Nasir grabs chance to build an innings

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After scoring an unbeaten 102 to lift his team from a precarious 82 for 5 to a total of 252 for 8, Nasir Hossain said that he had walked out to bat with the aim of playing the full quota of overs

Vishal Dikshit in Bangalore18-Sep-2015Nasir Hossain has played six innings in 12 ODIs for Bangladesh this year, never batting higher than No. 7. It is a position from which, given the nature of limited-overs cricket, one doesn’t always get a chance to build an innings. He has faced only 143 balls in ODIs in 2015, an average of less than 25 balls per outing. In his last two matches against India A, Nasir has faced a total of 167.On Friday in the second one-dayer against India, Nasir went out to bat at with Bangladesh A at 82 for 5 after 18.1 overs. He had plenty of time to get his eye in, build an innings and stretch the score as much as he could, with the only risk being a lack of batting partners. And that’s what he did. He started out playing second fiddle to No. 5 Liton Das, who was middling the ball better than the top-order batsmen, built a solid base as the sun shone more and more, and after Liton fell, launched an attack in the company of the tail-end batsmen.Nasir had been waiting for such opportunities to score big and bat under pressure. He later said he didn’t have a clearly defined plan when he walked out but knew that he wanted to bat out 50 overs.”I like batting at No. 7, I’ve batted there for the national team so I’m happy to do it here also,” he said. “When I was there, the wicket was good for batting, I just wanted to bat throughout. I always enjoy batting with Liton. There was no particular plan when I went out to bat, we were just looking to build a partnership and play till the end. So we played accordingly and the plan clicked.”Nasir had enjoyed Liton’s company in the first one-dayer too, when the pair added 120 runs from a score of 87 for 5 to give India A a scare in their defence of 322. Nasir followed that innings of 52 with a century today to steer the team out of a storm and then, with returns of 5 for 36, ensured they reached the shore, too.His only moment of weakness with the bat came in the 23rd over off Karn Sharma when he went for an aerial drive. Luckily for Nasir, the ball landed wide of a diving Gurkeerat Singh at deep cover. Those mistakes were corrected the next time he came down the track. It was against Karn again in the 28th over, but the ball was middled better and hit well wide of long-on for four.But Nasir knew that one small mistake, one mis-hit, would expose the tail. So he reduced the risks but still found the boundaries. There was a late cut off Gurkeerat in the 31st over, a back-foot punch off Rishi Dhawan along the ground soon after Liton was dismissed, and a sweep to bring up his fifty off 54 balls in the 37th over.The tougher parts came with the tail-end batsmen. Nasir’s 50-run, seventh-wicket partnership with Arafat Sunny had taken the score past 200. Arafat fell in the 43rd over, but Nasir chose to wait before switching gears. It was only once Shafiul was run out, in the 46th over, that Nasir floored it.He followed his nudge to third man for four with a single to keep strike. And on 76, he targeted Suresh Raina, who had conceded only eight runs from his two overs, with a slog sweep off the first ball and then a cover drive over the in-field. Two balls later, he unleashed another powerful drive to sprint to 88, and made his way into the nineties with a boundary in the next over.His celebration on reaching the three-figure mark was not as dramatic, a manner perhaps similar to his first ODI hundred, but he knew he had done what he was expected to do, and what he was eagerly waiting to accomplish.”Every partnership was very important, the one with Liton was a big one, but runs with Sunny and Rubel were equally important to post 252,” Nasir said. “The pressure was always there but I wanted to bat all 50 overs, I didn’t have a target in mind.”He batted for over two hours when the chips were down, something he enjoys and something he was first selected for back in 2011.”I really enjoy batting when the team is under pressure,” Nasir had said after his maiden ODI century nearly four years ago. “When four or five wickets are down, I love batting in those situations. I really don’t know why but I really enjoy it.”

Selectors 'spoke a lot' about Klinger

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Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja got the nod, Cameron Bancroft and Shaun Marsh just missed out, but there was also plenty of discussion about the veteran Michael Klinger in Australia’s selection meeting ahead of the first Test against New Zealand

