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.

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2016Mohammad Shahzad made 24 before he too fell to Badree•Associated PressBadree sent back Asghar Stanikzai as well, as Afghanistan slipped to 50 for 3 inside 10 overs. Badree finished with 3 for 14 in his four overs•Associated PressSulieman Benn also produced tight returns – 1 for 18 – to help West Indies dominate through the middle overs, as Afghanistan slumped to 90 for 6 by the 17th over•Associated PressNajibullah Zadran, though, resisted for Afghanistan with an unbeaten 48, helping his side take 47 runs in last five overs and reach 123 for 7•AFPAmir Hamza struck early for Afghanistan by removing debutant Evin Lewis for a duck. Hamza eventually ended with stunning returns of 4-0-9-1•AFPWest Indies then faced a double-blow in the sixth over when Johnson Charles was bowled and Andre Fletcher had to retire hurt after injuring his hamstring•AFPRashid Khan and Afghanistan’s spinners began to apply the brakes on West Indies’ chase in the middle overs by striking regularly•AFPWest Indies faltered in the slog overs as the chase boiled down to 10 off the last over•Associated PressMohammad Nabi bowled an outstanding last over, giving away just three runs, helping his side to a six-wicket win•AFPDespite the loss, West Indies finished on top of Group 1 and will play either India or Australia in the semi-final in Mumbai•IDI/Getty Images

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.

He may not get as many plaudits as some of his predecessors but Alastair Cook has built an increasingly impressive record in charge of England

