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Graeme Smith has taken South Africa to within touching distance of the Indian total, and now all eyes are on India, writes Dileep Premachandran

Dileep Premachandran in Cape Town04-Jan-2007

When South Africa emerged to bat on the second afternoon, it was clear
that they would need a special innings or two to remain in the contest.
India’s total of 414 was less than what they would have envisaged at one
stage, but it was still imposing on a pitch that was starting to reveal a
few gremlins. That South Africa made such a good fist of getting within
touching distance owed much to a superb innings from Graeme Smith.Pilloried after the Wanderers defeat and battling his own batting demons,
Smith had shown signs of regaining the high ground in the second innings
at Durban. That though was a patchy, uncertain effort. But there was
nothing fortuitous or hesitant about the brilliant 94 in front of his
adopted home crowd at Newlands.The pitch prepared for the game must have been a small stake through his
heart, a surface that India were likely to revel on even as it largely
neutralised South Africa’s four-man pace attack. As at Nagpur in 2004,
when a green top greeted an incredulous Australian side, the curator had
come up with 22 yards that were more to the liking of the visiting team.
Wasim Jaffer, who cashed in to the tune of 116 runs, went so far as to
consider it a New Year gift.It would have been all too easy for Smith to let those big shoulders slump
and sulk, but he never lost heart on the field and the same positive
attitude was in evidence when he arrived at the crease. The booming drives
and cuts came off more often than not, and there were some sublime flicks
off the pads when Anil Kumble pitched too full. His steadying influence
also undoubtedly helped Hashim Amla, who stitched together a sedate and
composed half-century under immense pressure.Amla remains a controversial selection, with many championing the causes
of Jacques Rudolph, Boeta Dippenaar and Neil McKenzie, and the 63 he made
here will at least buy him time as he attempts to find his feet in Test
cricket. Until he got bogged down and had a wild flail at Sreesanth, his
was an unflustered and classy supporting act.Smith had departed by then, another victim for the indefatigable Kumble,
and the spin noose tightened as the afternoon wore on. After a useful
partnership, Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince fell in quick succession,
with Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar rewarded for tireless work on a pitch
where the turn was as slow as it was sharp.South Africa’s recovery was completed by two sun-beaten old stagers. Shaun
Pollock is surely the best No.8 batsman in the world, and in Mark Boucher
South Africa have a man who knows not how to back away. Built like a
boxer, Boucher has the heart of a bar-room brawler, and the manner in
which he stroked his way out of trouble must have been especially galling
for an Indian side looking to wrap things up.There have been only 13 successful chases at Newlands down the years, and
barring an exceptional Australian side hunting down 331 in 2001-02, no
team has pursued in excess of 179. If Smith and his men are to pull off a
remarkable come-from-behind series victory, they’ll have to overcome the
weight of history. But as Smith has already shown in this Test, he has the
shoulders of Atlas.

A statistical look at the run-fest between South Africa and West Indies

HR Gopalakrishna and Mathew Varghese12-Sep-2007

Bangladesh spent the time between their 5-0 whitewash in Pakistan and now working hard on individual weaknesses but the script in the Kitply Cup opener remained the same

George Binoy in Mirpur08-Jun-2008

In April, Bangladesh had toured Pakistan for five ODIs, a series in which they were whitewashed 5-0. The batsman who inflicted the most damage on them was Salman Butt, pillaging 451 runs in five matches. Shahid Afridi was Bangladesh’s tormenter with the ball, his 12 wickets costing a mere 16.33 apiece.Bangladesh spent the time between then and now working hard on individual weaknesses but the script in the Kitply Cup opener against Pakistan did not change. They failed to stop the same scourges; Butt built the platform with an aggressive 70 and Afridi bowled a match-winning spell of 3 for 19. Bangladesh were out of the contest so early that the game ended in farcical scenes, that of Butt and Younis Khan bowling part-time spin in the final overs.”Butt set it up for them [Pakistan],” Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, said after the game. “But Afridi turned it on its head really. His spell was telling and we really couldn’t recover once he came on and did what he did. Our batsmen need to find a way to combat him and score at least three or four runs an over which we weren’t able to do today without losing wickets.”Afridi came on at the start of the third Powerplay – a period which Mohammad Ashraful, the Bangladesh captain, identified as where the match was lost – and bowled his eight overs on the trot. He varied his pace regularly, gave the ball flight and gained enough turn off a slow surface to make batting difficult. His tight line and clever changes of pace slowed down Bangladesh’s run-rate, which in turn forced them to take risks. Geoff Lawson, the Pakistan coach, said “it was the best I’ve seen him bowl in a long time.”The damage to Bangladesh chances, however, had begun much earlier. Siddons, on the eve of the match, had said they would prefer to bat but the rain-shortened innings and the possibility of Duckworth/Lewis coming into play made them “take a punt and try chasing the runs down”. Given that decision, it was imperative their bowlers backed up Ashraful’s decision to field, something they failed to do. Nine out of the first 12 overs had boundaries in them, and three out of those nine contained two boundaries.”Our bowlers let us down,” Siddons said. “They bowled too many half volleys and too many short and wide balls, which made us give away boundaries. Every time our batsmen have had to chase 300 [in a 50-over match] or 240 in a 40-over game, which isn’t easy and probably beyond our batsmen at the moment.”Butt scored 60 out of 70 runs square of the wicket while Mohammad Yousuf, who made 59 off 56, took 25 through the midwicket region, a clear indicator of the shoddy lines and lengths bowled by the Bangladesh attack.

