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What makes this innocuous-seeming bowler so difficult to handle?

Aakash Chopra30-Jul-20152:47

Mustafizur and the art of the cutter

At the international level any bowler who operates in the mid-to-late 120kph range gets little respect. That’s why it wasn’t surprising to see the Indians not take much notice of the wiry left-arm seam bowler who ran in during the first ODI of India’s recent tour to Bangladesh. That was Mustafizur Rahman range.If you don’t have pace, you must swing the ball prodigiously to make up for it, but Mustafizur didn’t have swing either. The odd ball would come back in to the right-handers, but not extravagantly enough to set warning bells ringing. The last thing that can save you in the absence of pace and swing is if you generate disconcerting bounce, but to get that on slow, low subcontinental pitches, you must be as tall as Mohammad Irfan, and Mustafizur is nowhere close. He should have been easy prey from the looks of him. Yes, he has a quick arm action and an effective slower one, but is that enough to succeed against top-quality international batsmen?No wonder it took everyone by surprise when Mustafizur took five wickets on ODI debut. I, for one, was convinced the Indians would figure him out in the following games. How wrong I was. Not only did he fox India through the three-match series, he also left the South Africans searching for answers in the one after, making everyone sit up and take notice.

The only feasible option to hit his slower ones is to go with the spin and target the off side, but that is difficult against a ball that’s not short and is turning away sharply and bouncing awkwardly

What makes him a difficult bowler to handle? Mustafizur is like any other left-arm seam bowler when the ball is new, for he tries to bring it back in to the right-handers, with the odd delivery holding its line and creating doubt. His speeds were worth noting in the matches against South Africa, where he began to clock close to 140kph. Now the speed guns are not exactly trustworthy, but there certainly was a visible increase in Mustafizur’s pace and he was hitting the bat a lot harder than he had done against India. The balls that clean-bowled Quinton De Kock in the last ODI and in the first Test said as much – de Kock was beaten by pace. It’s remarkable to see someone add nearly 10kph to his average pace in two weeks, as Mustafizur has done.His real strength, though, isn’t bowling with the new ball. The numbers suggest that while he might produce an early breakthrough every now and then, he comes into his own once the ball gets old. Mashrafe Mortaza has watched Mustafizur from close quarters, knows his strengths and uses him accordingly. He takes him off after a few overs at the top and then uses him in two or three more bursts once the ball gets a little old, which is when his slower ones start gripping the surface.His quick arm action and the fact that there is no change in arm speed while bowling the slower one make it difficult for batsmen to pick the variation. He does break his wrist at the point of release when it is the slower one, and the ball comes down with a scrambled seam like it would for a spinner, but the length he bowls and the spin he imparts make it tough for batsmen to adjust and, more importantly, to hit the big shots.The is little indication via his bowling action that Mustafizur Rahman is about to deliver one of his lethal slower balls•AFPMustafizur’s slower one is the offbreak equivalent for the left-arm pace bowler – it goes away from the right-hand batsman and somehow bounces a lot too. So much so that edges off his slower deliveries carry to the wicketkeeper. Playing a left-arm spinner bowling at 125kph isn’t an easy proposition.He also keeps his slower deliveries reasonably full, drawing the batsman forward, but never full enough for the batsman to smother the turn with a forward stride. Also, while bowling the slower ones he pitches around leg stump, denying the batsman the ability to freely swing his arms. The only feasible option to hit his slower ones is to go with the spin and target the off side, but all finishers will tell you how difficult that is against a ball that’s not short and is turning away sharply and bouncing awkwardly. No wonder 12 of Mustafizur’s 18 ODI wickets to date have come from offcutters.The only subtle change he seems to make while bowling the slower one is a change of grip at the top of his run-up. When bowling seam-up he keeps his fingers on the seam, but when he intends to change the pace, he holds it slightly cross seam.Another thing that has worked in Mustafizur’s favour is the kind of pitches dished out for the six matches he has played thus far. The ball has gripped the surface a lot more than it would have done elsewhere. Without this help from the surface, his wicket-taking ball might not be as effective. But then, surviving at the highest level is about evolving and staying a step ahead of your opponent.

Stats highlights from the SSC where 15 wickets fell on the third day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and India

