And when was the last time Australia fielded 11 right-handers in a Test?

Steven Lynch03-Nov-2020I’d like to know which Test and ODI sides contained the players with the most such matches to their name, who were still the most inexperienced member of those sides? asked Sunindu Marasinghe from Sri Lanka
I hope I’ve understood this question correctly, and that what we’re looking for is the players with the most caps at the time for a particular XI, but who were the least capped member of that team – the most-experienced least-experienced players, if you like.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team kindly took a few minutes off from IPL duty to help out with this one. In Tests, the answer appears to come from the ICC World XI in the one-off Super Series Test against Australia in Sydney in 2005-06: the man in that team with the fewest caps was England’s Steve Harmison, with 35. That’s obviously an unusual case: the answer for a genuine Test team is a least experienced player who already had 22 caps. This has happened twice – by Patrick Patterson for West Indies against Australia in St John’s, Antigua, in April 1991, and Rohit Sharma for India against Sri Lanka in Delhi in December 2017.In one-day internationals, the least capped member of Pakistan’s XI against New Zealand in Lahore during the 1996 World Cup was wicketkeeper Rashid Latif, who had already played a staggering 74 ODIs. Next comes Darren Lehmann, who was the junior member of the Australian side that won the World Cup final against Pakistan at Lord’s in June 1999, with 52 ODI caps.Australia have had a long line of left-handers – Border, Taylor, Gilchrist, Hayden, Warner… so how long is it since they fielded a team of 11 right-handers in a Test? asked Rajiv Radhakrishnan from England
The answer here is quite a surprise: in over 800 Test matches since 1886, Australia have only once had a team composed entirely of right-handers, against West Indies in Adelaide in 1930-31.The last team from anywhere to field a team composed entirely of right-hand batsmen was India, against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in August 2016. In all there have been 323 instances in all Tests.Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe has remarkably similar batting averages in Test, first-class, ODI and List A cricket. Has there ever been anyone with less variation? asked Rafay Iqbal from England
The Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza does indeed have remarkably similar batting averages: before the current one-day series against Pakistan, he averaged 34.56 in Tests and 34.58 in one-day internationals, and 34.27 in first-class cricket and 34.28 in List A matches.There are a few others whose averages are quite similar: Mahela Jayawardene averaged 49.85 in Tests and 49.69 in first-class, then 33.38 in ODIs and 33.67 in List A. Another Sri Lankan, seamer Suranga Lakmal, has batting averages of 11.61 in Tests and 11.62 in first-class, then 9.38 in ODIs and 9.36 in List A. Close to him is India’s Javagal Srinath: batting averages of 14.21 in Tests and 14.50 in first-class, 10.64 in ODIs and 10.48 in List A. Turning to the bowlers, Australia’s Len Pascoe averaged 26.06 with the ball in Tests and 25.60 in first-class, 20.11 in ODIs and 20.52 in List A.But no one is as closely grouped overall as Raza. Just to complete the set, when we researched the question a few days ago he was 34.5 years old!Chris Gayle cracked 59 sixes in 15 matches for RCB in 2012, and was also the winner of the orange cap that season•AFPWhat’s the record for sixes in an IPL season? asked Balasubramanian Sambasivam from India
The most sixes in one season in the Indian Premier League is 59, almost inevitably by Chris Gayle, for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012 (he also hit 51 in 2013). Another Jamaican, Andre Russell, ran him close with 52 for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019. It doesn’t look like the record will be threatened in this year’s competition: as I write, the leading six-hitter is Sanju Samson with 26.Was the Walter Lawrence Trophy awarded in 2020? asked Keith Pollock from England
The Walter Lawrence Trophy is awarded to the scorer of the fastest hundred in the English season: it was first presented in 1934 (Frank Woolley was the first winner) and has been a regular feature ever since, although it fell into abeyance after the Second World War, and was not resumed until 1966. Originally given to the scorer of the fastest hundred in first-class cricket, the award was widened in 2008 to include one-day and T20 matches.And the 2020 winner came, unsurprisingly, from a T20 match: for Nottinghamshire against Durham in Chester-le-Street on August 29, Joe Clarke hurtled to three figures in just 44 balls, with eight sixes and seven fours.And there’s an update on last week’s question about horses named after cricketers, from Beville Blackman from Trinidad
“In 1994 Lash Dem Lara, a horse named after new Test record holder Brian Lara, won the Trinidad & Tobago Derby.” And a few people emailed to remind me that the Nottinghamshire and England favourite Derek Randall was nicknamed “Arkle”, after another famous racehorse.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

England’s T20 stars hit the ground running at Newlands after their impactful exploits in the UAE

