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Sri Lanka’s quicks have now taken 24 wickets in this series, to the spinners’ combined tally of 13. Is a little revolution taking place in Sri Lanka’s Test cricket? Is their gameplan fundamentally changing?

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Jul-2015There is no doubt that at present Sri Lanka are experiencing change. It’s too early to tell if the team will be better off in coming years, or worse. For now, change is just change. But as Sri Lanka fast bowlers claimed six wickets on a seaming pitch in Pallekele, one thing became clear: this change is strange.Ever since DS de Silva sent down his first legbreak in the 1982 inaugural Test, spinners had claimed the island for themselves. Through the years, the Test team has trotted out every kind of slow bowler in the book, as well as a few for whom the book had to be rewritten. Seamers were glorified sandpaper. Pramodya Wickramasinghe reports sometimes being told to “just make the ball old”. Spinners would waddle around the infield in the early overs, then saunter over to dispatch the seamers to fine leg, saying, “Let the big boys handle it from here, kid.” For about 30 years, Chaminda Vaas had been the only exception to this.But in the last two years a mini resistance has built. King Rangana Herath held court, of course, but around him a squad of quicks came together from around the coast. Shaminda Eranga emerged from north-western Chilaw. Suranga Lakmal from southern Dabarawewa. Nuwan Pradeep won soft-ball competition in Negombo, before Dushmantha Chameera was discovered in the same town. Even Dhammika Prasad, though an SSC stalwart, is from outside Colombo city limits.As they broke Pakistan open on day two, Prasad occasionally getting seam movement as crazy as his eyes, Pradeep getting swing to provoke strokes as poor as his haircut, Sri Lanka continued their upending of stereotypes. Sri Lanka’s quicks have now taken 24 wickets in this series, to the spinners’ combined tally of 13. On the opposition, legspinner Yasir Shah has 22 wickets for himself. Is a little revolution taking place in Sri Lanka’s Test cricket? Is their gameplan fundamentally changing?The transformation has been a while coming. Lakmal and Eranga enjoyed a good tour of the UAE last year, then the quicks blasted Bangladesh out twice in a four-day Mirpur Test. For so long, Sri Lanka had been the team that spent days in the field wishing a Muttiah Muralitharan or a Herath could bowl from both ends, because all the seamers did was give away runs. Suddenly they were actually contributing. Though they remained works in progress, the belief in them accumulated. Their self-confidence rose.

Head coach Marvan Atapattu on Sri Lanka’s seamers

• On their achievements during the series: “All the fast bowlers who have played in this series have been fantastic. They have brought us back in all three games, starting in Galle when they got Pakistan to 90-odd for 5, when we were bowled out for 300. Then they helped dismiss Pakistan for 128 all out in Colombo. Here, after having scored only 278 in the first innings, to get nine Pakistani wickets is a remarkable effort.”

• On their development: “Programmes for managing the fast bowlers have been happening for the last 16-20 months. We’re lucky to have some of the fast bowlers that we have today. If all goes well, hopefully, everybody will be fit and available for selection, which hasn’t really happened. Having said that, we’re lucky to have about eight good guys in our ranks.”

• On their potential to improve: “Staying fit is key, but everyone has different strengths. For example, Dushmantha Chameera has a different strength to Suranga Lakmal. Dhammika Prasad has a different strength to both of them. It’s about improving and gaining experience to progress in your style of bowling.”

By the middle of 2014 Sri Lanka’s quicks went overseas and even had the gall to attempt bouncing out the opposition after choosing to bowl first at the home of cricket, of all places. It didn’t work, at the time of course. Joe Root and the England tail murdered the bowling up and down the hill at Lord’s, then dragged the attack to a dodgier neighbourhood to stuff into a dumpster. But the mere fact that: a) Sri Lanka’s thinktank imagined a short-ball plan could end in anything but profound humiliation, and b) 30,000 spectators didn’t break en masse into laughing fits upon seeing the first few bouncers, was the kind of progress that should bring a tear to every Sri Lankan eye.How incredible is it that this Pallekele pitch even had real, live grass on it on the first morning? This is a country in which surfaces are so closely tailored to the team’s demands, curators basically send pitch-sample swatches to captains before a series, along with a bouquet of flowers and a card that reads: “I’ll give it to you any way you like.” More than likely, Sri Lanka were after a seaming track for this match. Not so long ago, things were very different. If a pitch had had a green tinge, say, in the mid-noughties when Murali’s play-doh wrists were at large, the curator would have been summoned to Colombo, marched to the zoo and fed to the animals there.On Saturday, when rains rolled through the venue you could almost imagine the match was being played in the seam-bowling wonderlands of early-summer New Zealand or England. The only difference is that the staff are more efficient at protecting the field from rain here. If you ever need to build a bonfire in a lake, a Pallekele groundsman would figure a way to keep the wood dry.When play resumed after each rain break, Sri Lanka’s seamers emerged energised, positively slavering for the ball, which they quickly had shimmying around the surface. Prasad jagged one in to nail Asad Shafiq in front of the stumps soon after the first disruption. Azhar Ali lost fluency after the second interruption, almost nicking Prasad, before leaning out to send Pradeep to second slip. Shan Masood had been nailed by a swinging yorker. Ahmed Shehzad was teased into sending the ball to the wicketkeeper, off almost the face of his bat.In this bold, new pace-bowling age of Sri Lanka, Tharindu Kaushal still flies the flag for unorthodox spin. But as he furiously ripped every ball he bowled on Saturday, slipping in the occasional doosra, he seemed like the guy trying a little too hard to bring a retro trend back. When Kaushal turned balls into Ehsan Adil and Rahat Ali’s front pads late in the day, he showed spin was not obsolete. But if Sri Lanka’s selection for this game is any indication, the team is not buying it.Perhaps in the post-Herath era, Sri Lanka will give in to the military-medium revolution, and Kaushal will wind up playing many more home Tests as the side’s sole spinner.  For now, Sri Lanka are well placed in a ball-dominated Test series. Not many would have thought it would be the quicks that got them here.