One of the positives for Bangladesh – apart from their excellent ground fielding – to emerge from this comprehensive defeat was the manner in which Ashraful went about collecting his runs. The pressure was certainly off because Bangladesh had no hope of winning, and perhaps Ashraful could have played with a little more urgency than 56 off 90 balls, but Siddons had asked for consistency from his captain and Ashraful showed he could shelve his flamboyance and knuckle down.”We’ve worked hard on him [Ashraful] batting the way he batted today,” Siddons said. “I know everyone is probably thinking that’s not the Ashraful we expect, but the Ashraful that hits the ball in the air a lot, gets out a lot too, and comes off probably once or twice a year. I’m looking at someone who makes 60-70 quite often. I think he’s a very hard player to get out if he bats the way he did today. We always tend to have one player who scores and the rest fail. We need to have more consistency.”And once that consistency is achieved, perhaps Bangladesh can avoid the terrible sight of a lone batsman – Ashraful in this case – leaving deliveries outside off stump and allowing part-timers to get away with bowling maidens in the final over of a hopeless run-chase.Bangladesh have one more league match to try and put what they’ve been learning over the last month into practice. A repeat of upsetting India like they did at World Cup 2007 is maybe too much to ask for, but challenging them in all departments certainly isn’t.

Dhoni and Kirsten have turned out to be just the partnership India needed at the helm

Ajay S Shankar11-Dec-2008

“I would call one the facilitator, I would call the other, well, just fantastic to work with.” It was a throwaway line from a key member of the Indian cricket team, but it managed to capture in a nutshell what others before had struggled to pin down.That one line – simple, direct and to-the-point – also contained all the qualities that players, officials and team associates insist is the secret behind the captain-coach combination that is currently steering Indian cricket through an incredibly confident phase.Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gary Kirsten have won all three Tests they have combined in so far, against top-class opposition – South Africa in Kanpur this April, and Australia over the last two months, in Mohali and Nagpur. They have not done too badly in the one-day game either, except for an early, embarrassing loss to Pakistan in the final of the Kitply Cup in Dhaka last June. They also reached the final of the Asia Cup in Pakistan, showed the way against Ajantha Mendis in Sri Lanka, and swept England away last month.Now, as they prepare for their first full Test assignment together, against England, the coming together of Dhoni and Kirsten is being described as an “intuitive partnership” between two diverse men with common ideas and ideals.It is said that both want to win at any cost, have a lot of respect for each other, prefer to be low-profile, and come across in one-on-one interactions as refreshingly humble. Interestingly, and some say importantly for Indian cricket, both can be brutally honest too.”There are some of us who have been close to Dhoni, spending a lot of time together before he became captain,” says a former Indian team member. “The way it goes in India, some of us have expected Dhoni to carry over that friendship when it comes to team selection, or while taking decisions on the field, but have ended up disappointed. He is not an angel and still does the funny things that he used to with his gang, but he has made it clear by his actions that when it comes to his team, winning is all that counts. He is selfish that way, and also ruthless.”Kirsten is no different. “Don’t get fooled by that smile,” a former coach who worked with him in South Africa warns. “He knows when to step in and draw the line. In fact, that is what I feel has worked for him in India where he is managing superstars – keep a low profile, but make your presence felt within when it matters.”

From the time they got together in Australia early this year for a few “tentative chats” before Kirsten flew down to India for the Test series against his home team, Dhoni and he have clearly identified their areas of authority.Kirsten and the support staff – Venkatesh Prasad, the bowling coach; Robin Singh, the fielding coach; and Paddy Upton, the mental conditioning coach who also doubles up as physical trainer – are the facilitators. Together they ensure that they don’t stand in the way; that they talk to players, not down at them; most importantly they “aggressively ensure” that each team member is fully involved and participates in discussions.A clear-cut division of roles
Dhoni is the executioner, completely in charge of what happens on the field, reading the game like a card sharp, operating on instinct, often dumping elaborate plans without a second thought. He has been described as a patient listener, soaking in inputs and “taking support from everyone within the team, as long as he is sure that they are giving him 100% and more”. What really works for him, a team-mate says, is his uncanny ability to spot match-winners for every game and even for specific match situations.Kirsten, meanwhile, is a believer in personalised interactions with players, and knows that in the case of somebody like Sachin Tendulkar it is not a matter of batting tips but more of ensuring that the master is mentally in the right space. He believes in handing out responsibilities, doesn’t over-react, and ensures he gives the players their space. The stress has been on making the coaching approach as broad as possible, allowing some to go on gut instinct and others to pay more attention to planning and strategy, if that is what works for them.In short, what Kirsten does off the field is a mirror image of what Dhoni does on it – remember the way the captain let Zaheer Khan set the field for Ishant Sharma during the crucial batting Powerplay against England in Bangalore last month? Like Dhoni, Kirsten allows players to take on responsibility, and apparently the players have responded. “What Gary and Dhoni have repeatedly suggested to the players is, ‘It is not about us, it is about you’,” a team official says. “The message that has repeatedly been underlined is that the coaches are not there to boss the players around, an approach which is destined to meet with more resistance than not.”

