A breathtaking display of big-hitting and a mesmerising spell of spin bowling in a disappointingly one-sided game

Aashish Calla24-Apr-2012Choice of game
Can any reason be bigger than the prospect of witnessing a Gayle blitz? The anticipation of a few hits coming my way was reason enough for me to watch this game live. Moreover, I’d like to believe, I’ve been lucky for Gayle in Jaipur – the previous two times I saw him bat at the SMS Stadium, he scored 70 (unbeaten, in last year’s IPL) and 130-something (again, unbeaten, against South Africa in the 2006 Champions Trophy).Team supported
Rajasthan Royals. Royal Challengers Bangalore had the likes of Gayle, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Virat Kohli and Daniel Vettori in their line-up, but my loyalty and die-hard support will always remain with Rahul Dravid. And he didn’t disappoint with the bat today.Key performer
AB de Villiers. Watching him bat in the manner he does, smashing bowlers all around the park, I always think it’s time he inserts a “C” into his name to make it ABC de Villiers. That way, he can tell people, “I’m the ABCDE of batting!” Some of his strokes at the Royals game were so breathtakingly brilliant that most of the local fans gave up all hope of another home win even before their team had come out to bat.One thing I’d have changed
Royals’ decision at the toss. I’d have made them bat first, undoubtedly. Why give the opposition a chance to set a target when you had set them an unbeatable target just a few days ago? Royals scored in the vicinity of 190 then, and won with ease. Here, Royal Challengers scored in the vicinity of 190 and won with ease.Face-off I most relished
Rahul Dravid v Vinay Kumar. Karnataka boys and India internationals, both. Daniel Vettori also gave Vinay an extended spell today, three overs out of the first six. In his first two overs, Vinay kept things tight – the only blemish was five overthrows gifted away to Dravid – but in the third over, the batting legend came into his own. The first two balls of the over were duly dispatched, one over midwicket and another a crisp-sounding cover drive. Two varied, glorious shots that reminded me of the Rahul Dravid of 1999.Wow moment

KP Appanna. Most of the Jaipur crowd did not know who he was. He was introduced as a left-arm spinner, and as he came on to bowl, people thought he would be easy pickings for Dravid, Ajinkya Rahane and Co. But the young Karnataka player started with a dot ball and had Rahane caught at long-on off just his second delivery. The crowd couldn’t believe what they had just seen. The orange-cap wearer was walking back and the unknown spinner was celebrating. It was just the beginning of what would turn out to be a dream spell of left-arm spin bowling.Player watch
Today’s game clearly told me who is the man to watch from now on when at an India game. It’s Virat Kohli. Although he isn’t really setting the IPL alight with the bat, Kohli’s the red-hot favourite as far as the crowds go. Today, the chants for him, and the cheers he received every time he approached the boundary line, be it deep midwicket, long-off or long-on, were unbelievable. It was hard to imagine a non-Rajasthan Royals player getting such massive crowd support. A future (or should I say, present) superstar for sure.Shot of the match
What better than the Dilscoop? Watching such a shot live in a stadium is something a fan will take back as a fond memory. This evening, I told my brother, “Wait for the Dilscoop now, as the fine leg fielder is within the circle.” Dilshan obliged just two balls later, with a fabulous scoop over the head of the wicketkeeper. Two bounces and it was a four.Post-match buzz
De Villiers, when presented the Man of the Match award, asked Appanna to come forward and share it with him. It was such a lovely gesture. I think it is these little things that lift the morale of young cricketers and boost the reputation of the stars even more. I can certainly say that tonight, de Villiers added at least one more name to his already long list of fans.Crowd meter
The stadium was packed, but this time the spectators weren’t as well behaved as usual. A man threw a piece of trash on a spectator in the front row who was standing on his seat and obstructing the view of the people behind him. This, sadly, became a game. For a brief but intolerable spell, the attention of fans in my vicinity moved from the match to throwing things like paper cups and plates, banners and caps on to the spectators in the front row. When the situation looked like getting out of hand, the security intervened.Entertainment
The DJ at the stadium did his best to entertain the crowd with the latest numbers and, of course, the signature IPL trumpet tune. However, the local rules state music can’t be played after 10pm, so by the time the Royals’ innings started, the DJ’s job was done.Refreshments
For the first time at the SMS Stadium, I could choose to eat a Dominos pizza. I’ve been to about eight games here, but Dominos pizzas at the match were a genuine first for me, and something I could never have imagined.Overall
It was a one-sided game from the time Royal Challengers prised out Rahane. Any margin of victory of over 25 runs in a Twenty20 game would suggest that. Here it was 46. Multiply that by 2.5, to get the corresponding number for a one-dayer, and that’s a victory margin of 115 – an ample demonstration of the one-sidedness of the game. There were some great moments, though, as always. Rahul Dravid’s half-century, de Villiers’ five sixes, Appanna’s four wickets, the cheers for Kohli… but all in all, it would have been better if it were a closely contested game.Marks out of 10
Seven. Three marks deducted because the match, as some would say, didn’t go “down to the wire”. Also, it loses some points as the team I was supporting was not in the game for too long.