Matt Roller27-Nov-2020Rajasthan Royals’ Jofra Archer hits a length, and Mumbai Indians’ Quinton de Kock sends it high and mighty over deep midwicket. Sam Curran digs one in short and his Chennai Super Kings team-mate Faf du Plessis picks out Chris Jordan of Kings XI Punjab at deep square leg. Delhi Capitals’ Purple Cap winner Kagiso Rabada ties down Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan, but gets pounded for four by Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Jonny Bairstow.Welcome to international cricket, IPL style.It was six years ago that Kevin Pietersen released , in which he memorably compared talking to Andrew Strauss about the Indian Premier League to “speaking to the vicar about gangsta rap”. It was not a problem that anyone within the England set-up would have recognised: in 2014, Pietersen was the sole English representative at the tournament.Now, that could hardly seem more distant. After Strauss’s improbable drive in his time as director of cricket to increase English involvement in the tournament, the picture has changed. England’s 10 overseas players had a bigger impact on the 2020 season than any other nation’s representatives, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats. For the second time in four years, an England player won the tournament’s MVP award.No tournament has as much relevance to England’s T20 side as the IPL – not even the Vitality Blast. Across the last two years, England’s playing XI tonight had made 63 appearances in the county game’s T20 competition between them, compared to 135 – more than twice as many – in the IPL. That is not a slight at the Blast, which has served the counties so well, but it demonstrates that the T20 tournament involving England’s best players takes place overseas.The influence of the IPL was most apparent in the case of England’s two star performers in their five-wicket win in Cape Town.Sam Curran forced his way into the reckoning for this series not on the back of performances for Surrey, but through his breakthrough season for Chennai. “He was certainly thrown into all sorts of circumstances and had all sorts of challenges, but came out the other side glowing,” purred Morgan on the eve of this series. That he came in for Moeen Ali – who captained England in their last T20I – without anyone raising an eyebrow told the story of the respect the tournament is now afforded.ESPNcricinfo LtdCurran’s early reputation as a T20 player was moulded as a powerplay swing bowler, and his ability is often overlooked on account of the fact his wickets are met with cries that he “makes things happen” rather than proof of his versatility. In fact, he is quickly becoming one of the format’s most exciting young players.His fourth over, the 17th, was his most impressive. With Rassie van der Dussen set and Heinrich Klaasen looking dangerous, he started with a back-of-a-length ball – with pace on – and then saw a perfect wide yorker squeezed away for four. From there, he dug another one in, bowled consecutive offcutters, and then bounced Klaasen out to finish with pristine figures of 3 for 28.With the bat, the old-school way of doing things with 21 needed off 15 balls and his partner set would have been to give away the strike and take singles. Instead, as he had done in the UAE in Chennai yellow, Curran lined Rabada up and whacked the second ball he faced over long-on for six.Curran’s partner, and England’s star with the bat, was Bairstow. He last played a T20 for Yorkshire back in 2016, but he has flourished as a short-form player since he was picked up by Sunrisers before the 2019 IPL.It was no surprise that the decision to move him down to No. 4, grounded in his impressive ability of spin, paid immediate dividends. His IPL strike rate against spin is 145 over the last two years; the only player who has scored more runs at a better lick is his usual opening partner, David Warner.ALSO READ: SA forgo gestures and lose plot – but at least cricket is backMost impressive was Bairstow’s calculated aggression. He had taken down South Africa’s left-arm wristspinner, Tabraiz Shamsi, in their series in February, and lined him up again, bludgeoning 19 runs off the nine balls he faced. But against George Linde – a better target for the left-handed Ben Stokes, given he turned the ball into Stokes but away from Bairstow – he took four singles from six balls, happily ticking over to create a favourable match-up for his partner.Against the seamers, Bairstow punished anything straight, hitting 25 runs off the 11 balls that arrived in line with the stumps. He was measured against South Africa’s best bowler, Rabada, but destroyed their weaker links in Lungi Ngidi and Beuran Hendricks, taking them for a combined 54 off 24. Bairstow admitted afterwards that he had been disappointed to lose his place in the Sunrisers side this season, but it is not hard to imagine him slotting into their middle order next season.Perhaps it is natural that the influence of the IPL should be at its greatest in a game like this: it was no great surprise that the players who were involved in a recent, high-level tournament should be in better form than those coming off a two-month rest. But England’s win at Newlands was a long-term trend borne out in one night’s work: this was the 23rd time that Archer, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes had played in the same T20 side, and the first 22 were for Rajasthan.Without the IPL, Buttler’s shift up the order may never have happened, and Archer would not have been given the chance, long before his international debut, to hone his skills against the world’s best; Curran would have spent October on holiday and the start of November in the nets, and Bairstow’s ability against spin could never have reached this level. Without the IPL, this would be a very different England team.

Who should open alongside de Kock? Who is the third prong of the pace attack? One spinner or two?

Firdose Moonda25-Nov-2020Who will open the batting with Quinton de Kock? There are three clear options in the squad: Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hendricks and Janneman Malan, and at least one outside contender in Rassie van der Dussen, although he is likelier to compete for a place lower down the order for this series.Bavuma opened the T20I batting against England earlier this year and was in handsome form with scores of 43, 31 and 49, but a hamstring injury prevented him from doing the same against Australia. There, a combination of Hendricks and van der Dussen were used but neither hit the heights. Malan, who was the Mzansi Super League’s leading local run-scorer, was not in the squad to face Australia but his domestic record presents a strong case for him to be considered. Malan averaged 44.75 in the 2019 tournament, and 33.88 in the 2018 edition, where Hendricks and van der Dussen excelled. Two years ago, van der Dussen topped the run charts with the most scored in the competition so far (469) and Hendricks was in third place.In numbers terms, then, there may be little between the trio. Ultimately, the decision may come down to who is considered the better foil for de Kock, who will operate as aggressor-in-chief. And what about the rest of the top six? De Kock is also the only certainty in the top six with South Africa’s squad laden with options. Van der Dussen is an obvious No.3, but so is Faf du Plessis. The decision may rest on whether du Plessis is serious about playing until the T20 World Cup. To judge by his recent IPL form, du Plessis is likely to be the man in possession – he was the leading run-scorer for the Chennai Super Kings.The other three spots will be distributed among David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Pite van Biljon, Jon-Jon Smuts and Kyle Verreynne. Expect to see all of them at some point in the series. Of those, Miller is the most experienced while Verreynne and Smuts are the most versatile. Verreynne will be able to relieve de Kock of the gloves if needs be, while Smuts’ left-arm spin will provide a few cheap overs.Andile Phehlukwayo celebrates a wicket with Aiden Markram•AFP via Getty Images One seam-bowling allrounder or two? There may even be space for more than three of the above, depending on how many allrounders South Africa feel they can accommodate. With Chris Morris unavailable for selection, Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius are in contention for a berth and, although both are seam-bowling quicks, they offer a different skill set. Pretorius has been working on adding pace to his bowling while Phehlukwayo has the ability to disguise the slower ball and operate at the death. He also has a proven track-record as a finisher, although he will be the first to admit that consistency in run-scoring is his next challenge. Pretorius is in a similar position with the bat, though he has been known to appear up the order on occasion too.South Africa have, against Australia last summer for example, played both Phehlukwayo and Pretorius but that comes at the expense of a specialist batsman, so they would need to be assured of runs from these two to go down that route.The third seamer Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje tore up the IPL and will be bringing the heat to the home summer. Now South Africa just need to find their third prong. Reputation would suggest it has to be Lungi Ngidi, but his IPL showing wasn’t entirely convincing. Ngidi played four matches and took nine wickets at 18.33 while costing his team 10.43 runs an over. His history of injury may also mean he needs careful management, which could give opportunity to some of the others.Their choices are between young Lutho Sipamla, who has five T20s to his name and offers good control; left-armer Beuran Hendricks, who has had a good start to the domestic summer with a career-best 7 for 29 in first-class cricket; Junior Dala, the skiddy bowler who would have played last summer if not for a knee injury and Glenton Stuurman, who has been touted as a ready replacement for Vernon Philander in Tests. Having that level of variety means South Africa can choose their third seamer to match the conditions and they have someone for just about every surface.Bjorn Fortuin appeals for a wicket•BCCI And how many spinners? In South Africa, the answer to this is usually one, but there are three specialists in this squad. Tabraiz Shamsi is the only wrist-spinner of the group and the incumbent, but Keshav Maharaj, Bjorn Fortuin and George Linde have also been included, doubtless with subcontinental T20 World Cup conditions in mind. The trio are all orthodox left-arm spinners, differing in experience and added-value ability.Maharaj had a strong limited-overs campaign for the Dolphins in last season’s one-day cup, in which he also captained the team to the trophy, and has been pushing for international limited-overs selection. Linde, who has two Test caps to his name, is a genuine allrounder and may offer added value with the bat, while Fortuin is relatively new on the international scene but has already played in India, where he had decent returns. What these three will have to bear in mind is that South Africa are looking for a spinner who will operate in a containing role, with Shamsi given more licence to attack. If they can fit that bill, we may see more than one spinner in operation at home and abroad.