Both captain and coach have largely similar long-term goals too. For instance, Kirsten and Dhoni, like Anil Kumble earlier, are committed to a rotation policy to prevent fatigue, injury, and subsequent loss of form. “It won’t be easy – it never is,” Kirsten wrote in June about implementing such a policy, “but I’m sure there is a sufficient level of maturity and understanding among the players to accept that there is simply too much cricket for any single player to perform at his best all the time.”One month later, after the idea failed to gain much ground within the Indian board, Dhoni decided to show the way by pulling out of the Test series against Sri Lanka. Since then the team has rested its two strike bowlers, Zaheer and Ishant, in a “planned manner”.Modus operandi
Dhoni’s idea of a team-bonding session often is to plonk himself down in the team hotel corridor, order tea, and catch up with his team-mates as they join him one by one for a chat on everything under the sun, including, of course, cricket. Kirsten may not be quite so informal, but he can be innovative when he wants to: he once asked his staff to bring along to a meeting anything that caught their eye which captured their character best. One of them brought along a bottle of water, to indicate that he would fit in anywhere. Crucially, both captain and coach are each comfortable with the other’s methods.Dhoni has exceptional leadership qualities, Kirsten told the recently. “He’s a very street-wise cricketer and likes to think out of the box. That’s lovely, because I like to think out of the box too.” Both apparently seem to agree that every person is an individual, with unique gifts, strengths and dislikes, and so the approach would be to accommodate these as far as possible while remaining with a common team framework.The support cast
It has helped, of course, that Prasad, Robin and Upton are on the same page and are proactively involved in the support role, each playing his well-defined part.Upton looks after “the mental and physical well-being of the team as a whole” and organises “team activities”. “During the pre-Australia series Test camp in Bangalore, he took the team to a nearby resort, divided the boys into groups of three, and got each group to make its own version of popular Hindi movies,” a team member reveals. One group had Virender Sehwag, in a wig, as its heroine. DVDs of the exercise, with mock titles, were distributed later and acting awards handed out. “It was hilarious, but it also set the team in the right frame of mind before an important series.”Prasad works individually with the bowlers and talks to them separately, listening more than talking, taking the time to understand their mindset. The rehabilitation of the temperamental Munaf Patel is a case in point.In fact, a large share of the credit for the Dhoni-Kirsten chemistry goes to the base that was laid by Robin and Prasad, who took over the team’s training after India’s disastrous World Cup last year. Equally important was the role played by Ravi Shastri, the interim coach, in settling the nerves of the team that flew to Dhaka for a Test and one-day series barely a month after the Caribbean misadventure.

The team was in tatters after reports of a divide between senior and junior players under Greg Chappell, the previous coach, and Shastri, a former captain, who is close to many Indian players, began the tour by delivering an intensely personal speech, asking players to bury their differences and get to know each other. “That was the beginning,” a team regular says. “From there, the team went on to win the Test series in England under Rahul Dravid, and the Twenty20 World Cup under Dhoni.”Crucially, we beat Australia in Perth under Anil Kumble. In fact, Anil was instrumental in taking team unity to a level never seen before. So there were a lot of important contributions down the line and things were falling into place when Gary took over full-time. But the key was, he knew exactly where to pick up from.”Kirsten for his part was quick to acknowledge, on arrival, the differences in the way the game is played in the subcontinent. “They play with enormous flair, and they’ve got great hands on the ball. We’ve got to encourage that. When people talk about me being a foreign coach, I don’t feel like a foreign coach because I’ve integrated my thinking, my philosophies and my style of coaching, along with Paddy’s, into how the Indians go about their business.”With the team on a high, Kirsten’s main focus was to understand what was working well and to keep those things going – the first tentative step was a low-key two-day workshop in March before the South Africa Test series. The next step was to identify areas of improvement, build relationships with the players and gain their trust. It was only much later that the actual coaching began.A break with the past
The subtle differences in the approaches of Chappell and Kirsten present important clues to what is going right this time. Kirsten would admit that Chappell possesses a superior cricket brain, but where Kirsten seems to have scored is in his understated man-management skills, his ability to be a “good listener”, and his aversion for the limelight. While Chappell aggressively promoted his vision through the media – which ultimately backfired – Kirsten, after a few early mistakes, has shut the door on the hundreds of cameras and microphones that are now part of the Indian cricket caravan.

It’s quite the same in the case of Dravid and Dhoni too. Dravid, from a public school background, was not a big fan of open displays of emotion, not given to theatrical flourishes, and preferred to talk to his team in his language, not theirs. Dhoni, by all accounts, has a finger on every pulse, employs a flashy Bollywood style that is popular within, and is prone to emotive gestures, like, for instance, letting Sourav Ganguly captain the team for a few overs on his last day in international cricket.When it comes to handling the increasingly soundbyte- and controversy-hungry Indian cricket media, Dhoni has learned to adapt quickly. Unlike Dravid, as captain he doesn’t fret over what has been written about him or his team, and has quickly learned the art of coming up with inane comments that say nothing. Why, you could say that Dhoni’s “Well, of course, it’s good to win” has now upstaged Dravid’s “To be honest, the boys did well.”After the honeymoon
Yet the new regime has its share of doubters, many of whom point to a similar euphoria during the first half of the Dravid-Chappell partnership. That was when Team India, under “Guru Greg”, could do nothing wrong, having blown away the Sri Lankans, and coincidentally, England too. Then, a historic series win against West Indies was followed by India’s first-ever Test win in South Africa. But we all know how that story ended.Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, has already sounded a gentle warning, suggesting that while Dhoni’s tendency to operate on instinct, and his aversion for theories and processes seems to be working fine for him, there may be others in the team who might need the help of a more structured set-up. As two former India players point out, all the talk about Dhoni and Kirsten sounds new and refreshing now, but it’s simply too early to take a call.Obviously the real test is when the team starts to lose. As Chappell and Dravid will testify, that’s when words like “vision” and “gut-feel” begin to start sounding hollow; when the media and the fans switch off the smiles and snarl for blood; when the pressure builds within and cracks snake across the façade; when whispers become scandals, and friends begin to sharpen the knives. It will be no different for Dhoni and Kirsten too, but till then, as their team will tell you, let’s just worry about the next ball.

