All posts by n8rngtd.top

If more trust is placed on the youth, the transition from dependency on the Shakibs and Tamims to the Mominuls, Soumyas and Sabbirs will be much smoother

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur27-Aug-2017Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan didn’t start their 50th Test in any different fashion compared to the past. Not for the first time, they pulled Bangladesh out of a hole. By Shakib’s admission, they didn’t have to say much to each other. At 10 for 3, there’s not much left to say anyway.All they did was put freedom and boldness in the forefront as they switched smoothly between aggression and doggedness that have become their hallmark this year. The pair added 155 runs for the fourth wicket, a partnership that was more focused on avoiding a bad situation get worse than going on the counterattack.Shakib rarely played anything that posed a threat to his outside edge, but provided width, he whipped and slashed at the ball. Tamim had a more rudimentary mix of drives and dead defences. His inside-out strokes breathed life into a dressing room that didn’t give off a lot of confidence. He looked in control, especially to the deliveries that he left, hardly looking pushed by pace.Shakib later said the ball was turning from the start of his innings and it made them re-adjust a target in their mind. Australia losing three wickets in the last nine overs vindicated much of their prediction.”It was quite challenging to bat out there,” Shakib said at the end of the day. “Tamim and I had to apply ourselves to the situation. It was an important partnership. We may be in the driving seat but we need to take seven more wickets. They have some batting left too, so we have to focus well. Every day gives you a new situation in Test cricket.”The ball was turning from the start. We felt that it was going to be tough for them too. We wanted to get to 250, which we were able to do. I think Nasir [Hossain], [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz and Shafiul [Islam] added important runs.”Shakib and Tamim are the pinnacle of Bangladesh cricket, and one of the factors that helped them reach the stage was being allowed longevity. Both went through dips in form and there were question marks next to their names, none more so than for Tamim.But to provide them with some sanity in the mad world of Bangladesh’s selection policy, they were never asked to bat in different positions. Tamim has always opened, Shakib has always manned the middle order. Known roles have helped them for the last ten years. In fact, both batsmen can hardly be questioned currently despite adding to their list of dismissals in the seventies and eighties, and having an ordinary conversion rate.The same cannot be said for the other batsmen, however, despite what each of them project in different capacities. Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes and Sabbir Rahman were as much the victims of Pat Cummins’ skills as they were of being placed at the wrong time in the wrong place.The onus of transition from the senior hands to the young ones lies with the team management and selectors•AFPSoumya replaced Imrul in Christchurch earlier this year after the latter got injured. Soumya’s four Test fifties this year only provided quick bursts of runs for Bangladesh, never the type of longevity that is the prime requirement of a Test innings.Imrul has admitted that batting at No. 3 is difficult for him. Someone who has formed Bangladesh’s most successful opening pair shouldn’t be asked to bat anywhere else. It breaks the rhythm. Sabbir, meanwhile, also isn’t No. 4 material. He had a brace of forties in March but it was, like Imrul’s No. 3 stint, a makeshift role.Without laying too much blame on the batsmen, who still have another chance to amend themselves, it is far more relevant to see why they were put in that position. The team management clearly didn’t want to break the top four of Bangladesh’s last Test, in which they beat Sri Lanka in Colombo. But with Mosaddek Hossain and Subashis Roy already out, the combination was altered. But there were hardly signs of proactive decision-making. Instead, they dug up a hole.This particular hole, in which they lost three wickets in the first 20 minutes of the Test, was three unsettled batsmen being asked to take first strike against a top pace attack in the first match of the international season. It is not that they were ill-equipped or under-trained, but a more senior-centric approach early on would have probably avoided such a poor start.Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah were dropped more as a punishment for looking bad in Galle, but to keep them out in a crucial home Test series smacks of rigidity on the part of the selection committee and the team management. Mominul was ultimately restored in the squad, mainly due to public pressure, but he was never going to make it into the XI, at least for this game.Imrul has already said that he has been given no guarantees of a longer stint in the new role, which doesn’t send great signals to Soumya and Sabbir either.Soumya had to wait for his turn in the opener’s position but hasn’t settled in with Tamim yet. Imrul has a track record that shows that having him open the innings works well for Bangladesh. He has never been given a long run in the Test side despite playing Tamim’s supporting role quite well. If Soumya fails again, he could probably run out of luck with the team management. Will it be fair on him though?Sabbir must also be given a longer run, but down the order where he can use his natural ability to strike the ball. This was clearly on display on his Test debut last year when he nearly slayed England with a late charge during a tight chase. That’s what he does best. But as the Bangladesh team management showed him during the Champions Trophy, he is not a trusted No. 3 in ODIs despite being groomed to do the job for that particular tournament.If more trust is placed on these young talents, the transition from dependency on the Shakibs and Tamims to the Mominuls, Soumyas and Sabbirs will be smoother. There is still plenty of time left for these young batsmen but a short-term vision from the authorities can limit any fine career. Right now, it seems as if many of these youngsters are one innings away from being punished, putting a lot of pressure on them for the second innings which will direct the way Bangladesh go in this Test.

