Featuring a career cricket administrator, a former national minister, and Lalit Modi

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Jan-2014The board outside the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) academy is rusted, tilts backwards, and the lettering, originally dark blue, is faded, so you can barely read the sign: “Ready to battle. India.”The swimming pool is empty, the floor surrounding it chipped. The indoor academy looks like an old warehouse, not like a state-of the-art one built in 2006. The Astroturf is torn in patches, especially near take-off points at the bowler’s crease. Bowling machines gather dust in a corner. The walls are damp and cracked.Across the road stands the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur’s ground for international matches and nearly all its domestic matches. The stands in the SMS, as the ground is popularly known, are dusty.This was the ground from where Lalit Modi launched himself into the BCCI. Within six months of laying the foundation stone, he managed to build not only an international stadium but also a world-class academy. Now this showpiece of Modi’s empire lies in disrepair. Whichever group comes to power in the RCA elections has a task on its hands: return to Rajasthan cricket some of the pride and glitter it enjoyed just a few years ago.

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The recent messy history of Rajasthan cricket can be squarely put down to politics and personal clashes. A few names crop up repeatedly.”The RCA has been in limbo ever since CP Joshi took over as the president,” a former RCA managing committee member, says. Joshi, a former federal minister from the Indian National Congress, became the RCA president in December 2009 after he ousted the incumbent, Sanjay Dixit, a straight-talking civil servant, from the elite Indian Administrative Service. Dixit had lasted barely nine months as president after defeating Modi, who, people felt, had in the end been distracted by the BCCI’s politics and power.Dixit’s ouster, in turn, was engineered by Modi, who formed a group within the RCA that made it difficult for Dixit to function freely. Modi used his clout to ask the BCCI to allow two representatives from the RCA – one from Dixit’s group and the other from the faction – to attend board meetings. Dixit’s position was further undermined when, at the BCCI AGM in 2009, it was decided to shift an ODI against Australia from Jaipur to Vadodara. The divide in the RCA prompted the Rajasthan government of the time to appoint an ad hoc committee before holding fresh elections, where Joshi – whose Congress party was in power in the state – became the president and Dixit its secretary.Dixit lasted in the new position for two years, but his relationship with Joshi became strained with time. “Joshi had no interest in cricket,” the committee member says. “He came here for glamour and visibility and favours that he could extend to people.”Joshi further curtailed Dixit’s powers by passing an order that a committee had to ratify all decisions, which made the secretary’s position virtually redundant. Dixit says that among the reasons he and Joshi fell out were his decisions not to allow non-Ranji cricketers to become selectors, unqualified persons to become coaches, marks to be fudged in umpires’ exams, and to not tolerate any interference in player selections.Eventually Dixit was forced to step aside, and was replaced by Joshi’s choice, KK Sharma, then the secretary of the Bhilwara Cricket Association. Dixit then realigned with Modi – two old friends-turned-foes united once again in their aspiration for power.ESPNcricinfo tried contacting Joshi, KK Sharma, and Mahendra Sharma, the treasurer until last month’s elections, but they weren’t available for comment. Joshi said he “did not want to talk about cricket” while the RCA election matter was being heard in the Supreme Court.

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There’s a third axis in this battle for power in Rajasthan. Kishore Rungta is a member of the family that ruled the RCA for 32 years before Modi won the 2005 election by a solitary vote, thanks to a new law passed by the Rajasthan government that abolished the voting rights of individual members and allowed only the district associations to vote during elections in all sports bodies.

One player says that when he asked Joshi if he could do something for Rajasthan’s performers at the national level, the president asked him to fax the request to him. “I am talking to my state cricket president, not a politician”