On a steaming Colombo day, victory did not come easily to India. But the team kept its focus, intensity and clarity of thought going, and reaped the benefits

Sharda Ugra at the SSC01-Sep-2015It was a sweltering afternoon in Colombo, the kind that is never understood unless it is experienced. Sweat drips everywhere, off fingers, arms, legs, off the forehead, stinging the eyes. It is heat of a kind that gets behind the eyes and as the sun continues to burn and beat down, the mind feels like it is being baked. That is what it was like under the roof of the media centre at the SSC, watching India push for victory – in the match, in the series, in the history books.On a still, cruel afternoon, where a small crowd huddled under whatever shade they could find, waiting for something to happen, all that was heard was the claps of the Indian fielders and voices calling out in cricket’s global lingo. “Come on, lads…” “One more wicket, boys, one more wicket…”. Was that Stuart Binny? Or wicketkeeper Naman Ojha? Or Ajinkya Rahane?The voices floated up over the ground as Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin tried to keep the Sri Lankan batsmen pegged down. They were bowling to captain Angelo Mathews, arguably the game’s current Superman, and debutant wicketkeeper Kusal Perera, pocket-sized but with extra helpings of daring. Fifty overs completed, the partnership bustling along, the target of 386 shrinking, one boundary an over, suddenly 40 scored off ten. And still Ashwin whirling his arm over and over, tossing it up on occasions, bowling slightly quicker on others, Umesh hurling it down between 139 and 141 kph.The first wicket of the final morning at the SSC had come quickly. In the fourth over, Umesh banged one in short to Kaushal Silva who tried to drag-pull it somewhere but it ballooned straight into the sky. New man Lahiru Thirimanne had already found himself with the match referee, but at this point no one cares about the match referee and what is about to happen on the disciplinary front. That is for afterwards.Now, it’s six wickets left. Kohli switches from Binny, who kept Thirimanne quiet, to Ashwin. He is the lead spinner but without a wicket in this match, only eight overs in the first innings. Ashwin would later say he had wanted to be a “good foil” for the seamers in the first innings.”Thankfully they bundled them out and I didn’t have much to do. But in the second innings I knew that winning a Test on the final day, there is that bit of responsibility attached to it. I wanted to take them.” He does. Thirimanne is gone in his very first complete over of the day, trying to release pressure and create a shot against the spin. KL Rahul, centurion and leaver of balls, dropper of catches and snaffler of blinders, is at silly point. He has leapt up and bunted the leading edge into the air before the completing the catch. Half the Sri Lankan batting line-up is gone.For a short while, it feels like a slice of India’s victory at the P Sara, where, with eight wickets needed on the final morning, things had rushed along in fast-forward mode. Ashwin had raced through the batting like a long-distance runner on a sprint finish. But here at the SSC, it is drip, drip, drip. In keeping with the weather, in which bowlers feel as if they sweat out a mineral water bottle every over. Mathews and Kusal are turning the screws and starting to cut off the air for the Indian fans. It is at points like these that intentions can start to melt away, and the way ahead look a little hazy, impossible, mirage-like.India did not let the heat nor the opposition’s mid-afternoon resistance get to them at the SSC•AFPAshwin and captain Kohli later sat next to each other at the media briefing, India Test shirts Nos. 271 and 269. That doubt of “what if”, they said, was never going to happen. Regardless how long the partnership, Kohli said, “you have to sit there and think about how the game goes. The averages of people giving away chances in the number of overs. In Test cricket, on a fifth day, there will be hundred-run partnerships, that happens in international cricket. But you will have that one opportunity or that one chance to get someone out, and you have to make sure that you grab that.”Ashwin talked of the ball getting softer, not swinging for the fast bowlers anymore, the fact that resistance had been expected. “Even before the game, we had identified this as the phase where runs would go. We were always stacking it up for the second new ball to come, so we were really prepared to take the game as deep as possible.”Before the new ball, there was Ishant Sharma, who contained within himself his entire team’s spirit on the final day of the series. At the tail end of the fourth day, he had gone loco with Dhammika Prasad and knew that the match referee would be sending him a love note about the same. His attention though was on matters at hand.Ishant turned up at the start of every bowling spell on the final day looking like he was ready to tear up everything in front of him, the batting, the pitch, the stumps and then move over to the stands and take them down too. An hour after lunch, he was bowling back-of-a-length lifters which clocked 145, offering 139kph at the least in the 65th over of the day. He conceded the one boundary of his 19 overs on Monday evening. On Tuesday, he offered batsmen only hellfire and damnation.On both sides of tea come the opportunities the Indians have spent two steamy hours waiting for. Kusal reverse-sweeping Ashwin to Rohit Sharma at point is followed by the arrival of the new ball. First over after tea, Mathews misses one full and straight and Ishant has his 200th Test wicket; he punches his fist into the air, shakes his head of hair, knowing that the Test is as good as won. As the Indians gather around Ishant, high-fiving, Kohli leaves their little knot and pats the departing Mathews on the back. An appreciation of Mathews’ leadership and courage with the bat.The two spinners are quickly put to work and the last three wickets slide quickly, within the next five overs. Amit Mishra’s googly is far too arcane for Nuwan Pradeep to understand and the bowler is hugged by his captain for putting the final seal on the game. Pujara and Ishant are asked to lead the team off the field. Kohli is waving a stump at the support staff in the dressing room, pulling at his India t-shirt in what is his aggro-boy avatar. An instant later, he has his own private moment and everything sinks in. He is walking off looking down at the ground, shaking his head and giving the stump one final swish. It is done. From an afternoon of gloom in Galle to victory over the buckets of sweat at the SSC.Kohli said afterwards that he had noticed a single significant change in this series, when compared to the team’s long round of overseas travels since South Africa, 2013: “We have capitalised on the important moments in the game. We have done well to maintain our composure and do well in those moments, and that is why we have been able to win two Test matches after being 1-0 down. Just the way the guys have responded to situations, that has changed. It only shows the hunger of the guys in improving as cricketers and actually wanting to close out games of cricket rather than hesitating.”For almost an hour and a half after the presentation, the Indians sit around on the balcony of their dressing room, savouring the afterglow of victory and tossing over shirts, caps and other pieces of their kit to the ground staff on the floor below. No hell-raising noise or spraying of champagne. Just smiles, laughter and a few cans cracked open. If they knew of it, the Indians would surely have raised the great Sinhala toast that Sri Lankans offer each other. It would have been the most fitting of wishes for their future: . May you win.