Brydon Coverdale30-Oct-20151:03

‘Just happy to be playing again’ – Khawaja

Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja got the nod, Cameron Bancroft and Shaun Marsh just missed out, but there was also plenty of discussion about the veteran Michael Klinger in Australia’s selection meeting ahead of the first Test against New Zealand. At 35, Klinger seemed unlikely to be seriously considered for the start of a rebuilding process after a number of post-Ashes retirements.However, his double-century for Western Australia in the first round of Sheffield Shield matches was timely as the younger contenders around the country failed to have an impact in the last innings before the squad was chosen. It was Klinger’s 14th century across all formats in the past year, and head coach and selector Darren Lehmann said his name had been part of the discussion.”We spoke about him quite a lot, to be perfectly honest,” Lehmann said on SEN radio in Melbourne on Friday. “He was very, very close. It’s a tough one isn’t it. His experience is there. He’s 35, we’ve already got Adam Voges who is 36. Do we want to go down that path?”Age is not too much of an issue, but when we’re looking at players over a period of time – he averages 38 in first-class cricket, Khawaja averages 40 for example and he’s seven or eight years younger. Sometimes you just have to go with a gut feel. It’s a tough call sometimes. But we certainly looked at him.”National selector Rod Marsh was blunt when asked about Klinger, declaring that although he had been discussed, his long-term performance had not been such that he warranted jumping ahead of the younger men.”Of course we’ve looked at Michael Klinger,” Marsh said. “He’s got to keep making runs. “Have you looked at Michael Klinger’s batting average in first-class cricket? It’s not as good as the other boys. Part of our selection policy is if you’ve got two blokes that are absolutely equal you go for the younger bloke, and I think that’s very fair.”If one bloke is noticeably better and is more likely to influence the outcome of a game, then you pick the old bloke. But if they’re not noticeably better and they’re not likely to influence the outcome of a game, then you must always go with your youth. That’s our policy, and whether you agree with it or not, it’s irrelevant.”Although Klinger’s long-term figures might appear slightly underwhelming, he has enjoyed a productive period in his thirties. In the past two years he has averaged 45.95 in first-class cricket, with 11 centuries, but even if Burns and Khawaja fail to grasp their chances against New Zealand it would appear more likely that younger men such as Bancroft would be the next contenders.Michael Klinger’s recent double-century for Western Australia was his 14th century across formats in the past year•Getty Images

Bancroft had been part of the squad named for the abandoned tour of Bangladesh, and would likely have opened with Burns had that trip gone ahead, with David Warner out of action due to a fractured thumb. Burns debuted in Test cricket at No. 6 but now has the opportunity to become Warner’s new opening partner, having thrived as an opener for Queensland – he averages 46.58 as a first-class opener for the Bulls.”I guess my last two years for Queensland has been as an opening batter and I feel really comfortable and confident in that role,” Burns said. “I’ve had some consistent success there, so it is very easy to just slide in and I guess the fact that the first game is at the Gabba, my home ground, makes it a little bit easier as well. So, it is a challenge that I’m really looking forward to; I’m excited about the prospect of opening the batting for Australia”Burns averages 40.86 at the Gabba, which is also the adopted home ground of the now Queensland captain Khawaja. It has been an especially productive venue for Khawaja, who averages 67.46 from nine first-class matches there, and now has a chance to play his first home Test in nearly four years.Khawaja’s return to the side is all the more impressive given that last December he suffered a serious knee injury that put him out of action until the middle of this year. He said there were times during his lay-off that he wondered if his career might have been over, but now he has the chance to build the solid Test career that he has promised since his debut in 2011.”It’s massive, I’m just happy to be playing cricket again,” Khawaja said. “I was thinking about it this morning and at one point I thought – with the knee injury my career might have been over. And then obviously I did a ton of work to get back. I’m just happy to be playing cricket again, it’s a lot of fun. So yes it’s a big bonus I think.”

Afghanistan eye another historic first

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Having sealed a maiden ODI series win against a Full Member side, Afghanistan will look to repeat the feat in the T20 series in the last match of their Zimbabwe tour

The Preview by Liam Brickhill27-Oct-2015

Match facts

Wednesday 28 October
Start time 1.00pm local (1100 GMT)Craig Ervine has a poor record in T20 internationals, but Zimbabwe are likely to persist with him due to the lack of a credible alternative in their squad•AFP

