I’d like to be someone the team can depend on to win games. That’s what I want to be known for”Alishan Sharafu

But pulling off balancing acts isn’t new for Sharafu. When he was 15, he broke into the UAE Under-16s and Under-19s the same year, all while managing high school. He made his T20I debut at 17 and ODI debut at 18, in 2020 and 2021 respectively.Sharafu was first spotted by Knight Riders at a trial by former analyst AR Srikkanth, first came into the setup in the ILT20 under Ryan ten Doeschate, the franchise’s then coach who is currently assistant coach of India. Sharafu was shortlisted for his ability to take the bowlers on right from the outset.”I don’t know where it comes from,” he says of his fearlessness. “But I’ve always liked taking bowlers on. That’s how I’ve always wanted to bat. Even as a kid, I just loved hitting sixes.”For the past two seasons at the ILT20, Sharafu says he’s learnt “something school or university doesn’t teach you”.”Andre Russell is one I always watch. I asked him about how he hits sixes consistently, what his secret is,” Sharafu says. “With Narine, he’s probably one of the calmest and smartest cricketers I’ve seen. He just reads the game one step faster. Even batting with Phil Salt, he told me a few small things that could help my game. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, but just having those conversations is special.””Batting with Phil Salt, he told me a few small things that could help my game”•ILT20Asked of his biggest improvements since playing in the ILT20, he says, “I think my batting evolved after last season with Knight Riders. Even though you’re the same player, playing alongside guys like Russell and Narine just gives you confidence. Once you have that validation, you take that confidence into the UAE team too. It’s 80% about how you feel. And I think that experience has added another gear to my batting.”That improvement has been visible in his ability to alter between roles. “I’ve always been a top-order batter, but I’m also adjusting to batting in the middle. If we lose early wickets, I know I have to stabilise the innings and take it deep. If we’re going well, I just go in and bat with freedom. The clarity from the team management has been excellent.”Off the field, Sharafu likes to unwind watching football, playing FIFA on PlayStation, or just relaxing by a pool or a beach. His cricketing ambition is a lot more focused: “Everyone wants to be the best in the country. I’d like to be someone the team can depend on to win games. That’s what I want to be known for.”This drive, Sharafu says, comes from his dad for all the sacrifices he has had to make. “From when I was 10-15, every Friday and Saturday, he’d take me to training and games, sit at the ground, pick me up, drop me back. He’s a very passionate supporter, sometimes hard on me too, but I think that’s where I get it from.”At 22, Sharafu is still very much work-in-progress, but he carries the confidence and drive of someone who has clarity on what he wants to do.

Double-World Cup winner and Ashes star, but Woakes’ everyman qualities were his defining trait

Matt Roller01-Oct-2025When a sportsman retires, it is only natural to focus on their successes, and in Chris Woakes’ case, there were many. He is a double world champion, playing in both the 2019 (ODI) and 2022 (T20) World Cup finals, won the Compton-Miller medal in one of his five Ashes series, and finished a 62-match Test career with a batting average over 25 and a bowling average below 30.Woakes became a stalwart for England across formats: he spearheaded the one-day attack throughout Eoin Morgan’s white-ball revolution, regularly ran through touring Test teams, and lent balance to every side he played in. His record in England is outstanding: in 39 home Tests, he took 148 wickets at 23.87, outstripping even James Anderson and Stuart Broad.Yet the response to his international retirement on Monday – he will play on in franchise and county cricket – has underscored the sense that Woakes’ lows were an essential part of his story. His everyman quality made him the most relatable England regular of his generation, and was a huge reason why he is so highly regarded by both team-mates and fans.Woakes was a brilliant all-round sportsman, earning his nickname ‘The Wizard’ when cleaning up at a darts tournament on an Under-19s tour. Yet as a cricketer, for all his qualities, his attributes were relatively unremarkable: a swing – and, later, seam – bowler who spent most of his career bowling closer to 80mph than 90mph, and a solid if unspectacular batter.Woakes claimed three wickets as England prevailed in the 2019 World Cup final•IDI via Getty ImagesHe was not blessed with the natural pace of Mark Wood, Broad’s height, or the freakish athleticism of Ben Stokes, but developed himself into one of England’s most loved players through resilience and determination. He is a rare example of a player who undoubtedly fulfilled his potential, turning his early promise into a stellar international career.There were plenty of challenges. The timing of Woakes’ career meant that he was often competing for a single spot in England’s Test team, with Anderson, Broad and Stokes all automatic selections. He suffered various injuries – an occupational hazard – and, perhaps most notably, he struggled away from home, finishing his overseas Test career with a bowling average of 48.93.Related