After roughing up Bengal in the Ranji Trophy semi-final, the pacer tells us about his tricky passage into the Delhi team, how his tennis-ball experience helps, and what the support of senior pros has meant to him

Arun Venugopal in Pune19-Dec-2017As soon as Delhi were bowled out in their first innings, Navdeep Saini and Kulwant Khejroliya dashed to the dressing room upstairs to seek out Gautam Gambhir. The young pacers had watched Mohammed Shami produce a six-wicket haul and keep Delhi’s first-innings lead down to 112. Gambhir’s advice to them was simple: there was no better time to produce a showstopping performance of their own.”We spoke to Gautam , who told us: ‘If you want to play at a higher level, then these are the kind of moments that mark you out’,” Saini, 25, said after the match. “This was in our minds, and we wanted to do well and bowl long spells. We saw how Shami bowled today, so we felt if we also look to be aggressive we can get them out. That we have a young side is also an advantage.”Suitably pumped up, Saini and Khejroliya blasted out eight Bengal batsmen between them. Saini knocked over four of his own, including Manoj Tiwary and Sudip Chatterjee, and walked away with a match-haul of seven wickets as Delhi registered an innings victory inside three days and booked their spot in the Ranji Trophy final. With 29 wickets from seven games, Saini has been Delhi’s second-highest wicket-taker so far this season, behind left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra. But, blockbuster showing in Ranji Trophy 2017-18 aside, he has been getting the attention of the national selectors for some time now, mainly for his ability to bowl at a sharp pace consistently. He provided a demonstration of that by frequently clocking speeds upwards of 140 kph in the semi-final – two such thunderbolts accounted for Aamir Gani and B Amit off successive deliveries.As much as Saini looks like he has always belonged in this Delhi side, it wasn’t the case to begin with. Hailing from Karnal in Haryana, Saini, who made his first-class debut in 2013-14, had to work extra hard to make a mark in Delhi’s cricketing circles. His weak financial background didn’t help matters either. “There were problems to begin with,” he said. “My father works as a driver in the Haryana government and has been supportive of my cricket. But, my family couldn’t afford the fees at the academy.” Saini would play tennis-ball tournaments and eke out INR 200-300 as cash reward at the most. He used the money to enroll himself in the try-outs of the Karnal Premier League, a tournament conducted by Delhi seamer Sumit Narwal.Excited by Saini’s potential, Narwal brought him to Delhi where he was treated warmly by the seniors. Saini calls it a “life-changing” moment. “When someone plays from outside, there is more pressure on him,” he said . “And senior players like [Virender] Sehwag , Gautam , Mithun Manhas, Narwal and Ashish [Nehra] asked me not to get bothered by external factors and advised me to focus on my game instead. I will never forget Gautam . Wherever I am now is because of him.”Saini also had to wrestle with injury issues during the first few years of his career. Realising the need to condition his body for the long haul, Saini worked harder with his personal trainer Ahmed Nasir ahead of the season. “Over the last three years, I used to get injured each time. So this year we put in more hard work and the results are there to see,” he said. In August, Saini was picked for India A’s tour of South Africa, where he finished with seven wickets in two games. The following month he was selected to play in the Duleep Trophy and was also part of the India A team that played against New Zealand A in Vijayawada. Saini admitted to being nervous ahead of the South Africa series, but a chat with Yuvraj Singh in the pre-tour preparatory camp at the National Cricket Academy helped clear his mind.”Playing for India A for the first time, there was pressure. But, then I was alright,” he said. “Before going to South Africa, Yuvraj was there, so he told us about the conditions there and the lengths to hit. He asked me to practice bowling those lengths before going there because I wouldn’t get any time to adjust to it. The camp was very useful.”At the higher level, you need to bowl with patience. Only patience can take you forward. It’s my strength. Like on a pitch like we saw today, the plan was to bowl wicket to wicket and aim for lbws and bowled.”Saini’s natural area of operation is on the fuller side of a good length. He felt bowling with the tennis ball in his formative years helped him become good at it. “When you play with the tennis ball, you get hit a lot,” he said. “To escape from that you have to bowl yorkers at the stumps. Constantly doing that has helped me develop those muscles that come into play while bowling yorkers. When you bowl with a leather ball the full length ball skids a lot more, it kicks off the surface like in the dismissals today.”My arm-speed is very fast. So I can’t build up my body structure a lot bigger than now, because if I do that my arm-speed will come down. As I am training, my speed develops. The more you bowl, the better your bowling muscles develop.”Like Saini, his bowling partner Khejroliya, also aged 25, has had to battle a few insecurities. Having been there and done that, Saini knew exactly how to guide him. “We are like brothers and are also room-mates. So we keep discussing at night what our plans should be,” he said. “I have been around for the last four-five years, but this is his first season. So I keep supporting him. He didn’t get many wickets in the last one or two matches – there was a dropped catch and all that. So I reassure and support him.”Back home, one of Saini’s biggest supporters is his “100-plus-year-old” grandfather Karam Singh, a war veteran whom he says had fought in Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA). “He used to be a driver in the INA,” Saini said. “He is still remarkably fit and even rides a bicycle. He doesn’t understand any cricket, but derives a lot of pleasure watching me play on TV. I am sure he would have been watching this game as well.”