The big picture

The final home international of Zimbabwe’s busiest season in more than a decade draws to a close with the second Twenty20 against Afghanistan at Queens Sports Club. Zimbabwe have little but pride to play for, but Afghanistan will be chasing another historic first. Afghanistan’s win on Monday was their first over a Full Member in Twenty20 internationals, and if they complete another victory on Wednesday they will have achieved another notable first with a win over a Full Member in a Twenty20 series.That is partly indicative of the fact that Associate teams tend to play Full Members only during major tournaments, but perhaps Afghanistan’s most important achievement on this tour has been to effectively blur the line between the bottom rung of the Full Members and the top Associates – something that Ireland just failed to do, despite playing in three fantastically exciting games.Many have been left asking how it’s possible that Zimbabwe have regressed so quickly, after all the gains that have been made this year, and both the media and fan pages are awash with theories as to what is ailing them. Pride has been pricked, alarm and despondency unleashed. But that is missing the point just a little. Zimbabwe appear to have been caught off guard by the intensity of competition offered by Afghanistan, and the real story is how much Afghanistan have progressed, rather than the other way around.If there’s one area in which Afghanistan have truly surpassed Zimbabwe, it’s the enjoyment they seem to derive from every act of the game. Raees Ahmadzai, a former Afghanistan captain, remarked that the one-day series win was celebrated at home as though Afghanistan had just won the World Cup, and there were tears in the eyes of the cricketers as they celebrated that victory. Afghanistan’s passion for the game is self evident.It would be churlish to suggest that Zimbabwe’s cricketers don’t play with pride and passion of their own, but it is clear that there is a spark missing. Perhaps, after what will have felt like a humiliating defeat, they need to rediscover what it was that drew them to the game in the first place. Wednesday’s game must be seen as an opportunity to do that.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LLLLW
Afghanistan WWWLW

In the spotlight

There are no television cameras to capture it, nor speed guns to measure it, but Dawlat Zadran has looked leagues above the other seamers on either side with the old ball during this tour. Dawlat was clocked at just over 145kph at the Asia Cup last year, and he has certainly looked swift in every match here, but more impressive than his pace has been the direction of his yorkers at the death, and his controlled use of reverse swing. Dawlat picked up a career best 4-22 in the deciding ODI, and his late burst on Monday turned the match for Afghanistan. He will be expected to keep Zimbabwe’s batsmen leashed once again.Zimbabwe appear beyond the point where a single individual might stand out and make a difference for the team. The impressive efforts of the spinners Tendai Chisoro and Wellington Masakadza weren’t enough to turn the ODI series for them, and Sikandar Raza (86) and Sean Williams (102) both contributed heroic innings in vain. The entire Zimbabwean team is going to have to coalesce if they are to raise themselves out of this funk. That’s difficult to do when you’re not winning much, but it’s the only real path back to success for them.

Team news

Craig Ervine’s form has tailed off dramatically in his last four matches, and he is yet to convince as a Twenty20 batsman, with a strike rate of 80.50 from 13 matches. But the only replacement for him in the squad is the uncapped Kevin Kasuza, whose domestic T20 record is also modest. Zimbabwe will thus probably go with an unchanged XI.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Sikandar Raza, 3 Sean Williams, 4 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Malcolm Waller, 7 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 8 Tendai Chisoro, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Taurai Muzarabani, 11 Chris Mpofu.Afghanistan’s XI performed solidly as a team on Monday, and there is no pressing reason for them to consider changes to their side.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Usman Ghani, 2 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 3 Karim Sadiq, 4 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Shafiqullah, 8 Gulbadin Naib, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Dawlat Zadran, 11 Amir Hamza.

Pitch and conditions

Zimbabwe’s effort with the bat on Monday was probably about 20 runs under par, and the short boundaries and hard ball should theoretically make run-scoring fairly easy in this format, in these conditions. Having played on every one of the surfaces on the square during this tour, both teams will have a good idea what to expect from the surface. Spin will continue to be important, though the battle between bat and ball should remain an equal one.The day before the match was blustery and cloudy, but the weather should clear by Wednesday.

Stats and trivia

  • Zimbabwe have won only seven of the 39 T20Is they have played, and three of those wins were against Canada, Netherlands and UAE.
  • Afghanistan have won 18 of the 32 T20Is they have played, but their victory over Zimbabwe on Monday was their first over a Full Member.
  • Najibullah Zadran has hit more sixes (16) than fours (14) in T20Is.
  • Sean Williams is Zimbabwe’s leading runscorer in T20 cricket this year, with 177 runs from seven innings at an average of 35.40 and a strike rate of 122.06.

Quotes

“Psychologically, Zimbabwe are under a lot of pressure now, especially after losing the ODI series.”
“Queens is a flat track, and if we bat first again we have to put on much more than 150.”

Australia sneak home in tense finish

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Australia sneaked home to win the inaugural day-night Test match against New Zealand by three wickets

The Report by Brydon Coverdale29-Nov-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShaun Marsh top scored in Australia’s chase•Getty Images