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He reflected on those challenges in a candid Sky interview on Tuesday. “[Fans] don’t see it all,” Woakes said. “They don’t see the tough days… the hard moments where you are struggling. It happens in sport, where we often put on a brave face but behind the scenes, within the dressing room and within hotels, there are some dark times.”Woakes also recognised the benefits that overcoming adversity had on his career: “It moulds you as a person, moulds your character. It certainly helped me, the fact that I’ve had those setbacks… There’s been highs, there’s been lows, but the lows make sure that, when you do get success and you get those rewards eventually, that means a hell of a lot more.”Inevitably, there has been a great deal of focus on Woakes’ final act as a Test cricketer since his announcement, and his decision to come out to bat with a dislocated shoulder at The Oval – in a valiant, if ultimately vain, attempt to get England over the line against India – deserves immense credit. It is a reflection on his selfless character that he saw it as his only option.Ben Stokes greets Woakes after his valiant effort at The Oval•Getty ImagesBut as the dust settles, it will be his late arrival in the 2023 Ashes that ought to be the abiding memory of Woakes’ England career. He had not played a Test match for 18 months before he was thrown into the series at 2-0 down with three to play; a month later, he was bowling England to a series-levelling victory at The Oval, finishing the series with 19 wickets at 18.15.It was trademark Woakes, a starring role made even sweeter by the adversity that had come before it. He had feared for his career when he returned from a disastrous tour of the Caribbean in early 2022 needing knee surgery, and he was consistently overlooked at Test level when he was fit enough to return.His comeback at Headingley brought six wickets and a priceless 32 not out to see England home; in Manchester, he took a first-innings five-for; at The Oval, he was named player of the match for his seven wickets, four of them on the final day. Even still, he was happy for Broad – who sealed the win in his final act as an England player – to take centre stage.It was telling that Woakes’ announcement provoked such a strong response, and Key summed up his contribution to England dressing rooms past and present by describing him as “a man who helped every team he played in, even before he walked onto the field”. It takes something special for a player to be so highly regarded by both team-mates and supporters – and Woakes was just that.

Manchester United completed a clean sweep of Premier League honours for October as Ruben Amorim claimed the Manager of the Month award and Bryan Mbeumo was named Player of the Month. The Portuguese coach led his side to three straight victories over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton, while Mbeumo’s three goals capped a standout month for the rejuvenated Red Devils.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Mbeumo named PL's Player of the Month for October

  Mbeumo’s blistering form has been rewarded with the Premier League’s Player of the Month award for October after a decisive contribution to Manchester United’s perfect run. Mbeumo finished ahead of nominees including Erling Haaland, Bruno Guimaraes and Matty Cash to claim the award. The Cameroonian forward played a starring role in all three victories, opening the scoring against Liverpool at Anfield, setting up Mason Mount in the 2-0 win over Sunderland, and firing a brace against Brighton at Old Trafford.

  Across the month, Mbeumo recorded three goals and one assist, playing a pivotal role in United’s turnaround after a sluggish start to the season. His all-action displays reflected both his maturity and tactical intelligence under Amorim, who has given the 26-year-old the freedom to attack from the right-hand side while drifting into central positions. 

  Remarkably, this is the first time Mbeumo has won the honour, though he previously collected Manchester United’s internal Player of the Month prize in August. The accolade also marks a historic moment for Cameroon, with Mbeumo becoming only the second player from the nation to win the Premier League award, following Joel Matip’s success in February 2022.

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  Amorim voted as the PL's Manager of the Month

  While Mbeumo’s exploits grabbed the headlines, Amorim’s tactical brilliance earned him the Premier League’s Manager of the Month award. The 40-year-old guided United to a flawless October, overseeing statement victories that reignited belief at Old Trafford and re-established the club among the top four contenders. Wins over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton reflected not only improved performances but also a new sense of composure and identity under Amorim’s leadership.

  The month began with a confident 2-0 win at Sunderland before United produced their finest performance of the campaign in a 2-1 victory away to Liverpool, sealed by a late Harry Maguire header. That result marked United’s first win at Anfield in over eight years and back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time this season. A 4-2 triumph over Brighton capped off a perfect run, as Matheus Cunha scored his first goal for the club and Mbeumo’s brace sealed Amorim’s dominance on the touchline.

  Amorim credited his players for the achievement, saying: “The credit is not mine, the credit is for my players. They did really well, and our goal is to win the next one because it means we win football matches.”

  The award also places Amorim in rare company as he becomes only the third Red Devils manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement to win the Premier League’s monthly prize, following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.

• Man Utd's stunning return to form in October

  Mbeumo’s form has been one of the defining factors of United’s October resurgence. Since joining from Brentford for around £65 million, he has slotted seamlessly into Amorim’s attacking structure, combining with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko to form a dynamic, unpredictable front line.

  Statistically, Mbeumo’s influence is remarkable. In just ten Premier League appearances this season, he has already scored four times and assisted once, while maintaining a pass completion rate of 80 per cent and an average of 2.4 shots per match. More importantly, his big-game temperament — exemplified by his early strike at Anfield — has earned him the trust of Amorim and the admiration of supporters. It’s little surprise he’s become one of the first names on the teamsheet.

  For Amorim, October represented the turning point of his tenure. After a difficult start marked by injuries and inconsistency, United’s performances have mirrored his tactical clarity and adaptability. By integrating new signings quickly and building confidence among the squad’s core, he has succeeded in blending youthful energy with experienced leadership. His commitment to a 3-4-3 structure, despite criticism, has brought both balance and unpredictability to United’s attack.

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• Man Utd looking to shake of Nottingham draw in November

  Despite a disappointing 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, both Amorim and Mbeumo will aim to regain their stellar form as Manchester United enter a pivotal winter stretch. The Red Devils face crucial fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur, followed by clashes with Everton and Crystal Palace after the international break, with the opportunity to solidify their place among the league’s top four.

  The signs of progress are undeniable, and Amorim’s tactical acumen and Mbeumo’s star quality have not only restored optimism at Old Trafford but also signalled a cultural shift.