No batting line-up has amassed more runs at a better average than Pakistan’s in the past 18 months, but no other team has fielded a weaker tail

Umar Farooq in Dubai23-Oct-2015No batting line-up has amassed more runs at a better average than Pakistan’s in the past 18 months, but no other team has fielded a weaker tail. On the good days, it has not mattered – who cares what Nos. 8, 9, 10 and Jack contribute if the top seven can produce 29 centuries in 14 Tests? But on the day when they were called upon, the bowlers were rolled aside. Six wickets given away at the cost of 96 runs within 29 overs on the second morning in Dubai.Misbah-ul-Haq’s first-day hundred had given Pakistan resolve after a rare top-order wobble but the mainstay of Pakistan’s batting today was Asad Shafiq, who stood tall as the lower order blew up around him. It was Sarfraz Ahmed who first left his Karachi childhood friend in the lurch by tossing a rash shot to mid-on. A ninth Test century would have been Asad’s for the taking if anyone had hung around alongside himAnyone with a bit of application would have done the trick. None of Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah or Zulfiqar Babar has a great record with the bat but they all have passable defensive techniques. And yet their reckless self-destruction cost Pakistan the 450-plus total that would have kept them in command of the match. To be bowled out with eight minutes remaining before the lunch break was a dereliction of duty.Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s spin bowling coach, blasted his lower order for giving it away so easily. “There was no plan as such for the tail but they played very poor cricket,” he said. “It wasn’t a smart cricket at all as you got to understand your role according to the situation, especially when the batsman [at the other end] is on 70 or 80. You’ve got to understand and play accordingly.”We didn’t bat well with our last five or six players. We really didn’t understand the situation very smartly. Obviously the plan was to play positive cricket but we ended up with poor batting. To reflect positivity you got to play things smartly. I don’t mind hitting the bad ball to boundary but you’ve got to choose the right ball.”England ensured they didn’t squander the inroads made by their bowlers as Alastair Cook and Joe Root both defied Pakistan with contrasting half-centuries. It took 14 hours for Pakistan to extract Cook in Abu Dhabi but in Dubai he was trapped within a mere 214 balls as Mushtaq hinted at a well-laid plan to take him down. As many as six fielders were placed on the leg side; four in front of square and two behind, to turn one of Cook’s strengths, the leg glance, into a weakness.Yasir Shah celebrates the dismissal of Alastair Cook•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesZulfiqar had bowled 170 balls to Cook without success in Abu Dhabi, and his further 14 today even included an attempted sweep that struck the stumps but did not dislodge the bails. Shah, on the other hand, endured far fewer frustrations. He needed a bit of luck as Cook flicked him to leg-slip to be caught for 65, but there was planning behind the moment as well.”You obviously got to make plans against good players,” said Mushtaq. “We had a plan against him and you might have noticed that we kept fielders mostly on the leg-side and bowled in patterns to get him out. I am really happy with the way Yasir bowled despite having a little stiffness in his back. He started well. He landed the ball in the right areas and at a good speed as I saw him touch around 90 kph. He is not bowling bad balls and he’s in a good rhythm as well.”England reached the close on 182 for 3, trailing by 196 runs but with Pakistan’s spinners starting to find a bit of grip on the steadily wearing surface.”At the moment we are equal at 50/50 chances,” said Mushtaq. “But tomorrow the first session is the key and we have to take quick wickets and I am very much hopeful the pitch, with our spinners, will pay a huge role in it, especially when the rough opens up. We have nearly 200 runs to defend and it’s not going to be easy for the new batsmen to play the spinners here well.”

The game as a whole has not seen so much imaginative talk about its future since the dawn of Twenty20; Test matches themselves have not been the subject of this much hype since the invention of the word “hype”