A fan went to Lord’s to relive wonderful old memories, but India’s batting let him down

Sudhindra Prasad16-Jul-2018Choice of game
For all sports fans, there are specific moments and matches, which take us back in time. Almost 16 years ago to this day, I was in a semi-deserted living room of a student accommodation at Margaret St, Binghamton, in upstate New York. The two individuals left there on a crisp Saturday morning believed and willed on a pair of never-say-die youngsters, Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh, who took India to the famous NatWest Series final win. Never one to pass off on a historical milestone, I jumped on the chance to watch this game.Key performers
While Joe Root bossed England’s batting, David Willey’s innings put enormous scoreboard pressure on India. But the efforts of Moeen Ali in slowing down the momentum of the Indian innings played a vital role in the result. His initial five-six overs with an economy rate around three firmly put doubts in the minds of the batsmen. Virat Kohli’s wicket was a result of that strangle and for the most part, settled the result.Wow moment
The six by Eoin Morgan off Yuzvendra Chahal. It took off high and handsome and as it came down, I started to wonder if that would head on to the terrace of the visitors’ dressing room or to the neighbouring stand with the bell. Thinking of it, has there ever been a recorded instance of a six hitting the bell on the full at Lords?One thing I would have changed
Dinesh Karthik instead of MSD would have been a change in hindsight. But I continually wonder about what KL Rahul can bring to this India team, if he develops his wicketkeeping skills to the standards of that other Rahul.Milestones and more
Being only the second player to achieve the unique double of 300 catches and 10,000 runs in ODIs, is a testament to MS Dhoni’s longevity. It further underlines his achievements as a player, wicketkeeper and leader. It can be hoped that the ongoing debate about his crawl to the batting milestone either brings back the Dhoni of mid-2000s into action well before the World Cup or opens the doors for others.Crowd meter
The Indian fans were the majority on the day and were loud through the first session. Initial batting success by the Indian opening pair even got some “Ole ole Super India” songs going. As the second innings progressed, the English fans found their voice and it made for a fine finish in the stands.Dinesh Karthik for MS Dhoni?•Getty ImagesFancy dress index
Although Lord’s and fancy dress don’t gel, the fans nevertheless brought out their hats, headgear, flags, kids with their small banners, only to be taken away by the eagle-eyed security at the entrance. The recognisable Sudhir Gautam was allowed to enter with his face paint on. His day turned into a game of cat and mouse on the sidelines, as he displayed his full body paint during the first innings, which the ground security didn’t accept. In his first game at Lord’s, he was found sulking and hiding away from security at the back of the Mound Stand.Close encounter
Shikhar Dhawan kept the crowds entertained during his stint fielding square of the wicket through England’s batting. When India batted, Ben Stokes took over that position, but left after a few overs seemingly due to some banter by the Indian fans around his Kiwi roots, sheep etc. Jonny Bairstow swapped positions with him and quickly endeared himself to both sets of fans, by patiently signing autographs for kids, posing for selfies and some lovely interactions with the crowd. The result of a Mound Stand vote for popular player of the day would have been a mere formality.Overall
As an Indian fan, the latter half of India’s innings plummeted me to depths of despair and brought back dreadful memories of that India-West Indies Kanpur game in 1994. The lack of intent and belief was unfortunately not the right retirement tribute to Kaif. Defying the natural urge to chase in these conditions and also by tackling Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling better than recent games, England re-affirmed their adaptability, showing they are rightfully prime contenders for the 2019 World Cup.Marks out of 10
Eight. England’s strategy and efforts ensured that ODIs are not quickly turning into bat-second-and-win affairs. How sad would all of us fans be, if ODIs become even more predictable? Oh and in case you were wondering, the living room at 45, Margaret St, was packed again with 30-plus loud individuals (including Karthi Sivakumar) by the time Kaif and Zaheer Khan ran those winning runs on that glorious day in 2002.

Attacking legspin, allied to an attacking fast bowler, and even an attacking short-leg fielder. There’s much to admire as England’s Test team finds its bearings

