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Rahul Dravid’s meticulous, wide-ranging and fascinating speech proved very much the equal of a place that can rightfully be described as hallowed ground

Daniel Brettig14-Dec-2011Had the orator been entirely unmemorable, the 2011 Bradman Oration would still have lived long in the mind’s eye of all those present. The War Memorial in Canberra provided a backdrop that was at once breathtaking and sobering, heavy with the kind of meaning seldom found amid 21st century cricket’s ever more commercial treadmill of fixtures. As it turned out, Rahul Dravid ‘s meticulous, wide-ranging and fascinating speech was perhaps the most significant delivered since the Oration began, and proved very much the equal of a place that can rightfully be described as hallowed ground.The pathos of the Memorial was first apparent as guests walked into the halls commemorating Australia’s military history. Passing through wings devoted to the first and second World Wars, the assembly of Australian cricket’s great and good, plus the entire Indian touring party, arrived to dine in Anzac Hall. Pre-dinner conversations were as much about the venue as the cricket, for it was hard for guests to ignore the sights and sounds all around. The room is dominated by an Avro Lancaster bomber aircraft – those with a restricted view of the stage could take plenty of solace in the uniqueness of the obstruction. They might also have noted that India’s players were dressed resplendently in team blazers, a gesture of respect the team had not managed to accomplish for the most recent edition of the ICC awards.Not long after all had settled in their seats, word was relayed that Dravid’s speech would be delivered earlier in the night than planned, the better to accommodate the jet-lagged bodies of an Indian touring team that had arrived in Canberra at 3am that morning. It was a concession to exactly the sort of crammed and muddled schedule that Dravid would go on to examine in one of the more striking passages of his speech, and a cause for some hurried shuffling of dinner plates in the Memorial kitchen.After a few words of introduction from Cricket Australia’s chairman Wally Edwards, and enjoyable recognition of the men who took part in the 1945 “Victory Tests” in England, Dravid walked to the stand, to deliver what he had confessed to CA would be his first significant speech of any kind. There were a few early nerves, and some self-deprecation to win over the audience, plus the observation that before India and Australia had been cricketing foes they were military allies, under the umbrella of empire.Much as Kumar Sangakkara had done in his famed Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s earlier this year, Dravid spoke in a way that reflected his character as much as the occasion. There were jokes, but only a handful, echoing the studious nature of the man. More abundant were thoughtful, considered observations, sculpted with care and precision like so many of Dravid’s strokes for India in Test matches over the past 15 years.

Dravid spoke in a way that reflected his character as much as the occasion. There were jokes, but only a handful, echoing the studious nature of the man. More abundant were thoughtful, considered observations, sculpted with care and precision like so many of Dravid’s strokes for India in Test matches over the past 15 years

He did not criticise India for its wealth and power in cricket, preferring to demonstrate how that wealth and its television offshoots had turned the game of princes and well-to-do businessmen into that of the people, whatever their language, background or financial standing. This was artfully demonstrated by an illustration of the diversity now found within the Indian dressing room. He did not swing heedlessly at the ICC, so often an easy target for angry words. Instead he counseled all administrators to look at why crowds had recently fallen even in India, and to ask themselves how the erosion of support for the game would hurt everyone, even if today they can still negotiate a fat broadcast rights contract for matches attended by no-one.The balance of formats was addressed carefully, for the matter is at the same level of complexity that Muttiah Muralitharan once concocted for the world’s batsmen. Test cricket, Dravid declared, had to be protected in the manner of its scheduling, while ODIs should be contested less frequently, and with more care. Twenty20, the game Dravid has most cause to view with suspicion as a batting classicist, has its best place as a contest between domestic teams or clubs. Given their own similarly held views, the heads of CA chairmen past and present could be seen perking up at this point. Dravid observed that all formats have a place, but not an equal one, for to maintain the present glut of fixtures would be to overburden the public and the players to the point of no return, be it financial or otherwise.Finally, Dravid directed his words towards the cricket pitch, to the place he finds from time to time where the wider issues of money, attendances, formats and corruption are swept away. Every now and then, Dravid said, it was possible to feel the same rush of excitement that accompanied his first boundary, first catch, or first victory. The timelessness of such moments gave him pause to consider his link in the game’s long history, and the role cricket’s players and organisers must play in the preservation of its future. As he concluded, the room rose to applaud, having been kept enthralled for more than 40 minutes.As the audience drifted off into the cold Canberra night, the nature of most conversation had changed. Where beforehand much of the talk centered on the majesty of the venue, now it was all about the content of the speech and the character of the speaker. Plenty of words were used to describe what Dravid had said, but among the most common of all was “insightful”. Dravid had provoked plenty of deep thought, and it can only be hoped that his words will go on to inspire equally thoughtful action.