Big hitting from the lower order spices up the first ODI, but what’s up with the crowd booing the Australians?

Masud Vorajee26-Oct-2009Can we replay that over, please? This time without the wicket•AFPFavourite player from the two sides
My favourite player is Ricky Ponting for his ability to turn it on in big events. He is such a class act. He doesn’t get disturbed easily and can dismantle any bowling attack.Key performer
Ponting gave the Australians a solid start and then he kept his cool and didn’t try too many things when Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar were taking the game away from them.Biggest absence
India missed Yuvraj Singh the most. His big hitting might have made a difference in the middle overs of the Indian innings.One thing you’d have changed about the match

I would have loved to have a replay of the last over which was bowled by Peter Siddle to Harbhajan, in which he cleaned him up.Face-off I relished
Gautam Gambhir v Nathan Hauritz. Gambhir was well set and wanted to play the square cut against Hauritz, who bowled beautifully against him. Unfortunately Gambhir couldn’t manage to pull it off, despite trying a few times.Bright young thing
Brad Haddin’s injury has been seriously unlucky for him because this new kid, Tim Paine, who took over in his place, will make life really hard for Haddin at least in short formats of the game. He scored beautifully, carving 50, and then saved some certain fours in the last few overs, which could have sealed the game for the Indians.Wow moment
Oh man, that six by Harbhajan off Siddle in the 48th over was one of the best flicks I’ve ever seen. Just an amazing shot.Player watch

Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Brett Lee and Shane Watson all fielded at the boundary near us, and though people totally love SRT, this time Lee stole the show. He is such a sport. The fans just loved him and he responded accordingly.Shot of the day
Ponting, Paine, Harbhajan and Gambhir played some really wonderful cricketing strokes but the shot of the day came from Michael Hussey’s blade, going straight down and out of the ground. It was such an effortless shot – sheer timing and classy footwork.Crowd meter

The stands were packed but the crowd was quite a turnoff. We tried to start Mexican waves several times, but they didn’t get going properly. People also booed the Aussie players when they lost their wickets, which was weird. Some guys in our stands didn’t like the way MS Dhoni played and chants of “Dhoni ” erupted and stayed till the game ended. There were also chants of “Sachin Sachin”, which is pretty normal. I wished I could replace the crowd with one from the Wankhede.Entertainment
The presence of the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, was welcomed by the people at the ground, but there was no music at all – no songs at the fall of wickets or during the lunch break.Hardship factor
We were in the Red Gate section and it took about seven-odd minutes before we were in our seats. It’s a pretty small ground, so it was very easy to get out to get something to drink or to munch. The toilets were very dirty, though.ODI v Twenty20?
I prefer the longer version. Cricket is just not about hitting sixes and fours, it’s about ability, skills, mindset, dedication, and how you apply them.Overall

It’s always great to see the two best ODI teams battling it out. I’ve been to several games between these two and they always manage to keep you interested till the last ball is bowled. Which is what happened in this game as well.From a personal point of view, I did not like the way Dhoni batted. He is Captain Cool, but he is clearly unable to middle the ball. Looks like he needs to spend more time in the nets.Marks out of 10

8. Largely because of the efforts of Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar, who added some life to the game at the end. I enjoyed the match as a fan of this beautiful game, but I’d have enjoyed it more if India was the winner.

A look at the margin of the results of the last two Group A games needed for India to sneak into the semi-finals

S Rajesh28-Sep-2009The washout in Centurion means India and Australia will battle it out for one semi-final slot in Group A, with Pakistan already through. If Australia beat Pakistan on Wednesday, they’ll obviously go through as toppers in their group, while Pakistan will take the second slot. It’ll get more complicated, though, if Australia lose to Pakistan and India beat West Indies. Then, the margins of the wins will decide which team joins Pakistan in the last four.The vital question is the margins of victories. Currently, the difference between the net run-rates of Australia and India appear vast: +1.00 for Australia, -1.08 for India. The good thing from India’s point of view, though, is that those numbers have come about on the basis of one match only – the stats from no-result matches are excluded in the calculation of net run rates. Thus, Australia’s positive net run-rate is because they’ve scored 50 more runs than they’ve conceded (in the win against West Indies), while India have conceded 54 more runs than they’ve scored (in the defeat against Pakistan).For India to pip Australia, they need to ensure that they redress that balance; in other words, they need to make up for that combined difference of 104 runs. If, for example, Australia lose by 50 runs and India win by 54, the net run-rates of both teams will be exactly zero (in which case the tie-breaker will be balls per wicket for each team in completed matches). If the margin of either result is one run more, Australia’s NRR will slip below India’s.That difference of 104 can be made up in any combination – if Australia lose by 20, India will need to win their game by 85 runs (assuming Australia chase and India bat first). If Australia lose by 104, a one-run win will suffice for India.The logic is similar if Australia bat first and if India chase, though it’ll be much tougher for India to overcome the NRR deficit: if Australia and West Indies both score 250 batting first, Pakistan and India will both need to chase the runs in about 40 overs for India’s NRR to sneak ahead of Australia’s.It’s a tall order for India, whose only advantage is that theirs is a day-night game on Wednesday, which means they’ll know exactly what they need to do halfway into their match.