The Lancastrian’s three wickets on day one at Galle brought him level with one of the county’s most famous sons

Andrew McGlashan in Galle26-Mar-2012When James Anderson left Sri Lanka in 2007 after England’s previous series here his career was at a crossroads. He had been dropped following the first Test in Kandy after match figures of 2 for 167. A few months later in New Zealand he was recalled in Wellington and starred with a five-wicket haul which led him to say he wanted to be the “attack leader”. Not everyone was convinced it would happen but these days there is no doubting Anderson’s credentials.After that Test match in Kandy five years ago, Anderson’s bowling average stood at 39.20 which is the highest point it has reached. Now, after the first day’s play in Galle, it reads 30.32 which the lowest it has been. The three wickets he took also carried him past 250 Test scalps – the first England bowler to achieve that feat since Ian Botham in 1982 – and if he’d held a return catch off Mahela Jayawardene he would have gone ahead of fellow Lancashire fast bowler Brian Statham in the list of all-time England wicket-takers. To put Anderson and Statham in the same sentence shows how far the former has come in five years.There is currently a Brian Statham end at Old Trafford, although it is the opposite end to where he bowled most of his overs, but with the redevelopment and turning of the square there may yet be space to honour Anderson once his career is over. By then he will have more than 300 wickets and has a good chance of overhauling Botham at the top of tree.”The records are very nice but I think it will be nice when I retire and look back on what I’ve achieved,” Anderson said in typically restrained fashion. “At the moment I’m just looking at getting another two wickets tomorrow and another ten in the second innings.”Anderson’s skills when the ball swings conventionally have rarely been in doubt but over the last 18 months he has developed into an outstanding bowler in all conditions. He is one of the best exponents of reverse swing in the team and he found movement in the first over after lunch on day one to trap Prasanna Jayawardene lbw and move level with Statham.One thing that has not changed much about Anderson is that streak of hot-headedness, something Statham was unlikely to have approved of. There was a hint of that towards the end of the day with England unable to remove Jayawardene and frustrated by the tail. He shared words with the batsmen which didn’t impress Jayawardene and the umpires stepped in before Andrew Strauss asked his bowler to calm down. The heat will have played its part but the real source of his annoyance was probably Monty Panesar who had just fluffed his second catch in two overs to reprieve Jayawardene.”It’s disappointing especially as he focussed on that at the start of the trip. Catches are crucial to getting 20 wickets and two of them weren’t the most difficult of catches,” Anderson said. “Getting them eight down on the first day we’d have taken that, so we have to put it behind us. We’ve got one job do to tomorrow and get two wickets. If we do that I think we’ve done a good job and then we’ll pass it over to the batsman.”England’s bowlers rarely do a bad job these days and, despite Sri Lanka’s fightback, eight wickets on the opening day is good reward. Now it is time for the batsmen to repay the favour.

In the 1980s, a young fast bowler from Denmark set out to play cricket for an English county. He was fierce, disciplined, popular, and lived to regret bouncing Sylvester Clarke