After 10 years as captain, Graeme Smith has another chance to take South Africa to the top of the world

Firdose Moonda18-Jul-2012It looks as though Graeme Smith can barely believe it. Years of being second best could end in five weeks’ time in England. It will present other problems, like figuring out how to stay on top, but that’s something Smith can worry about another day. For now, the reality that the top is within touching distance has sunk in and the dream of actually touching the top is three Tests away from coming true.South Africa have walked this road so many times before it has become a circle. They could have become the No.1 team twice in the last two years – if they had beaten India at home in 2010-11 or whitewashed New Zealand away in the three-Test series in March – and both times they fell short. They have been at the top for brief periods, sometimes after big series wins such as in 2008 against England, and other times not of their own doing but because a convolution of other results conspired to put them there.They would have us believe it does not matter. Gary Kirsten has taught every member of the squad to repeat that rankings don’t actually matter to them, but it is a thinly disguised statement. Having always come short, in World Cups and on standings for as long as either have existed, being the best is something that matters dearly to those involved in South African cricket. It will be represent a final coming of age and a completion of something they have heard said about them but have no proof of: that they have it in them to be called the world’s top team.Smith knows that South Africa have done all the hard work in all the right places to put themselves in a position where they can rightfully claim to the best. “We’ve been really consistent,” he said. “In all conditions, it’s fair to say, we’ve been the most consistent team over the last period of time.” He’s not wrong. South Africa have gone six years and nine series without losing away from home. In that time, they have won in Pakistan, Bangladesh, England, Australia, West Indies and New Zealand and drawn in India, twice, and the United Arab Emirates.The core of the squad from those trips have remained. Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were all part of teams that have conquered every corner. The remaining five spots in the starting XI have rotated between opening partners for Smith, different No. 6 batsmen, a third seamer, and Paul Harris, who was in the spinner’s position as recently as a season ago.Some of those have settled now, particularly in the bowling department. Vernon Philander arrived moulded into the third seamer’s role as though he was born to do it and Harris has permanently discarded for Imran Tahir. As a unit, Smith rates this bowling attack as the most dynamic he has captained in nine years in the job.”Morne and Dale are further along with their skills and development from the last time we played England but they still have the same pace,” he said. “On a number of those tours, our third seamer was new, whereas Vernon has come in and established himself quite well. With Imran developing really well, there is a lot to look forward to and a lot to work with.”
The secret to South Africa’s bowling success is that those four front-liners do not represent their entire bowling reserves. Jacques Kallis is used in short bursts as an additional, fifth bowler. Smith called it a “massive blessing to have a batsman at No.4 who can bowl the way he does.” Andrew Strauss weighed in by saying England have only needed four bowlers to take 20 wickets, Kallis’ role is something that could prove the difference between the attacks.Cruel as it is, Mark Boucher, who was the core of the core until last week, is no longer part of the squad. His exclusion gives South Africa more options for now. With AB de Villiers set to keep wicket until the management have found the right time (read: an easier series) to blood Thami Tsolekile, South Africa can play an extra batsman or an extra bowler or someone who is both. JP Duminy is that someone. With his improved technique in longer forms of the game and his offspin, he becomes the person who could “offer something different” as Smith put it.South Africa have spent years searching for the “something different” that will set them apart from other teams. They have been criticised for being too predictable, lacking in variety and being a team that can dominate until the big occasion. Now that one of the biggest occasions is upon them, Smith believes they are ready to deliver.England is no longer the unchartered territory it was four years ago. South Africa have been here and won here. Although the England team they will come up against is, according to Smith, “a better team than they have had for a long time,” they face their own demons, which include holding on to that No.1 ranking, “being chased by a pack comes with its own pressure and this being the first major defence of their title,” Smith said.Whether that pressure will make England a more difficult prospect or an easier target is yet to be seen. Either way, South Africa may not even notice. They have prepared for this series with the focus solely on themselves and their processes because they know that what is at stake is bigger than anything they have had to tussle over before.