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide29-Nov-2015In a week of renewal for cricket’s oldest form, the Adelaide Test found room in its tense final act for one more redemptive tale. Few could have expected the fifth coming of Shaun Marsh to produce arguably the innings of match, guiding Australia all but home in a nervy chase for 187 to defeat New Zealand. But as Test cricket has itself proven, the longer the story, the greater the chance of a surprising twist.On day two, Marsh’s nerves had been palpable, much like those of Cricket Australia administrators and their broadcast rights holders over several years of experimentation and discussion to bring this fixture to fruition. His innings ended in the sort of run out seen more often in nightmares than actual matches.Yet at the moment of greatest import, Marsh was able to summon a tremendous innings, showing evidence of the assiduous work he had done with Chris Rogers to improve his technique against the moving ball. As Rogers had advised him, he would not be able to eradicate edges – he did so twice in his first 10 balls – but tellingly, Marsh’s angled bat and softer hands meant these nicks did not go close to carrying.Such adaptation to the prevailing conditions, in contravention of Marsh’s long maintained habits, mirrored the efforts of CA to create the right environment for this match, even if it had to throw several Australian cricket conventions out of the Sir Donald Bradman Pavilion windows to do so. A grassy pitch, prepared by committee, replaced Adelaide’s commonly drier deck. The square and outfield were equally lush, helped by the installation of drop-in wickets. Much of this was anathema to traditionalists.Marsh’s composure in these climes was essential to Australia’s success. His sound judgement of when to play and when to leave, coupled with good balance to open up scoring zones through the leg side, stood out next to numerous nervier teammates. Notably, the captain Steven Smith played an innings bordering on the disorganised, as both outside and inside edges were struck. A swirling, skied pull shot was survived only because New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner made his one mis-step of a fine debut by having his sunglasses on his cap, not over his eyes. Mitchell Marsh played his best innings of the series, but slipped up in trying one too many big blows as Brendon McCullum gamely used his spinners.Balance is critical in any game, and it is here that CA too can improve on what was rolled out for Adelaide. The pink ball undoubtedly needs to become hardier and thus more adaptable, meaning that pitches do not need to resort to a matte of grass quite so thick as this one. Both Smith and McCullum remarked that they would have preferred a slightly less verdant surface, though they also enjoyed the contrasting skills drawn out by an English-style wicket in sharp contrast to the deader surfaces of Brisbane and Perth.Equally, they will hope that the flawed interpretation of DRS evidence by the third umpire Nigel Llong will be reviewed in order to ensure such mistakes are not repeated, with greater common sense and circumstantial awareness applied to all decisions. Llong was not aware that Nathan Lyon had walked most of the way off the field upon seeing the evidence on the big screen, and made his decision as though in a bubble. It was a painful irony for New Zealand that it was this incident that had more bearing on the outcome than any vagaries of pitch, ball or lights.This is not to say that players on both sides emerge from the series without fault. There was a reminder of the work that all must still do in Marsh’s dismissal, tied down and nicking off thanks to New Zealand’s patience despite his earlier poise. Some may also question Smith’s decision to allow a clearly hobbled Starc to bat at the end, as the final two winning runs he slogged through in the company of Peter Siddle were visibly painful. Relief, rather than elation, seemed Australia’s dominant emotion at the end of the night.New Zealand can take plenty of solace in finishing this series far better than they started it. They will be able to point to plenty of positive signs when looking ahead to home Tests against the same opponent in the new year. Trent Boult started the series well and truly out of rhythm but was more or less back in it by the end of Adelaide, Kane Williamson confirmed himself as a player of the highest class, and Ross Taylor re-emerged as a prolific scorer at ease with himself.But it cannot be denied that Australia deserved to finish the victors, having started the stronger and then found enough compelling passages of play to squeak home here. Josh Hazlewood and Siddle deserved much of the praise for helping to win the match after Starc’s injury left the hosts a bowler down – there is plenty of history to demonstrate how rare it is to win Test matches from that position. Likewise CA was able to overcome numerous naysayers and caveats to achieve a major outcome for cricket by having this match take place at all. The world has now seen what is possible.Refreshingly, numerous other concepts were floated across the week also, from various models for a World Test Championship and the proliferation of more day-night Tests, to talk of converting Tests to leaner four-day affairs, and even renewing genuine cricket investment in the United States. In all it added up to a “Festival of Dangerous Ideas” for cricket. The game as a whole has not seen so much imaginative talk about its future since the dawn of Twenty20; Test matches themselves have not been the subject of this much hype since the invention of the word “hype”.The bottom line of the week was that a crowd of 123,736 and immensely strong television ratings had given Test match cricket the potential for a new dawn of success and therefore longevity. A finish inside three days was a reminder that more needs to be done to refine the concept, but as the often maligned Shaun Marsh demonstrated with an innings Australia desperately needed, there can be no renewal without opportunity.

A career that spanned over two decades came to an end with Shivnarine Chanderpaul announcing his retirement. We asked fans to share their favourite memories

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2016

I followed this man since the 1996 World Cup semi-final knock. That was a gusty innings, he scored 60-70 odd runs. They had to chase something like 220 against Australia. Unfortunately, WI lost the match, but this man won our hearts. He was the unsung hero of West Indies cricket… we gonna miss you.
– Priyankara Anton FernandoI remember this Test match, back in 2002, India v West Indies. We got Lara out for a duck and Windies were reeling at 50 for 3 in the first session. I went to sleep and was able to get a glimpse of the game only 24 hours later on day 2 (120-odd overs had been bowled) and saw that Chanderpaul was still batting! It was a mammoth partnership with Carl Hooper. I was so disappointed, I couldn’t go back to sleep that night and watched WI pile on the misery till end of day’s play! Was a beautiful knock, though.
– Aditya VinnakotaShiv Chanderpaul! What a man! What a career! His best knocks for me have always come against India. It takes me back to 2002 when he completely pulverised the Indian bowling attack and helped West Indies win the five-match series 2-1. His brilliant knock of 140 in the first Test in Guyana announced him on the big stage. Even though it was overshadowed by a scintillating 233 by Carl Hooper, it set the tone for Chanderpaul for that series. It was a gritty and a classy knock. He was patient and found the gaps with ease. That was my favourite Chanderpaul moment!
– Rutul ParikhHe is one of the greatest batsmen of our time. He is the player with unique batting style, qualitative stroke play, strength to bat for days, a one-man-army potential. Bowlers had to struggle a lot to get him out. He can save a Test match by batting all day; he can even snatch a match from the opponents by some furious batting. The best West Indian player after Brian Lara. Cricket will miss you, Chanderpaul! Have a happy retired life! #Legend #ThankYouShiv
– Ram Tadiboyina There was a triangular series going on in Sharjah between West Indies, England and Pakistan. And there was a board on the fences of Sharjah Cricket Stadium that said “Hit The Board $500”. And there comes Shivnarine Chanderpaul… it was England fast bowler Dean Headley bowling to Shiv and he hit that ball right on the board on first bounce.
– Imraan Syed A constant thorn in the side of England… yeah so he didn’t look the prettiest batsman but he was made of iron and his determination and presence at the crease made him what he was: a world-class batsmanThank you Shiv, you’ve been a pleasure to watch play the game…all the best buddy. From an England fan
– Matt Smith One of the many favourite moments is when he hit a four and then a six of Chaminda Vaas to win an ODI for West Indies.

– Toolaram GajWest Indies’ record chase against Australia, where he scored century and was Man of the Match.

– Maxim Garg I remember him getting felled by a Brett Lee bouncer only to recover and score a hundred.