Scott Oliver07-Jun-2012If Carlsberg made reliable seamers for English conditions, there’s a fair chance they’d come up with something along the lines of the moustachioed 6ft 4in Dane with the angular, windmilling action seen squaring batsmen up at verdant Derby in the eighties and nineties – someone rated by Kim Barnett, his captain for the duration of his stint in county cricket, as “the best bowler never to have played Test cricket”. Possible bias notwithstanding, there’s little doubt Ole Mortensen’s 434 first-class wickets at 23.88 make him the comfortably the best Norseman yet to have donned whites.Carlsberg don’t make reliable seamers, of course, but in 1985, after Mortensen’s first Derbyshire deal had expired, they did try and sign him on behalf of Northamptonshire. Spotting a branding opportunity, the brewer offered to double their countryman’s wage while picking up the tab for the county where they had their UK base. However, “Stan”, as his team-mates knew him, decided to stay at Derby because he “felt that we were going places under Kim Barnett’s leadership and sincerely believed we were going to win some trophies”.One can almost hear the slurps of appreciation from Ilkeston to Glossop, and if the omnipresent Viking helmets of his testimonial year in 1994 are any guide, Mortensen is among the county’s most cherished post-war cricketers. The loyalty was vindicated by the fact that two of the four trophies Derbyshire have won came during his dozen years on the staff.But how does a young Dane get involved in cricket of all sports? “Pure coincidence,” Mortensen says. As a boy he played everything from handball to ice hockey but it was while waiting for his lift after soccer practice that he found himself watching a cricket match. The chairman of Svanholm CC wandered over, explained what was going on in this strange game, and invited the eight-year-old Mortensen down the following week. With the team short, Mortensen stepped in and duly top-scored, his debut 30 not out providing “quite a motivation”, if little portent of where his cricketing talents lay.With no cricket at all on Danish television, the occasional videotape and copies of Wisden and The Cricketer were the meagre resources available to spark the imagination of a young seamer who had already started to idolise Dennis Lillee. However, it was a local summer cricket clinic organised by the former Derbyshire captain and Derby County footballer Ian Buxton that provided the big break for a bowler who, Barnett said, was “entirely self-taught”. Mortensen impressed enough to be subsequently invited to trial and, a few years later, offered a contract.”As the first Dane trying to break into first-class cricket there was no pressure on me,” he says. “I just thought, ‘Okay, let’s give it a go.'” That debut season in 1983 netted 66 Championship wickets, 26 more than any of his team-mates – including career-best innings and match figures of 6 for 27 and 11 for 89 in a 22-run victory against Yorkshire. Mortensen is quick to acknowledge the “enormous help” of wicketkeeper Bob Taylor during his first few seasons in Derby. “He knew all the weaknesses of all the players and also took some phenomenal catches.”

In the early days, he was renowned for bird-scattering, eardrum-splitting appeals, occasionally crude sledges against the likes of David Gower, and a propensity to swear in Danish

In the early days, he was renowned for bird-scattering, eardrum-splitting appeals, occasionally crude sledges against the likes of David Gower (on 120 not out), and a propensity to swear in Danish (“Satan” did not mean what people thought) that earned another nickname: “Eric Bloodaxe”. He was the quintessential “character”, endearing himself to fans and team-mates alike with his diehard attitude: “I got out there and said, ‘Today’s gonna be the best day of my life’ and tried to give Kim and the boys 100%.”Yet for all his cult status, this was no circus act. In his middle six seasons at Derby – his peak years in the Peaks – Mortensen topped the bowling averages four times and was otherwise nudged into second only by Ian Bishop and his other hero, Michael Holding, with whom he remains good friends. Barnett considered the Dane a “controlling factor”, to whom, if necessary, he could set 8-1 fields, yet also one who regularly dismissed top batsmen, including the two men Mortensen regarded as his most difficult opponents: Wayne Larkins and Viv Richards.Despite the idiosyncrasies of a chest-on, wide-of-the-crease action that was all knees-and-elbows, like a Swiss Army knife suddenly opening out, his method was distinctly uncomplicated: pitch it up and vary line according to whether it was swinging. “We wanted him to bowl the odd bouncer,” laments Barnett, “but he’d never do it. He just bowled immaculate line and length with an angry nature.”Not quite never. There was one occasion when, at the behest of Geoff Miller, Mortensen – with customary accuracy – bounced Sylvester Clarke at The Oval, resulting in a gloved slip catch to England’s current national selector, and a few seasons of Mortensen fending off bumpers from a bowler renowned for targeting tailenders, regardless of how far they backed away. “He was quite a formidable bowler to be standing 20 yards from,” deadpans Mortensen – who was dismissed hit-wicket in his next game against Surrey. Barnett jokes that when a fax announcing Clarke’s retirement came through at the Racecourse Ground, Mortensen had it framed.”Eric Bloodaxe”•Pete SellmanWith a forward poke the limit of his batting prowess – an undefeated 74 from No. 11 was his sole half-century – he is thus renowned for the bowling parsimony that was fundamental to Derbyshire’s 1990 Sunday League success. In that pre-Powerplay era, Barnett often bowled “Stan” unchanged at the start, on the proviso that he went for under 25 runs in his eight overs (which he managed in nine of 14 games). This strategy, which he recognises was “a luxury”, incurred good-natured ribbing from the likes of Dominic Cork and others sharing death-bowling duties, but Mortensen repaid the faith with an economy rate of 3.11 for the season, comfortably the best in the country. In the must-win final match against Essex, he recorded figures of 8-2-10-1.This was “the stepping stone that showed us we could win”, and Derbyshire proceeded to beat red-hot favourites Lancashire in the 1993 Benson & Hedges final. Mortensen was called up for Lord’s having not featured in the earlier rounds, and turned in the second-most economical analysis (1 for 41) in a six-run win, helping erase the memory of heavy defeat to Hampshire on a damp pitch five years earlier.Despite this limited-overs success, he believes Derbyshire ought to have achieved more in the Championship, especially given their pace-bowling resources. They managed a best finish of third place, in 1991 (their highest since the early ’50s), during his time there, as part of an attack that included Bishop, Cork, Devon Malcolm and Allan Warner, before Mortensen’s career wound down to a single first-class outing in his final, benefit season. His only other regret was not attending more to his fitness, but he is quick to add that the 12 years in Derby “were an absolute ball, probably the best time of my life”.He finished coaching the Danish national team in 2001, since when they have slipped down four divisions, and finally hung up his boots in 2010, aged 52, after helping Glostrup CC to their first Danish title. He now splits his time between teaching English, maths and PE at college, and a business venture supplying formal clothing to sports teams, but will also be commentating on the World Twenty20 in September for Eurosport. And he always, always checks ESPNcricinfo for Derbyshire’s results.If they can return to challenge for domestic honours, then somewhere in Copenhagen an old favourite will be cracking open a cold lager in celebration.