After a back surgery that kept him out of the game for over two years, VRV Singh is on a comeback trail and determined to work through every challenge

Abhishek Purohit31-Mar-2012His deliveries still bounce as steeply as they used to when he first played for India as a chubby 21-year old in 2006. That toothy grin, broad and childlike, has not changed. He still runs in like a locomotive struggling to control its momentum as it rumbles downhill. It is hard to believe that last week’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Assam was VRV Singh’s first game for Punjab in more than four years. The Indian Test middle order had all of its four big batsmen intact four years ago. Anil Kumble was India’s Test captain. The IPL had not yet come to town. And the veteran Pankaj Dharmani was leading Punjab. India’s cricket map has been altered in four years. And VRV Singh has seen the best and worst of the life of a professional sportsman in these four years.All he had wanted to do was to bowl as fast as he could. It was said that he needed his coach to console him if he came back from a game without hitting an opposition batsman on the head. No less an authority on fast bowling than Ian Bishop, the former West Indies quick, was impressed after watching VRV Singh in his debut Test in Antigua in June 2006.And then the injuries arrived. Foot, ankle, back. VRV Singh still tried to keep going through the pain. His pace dropped, lack of match practice ruined his rhythm. He had ankle surgery in 2008, but got injured during a practice match before the Ranji Trophy in 2009, limiting him to playing for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL that year.He almost disappeared after that, playing just one match in IPL 2010. Forget India, making the Punjab team was appearing to be improbable. It was then that he made the big decision to go in for back surgery in Australia in late 2010. “Initially, the injury was not that bad. But it did not improve much and went on deteriorating,” VRV Singh said. “After IPL 2010, I played some local games to see how it went but it was not good.”A whole year would pass after the surgery, before VRV Singh would be able to resume bowling. “You cannot play around with your body in rehab,” he said. “I slowly started with exercise for my lower back and hip muscles, then started working out in the gym, then running and eventually began to bowl from two-three steps.” He resumed bowling with his normal run-up around December 2011.It was way back in March 2008 that he had last played for Punjab. That meant he was starting all over again. So the man who has played five Tests for India turned out like any other probable at the trials for the Chandigarh district team. Did he have any ego issues? He smiles at the question. “I never felt like I was an India player who now had to turn out for district-level teams. When you want to play cricket, you don’t have the option to think about such things. After I played some 15-20 games like that they picked me for the Punjab side [for the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament].” You sense he is glad – to just be back on his feet, able to do what he is good at.But the comeback process was a grind he can never forget. For nearly 18 months VRV Singh had barely touched a ball. The question did come up, but not once did he feel that he should quit the game. “Giving up on cricket was never an option. If I had wanted to do that, I would have never gone in for this surgery. After surgery, I never thought that I won’t play cricket. I always had it at the back of my mind that I want to make a comeback. The good thing is, I gave myself time to recover and didn’t hurry back.”Though the ultimate objective was quite clear, there were obviously days when the enormity of the task would get to him. And that is where the encouragement from his parents proved to be crucial. “I think family support was the main thing. My parents had the biggest role to play in my comeback. You cannot go around paying attention to negative things said about you. What matters is that you should have the support of people close to you.”There were days when I used to get frustrated with not playing or not being able to bowl. That is the time when they supported me. They told me to give myself some time, and wait till I was 100% fit and not jump in when I was, say, 90%. Little things matter, like when you are not able to bend to pick up something from the ground and they would do it for you.”