George Dobell in Colombo24-Nov-2018This is why Adil Rashid is in the England team.There have been moments in this series – not least in the second innings in Galle and Kandy – when Rashid has seemed a bit of a luxury item in this side. And it’s true that, on turning wickets, where finger-spinners such as Moeen Ali and Jack Leach are able to gain assistance, there isn’t much need for his wrist-spin.In a perfect world, Rashid would have the control of Shane Warne. If he did, he would be able to play as the lone spinner and deliver a defensive and aggressive option for his captain.But that’s not realistic. Warne, for his control as much as the vast turn he achieved for much of his career, was a freak and the majority of other legspinners – especially those who give the ball a big tweak, rather than roll it out with minor variations such as Eric Hollies – cannot offer such a dual role. So on turning wickets, Moeen and Leach offer the threat without the four-balls that come with the territory of most legspinners.But here in Colombo, conditions were a little different. Here, in Colombo, the finger-spinners had been played out with something approaching ease and, as Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva put together the largest partnership of the series (142), England were made to look a bit impotent.But then Rashid was introduced into the attack. Suddenly, England had a bowler who was able to coax movement from the pitch and challenge the batsmen on both sides of the bat. They had a bowler who was performing with confidence, too, and who settled into such a good rhythm that he claimed all his five wickets in one spell of 12.5 overs.His final figures – 5 for 49 – were not only Rashid’s Test-best figures, they were the best from an England legspinner in almost 60 years. Since Tommy Greenhough took 5 for 35 against India at Lord’s in 1959, in fact.If the breakthrough wicket was largely the result of some exceptional fielding from Keaton Jennings – anticipating the likely direction of the ball, Jennings at short-leg stayed low and clung on to a sharp chance – it was also reward for Rashid’s control. Maintaining a good length without many of the drag-downs that characterise his bowling on a bad day, he generally stuck to legbreaks, though Roshen Silva, who didn’t read the googly well in Kandy, again failed to spot a wrong’un and edged to short leg.There was, perhaps, a little anxiety in Sri Lanka’s batting, too. Aware of Ben Foakes’ excellence with the gloves and Jennings’ excellence under the lid, they knew any mistake could be costly and looked less willing to leave their crease than might be expected. As a result, they allowed Rashid to settle into his natural length, bowl his natural pace (his entire spell was delivered between 47 and 54 mph) and rely on his variations and, most of all, his fine legbreak.There had been shades of this earlier in the series. In Galle, for example, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal appeared to be batting Sri Lanka into a position of some strength. There was nothing in the conditions for the seamers and England’s two finger-spinners had been negated. But Rashid came on with a licence to attack and, before long, turned one past the advancing Chandimal’s outside edge to have him stumped. He didn’t gain many headlines, but it was a vital moment in the game.Ben Stokes was rewarded for a fine, long spell•Getty ImagesThis, then, is Rashid’s role. No longer is he expected to provide a holding role; no longer is he being asked to bowl quicker in an attempt to tie down batsmen. Leach can perform that role. Rashid is simply asked to spin the ball sharply and try to take wickets. There will be days – quite a few of them, probably – when he goes at five-an-over and looks a luxury that England can do without. But there will also be days like this when he offers the key to unlocking line-ups that nobody else can match. If England are going to win in India, it will require their bowling to have far more bite than was the case on the last tour. Rashid, used in this way, suggests that may yet be possible.Ben Stokes was almost as impressive. Stokes is, in many ways, the man who balances this team. Without him, it might be hard to find a way to include three spinners without compromising in other departments. And, without him, it would be hard to find a room for the attacking style bowler that gives England options they have lacked on previous overseas tours in recent years.For any seamer to deliver a ten-over spell in these conditions – brutally hot and humid as they are – is impressive (albeit the first four overs were bowled before tea and the other six after); for that spell to include a barrage of energy sapping short balls is extraordinary.But this is one of the many options Stokes offers his captains. He is the one man in the series to bowl in excess of 90 mph and the one man in the series to have brought any sense of intimidation into the game. While a couple of the wickets may look, in isolation, a little fortunate (Niroshan Dickwella, for example, was caught down the leg-side as he attempted to glance), they were the result of minds scrambled by the contrasting threats offered by Stokes and Rashid and, perhaps, ruffled by his aggression. To coax such life out of these pitches was remarkable. He has now claimed twice as many wickets – four – as the other three seamers England that have used in the series combined. In such form, he might offer England the pace they require to challenge in Australia.That legspin / fast bowling combination precipitated such a collapse that Sri Lanka lost their last nine wickets for just 67 runs. England have been on the wrong end of such assaults many, many times. To see them inflict the damage in such style was to see a new team starting to blossom. A team that is working out its strengths and working out a way in win in different conditions. We all know that far tougher challenges lie ahead – to be considered a really good team, they probably need to win in India and Australia – but they are learning and improving all the time. And they are extremely entertaining. It will be fascinating to see where the next couple of years take them.And then there’s Jennings. It’s not so long ago that Jennings was moved out of the cordon after dropping a succession of chances. He is not especially quick in the field, either, so there was some doubt over where he should be placed.Not any more. His anticipation, his concentration, his reactions and, most of all, his courage at short-leg have been extraordinary. Put simply, both here and in Kandy, he has created chances that other fielders in the position could not have imagined. At times it looked as if he could catch Lord Lucan. Dhananjaya de Silva referred to him as “the man who turned the game around” while Rashid, who had the most reason to be grateful, referred to him as “exceptional”. It’s hard to disagree. His ability at short-leg has offered his side a new dimension in the field. These are early days, but he is making the sort of contribution to England that Jonty Rhodes once made for South Africa.Stokes, Jennings and Rashid turned the day around for England. They had actually squandered an opportunity to make a really imposing first-innings total with some soft batting – Moeen Ali lofting to long-off was particularly painful – and it had looked as if they were chasing the game for their first 40 overs or so in the field.Root should probably have introduced Stokes and Rashid earlier. After one speculative over (the 22nd), Rashid didn’t bowl his second until the 42nd of the innings, while Stokes didn’t come on until the 45th over. By then, Sri Lanka were 162 for 1. Bizarrely, Root had given himself two overs by that point. It is unthinkable he would bowl as much if he were not captain.His use of Stokes seems somewhat one-dimensional, too. In this series, for example, Stokes has been used almost exclusively to test the batsmen with bouncers. That’s a legitimate tactic and, both here and in Galle, Stokes has performed it admirably. But there is more to his game than that. On this pitch, with his pedigree as a swing bowler, he should probably have taken the new ball. By the time he came on, any hope of that had long since gone.It actually wasn’t a great start to the day for Root. He dropped a couple of relatively straightforward catches at first slip, too – both opening batsmen; both off the excellent Stuart Broad, who generated pace of 89.5 mph at one stage – and looked thoroughly disgusted with himself for the next couple of hours.But Rashid, Stokes and Jennings helped lift the mood. England remain on track for a first whitewash (in series of three matches or more) in Asia and a first away anywhere since 1963. They are not the finished article, but there is much to like and admire about this team.