The home side are improving, but fundamental mistakes still hinder their game

Andrew Miller in Chittagong05-Mar-2010Bangladesh’s defeat in the third ODI at Chittagong was a throwback to more vulnerable days. Their bowling began with spirit but dissolved in a flood of late strokeplay from Craig Kieswetter and Luke Wright; their batting never recovered from the early extraction of Tamim Iqbal, and became ponderous and defeatist, as they ran out of oomph long before the Powerplay. From the promising heights they touched in Dhaka, they ended up tumbling to the whitewash with scarcely a protest.And so their search for a maiden victory over England continues unabated. The rubber now reads P11, L11 in ODIs, P4, L4 in Tests, and regardless of how inexperienced the visiting seam attack may prove to be in seven days’ time, it’s hard to see Bangladesh claiming anything more uplifting than a draw in either of the Chittagong and Dhaka Tests to follow. The onus in those contests will be to string together as many error-free sessions as possible, but as they proved in the course of these three contests, basic mistakes continue to undermine their progress.Bangladesh’s response to their setback in the second ODI was instructive. Instead of turning England’s massive scare to their advantage, the team retreated into themselves and accepted that second-best was as much as they could aspire to. Even England, during their years as Australia’s whipping boys in the 1990s and early 2000s, made a habit of swiping regular dead-rubber internationals with which to massage their egos. One last effort, coupled with a subtle dropping of their opponents’ guard, often did the trick.There was no sense of anything similar taking place today, certainly not once Kieswetter and Paul Collingwood had averted the risk of an England collapse with a third-wicket partnership of 74. Bangladesh’s powerlessness was never as acute as it had been back in 2003, when Andrew Flintoff toyed with them in a trio of seven-wicket victories – the team has genuinely progressed aeons beyond that sorry state – but for the first time in the three matches, the game was over at the halfway mark of the contest.For those who watch from afar, and see only the scorecards, Bangladesh’s efforts in the past few months will prove nothing. Those who have not seen at first hand the capabilities of players such as Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan attribute their maiden series victory in the Caribbean last July to the player dispute that crippled West Indies’ resources, while the excitement that followed the silencing of Virender Sehwag in January’s Chittagong Test match was swiftly forgotten amidst a 113-run defeat.The only thing that makes the wider world sit up and take notice of Bangladesh are notable victories against significant sides. And it’s a sad fact that the most earth-shattering of those can be counted on the fingers of one hand – Pakistan in 1999, Australia in 2005, India and South Africa at the 2007 World Cup. There have been others in between whiles, of course, but since seeing off Zimbabwe in a one-sided series in November, Bangladesh have lost 10 ODIs, three Tests, and a crushingly one-sided Twenty20, all without reply.”We’re now very close to winning so many games against bigger teams,” said Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan. “I think we played good cricket, we came very close in the second game, but I think as long as we’re improving, that is the best sign for our cricket. I think now we’re making some little mistakes – we need to work on our partnerships, play well in the middle overs, and take advantage in the Powerplays – but if we work on those, we’ll win some games.”In Shakib, Bangladesh have found a true star – a young man with the skill to mix it on a personal level with the big boys, and the confidence to carry the burden of a nation with equanimity. Most players who have been called to lead his country have found the pressure too intense, but on the eve of this match he cut a relaxed figure, as he loitered with his team-mates outside the old MA Aziz Stadium, to await news from within at the PCL T20 auction, Chittagong’s answer to the IPL. Needless to say, he sold for a top-whack price of 4 lakh Taka ($5780), and the auctioneer even had to be corrected as he allowed the bids to escalate through the roof.”I am very much confident that I am going alright,” Shakib told Cricinfo before the match. “The team has backed me all the way, and the management has helped me also. It’s almost a year now that I’ve been in charge, and we’ve always been good in our home conditions. Everywhere I go people are following me, and I’m enjoying it very much, on and off the ground.”Shakib’s bowling lived up to a lofty pre-series billing, not least in the second match when his 3 for 32 was instrumental in keeping England in the mire, while his best innings of the series at Chittagong was ended by an unfortunate lbw decision that has provided Bangladesh with an ill-warranted alibi for their shortcomings. Despite the bone of contention that Andy Flower threw a local journalist on the eve of the game, when he agreed that bigger teams often get the benefit of the doubt, umpiring was not the reason for the result. And besides, Kevin Pietersen might demand a recount if that sort of blame-game is embarked upon.Other players have made advances in this series – Tamim’s scintillating hundred in the opening encounter was the sort of individual marker that deserves to linger in the collective conscience, while Imrul Kayes and Mushfiqur Rahim demonstrated the disciplines necessary to keep the Bangladeshi engine-room pumping for many years to come. But for all Shakib’s protestations of progress, one can’t help but thinking an opportunity has been missed this week. England aren’t in town very often. And regardless of their middling strength in the world game, they are a side who fall noisily when toppled.