And what is the ideal opening combination now that Rory Burns is back?

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Who should open?Since making his debut at the end of 2018, Burns has established a reputation as the most durable of England’s Test openers of the post-Alastair Cook era. However, two centuries in 21 Tests and an average of 32.44 aren’t figures that demand an instant recall, and having chosen to sit out the Sri Lanka tour to attend the birth of his first daughter, Burns admitted last week that giving up his place came with risks.And yet, given the struggles of England’s incumbent openers in those two Galle Tests, the smart money would be on Burns slotting into his old berth, but at whose expense? Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley struggled horrifically on their Asian debuts, particularly against the new-ball spin of Lasith Embuldeniya, who exploited their combination of hard hands and lunging feet to undo them in seven innings out of eight, all told.And yet, the one innings that got away was a masterclass of mind over matter, as Sibley willed himself to endure in spite of his limitations, even adapting his technique mid-match to give himself more options for strike rotation, and grind his way to a priceless half-century. Crawley is highly rated by the management, and rightly so after his epic 267 against Pakistan in the summer, but on the basis of the Sri Lanka showing, he’s the likelier to have to make way.Vacancy at No.3 Jonny Bairstow contributed a top score of 47 in four innings in Sri Lanka, but even in the absence of a statement innings, he exuded an air of calm and competence at first drop (except when running between the wickets) to contribute to a pair of century stands and give the firm impression that he’s got over his hang-up about the wicketkeeper’s role, and is ready to become the frontline Test batsman that he’s always looked capable of being.But no sooner is he back in the side for the first time in more than a year, Bairstow is out on his ear again. The reasoning behind his resting from the first two India Tests is sound – as a key member of England’s T20 World Cup squad, he’ll need to be fresh and firing for the eight limited-overs games looming in March. However, the timing is broadly terrible, with no obvious replacement likely to make a case between now and Friday.There’s Crawley, of course. He averages 69.50 in four Tests at three and four, compared to 22.00 as an opener, but the challenge of Chennai is far removed from the Ageas Bowl, and given England’s issues further down the order, his presence might limit the scope for extra allrounders to balance the bowling attack. Ollie Pope is another contender, certainly in the long term – but he’ll be feeling his way back after injury and has rarely batted higher than No. 4 in his first-class career. Joe Root seems pathologically opposed to No. 3 too, but in the circumstances, and given his own resplendent form, he might be the obvious contender.One spinner or two? Chennai is renowned as a spin-friendly surface – only Galle has delivered more ten-wicket hauls for spinners in its Test history. However, there is reportedly more grass than usual on the pitch at this stage of its preparation, which may yet sway England’s thinking.Despite their combined haul of 22 wickets in Sri Lanka, Jack Leach and Dom Bess struggled for long periods in both Tests, particularly when the pitch was at its flattest in the opening exchanges of the second match, and either or both could well make way for Moeen Ali – now recovered from his bout of Covid-19, and seemingly eager to make up for lost time after 18 months away from Test cricket.As an offspinner (not to mention one of England’s most natural players of spin bowling) Ali would likely be a straight swap for Bess, whose consistency with the ball left much to be desired, but whose fighting spirit could not be denied, least of all with the bat – a not-insignificant consideration, given how crucial his two-hour 32 proved to be in the second Test. Leach, notwithstanding his legendary status as a nightwatchman, is not quite as equipped for survival in these conditions.Anderson and/or Broad Ali’s potential return also sharpens the debate about England’s all-round options, which in turn may inform one of the most crucial decisions of the series. With Stokes due to slot back in at No. 5, and Chris Woakes also on hand to deepen the seam-bowling-allrounder department, it is possible that England could field an XI with sufficient balance and depth to allow both of their stand-out seamers to play without placing too great a burden on either.Stuart Broad and James Anderson were simply magnificent in their alternating roles in Galle, proving incisive and restrictive in equal measure as they returned combined series figures of 57-27-80-9. After years of sniping about their lack of impact in unhelpful conditions, both men unfurled a full toolbox-worth of experience, chiselling their opportunities through a combination of stamina, consistency and subtle variation.Theirs were lessons that Woakes in particular seems equipped to heed, judging by his impact on placid decks in New Zealand and South Africa last winter, while Jofra Archer’s 90mph stylings have already been heavily informed by his impact at the IPL. As for Stokes, he is liable to hurtle in in whatever role is required of him. There is the potential for England to field a well-rounded attack, in spite of their lack of a nailed-on spin option.The danger with such an approach, of course, lies in the intensity of the itinerary, and the likelihood that India’s batsmen – fresh from their heroics in Australia, and reinforced by the return of Virat Kohli in particular – will make life significantly harder for England’s bowlers than Sri Lanka ever managed. Playing Broad and Anderson as a pairing would be the attacking option, but if it failed in the first Test, it might prove difficult for England to defend for the rest of the series.