Shiva Jayaraman30-Aug-20152001 Last time an India fast bowler before Ishant Sharma took a five-for in Tests in Sri Lanka. Venkatesh Prasad had returns of 5 for 72 in the second innings of the Kandy Test in 2001. Ishant’s 5 for 54 are the best bowling figures by an India pacer in Sri Lanka and only the fourth five-wicket haul by an Indian in Sri Lanka4 Five-wicket hauls by Ishant in 12 Tests since 2014; in 53 Tests before 2014, Ishant had taken only three five-fors. Since 2014, he has taken 48 wickets at an average of 30.95 and a strike rate of 53.0. He had taken 149 wickets at 38.81 before that and had a strike rate of 69.7.154 Runs conceded by India to Sri Lanka’s last five wickets after they had reduced the hosts to 47 for 5 in their first innings. Including this innings, the last five times India have had their opposition 5 wickets down for less than 100 runs, they have allowed more than 100 runs for the last-five wickets each time – 586 and 108 v New Zealand in Wellington, and 272 and 123 versus Sri Lanka in the Galle Test.15 Wickets that fell on the third day of this Test – equal the third highest in a day’s play at the SSC. In a Test between the hosts and England in 2001, 22 wickets fell on the third day, which are the most in a day at this venue. In the last Test as well at this venue, 15 wickets fell on the fourth day’s play.3 Number of India batsmen to carry their bat before Cheteshwar Pujara in India’s first innings. The first India batsmen to do it was Sunil Gavaskar against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 1983. Virender Sehwag did it against Sri Lanka, in Galle in 2008. The last one to do it was Rahul Dravid at the Oval in 2011. Click here for a list of batsmen who have carried their bat in Tests. Pujara followed up his first innings effort with a duck in the second innings thus becoming only the fourth batsmen to carry the bat in one innings and get out for a duck in the other innings of a Test. Bill Woodfull of Australia was the first, in the first Ashes Test in 1928-29. Geoff Boycott remained unbeaten on 99 in the second innings after getting a duck in the first in Perth in 1979-80. The last such instance was Saeed Anwar’s 0 and 188 in the Kolkata Test in 1999.6.36 Average runs scored by opening partnerships in this series – the second lowest in a series with ten or more innings. Sri Lanka and India’s first wickets have totally made just 70 runs from 11 innings with a highest stand of 15 between Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva in the first innings in Galle.6 Number of times Pujara has batted on to make at least 135 runs out of his seven Test centuries, including his unbeaten 145 in India’s first innings. The only time he didn’t do that was against West Indies in Mumbai in 2013 when he got out for 113.8 Number of single-digit scores by Sri Lanka’s openers out of ten innings in this series. The three openers played by Sri Lanka so far have together scored 120 runs at an average 12 and a highest of 51 by Kaushal Silva in the second innings at P Sara Oval.1970 The last time three different openers made centuries in a series for any team before Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Pujara for India in this series. John Edrich, Geoff Boycott and Brian Luckhurst had made hundreds as openers for England in the 1970-71 Ashes. Including the latest instance by India, this has happened only five times.5 Number of Sri Lanka wicketkeepers to hit a fifty-plus score on debut before Kusal Perera in this Test. Including Perera Sri Lanka’s last-three wicketkeepers have made at least a fifty on debut. Niroshan Dickwella and Dinesh Chandimal – Sri Lanka’s previous two wicketkeepers – had also made fifty-plus scores on debut.49 Runs by Rangana Herath in Sri Lanka’s first innings – the highest by a Sri Lanka No. 9 batsman at the SSC. The previous highest was Upul Chandana’s 40 against South Africa in 2004. Herath fell one run short of what would have been only the fourth fifty by a No. 9 on this ground. Amit Mishra had made 59 – the highest by a No. 9 at this venue – in India’s first innings in this Test.108 Runs by No. 9 batsmen in this Test – the second highest in Tests between Sri Lanka and India with two more innings possible in the match. Ajit Agarkar and Malinga Bandara had together scored 113 runs in the Ahmedabad Test in 2005, the highest by No. 9 batsmen in Tests between the two teams.

Stats highlights from the Nagpur Test where India handed South Africa their first away-series defeat in nine years

Shiva Jayaraman27-Nov-20152006 The last time South Africa lost a Test series overseas, whitewashed 2-0 by Sri Lanka. Between then and now, they had remained unbeaten in 15 consecutive away series. That streak is only bettered by West Indies’ 18 consecutive series from 1980 to 1995.7/66 R Ashwin’s figures in the second innings. They are his best in both Tests – beating the 7 for 103 he took against Australia in Chennai in 2012-13 – and first-class cricket. JP Duminy, in South Africa’s second innings, became Ashwin’s 300th first-class wicket. He added three more to that tally and averages 26.90.15 five-wicket hauls for Ashwin – equalling the most taken by any spinner in their first 31 Tests. Australia’s Clarrie Grimmett had been the sole record-holder until today, while South Africa’s Hugh Tayfield is third on this list with 14.169 Wickets by Ashwin – the most by a spinner in his first 31 Tests beating Grimmett’s tally of 164. A broader search including all kinds of bowlers indicates only two have been better wicket-takers than Ashwin after their first 31 Tests. England seamer Sydney Barnes with 189 wickets (in 27 Tests) tops the charts while Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis took 180 wickets at 18.78.55 Wickets for Ashwin in 2015, the most by any bowler. It is also only the 12th time an Indian has taken 50 or more wickets in a calendar year, Harbhajan Singh was the last to the mark with 63 wickets in 2008. Ashwin’s six five-fors this year also equals the most by an Indian in a year.17.81 Ashwin’s bowling average in 2015 – currently the third-best for any spinner with at least 50 wickets in a calendar year. Only Muttiah Muralitharan, who averaged lower in two separate years, has done better. Muralitharan took 55 wickets at 17.80 in 2002 and 90 at 16.90 in 2006. Ashwin’s strike rate of 34.20 this year is the second-best for any bowler who has taken at least 50 wickets in a year. Only Waqar has done better: he took 55 wickets at 29.50 in 1993.1 Instance since 1900 when a Test ending with a decisive result had an individual top score lower than the 40 scored by M Vijay in this Test. And it had come quite recently: Rahul Dravid had top-scored with 39 in the Hamilton Test in 2002-03 that New Zealand won. Overall, this was only the 14th Test without an individual fifty to end in a result.1 Instance when a bowler has returned better match figures against South Africa since their return to Test cricket than Ashwin’s 12 for 98 in this match. Muttiah Muralitharan took 13 for 171 in Galle in 2000.1912 The last time South Africa’s batsmen averaged worse in a series involving three or more matches. Their average on this tour of India has been 14.32, with only two fifties from 55 innings, but they had averaged 11.30 in three Tests against England 103 years ago. Overall, batsmen from both teams have together have averaged just 16.90, which is also the third-worst in any series involving three or more Tests.8 Batsmen who were dismissed for scores between (and including) 30 and 40 in this Test. The last Test that had eight or more such scores was the Ashes Test in Sydney in 2010-11. Overall, there are only eight such instances.13 South Africa batsmen who were dismissed for single digits in this Test, which makes it the fourth time that at least 13 batsmen fell between 0 and 9 since their readmission to Test cricket. The last time was against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2004.14.85 Runs conceded per wicket by India’s bowlers against South Africa so far – the best they have averaged in a series with more than one Test. Their previous best was against New Zealand in 1995-96, when they had averaged 18.51. India’s bowling average is also the fifth-best for a team in a series with at least two Tests since 1950. The last time a team did better was in 2012-13, when West Indies’ bowlers had averaged 14.47 against Zimbabwe, taking 40 wickets in two Tests.2012 The last time a South African pair lasted more deliveries in an away Test than the 278 by Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis in the Nagpur Test. Du Plessis was there again, with AB de Villiers in Adelaide, when they faced 408 deliveries for 89 runs. This was South Africa’s fourth-longest fourth-innings stand in away Tests (since balls faced information is available for partnerships). This was also the longest stand of the series bettering the 184 balls by Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay in the second innings of the Mohali Test.