England strove to show they have learned their lessons after the winter’s disappointments – yet they have lost from a position of strength before

Andrew McGlashan in Colombo04-Apr-2012England know their reputation has taken a battering in the last few months. Even if they do win this Test and retain their No. 1 status, which is now a distinct possibility, too much has gone badly in the first few months of this year to put it all in the past with a single success. However, it would allow them to return home with some evidence that lessons have been learned and their efforts over the first two days at the P Sara Oval have shown they will expend every drop of energy to end the run of defeats.First it was the bowlers – as ever, outstanding – before something different began to emerge. The batting line-up was given a platform as Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook added 122. Their previous best this year was 48. Outwardly it was not a partnership to send the crowd into raptures but, given that the stadium was packed with England fans, it did just that, after the collapses they have sat through. Each milestone – the fifty, the hundred, Strauss’ fifty and Cook’s fifty – was greeted with acclaim ranging from hearty applause to a standing ovation.”It was a very good day,” Graeme Swann said. “Four wickets quickly and cheaply was important, but probably more importantly for the vibe in dressing room was a solid start and we are delighted how it’s panned out. We’ve had some very good days scuppered by bad ones and this was probably the most complete day.”One the problems for the England batting line-up has been finding the happy medium between attack and defence. It went horribly wrong in the first innings in Galle but Jonathan Trott’s century in the second was the perfect template to work from. In Strauss and Cook there were two batsmen with the ideal game to follow suit.Both of them, but especially Cook, are at their best when they bat time and wear the bowlers down. Some might call it old fashioned and it is a trait that is seen less and less in Test cricket these days. The value of a wicket has seemingly been reduced or the balance of risk and reward has altered. That is not bad thing – Test cricket now is as entertaining as it has ever been – but there is still a place for graft.Not everyone will play like Strauss and Cook. On the third day Kevin Pietersen will get a chance to bat and is likely to try and dominate, so too Ian Bell and Matt Prior. But that is more their natural game. Crucially, Strauss and Cook kept the strike rotating. It took Rangana Herath, the matchwinner in Galle with 12 wickets, 16 overs to bowl a maiden. Although both openers are left-handed, so a change of line is not an issue for the bowler, plans still need to be adjusted each time they swap ends.Tellingly, too, the batsmen were far less reliant on the sweep. It was not until the 39th over that one was played – by Strauss – although Cook did later go against the grain by unfurling a reverse sweep. Swann, though, said there had not been any team discussions about leaving aside a shot that contributed to England’s downfall in Galle.”We have worked on things we should and shouldn’t do but the sweep is valid if executed to the right ball. That was the point some of the batsmen, including me, missed in last game and sweeping the wrong one can make you look a mug. It would be very dangerous to disregard the shot. It’s a pain for the bowler if the bloke’s sweeping.”This was also a truer reflection of the strengths of Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. That is not meant as a slight on any of them, but the lowest average is Herath’s 32. They are honest and hardworking, not world-beaters. The two seamers, Dhammika Prasad and Suranga Lakmal who average 61 and 57 respectively, kept plugging away but were nowhere near matching the threat of England’s.”We bowled well in patches,” Angelo Mathews said, “but we were not consistent enough. The pitch is quite tough to score on but we need to get some early wickets in the morning to claw them back.”England have to been wary about letting the position slip. This is a very similar situation to the one they found themselves in against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. After being humbled in three days during the first Test they then bowled out Pakistan for 257 and were 166 for 1 with Cook and Trott together. That was also when they had managed their only previous wicketless full session this year, before Strauss and Cook batted between lunch and tea here.Yet from that position of strength England could not keep hold. The lead was restricted to 70 and chasing 145 on wearing pitch proved far too much as they crumbled for 72. This is not the first time England have been in a good position to win a Test in recent months. The next three days will show how many lessons have really been learnt.Edited by Alan Gardner