Till then the voting rights had lain with 67 individual members and 32 district associations. Rungta has challenged the law and the matter now rests with the Supreme Court, with Modi’s fate tied to the outcome of the case.”According to us, voting is a fundamental right,” Rungta said. “RCA is a private body, so you cannot prevent somebody from voting in order to benefit one individual. No other state has such a law.”The district associations, Rungta says, are run by individuals. “In each district ten to 12 clubs registered in each district form the association. Out of these, three would belong to the president, few to the treasurer and the rest to the secretary. Barring Jaipur no new members have come into the district associations.”Rungta said one of the main reasons why his family held power in the RCA for three decades was because the managing committee then comprised not only individual members but also former cricketers, including former BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur, Hanumant Singh and other senior Ranji cricketers.Modi and Joshi continue to head the two major groups that control the RCA. Rungta supports neither, but agrees with others that Joshi’s lack of involvement has had a negative impact on the RCA and that things have stagnated.Rajasthan have won the Ranji Trophy twice during Joshi’s presidency, but Rungta says the association is run on auto-pilot. “Whatever tournaments we started still carry on. There are no discussions on cricket as such. There is no thought process and application of minds on how to improve cricket in Rajasthan. Cricketers are never assured about their places. There is no talent hunt. While I have seen eminent people of RCA mingling with Bollywood actors and attending BCCI meetings, I have never seen them going to the districts and attending Under-19 matches or encouraging U-16 boys.”Rungta says that under Modi, rival though he may be, the administration gave priority to cricket. “To the credit of Modi, at least he built the infrastructure. At least there was some concentration, took the ground on lease. There were some positives. But during the time of CP Joshi, nothing happened.”A former RCA official agrees with Rungta that the players have suffered in the absence of proper administration. “The casualty was cricket and the players,” he says. “Pankaj Singh missed out on being picked in the national squad. Youngsters like Ashok Menaria, Deepak Chahar, Robin Bist lost people who could provide guidance and nurture them.According to him, some of these players often in the past needed mentors who could raise their confidence, pinpoint areas of weakness, show the best way forward, and try to promote their names during selection meetings for Duleep Trophy and Challenger Trophy tournaments. During Rajasthan’s triumphant years in the Ranji Trophy, it is said that no official from the Joshi administration talked to senior players about their concerns.The RCA Academy’s swimming pool lacks one vital ingredient•ESPNcricinfo LtdPlayers say they never met Joshi during his four-year term other than for a few handshakes at functions. One player says that when he asked Joshi if he could do something for Rajasthan’s performers at the national level, the president asked him to fax the request to him. “I am talking to my state cricket president , not a politician,” the player says.To some sceptics it’s surprising that Rajasthan managed to win the Ranji Trophy in succession in that period. One reason could be that during 2010-11 season, when they won their maiden Ranji title, Dixit was in charge and closely involved in cricketing matters. The following season Joshi did not alter anything.”The good thing is all the administrative heavyweights are so busy fighting among themselves that they just don’t have time for us,” says the player. “It results in the captain and coach getting a free hand, and perhaps that’s what has resulted in the team’s success. There have been occasional changes in the selection panel based on change of guard in RCA. But never ever have the office bearers made sweeping changes, which tends to disrupt the consistency in team policies. And with the captain having been an integral part of selection panel meetings, even the odd pushover by the ruling faction has been avoided.”In contrast, Modi inspired confidence in the players. “Whatever we have experienced is because of Modi. We are still using the same indoor academy and the same Astroturf that was installed during his years,” another Rajasthan player says.The general perception among most cricketers from the state side is that Modi had the power and voice in the BCCI to get them an opportunity to play for an India team, whether it was Emerging Players or A tours. “Regardless of whether he was after power, and that is why he wants to come back to RCA now, Modi at least at times would ask us what he could do,” the player says. “Forget performers like Pankaj, even a youngster like Deepak Chahar, during his debut season, when he took 40 wickets, was not even in Challenger Trophy. Let him at least be in the squad. Allow him to dream big. Look at Imtiaz Ahmed [Uttar Pradesh]. He did well last season and was part of the India A squad,” the player says.

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The Supreme Court is likely to declare the RCA election results on January 17. The general feeling in Jaipur is that Modi will win, with only three district associations voting against him.It does not seem to matter to his supporters that Modi is banned by the BCCI, a target of Indian government investigations for several alleged foreign exchange violations during his IPL term, and the holder of a revoked passport, which makes him liable to be arrested if he lands in India.Even if he wins, with his inability to travel to India, he will be an absentee president. People acknowledge that his absence could affect the day-to-day administration, especially given his propensity for the outrageous and unprecedented.There is also a feeling that Modi will not enjoy the same level of political support in Rajasthan that he had in his previous stint as RCA chief. His old friend Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the sister of the former BCCI president Madhavrao Scindia, is back as Rajasthan chief minister. It was her government that framed the law that helped Modi unseat the Rungtas. But Scindia’s victory in the recent Rajasthan legislature elections was due in no small part to her senior party colleague Arun Jaitley, the former Delhi and Districts Cricket Association president, who, along with BCCI president N Srinivasan, is a bitter enemy of Modi. Jaitley was part of the BCCI disciplinary committee that took the decision to expel Modi from the BCCI for various charges of misconduct. Modi has challenged that ban in the court and continued to publicly oppose Jaitley.The players remain optimistic. “It is not like if Modi comes we can play for India. I know he will overhaul the cricketing structure at grassroots. At least he is a person who will listen to you. That will be an advantage to everyone.”

Also, highest total without extras, most match awards in a series, South African centurions in their final Tests, and century stands in both innings

Steven Lynch07-Jan-2014Brad Haddin scored at least a half-century in each Test of the Ashes series. Has anyone else ever done this? asked Steve Austin from Australia

Rather surprisingly, this turned out to be the 23rd time that a batsman had scored a fifty in every match of a five-Test series, the last occasion being by Shivnarine Chanderpaul for West Indies at home to India in 2002. John Edrich (1970-71 Ashes) and Mark Taylor (1989 Ashes) went one better, scoring at least one half-century in every Test of a six-match series. Where Brad Haddin is unique, though, is in the fact that all his half-centuries came from No. 7 in the batting order. Another wicketkeeper, the West Indian Gerry Alexander, achieved the feat in the famous 1960-61 series in Australia, but one of his fifties came after he was promoted to No. 6. Garry Sobers (West Indies v England in 1966) and Chanderpaul in 2002 also made all their half-centuries from No. 6 or lower in the order. No one has ever achieved the feat twice – and one of the closest to doing so is Haddin, who passed 50 in the first four Tests of the 2010-11 Ashes Down Under, before being out for 6 and 30 in the final game.Australia fielded the same team throughout the just-finished Ashes series. How often has this happened? asked Matt from the UK

This was only the fourth time that a team had survived unchanged throughout an entire five-match Test series. The last time it happened was in 1990-91, when West Indies fielded the same XI throughout their home series against Australia, which they won 2-1. The last time it happened before that was in 1905-06, when South Africa were unchanged throughout their home series against England, while in 1884-85 England fielded the same XI in all five Tests of that winter’s Australian tour. India (at home to Pakistan in 1979-80) and Australia (in England in 1989) both used only 12 players in six-Test series.Services made 135 in a recent Ranji Trophy match without any extras. Is this a record in first-class cricket? And what is the highest total without extras in a Test? asked Vikas Vadgama from India