Plays of the day from the second T20 international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, in Auckland

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Jan-2016The swirler
Eden Park is a well-enclosed ground, but in the fifth over, Tillakaratne Dilshan managed to get a ball into the windswept higher reaches of the stadium. This ultimately worked to his advantage. Spotting a short-of-a-length delivery from Mitchell McClenaghan, Dilshan swung hard across the line and gave up a big top edge. The ball shot up in the direction of third man, and Trent Boult peeled off from gully to chase it. It looked like it would be a comfortable running catch, until the ball had risen enough for the wind to catch it. It’s descent was several metres to Boult’s right. He dived to intercept it, but managed only to get fingertips to the ball.The gate
Aiming a wild stroke over the legside, Danushka Gunathilaka left a gaping space between bat and pad in the second over, for Adam Milne to slip a length ball through. Gunathilaka’s bat was some distance from the ball that clattered into his stumps, but the dismissal was also a gate for other reasons. He was the first of several Sri Lanka batsmen to get out slogging.The spurned chance
When Martin Guptill top edged his own hoick across the line in the first over of New Zealand’s chase, Sri Lanka had an opportunity to dismiss the opposition’s form batsman cheaply. Perhaps due to a lack of confidence, the wrong fielder went for the ball. Thisara Perera sprinted in from long-on and had the ball fall just short of him, but it should have been Shehan Jayasuriya pursuing it from midwicket. The ball had dropped only about seven metres away from where he had been originally standing.The flamingo shot
Colin Munro blasted three sixes from four Jeffrey Vandersay deliveries in the eighth over, but his most memorable shot came against Isuru Udana soon after. Munro ran at the bowler and made room to swing the bat, but when Udana sent a full delivery wide of off stump, Munro had to manufacture a shot. He threw one leg backwards, in the air, and leaned over to strike the ball towards wide long-on, connecting well enough to fetch himself another six.

South Africa saved their strongest statement for last – a crushing win in Johannesburg – and with these two sides meeting again early in the World T20 it could yet have even greater significance

Firdose Moonda22-Feb-20164:02

‘Series wins give us confidence before World T20’