Former team-mates led the tributes to Gautam Gambhir following his retirement announcement

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2018

Bidding farewell to one of the finest players of the country @GautamGambhir. Wish the best for you in the future Gauti Bhai pic.twitter.com/qr14XVN3q7

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) December 5, 2018

It’s been a great journey. Some memorable moments which the country lived with you, you can be very proud of how you played the game, will always remain Unbeaten @GautamGambhir !#ThankYouGautamGambhir pic.twitter.com/q5noANmgLX

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) December 4, 2018

Congratulations @GautamGambhir on a glorious career. You were a special talent and had a Gambhir role in our win in the World Cup finals. Batting with you at Napier was extra special. Enjoy your second innings with family and friends! pic.twitter.com/dNpyNfbLe6

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 5, 2018

Congratulations @GautamGambhir on a fantastic career. You can be very proud of the way you played every time you stepped on to the cricket field. I cherish the truly memorable moments we shared & am sure you will continue to serve the country in your own ways. #ThankYouGambhir

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) December 4, 2018

I gotta say.. I don't like retirements.. especially of people that I admire deeply. Congratulations @GautamGambhir on an amazing career. I'm grateful for all that we shared on and off the field. It's been an honour skip. My best wishes on ur second innings.

— Robin Aiyuda Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) December 4, 2018

Congratulations @GautamGambhir on a phenomenal career. Wish you all the best for your future endeavours GG #truechampion#braveheart

— Lakshmipathi balaji (@Lbalaji55) December 5, 2018

Thanks for the memories, @GautamGambhir. All the best for the next innings of your life #KorboLorboJeetbo, always!#ThankYouGambhir pic.twitter.com/rx7RZitU8j

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 4, 2018

@GautamGambhir Thank u for the love & leadership my Captain.U r a special man and may Allah always keep & happy…& u should smile a bit more

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) December 4, 2018

I cherish so many fond memories with you my friend. We’ve played some really good cricket together. You’re a true fighter. You have had a superb career. I wish you all the best for all your future endeavours @GautamGambhir. pic.twitter.com/ePswk4IBDk

— Amit Mishra (@MishiAmit) December 4, 2018

Have so many fond memories playing with @GautamGambhir bhaiya who is a true fighter, a champion player. He was never hesitant to fight for the youngsters. Delhi will miss his presence. Wish him the best for the second innings. #GautamGambhirRetires #ThankYouGauti

— Unmukt Chand (@UnmuktChand9) December 4, 2018

Always unbeaten in our hearts! #ThankYouGambhir #DelhiCapitals @GautamGambhir pic.twitter.com/G6mbydy8bw

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) December 4, 2018

Thanks for all the memories @GautamGambhir. Indian cricket has you to thank for two World Cup winning knocks. And KKR will never forget their first ever IPL trophies. You will be missed!

— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) December 4, 2018

Congratulations Gautam on your decorated career, you’ve always been a fierce competitor along with a very astute leader! Enjoy your next chapter. #topclass

— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) December 5, 2018

All the best for your future @GautamGambhir! Well done on a fantastic career! Proud of what you’ve contributed to Indian cricket. Best to family.

— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) December 5, 2018

One of India's bests. Farewell @GautamGambhir. All the best for your future!