George Dobell10-Aug-2016Alastair Cook has admitted that, though he is “never going to be a Mike Brearley tactically”, he feels he is the right man to continue as captain of England’s Test team.Cook goes into the Oval Test requiring three more victories to draw level with Michael Vaughan as the most successful England captain (in terms of the number of Tests won) in history. He is also three Tests short of equalling Mike Atherton’s record of 54 Tests as England captain.While his reputation as a leader may never match that of Brearley – whose win percentage of 58.06% as captain is well ahead of any other England player to have led in 20 Tests or more – Cook’s team could also be on the verge of a couple of significant milestones. England lead the series against Pakistan 2-1 and, if they avoid defeat in the final Test, they will hold the trophy in all nine bilateral series against Test opposition. And, if they win the Test, they could be rated as the No. 1 Test team in the next few weeks if other results go their way.But while Cook admitted he will discuss his future with the team management after the Oval Test, he said he is “the most comfortable” he has ever been in the role at present and that, with significant challenges looming for his side in the near future, he would be reluctant to shirk responsibility when his experience may be at its most valuable.”At the end of every series, I’ll sit down with Trevor Bayliss and Andrew Strauss and discuss the future of the side and where we want to go,” Cook said. “We’ll discuss whether I am still the right captain for this team or if it is time to move on after this series or after India. We always now talk about that for my sanity as well.”At the moment I’m enjoying it. The dressing room seems to be in a good place. It’s the most comfortable I’ve felt captaining a side.”The last year or so I’ve really felt comfortable in the captaincy role and everything it brings with it on and off the field. I am really enjoying it and all those hard moments I’ve had – obviously they’re not gone – but in one sense, it would seem wrong to give it up quite yet.”At the forefront of Cook’s mind is the prospect of seven Tests in Asia before Christmas. If England are to have any chance in India, in particular, they will not only need to draw on all the experience Cook possesses but they will need Joe Root (his obvious successor) to score heavily. Adding the burden of captaincy to a man with so little experience in the role and so much already expected of him may well prove overly onerous.”We’ve some tough challenges ahead,” Cook said. “We’ve these five days and then seven straight Tests in the sub-continent – 11 weeks away – so I think we’re going to need some strong leadership. It’s going to be a really tough tour for a lot of people. We’ve got to be on it as a group.”Cook’s reputation as a leader is interesting. While captains are often rated on their on-field tactics -field placing and bowling changes, for example – much of their work takes place away from the cameras. You could argue that Cook’s finest moment as captain came ahead of the India tour in 2012. After insisting on the return of Kevin Pietersen to the England team – an impressive feat of diplomacy at the time – he then led from the front with an outstanding display of batting that helped his team to a memorable series victory.More recently, his recommendation that James Anderson apologise to the umpires and then explain his actions to the media during the Edgbaston Test averted a possible suspension or fine.Alastair Cook seems intent to continue leading from the front•Getty ImagesAnd, when we look back on this series against Pakistan, it may be that we reflect on his decision not to enforce the follow-on at Manchester as a defining moment. It was not a popular decision at the time – Cook seems untroubled about courting popularity – but, by batting again, England crushed an already jaded Pakistan side into the dust through exhaustion and disappointment. The signs, so far, are that they have never fully recovered.If there have been moments when his admirable determination has manifested itself as stubbornness, such as his refusal to accept his continued presence in the ODI side was holding back the team, he has also led England through a period of considerable upheaval – the 2013-14 Ashes thrashing, the Pietersen affair, the departures of Andy Flower, Ashley Giles, Peter Moores and Paul Downton and his over-the-top vilification in the media at the hands of Piers Morgan – to calmer, happier times which feature predictable selections, greater willingness to interact with supporters and some results – not least wining in India and South Africa and defeating Australia in England – which demand respect.Besides, it could be argued that Brealey’s success was, in part, due to his career coinciding with Ian Botham being at his best as an allrounder. Just as Vaughan later relied upon Andrew Flintoff at his peak – and for a couple of years, Flintoff was a terrific cricketer – Brearley, for a while, had both Botham and Tony Greig to balance his side. While he deserved credit for coaxing the best out of Botham, we may one day look back on Cook’s period of captaincy and reflect that the emergence of Ben Stokes (and Chris Woakes, among others) helped him take the England team to another level.Cook is no orator but, while Brearley’s record as a leader is unquestioned, it should never be forgotten that his batting average of 22.88 is less than half that of Cook, which currently stands at 47.55. Really, it may be time to give Cook’s leadership a little more respect.Perhaps, if England can reach No. 1 again and claim all nine bilateral Test series trophies, that respect may come. Cook agrees with James Anderson that this side is more naturally talented than the one that last achieved the No. 1 ranking in 2011 and feels that, whatever happens over the next few months, it is a couple of years away from fulfilling its potential.”It would be a really good achievement by our guys,” Cook said. “But I genuinely think it’s come a little bit early for us a side. It would be a great achievement and one you can be very proud of when you finish playing cricket.”But, as I keep saying, there’s still questions that need to be answered. We’re not at the level we were in 2012. Then everyone had played 30 or 40 Test matches at the very least.”This is a more talented team. There are people who can turn a game in a session. The team in 2011-12 was a very consistent, hard-nosed team that was very hard to beat. We’ve got a way to go to that level, but as you saw with some of the brilliance of Ben Stokes, getting a hundred in a session – that kind of stuff is what’s very exciting about this team.”Could Cook walk away from that excitement? It seems unlikely. And, as a developing England side search for stability and consistency, that should draw of sigh of relief from their supporters.

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2016Pakistan were soon two down as Sharjeel Khan could do nothing about a beauty from Mark Wood•Getty ImagesThe ball nipped from outside leg to pluck out off stump•Getty ImagesAnd it was three down in the blink of an eye when Chris Woakes removed Azhar Ali•Getty ImagesBabar Azam responded with some confident strokes…•Getty Images… as he and Sarfraz Ahmed repaired the damage with a 64-run stand•AFPLiam Plunkett broke the fourth-wicket partnership by removing Azam•Getty ImagesShoaib Malik hit Pakistan’s first six of the series when he charged at Moeen Ali•Getty ImagesSarfraz reached his second fifty of the series to hold Pakistan together•AFPMark Wood returned for a second spell and nabbed Malik’s wicket•Getty ImagesSarfraz was ecstatic on completing the first Pakistan ODI hundred at Lord’s•AFPImad Wasim picked up the pace after a slow start to make a 57-ball fifty•AFPGetty ImagesThe umpires had to step in when Plunkett and Imad had a brief altercation•Getty ImagesMohammad Amir struck a big blow by bowling Jason Roy for a duck•Getty ImagesAlex Hales’ struggles continued when he missed a sweep and was bowled•Getty ImagesEoin Morgan fought for fluency in another hard-worked innings•Getty Images… while Root led the chase with his second fifty of the series•Getty ImagesRoot and Morgan added 112 for the third wicket•Getty ImagesBen Stokes danced down the wicket and hit a straight six during a lively stay•Getty ImagesMoeen Ali ensured a couple of late wickets didn’t cause any drama for England•Getty Images

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.