With one-sided matches in recent times, a tight domestic calender and more India A tours, the Irani Cup seems to have lost its context

Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore24-Sep-2012The Irani Cup’s slide towards irrelevance continued with a four-day thrashing of the Ranji champions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. It didn’t need an expert to predict how this match would pan out: Rest of India comprehensively dominated a Rajasthan side that lacked firepower in both batting and bowling to compete.”This time I am pretty happy with the way we have faced the Rest of India,” Rajasthan captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar said, despite the innings-and-79-run mauling, highlighting the difference in quality between the two sides. “I think it gives us a slight advantage over other teams since we have already played one first-class game. I think we should be building up on that and not thinking about the result for Rest of India was definitely a stronger team.”While this year Rajasthan were hamstrung by the absence of four important players, including two on the concurrent India A tour of New Zealand, the Irani Cup has mostly been one-way traffic in recent times. Rajasthan were battered by 404 runs in the previous season, and even Mumbai, traditionally the pre-eminent team on the Indian domestic circuit, were pummelled by 361 runs in 2010. In the past 14 years, the winners of the Ranji Trophy have added the Irani Cup to their collection on only two occasions.It wasn’t always so lopsided. When the Irani Trophy was conceived in 1959-60, the domestic scene was ruled by an all-conquering Bombay team that was just beginning its run of 15 consecutive Ranji title wins.Much of the cricketing talent in the following decades came from the big centres such as Bombay, Delhi and Karnataka. In recent years, talent isn’t as concentrated in one state side, with players emerging from smaller towns all over the country. That has contributed to weaker Ranji winners, stronger Rest of India teams and fewer close contests.The Irani Trophy was also once a stage for staking a claim for a national berth; it is unlikely performances in the tournament carry as much weight as before. Cashing in against the military-medium of Deepak Chahar and Aniket Choudhary hardly shows how well-equipped you are to face Stuart Broad and James Anderson. No one would bat an eyelid if you score a century; to have any sort of impact a gigantic effort is required, such as M Vijay’s ten-hour 266.The BCCI’s added emphasis on A tours from this year also bring in series which will provide a better picture of a player’s ability. The A team tour of the Caribbean earlier this year proved unproductive for several players who’ve built up enviable domestic records. One of them is Shikhar Dhawan, who plundered twin 150-plus in last year’s Irani Cup, but only scratched out 30 runs at 7.50 against West Indies A.Another reason which makes the Irani Trophy pointless is the mushrooming of Twenty20 tournaments, which have to be factored into the domestic calendar. While the IPL provides a strict marker for when the state-based tournaments must end, the Syed Mushtaq Ali and the Champions League Twenty20 have to be squeezed into prime domestic cricket time.That has meant packing in matches as tightly as possible. Even as recently as 2004-05, players got, on an average, at least five days between each Ranji Trophy first-class match. Last year, it was down to three, as the teams raced through the Ranji season. With the new three-tier system, every team will play more first-class matches – a welcome development – but it tightens the calendar further.The context-free match, with the Rest of India having assembled for just a week, didn’t even serve as a lead-up to the first-class season for the Ranji champions, and has passed its use-by-date.

Despite losing his aura in the longer formats, Ajantha Mendis remains a threat in T20, where batsmen cannot afford to see him off