After a season hobbled by injury, the Sunrisers Hyderabad allrounder says he’s fighting fit and ready for anything the IPL might throw at him

Interview by Deivarayan Muthu11-Apr-20218:04

Vijay Shankar: “When I enjoy my game and take things as they come, I’m in a far better mental space”

After Vijay Shankar came home from the India A tour of New Zealand in late 2018, the side’s backroom staff, led by then coach Rahul Dravid, quipped that it was probably the first time the allrounder was coming back from a tour injury-free. That stint with the A team got Shankar into the senior side soon after, but injuries have stalled his progress since. He hasn’t played for India after he hurt his toe in the nets during the 2019 World Cup. He has played just one competitive match between the 2020 IPL and the upcoming IPL season – a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy fixture for Tamil Nadu against Jharkhand at Eden Gardens, where he bowled only 13 balls before suffering another injury. Shankar has since married, completed his rehab, and is now looking forward to returning to action.You have entered your thirties. Has that made you wiser and more responsible?
I’ve always been responsible with whatever I’ve done in my life so far (). I’m also married now, so there’s a lot more responsibility. It’s going to be interesting…Related

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You’ve played 98 T20s so far and will likely tick over 100 this IPL. How do you look back on a career that has had its share of highs and lows: from the Nidahas Trophy final to winning the IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016?
Actually, this number [100] was in my mind when I joined the Tamil Nadu team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in January. I was thinking of playing my 100th T20 game, but then I totally forgot about it.I think most of my lows came around my injuries, which set me back in whatever I was working on, but I learnt how to come out of it and handle these situations. So, playing my 100th T20 game will definitely be a good thing for me. I think I’ve also played 90 [88] List A matches, so I thought I would get close to 100 in that as well.”I’m someone who likes spending more time at the nets, but unfortunately, due to the injuries, I’ve had to give more time to rehab”•Associated PressYou’ve had to deal with multiple freak injuries over the years. What has been the biggest learning since your T20 debut?
It has been an amazing journey. When it goes your way, things might happen quickly [for you], but sometimes you may have to grind all the way. I had to wait for my opportunity to get into the Indian side. And then injuries and all… These were all great challenges for me and I just thought I should focus on things I can control: my practice and training. Every time I come out of an injury, I’ve always focused on my own thing rather than what’s happening outside. That’s one thing that made me push myself. I don’t really compare myself with others and I don’t think about what others are doing. For me it was important to get better as a cricketer.With all the data available, it has given us a lot of cues on how we can approach a game. I haven’t had any set batting position as such. For example, even last year [at SRH], I batted at No. 5, No. 7, No. 4 when early wickets fell. In the previous season, I’ve batted at No. 3. So, with these cues, all you can prepare for is what best you can do when you walk into that particular situation. I try to [imagine] two, three different situations, prepare for it, so that when I go in, it is easier for me. I’ve learnt this over a period of time.Power-hitting has become a vital part of T20 middle-order batting. How have you improved on that front?
For me, it’s all about adapting. I don’t see myself as a middle-order batsman or a top-order batsman. Since I’ve played at various positions, it’s very important for me to be flexible. What I’ve been doing is trusting my own strength more than these things, because [be it] power-hitting or conventional batting, the end result is important. It’s about showing results and doing well.I had a very good practice session with my personal coach [S Balaji, former Railways player] before joining the SRH camp. So I’ve just started to enjoy my own batting and not think about changing my game and things like that. I think I have a lot more to offer and it’s about enhancing that. Your last IPL season was also cut short by injury. Your most recent injury came at the start of the Indian domestic season. How frustrating was that?
The injury happened on January 10. It was the Jharkhand game. The Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament was very important for me to make a mark in some way, but then the very first game, I got injured. I was pushing myself to play but I realised later there was no point [doing that] when I was not 100%. After the [2020] IPL, I did all my tests and I was fully fit, but I came back and got injured. These things are very frustrating mentally, especially when you want to make a mark and push for India selection and all that.In the last IPL, Shankar copped a nasty blow to the helmet in a game against the Punjab Kings. He then tweaked his hamstring and had to sit out the rest of the tournament•BCCISoon after that you got married. Did the celebrations at home take your mind off not being able to play?
Yes. No one at home asks me about these things. They always support me and don’t ask why this or that is happening. I do update them about my status, but they know I’m doing my best and some things are beyond my control. I went to Maldives for a few days and to Ooty, and then mentally I was much more free. Most importantly, I took the decision of backing out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. I thought I should be smart. I’ve played a lot when I’m at just 80-90% fitness before.The last few months have been different compared to the life I was leading before. I’m not expecting much now. I just want to enjoy my game.How have you been preparing for this IPL?
I’ve put a lot of work into my bowling and batting with Balaji sir. I’m someone who likes spending more time at the nets, but unfortunately, due to the injuries, I had to focus on rehab, which I did with my physio Thulasi Ram and trainer Rajinikanth. Now, I’ve been giving more time to my skills.In the last few months, pretty much all the training facilities and gyms have reopened in Chennai. There was a facility called Throttle, where I had enough space to practice and had net bowlers to bowl to me. I really have to thank all those who helped me out because it was really, really hot. My coach also came and stood there in the [mid-day] sun, so it’s important for me to do well. That’s the only way I can give back.I have also worked on my bowling run-up during this period with Palani Amarnath, who played for CSK in early 2008-09. Alternate days I was working on my bowling at Guru Nanak College. I tried to set a few things right with my stride length. If I get it right in the match, it will be at least 1% different than what I was bowling last year.You bowled your full quota of four overs for the first time in the IPL, against the Kolkata Knight Riders, in 2020. Do you see yourself doing the job as a bowler more often for SRH?
Definitely. I’m confident in the role. Last year, if you see, overall I had an economy of around 6.6 [6.22] and bowled reasonably well in the opportunities I got. Last year also I mentioned that I’ve worked on my bowling. It was about putting in more time, and I have now.Shankar bowled his full complement of overs against KKR in 2020, at an economy of 5.00 per over•BCCII’m not thinking about doing extraordinary stuff or making a comeback. It’s about enjoying myself. I started playing this game because I love it. If I enjoy the game and take things as they come, I think I will be in much better mental space.Almost every seamer at SRH can bowl the knuckleball. Have you picked up that variation?
Yes, I’m learning from them and they come up with different variations. It’s important for me to learn how they execute it, and in a way it’s good to talk with them. Even my coach says he learns now by watching the game. As a cricketer, learning is never-ending.Can you recount your tussle with Jofra Archer in Dubai, where you hit him for three successive fours?
That innings is very special [to me] because I was supposed to bat down the order. Because we lost early wickets, they asked me to pad up. I just went in. I was completely blank and had no clue when I went in – as in, I knew I had to fight that situation out and get the team to a good position. I wasn’t thinking about Archer bowling really quick and all that. I was being myself and trying to go with my instinct. I was pretty happy that it was coming out pretty well. As a cricketer, you always want to do well against the best. So that innings gave me confidence in some way.After finishing off that game, you spoke of it being a do-or-die situation for you. You had a back spasm earlier in the season and dropped down the order.
It definitely was added pressure for me. I knew that either that game or the next would have been the last for me had I not got runs. If you see the previous games I played, I hadn’t batted much – in the first match I got out first ball, and then I was out [of action] for a while. I came back and played against KKR and CSK.To walk into a situation where we were really under pressure [against the Royals] and to come out of that and do well and the team winning from that situation gives a player great satisfaction. I knew it would be the most important innings for me. If not for that, I wouldn’t have played the next game for sure.Jofra Archer was dispatched for three successive fours by Shankar in the course of his run-a-ball 52 against the Rajasthan Royals last year•BCCIGoing into the IPL, has the thought of making an India comeback crossed your mind?
That keeps coming up every now and then (). Sometimes when I’m idle in my room, I watch my own videos [of old innings]. As a player you will want to push yourself for a comeback, but I want to do it the other way. I don’t want to put myself under pressure to perform or get back into the Indian team. I just want to enjoy the game and I feel I’ve done really well when I’ve enjoyed every small thing I do. The end result will take care of itself. So, whatever happens, I’m ready to take it.You enjoy playing against the Chennai Super Kings, particularly in Chennai. Are you looking forward to playing in Chennai as a Sunriser?
I’m from Chennai and I’ve played a lot of matches here, but this is going to be really different because if you see in the last one and a half years, I haven’t played much at Chepauk. It’s going to be really new for me as well. This ground is always special because as a youngster, when I started playing my cricket – Under-13 or whatever – it was my dream to play at Chepauk. I’ll definitely look forward to it. I can see the ground from my room as well. It’s always, always special. You have Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, J Suchith, Shahbaz Nadeem in a spin attack that seems well suited for the Chepauk conditions. You could also ditch your medium pace for offspin there.
() For now, we really don’t know how the pitch is going to behave. However the wicket is, they [Afghanistan spinners] are some of the best in the world right now. When they come good, it’s going to be challenging for whoever comes up against us. As a team, we’ve been doing consistently well for the last few seasons. So, it’s important for us to keep doing that and look to get better from that.