From a wide angle, South Africa’s summer has not been as successful as they would have hoped. They lost the Test series against England and with it their No.1 ranking. But zoom in and you will understand why they smiling at the end.Whisper it, because of course a global event is looming, but in the ODI and T20 series, they have shown they can handle pressure. They came from 2-0 down in the ODIs to win 3-2 and won both T20 matches to finish England’s visit with five successive wins. That all of them were achieved chasing, the area of the game where South Africa are known to be soft, and two of them – the Wanderers ODI and Cape Town T20 – became nail-biters only makes it sweeter.South Africa now have reason to be confident they can do it again, when it really matters, at a major tournament. “From a mental point of view, it’s great,” Faf du Plessis said afterwards. And from an immediate point of view, it has allowed South Africa to rescue a summer in which they were dictated to by a team they may have felt they could have had the better off.”We felt if we could land a good punch on the English team, they might disappear – and that’s what happened,” du Plessis said, referring to England’s final match of a long tour.South Africa may actually have felt that way over much of the last two months but they have only really been able to land proper blows in the last two weeks when, perhaps jolted by the reality that they could lose a home Test and ODI series for the first time in 14 years, they made real changes.In the personnel department, South Africa have reinvested in genuine allrounders. Chris Morris, who featured across all three formats against England, has an opportunity to establish himself as a regular. David Wiese is also in the fray and JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien have been left to focus on their batting, which Duminy especially needs to do. As a result, South Africa have restored some balance to an XI that had become skewed.That’s not say South Africa have answered all the questions. Not everyone in the line-up is performing as they should. Apart from Duminy and Behardien, Rilee Rossouw, albeit with limited opportunities, also needs more consistency. Leaving it to Morris to perform last-minute, million-dollar-man heroics is exciting but not ideal and in the shortest format, there is still a conundrum over Quinton de Kock.Hashim Amla’s form against England means it could be difficult for Quinton de Kock to find a starting place•Getty ImagesHashim Amla is close to his best, after battling through a lean patch, and showed his ability to score as quickly and destructively as anyone else at the Wanderers. With AB de Villiers now being given the chance of a full 20 overs, de Kock, despite prolific form in ODIs, could miss out. Nonetheless, it’s a problem South Africa are happy to have.”It’s not a headache, it’s great to have options,” du Plessis said. “I’d like to have AB to the top so there is only one spot.”Who gets that one spot could depend on how things go against Australia early next month. Those three matches will also be crucial for solving another dilemma. Dale Steyn should return and if he does, fitting him into an attack that has done well without him could be tricky. Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada have shown their quality, particularly at the death, and with the two allrounders and a specialist spinner a necessity, one of them will have to be left out to get Steyn in.Given the praise du Plessis has heaped on his bowlers and the fact that not so long ago South Africa did not have someone who could reliably contain at the end of an innings, it is difficult to decide who that could be.”To bring it back like we did with those seven wickets is unheard of in Twenty20 cricket,” du Plessis said, referring to England’s decisive collapse. “That’s something we pride ourselves on now, having great options at the death.”The variation in their squad is why du Plessis believes they “are not weak in any area,” as they approach the World T20. South Africa’s recent record which includes eight wins in nine games and series victories over Bangladesh, India and England, makes it difficult to argue with that and easy to see why they may start to be spoken of as serious contenders for the title.Du Plessis was careful not get too carried away, especially as the T20s came at the end of a long tour for England but was equally calculating in reminding them when they will meet South Africa again – in just a few weeks time.”It’s always tough when you’re playing your last game, you’re already thinking about going home and you’re 1-0 down in the series,” he said. “But for us, you always want to imprint something on a team, so that when they meet you again, they will remember the result.”So for now, it’s goodbye England. Thanks for a great summer and see you again on March 18 in Mumbai.

Despite insisting that he will continue to play his natural game, Nick Compton’s recent dismissals suggest he is trying to be something he is not

George Dobell at Chester-le-Street27-May-2016Maybe Nick Compton was unlucky. Maybe, on another day, his top-edged pull would have landed safely just as James Vince’s did a little while later. Maybe, on another day, the fielder would not have been able to cling on to the ball; it was an outstanding catch by Suranga Lakmal.But, as Compton admitted earlier this week, “words are cheap”. Runs are the only currency by which Test batsmen can be rated in the long term and he simply isn’t scoring enough. Scores of 15, 26, 0, 19, 6, 0 and 9 in his seven most recent innings do not provide much defence. Since his second Test century, in March 2013, he has made one-half-century in 16 innings. In that time, he has only reached 30 three times. He will know better than anyone that he goes into the second innings of this match with his Test career on the brink.The frustration with Compton is that he is rarely being dismissed as much as getting himself out. While Nuwan Pradeep deserves credit for the wicket-taking delivery here – after nine full balls to Compton, he surprised him with a bouncer delivered at pretty sharp pace on this docile wicket – Compton will feel that he aided and abetted the bowler.To understand Compton’s dismissal, you have to go back. You need to look at the nine balls it took him to score his first run, look at the leg-before shout he was fortunate to survive on 2 – beaten by Rangana Herath’s lovely drift, replays suggested that the umpire’s decision would not have been overruled had he been adjudged to have been out – look at the desperate single that almost saw him run out on 8 and look at the fourth and fifth deliveries from Lakmal in the 16th over that Compton patted back down the pitch. Both were drifting on to middle stump. Both would have been clipped through the leg side by just about every other batsman in the England side.Wood bowls in Durham nets

There was good news off the pitch for England at Chester-le-Street as Mark Wood returned to bowling for the first time since undergoing surgery on his left ankle.
Wood returned home early from England’s tour of the UAE in November to undergo a first bout of surgery but, after reporting pain when attempting to bowl at the start of the season, was obliged to have a second operation on the ankle in April.
He was able to bowl in the nets on Friday, however, under the supervision of England bowling coach Ottis Gibson. England will not rush his recovery, though, and he is not expected to return to first-class cricket until July.