Plays of the Day from the fourth tri-series match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Dambulla

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla20-Aug-2010First-ball jitters
Upul Tharanga had been cleaned up on the first delivery of the match against India by a beauty from Praveen Kumar which nipped away to take offstump. Tharanga would have collected an unwanted second golden duck in a row when he nearly nicked Kyle Mills’ first delivery, only to be just beaten by the movement. He didn’t last too long anyway, swinging a short ball to short fine leg to walk back for 12.Dilshan’s fast start
Usually in one-dayers, teams look to smash some quick runs during the initial Powerplay overs, but that hasn’t generally been the case so far in the tri-series, with the top-order batting being generally more cagey than carefree. Tillakaratne Dilshan put an end to that trend: a violent flat-bat crack down the ground for four got him going in the third, backed up by two more boundaries in the next. Those were preludes to the fireworks in the fifth over when Dilshan pinged the midwicket, square leg, point and cover boundaries for four consecutive fours.Silva’s confident beginning
With plenty of competition for middle-order spots in Sri Lanka, it was a crucial innings on Friday for Chamara Silva, walking out for his first match of the tournament. Silva showed no signs of nerves on his first audition for a World Cup berth, getting off the mark with a wonderfully timed punch past the bowler for four. He ended unbeaten on a fluent 41, which should be enough to earn him more time to press his case for next year’s showpiece tournament. He has previous experience doing this, hitting form at the right time four years ago to become a regular for the Caribbean World Cup in 2007.Camera tricks
With rain dampening the mood for the second day in a row at the Dambulla stadium, there was not much for the fans to cheer about. During a brief dry spell, a playful cameraman distorted images so that people’s heads were outrageously large and their legs spindly. Those images on the giant screen were the only things the few faithful who stuck around had to chuckle about, before another shower washed out the match.

As England piled on the runs with a Kevin Pietersen double hundred, the local supporters were grateful for other attractions at the Adelaide Oval

Peter English at Adelaide05-Dec-2010Adelaide is the best ground in the world for not watching cricket. Barbados and Antigua have their pools, and Perth has its neighbouring race track, but at Adelaide Oval there is lawn and marquees. Which is just as well, because this is a game Australian fans don’t want to see.But if you’ve bought a ticket or a membership, it’s rude not to turn up. So while the Barmy Army was magnetised to every ball aimed at the pads of Kevin Pietersen, thousands of the South Australian members were out the back of their new stand, pretending they were at the races instead of a demolition derby masquerading as a Test match.”Bring back Warney,” one unhappy local said as he sought relief from the torture. Warney was actually in the nets at the time, but he was there batting in a tea-break hitting contest, largely content in retirement. No amount of sponsorship or hair plugs could entice him back to bowl at an enemy that is no longer submissive.Four summers ago England scored 551 in their first innings and it wasn’t enough. This time they have 4 for 551 and already it is plenty, thanks to Australia’s inadequate first-innings of 245 and a diligent but ineffective attack. The bowlers ran in, the England batsmen waved them away, and the drinkers in the bars tried to talk about something else.”Four for 500-and-***ing-20,” another disbelieving home supporter slurred. England weren’t even close to being finished and only summer rain, with drops the weight of champagne corks, was able to stop the day’s carnage. When the weather closed in it was possible to smell the dust which Australia have been ground into over the past three days, or six, if you count Brisbane.The lawns out the back of the members’ area are not as lush as the Nursery End at Lord’s, especially after the weekend of heat and trampling, and the crowd is not as genteel. But the bars serve Pimm’s, an ideal drink for a regatta, or a wedding, or discussion of anything but cricket. In other tents the sippers enjoyed bottles of Knappstein followed by a nap. Seen one KP boundary, seen them all.Mitchell Johnson was working in the nets after lunch with his failing bowling coach Troy Cooley. He was disappointed to be dropped, but has been saved another week of punishment. Johnson was used as a fielder, fulfilling his 12th man duties, but even if Australia were allowed another bowler it would not have helped.Even England supporters who have been through the Down Under disasters of the past two decades were showing restraint. Just like the Australians on the trips over there, I’m sure, in ’89, ’93, ’97 and ’01. Mostly it was better to talk about the weather, or the exchange rate, or the oysters, or the match here four years ago, which was being replayed during the rain. Anything but this game, Australia’s fast-bowling problems, or Xavier Doherty’s inaccuracy.Have you heard the music out the back? Or visited the beautiful gardens behind the Chappell Stands? What about the new statue of Jason Gillespie, which already has a cup of beer in his left hand? Or have you hidden under an umbrella to escape the heat – and a Pietersen double-century.At the back of the Western Stand, a big television screen sits on the tray of a truck offering the members a chance to watch if they want to. When Pietersen ran his single to mid-off to bring up his double-century, there was a smattering of applause from those around the tents. They are a knowledgeable lot, the South Australian members, and that’s without including the former Test players, such as Greg Blewett, who were in their ranks.Still, it’s possible for them to go a whole day without watching a ball live. On days like this it’s hard to blame them. As the Eagles almost sang in Hotel California, “Some drink to remember, some drink to forget”. On the grass under the hill, the Barmy Army fans were setting their photographic memories, but out the back in the marquees it was easier to be blind.

Having lost his way after a sparkling start, Ishant Sharma has returned stronger, wiser and more effective. He credits his senior partner, among others, for his comeback

Interview by Sriram Veera06-Jul-2011″I am lucky to be bowling with Zaheer. He is so aware of his own body. I didn’t know about my bowling and my body at the start of my career. Now I know when to train, when to relax, and how much bowling I must do”•Associated PressYou seemed to have got your rhythm back in the West Indies…
The rhythm is back. The important thing is, I am now enjoying my bowling. I visualise every ball and what I need to do. I focus on my strengths. I believe in my strengths more now – the pace and bounce. The last one and a half years have been up and down. I struggled a lot. I would just like this form to continue .Were there times when you wondered about what was going wrong at the start of your run-up?
I was trying to copy Zaheer Khan’s action. No doubt he is a great bowler, but I guess I shouldn’t have tried to copy his action. We are entirely different in styles. Zaheer told me that I am too much into the technical side of things and that I shouldn’t be. Now I just stick to my basics and my strengths. When I started, I was just looking to enjoy and bowl fast. Slowly the expectations grew, my responsibility in the team grew, and I didn’t know how to handle that pressure.When and why were you copying Zaheer?