The answer is that it isn’t even close – remarkably, when Victoria made 647 against Tasmania in Melbourne in 1951-52, there wasn’t a single extra. Next on this list is MCC’s 484 against North Eastern Transvaal in Benoni in 1948-49, in the innings in which Denis Compton made a triple-century in three hours. There have been 26 other totals of 300 or more which did not include a single extra, the most recent being Gujarat’s 301 for 6 declared against Orissa in Ahmedabad in 2009-10. The Test record is 328, by Pakistan against India in Lahore in 1954-55.Mitchell Johnson won three Man-of-the-Match awards in the Ashes series – has anyone done this before? asked Bruce Sivewright from Australia

This has really only been done twice before – by Ian Botham in the 1981 Ashes series, and by Michael Hussey for Australia in Sri Lanka in 2011. Hussey’s performance was particularly remarkable, as there were only three Tests in that series! Shaun Pollock also collected three match awards at home against West Indies in 1998-99, but the third one came when the award in the final Test was given to the whole South African side, who had just completed a 5-0 whitewash. Pollock’s own contribution in that match was three wickets, and innings of 13 and 3 not out. It should be pointed out that Man-of-the-Match awards only became a regular feature of Test matches during the 1980s.Is Jacques Kallis the first South African to score a hundred in his final Test? asked James Laird from Austria

He’s actually the fourth, but the first one who retired immediately after doing it. The first South African to score a century in what turned out to be his final Test was Pieter van der Bijl, who made 125 and 97 in the final Test of the 1938-39 home series against England – the famous Timeless Test in Durban. Because of the Second World War, South Africa did not play another Test until 1947, and van der Bijl was nearly 40 by then: the five matches of that 1938-39 series were his only taste of Test cricket. Then, early in 1970, Barry Richards and Lee Irvine both scored hundreds as South Africa completed a 4-0 whitewash of Australia in Port Elizabeth. Shortly afterwards, South Africa were excommunicated from Test cricket because of their government’s apartheid policies, and did not play another one for 22 years. Richards, one of the greatest batsmen of all, played only those four matches, and said later of his 140 at St George’s Park: “If I’d known that was my last Test they’d never have got me out!”Besides Hutton and Washbrook against Australia at Leeds in 1948, and Logie and Dujon against England at Lord’s in 1988, has any other batting pair been involved in century partnerships in both innings of a Test? asked AK Srivastava from India

There have actually been 37 instances of this, including the two you mention – the most recent one being by Peter Fulton and Kane Williamson for New Zealand against Bangladesh in Chittagong in October 2013. The first occasion was in Sydney back in 1924-25, when Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe shared opening stands of 157 and 110 for England. Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook actually did it twice, as did AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis (Kallis also did it with Hashim Amla; he and Younis Khan are the only person to feature three times on this list). For the full list, click here. There is only one instance of a pair sharing two stands of more than 150 in a Test: in the first match of England’s 1938-39 series in South Africa, in Johannesburg, Paul Gibb (who was making his debut) put on 184 with Eddie Paynter in the first innings, and 168 in the second.

Plays of the day from the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in Ranchi

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-May-2014The confused non-shot
Steven Smith had just hit Mohit Sharma for four with a safe, authoritative shot – a punch over cover after coming down the track. Next ball, he tried to be cute, and shaped for the scoop over fine leg even before Mohit Sharma released the ball. Seeing this, the bowler fired it straight and full instead of sending down his stock slower ball. Smith tried to adjust, and tried to play what can approximately be described as a ramp shot from knee-height, and came nowhere near connecting. The ball instead crashed into leg stump.The sticky bails
Kevon Cooper was making his first appearance of the season for Rajasthan Royals, and he almost struck with his first ball. Faf du Plessis defended a length ball from him, and the ball bounced down on the pitch and rolled back under his bat. It rolled all the way back to the base of the stumps, and Cooper began celebrating, before he realised the bails had not come off. Super Kings had just lost Suresh Raina in the previous over. Losing du Plessis at that point would have left them at a tricky 48 for 3, chasing 149.Royals tear up the template
In their last match, the Royals pulled off the perfect chase, staying ahead of the corresponding Royal Challengers Bangalore score at the end of every over. Their opening pair of Ajinkya Rahane and Karun Nair had laid the base for them with a half-century stand. Royals, who are known for their unpredictable tactical decisions, promptly sent in an entirely different combination in this game.You could argue it worked, looking at the 60 runs Ankit Sharma and Shane Watson added, but you could also argue it moved Rahane and Nair out of their comfort zones. Between them, batting at Nos. 3 and 4, they scored 12 off 18.Ditto Super Kings
One can never quite predict Royals’ selections or their batting order. With the Super Kings on the other hand, it’s a surprise if they deviate from a largely set formula. It was a surprise, therefore, to see them leave out Mithun Manhas and hand an IPL debut to the Tamil Nadu allrounder Vijay Shankar.It was even more surprising to see him take the ball in the 10th over of Royals’ innings. Super Kings had only taken one wicket before that, but they had kept things reasonably quiet. Now, an honest, up-and-down medium-pacer – who, from today’s admittedly scanty evidence, does not seem to possess the cunning changes of pace of, say, Rajat Bhatia – was up against Shane Watson, who relishes that sort of bowling. Watson, predictably, teed off. He started the over batting on 24 off 24 and ended it on 42 off 28. Shankar getting a bowl also meant Ishwar Pandey ended up bowling just three overs, even though he only conceded 18 runs.