Andrew Fernando in Hambantota19-Sep-2012Ajantha Mendis’ international career has been almost as vexing as his variations themselves. Hyped as the next Muttiah Muralitharan while Murali was still playing, Mendis painted a target on his back with a phenomenal first 18 months at the top level. When he was a debutant in Port of Spain, West Indies batsmen wondered whether they would ever decipher him, given they couldn’t even pick his variations on the slow-motion replay. In the Asia Cup two months later, Mendis was by far the highest wicket taker, having inflicted a gobsmacking 6 for 13 to ruin India in the final. In three home Tests that followed, he plundered 26 wickets at 18.38 against supposedly the best players of spin bowling.Yet as emphatic and immediate as his success was, his aura diminished just as quickly in the next phase of his career. Batsmen from the subcontinent rallied the resistance – first Pakistan, who were un-flummoxed by him in two Tests in Sri Lanka, before India sniped back at their old tormentor in another Test series in India. Soon England, Australia and even New Zealand were managing his threat. The hauls began to grow lighter, the runs flowed more freely, and with Murali also dimming towards the end of his career, Sri Lanka’s spin attack suddenly lost its bite. Mendis had become the quickest bowler to 50 ODI wickets, managing that feat in 19* matches. In 40 games since, he has added only 46 scalps to that tally. In all formats combined, the three years since that initial 18 months have only yielded him 32% of his wickets – though that is in part due to fewer opportunities, which in turn is largely the result of poor form.Still, despite the dive in ODI and Test results, Mendis has remained a threat in Twenty20s. Last year against Australia in Pallekele, Mendis took 6 for 16 in a match-turning spell, to record the best figures in the format. He has now bettered that with 6 for 8 in the World Twenty20 opener against Zimbabwe. His average of 9.84 and economy rate of 5.45 are the best of any bowler to have taken more than 25 wickets. There are no major changes to Mendis’ game, but in a format where batsmen need to be aggressive, his fingers seem to retain their old charm. It is something his captain seems aware of, when he routinely brings him on in the Powerplays.Hamilton Masakadza found out how difficult Mendis is to attack when he attempted to swipe one away to the legside, but misread the turn completely, and had his stumps rattled by a googly that slotted in nicely between bat and pad.”He gives you very little to score off,” Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor said. “When you’re chasing nine an over you have to go after some bowler. He was on top of his game tonight and probably caught us off guard a bit.”Earlier, Vusi Sibanda was bowled by Mendis’ straighter one, before Taylor himself was undone by the carrom ball. Elton Chigumbura attempted a similar shot to Masakadza, and succumbed in almost identical fashion to the same Mendis delivery. The harvest might have become leaner in other formats but here Mendis’ full house of trickery still reigned supreme, even if this was his first game after a long layoff due to a back injury.”Ajantha was very keen to get back into the side and we saw that hunger in him,” the Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said after the match. “Even in the domestic tournament [SLPL] he came back and bowled really well. That was the indicator to see how match fit he was and how much control he had. This was his first game in eight months and he was a bit nervous before the game but he bowled really well.”Mendis’ real tests will come against opposition who will have studied him more closely on video, and are better equipped with the batting tools to read him more accurately than Zimbabwe did. South Africa will provide the initial examination on Saturday.”He’s comeback strongly and hopefully he’ll continue to do the job,” Jayawardene said. “I’m sure he’ll have bad days but the quality of the player is that he’ll have more good days than bad.”The theories to explain Mendis’ recent woes in the longer formats are many. He has not bowled a wicket-to-wicket line, some say, and when he strays he goes blunt and is easy to pick off. Others say the mystery has expired. Teams have simply worked him out, and since Mendis is not a spinner who relies on flight, dip or extravagant rip, once the batsmen know which way it will turn, he loses his effectiveness. Still others have suggested batsmen have succeeded in playing him as a seam bowler, like they did to Anil Kumble (though if this was all it took to unhinge both bowlers, it would have been worked out earlier in Mendis’ career, and Kumble would not have finished with 619 Test wickets).Can Mendis prove he can still be a force for Sri Lanka with more fine spells in the tournament? His career at large needs a serious boost, and though he may never be the bowler his initial surge suggested, he will hope he can use his favourite format as a launching pad to success in others.*04:34 GMT, September 19: The article had incorrectly stated 17 matches. That has been changed.

Plays of the day from the fourth day of the SCG Test between Australia and Sri Lanka

Andrew Fernando in Sydney06-Jan-2013The throw
Australia had two run-outs in their first innings, and Sri Lanka would have matched them in their second, had Matthew Wade’s underarm gone anywhere near its intended target. Rangana Herath had tucked Mitchell Johnson into the leg side, and was charging back for the second run, but despite having travelled more than two thirds of the pitch, was sent back by Dinesh Chandimal. The throw came into the keeper’s end, before Herath had even begun his trek back, but Wade’s underarm lob flew high over Johnson and towards mid-off, allowing Herath to return safely.The red herring
Even before Sri Lanka took the field, Dinesh Chandimal’s resistance on the fourth morning had given rise to hope that the visitors could achieve an upset victory, like South Africa did at the SCG in 1994, when they defeated Australia by five runs. That hope intensified in the second over, when David Warner edged Suranga Lakmal to second slip, leaving Australia at 1 for 0. But although wickets fell regularly during Australia’s chase, they never threatened a collapse, and achieved the 3-0 whitewash with five wickets remaining.The farewell
With the match drawing quickly to a close, only a modest crowd turned out to see Michael Hussey’s final day as an international cricketer, but they were treated to a video celebrating his career in the innings break, narrated by Hussey himelf. In the video Hussey recounted childhood cricket memories accompanied by footage of him playing in the backyard with his brother, and explained why he didn’t like the title “Mr. Cricket”. “There are better cricketers in the world, and players who know much more about the game,” he said. “But I don’t know if anyone loved it more than me.”The cheer
Rarely have the Sydney crowd been moved to applaud an Australian wicket, but they could not have been happier to see the back of Michael Clarke for 29, with Hussey in next. The previous evening they had chanted “Give Huss a bowl”, until Clarke did, and after Clarke and Cowan had neared Australia’s target enough to make the game safe, the chants of “Huuu-sseeey” began again. Clarke succumbed to the crowd again before long, and Hussey was at the crease when the winning run was hit.The bequeathal
The Australian team song has a storied history, and to date, has had seven custodians: Rod Marsh, Allan Border, Ian Healey, Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer and Michael Hussey. Upon his retirement, it was Hussey’s task to choose a successor, and to the surprise of some, he announced he had given the song to offspinner Nathan Lyon, because he felt Lyon “was a man of great character”.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the fourth day at Eden Gardens