– Aaron WillesHis debut at Bourda will forever live in memory.
– Linton VickersWhen Warney bowled him just before lunch in a Test match in 1997. Warne had just come back after a finger injury and turned this one a mile.
– Cam Skirving

Rookie South Africa chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi talks about his variations, his “bus driver” celebration, and debut IPL season

Jonhenry Wilson20-May-2016How does a left-arm wristspinner combat the inventive batting and premeditation produced by the likes of David Warner and others at the IPL?
Bowling to a guy like AB de Villiers can do plenty for your confidence, and help your game plans for match time. One does need to combat the unorthodox shots that players like him play, so I enjoy the challenge. The IPL, in that respect, has been very good for me, being in a squad with guys like AB, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle. They’ve been there, done that, they’ve seen a lot during their great careers, and I am able to learn from that and them. It will only help my development as a spin bowler.Without giving too much away, run us through your repertoire of bowling variations.
I’m always working on them. I’ve got my standard deliveries and my chinaman, which is the googly. I’ve got the slider and I’m actually working on the flipper. The flipper is a tough ball to learn to bowl, but I’m keen to add it to the mix and make myself a better cricketer. I am a big believer in not having too many tricks, but the ones you do have, do them well, and eventually perfect them. Royal Challengers Bangalore are full of batting superstars but evidently they are light on bowlers this year.
I don’t necessarily agree with that. You need a bit of luck in T20 cricket. Some of our defeats have been very close, not one-sided cricket. The small outfields, in Bangalore and others, are a factor – when teams are unable to successfully defend scores and get beaten, that’s not often considered. We have some of the set game plans we’ve put in place – and we try to execute them.

“The first-class cricket we have is definitely appropriate for a Test team that wants to be No. 1 again”

You are still establishing yourself as a player at RCB, but do you make the time to also mentor the other spinners in the squad?
Some of the younger spinners speak to me, we share insights and take things from there. I’m happy with that. I remember how Imran Tahir helped me back in the day, at Easterns. The stuff I picked up from him, and other things I’ve understood and practised along the way, I’m able to impart to the youngsters at RCB now.Your characteristic “bus driver” celebrations have pleased some and peeved others.
I think the media and others made a big thing of it. I don’t think it’s a big deal, it’s just something I do. My team-mates enjoy it and don’t have a problem with it. I am just concentrating on my bowling and having fun. At this level, you are always under pressure to perform – and it’s good to remember to have fun. When you are a small child, falling in love with the game, you do it for the fun. In the IPL, or playing for my country or franchise, wherever I am, I am just trying to enjoy it. The bus driver celebration is pretty much just part of that.The possibility of a mid-tournament player draft for future IPLs is gaining traction.
I think it could be a great thing to do. We see it back home too, when franchise players are unable to get into the Titans squad because the squad is so strong, so they go play for the amateur side, or franchises loan players. We’ve seen at the IPL a guy like [Chris] Gayle not getting into the XI for a particular period. He would walk into any other team, so perhaps a draft or loan system of some sort could work.”The flipper is a tough ball to learn to bowl, but I’m keen to add it to the mix”•BCCIAside from Daniel Vettori at RCB, which other coaches have been particularly influential on your career?
The son of the former international umpire Cyril Mitchley was probably my first ever proper coach. He was the first to help me understand my game and progress quite a bit.Then there was Grant Morgan. Grant recently signed on as Dolphins’ head coach, but I’ve worked with him a lot over the years. We worked together at Gauteng, where I got my first opportunity at first-class level back in 2009. He was the first guy who basically backed me, and we are very close now.Then Rob Walter at Titans. He has encouraged me to keep pushing myself to get better and better with each day. He never lets you rest on your laurels, he is a big motivator. He always wants the bar put higher and higher. If you’re giving 100%, he wants 200. As a player, when there is a coach expecting things like that, it’s a great place to be.Hasn’t Marlon Samuels had a big impact on you too?
I consider Marlon a big influence. We played against each other during a tour match in South Africa last year. After seeing me play just once, he noticed my ability and from there that’s how I got linked up at the Caribbean Premier League. The confidence gained through the CPL has set me up from there. When nobody else on the world stage really knew of me, he did.As the leading wicket-taker for Titans, who won the 2015-16 Sunfoil Series, do you consider yourself well placed to comment on the level of first-class cricket being produced by a country which has slipped from first to sixth in the Test rankings?
The four-day cricket scene in South Africa, in my experience, remains one of the best in the world. People will always express their opinions about why it might not be, but South African cricket is still in very good hands. The first-class cricket we have is definitely appropriate for a Test team that wants to be No. 1 again.

“The confidence gained through the CPL has set me up from there. When nobody else on the world stage really knew of me, he did”On Marlon Samuels

After the IPL, you’ll head to the Caribbean for your first tour with South Africa. Are you starting to think about the possibilities and expectations already?
I’m not thinking too much about getting into the playing XI yet. I’m just happy to be in the squad at the moment. If or when the opportunity comes along, I want to be able to do a good job, in line with what the expectations are of me, and the game plan. Being in a squad with two other spinners, Aaron Phangiso and Imran, that’s exciting – hopefully we can pull together well. For me personally, I don’t think I will have a different way in which I approach the Australian or the West Indies batsmen during this ODI tri-series. It’s about sticking to overall game plans, not necessarily having a different approach for each team.You’ll be banking on the experienced gained in the IPL this year and the Caribbean Premier League last year to serve you well in Guyana and surrounds, though?
Having watched the [2016] World T20 from home, I was excited to get involved in the IPL, and thankfully did in the end. I knew the conditions were going to be good for spin, and not always just batsmen-friendly like other parts of the world. I think the conditions in the Caribbean are going to be this way too, with a bit more turn than usual. The challenge is there, and hopefully I will be able to make things work.

05-Aug-2016But they didn’t have to wait long for a wicket – Dilruwan Perera got through Usman Khawaja’s defences with a full-length arm ball•AFPSmith failed to add to his score and was castled by Rangana Herath as Australia were reduced to 59 for 4•Associated PressHerath then had Adam Voges caught by a diving Dimuth Karunaratne at extra cover•AFPHe went on to remove Peter Nevill and Mitchell Starc off the next two balls to claim a hat-trick•AFPPerera accounted for Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood soon after to pin Australia down to 89 for 9•AFPMitchell Marsh unleashed some big swipes and dragged his team to three figures…•AFP…before he holed out to long-off off Lakshan Sandakan as Australia were skittled out for 106 in 33.2 overs•AFPStarc and Hazlewood struck early in the second innings to leave Sri Lanka 31 for 3 at lunch, capping an 11-wicket morning session•AFPKusal Perera and Angelo Mathews steadied Sri Lanka after the break with a brisk 48-run stand•Associated PressBut Lyon had both of them bowled. When Mathews missed a reverse sweep and exited for 47, Sri Lanka were 121 for 6•Associated PressDilruwan Perera, however, built Sri Lanka’s lead with drilled fours…•Associated Press… with assistance from Herath, who reverse-swept his way to 26•AFPHerath fell to the reverse sweep and Dilruwan was cleaned up by a Starc yorker for 64 as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 237•AFPHerath followed his hat-trick in the first innings with the early wicket of Joe Burns in the second innings•AFPDilruwan got rid of Nathan Lyon, the nightwatchman, and Usman Khawaja off successive balls as Australia closed the day at 25 for 3 in a chase of 413•Associated Press