None of that need matter. Five days provides plenty of time for batsmen of Compton’s style to build an innings and his caution should be his unique selling point and his strength.But increasingly in recent Tests, it has appeared as if Compton is frustrated and worried by his rate of scoring. So instead of calmly playing out time in the knowledge that he will pick up runs naturally in the course of his occupation, he has allowed pressure to build and then snatched at a scoring opportunity with such desperation that it has resulted in his wicket.He has said many times that he will play his own way and not be seduced into attempting to be something he is now. But evidence from this innings and the later part of the tour of South Africa suggest otherwise: twice in Cape Town he was caught at midwicket; in Centurion and Johannesburg he was out driving at balls he might have left while in the second innings at the Wanderers he was caught at mid-on. Taken in isolation, each of these dismissals can be explained. But taken as a whole, a pattern has emerged: these are not the dismissals of a blocker; they are the dismissals of a frustrated dasher.Compton has been sucked into trying to be something he is not and, as a consequence, strayed from his great – if unglamorous – strengths. It is an error that may well cost him his international career.While neither Ian Bell nor Gary Ballance are quite in the form to demand a recall in Compton’s place, there are other options. Scott Borthwick continues to plunder runs at county level – he has scored more than 1,100 in each of the last three seasons despite playing his home games on a tricky surface – while Sam Robson has scored three Championship centuries already this season and is averaging 90.57. There is a perception that James Hildreth does not play the short ball as well as he might, but his weight of runs is becoming hard to ignore.Nick Compton top edged a hook to be caught at fine leg for 9•Getty ImagesTo be fair to Compton, similar dismissals accounted for most of his team-mates. Alex Hales, for example, looked anxious to reach his first Test century having fallen tantalisingly short at Headingley and, in attempting to hit a long-hop too hard, edged to slip. But, by then, he had passed 80 once more. He will face far more testing attacks than this but does appear to be growing into his role. This was, for the second innings in succession, the most impressive performance of his Test career to date.”I tried to hit it too hard and lost my shape,” Hales said afterwards. “You live and learn. I was frustrated. As an opener, you need to cash in after doing the hard yards. Maybe adrenaline got the better of me and I tried to lamp it for four rather than take the single.”If Compton or Hales need an example of how to relieve pressure while batting, they need look no further than Joe Root. So well has Root been able to incorporate skills learned in the shorter formats into his Test batting that he is now almost impossible to contain. Even when he is not able to find the boundary – and, after two boundaries from his first four deliveries, he only managed three more in the next 114 – he has such a vast armoury of scoring options that he still managed to score at a strike-rate of 67.22.Typically, he will force the seamers off the back foot through cover, persuading them to pitch fuller – to which he responds by driving off the front foot. Against Herath, he went a long way back into his crease, again inviting the bowler to pitch a little fuller and then pouncing on the extra flight.But it is not just bowlers’ lengths he confuses. There are so many turns and sweeps, forces and deflections that he leaves them unsure of which line to pursue. Combined with his sharp running between the wickets – he is not as quick as Jonny Bairstow; it may well be that no England player has been – and he shows Compton how pressure can be released without resorting to high-risk boundary options.Root’s conversion rate frustrates him – he has now been dismissed 17 times between 60 and 98, and 11 times between 71 and 88 in his 41-Test career – but, aged 25, he already looks a masterful player and shows us that, far from limited-overs cricket encouraging bad habits, it can develop skills to take Test batting to new levels.

Sri Lanka’s marks out of ten after they bounced back from a winless tour of England to trample Australia 3-0 at home

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Aug-201610Rangana Herath (28 wickets at 12.75, 119 runs at 23.8)In 145 overs of lovable left-arm spin, Rangana Uncle took more wickets than any other bowler in the series, and also claimed many more hearts. His batting has always been wonderfully watchable, but since England, he has struck the form of his life, so the entertainment now lasts longer. He was hit in the box by Josh Hazlewood at the SSC, yet he collected the series’ best bowling analysis there. Really, it was Australia, who after almost every encounter with Herath, were left whimpering squeakily, knees together, clutching the crotch, writhing on the floor.9Dhananjaya de Silva (325 runs at 65, 2 wickets at 31.50)Batting so effortless it is like he is slung in a hammock at the crease, a cigar between his lips. De Silva stroked Steve O’Keefe for six to get himself off the mark, then went on to top-score in a series dominated by the bowlers. He never failed to get a start, then turned the starts into big scores at the SSC. His offspin is only decent, rather than deadly, but the team already trusts him to field at backward point.Kusal Mendis (296 runs at 49.33)At 21 years old, Kusal Mendis has already played one of Sri Lanka’s great Test innings. The 176 at Pallekele was not just match-turning, it also transformed the series. Then he top-scored on the toughest pitch of the tour, in Galle, as well, and claimed some excellent catches at short leg to boot. Mendis was playing in the Moin-ud-Dowlah tournament merely a year ago. Coaches will encourage him to improve, knowing, no doubt, that at this rate of ascent, he could be overlord of the galaxy in just a few years.7Dilruwan Perera (15 wickets at 24.80, 116 runs at 19.33)If Dilruwan so much as glanced in an Australia batsman’s direction, at Galle, they would give him their wicket. He generally only plays when conditions are stacked in a spinner’s favour, yet has played the second spinner role so well, he became the fastest Sri Lanka bowler to 50 Test wickets. He was often the straight man to Herath’s hilarity, when they batted together.Rangana Herath’s hat-trick headlined Sri Lanka’s series-clinching victory in Galle•AFPDinesh Chandimal (250 runs at 41.66, one stumping, one catch)Now seemingly a long-term No. 6 and wicketkeeper-batsman, Chandimal made an important 42 alongside Mendis at Pallekele, and played his most mature innings to date at the SSC, where the score had been 26 for 5 when he walked in. That hundred left him sapped. Chandimal is usually so chatty after a good performance that he is often found by cleaning staff the next morning, still answering a question from the previous day’s press conference. This time there were only one-sentence answers. The eight-hour innings was enough.6Lakshan Sandakan (9 wickets at 23)A little raw still, and he didn’t always have control, but when Sandakan got it right, at Pallekele, he was a delight. In that match he relied heavily on his googly. Some batsmen claimed they could pick him, but most looked baffled, like he was bowling hieroglyphs. Was barely needed in Galle, and was superfluous in the second innings at SSC. He bowled the delivery of the series, when in the second innings at Pallekele, the ball came at Joe Burns like a mugger in a dark alleyway.Nuwan Pradeep (2 wickets at 26)Played only in the first Test before taking his government-mandated hamstring injury leave. He is in better control of his swing than he used to be, so he can now stake a claim in Sri Lanka’s top XI, when fit. If he, Dushmantha Chameera and Dhammika Prasad are ever available to play in the same game, Sri Lanka may even have a decent pace attack. But a great many stars would have to align for this to happen. Like the SLC balloon trip in which officials float off into space through an abundance of hot air, this is merely a Sri Lanka fan fantasy.Kusal Perera (146 runs at 24.66, three stumpings, four catches)Having run around the world trying to prove his innocence to the ICC earlier this year, Kusal now finds himself run around in the batting order, sometimes opening, sometimes batting at No. 3, occasionally coming down the order, and at other times, taking the gloves. He played two manful innings at Galle, and made rapid stumpings at the SSC. He says he is happy to bat anywhere the team needs, and given his recent history of success in a polygraph test, fans may be inclined to believe him.5Angelo Mathews (155 runs at 25.33)Despite looking out of form, Mathews still found a way to make runs at Galle, sweeping, and reverse-sweeping his way to 54 and 47, though his impact in the remaining innings of the series was limited. At times his bowling changes seemed so effective, if he had thrown the ball to a spectator, they might have finished with five wickets. The SSC declaration was too conservative for many. Given the rate at which Australia collapsed, though, perhaps Sri Lanka could have happily batted on.Vishwa Fernando (1 wicket at 16)He had been in at least two Test squads before this tour, without getting a debut. When he got his chance, he was only required for two overs. Thankfully he did take one wicket in those overs, so at least he can claim to have had marginally more impact on the series than, say, the sightscreen attendants.Kaushal Silva overcame an injured left hand, and five single-digit scores in a row, to make a century at the SSC•Associated Press4Kaushal Silva (133 runs at 22.16)Kept playing loose drives until, by his own admission, having to get six stitches in his left hand, prevented him from playing that stroke, and he went on to get an important hundred. Having learned the cure for that mode of dismissal now, he may consider taking a small knife and bandages with him on future tours. Caught well at Pallekele and Galle, but was slightly less sprightly at the SSC – perhaps understandably so.Suranga Lakmal (1 wicket at 54)Was ruled out of the first two Tests through injury, but took the important wicket of Shaun Marsh at the SSC – breaking Australia’s biggest stand of the series. Was slightly expensive in that innings, but that wasn’t to be of great consequence.2Dimuth Karunaratne (41 runs at 6.83)He has played some outstanding innings in tough conditions, but the paucity of his recent scores will be difficult for the selectors to ignore. Caught well, especially in Galle.*One of the scores was accidentally omitted at original time of publishing. This has been corrected.