The heat and the one-sided encounter were downers but this Pakistan was happy that at least his team won

Hamza Khan24-Sep-2016Who I expected to win
Looking at West Indies’ T20 exploits over the last two years, and Pakistan’s alarming decline in the format, West Indies were the favorites. I’m not much of a predictor, and yet the absence of some big names in West Indies, coupled with Pakistan’s new captain that people are raving about, I had a small hope of a Pakistani victory.Team supported
Pakistan. Obviously. And yet West Indies has forever been my second favorite team. So although I wanted Pakistan to win, I didn’t want it to be dominant.Key performer
Imad Wasim virtually ended the game in the third over, taking three wickets in his first two overs. This included Evin Lewis, the guy that had smashed a 100 against India just two games back, and Samuels (the king of T20 finals). He later returned in the 10th over to end any remaining West Indian hopes, dismissing the bowler annihilators Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite in the same over.WI 47-7; Imad Wasim 5-14; end of match.One thing you’d have changed about the day
Oh what I wouldn’t have given for Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy and Andre Russell to have been a part of this match. West Indies looked seriously depleted without them. And these are some serious entertainers we are talking about. The experience of the match was poorer without them.The face-off you relished
Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine against the young Pakistani batsmen. They had dismantled Pakistan in the past: in the WT20 2014 in Dhaka with combined figures of 6-26 in 8 overs. Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Laitf and Babar Azam did considerably better against them losing just a single wicket and scoring at seven an over, though admittedly with a considerably smaller target.I was also desperate to see Umar Akmal bat again. He’s one of my favorite players from Pakistan and I was happy to see him back. Sadly, he never got to bat.Wow moment
– a term that signifies a duet of musicians. Unlike the PSL final, I had brought my own ‘Darbuka’ (arabic drum) to the stadium, after much persuasion of the security guards who kindly let me go. As the second innings began, another guy showed up with a drum. We sat together and started playing Pakistani cultural drum beats which is how the festivities began in our stands. Pakistan was winning, people were happy, so a lot of people joined in the clapping and dancing.Shot of the day
The cover drive from Babar Azam to Badree was beautiful to watch. The ball drifted in on leg stump, and Babar nonchalantly made room and caressed the ball effortlessly through the covers. It was a glimpse into the future of Babar, and the promise he holds for Pakistani batting. The crowd was suitably impressed.Crowd meter
It was a full house. I was sitting in the top tier which was overflowing. People were even sitting on the stairs next to the seats, waiting for people vacate their seats.The crowd wasn’t too energetic and I can’t really blame them. With the kind of heat and suffocating humidity in the ground, it was a challenge just staying in to watch the match.Pakistan had overwhelming support. Dispersed in the sea of green, you could spot some West Indian supporters as well. The thing about West Indies is, they find popular support wherever they go, and that includes the people supporting the other team.In the absence of players like Gayle, Sammy and Shahid Afridi, the crowd favourite was Dwayne Bravo. Four rows below me was a group of enthusiastic Pakistani DJ Bravo supporters who included his name in many local slogans throughout the match.The Dubai sauna
The size of the crowd was remarkable considering how stiflingly hot it was in the ground. It was a proper sweat fest. The surrounding dust and sand made the conditions unbearable. Many people were standing at the very back, which was the only place you could feel a little breeze and get much-needed respite. Most of us took turns to go stand there and dry our completely wet clothes while other friends guarded our seats.The heat simply left no room for fancy dresses. I admire the courage of the few who had dared to paint their faces.Entertainment
Dubai International Cricket Stadium probably has one of the more pointless PA programs. You can hardly hear anything said over it. Even the songs they played were somehow drowned out – you couldn’t really understand much. The PA programs during the PSL were actually much better.Overall
A disappointing experience overall, considering only one team showed up. West Indies have built a great T20 reputation and it was sad that I didn’t get to see it at the stadium yesterday. Pakistan’s intensity in the field was surprisingly high and fielded really well. West Indies’ fielding, usually so good, perhaps mirrored their batting display. As is the trend with T20, one-sided games can be really one-sided – the end result becomes apparent so early in the game you don’t really enjoy it.Marks out of 10
5/10. And that’s because Pakistan won. The one-sided nature of the match, absence of big names from the West Indies team, and the heat – not a great combination.