He has been searching for rhythm and admits to being too hard on himself but Steven Finn has been buoyed by the words of an impressive backer

Andrew Miller15-Jun-2016At the end of the third day at Lord’s, having endured an at-times laborious search for form and rhythm, Steven Finn fronted up for the Sky cameras following his best performance of the series to date. Two quick wickets, in addition to his earlier dismissal of Dimuth Karunaratne, had helped to derail Sri Lanka’s promising first-innings position and set England up for a healthy lead of 128.What had started out as a piece of technical analysis on the outfield turned, towards the end, into an unabashed pep talk, as Michael Holding, one of the game’s great fast bowlers, encouraged Finn to let go of some of his inhibitions and just trust that fact that, with 120 Test wickets at a very healthy average of 28.33, he had done it before at the highest level, and would continue doing it in the future.”You have done it in the past Finny,” Holding said. “You’ve taken wickets on numerous occasions, so you should rely on that past success and just go out and relax. No one can question your ability, no one can question that you deserve to be out there, so go out there, relax a bit and get the job done.””I wasn’t expecting that actually,” said Finn during an event in London ahead of the Royal London ODI series. “I left that interview with a massive grin on my face because one of the best bowlers there has ever been thinks I’m a good bowler.”I’ve actually not had that much opportunity through my career to talk to Michael Holding. That’s probably my own fault for not going and seeking him out.”I know he’s enjoyed my style of bowling from what I’ve listened to on the TV. And so to actually have someone who is a great of the game, done what he’s done and watched as much cricket as he has, saying nice things about you, and just pumping your tyres up a little bit, it’s a great feeling.”Holding’s nickname, famously, was “Whispering Death”, on account of his soundlessly smooth approach to the crease and ferocious pace from one of the most classical actions ever to grace the game.Finn, by contrast, has rarely made the act of fast bowling look so effortless: “Galumphing Mayhem” might be a fairer reflection of his well-documented struggles to align his limbs to his talent.Even when his rhythm has been absent, his threat has remained – he has never gone wicketless in any of his 32 Tests – but on those occasions when everything has clicked, such as the second innings at Edgbaston in last summer’s Ashes, he has ranked among the most hostile and incisive bowlers in the game.Would he go back to seek Holding’s advice in the future? “Yeah. It would be interesting to hear as well,” Finn said. “My approach to the crease, obviously I’ve had issues with that over the years that have caused me numerous frustrations I suppose.

“I’ve got a burning desire to get better. I don’t want to just be as I am now. I want to learn new things as a bowler”Steven Finn

“He arguably had the most beautiful run-up there has ever been, to be called Whispering Death, that shows quite a bit about your approach to the crease. So it would be interesting to see what he saw and what he felt about that, most definitely.”For the time being, however, Finn will settle for that fresh air in his tyres, following a frustrating winter in which his return to the Test side for the tour of South Africa was cut short by a side strain that – much to his chagrin – caused his subsequent omission from the England squad that reached the final of the World T20 in India in April.By his own admission, he was feeling his way back to form in the early weeks of England’s Test series against Sri Lanka, but now, with a five-match ODI campaign looming against the same opponents, Finn feels ready to reclaim his role as the spearhead of the one-day side – especially with the incentive of England hosting two world events, the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup, in the not-too-distant future.”I’d say I’ve got a good record in one-day cricket for England – 60 or 70 ODIs,” he said. “But again that doesn’t count for anything when you go into a series. Obviously I want to be a part of those squads for 2017 and 2019. It would be a massive thing to be able to play in a Champions Trophy and World Cup on home soil. I’m probably the most experienced bowler in the squad going into this series, so there is responsibility on me, but I think I’ve handled that well before and I’m looking to do so again.”In between his injuries and technical set-backs, Finn has been England’s go-to strike bowler in one-day cricket for several seasons now – and with neither James Anderson nor Stuart Broad selected for the forthcoming series, the chance to emerge from the formidable shadow they cast in Test cricket is one that he appears to relish.”I really enjoy it,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed the responsibility in the past of bowling the first over of an ODI, of trying to take an early wicket and making inroads early on. I love that pressure and responsibility of going out there and having to set the tone. In the Test matches you try to dovetail behind Broady and Jimmy, because a lot of the time they’re leading the line, [but] hopefully it will bring the best out of me.”The fresh and positive attitude around England’s one-day set-up will doubtless help to bring out the best in a bowler who admitted, during an off-colour display in the second Test at Chester-le-Street, that he could at times be too hard on himself. Though he missed England’s uplifting performances in their march to the World T20 final in India, he’s well aware of the vibe around the squad and ready to immerse himself back into it.Steven Finn preparing food at a Sri Lankan-inspired cooking event•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”The manner in which the guys have played – with a carefree, free-spirited attitude – has served us well,” he said. “If we start looking upon ourselves to force these things and make them happen, that would be a bad place to go to. If we just go out there and try to show off and show people what we can do, that will stand us in good stead.”That’s what the guys did during the World Cup. It’s the mantra Trevor [Bayliss] and Eoin [Morgan] are trying to instil into this side, with all these youthful, exuberant players. It’s served us very well at the moment. If we don’t get too ahead of ourselves, we don’t put too much pressure on ourselves, I think we could be a force to be reckoned with.”There’s a few examples in our team,” he added of the new-found showmanship that England have brought to their cricket in recent months. “Ben Stokes, the way he’s developed over the last 18 months as an allrounder and international cricketer. He goes out there and tries to show off what he can do.”And if you fail and make mistakes that’s fine, you learn from it and you try not to make those mistakes again. That’s the mantra that we have as this one-day team, that there are no wrong decisions.”If you take a positive option and it doesn’t come off, so be it. You learn from it and try to put that into play in a better way next time.”There’s no blame culture, there’s no finger pointing or anything like that. If someone comes in after trying to lash a spinner for six the first ball of their innings, that’s fine, they took the responsibility to try to do that.”Everyone in the dressing room’s okay with that, and as a side that’s an important place to be, and exciting as well. Because we have people who are capable of doing freakish things, and if they’re allowed to go out there and try and do those things then it serves us well.”As to his long-term ambitions in all forms of the game, however, Finn admits that he needs both to work on his game and not let it eat him up in the process. It can be a tough balance to maintain, but confidence gleaned in the coming ODI series should stand him in good stead for the arrival of Pakistan and his return to Lord’s for the first Test on July 14.”I probably can be [too hard on myself],” he said. “I need to accept that I’ve got a very good Test record and have confidence and belief that what I do with the ball and how I get people out are enough in Test match cricket.”But also I’ve got a burning desire to get better. I don’t want to just be as I am now. I want to learn new things as a bowler. People like Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad have shown, all the way through their career, they’ve developed and got better and found new toys and skills, because it’s fun as a bowler when you’re doing these things. I can be hard on myself, but I’m learning to be a bit more realistic now.”Steven Finn was speaking at a Sri Lankan-inspired cooking event hosted by Royal London, proud sponsors of one-day cricket