A stats round-up of the second day’s play of the first Test between England and Sri Lanka at Lord’s

Bishen Jeswant13-Jun-2014England have never posted a 600-plus total against Sri Lanka in Test cricket and their declaration at Lord’s on 575 for 9 meant that the landmark would have to be achieved on another day. However, this was still England’s highest score against Sri Lanka in Test cricket. Sri Lanka have, however, managed to score 600 against England on one previous occasion, at Colombo, and came close another time when they got to 591 at The Oval in August 1998. It is therefore Sri Lanka, and not England, who hold the record for the highest team score in an innings for Tests played between these two countries in the UK.In the last four Tests that England have now played against Sri Lanka at Lord’s (2002, 2006, 2011 and 2014), they have scored 500-plus runs in at least one innings of all those games. Despite this, England only managed to draw the previous three games. In fact, England have only managed to win one of the last five matches when have scored 500-plus runs in an innings at Lord’s, and that against Bangladesh.England got their 575 runs in 130.3 overs and in a little less than five sessions. England’s run rate of 4.40 was the seventh highest in their Test history for a score of 500 or more. Excluding a couple of sub-hundred chases in the fourth innings at Manchester and Colombo, this was the highest innings run rate for England in a Test against Sri Lanka.Joe Root’s maiden double-century was the third instance of a player batting at No. 5 or below and scoring a double-century at Lord’s and is the first such instance since 1949. New Zealand’s Martin Donnelly was the last man to achieve this feat, during a dull draw in June 1949. The last time Root batted at Lord’s he played a match-winning knock of 180 to give England a huge victory, by 347 runs, against Australia in the 2013 Ashes. Root’s maiden double-hundred makes him one of only four Englishmen to have scored a double century by the age of 24.Also crucial to posting this big total was the ninth-wicket partnership of 81 runs between Root and Liam Plunkett – who is making a comeback since last playing a Test in June 2007. England need to look 70 innings into the past to find a better ninth-wicket partnership. Root and Plunkett put together their stand in only 84 balls at a run-rate of 5.78. From the time ball-by-ball data is available, this is England’s best partnership run rate for a ninth-wicket stand of 75 or more runs.While England piled on the runs, Shaminda Eranga did pick up three important wickets for Sri Lanka but conceded 163 runs in the process, which is the second-most expensive spell for a Sri Lanka fast bowler in Test cricket.When Sri Lanka came out to bat, they finished the day strongly on 140-1, with the openers putting together a strong first-wicket partnership of 54 runs. This was the third time that a Sri Lanka opening pair posted a 50-plus opening partnership at Lord’s. Kumar Sangakkara, who is at the crease and batting on 32*, went past Allan Border’s total of 11174 to go eighth on the list of leading run-scorers in Tests. However, he is yet to score a century at Lord’s, while his close friend Mahela Jayawardene is the only Sri Lankan whose name features twice on the honour’s board. Sri Lanka will be hoping to finish tomorrow with at least one, if not two, more entries on that hallowed board.

India may feel wronged by the Anderson-Jadeja verdict, but it is time to put the issue behind them and rally forward for the remaining two Tests

Sidharth Monga at Old Trafford06-Aug-2014When the hearing in the Grand Harbour hotel in Southampton finished, you could sense that the spirit had left the Indian team.Not all of them were present in Southampton- only MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Gautam Gambhir, Duncan Fletcher and physiotherapist Evan Speechly were there. They were all whisked away through the back of their hotel as soon as the verdict had been announced to them. We did not know yet what the verdict was, but there was a quiet around them.Why always us?: India feel the whole world is against them•PA PhotosIndia believed the England players had lied, and that James Anderson got away with it. India believed the incessant abuse had crossed all the limits when Jadeja was pushed. They brought it to the authority’s notice, and yet they could not do anything about it because there was no evidence.They felt wronged. Helpless. No matter how much you might try to move on from this, it will remain a factor when India play England in the fourth Test of the series, at Old Trafford.Recent history suggests India channel this kind of righteous indignation well. After the fractious and infamous Sydney Test of 2007-08, they came back to win in Perth. One week they could not bat out 72 overs to save a Test, another week they put in a determined stellar performance to outplay Australia at the WACA Ground.At a press conference last year, just before coming to England for Champions Trophy, all sorts of questions were being asked of India. It was frustrating for the public to not get any answers or reassurances from the team as Dhoni went away without taking even a single question about the spot-fixing case.The players felt equally indignant – rightly or wrongly – that they were being interrogated as if they had done something wrong. There was similar quiet around the players when India left for England, but when they took the field, they were a galvanised unit.Earlier this year, just before the World Twenty20, another controversy had broken out. The spot-fixing matter had reached the Supreme Court, one of the lawyers there had accused Dhoni of lying under oath during the investigation, and Dhoni’s employer N Srinivasan was being asked to leave once again. Similar silence and steel followed.Once again, India feel the whole world is against them. That might not be the case – that was not the case in the three aforementioned instances – but India have shown they are quick to feel so, and that it galvanises them.Which is why it was surprising that they called Ian Bell back at Trent Bridge during their last tour to England. India had done nothing wrong then: they had legitimately run Bell out, and when they were booed by the crowd for having done that, that might have given India a last spark when their flame was dying. India did not take it, and proceeded to meekly lose the remaining matches.This controversy is sure to bring the team closer, to make them more determined, but Test matches are not won on determination alone. You have to take 20 wickets. India will need all the motivation from indignation they can muster to come close to doing that.In Ishant Sharma’s absence and with Mohammed Shami’s poor form, India went in to the Southampton Test with a toothless attack. It was not a green pitch where you just put the ball up and it seams; it required the bowlers to hit the deck hard, and India do not believe in those kind of bowlers. Ishant is the only exception to that rule, but he will not be available here, and this pitch is not green either.