George Dobell in Kolkata08-Dec-2012Breakthrough of the day
India had enjoyed an excellent first session. Having taken England’s final four wickets for just 14 runs at the start of play, their opening batsmen then made deep inroads into the deficit before the lunch break. At 86 without loss in 21 overs, some were even starting to dream of a testing fourth innings target for England.But that all changed the ball after lunch. Graeme Swann, drawing Virender Sehwag forward, deceived him with flight and spin, and turned one through the gate to hit the top of off stump. It was a fine delivery but a flimsy stroke and precipitated a sharp decline, with India subsequently losing their much-vaunted top-order in a spell of 6 for 36 runs.Controversy of the day
There was some confusion when Gautam Gambhir, on 36, was given not out after England appealed for a catch at slip off the bowling of Swann. The third umpire was called upon to see whether Jonathan Trott, at slip, had caught the ball cleanly. In the process, though, Vineet Kulkarni, the third umpire officiating in his first Test, also reported back to the on-field umpires that Gambhir had not edged the ball and that it had deflected off his thigh. It was the correct decision and the correct process.While the playing conditions for a match where DRS is not in use state that the third umpire can only be called upon to confirm whether a ball has been caught cleanly, they also state that, once he has been called into action, he should indicate if it is clear to him that the batsman did not hit the ball.Run-out of the day
For the second time in the match, Gambhir played a significant role in the run-out of one of his colleagues. Having failed to respond to Sehwag’s reasonable call for a third run in the first innings, here the unfortunate victim was Cheteshwar Pujara. Gambhir dabbed the ball into the leg side and called Pujara for an optimistic single only to see Ian Bell swoop and beat Pujara’s dive with a direct hit. It was, by any standards, a poor call and did little to disprove the theory that Gambhir is a much keener runner when his own runs are at stake.Drop of the day
Sehwag had scored just 7 when he prodded at one on off stump from James Anderson and edged the ball to the slip cordon. Swann, moving to his left at second slip, made a half-hearted attempt to catch it and may also have obscured the sight of Alastair Cook, at first slip. Either way, the ball ran between them for four runs. Ian Bell also put down a sharp chance at short square leg when Virat Kohli chipped aerially.Miss of the day
R Ashwin had scored only 22 and the score was 161 for 8 when he skipped down the wicket to a delivery from Monty Panesar, missed it and should have been stumped. But, perhaps due to the ball flicking Ashwin’s pads on the way through, Matt Prior fumbled the chance and allowed the batsman to recover his ground. Had the stumping been completed, it is almost certain that India would have succumbed to an innings defeat within four days.Moment of the day
The wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, edging a fairly innocuous delivery outside off stump, was telling. It was not the first time that Tendulkar has failed to pick the flight of a Swann delivery in this series and another sure sign that, aged 39, the eyes and the reflexes are not what they once were. It was also the wicket that took Swann clear as the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket in 2012.

Shapoor Zadran talks about cranking himself up, his favourite bowler, and playing in the BPL