JP Duminy and Dean Elgar debuted at the WACA, with contrasting success, but they made themselves at home this time around

Firdose Moonda at the WACA05-Nov-2016Welcome home, JP Duminy. Home to the WACA. Where you started once and now where you have started again.Welcome home, Dean Elgar. Home to the WACA. Where your start could have been your end and where you have now gained seniority.Welcome home, South Africa. Home to the WACA. Where your top four have never collectively failed and you’ve never been defeated. It’s nice to be back, isn’t it? Especially because it seems that all around you there are mirrors to reflect the good memories.Duminy and Elgar debuted here, so it is a special place for both, even though Elgar’s start wasn’t: he made a pair in 2012. At least he knew things could only get better. Duminy, on the other hand, scored a match-wining half-century when he replaced an injured Ashwell Prince in 2008. Prince was then the man who talked Duminy out of Test retirement earlier this year when, after a period of poor form, Duminy considered calling time.If there was a period which said thank goodness he didn’t, it came after lunch on day three of his return to Perth. Duminy creamed four cover drives, two off Mitchell Starc, two off Josh Hazlewood, none off particularly good balls but all with the class of French music at dinner time. Then came the complete opposite, a scything cut off the back foot from a horrible Nathan Lyon delivery, a shot that said he could dominate as much as he could delight. Just like that Duminy shifted gears, went from 74 to 96 and to within touching distance of a milestone to add to his already impressive record against the toughest opposition out there.Duminy averages 50.93 in 11 Tests against Australia, miles ahead of 34.22 overall. Three of his hundreds have been scored against them, two in Australia. This one meant something a little more. It was celebrated with an unusually long hug on a stinking hot day with Elgar, who had reason of his own to understand the importance.While Elgar’s place has not come under the same microscope as Duminy’s, he has yet to put in that series of big performances that cement a Test spot. He enjoyed a breakthrough innings in the same Test Duminy last scored a century – Galle 2014 – and since then he has been through four opening partners, none of whom appeared a permanent match. Elgar became the constant, albeit not consistent, perhaps aided by how much he serves as a reminder of his illustrious predecessor. Elgar has the same raw technique as Graeme Smith, the same ability to score runs by what seems like sheer will and even the same snarl. Although significantly shorter, he is starting to stand as tall as Smith used to and has demonstrated the same appetite for a battle and attitude of resilience.On the second afternoon, he got into a short-ball battle with Mitchell Starc and survived. On the third morning, he had a similar fight but with Starc pitching it up. Both times, Elgar did not allow himself to be frustrated by the constant threat. He won in the end. Starc eventually served up a half-volley on the pads and Elgar played a Duminy-esque stroke to take him to fifty.Less attractive shots followed, including the heave that should have seen him dismissed on 81, but the hallmark of his innings was not strokeplay but spirit. Elgar simply wanted to stick around. He wanted it so much that he faced more balls than he has in any Test innings before. He wanted it so much that when he got it, it really showed. The gaze at the bat that hit the shot that brought the hundred held for a few seconds longer, the smooch of the badge lasted longer too and then he did not seem in a hurry to get anywhere. He simply batted on.Elgar has finally done what Smith built his career on. He scored a first second-innings century and it could prove decisive. That he scored it on the ground where he was twice taken out by Mitchell Johnson in match where he would have wanted to make an impression can be seen as a sign of how far he has come.Contrastingly, for Duminy, it was a realisation of how far he had to go to get back here. In the last two years, Duminy has put an immense amount of work into improving. He has overcome problems against the short ball and spin, learnt to take responsibility as a limited-overs finisher and. now, bat in the crucial No. 4 position in Tests. His elevation up the order is a result of AB de Villiers’ injury-enforced absence but he has embraced the challenge as though it were something he wouldn’t mind continuing with, not least because it gives him the opportunity to become more consistent.Since 2008, when Duminy made his debut, he has twice gone more than two years without a Test hundred – Jacques Rudolph is the only other South Africa batsman to do so in that time, though his drought was caused by accepting a Kolpak deal. Duminy’s lengthy lean patches have taken their toll and both the team and his own reputation have suffered. But here, back at the WACA, he put 141 runs between himself and the suggestion that his talents were on the wane, coming full circle at a place he can truly call a second home.