“If a player has not played for more than two years then no [IPL] franchise is going to pick him. I wasn’t depressed. I would have been depressed if I hadn’t had the surgery. I am happy that I am back to normal. After the surgery I have become mentally tougher.”

There were others who helped as well. “I have a good friend in Sydney, Surjit Singh, who supported me a lot. Also, Patrick Farhart [the Kings XI physiotherapist].”He says he has also tweaked his action to lighten the load on his body. “I have changed it a bit and worked on my back-foot landing. Earlier I used to not think much [about my action], but after the surgery I thought that if I slightly modify it to front-on from side-on then it might help make my follow-through easier and it might not [put too much pressure] on the lower body. I tried it in Chandigarh and it was getting better. I am still working on it and hopefully by the middle of this year I will get there.”For now, a haul of eight wickets in four games at an economy-rate of 6.37 was quite satisfactory as Punjab made the Syed Mushtaq Ali final. The bounce he extracted in the competition was steep, the pace decent. “The more I play, the more pace and bounce I will get. I don’t think my pace has reduced much after the surgery, it’s still the same.”Someone asked him if he was depressed at not having an IPL contract. His reply said it all. “If a player has not played for more than two years then no franchise is going to pick him. I wasn’t depressed. I would have been depressed if I hadn’t had the surgery. I am happy that I am back to normal. After the surgery I have become mentally tougher. As a fast bowler, when you undergo surgeries, it is tough.”His major concern right now is the lack of match-practice options with the domestic season having ended. “You cannot improve much in local cricket. There will be a few Punjab off-season camps before the next Ranji Trophy. I’ll keep working in the gym. But at the moment, matches [are not there].”VRV Singh is still not giving up though; he is being pro-active in dealing with this challenge. Immediately after the Syed Mushtaq Ali final he went up to his captain Harbhajan Singh and senior India fast bowler Munaf Patel to seek counsel about the best way to not only stay match fit but also mentally strong. Clearly VRV 2.0 is hungry. He does not want to lose his focus.Sometimes, you can never win. For two-and-a-half years, he could hardly play. Now when he can, there are no avenues available. But for the moment, VRV Singh is happy about just being able to bowl again. Remind him of his early days, when it was all about pace for him, and he smiles knowingly again.”I am more mature now. You are obviously wiser at 27 than when you are 21-22. I have understood my body much better now. That fire is still there [though]. It will always be there.”

As Australia look to defend their title, their former captain Ricky Ponting remembers highlights from the previous editions