— cheteshwar pujara (@cheteshwar1) December 5, 2018

Congratulations on your fantastic journey @GautamGambhir . I’m extremely happy I had the privilege of sharing a bit of it with you pic.twitter.com/DNxBSZ9daz

— DK (@DineshKarthik) December 5, 2018

242 matches, 10324 runs – wouldn’t have been possible without your hard work & persistence to the field. Thank you for your exemplary contribution to the field of cricket @GautamGambhir it was an honour to share the pitch with you. Wishing you all the success. #ThankYouGambhir https://t.co/RN2iAslO71

— Suresh Raina

Also, what does the Luck Index say about RCB’s chances of winning of their lost Free Hit?

ESPNcricinfo stats team28-Mar-2019With 41 to get in four overs, and with two overs of Jasprit Bumrah left and AB de Villiers at the crease, it was clearly going to be a battle between those two giants. Essentially, de Villiers needed to undo all the damage in the 18th and 20th that Bumrah was likely to do in the 17th and 19th. As it turned out, Bumrah outdid de Villiers, and Mumbai Indians scraped past Royal Challengers Bangalore.ESPNcricinfo LtdBumrah’s Smart Stats numbers show just how outstanding he was today. His conventional bowling figures were 3 for 20 in four overs, but according to his smart bowling figures, he conceded just two runs and took 3.4 wickets.That is because Bumrah bowled the tough overs – the 17th and the 19th – and conceded just six runs (including a leg bye) in those overs. And that was despite a harsh wide call in the 19th. Of those 12 balls, he bowled four to de Villiers, and conceded just two runs off those four balls. Bumrah’s smart runs conceded takes into account the pressure the team was under when he bowled those overs, and the quality of the batsmen he bowled to.In fact, the win probabilities for Royal Challengers in the last four overs clearly illustrates Bumrah’s impact on the game. After the 16th over, which went for 20, their win probability had soared to 59%. From there, it plummeted to 26% as Bumrah conceded one run and dismissed Shimron Hetmeyer in the 17th. De Villiers lifted the win probability back up to 58% after the 18th, taking 18 runs off Hardik Pandya. Bumrah, though, brought it back down to 14% after a brilliant 19th, which went for only five.1:23

Felt like Stuart Broad after Yuvraj hit me for three sixes – Chahal

The drop that almost cost Mumbai IndiansYou don’t drop AB de Villiers. Especially before he’s played himself in. Actually, there’s never a good time to drop him. He will make it count more often than not. And that’s what happened in this game. Well, almost.According to ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index, which puts a quantitative value on every lucky event in a game, de Villiers’ drop cost Mumbai Indians 19 runs. The Luck Index algorithm estimates that the other Royal Challenger’s Bangalore batsmen to follow de Villiers would’ve scored 51 runs off the 40 balls that he faced after getting dropped.The impact of the drop by Yuvraj Singh would’ve been much larger had de Villiers not ran into Bumrah and Lasith Malinga in the final two overs. He could manage only three runs off the five balls that he faced in the last two overs of the chase. De Villiers’ innings was still worth its weight in gold: As per ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, de Villiers’ 70 were worth 85 smart runs, at a smart strike rate of 207.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe no-ball dramaHow many runs would AB de Villiers have scored off the Free Hit that should have happened had S Ravi spotted that Lasith Malinga had overstepped off the final ball? Luck Index shows that the average runs gained off a no-ball is 3.15 (one run for the no-ball and 2.15 off the Free Hit). That is based on the historical average runs scored off all Free Hits in the last three years.In the IPL, chances of a batsman hitting a free-hit ball for a six, or hitting the last ball of a chase with at least five required to tie or win is only about one in 13. But de Villiers obviously isn’t your average batsman, so what about his stats? His Free Hit numbers in all T20 cricket are as follows: in 10 Free Hits that he has faced (in matches for which ESPNcricinfo has ball-by-ball data), de Villiers has scored 28 runs. That includes three sixes and a four, but also six singles. That suggests a 30% chance of a six, which is what Royal Challengers would have needed to win. Also, in seven previous balls from Malinga in the match, de Villiers had hit three sixes, though in the final over itself he only managed two singles from two balls.Clearly, the game could have gone either way, but Ravi’s error denied de Villiers the opportunity to even attempt the last-ball glory.

With three wins in three World Cup games, they’re basically showing off right now. But the toughest test is yet to come