Are India better off with a fast-bowling allrounder, a fast bowler, a wristspinner or a spin-bowling allrounder?

Sidharth Monga22-Feb-2021Test selections are never easy. You have to pick a team not only for the conditions at hand on the first day but what you anticipate to happen over the five full days. You also have to provide for losing the toss. You might, for instance in the second Chennai Test, expect that one fast bowler is plenty for the best part of the Test, but you still have to pick two to provide for losing the toss even if that means you are practically playing 10 players for all but two of the sessions.Related

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Add to all this the uncertainty a day-night Test brings where the conditions can be a bit of a lottery. There might be dew one night but not another. Captains have a tough task of covering all bases when they hand over their XI to the match referee. It is a sign of India’s strength that they need to debate only one place going into the day-night Test starting Wednesday in Ahmedabad. And that is the place occupied by Kuldeep Yadav in Chennai.The other expected change is Jasprit Bumrah’s return into the XI in Mohammed Siraj’s place. The five batsmen who played in Chennai, Rishabh Pant as wicketkeeper and R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma and Bumrah are certainties subject to last-minute fitness issues. Here are the options India have for the 11th spot. All of them have a reasonable case for selection.Kuldeep himselfKuldeep bowled just 12.2 overs in the second Test in Chennai, his first in more than two years. In both innings, he was the last man India went to, and he picked two wickets when the match was long over as a contest. With not much contribution expected from his bat, Kuldeep did seem like a luxury in that Test. However, he can only get into a better rhythm over time, and what works in his favour is the constant feedback from domestic cricketers who have played pink-ball cricket in India that wristspinners are difficult to pick in the night.Mohammed SirajAs a second specialist quick, Siraj bowled only eight overs in the Chennai Test for one wicket, but if the conditions – you need to leave extra grass for the pink ball to last – ask for it, India might need three fast bowlers in the side. Siraj, Bumrah and Ishant along with two spinners is the closest India will get to their winning combination in Melbourne. Axar is the closest you can get to Ravindra Jadeja: an accurate fingerspinner who doesn’t give batsmen time to adjust, and someone with promise with the bat. If conditions ask for a third seamer, Siraj is the frontrunner.Umesh Yadav has had an excellent record in home Tests of late, and he is back with the squad, but since he is coming fresh off an injury it remains to be seen if India will feel confident enough to draft him straight into an XI.Hardik PandyaThose present at the Chennai Test say Pandya has been bowling with the pink ball in the nets. If India feel they need their fifth bowler for six-seven overs a day at best and they also need batting depth to cover for pink-ball vagaries, don’t be surprised if Pandya makes his return to Test cricket after an absence of two-and-a-half years.Washington SundarThe other man who spent a lot of time with the pink ball in the nets in Chennai is Washington Sundar. And here are Rohit Sharma’s expectations from the Ahmedabad pitch: “I don’t see anything change [from Chennai]. However it played in the second Test, it’s going to be similar. It’ll turn. We’re preparing accordingly for that, let’s see when the day comes. It’s been a while since international cricket was played here, we’ll see how it goes.”Also, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches in Ahmedabad were spin-dominated. If that continues to be the case, an accurate and quick fingerspinner who can also provide lower-order runs might not be a bad option for a fifth bowler.