India didn’t have too many close-in fielders, despite putting up a massive total. But what if that was the plan?

Alagappan Muthu in Visakhapatnam18-Nov-2016Batsmen get punked in the subcontinent. Big time. England, for example, spent the best part of two days watching India pile on the runs but when it was their turn, the ball began keeping low, it started turning. It caused problems even when it did nothing and went straight.India’s total of 455 seemed like a garish example of excess. Picture a solid gold super car. So why get stingy with the close catchers? Ajinkya Rahane at slip was a constant. So was a short leg. Occasionally there was a gully or a leg slip. The rest were protecting singles and boundaries.Consider the five wickets that India took in Visakhapatnam. Alastair Cook was conned by Mohammed Shami. The proud seam of a brand new SG ball was pointing towards the left of the keeper. It should have moved away. It did not. It came in off the pitch and broke the off stump in two. England’s captain would be within his rights to find the nearest coaching manual and yell, “you filthy little liar.” Haseeb Hameed was run-out. Ben Duckett wrapped himself up with a neat little bow for R Ashwin. Joe Root played a bad shot. And Moeen Ali was done in by spin than he expected.All but one of those bear the mark of batsmen making mistakes and they happened because India did not give away easy runs. Only 14 balls out of Ashwin’s 13 overs were scored off. If that’s put down to his experience and ranking as the World’s No. 1 bowler, what explains Jayant Yadav allowing England to profit from only seven of his balls in seven overs? He is a Test debutant.Tactics, perhaps? The men India had saving singles were alert, and well placed. The bowlers were accurate enough to make the job a bit easier. And without the rotation of strike, the pressure on a batsman can seem starker than it is. Even to someone batting past a half-century, as it turned out.Root’s down-the-track mow into the leg side that ended up caught off a leading edge looked quite awful. But India allowed him only nine runs in 33 balls since his mix-up with Hameed led England off course. There were other close calls as well, including an offbreak that breached his bat-pad gap.’We were expecting a shot like that, and that’s why we put the mid-on’ – R Ashwin•AFPIndia sensed something. They brought mid-on up, and had Umesh Yadav, a good athlete and a fine catcher, about 20 yards from the mid-off boundary. Upon seeing the miscue, he backtracked smoothly to his left and did the needful.Ashwin, the bowler, punched the air and let out a roar. He doesn’t usually celebrate like that – unless it was the culmination of a plan. “It’s a very very different pitch to what we saw in Rajkot. It’s not one of those easy-paced wickets,” he said at the post-match press conference. “He [Root] jabbed at one, one went through the gate. and he nicked one, almost, to short leg. So we were expecting a shot like that, and that’s why we put the mid-on.”It wasn’t the first time Root had been starved out either. Misbah-ul-Haq had done him the same way at Lord’s earlier this summer.Still, where was the harm to have a few more men catching? At least, it would show the batsman who was on top. Yes, but what if Virat Kohli thought it might show something else as well? Gaps, which could be exploited to release the pressure he wanted built. Runs which would mean his spinners cannot get their rhythm right. And a momentum shift with England having a considerably long batting line-up. So, instead, he forced the opposition to take sizeable risks for singles and twos.The ploy isn’t foolproof. It may not have yielded such dramatic results either had a few of the visiting batsmen shown a bit more patience. But there was a certain merit to it. Close-in fielders are most useful when the pitch is turning alarmingly and affording extra bounce. In such cases, a captain can’t quite decide where inside and outside edges would go so he has to cover his bases. Things haven’t quite reached that stage yet in Visakhapatnam. Ashwin was beating right-handers with drift more often than he did with turn. Besides, isn’t cricket notorious for fielders being put into places after edges fly through them? Not much of that happened here. Natural variation and the ball keeping low were the major problems and by tying a batsman down at one end, India made them play on England’s mind and seem considerably larger.