It lasted only three days, but Test cricket’s first match with a pink ball provided an electric finish. At 8.47pm on a Sunday, under floodlights, in front of 33,923 spectators, Australia squeezed out a victory over New Zealand that was far tenser than the one-sided World Cup final between the same countries, eight months ago to the day. Chasing 187, Australia eked out their last two runs through Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc, who could barely jog given the stress fracture in his foot.The three-wicket win was confirmed as Siddle punched one past point off Tim Southee, Starc hobbling through to give Australia a 2-0 win in the series. By the end, New Zealand had six slips; it was all or nothing for Brendon McCullum’s men, a five-wicket haul from Trent Boult having given them a chance. For a while Australia were doing it easier, but a couple of late wickets brought the Test back to life.Shaun Marsh steered Australia to within 11 of their goal but when he edged to slip for 49 off Boult, New Zealand had a sniff. In Boult’s next over he claimed Peter Nevill, whose inside edge was snapped up sharply by BJ Watling. Australia still needed two, and surprisingly Starc limped to the crease ahead of Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. A Siddle straight drive off Southee crashed into the stumps at the bowler’s end, adding to the tension, before the winning runs came.It was a breathless end to an experimental match, and there will certainly be more day-night Tests in future. The match crowd of 123,736 was an all-time Adelaide Oval record for a non-Ashes Test, despite the fact that the game lasted only three days. The low scores were more the result of batsmen failing to knuckle down than of the pink ball doing anything untoward; in all four innings the ball held its colour well, and there was appropriate swing and seam movement.The longest individual innings of the Test was the 117-ball effort of Shaun Marsh in Australia’s chase. He walked to the crease hoping the result of this match was in his hands, and certain that his own Test future was. At 32, on his sixth chance at Test cricket, and having been run out for 2 in the first innings, this was it. Australia’s captain and vice-captain had just departed. New Zealand had the momentum. At 3 for 66, Australia needed 121 more runs.New Zealand confidently appealed for an lbw from Marsh’s first ball but he had managed an inside edge on to his pad off Boult. His start might have been nervy but he survived. Marsh began to find a few runs here and there, helped along by a short one from Mark Craig that was cut to the boundary. His confidence grew, as did his calm. A 49-run stand with Adam Voges steadied Australia, until Boult induced an edge to slip from Voges on 28.The Marsh brothers then found themselves batting together for Australia for the first time in any format. What a time for it to happen. Mitchell Marsh survived some shaky moments and the brothers put on 46, pushing Australia to within sight of the win. For a while it looked as if they were going to be together to score the winning runs in a Test; Steve and Mark Waugh batted together 73 times in Test cricket but managed that achievement only once.However, Mitchell became overconfident after lifting Mitchell Santner for a six, and next ball holed out to mid-on for 28 trying another lusty blow. It looked like Shaun would have to get Australia home on his own, but his edge off Boult sent palpitations through both camps. In the end, New Zealand just hadn’t set Australia quite enough, despite the low-scoring nature of the match.The bowlers at least made Australia work hard for it, Boult especially asking more questions of them than a TV quiz show host. Boult led the attack outstandingly, swinging the ball in to trap Joe Burns lbw for 11 and then adding Steven Smith in a similar manner for 14. Just before Smith fell, David Warner’s streaky innings ended when he edged to slip off Doug Bracewell for 35. Australia lost their first three wickets for 66, but the rest of the order did just enough.They could thank Hazlewood for ensuring the target was gettable. His career-best 6 for 70 – and nine wickets for the Test – made him Man of the Match, and he stepped up as leader of the attack in the absence of the injured Starc. New Zealand added 92 to their overnight total for the loss of their last five wickets, three of which were claimed by Hazlewood.He started the day by having Watling caught at second slip without adding to his overnight score of 7, but Australia’s hopes of a swift end to the innings were dashed by debutant Mitchell Santner. He top scored with 45 and looked confident throughout his innings, striking five fours and one six, and compiling useful partnerships with both Craig and Bracewell.Craig managed 15 before he gave Hazlewood a five-for by edging behind and Santner looked set for a half-century when he lofted Lyon over long-on for a six that took him to 45. However, Lyon outfoxed him two deliveries later, dragging his length back to turn one past the advancing Santner, who was stumped. In spite of the rush of blood – and of a dropped catch later in the day when Smith skied one to midwicket – Santner’s debut was impressive.Southee holed out for 13 off Mitchell Marsh and Bracewell was left unbeaten on 27 when Hazlewood ended the innings by bowling Boult just before tea. It meant Australia faced a tricky chase and would have to bat in the swinging evening conditions but they were good enough – just. And a memorable end to Test cricket’s first day-nighter was set to play out.