Interview by Mohammad Isam12-Feb-2013How did the BPL get in touch with you?
It happened all of a sudden. I was in a training camp in Pakistan when the Khulna owner, Salman Karim, called me. He asked me to join his team, and I asked him: “How does that happen? I don’t even know you.”He mailed me the details, and I came over to Bangladesh. I never thought I would play in the BPL. But here I am. It is a matter of pride for Afghanistan.You have been taking the wickets of some really good batsmen here, bouncing and beating them often.
I have played in two T20 World Cups, in 2010 and 2012, and these tournaments have given me a lot of experience. The first time I felt pressure was in the 2010 tournament. So by now the pressure is out of my system and whoever I face, it could be Dhoni or Sehwag, I wouldn’t feel pressure. I have Allah with me, so I bowl with that in mind.Do you say anything to batsmen after you bowl a bouncer?
I am angry every time I bowl. A bowler has to be angry, so that his reaction can carry over to the batsmen, who get unsettled and end up making a mistake.Bowlers work the hardest, more than the batsmen. We have to do extra training, swimming, and we need a lot of stamina.How did you come to cricket?
I used to play at the Arbab Niaz Stadium and Gymkhana in Peshawar. I started playing with the hard ball in 2001. I thought I would play for Pakistan one day, but the situation with the officials wasn’t good. Then Iqbal Sikander, who used to bowl legbreaks for Pakistan, started coaching Afghanistan, so I went there.I went a little mad when I saw 500 players at a trial. I said to myself, “Shapoor, it is impossible that you will break through from these 500 players!” I prayed to Allah that I must play for the team. I gave my trial, and I was among the top 50, then the top 25. I was very happy, so I called my family to give them the good news. They were so surprised. I hadn’t told them why I was going to Afghanistan – I said I had some work there and went to the trial secretly.Do they support your cricket career?
Not at first, but now my mother, father and brother, they all do. They watch me play on TV, and they’re watching me now, playing in the BPL. They all sit together and watch me on TV, and they are very happy that I represent Afghanistan. People there are very happy that four Afghanis are playing here.How did you train when you first started playing cricket?
I didn’t have a coach when I started playing. In Peshawar, I started to play under Rahmat , who played first-class cricket in Pakistan. He gave me some idea about bowling. Slowly I caught on. In 2008, Kabir [Khan] came along and my bowling started to improve immediately.Is Wasim Akram a hero?
Wasim Akram is a legend. I salute him.My favourite bowler is Shoaib Akhtar. I really respect him a lot. I am cross with him for retiring. I followed him very closely. I have never talked to him, although I have met him twice. I feel nervous when I see him, you know. Inshallah, I will speak to him and take tips from him about speed, find out where his speed came from. Speed comes naturally to me but there are exercises that one must do to improve it. So I will ask him what he did to increase his speed over the years.Is playing the 2015 World Cup also a target?
We have been having a training camp in Lahore for the past two months, playing T20s and one-day matches against a team there. We have been building towards the 2015 World Cup, which we will hopefully qualify for. Playing in Australia would be great for me, because the wickets offer a lot to fast bowlers.How has it been in Bangladesh – your first time in the country?
I like it here. I will definitely play here again, you can take my word for it. In Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna, there have been so many people at the ground. I felt nervous playing in front of so many people. The crowd has been really amazing for me. I’ve been wondering: if there are so many people for a BPL match, what happens when the national team plays?Have you made any friends in the Khulna team?
I have grown fond of Shahriar Nafees, Farhad Reza, and our manager, Rony. They are all very nice people – the foreigners and the Bangladeshi players. I talk to everyone, spend time with them.Mohammad Nabi has said he has adjusted to the food here. What about you?
The food here is fine but a little too spicy for me. We don’t eat spicy generally. The fish and chicken are great. The kabab is great.

From Josh Barnes, Australia

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
Don’t give up the reins to ‘Pup’ just yet•Getty ImagesWhile many people voice their determined opinion about how Ricky Ponting should step down from captaincy, from cricket altogether and Swisse Vitamins commercials, I thought it would be fair for somebody to stick up for the great battler, and against better advice I decided to take on the task. Ponting can remain the Australian Test captain and an integral accumulator of runs. Just by giving up a couple of the things that makes him so great.ODI cricket: Firstly, Ponting might need to step away from one of his favourite past times: pulling medium-pacers for six in coloured clothing. Following the World Cup (where Super Rick will attempt to win his fourth consecutive World Cup, third as captain) he should be told that reducing his workload may be overly beneficial. Stepping down from ODIs will keep him to Test matches only and allow him to focus on returning to powerful form. Although he remains one of the greatest batsmen to ever don the colours, ODIs must go.Move down the order : While his pride will already be dented by being told ODIs were finished, Ricky Thomas will have to move down to No. 4 or 5. Facing the new ball is no longer his game, being successful in the middle order is. Ponting has averaged beyond 58 at No. 3 for almost ten years, yet he is obviously moving along in age and reflexes, so holding down the middle order while a younger member of the team takes over No. 3 (or even Shane Watson) is the right move to make.Stay as captain: Australian cricket has finally made its way to the great, inevitable fork in the road. It can take that beautiful glorious road of return towards the rainbow or glory, or the deadly, dark and dangerous road towards disaster and mediocrity. Australia needs the experience and smarts of Ponting, at least until Michael Clarke grows up and proves himself, or a better replacement is found. Now is not the time to make drastic action to remove the captain, it is time for security and solidity. Panic doesn’t help anybody. Ponting is Australia’s second greatest batsman and deserves to be treated with respect. But if he wants to retain his position in international cricket, he needs to make a couple of changes. Following these changes we will return to the glorious days of the giant pull shot, the brilliant straight drive and the celebratory bat raise. Or, at least, less sleepless nights.