Recent history suggests India channel this kind of righteous indignation well. After the fractious and infamous Sydney Test of 2007-08, they came back to win in Perth

India’s best bet here will be to win the toss and bat first. Once the opposition gets off to a half-decent start, as England did in Southampton, India get deflated faster than any other major side in the world, and start thinking of the draw.Dhoni plays a big part in this attitude; he did so by bowling Jadeja throughout the middle session of the first day, at times with a seven-two leg-side field. You can argue his lean bowling sources do not allow him to do much more, but if you make milking runs easy for the opposition so early in the match, your batsmen come under extreme pressure after having fielded for close to two days.The batsmen have not really kicked on at any rate, which is a little strange because with the exception of Shikhar Dhawan, they have not been struggling overtly. A small mistake here, a bad habit there, and Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli do not have the numbers India expected of them.Two Tests to go, and with India’s bowlers looking exhausted in Southampton, Ishant not available for this match, and with that demoralising verdict handed to them, it would be easy to forget the series is still 1-1.India theoretically have a good chance of doing something special. Given their resources now, though, they will need liberal doses of that invisible force that they somehow seem to summon when they feel the whole world is against them.

Naman Ojha’s performances for India A in Australia are rewards for almost two years of work with batting coach Pravin Amre

Amol Karhadkar17-Jul-2014Over the last fortnight, Naman Ojha has exemplified the skill of extending one’s batting form across seasons. Touring with the India A side in Australia, Ojha hit three successive hundreds and finished the four-day leg of the tour with 430 runs in three innings. The results were Ojha’s reward for nearly two years of work done with batting coach Pravin Amre.After a disappointing series against New Zealand A in 2012, where he scored 70 runs in four innings. Narendra Hirwani, the former India legspinner and national selector, came up with a suggestion. Hirwani, who has known Ojha since the latter’s first-class debut in 2000-01, asked the wicketkeeper-batsman to approach batting coach Pravin Amre for guidance.Amre, who had coached Ojha’s corporate team, Air India, agreed and the duo have been working closely at the Air India facility in Mumbai. “We realised there was not much wrong with his technique. In fact, his extraordinary bat speed is his biggest strength, so there was no point in tinkering with it,” Amre told ESPNcricinfo. “Instead, we realised it was more of a mental problem for him when it came to batting long. We then decided to focus more on building an innings.”The rewards followed quickly for Ojha, known as an underachiever in first-class cricket, despite India caps in the shorter formats. The 2013-14 Ranji season turned out to be his best in domestic cricket. Between his debut in 2000-01 and 2012-13, Ojha had scored nine first-class centuries. In 2013-14, he scored four hundreds and finished as the eighth-highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy, even as his team, Madhya Pradesh, had one of their worst seasons in the last decade.Ojha carried that form into Australia, too. His knocks of 219 not out, 101 not out and 110 were scored while batting at No. 7 for India A and each one came with the team in a precarious position. Moreover, he scored the centuries after long spells keeping wicket, thus underlining his fitness.In the first innings of the first unofficial Test, Ojha came in to bat with India A at 191 for 5. With the aid of the tail, he ensured the score reached 475 for 9 before the innings was declared. Then, he took three catches, including a diving take down the leg side, while keeping for more than 140 overs. In their second innings, India A slumped to 86 for 5 and there was a remote possibility of a loss to Australia A. Ojha was at it again, pulling the team to safety with Ambati Rayudu.In the second four-day game, Ojha had to keep wicket for almost a day and a half before taking guard with India A at 199 for 5 in reply to Australia A’s 423. He completed a hat-trick of centuries and took the team close to Australia’s total before Umesh Yadav’s blitzkrieg ensured a sizeable lead.”Even before we started preparing for the tour to Australia, we knew he had to make this opportunity count. He had realised that he may not get many opportunities to prove himself in the longer form, so he took it as his last chance,” Amre said. “I am glad he has grabbed the opportunity with both hands. To score three centuries, that too after keeping wickets for so long, is just incredible. It’s also a compliment to his fitness levels.”Hirwani, who has been a guiding force for Ojha, first as a senior team-mate and then as a selector and coach, called the wicketkeeper-batsman a late-bloomer. “His talent is unquestionable,” Hirwani said. “What was perhaps lacking was temperament and patience. I thought Amre would be the best man to help him out in such a case and I am delighted that it has worked.”There are players who realise what their game is all about at a tender age and there are some who take time to know themselves. It’s a question of maturity and I think Naman has matured now – both as an individual and as a cricketer. This is his right age. I hope he continues to excel and hopefully bring in richer laurels for himself, MP cricket and possibly the Indian team.”