19-Oct-2012How important is the ICC Champions Trophy for players?
It’s a very important tournament for the player when you consider that the 50-over game has been a bit maligned over the last few years, with how big T20 cricket has become so quickly. The big tournaments you play in are the ICC World Cup and the Champions Trophy, so it’s a very big and important event for the players.And the fans?
I think the fans place it in the same regard as the players, especially the way the Champions Trophy is formatted now, with fewer teams than originally. I remember when I started playing Champions Trophy, almost all of the Associate nations were playing. In the UK in 2004, we played USA in the group stage – the game was over six overs, [us] chasing just 65. It was a pretty ordinary advertisement for the game, but the last tournament in South Africa in 2009 was the best run, and the most well-organised ODI tournament that I’ve been a part of.Fans appreciate the shorter and compressed format as there are no real wasted games – the best eight teams are playing each other, the tournament’s done in two weeks or so, and they get to see high-quality cricket in every game.How important is the one-day game to the future of cricket?
ODI cricket is in a really interesting phase right now. I love 50-over cricket and I love Test cricket – they are my two favourite forms of the game. But you can see how just how big and how important the T20 game has become for world cricket in only a short period of time.One-day cricket is certainly important in Australia’s eyes, with us hosting the next World Cup. The one-day game is vitally important to this country. But I think it’ll be really interesting to see what does happen to the 50-over game. I think the roles between T20 and 50-over cricket will probably be reversed – eventually we’ll be playing more T20 and less 50-over cricket.You captained Australia to victory in the previous two ICC Champions Trophy tournaments. How do the titles rank in terms of your career achievements?
They rank very highly, probably just behind World Cups and Ashes Test wins. The Champions Trophy eluded us for quite a while – the first few I played in were knockout tournaments and we got knocked out early on. When we were in India, beating West Indies in the final in 2006 was very special to us. Then we beat New Zealand in South Africa in 2009, which was a very good tournament for the team – we snuck through the whole tournament undefeated, despite a bit of a scare versus Pakistan in the last group game.What is your best memory of playing in the tournament?
I have lots of fond memories of the Champions Trophy. My favourite was probably the 2009 final – it was a bit of a nail-biting final, although we got across the line four wickets down. Callum Ferguson injured his knee in the final, so we were a batsman down, chasing runs, and we lost a couple of early wickets. Shane Watson scored another hundred [after his hundred in the semis] and saw us home.We went through that tournament undefeated, so that’s very memorable. Thankfully, for me, we did that on a few occasions in World Cups and the Champions Trophy – and that’s a pretty hard thing to do in one-day cricket.You are the fifth leading run scorer in the history of the tournament, with 593 in 18 innings. What was your favourite innings in the ICC Champions Trophy?
My hundred in 2009 against England in the semis. We had to chase a reasonable total [257] at Centurion. Watto and I put on 252, and we chased it one wicket down. Watto ended up with 136 not out and I made 111 not out. The enormity of the situation – chasing a big total, being the captain, making a hundred and winning one down – that was one of my biggest highlights.You’ve played, and won, the most matches as captain and have a win ratio of 80%. Are you proud of that achievement?
Yes, I’m very proud of that record. The last couple of tournaments we played some very good one-day cricket. Captain’s records are only a reflection of how good their team and how good their players are – so I’ve got to be thankful for that.Who were the toughest five bowlers you have ever faced in one-day international cricket?
Wasim Akram, Curtly Ambrose, Shaun Pollock, Murali and Malinga. The generation I’ve played in has some of the all-time great bowlers.That list obviously doesn’t include your formidable Australian bowling attack, which was crucial to your success, wasn’t it?
I was pretty lucky in my captaincy to have [Jason] Gillespie, [Glenn] McGrath and [Shane] Warne – and, of course, Brett Lee, who will go down as one of the great one-day bowlers. We always had decent part-timers as well – [Andrew] Symonds, [Darren] Lehmann – those sorts of guys, who could do a job for you and were very handy. That was the one thing about our team – we always had great balance because we had guys batting in our top six who were always able to bowl a few overs, which is very important for any one-day team.See the best eight teams in one-day international cricket take part in the ICC Champions Trophy in June 2013 – tickets for The Oval, Cardiff and Edgbaston are on sale on 5 November at icc-cricket.com (pre-registration open now)

Michael Clarke and Shane Watson have had vastly different years but Australia’s captain and vice-captain must both stand up in 2013