When South Africa came to play in India, I started to copy him. I wanted to be a swing bowler. I was forgetting my natural strength of bounce and hitting the deck. When I bowl with my natural style, the ball automatically starts to inswing. That was my strong point, and I should have just stuck to that. That was my greatest mistake.I wanted to swing it from a fuller length and in trying to do that I was copying his action. I thought I could copy his action release, just to get my length fuller. The way I ran, the action, the whole thing was affected.Did you tell him you were trying to copy his action?
I didn’t. I didn’t want his bowling to get upset, or for him to feel bad that this was why my bowling was going wrong. I just realised that it’s all right to learn things from others but you shouldn’t be copying actions.I had become too technical, instead of being tactical. When you are in the Under-17 stage, if you are concentrating on your technical stuff, it is fine. Your body and muscles accept the changes in action. But when you try to change it later, it gets difficult. So you lost your rhythm?
Yes. The ball doesn’t land where you want to it to. You forget your positives and your mind starts focusing on the negative. You go into a shell. Everything is going against you. That feeling is really bad. I didn’t know why these things were happening, why what I was trying to do was not happening. I didn’t realise it then, especially as I was swinging the ball at the start of my career. Even in the second IPL, in South Africa, I felt I was bowling well. Then the bad patch started through World Twenty20 and the New Zealand tour. Things were going bad. I was putting too much pressure on myself.Did you start to do that in the nets too?
In the nets I used to be relaxed, and I enjoyed it, so I bowled well. In cricket as long as you are relaxed and enjoying yourself and your game, you will do well. In the middle, I had forgotten that. I wasn’t focused on the process but more worried about the results. As I had more experience, I became aware of my body and bowling, and things started to improve. That I learnt in the last IPL.How bad was that phase of struggle? Did you stop laughing and enjoying life?
Yes, I did. During that time, even, say, if I was talking to you, I would be constantly thinking about cricket. How should I get that batsman out? What I should do, how I should bowl. I wasn’t enjoying it. There was too much pressure. I was almost obsessed with cricket. Too much thinking about one thing isn’t good.I wasn’t able to sleep well when I was dropped. I used to worry about what was going to happen to me. Suddenly from being a top bowler in Indian cricket you are nowhere. That time I was depressed. But seeing these good times I feel [God will eventually reward you for your effort]. I now know how to react even when things are not going well. How did you come out of that phase?
I met a man, Ramesh sir, during the IPL. He told me how to think positive, do meditation, visualisations, how to focus on your own strengths. He doesn’t know cricket, but the mental power he taught me really helped. And with the help of friends and family, I recovered.Then I spoke to Zaheer in the IPL. He talked to me about the importance of training. That has really helped me. I didn’t much go to the gym earlier. I went to the National Cricket Academy, where they made a training schedule for me: what muscles I should develop and which ones I load more in my bowling style. That systematic training helped and I am sticking to it.When did you sense the turnaround during the IPL?
After two or three games I became confident. What I was trying to do was coming through. I started to enjoy my life around cricket. That’s important to me. On the field give 100% and then switch off. I wasn’t doing that before.Ramesh sir made me change that. He made me meditate and visualise my bowling. He told me ” [Just think about what you want to do, not what you don’t want to]”. That was an important point.How was the emotional support at home?
There was a time I was really depressed that I wasn’t in the team. I used to sit alone and think cricket. About this and that. My mother and my sister backed me. They really believed in me and made me believe in myself, that I can do it again. When you have that kind of support, you feel you can do anything. They said it is just matter of time. It happens to every sportsman. They told me to accept the reality of my life and work hard, and that I would be back.Did you learn about the drawbacks of being famous?
Absolutely. When you are doing well people ask for your autograph. Otherwise no one asks about you. That made me mentally stronger. I have now learnt to balance. I know how to handle success and failure.

“Sometimes even I don’t know which ball is going to straighten, so how can the batsmen know? I try to swing with the new ball. I usually know when it’s going to straighten or swing out when I try to do that, but on many occasions even I don’t know”