Kings XI keen to play more IPL games in Pune

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Kings XI Punjab have expressed their desire to play more matches at the Maharashtra Cricket Associaton stadium on the outskirts of Pune in the next edition of the IPL

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Dec-2015Kings XI Punjab have expressed their desire to play more matches at the Maharashtra Cricket Associaton stadium on the outskirts of Pune in the next edition of the IPL, but have clarified that Mohali will continue to remain their base. While the Maharashtra Cricket Association is open to hosting Kings XI, a final decision can only be taken based on whether one of the two new franchises, that will be announced tomorrow, picks Pune as their home base.The MCA stadium was one of the home venues for Kings XI in IPL 2015 and hosted three matches.Mohit Burman, one of the co-owners of Kings XI Punjab, said the franchise would speak to the BCCI on the matter soon. “We played a few matches this season in Pune and it was a good experience. We would now want to play more matches there,” Burman told ESPNcricnfo.Burman, however, said the franchise had no desire to shift its base to Pune. “We remain a Punjab franchise and we would continue to play in Mohali,” he said.While Kings XI have lost four of their five matches overall at the MCA Stadium in Pune, they have benefited financially. “They played only three matches in Pune. They made [Rs] 10.6 crore within that short period,” an IPL official said. “If they play five-plus [games], then their profits would increase effectively.”The official, however, said that Kings XI would have to wait for the outcome of the auction on Tuesday, where the two new franchises that will replace Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will be unveiled. “What if one of the new franchises opts for Pune, which is part of the nine bidding cites?” he said.

Bangladesh spin WI out for 114 and win

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The Bangladesh spinners gobbled up eight wickets to bowl West Indies out for 114 and secure an eight-wicket win in the first Youth ODI in Mirpur

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2016
ScorecardNazmul Hossain Shanto and Saif Hassan took Bangladesh Under-19s to victory•BCB

The Bangladesh spinners gobbled up eight wickets to bowl West Indies out for 114 and secure an eight-wicket win in the first Youth ODI in Mirpur.Left-arm spinner Saleh Ahmed Shawon took four wickets while offspinners Sanjit Saha and Saeed Sarkar took two each as West Indies were knocked over in 39.2 overs. Opener Gidron Pope made 31 off 41 balls with two fours and three sixes and Emmanuel Stewart added 30 off 66 balls, but seven of their team-mates fell for single-digits.West Indies’ hopes flickered to life when Bangladesh opener Pinak Ghosh fell in the second over to Obaid McCoy but Saif Hassan and Nazmul Hossain Shanto added 70 runs together in an unbroken third wicket stand and finished the game off in the 21st over. Saif made an unbeaten 39 off 68 balls with five fours and a six while Shanto’s 41 not out came off just 36 balls with six fours and a six.

Kohli, bowlers put India in final

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Virat Kohli stroked his third fifty in as many T20s against Sri Lanka to send his team cruising to the Asia Cup final, after a tight bowling performance had restrained the opposition to 138 for 9

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:31

By the Numbers – Kohli Bradmanesque in 2016

Virat Kohli stroked his third fifty in as many T20s against Sri Lanka to send his team cruising to the Asia Cup final, after a tight bowling performance had restrained the opposition to 138 for 9. Kohli arrived with India wobbling at 16 for 2 in the fourth over, but soon enlisted Suresh Raina, then Yuvraj Singh, for support, in what was eventually a comfortable chase. The winning runs were hit with four balls and five wickets to spare. Kohli’s share was a 47-ball 56 not out.It had been Ashish Nehra and Jasprit Bumrah who earned India the initial impetus, however, taking out a batsman apiece during their miserly new-ball spells. Sri Lanka coughed and spluttered right through their innings, losing wickets just as a significant partnership seemed to be forming. Chamara Kapugedera top-scored with 30 from 32, before late blows from Thisara Perera and Nuwan Kulasekara propelled the team to what was a half-decent score, given the conditions. Dew would make defending it substantially harder, however.Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and R Ashwin all took two wickets apiece for India, and Nehra made a customary early breakthrough. Ashwin was typically crafty, but the seamers’ scalps were largely the result of good discipline, as Sri Lanka batsmen attempted to manufacture big strokes following long, quiet spells.Kohli was in good touch from early in his innings, smoking Angelo Mathews through midwicket fifth ball, before pumping Nuwan Kulasekara through point before the end of the Powerplay. He’d hit one more sublime cover-drive off Dushmantha Chameera, in the first half of the innings, but largely laid low after that, mining singles and twos from the outfield instead. He ticked along, and Raina followed suit – the pair putting on 54 together for the third wicket.When Raina departed in the 12th over, India were marginally shy of the required rate, but Kohli’s assured presence warded off panic. He let Yuvraj play himself into some kind of form, and kept India striding confidently toward the total. Memorably bludgeoning huge, consecutive sixes off Herath, Yuvraj also produced his most substantial innings since early 2014 – an 18-ball 35.Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina steadied India’s chase after an early wobble•Associated Press