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.

In a commanding stand of 226 runs, Virat Kohli appeared careful and solid like Cheteshwar Pujara, who was free-flowing and entertaining like Kohli

Alagappan Muthu in Visakhapatnam17-Nov-20162:09

Ganguly: Pujara and Kohli, the perfect No.3 and 4

Virat Kohli cased the joint. The security was tight. Two slips, a short point, a short cover and a third man and sweeper on the boundary. Visakhapatnam was housing precious cargo. First-innings runs. The India captain was on a mission to steal them.He had to be mindful of a few traps though. England’s seamers were the first to highlight the weakness he has outside the off stump. While the pitch offered no sideways movement, which was often Kohli’s undoing in 2014, since when is the tendency to drive away from the body predicated on the conditions?In the morning, Stuart Broad filled an over with good-length balls on sixth or seventh stump. Kohli simply let them go. He was new to the crease. He could not afford to play those audacious shots through the covers. India were two down in the first half hour and there were men waiting for edges, both outside and leading. Once, when his patience flickered, he was beaten by a legcutter that bounced a lot more than it should have. England were setting up trip wires to catch a careless thief.Kohli had to be cautious. To do what he loves – dominate – in a Test match, he had put in the work. Spend time in the middle. Get used to the pitch, get used to the bowling. Thereafter, he is a good enough player to come up with a counter. By shuffling across the off stump, he was able to reach for those full and wide deliveries without having to stretch out. This method works well provided there is no swing or seam. By the end of the day the cover drive was his most profitable shot.Smuggling a total of 317 out is not a one-man job, though. Cheteshwar Pujara is not normally one to break the rules. Maybe that’s why he looked like he was having so much fun. On 99, after rocking back to hit an Adil Rashid long hop high over midwicket, he admired the ball disappear into the crowd. And when it did, he turned around to the dressing room with the smile of a man who was starting to love his walk on the wild side. “Completing a hundred with a six was special.”Not to mention rare. Before this match, in 6134 balls faced, Pujara had sent only five over the fence. Why should he bother when he has such quick feet that he can turn decently-flighted deliveries from nervous spinners into full tosses and crunch them for four or slide back so deep in his crease that even a good length-ball is treated with almost the same merit as a long hop. He made 75 of his 119 runs at a strike-rate of almost 70 against the slow bowlers.The last time India’s Nos. 3 and 4 both scored centuries in the first innings of a Test was in 2007•Associated PressAnd so a trend became apparent. For much of their 226-run partnership, Pujara was free-flowing and entertaining like Kohli. And Kohli was careful and solid like Pujara.Pujara took on an 8-1 off-side field with a cut shot that was placed outstandingly well. It split point and cover and was too fine for the sweeper. Shots like that are his captain’s trademarks. Having been asked to show more intent, Pujara showed plenty right in front of the man who had wanted him to do so.Kohli, in turn, emulated his partner’s prudence. He has an instinctive pull shot and it got him into trouble a couple of times – a top-edge off James Anderson flew a lot finer than intended and another off Ben Stokes could have ended his innings on 56, had the catch been taken, in the 43rd over. Recognising that he was not timing that shot as well as he normally does – like on a fast pitch where he might have the ball coming onto his bat – he stowed the shot away. Even his calm march through the nineties had shades of Pujara in it. Right down to a simple raise of the bat after he brought up his hundred.But then, it came down in a twirl. In his 50th Test, as India’s captain, Kohli knew his 151 not out had put his team on the path to a possible victory. Pujara’s contribution – and evolution – cannot be underestimated either. With his 119, he now averages 66 in the first innings of Tests. No Indian – with a minimum cut-off of 20 innings – has done better.

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?