Bangladesh’s fans, and the local media, were put through the wringer as the side’s batsmen stumbled from one wicket to the next during their nervy win against Zimbabwe in Mirpur

Devashish Fuloria in Mirpur28-Oct-2014There was a roar of laughter inside the press-box and outside, in the stands, as the big screen showed a cat trudging, somewhat nervously, behind one of the sight screens. It was cheeky work by the cameraman given the state of the home team – the tigers – in the chase of what had seemed to be a trivial target. The humour of the visual reference punctured the nervous energy that had been accumulating throughout the afternoon and provided a release. If anyone from the Bangladesh team found it funny, he might have had to laugh away from the cameras; it would have been imprudent otherwise.Mushfiqur Rahim was in the middle at the time, staging a lone battle against two opponents: one, a team of underdogs fighting tooth and nail; the other, and the more dangerous one, his own batsmen who were, figuratively, intent on bungee-jumping without bungee cords. Not for the first time, the tendency of Bangladesh’s batsmen to attempt good-looking shots had left the team’s chase on life support. Only a few hours ago, the Bangladesh captain was heard hollering at his men to reduce Zimbabwe to 60 for 5. Now Bangladesh were 62 for 6, after losing a couple of wickets in an over, and Mushfiqur was the last recognised batsman.The brief air of humour faded quickly and the grim buzz was back as the crowd realised the batting bust was happening again. They have experienced it before this year – against Hong Kong in the ICC World T20, and then in June, in an ODI against India. Perhaps the crowd were to blame, for creating so much noise in a flood-lit stadium that even though their team wore whites and played with a red ball, they were still pushed into a limited-overs trance. Perhaps it was Shoaib Ali Bukhari’s fault, for painting himself as a tiger yet again, for bringing another painted friend along and for waving the flag so vigorously it seemed time was running out. Or maybe it was Taijul Islam’s blunder, for taking wickets in such a hurry that the batsmen did not get enough rest.The batsmen were the least likely to make mistakes, so the crowd rallied behind them. They were up on the feet, making noise – roars and drums – as Shahadat Hossain, or as he is affectionately called, leaned into a drive to hit a boundary. They got behind him as Sikandar Raza, stationed at point, made advances towards their Shahrukh after every ball. And they cleared their throats properly when he hooked Tinashe Panyangara for a six over deep square leg. Bangladesh were still a few runs away from victory but, with that shot, Shahadat felt the need to respond to Raza – he pointed his bat towards the stands, showing Raza the quality of the connection. That drew even more cheers. Shahrukh was in town. The next ball, he edged to slip. Shahadat was back, the score 82 for 7.After a few nervous overs, Bangladesh finally crossed the line with a narrow three-wicket win, taking 1-0 lead in a series in which they are eyeing a clean sweep. They had to thank Taijul for his 15 critical runs and for not following in the footsteps of the senior batsmen. Bangladesh had the win they were after, Taijul was the man of the match for his special spell, but the result left a sour taste. The stands did not go on cheering; the supporters quickly found the nearest exit and slipped away. They had been through too many emotions in the day.The journalists went through a lot of emotions too after the match when Mushfiqur talked at the press conference. “We were saying that we needed 20 wickets to win a Test, but I think what was more important for us was to put the runs on the board,” Mushfiqur said. “Had we won this game easily then there would have been a number of areas regarding which we would have forgotten about. So at least now we know that we have a number of areas to work on.”Earlier in the day, the innings break had signalled lunch in the eating hall two floors below the press box. By the time the chicken curry and pulao were laid on the table, Tamim had left with the score at 0 for 1. That did not distract anyone from their conversations or the meal; it was almost as if the early wicket was a given. A seven or eight-wicket win being discussed earlier in the press-box must have made an allowance for this. The heads started turning when Shamsur left at the same score. The custard was lapped up quickly, replay watched, it was time to head back. By the time everyone got back to their seats – some 50 seconds in all – another replay was up. Mominul Haque was gone, the score 0 for 3.Journalists checked the records, shouted from one end to the other to confirm whether India still held the record of 0 for 4. A feeling of discomfort was probably hidden in the sighs of relief when Shakib pushed one away from his body to pick up a single. Mahmudullah was relatively calmer; he had talked about the importance of patience the previous day. Patience, however, was not Shakib’s choice as he flayed at a wide delivery and got a thick outside edge. John Nyumbu dropped the catch and ignited the stands.”Shakib, Shakib,” the crowd chanted. In the first innings, those chants had coaxed Mahmudullah to hit consecutive sixes in the last over before lunch on the second day. What was he going to do today? A few balls later, he was beaten by the low bounce as he pushed away from the body. He repeated the same shot next ball, got a thick outside edge and again, Nyumbu dropped a simple chance at gully. The crowd roared, the press-box grimaced, and it probably helped Mahmudullah reset.There was no stopping Shakib. In the next over, he went for a hook and missed. He tried it again the next ball and missed. He tried it for the third time in a row and top-edged it over the wicketkeeper. “Shakib, Shakib,” they went, probably for the bravado he showed against the bouncer barrage. Mominul, a compact and upcoming batsman, was in the dressing room, along with other young batsmen, perhaps taking notes on how to chase down totals in Test cricket. Shakib had 10 runs to his name, six off those from edges, when he decided to charge Panyangara and hit him over mid-on. In the next over, he departed for 15 off 21 balls, to the customary silence.Mahmudullah was solid and stylish before he drove away from his body and chopped the ball on to his stumps. Shuvagata Hom, one of Bangladesh’s best batsmen in the pre-matchday nets according to their coach, followed Mahmudullah back in the same over. It was time for the cat to make an appearance.