Key numbers from the third ODI between Sri Lanka and South Africa

Sampath Bandarupalli07-Sep-202116 – Wickets for the spinners in the third ODI – eight each for South Africa and Sri Lanka. Only once spinners have claimed more wickets in an ODI – 19 during the 2011 Bangladesh vs Pakistan match in Chattogram.4 – Maheesh Theekshana became the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to take a wicket with his first ball in ODI cricket. Charitha Buddhika (vs Zimbabwe in 2001), Kaushal Lokuarachchi (vs Kenya in 2003) and Thilan Thushara (vs West Indies in 2008) are the other three.5 – Theekshana’s bowling figures of 4 for 37 are the fifth-best on ODI debut for Sri Lanka and the best by any spinner for them. Wanindu Hasaranga’s 3 for 15 against Zimbabwe in 2017 were the previous best by a Sri Lanka spinner.21 years and 37 days – Theekshana’s age on Tuesday makes him the youngest spinner with four or more wickets in an ODI for Sri Lanka. Muthiah Muralidaran was 22 years and 354 days old when he claimed his maiden four-wicket haul in ODIs, in 1995. Theekshana is also the second youngest of the ten spinners with a four-wicket haul on ODI debut.125 – South Africa’s total is now their second-lowest in an ODI against Sri Lanka, behind 121 in 2018, which also came at the R Premadasa Stadium. It is also the third-lowest ODI total for South Africa in the last ten years, all those coming since the start of 2018.203 for 9 – Sri Lanka’s total in this game, the lowest they have successfully defended in ODI cricket since their 152 against Zimbabwe in 2008. It is also the lowest that South Africa have failed to chase since the 2011 World Cup when they faltered in a chase of 172 against England. (Not considering shortened games)40 – Overs bowled by South Africa’s spinners in this game, the most by them in an ODI. The 33 overs against India in 1996 were the previous most for South Africa spinners in an ODI. The eight wickets taken by their spinners in this game are also the second-most for them, behind nine against West Indies in 2016, where Imran Tahir bagged a seven-wicket haul.

An analysis of beehive data of lines and lengths bowled to these batters from 2012 onwards provides some insights