The events surrounding the second T20 in Lauderhill left a sour taste in the mouth from a fan perspective, and things must improve significantly from an operational standpoint to encourage return customers

Peter Della Penna31-Aug-2016A sell-out crowd, clear sunshine, a belting pitch, a record run-fest for India’s maiden T20 international on US soil. Everything seemed to come off as it should on Saturday at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, in particular for the fans.The visit was an opportunity for India’s players to thank their fans among the Indian diaspora in the USA, in person, for their dedication over the years. Stories of Indians studying at universities around the USA seeking permission to set up viewing parties in empty lecture halls at 3 am to watch the World Cup in 2011 are the continuation of a tradition stretching back decades. Part of the origin story of Cricinfo was feeding those same students with text commentary over internet relay chat in the 1990s at all hours of the day.The wealthier members of the Indian diaspora don’t have to deal with such trifles. At the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, fans in the USA were some of the biggest ticket buyers traveling to the event, with expats flying from New York, Chicago, San Francisco and elsewhere to make it down to Adelaide for the showdown against Pakistan. Others shelled out USD 100 to watch the tournament pay-per-view package offered by the then-rights holder ESPN. Instead of going to such great lengths to go find the cricket, the cricket had now finally come to them.”I’m paying not only for Kohli and Dhoni, but a good competitive game of cricket,” said Agam Shah, 33, a day before the series began. Originally from Ahmedabad, Shah has lived in Fort Lauderdale for more than 10 years. “I would much rather it be a close game rather than India winning by 200 runs. I’m paying for a good competitive series. I wouldn’t pay this much to see India v Sri Lanka. West Indies is the World Cup winner.”Shah’s words wound up being almost prophetic with the one-run margin on Saturday. But more than the final ball, the fan atmosphere was the defining feature of the day. The DJ sparked numerous bhangra dance-offs when and were blasted to the satisfaction of the Indian contingent while the West Indian fans grooved to Dwayne Bravo’s . One couldn’t help but smile at the bonhomie, a far cry from the combativeness that can be witnessed between fans at any NFL game.”The Indians there were just unbelievable, cheering on, just watching them along, the excitement from them actually made the game more tense,” said Lisa Ramsanahi, 27, a Guyanese-American born and raised in Queens, New York, who flew down with her husband and watched from the bleachers on the north stand – “the only two West Indian fans in our section”. The pair also came down for the CPL games in Lauderhill in July, but Saturday’s game was at a different level. “It was great, best game, best T20 I ever witnessed,” said Ranveer Ramnauth, Lisa’s husband.As if fate was smiling on the BCCI, Saturday’s game went on uninterrupted but mere moments after the teams shook hands and walked off the field, a heavy shower came down, hurrying fans toward the exits. It was one more indication that everything that could go right did go right.”To have a nail-biting finish on the last ball, God has been kind,” BCCI president Anurag Thakur told ESPNcricinfo after the game. “A thunderstorm was expected, nothing happened, we survived. I think that luck is on our side. When you put your 100%, the god also favors you.”That luck vanished on Sunday, mainly because officials decided to tempt fate by delaying the start under bright sunshine even though thunderstorms were forecast for the early afternoon. Initially fans remained patient when a 10.30 start was communicated, but when another 10 minutes were added on to the delay, boos rang out around the ground.It was especially frustrating because of the reason for the holdup – a breakdown in satellite transmission with the host broadcaster in India – as there is a precedent for proceeding with play regardless of TV coverage available, both in cricket and baseball. A 2012 tri-series ODI in Hobart between India and Sri Lanka moved forward after power went out at the ground. It resulted in TV viewers missing the first 3.4 overs of India’s chase.More recently, Game 1 of the 2015 World Series between the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals experienced a TV broadcast failure with the host feed controlled by going down in the bottom of the fourth inning. According to Richard Sandomir’s chronicle of events in , the game was briefly delayed only because Fox’s feed was being used for baseball’s replay challenge system. After a short discussion with umpires, both managers agreed to play on without the replay system available. TV coverage of the game continued outside the USA on an international TV feed while radio coverage went on uninterrupted. It was 38 minutes before the feed was restored.The US market seemed the least of India’s concerns on the day, though. The matches were not shown on any TV channel in the USA, with the rights sold and packaged as an online pay-per-view option via , a “cord-cutter” internet portal similar to or . Saturday’s final-ball drama was missed by the mainstream American sports fan while Sunday’s technical delays beaming the match back to India had no ripple effect on disrupting any USA cable or network TV channel’s programming line-up since it wasn’t being offered.The decision to delay the start brought fans back to reality, that this series wasn’t about the BCCI saying thank you by playing in front of them. Instead, they were an ancillary consideration to the primary vehicle of the TV audience back in India. Other issues that maybe could be forgiven now boiled to the surface.Concession sales were cash-only, but if one was only carrying credit cards, there were no ATMs on site to take out money, leaving the earliest-arriving fans from the gate-opening time of 8 am hot and thirsty for up to six hours in 90-degree Farenheit (32 degrees Celsius) Florida heat. Ticket values – starting at USD 75 for standing room only and USD 100 for uncovered bleachers going up to USD 250 for VIP – also priced out many casual fans from being able to attend.”Ever since I’ve been here, I’m a Red Sox fan and I go to as many Red Sox games as I can,” said Anish deSouza, a 27-year-old from Mumbai now living in Massachusetts, who flew in for the series. “In similar seats, I sit in the bleachers there as well, you can get bleacher seats for USD 18. If they’re playing the Yankees, you might pay USD 50 for bleacher seats. If the aim is trying to promote cricket in the USA, you need to think about the other sports you’re competing with.”Fans who entered the north side of the stadium were given a color-coded stamp on the hand to signify each portion of the bleachers while another color stamp signified the standing-room-only area in front of the bleachers against the boundary fence. When the thunderstorm arrived, fans hurried for cover in a picnic area hut behind the bleachers that is used as a storm shelter in the event of lightning. However, most fans got soaked and the stamps were washed off. When fans then tried to return to the bleachers after the rain stopped, deSouza claims the security personnel initially refused to let people back in, on account of being unable to identify any stamps on their hands.Most fans who had VIP tickets actually stood outside to watch the games rather than sit indoors because the view was obstructed, but when the rains arrived, everyone returned indoors. At about 1.15, with the sun shining again and a full 45 minutes before play was officially called off, the bar inside was already shut with fans denied any service, including simple requests for water, at a time when food and drink hospitality – included for free in the price of a VIP ticket – should have been at its busiest. According to Sam Desai, a hotel owner from Lake Charles, Louisiana, staff then turned hostile toward one spectator.”He said, ‘Hey, but the game is still on. Why won’t you guys give me water? I don’t want beer or food.’ Then they called security and chucked him, around 10 or 15 cops,” said Desai, whose version of events was backed up by at least a dozen other witnesses who had tickets in the VIP tent. “He just argued that, ‘Hey I paid for VIP. The game is still on. I just want water.'”The crowd waited for more than an hour with no communication from officials about what was going on. When MS Dhoni and Carlos Brathwaite shook hands at about 2 pm, fans slowly started to trudge off but minutes later another rain storm began. Many in the covered grandstand attempted to remain in their seats to wait out the passing storm rather than walk to the parking lot in the rain. However, security officials yelled at fans to leave immediately, once again showing no common-sense regard for their welfare. It brought back memories of the overly officious attitude from officials during the 2010 series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka.As special as the fan experience was on Saturday, Sunday’s events left a sour taste in the mouth. The primary motivation for coming to Florida for so many was to be a part of history and witness India’s first official bilateral T20I series on USA soil, but without that carrot dangling in front of them, things must improve significantly from an operational standpoint to encourage return customers.”As long as the service is good and everything is organized, we are happy,” Desai said. Asked if he’d pay the same price for tickets to come back next year, Desai made his feelings perfectly clear. “Hell no!”