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Taunton08-Jun-2019There is no team flexing quite as hard as New Zealand at this World Cup right now. Three matches in, six points in the bank, they are parked in front of the gym mirror in a tight tank top, making their pecs dance to the hard house music playing in their airpods.They might be alone in the establishment for now, because this, after all, is New Zealand. They are a team the cricket world is almost hard-coded not to take much notice of until the much later stages of a global event. But make no mistake. Them traps are popping. The forearms are rippling. Those shoulder muscles that have other muscles growing on them….yeah, they have those.They have, of course, been done a favour by the scheduling, because their games so far have been against three of the four lowest-ranked teams in the competition, which is almost the ideal first week. The deadlifts and bench presses await, but for now, New Zealand are breezing nicely through the easy settings on the exercise bike.Rahmat Shah walks off after getting out•Getty ImagesThe pitches, additionally, have also been the stuff of their dreams. The green-tinged track at Taunton was basically a Hamilton clone. The pitch at Cardiff for the opener against Sri Lanka might justifiably be cause for a copyright complaint from the Christchurch curator. Tree-lined grounds, lush outfields, bone-chilling breezes. If there were a few more drunks yelling curse-laden advice/abuse from the stands, this would basically be home.Watch on Hotstar (India only) – Highlights of James Neesham’s five-forNevertheless, it is an impressive start, not least because so many have shone already. The first win was set up by Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson, before openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro put on their first century stand together. Their best batsman Ross Taylor then produced his first match-winning innings of the World Cup against Bangladesh.James Neesham, the allrounder, is not one of the glory muscle groups, like the biceps, or the glutes. He’s more like a quad – useful in most situations, without being an instant eye-catcher. But targeting Afghanistan’s batsmen with tight, back-of-a-length bowling, and gaining inconsistent bounce with a wobbling seam, he now has the tournament’s best figures of 5 for 31. They were his own best returns not just in internationals, but in his entire professional career. So quickly did Afghanistan’s top order unravel, nosediving from 66 for 0 in the 11th over, to 70 for 4 in the 15th as Neesham swung the match decisively in New Zealand’s favour in the space of eight deliveries.The exalted company Neesham keeps•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”The wicket suited him a little bit,” captain Kane Williamson said. “It suited guys that come in and hit the deck a little bit. He got the ball a little earlier than he has because the pitch had that extra bounce in it. Jimmy, when he’s bowling well, can get that pace out of a surface. The bowlers complemented each other nicely.”All this, New Zealand have done so far, while also gently drawing attention to one of their other cricket flexes – that they are the cuddliest, humblest, nice guyest team on the planet. When Rashid Khan took a ball to the helmet grille during Afghanistan’s innings, Williamson was forward in a flash – not to celebrate the wicket (the ball had been deflected into the stumps), but to check on a visibly shaken Rashid. Earlier, Colin Munro was seen tying batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi’s shoelace. Such is the earnestness with which this New Zealand team upholds this reputation, that Shahidi has probably never had a shoelace knotted so artfully.New Zealand now have India to play next at Trent Bridge – by far their toughest assignment yet. But it’s a challenge they can face knowing that a loss there will not mean death to their campaign. Compare their plight to that of South Africa, for example. Having lost three of three, Faf du Plessis’ outfit, are in the foetal position, on the couch, crying and eating ice cream from the tub as they try to console themselves about the messy breakup with AB de Villiers, amongst other things.New Zealand, meanwhile, are basically a gym selfie in cricket team form. #blessed # hardworkpaysoff.

Only 19, he is already Rajasthan’s captain. Now, he is trying to make the next step up

Hemant Brar in Alur31-Aug-2019At 19, Mahipal Lomror is already three seasons old in domestic cricket. Having first made his mark by representing India at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, he was named Rajasthan’s captain last year despite his relative inexperience.It’s not like Lomror was a child prodigy. He started playing cricket when he was about eight but became serious only a couple of years later, after he shifted base from his hometown Nagaur to Jaipur in 2011. Climbing the rungs of age-group cricket there, Lomror established himself as a top-order batsman who bowls handy left-arm spin.Since making his first-class debut in 2016, Lomror has scored 1269 runs at 36.25 in 23 matches. His first 12 games also fetched him 25 wickets with a best of 5 for 51. However, a back injury meant he could hardly bowl last season.Growing up, Lomror was a bit short-tempered; calmness started coming in as he played more and more cricket. “I started observing seniors around me and I realised anger never helps,” Lomror says. “Last year when I captained Rajasthan, I realised I needed to be calmer to make better decisions.”ALSO READ: The Royals rookies – learning from the bestKnown as Mahi among his pals, Lomror idolised Adam Gilchrist since childhood. “He [Gilchrist] was always a big-match player. His strokeplay used to take the game away from the opposition, and that thing always attracted me.”A similar positive approach also benefitted Lomror during the last Ranji Trophy season where he finished as the second-highest run-getter for Rajasthan (708 runs at 44.25).”In my first two seasons, I wasn’t playing my natural game. And when I reviewed my performance, I felt I could play a bit more attacking cricket. I needn’t stop playing my scoring shots. I think that helped me somewhere.”Both the calmness and attractive strokeplay were once again on display on Saturday as he brought up his third first-class hundred during the Duleep Trophy match against India Green.With his side India Red still 300 in arrears at the start of the day, Lomror took his time and saw off the first hour when Rahul Chahar extracted some turn and disconcerting bounce. From the other end, Ishan Porel induced a bottom edge but it fell short of the wicketkeeper.BCCIAmid all this, he didn’t miss out on loose balls. Porel was flicked off the pads, Ankit Rajpoot was punched behind point and when a tiring Chahar bowled a couple of short and wide ones, Lomror cut them for four as well. This meant even if Karun Nair, who had breezed to 77 on Friday, struggled at the other end, the score didn’t come to a standstill.Lomror brought up his fifty off 129 balls, with eight fours and one six. When on 90, Nair chopped one onto his stumps off Rajpoot, bringing an end to a 74-run stand. Lomror and KS Bharat took the side to 230 for 4 at lunch.Once the sun came out in the second session, Lomror gave a glimpse of why he was called “Junior Gayle” during his age-group days. Using his feet against Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, he launched one over the long-on fielder for a six. Jadeja flighted the next ball as well, only to be hit over mid-off for four. Another six off Chahar waltzed him into the 90s. He reached his hundred with a two off the same bowler and fittingly, it was a back-foot punch – his most productive shot during this knock – that took him to the landmark.In the company of Jaydev Unadkat, he took India Red to 363 before falling to Jadeja for 126. Unadkat and Akshay Wakhare too fell shortly after that but late fireworks from No. 10 Avesh Khan, that included four sixes in one Jadeja over, pushed India Red to 404 at stumps.”It was a slow wicket and the ball wasn’t coming on to the bat that easily,” Lomror said after the day’s play. “So I couldn’t play my free-flowing cricket and had to be very selective about my shots. Their bowlers were also fresh in the morning and, therefore, taking my time seemed a better option.”But with India Red still trailing by 36, India Green are the favourites for a first-innings lead that will take them to the final without the Quotient Rule calculations coming into the picture. If that happens, the final will be a rematch of the ongoing game.