Kartikeya Date05-Jul-2021For the last decade or so, the ICC has published Hawk-Eye information (when available) for international matches. So far, this data is available for 241 Tests from November 2012 to March 2021. While ball-by-ball records (runs and dismissals data) are available for all Tests in this period, ball-tracking information (speed, pitching point, and beehive point for each delivery) seems to be available only for those Tests where Hawk-Eye provided the service.This article uses this data to look at how right-hand batters have fared against right-arm seam bowlers – those classed as right-arm fast, right-arm fast-medium and right-arm medium fast.The graph below shows all deliveries (124,916) for which ball-tracking data is available in the period mentioned above in which the batter is a right-hander and the bowler is a right-arm seamer according to the above classification. For 16 batters, ball-tracking data is available for at least 2000 deliveries each.The placement in the beehive for any given delivery in the charts below marks the point relative to the stumps at which the ball is estimated to cross the plane of the stumps by the ball-tracking software.The beehive is amenable to several kinds of analysis. One can determine the share of deliveries hitting the stumps, or the share of deliveries that are outside off stump. Since the outcome of each delivery in terms of runs and wickets has been recorded, we can group deliveries together to determine outcomes when the ball is delivered in different parts of the beehive.A common approach to preparing groups of this kind is using k-means clustering. This algorithm groups points in a specified number of clusters by iteratively assuming and updating centroid locations by assigning each point in the data to its nearest centroid location.In this article I have organised the beehive into eight clusters. This number was chosen after trials with different numbers of clusters (from five to 12) to find the clusters that were most stable. (More about stability here.) The clusters are numbered from one to eight and are named for line and length attributes. This is provided for all available deliveries from Tests all over the world in the first graph below. The average, scoring rate, and share of total deliveries falling in each cluster are then provided separately in tables for India, England and Australia; for those countries, a sufficient number of deliveries are available in the data set.The clusters allow us to organise the beehive record beyond the basic picture, which shows where a delivery crosses the stump in relation to the right-hander’s off-stump. For example, even without building the clusters, we can tell from the beehive data that the bowling in India is marginally straighter than in Australia or England. Right-arm seamers also attack the stumps more often in India (13.5% of deliveries are hitting the stumps) compared to England (9.4%) and Australia (9.7%). The clusters enable a more granular inquiry into lines, lengths and the propensities of different players, as this article will show.Kartikeya DateThe eight zones organise the deliveries in eight line and/or length areas. In the parlance of everyday commentary, I class three zones (one, two and three) to broadly be outside off stump, three zones (four, five and six) to be straight, and the remaining two (zones seven and eight) to be either at the body or down the leg side.Kartikeya DateThree zones show scoring rates below three runs per over – the bouncer (zone four), top of off stump (five), and wide outside off stump (one). Of these, zone one is a defensive zone in the sense that the low scoring rate does not produce a correspondingly low batting average. Batters can safely ignore deliveries in this zone if they are so inclined.Kartikeya DateThe bouncer zone is an attacking zone for the bowler. It produces a wicket every 43 balls. The other two slow-scoring zones (five and one) are also the two that produce wickets most infrequently. Bowling wide outside off stump (zone one) produces a wicket every 92 balls. Right-hand batters find it hardest to score off the line and length in zone five, no matter where the Test is being played; the average right-hand batter’s wicket in zone five costs 19.5 runs and comes once every 78 balls.Kartikeya DateShort-of-good-length deliveries, whether they are outside off stump (zone two) or into the body (zone seven), are hit for about 3.5 runs per over. The most profligate zone, unsurprisingly, is eight (down the leg side). Bowlers concede more than four runs an over against the average right-hand batter when they bowl in this zone.Bowling straight (in zones four, five or six), produces more dismissals than does bowling wide. Intuitively, this makes sense because bowling straight makes it more likely that the batter has to defend the stumps, as against letting the delivery pass. When the stumps don’t have to be defended, bowled and lbw are more or less eliminated as modes of dismissal.Kartikeya DateAustralian pitches offer more bounce than those in England and India. This is most clearly evident from the average length for deliveries in zone five: 6.7m in Australia versus 8.0m in India and 7.6m in England. The zone-wise patterns of bowling, scoring and wicket-taking are more or less consistent across venues.Kartikeya DateNext, I look at the records for five right-hand batters – Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and Steven Smith. Each of these players (with the exception of Williamson) has faced at least 4000 deliveries of right-arm seam for which details are available in the database.Kartikeya DateIn the World Test Championship final, Virat Kohli was dismissed twice by Kyle Jamieson. In the first innings Jamieson beat Kohli’s inside edge and dismissed him lbw. The ball would have hit the top of leg stump about 3cm below the top of the bail, and 10.9cm to the leg side of the centre of middle stump – squarely in zone eight. In the second innings Jamieson had Kohli fending at a back-of-a-length delivery that would have crossed the plane of the stumps 111cm above the ground, 43.3cm to the off side of the middle stump – squarely in zone two.These are archetypal dismissals for Kohli. Of his 50 dismissals against right-arm seamers in the database, nine fall in zone two, and ten in zone eight. The chart below shows how a sizeable number of dismissals are clustered around the top of leg stump and wide of off stump (in zones one, two and three). Zones one, two and eight account for 28 of his 50 dismissals (about 60%) against right-arm seam in the database, even though only 34% of the deliveries he faces from right-arm seam fall in these zones.Kartikeya DateThis doesn’t mean that Kohli has a weakness in these areas. They reflect a technical choice he has made. Kohli commits to the front foot when he shuffles across the stump because he wants to cover his off stump well. As his average and scoring rate in zone six, and even zones three and five, shows, he is a master of the bowling in these areas. But this leaves his inside edge exposed from time to time. Bowlers who can hit the pitch hard short of a length can get him fending or chasing outside off stump, “outside his eyes” as commentators like to say. Kohli’s dismissals in the WTC final were classic Kohli dismissals by a bowler who seems to be able to execute the right-arm seamer’s ploys effortlessly and relentlessly.Kartikeya DatePujara’s approach is, in one sense, the mirror image of Kohli’s. His strongest areas are wide outside off stump on the square cut, and on his pads or into his body (zones seven and eight: deliveries around the leg stump, generally – except for the bouncer). On or around off stump, Pujara is cautious to a fault. It is not surprising that a great number of his dismissals cluster around the middle and off stump rather than the top of leg stump. Pujara’s straight bat is rarely beaten, and when it is, it is as likely to be on the outside edge as on the inside. His major limitation is his inability to score against the short, straight ball. This gives the right-arm seamer ways to keep him quiet. Pujara manages 1.1 runs per over against the bouncer (zone four), compared to 4.1 runs per over for Kohli.Pujara’s approach can be considered an example of the classic “wait for the bowler to make a mistake” approach to batting against right-arm seamers. Kohli’s approach, on the other hand, involves trying to score off the right-arm seamer’s stock delivery. There are trade-offs in both cases. If Pujara were prepared to hook and pull, he would probably average more. Rahul Dravid, another classical batter who was similarly circumspect around off stump, did play the hook.Kartikeya DateIf Pujara could hook, he might be a player like Joe Root. Root is slightly less assured than Pujara when right-arm seamers bowl straight, and while Pujara has a phenomenal record on and around his leg stump, Root is stronger when the ball is wide outside off – he averages more and scores quicker (and deliveries wide outside off are more common than deliveries on the pads in cricket). Root plays the hook shot against the bouncer regularly. He is also especially severe on the shorter stuff in zone two.Kartikeya DateThe database is unfortunately not as extensive for Williamson as for the other four batters here, but its emerging contours suggest that Williamson is the closest among the five to being the perfect orthodox batter. Like with Root and Pujara, his scoring strengths are in the classic areas – wide outside off stump (especially zones two and three) and on his pads. To this, he adds a magnificent defence when the bowler attacks his stumps. Williamson has been dismissed three times in 585 balls in zones five and six. His superb dead defensive bat was evident in the WTC final.Kartikeya DateFinally, we come to Steven Smith, who is sui generis. Smith has worked out a way to marry Kohli’s desire to dominate his off stump without having to commit to the front foot as Kohli does. Consequently, Smith has a magnificent record against the classic bowler’s errors (width, drifting on the pads), and unusual assurance when the bowler attacks the top of off stump. The best way to attack Smith, such as it is, is to target his stumps. This brings all modes of dismissal in play and gives the bowler the best chance of dismissing Smith if he misses something. On the rare occasion, as against Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG in December 2020, Smith is bowled leg stump. But it takes an exceptionally deceptive quick bowler to beat him there. Over the last four years or so, teams like England and New Zealand have sought, with mixed success, to try to keep Smith quiet. This is a very difficult task, and there isn’t a team in the world right now that has four bowlers who can achieve this. New Zealand fared better at this in 2019-20 than England did in 2017-18 and 2019.The beehive record provides a textured picture of the contest between and ball, and as shown here, it is possible to identify patterns of play and differences in the approaches taken by different players. As mentioned, this record is not exhaustive, but a significant volume of deliveries are now available, and that makes it possible for the way different batters play for their off stump against right-arm seamers in Test cricket to be described.

Though he is their best batter, a fair amount of the blame for that must go to Joe Root

Ian Chappell02-Jan-2022There’s no doubt England are a badly chosen Test side, poorly led and needing a drastic overhaul. Does their disarray also offer a preview of Test cricket’s future?Test cricket could eventually be limited to matches between the eight major nations. Sometime in the future Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ireland and Zimbabwe won’t be featuring in longer matches. This is easy to visualise for reasons that include lack of ability as well as lack of home-ground facilities.What about the major nations?Unless something is done to bolster West Indies’ finances, there will continue to be a question mark over Caribbean participation. The lack of cricket initiative deserves criticism, for letting the West Indies Test team sink to a low level.Related