Stats from the seventh round of the Ranji Trophy, with landmarks for Pankaj Singh and S Badrinath, and an insight into the domination of bowlers in Lahli

Bharath Seervi25-Nov-2016146.2 Total overs played in the match between Baroda and Bengal in Lahli – the third shortest Ranji Trophy match since 2005-06 where all 40 wickets fell. The Delhi-Orissa match at Feroz Shah Kotla in 2008-09 finished in 128.5 overs while the Tamil Nadu-Punjab match in Dindigul last season lasted only 145.3 overs. The match in Lahli ended within two days, the first two-day finish of the 2016-17 season. Last season, nine matches ended within two days.11 Instances of a team being dismissed for under 100 runs in first-class matches in Lahli in the last five years – the most at any Indian venue. Baroda and Bengal were dismissed for 97 and 76 respectively in their first innings in Lahli in this round. No other Indian venue has had more than three such instances. Around the world, only the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium matches Lahli, with a similar number of totals under 100.20.94 Average runs per wicket in first-class matches in Lahli in the last five years – the lowest among 101 venues that have hosted 15 or more matches. The next among low-scoring venues is the United Bank Limited Sports Complex in Karachi. There have been 46 five-wicket hauls in 27 matches in Lahli in the last five years, more than any other Indian venue. No other venue in India has seen 30 such hauls, with 28 in Indore and Chennai. Only 22 centuries have been scored in Lahli, of which three have been in excess of 150.26 Wickets taken by Anupam Sanklecha in his last two games for Maharashtra. He took 14 for 94 against Vidarbha to register the best figures for Maharashtra, and followed it up with 12 for 144 against Assam in this round. In the first four matches of this season, Sanklecha had taken only nine wickets at an average of 31.55. His recent form has propelled him to second on the wicket charts with 35 dismissals, behind Pankaj Singh’s 36. His 8 for 73 is the best innings haul of the season so far.2 Consecutive innings wins for Maharashtra, against Vidarbha and Assam. They were winless after the first four outings, with three draws and one loss. With the two wins, they gained 14 points to move to third in the Group B points table . Sanklecha was Man of the Match in both wins.6/71 Jasprit Bumrah’s figures against Mumbai – his first-class best. This was his fourth five-for in 22 matches and first six-for. In the first two matches of this Ranji season, he had picked only four wickets for 134 runs. His five-for helped Gujarat take a marginal first-innings lead of 15 runs.10056 Runs for S Badrinath in his first-class career. He reached the milestone of 10000 runs with his 32nd century against Chhattisgarh in this round. He became the 47th Indian player to score more than 10000 first-class runs.402 Wickets in first-class matches for Pankaj Singh, the first Rajasthan bowler to complete 400 wickets in the format. He dismissed Delhi’s Sumit Narwal to reach the landmark. The next highest wicket-taker for Rajasthan is Kailash Gattani with 396 first-class wickets. Incidentally, Pankaj got to 400 wickets in his 100th first-class match.