Their fourth-innings performances are among the greatest ever in Test cricket. We compare them on the numbers

Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Jan-2020Steven Smith’s consistency was unparalleled, David Warner made a triple-hundred, and Virat Kohli struck a double, but 2019’s best Test innings were fourth-innings miracles, and many months later, it is difficult to believe either happened, let alone both in the same year.Ben Stokes’ 135 not out brought England roaring back into the Ashes, Australia going down in a storm of sixes at Headingley. Kusal Perera (has there ever been a less likely producer of an all-time great innings?) had run the heist against South Africa in Durban a few months earlier, with his magical 153 not out.As ESPNcricinfo’s jury deliberates on the best performances of the year, let’s dive into analysis of two innings that are not just front-runners for the award but contenders for the title of best Test innings ever. In many ways, Perera’s and Stokes’ performances were incredibly similar. Both batsmen came in at No. 5, with more than 200 runs still to get in a chase of over 300. Both made over 60% of the runs scored while they were at the crease. Acquaint yourself with the main numbers from each innings below:ESPNcricinfo LtdThere were differences in how each innings was constructed, the major one being how each batsman started his innings. Perera, who came in at a precarious 52 for 3, started his innings normally, making sure to take the scoring opportunities on offer. Stokes, meanwhile, was a hermit in his first 90 minutes. He got off the mark with a single off his ninth delivery, then didn’t score another run for 30 balls. His first boundary didn’t come until the 74th delivery he faced.And yet in the home stretch Stokes’ innings was gloriously manic. He clobbered seven sixes and four fours in the last 42 balls he faced, hitting 74 through that period. No batsman has ever made such a dramatic transition in an innings. The difference in strike rate between Stokes’ first 60 balls and last 60 is 135 – the highest ever.Perera was more even through the course of his 153, but also likely had a more difficult home stretch to negotiate. Stokes faced the second new ball while in the company of the No. 6, Jonny Bairstow, roughly midway through an 86-run partnership. For Perera, the second new ball arrived while the No. 11, Vishwa Fernando, was at the crease, with 41 runs still to get – a much more fragile point in the chase.The most striking similarity, clearly, is the last-wicket stand. In both instances, the match seemed lost when the penultimate wicket fell. But Perera’s partnership with Fernando was worth 78 unbeaten runs, and Stokes’ stand with Jack Leach grew to 76. In successful chases, no bigger final-wicket partnerships have ever been produced.ESPNcricinfo LtdSo how can we separate these all-time great innings? Whose innings deserves the award? To get closer to the answer, we’ve harnessed a mountain of statistics, and viewed the numbers through five key lenses.Who faced the tougher bowling attack?
In one corner, we have Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon. In the other, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Duanne Olivier (although Vernon Philander was part of South Africa’s five-man attack, he was injured early in the innings and did not bowl at Perera). Both are phenomenal line-ups, but going by the numbers since the start of the previous year, South Africa’s bowlers were better, both on average and strike rate, going into the Durban Test.ESPNcricinfo LtdBut what about in the specific conditions they were required to bowl in? In England, Australia’s frontline bowlers averaged 28.6 and struck at 55.4. Good numbers, but not as good as those of the South Africans at Kingsmead and in St George’s Park, where the two Tests of the series were played, and where, although conditions are lower and slower than at many other South African grounds, Steyn, Rabada and Maharaj combined to average 23.2 and struck at 42.5 before the start of the Kingsmead match against Sri Lanka. Olivier had not played a match at either venue, but even taking first-class stats, South Africa’s attack had a record of stronger performances at these venues on the Indian Ocean coast than Australia did in England.