Imrul Kayes regaining fitness and Soumya Sarkar gaining solidity in Galle is a welcome headache for the management. Who will win the tussle to partner Tamim Iqbal in the Colombo Test?

Mohammad Isam in Galle08-Mar-20173:46

Isam: Tamim will feel at home with Sarkar now

Soumya Sarkar bending his left knee right down to the pitch to resolutely defend a ball told you he didn’t want to give his wicket away. His unbeaten 66 had many of his trademark shots too, but it was evident Sarkar was trying to bat like a Test opener on a good batting track in Galle. He reined himself in and did not play the attractive shots for a while.Perhaps there is not much connection between his effort in Galle and the news of Imrul Kayes being passed fit to join the squad for the second Test in Colombo, but competition for places is always a healthy sign.Bangladesh have always longed for a strong pool, which helps seamlessly replace a player at any time of a season. While they have a few fast bowlers who can be rotated between formats, they need more back-up options for the batting line-up and the spin department. So when one opener is a permanent fixture and two others are in a tussle, it is only encouraging for the team.This could be the first step towards a strong bench for Bangladesh. If the Sarkar-Kayes conundrum is handled sensibly, it could encourage similar contests in the middle order. The choice between Sabbir Rahman and Mahmudullah has been a tough one for the management, but the latter’s fifty in the Hyderabad Test perhaps made things easier. Sabbir’s inexperience, and Mahmudullah’s growing stature might have also influenced the management’s decision to leave out Sabbir in Galle.It is not quite as straightforward between Kayes and Sarkar, who now has to make a big hundred in the first innings to keep himself ahead. Much of what he showed on the second afternoon was promising.The most encouraging sign from Sarkar was that he restricted himself from playing half-hearted drives for more than three hours on a steaming day in Galle. Sarkar is largely a positive player, which means a soft dismissal is often around the corner. But on Wednesday, he was solid in defence, and whenever he played through the line, against pace or spin, he did it with more intent than he did in Christchurch or Hyderabad.In both those Tests, he had played with his natural flamboyance, often driving on the up without moving his feet or playing in front of square on the leg side. His natural hand-eye prowess gives him the confidence to go through with those shots. In the first innings in Christchurch he swiftly moved to 86 before chipping a catch to short cover.In Hyderabad, he was lazy against a rampant Umesh Yadav in the first innings, and then saw Ajinkya Rahane pluck a good catch at slip in the second after he had carelessly hung out his bat against Ravindra Jadeja. He batted well enough to last 54 and 91 minutes respectively, but he eventually fell to soft dismissals.On the second afternoon in Galle, Sarkar was breathtaking when hitting between mid-on and midwicket. In a reminder of his natural flair, he even employed the vertical-bat ramp when fast bowler Lahiru Kumara erred short. Sarkar was more conservative against the spinners though – Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath and Lakshan Sandakan. In all, it was a solid innings from Sarkar.On the third day, Bangladesh wouldn’t want him to stretch back to the lazy shots that have put him in a dangerous position against smart bowlers. While there is no debate about Sarkar’s talent and elegance, it will be a grand waste if he does not merge it with temperament and runs.Soumya Sarkar shelved the big shots and grafted an unbeaten half-century•AFPAfter stumps on the second day, Chandika Hathurusingha, the Bangladesh coach said he was impressed with the way Sarkar adapted to the situation. He also warned that the Sri Lanka were still way ahead, which means the visitors need more application from Sarkar.”It’s up to the batsman to decide how he wants to approach his innings,” Hathurusingha said. “But the way he batted was encouraging, knowing that he is normally a stroke-maker and he played accordingly. The spinners came back well. The Sri Lankan spinners pulled our run rate back and that’s what they do well here. The wicket is going to get slower and a little more spin-friendly and that’s a challenge ahead for us.”The 118-run partnership between Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal was Bangladesh’s first century opening stand since Tamim and Kayes added 312 against Pakistan in Khulna in 2015. Bangladesh needed to start well in Galle after Sri Lanka had posted 494, and Tamim and Sarkar led a strong response with risk-free cricket. Until Tamim suffered, what Hathurusingha described as, a “brain fade”.A Sandakan delivery brushed Tamim’s pad and wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella collected the ball, and instantly appealed for caught behind. Then, having seen Tamim, wander out of the crease in search of a single, he quickly took the bails off to run him out for 57.Hathurusingha said Tamim’s approach had also impressed him until that bizarre dismissal. “Very disappointed because we were cruising at that time,” Hathurusinga said. “They were batting very well, there were no demons at that time. Actually he batted really well. I was very pleased the way he approached the innings. He probably thought that the ball had gone past the keeper. Only thing I can say is brain fade.”In the wake of this 118-run opening stand, it will be intriguing to see where Kayes stands in Bangladesh’s plans. Since 2015, when he kept wicket for more than 120 overs and struck 150 in Khulna, Kayes has been Tamim’s first-choice partner at the top of the order.Recently against England at home, he took the coach’s advice to play aggressively, and turned out to be a different limited-overs batsman altogether. Kayes wasn’t too successful in New Zealand, though, before being sidelined by multiple hamstring injuries. He is now in contention for the Colombo Test, having proved his fitness with a century and fifty in three first-class matches.Kayes regaining fitness and Sarkar gaining solidity is a welcome headache for Bangladesh. Who will get the nod for the Colombo Test?