Pandya didn’t last long against Herath, but MS Dhoni was on hand to assist Kohli with the finish. Kohli crossed fifty in the penultimate over, then lifted Herath over cow corner to reap the winning runs.Earlier, Dinesh Chandimal creamed a four second ball, then failed to score off the next eight deliveries, before sending an inside edge to the keeper off Nehra. Tillakaratne Dilshan’s modest form persisted at the other end, though he pilfered a few runs behind the wicket, before hooking Pandya to fine leg, to end on 18. With Shehan Jayasuriya also having been dismissed cheaply Sri Lanka had slipped to 31 for 3 at the beginning of the seventh over. India’s seamers had made good use of the juice in the pitch – Bumrah threatening batsmen’s edges, in particular.Mathews and Kapugedera attempted to set down a platform for Sri Lanka’s hitters, but their going was slow. Halfway through the innings, Sri Lanka had mustered only 47. Just when Mathews finally began to find the boundary, hitting three fours from five balls, he got himself out to an innocuous ball. Attempting to run a single to third man, Mathews played Pandya back onto his stumps, to finish with 18 from 19 balls.There were flashes of aggression from Kapugedera and Milinda Siriwardana, who put on 43 runs off the 31 balls they had together. Siriwardana even launched Ravindra Jadeja into the sightscreen, then nurdled him to the third man fence, in successive deliveries. But, as has often been the case in recent India v Sri Lanka matches, Ashwin dealt a decisive blow, removing Siriwardana in the 17th over, before Dasun Shanaka ran himself out off a free hit, a few balls later.Kapugedara’s departure, though, brought a little acceleration. Thisara Perera bludgeoned two fours and a six in his first five balls, before charging Ashwin one too many times, in the penultimate over. Having anticipated the advance, Ashwin slipped the ball wide of off stump – conceding the extra, but claiming the wicket. Replays would show, though, that Perera shouldn’t have been given out stumped. Somehow, the batsman had managed to swing his bat back into the crease before Dhoni snapped the bails off, despite the square-leg umpire having given him out immediately. Late leg-side blows from Kulasekara gave the innings a final, if futile, fillip.

India Under-19s cogs settling into place

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They have played only one Full Member team so far in the World Cup, but captain Ishan Kishan and coach Rahul Dravid are hopeful of India taking on any challenge

Vishal Dikshit in Fatullah06-Feb-2016Once India Under-19s chose to bat on a sunny morning on the flat Fatullah pitch, there was a high probability that they would score big. The batsmen toyed with Namibia’s bowlers, cashed in on their sloppy fielding and then bowled them out for less than half the target of 350 even though the usual strategy of stifling oppositions with early wickets and dot balls didn’t work today.All of India’s cogs are now settling into one another as the unbeaten team heads to the semi-finals. But, with Australia pulling out of the tournament, they have faced only one Full Member team in four matches. As such the team hasn’t been fully tested yet, and coach Rahul Dravid had been worried over a few issues over the depth of their batting. Now not so much.”We had a few hiccups earlier on in the batting but it is nice to see that we have recovered and we are playing well,” he said. “We’re playing good cricket, focusing on the processes and not worrying too much about the results and things are going well. I think we have played some good cricket right through the tournament. At some stages, I still feel we have not played a perfect game, but this was our best all-round performance.”India are slowly becoming efficient in all respects. It didn’t matter that their bowling leader Avesh Khan went wicketless for the first time in the tournament today. The other bowlers chipped in. Sharp catches were held by the slip fielders and the top order looks more proficient now.Today was about mental adjustments though. Namibia, although an Associate team, made it to the quarter-finals after knocking defending champions South Africa out so captain Ishan Kishan wanted to make sure India weren’t taking things easy.”Even if you are playing a smaller team you just need one good ball to get out whether it’s from a New Zealand or Namibia bowler,” he said. “We were not treating them like a weak team. Our batsmen have been doing well and scored when it mattered and rotated the strike. We were keeping our energy level high.”We had spoken about our intensity during the team meeting today that we’ve been taking early wickets in each match and there were phases in the middle when we thought we would keep taking wickets. Today we had taken a target in our mind [to bowl them out] – 150 – and they were doing well at 90 for 2 and we told ourselves that we need to limit them to 150 only.Dravid also said his team was not taking Namibia lightly. “Before the game started, we spoke about the dangers of being complacent and we wanted to get a win,” he said. “When you come into knockout stage, you can’t take any team for granted.”One factor that would still bother the Indian camp would be the Kishan’s form after scores of 6, 52, 4 and 0 so far. “I’ve played four matches but haven’t done well in three of those,” he admitted. “Still I know my strengths and I know I can score well here. For now I won’t keep my body language loose and focus as much as I can.”Rishabh Pant is among the top-five run-scorers in the Under-19 World Cup•ICC