It was in Australia in 2011 that Virat Kohli announced himself as an emerging talent in Test cricket. Now, as the leader of a young batting group, he has owned the stage

Sambit Bal at the MCG28-Dec-20143:26

Bevan: Kohli in control for 95% of the day

Virat Kohli has made a little pre-ball routine his own. Before facing up, he stands upright in the crease, holds the bat upwards and twirls it clockwise in quick motion. No gardening, no adjusting gear, no fidgeting around the crease. And then he is ready, standing as tall as possible, feet apart, bat raised to the stump level. It’s the build-up of a warrior: everything about it radiates intent.On the field, his passion sometimes gets the better of him. He must be a part of every piece of action, he must have the last word in every confrontation. He appeals for leg-before from cover, and drops a lot of catches in the slips – perhaps he has too much of nervous energy to field there.But batting focuses his rage. His movements are fluid, precise, and for a batsman so wristy, the bat swing has no exaggeration. His eyes aren’t burning, they are almost looking inwards. He doesn’t mind a chat and he lets it rip upon reaching a landmark, or after pulling off yet another chase, but while batting, all his energy and all his emotions are channeled into that fateful meeting with the ball. When things are aligned for him, he is a magical, irresistible force.And what a difference a few months can make. As the English summer wore on earlier this year, it seemed that the English seamers, led by James Anderson, had only to put the ball in the channel around the off stump to get him to nick on the off. It was in Australia in 2011, when the grandest of Indian batsmen collectively slumped into terminal decline, that Kohli announced himself as an emerging talent in Test cricket. Now back as the lone survivor from that top order and as the leader of a young batting group, he has owned the stage. Something would have to go horribly amiss for him to not be placed alongside the greats he has succeeded when he finishes his career. But on this tour, he has already managed to achieve what none of them did: three Test hundreds in a series in Australia. And three innings remain still.Many Australian commentators have described his second hundred in Adelaide as the finest fourth-innings performance they have seen on these shores. And his hundred at the MCG on Sunday must rank among the finest by an Indian batsman chasing such a tall first-innings score. His 262-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane was reminiscent of a similar effort from Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in Adelaide in 2003. Dravid and Laxman came together when India’s situation was more dire, and the partnership became even more memorable because it led to an unexpected and unforgettable win. While building that partnership, however, Dravid and Laxman’s sole focus was to keep India in the game. The thought of a win was remote.What set this partnership apart was the charge it contained. R Ashwin’s claim last evening that India were going for 650 had seemed both fanciful and boastful. But it was perhaps reflective of the outlook of this bunch of players. At no point during the last day in Adelaide did they abandon the quest for victory and throughout this innings, the tempo has been dictated by the desire not merely to get close to the Australian score or surpass it, but also to gain time to be able to force a win that will keep them in the series.On the field, Virat Kohli’s passion can sometimes get the better of him, but batting channels his rage•Getty ImagesAnd no one has personified that resolve with more intensity than Kohli. In Brisbane, the second-innings collapse began when Kohli was dismissed – he was forced to bat first up in the morning after Shikhar Dhawan pulled out in the final minutes leading up to play. Here, he entered at the third ball, after an airy waft from Cheteshwar Pujara, and punched three fours within five overs, leaning forward on each occasion and driving on the off side.He has made adjustments to his stance after his horror run in England. He now stands closer to the off stump, which brings him in line with the imaginary fourth stump when he shapes to play, and today he stood outside the crease to most Australian quicks to make their good length his driving length. Barring one edge that Shane Watson grassed in the slips, his judgement of both line and length, and the driveable ball was faultless.But playing against Mitchell Johnson, with whom he had a war of words all day, it was never going to be merely about the drive. Throughout last summer, Johnson pinned his victims back by aiming at their throat and not a single England batsman found a counter. Kohli and Rahane dismantled him breathtakingly because they refused to be either bullied or quietened by the short ball. Every bouncer was treated as an opportunity to score and, even when they were not being hit to the fence, the deliveries were being tapped down for singles. M Vijay was hit on the side of the head this morning, but these Indian batsmen have let Johnson know, through words followed by action, that he holds no terror for them. That is the first, and a major, battle won.By the end of the day, they were the ones bullying Johnson. With the second new ball just nine overs old, and the field set for the bouncer trap, Kohli produced three consecutive pull shots that evaded three fielders stationed to swallow them. They were all played in the air, but none without control, and each went where it was intended to go. And when Johnson threw one up on off stump, that, too, went through the covers for three. In the following over, Rahane simply dismissed Johnson with disdain, opening his stance and carting him wherever he wished. Three Johnson overs produced 31 runs in that spell and, at that stage, India were not merely running Australia ragged, they were simply doing as they pleased. Johnson’s 20 overs cost 109 runs today, and Kohli rampaged 68 of them off 73 balls. And he still dished them out to him at the press conference.India are still behind in this match because once again their lower order has been no match for Australia and, since they are to bat last here, it is possible for them to fall behind 3-0 on day five. But, barring the collapse in Brisbane, this young Indian top-order has already won hearts and admiration. And Kohli has provided it soul, charge and substance. Last time, India went home from Australia despondent. Irrespective of how the series ends, this team will go home with promise. And Kohli with his reputation not merely restored, but considerably enhanced.

England’s problem – one of their problems – is that they are not strong enough to afford passengers and Eoin Morgan is fast becoming one

George Dobell19-Feb-20151:29

Matt Prior believes Eoin Morgan will be unflustered by the focus on his poor form