Did any of your team-mates help you then?
I would like to thank Gautam [Gambhir] .You went back to play Ranji Trophy. What was that like?
I was happy to play cricket. I just wanted to play. I wasn’t used to sitting out and handing drinks. That irritates me. With Ranji Trophy I was playing cricket, and that was always helpful.The wrist release at one point had become skewed. Your wrists used to be behind the seam initially, but later you seemed to be pushing the ball sideways.
When you play too much cricket, bad habits creep in. You don’t realise it. There is no one to tell you what’s happening. The body gets tired, and you suddenly don’t know what’s happening. Now I know more about my bowling – how to train and recover. My wrist position gets bad when I get really tired. Training is very important for me. I have to put in more effort in my bowling than say Munaf, Praveen or Zaheer. I have to run in hard from a long run-up, and my style demands more effort. So I need to put in more training.Venkatesh Prasad has praised you as the most hard-working fast bowler he has worked with.
I doubt if anyone else enjoyed bowling with Venky sir as much as I did. It was a great learning experience. After a point, we stopped being teacher and student and became friends. I could go up to him and discuss anything, from bowling to my life.You have a great incoming delivery. These days you seem to be getting the odd ball to straighten as well. How much control do you have now?
My stock ball is the inswinger. The odd balls straighten on their own. Sometimes even I don’t know which ball is going to straighten, so how can the batsman know? I try to swing with the new ball. Of course I usually know when it’s going to straighten or swing out, but many times I don’t know. It hits the seam and it can straighten. The ones under my control I know.Many have noted a stutter in your follow-through.
It has been there since I started playing. I never worried about it. It all depends on how firm and still you are in your run-up and release. The follow-through follows from that.What’s your routine on match days?
I try to wake up happy and just stay away from cricket. On the field you are thinking so much about cricket, so off the field I try to get on my phone, chat with my team-mates, enjoy. Even if my day hasn’t gone well, just enjoy the good times in it.Tell us about your relationship with Zaheer.
I am lucky to be bowling with Zaheer. He is so aware of his own body, his bowling, and has so much knowledge. I didn’t know about my bowling and my body at the start of my career. Now I know when to train, when to relax, and how much bowling I must do. Zaheer advises me a lot. He even sets fields – where to bowl, how to bowl. It was a great help. He is always positive. He never talks negative. He always wanted to dismiss the batsmen irrespective of whether he is set or not. He won’t think, “Okay, let me give this guy a single and target the other.” He used to say, “We must do the difficult thing.” So to share the ball with someone like him is great, and good things are going to rub off on to you.Do you remember any wicket in particular that came about after a plan with Zaheer?
During Australia’s tour – when I was Man of the Series – I took Brad Haddin’s wicket. I bowled a series of bouncers and then slipped in a slower one. It was in Bangalore. That’s what we had planned: let’s bowl bouncers at him, and then slip in a slower one, as he doesn’t pick it up sometimes.Are you confident enough of setting your own fields and planning dismissals in his absence, like here in the West Indies?
I now know my bowling, and have control over my body. So I am confident. I have done my homework. I have learnt to set my fields. I know what I want to do. I visualise at the end of the day. Go back on the good things and what I can add.Visualisation is about feeling good about yourself and landing the ball where you want it to land it. Before I bowl a ball I visualise that I have bowled the ball where I want it to land. By doing that your heart has already gone there. If your heart has gone, the brain follows. So I visualise the end result as if I have already done it, and then I bowl. I learnt this from Ramesh sir.I tug at my sleeve at the start of each ball. It has become a habit. I do it because I feel something’s sticking onto my skin there.A lot of people believed that playing ODIs was spoiling your bowling in Tests.
I didn’t think so. My strong point is Test cricket. I bowl for long, pick up wickets, and I am aggressive. These are the things that help you in ODIs as well.People say I shouldn’t be playing in the IPL. I take everything as a challenge. I set goals for myself and see if can achieve them or not. I want to be a regular member of the Indian squad and play all three formats of the game.How did you handle the money coming in?
It depends on the individual. I saw early success and then failure. I must thank my family. I never thought more of myself just because I was an Indian player. My father is always down to earth. He never complains. When I was doing well, he used to thank God. When I wasn’t doing well, he would say it’s all thanks to God and it is a learning experience.You seem to have started concentrating on your batting.
I need to thank Gary Kirsten. He used to tell me that I can bat. When he came for the first time, in Australia, he saw me and said I can bat as well. I never took batting seriously. I never thought one day I can help India win a Test. I need to be really thankful to Gary for that. As a bowler, you know how much you struggle to take a wicket. So when I struggle so much to get a wicket, why should I give my wicket easily? Scoring runs is not the issue for me. I just concentrate on sticking around.How has Eric Simons been for you guys?
He doesn’t try to change the things I am comfortable with. He adds to it. When you gel well with a team, your relationship with players and coaches should be good in order for the team to be good. That relationship you develop over a period of time. Now my relationship with Eric Simons is how it was with Venky. He has a good bonding with the fast bowlers. Players listen to what he says. Like Venky, he allows our natural ways to be and then tries to add on.I never used to bowl round the stumps to left-hand batsmen. I have learnt to go round now. Eric has helped me in that regard. I used to bowl a little too wide to left-handers, but that has changed now.”To relax, the best thing is to spend time with Munna . He has a great sense of humour”•Associated PressWhat has been your most satisfying dismissal since returning?

Every single wicket is satisfying when you are making a comeback. You learn that just because you had one bad spell it’s not the end of world. You can always come back and pick up three wickets, and then at the end of the day you have bowled well. It’s not like batsmen; we bowlers can always come back. There is more clarity with regards to my bowling.What about reverse swing?
I love bowling reverse swing. Touch wood, I have control over it, but I don’t think in cricket anyone is a master. I have better control over lengths but it all depends on how good you feel and in what rhythm you are. You can bowl seven overs on the trot when you are in rhythm; if you are not, it’s a struggle to bowl even five. Some days you just wake up happy and everything and everyone around you feels good. There is this happy atmosphere around you. You go to the ground and feel you can do whatever you want. I think all fast bowlers know it.How has it been bowling alongside the likes of Munaf, Praveen and Sreesanth?
Munaf and Praveen are really helpful. It’s not that Sreesanth is not helpful, but it’s all about bonding and gelling. Our thinking is the same. We hang out, enjoy, laugh, and we share that thinking on the field as well. When I am bowling, and Munna is getting the drinks, he will tell me what I should be doing. It’s great for team spirit.Define enjoyment for you on tours.
Sitting in the hotel, enjoying each other’s company. We don’t get time to go on holidays together. We sit in the room, talk and laugh, or sit in the bus and laugh. It makes a great difference. You are able to switch off. Now I think about cricket when I have to. I relax at other times. I speak to mummy or to my friends. To relax, the best thing is to spend time with Munna . He has a great sense of humour.What’s your career goal?
It’s to play 100 Test matches for India and take as many wickets as possible. To play 100 Tests it will take 10 years. I hope my body lasts that long.