Kishan also highlighted on the benefits of a boot camp in Mysore before arriving in Bangladesh. He said it helped the players understand each other, built camaraderie and, more importantly, trust too.”All teams play together for a long time and they get to practice a lot. It’s not like that with us,” Kishan said. “Other teams got five-odd tours but we had only two. The boot camp was very helpful because you trust each other while carrying out tasks. Those things are helping us now and we are taking care of each other, thinking about others’ problems and helping each other out.”One of the two tours India played in was in Sri Lanka where they won a tri-series also involving England. Now Sri Lanka and England will face each other in the third quarter-final on Sunday and the winner will play India in the semi-final. But Kishan does not want to rest on past experience.”The only advantage is that we are slightly familiar with their batsmen and bowlers but we don’t see which team we are playing against, we focus on the game and move forward. If we think about the opposition and that we have beaten Sri Lanka, then it will be a negative point for us. We have to forget all that and play afresh here. We know their strengths and weakness and we want to move forward match by match.”Since it will be India’s second match of the tournament against a Full Member side, Kishan was asked if that would expose some flaws in the team that have not been seen so far. “It’s not like we haven’t done well,” he said. “Overall if you see we’ve been doing well since the Sri Lanka tour and we didn’t win all the matches easily. At the end they looked easy but initially there would be phases when you would be under pressure.”India have done well till now to recover from top-order stutters and some exceptional fielding has complemented a balanced bowling attack. Two of their batsmen are now among the top five run-scorers of the tournament. Their spinners are also moving up the charts and Avesh, with nine, is the second-highest wicket-taker. There was still one aspect the captain thought India could improve on.”Our batting is going well, fielding has been very good with single-handed catches and direct hits. The only area we want to improve on is mental toughness,” Kishan said. “We need to be mentally strong and not buckle under pressure that it’s a semi-final.”It can happen in a World Cup semi-final since it’s a big match, there are expectations since a lot of people are watching you on TV. We want to be as tough as possible and not care much about the result. We are not lacking in mental toughness. We don’t want to panic which was good today also because they were off to a good start but we didn’t panic.”

Buttler urges perspective after Gayle onslaught

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Crouching behind the stumps at the Wankhede on Wednesday, Jos Buttler had a bat’s eye view of Chris Gayle at his brazen best

Andrew Miller in Mumbai17-Mar-2016Crouching behind the stumps at the Wankhede on Wednesday, Jos Buttler had a bat’s eye view of Chris Gayle at his brazen best, as he watched England’s hopes of an opening match victory disappear into the Mumbai night on 11 contemptuous occasions.For a man whose next assignment after this tournament will be a maiden stint with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Gayle’s performance was an education for Buttler in both the short and the medium term. But the rough treatment that he doled out, in particular to the spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, will have long-term implications for England’s tournament hopes if they fail to bounce back with victory on Friday night against their most familiar recent foes, South Africa.”We came up against a great innings from someone who can do that,” said Buttler. “We weren’t the first side and we certainly won’t be the last, either. I think it highlights that you really have to be 100% on your game against someone who’s capable of that sort of innings, but we have to park that game. We know it’s gone now, and to advance in this tournament we need to focus all our energy on the next game.”England, understandably, opted against a practice session this morning – a period of quiet contemplation by the hotel pool is more than enough prep for a team whom England have faced in 11 matches and three formats since December. And it is not as if West Indies’ methods left anything to the imagination where the Wankhede is concerned either. The pitch is full of runs, bowling is fraught with danger, and Buttler knows that forewarned will be forearmed.”Against these top players you have to execute your skills,” he said. “You can have as many plans as you like, but if you can’t execute a skill to that plan then you’re stuffed anyway. If you need to be able to bowl a yorker in front of thousands of people to one of the world’s best batters, then you’ve got to be able to do it or they’re going to hurt you like we saw last night.”Gayle’s brilliance implied that no total would have been safe, and yet Buttler admitted that England had let their chances slip earlier in the match, by failing to press on to a total that could have given their bowlers the protection that they needed.In particular, Buttler suggested, the opening partnership of Jason Roy and Alex Hales failed to press on in the way that might have been hoped after negotiating a promising platform in the Powerplay. And he was critical of his own finishing as well, as a threatening effort of 30 from 20 balls ended with a tame miscue to square leg off a low full-toss from Dwayne Bravo.”With the bat we were probably par at best,” Buttler said. “I think probably in the first six [overs], those two guys who have been so consistent in getting us off to good starts, when they catch fire they could put on even more. And then again at the end, we finished the innings well. Myself or someone else could have had a couple of really big overs, and instead of getting a 30, we could have make it a 60 and taken us up to that 200 score.”Overall, Buttler was eager to remain phlegmatic. Tournament cricket invariably serves up precarious scenarios on the back of untimely defeats, but such is the structure of this year’s World T20, England could once again be leaving the party before it has started if they cannot turn their fortunes around immediately.”You come to these tournaments, they’re hard games,” said Buttler. “Especially the format, to go to the semi-finals you’ve got to win games. But that’s tournament cricket. If we lose one game and win five in a row and win the World Cup, we’d be happy with that.”You just have to take it as it comes,” he added. “You do the same things. It’s still a game of cricket, you still have the same emotions and the same thought processes – it’s still 20 overs, it’s still 22 yards. We’ve got to focus on that and learn from what happened last night because playing against good teams, you’ve got to be right up there on your game to win these matches.”South Africa, Buttler conceded, will offer few surprises coming into the contest. England know their methods from claustrophobically close analysis over the past few months, and doubtless recognise that Friday night’s showdown could be a trial by rapier rather than broadsword if AB de Villiers follows Gayle’s big show with his own unique stylings.But, as their errors in the West Indies contest comprehensively demonstrated, England’s focus has to be on self-improvement rather than worrying unduly about what their opponents have to throw at them. It has, after all, been the mantra of their recent upturn in white-ball cricket. Fear is the enemy when one’s natural game is the aim, and Buttler admitted that nothing that happens in the next few days will come close to the misery of their colourless capitulation at the World Cup.”I think we need to put a bit of perspective on it,” he said. “Ten months ago at the World Cup was some of the worst feelings I’ve ever had on a cricket field. But you still come back from them, you just dust yourself down and go again.”Guys who are inexperienced are loving the thought of playing the World Cup and playing these big games, especially in India where cricket is just so high-profile,” he added. “The only way you can get more experienced is by playing, so they’ll have learnt from that and grow from that. And of course, if anything was a shock to anyone last night, or was different, then of course it’s not going to be tomorrow night.”De Villiers, with his recent record at the Wankhede, might have something to say about that. But it is hard to fault the optimistic sentiments from a team that is still learning on the hoof.