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Because of the country’s unsettled political situation, there will continue to be concern about South Africa. This factor becomes even more apparent when a highly capable player like Quinton de Kock retires from Test cricket while still in his prime.Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand have problems ranging from political uncertainty to player-pool depth. Nevertheless they do have an affinity for producing good players, and Pakistan and New Zealand, particularly, appear to prosper in adversity.That leaves the big three: India, Australia and England.India have proven they can win away from home and are now the best all-round side. With a huge player pool, there is no reason this should change, but a lot will depend on whether the captain following Virat Kohli has the same passion for Test cricket.Australia will always be a reasonable Test nation despite the concern about future young batters. The Australian infrastructure, while severely diluted, still serves a purpose and has a tendency to produce capable captains. Pat Cummins is a good example. He leads with common sense and has a team under him who know what is required in the five-day game. Experience says a team of competitors who want to play for their captain will usually achieve decent home results.That leaves England. The current tour might end in a 5-0 loss, and a humiliating defeat at that. If that occurs, England will have featured in 25 Tests in Australia, starting with the 2006-07 series, for 20 losses and only two draws. Their three wins all came on the successful 2010-11 tour, when Andrew Strauss led a determined outfit. That is a disgraceful record and cannot be fully explained by any blustering at press conferences.There is no doubt England are a presentable home side, but given their travelling record under Joe Root’s captaincy, they struggle to be considered a top-level nation. This was obvious in India, where England badly lost the series 3-1, and in Australia they are in danger of losing nine of the ten Tests Root will have led in by the end of this series.Even in England, Root’s lack of inspiration as a leader is starting to show. Albeit in some trying times, because of the pandemic, England are starting to lose their reputation as a team that is difficult to beat at home. It’s incorrect to make Root culpable, as he is easily England’s best batter, but he has to accept some of the blame. He has never been a leader of substance and virtually gained the job because there was no other candidate and it was hoped he would grow into the job.It has become patently clear Root is not the man for the task if England want to be recognised as a tough team to beat in all circumstances.That is the easy part, bringing a tenure to an end; the tough job is finding a better incumbent. In the current side only Ben Stokes could be considered captaincy material. He has the qualities of a good captain; he’s aggressive, inspirational, and has the ability to lift the team.It would be an extremely tough task, given his already demanding role as an allrounder. He has the ability to do the job but it could also break his spirit. The other major point to consider is, the ECB doesn’t have a reputation for taking tough decisions.

On day one in Cape Town, he showed why South Africa are keen to stick with him

Firdose Moonda11-Jan-2022Marco Jansen is not a gentle giant. Just ask Jasprit Bumrah. At the Wanderers, Jansen hit him twice in the three balls on the same spot with short-pitched deliveries that Bumrah wore on his right shoulder. When Jansen delivered a fourth short ball and Bumrah again defended with his body, Jansen sprayed him with a choice selection of unpleasantries.But Jansen is also not a towering brute. He’s better than that. Just look at the way he bowled to Cheteshwar Pujara at Newlands. He started his third spell with a full delivery that angled in and Pujara flicked him for four. Immediately, pulled his length back and got the ball to move in and find the top of Pujara’s pad. Pujara offered no shot and while any lbw appeal was smothered by the height of impact, Jansen had issued a warning. With his next ball, he adjusted the line and had Pujara playing around fifth stump to find an edge.Related

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That wicket was particularly important because South Africa had let the half-hours either side of lunch drift. Pujara and Virat Kohli’s third-wicket stand had grown to 62 and loose deliveries were being offered at least once an over. On a pitch that offered less bounce than the Highveld surfaces that the teams have just come from, the bowlers had to call on other skills and Jansen showed that he has them.”He has got a burning desire to play here. He has got X-factor and he is a tough character,” Kagiso Rabada said. “That’s what you are looking for. And then natural talent is there. He has the ability to win matches. He is an exciting prospect.”Today’s play underlined exactly why South Africa have stuck with Jansen instead of go back to batting allrounder Wiaan Mulder. Jansen started searching for swing after India lost their openers early and pressure had to be applied. He moved the ball slightly away from Kohli and Pujara, who took time to settle but were able to leave well on length. Finally, at the end of that five-over spell, Jansen found the delivery he had been looking for when he beat Kohli with a ball that pitched on leg stump, swung late, veered towards off and beat his back-foot defence. Kohli’s ribs were spared the hit but he was surprised. Then Jansen changed ends.From the Wynberg side, Jansen chose to go around the wicket to bring the ball into the batters from outside off and force them to play more. Kohli left the first one but it was close to his off stump, he ducked under the second one, and blocked the third. In Jansen’s next over, the last of the morning session, he only allowed one ball to be left alone, compared to 18 in his first five overs. His change of angle allowed him to get closer to the batters and demanded more from them than shouldering arms, ducking or watching the ball go through. That’s what he used to dismiss Pujara after lunch.Jansen could have had a second wicket two balls later when Ajinkya Rahane lunged to defend and edged but the chance was wide of slip. Three balls after that, Rahane was forward again but found the middle of the bat and pushed the ball through the covers for four. Kohli was able to play a similar shot and another straight past Jansen for four but the impressive aspect of that spell was how Jansen kept at it. While he punctuated his overs with short balls, he didn’t appear to default to them just because. Instead, he worked on his cutters, tried to find the right line outside off that could capitalise on a mistake from the batters, and showed he understood the importance of small margins when it comes to length.Marco Jansen celebrates R Ashwin’s wicket•AFP via Getty ImagesWhen Jansen bowled too full, he conceded 39 runs off 14 balls. But when he adjusted to a good length, he gave only six runs in 44 balls and took two wickets. The second of those was in his final spell of the day when R Ashwin was set up similarly to Pujara. First, Jansen tempted him by dangling a delivery outside off and Ashwin left, then Jansen changed his angle, got the ball to nip away from Ashwin and got a faint edge through to Kyle Verreynne.Before that, Jansen completed a dismissal that may be more expected for a bowler of his height. He had Rishabh Pant undone by extra bounce as he tried to steer a delivery over gully but was caught there instead.Those two wickets showed the versatility of Jansen, much like the kind of bowler Morne Morkel matured into towards the end of his career. After years of being known for bringing bounce to Steyn’s swing, when Steyn was injured, it was Morkel who put in performances laced with reverse swing, starting with the tour to India in 2015. From that series onwards, Morkel enjoyed some of the biggest successes of his career, taking 91 wickets in 22 Tests at 22.90 compared to 218 wickets in 64 Tests at 29.66 before that series.Jansen is also not Morkel. He is 10 centimetres taller (2 metres, 6 cms to Morkel’s 1.96) playing in a team that is probably 10 steps behind where South Africa were when Morkel debuted. As a result, he might have to grow 10 times more quickly. Rabada thinks that’s already happening. “Look at Marco, who has just come in. He is playing against Virat who has been one of the best players of this generation. What better learning can he take? Not much.”