In the bad old days of England cricket, a man with four ducks in his last five innings would have been history.In the days when England used 29 players in a series – the Ashes of 1989, for example, – players could barely survive two successive failures. Graeme Fowler’s last four Test innings were 49, 201, two and 69. Andy Caddick was dropped after taking 5 for 67 in the first innings at Port of Spain in 1998 and never played again after a 10-wicket haul in the Sydney Test of 2003. It was chaos.England’s continuity of selection policy was a key part of their success in the years that followed. It provided security for the team. It allowed people to play without fear. It remains a sensible stance. But, taken to an extreme, it creates a blockage and stifles the development of new players.So for many months – long after it had become obvious to the impartial observer – England found encouragement and promise in Alastair Cook’s clear decline. They made excuses for his struggles and ways to mitigate for his failures. As a general role, as soon as you hear someone described as “a resilient character” you know they’re in trouble.The intention, no doubt, was honourable. But there are consequences to such actions and by persisting with Cook for so long, the selectors gave his eventual replacements far less time to learn their trade ahead of the World Cup. It is hardly surprising that Moeen Ali and Gary Ballance, in particular, are finding it hard to gauge the pace to bat at the top of the innings. They have, relative to many of their opponents, only just started in the job.Now England are doing something similar with Eoin Morgan. Despite Morgan’s poor record over the last year or so – worse that Cook’s – the management have chosen to accentuate whatever positives they can find and try to ignore the evidence that is beginning to pile up in front of them.Ramprakash lauds hard-working Hales

Mark Ramprakash, the England batting coach, is pleased with the attitude of Alex Hales, who has not had a chance to play in the XI but is not letting that affect his mindset.
“The whole trip since we’ve been in Australia I felt Alex had a shift in his maturity and level of professionalism,” Ramprakash said. “It’s always a challenge for any player that if they’re not playing in the final 11, to keep themselves motivated and practice well. But he’s done that really well.
“He batted extremely well yesterday in a very challenging scenario that I set up. I was hugely impressed. He’s knocking on the door hard in my opinion. He’s really chomping at the bit and batting very well. He wants an opportunity.
“He batted very well in the game against Pakistan. It was a surprise when he got out.”
But Ramprakash suggested that Ravi Bopara, who was dropped on the eve of the tournament, could learn a little from Hales’ positive outlook.
“Ravi’s got to kind of take a little bit from that, I guess,” he said. “He has to reassess and get some time away from the game, which is very important. But when he comes to the ground he has to mean business. He has to look to practice with a mentality to keep improving. That’s very important.”

It has become fashionable, in England circles, to repeat the line that Morgan scored a century just five ODI innings ago. As if this run of poor form is a recent blip. As if the critics are jerking knees and over-reacting.Maybe. It was a fine innings, certainly. A reminder of what a fine player Morgan can be. But the fact is, that innings was not a return to the norm. It was a rare spike on a graph that shows a relentless downward slope. It was one of only two scores of 50 or more (the other was an innings of 62 in Colombo in December) dating back a year and 26 ODIs.Morgan’s record when England win is even worse – a highest score of only 33 in the same period – and only once has he passed fifty against a Full Member in a winning cause since September 2012.Which tells us one thing: Morgan is not winning England any games.And that’s the point of being in a team. It is not about individual milestones. It is not about Steven Finn’s hat-trick in Melbourne – possibly the most meaningless hat-trick in the history of international cricket – or face-saving innings. It is about shaping matches. It is about directly intervening in them to help your side win.Morgan isn’t doing that. The unpalatable fact is that Morgan – temporarily – has become a passenger in this side.Eoin Morgan’s form has been an important cause for concern for England•Getty ImagesEngland’s problem – one of their problems – is that they are not strong enough to afford passengers. They would be better allowing Ravi Bopara or Chris Jordan to come in as allrounders. Or give Alex Hales, who is batting nicely in the nets, a run at the top of the order.It doesn’t mean they have to drop Morgan forever. As Bopara could tell him, a player can be dropped and recalled in a single series.So they go into the game against New Zealand desperate for Morgan to contribute. Not just because it is a game they really could do with winning – their fragile confidence might not recover from another reverse like that suffered in Melbourne and defeat leaves them with no room for error in the remainder of the competition – but so they don’t have to take another awkward decision.

Stats highlights from the second day of the third Test between South Africa and West Indies in Cape Town

Bishen Jeswant03-Jan-201510 Number of innings since Alviro Petersen last scored a Test fifty. His highest score in this period is the 42 runs that he scored during South Africa’s first innings in this Test. Petersen had scored three fifties in the six innings preceding this lean patch.47 Percentage of innings where Petersen is dismissed between the scores of 20 and 50. Out of the 59 times he has been dismissed in Tests, on 28 instances he was batting between 20 and 50.5 Number of West Indian batsmen who were dismissed between the scores of 40 and 60. Devon Smith (47), Leon Johnson (54), Marlon Samuels (43), Jermaine Blackwood (56) and Denesh Ramdin (53) all got past 42, with no one going past 56. This has happened once previously to West Indies, in 1965, making them the only team which has had batsmen getting such starts and not converting on two occasions. In all, there have been six such instances in Tests.1499 Partnership runs scored by AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla since 2012. No other pair has scored more runs together in this period. Amla and De Villiers went past Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson (1472) during their partnership of 70* in South Africa’s first innings. They average 74.95 together since 2012.329 The total posted by West Indies in their first innings. This is West Indies’ second-highest score in the first innings of a Test in South Africa. Their highest score in the first innings is the 408 they posted in Port Elizabeth in 2007.2 Number of South African batsmen (Nos. 1 to 7) who have been stumped against West Indies. Faf du Plessis was stumped off Sulieman Benn in the first innings, with Mark Boucher being the only other South African batsman to have been stumped against West Indies, in 2003.6 Number of partnerships of 30 or more runs posted by West Indies during their first innings. This is only the fourth time in the last five years that West Indies have managed to stitch together as many or more such partnerships.1 Number of previous instances where South Africa’s top four partnerships have all posted 40-plus runs each in the same innings against West Indies. South Africa’s first four wickets posted 48, 56, 53 and 70* during in their first innings in this Test. The only previous instance when this happened was in St Kitts in 2010.