Titans defend 136 to be crowned champions

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Titans were crowned South Africa’s first-class champions after a ten-run win over Cobras in three days in Paarl

Firdose Moonda09-Apr-2016 Titans were crowned South Africa’s first-class champions after a 10-run win over Cobras inside three days. Titans, who topped the points table going into the final weekend, ensured they stayed there despite an early scare in Paarl.Cobras were bowled out for 164 in their first innings after Wayne Parnell, who took 12 for 105 against Dolphins last week, added another five-for this week. Parnell had assistance from right-arm pacer Dane Paterson, who took three wickets, while Vernon Philander bowled a typically strangling eight overs.For a while it looked like Cobras would squander the advantage as they slumped to 51 for 4, but Omphile Ramela, the captain, and Cebo Tshiki put on a fifth-wicket stand of 95, before Parnell added to his accolades with 59 to put Cobras in the lead. They were bowled out for 285, thereby taking a 121-run lead.Enter Heino Kuhn. After becoming only the sixth South African to record 1000 runs in a first-class season, he wiped out the deficit as his team-mates were outspun by Dane Piedt. The offspinner took 7 for 106, with the only other Titans’ batsman to cross 30 being Henry Davids, the captain. That set Cobras a target of 136, which they defended against the odds.Cobras would have fancied their chances even as they stumbled to 74 for 4. But when they lost Dane Vilas, Parnell and Philander in the space of two overs to slip to 87 for 7, the fight fizzled out. They were dismissed for 125, with Rowan Richards, who finished with 7 for 40, the hero of the second innings.Titan’s nearest challengers, Lions , who were in second place, all but bowed out of the race on the first day as they were bowled out for 68, with Sisanda Magala, the pacer, taking 6 for 25. They eventually lost by an innings and 101 runs to Warriors .Hardus Viljoen gave Lions the perfect start with a wicket off the first ball in Warriors’ reply, but their small total was always going to make things difficult. Although Viljoen ended with a five-for, half-centuries from Colin Ackermann, Somila Seyibokwe and Simon Harmer, the captain, ensured they took a 307-run first-innings lead.On the evidence of Lions’ first innings, Warriors would have felt confident of an innings win. With Lions 61 for 4 in reply, that confidence wasn’t misplaced. Nicky van den Bergh resisted with 52, but all they managed was to take the game into the third day. They were bowled out for 206 to give Warriors an innings and 101-run victory and a second successive win to end an otherwise barren summer.