Brydon Coverdale in Melbourne27-Dec-2012So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, a new one just begun. John Lennon had weighty issues on his mind when he wrote those lyrics in a Vietnam War protest song in 1971. Australia’s cricketers are involved in nothing so momentous but they can still ask themselves the same question as 2012 draws to a close. What have you done? The captain Michael Clarke and vice-captain Shane Watson would give vastly different answers.From a personal point of view, Clarke could hardly have achieved more in Tests in 2012. No Australian batsman has scored more runs in a year than the 1595 Clarke has so far accumulated. That included three double-centuries and a triple-hundred. While Clarke hasn’t missed a Test in 2012, Watson has sat out of five through injury. In the six he has played, he has averaged 31.45 with the bat and 49.16 with the ball. He hasn’t made a century or taken more than one wicket in an innings, though he has contributed to wins, like his final-day 52 in Barbados.On the second day at the MCG, Clarke and Watson combined for a 194-run partnership that batted Australia into a position from which they should win again. It was an important stand and it ensured that Australia’s strong bowling performance on Boxing Day was not wasted. But both men had multiple lives against a struggling Sri Lankan attack further weakened by the loss of the lead fast bowler, Chanaka Welegedara, to injury. No Test runs are soft, but most are scored at a higher intensity than was required here.Clarke used the opportunity to score his fifth century of 2012 and for the first time this year didn’t turn his hundred into at least a double. He was out for 106. For nearly every other batsman in history, that would be significantly above average. For Clarke this year, 106 was precisely his average. Watson made 83 before he was caught at deep midwicket, obligingly hooking straight down the throat of a fieldsman. He had done a job, but didn’t cash in like Clarke so often has.For nearly a decade, Watson has been viewed as a player of immense Test potential. At 31, he still is. But will he ever truly fulfill that promise? He has made valuable contributions with both bat and ball, but could have achieved so much more. Of course, it is hard to gain momentum when a player is injured as often as Watson. Clarke has missed nine Tests since his 2004 debut, including those for which he was dropped. Watson, who debuted three months later, has missed 50.Watson remains one of Australia’s most important players. Who else can bat in the top six and act as a genuine fifth bowler? But Australia need more from him with the bat if he is to settle into the No.4 role vacated by Ricky Ponting. Centuries are not everything in Test cricket but his conversion rate – two tons from 21 scores above fifty – must improve. He cannot afford to lose concentration, not with difficult tours of India and England coming up next year.Perhaps his 83 at the MCG will be a stepping stone. He occupied the crease for 265 minutes and with the exception of his two centuries, it was his longest Test innings in terms of duration. Against Rangana Herath, Watson’s play-from-the-crease approach was noticeable compared to Clarke’s light-footed style, and more than next year’s Ashes tour Watson’s big challenge in 2013 will be to handle the spin-friendly conditions in four Tests in India.Australia need a big year from Watson, just as they require more of the same from Clarke. The chances of Clarke batting again in this match are slim, and his 106 would be a fine way to cap off a remarkable 2012. It was a year that began with an unbeaten 329 against India at the SCG followed by 210 in Adelaide, and also included 259 not out against South Africa in Brisbane and 230 in the next Test in Adelaide. They are Bradman-like figures and in all of Test history only Bradman averaged more as a Test captain than Clarke has, of players who have led their country at least 10 times.His Melbourne hundred was good, not great, but as his first Test century at the MCG it was important to Clarke. He celebrated with a hug from his batting partner, Watson, and at the drinks break that immediately followed, one from the team physio Alex Kountouris, whose work had helped Clarke recover from his hamstring injury in time to play this match. But for all that he has achieved this year, Clarke will be judged on how he performs in 2013. He knows it, so he is not getting ahead of himself.”Not much, and I mean that in the right way,” Clarke said when asked what his immense 2012 figures meant to him. “Numbers have never really bothered me too much. It’s nice to be making runs and leading by example as one of the leaders in the team. I think it’s really important that the captain is doing that. But to me it is about winning games … as long as we keep winning, that’s my priority.”After next week’s Sydney match against Sri Lanka, that means four Tests in India and 10 Ashes Tests. The major blot of Ponting’s captaincy career was his inability to lead Australia to an Ashes triumph away from home. In 2012, Clarke bettered Ponting’s best calendar year. If his 2013 is anything like it, he might achieve something else Ponting never did.A productive vice-captain Watson at No.4 – and a Watson who can string together a full year of cricket – would be an enormous help.

Plays of the Day from the third day of the first Test between South Africa and Pakistan in Johannesburg

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers03-Feb-2013What they were waiting for moment of the day
With South Africa’s lead steadily growing, questions over the how they would time the declaration began. AB de Villiers had obviously been sent out to score as quickly as possible, and he and Hashim Amla added 68 runs in nine overs. The last four of those came with de Villiers reaching for a short, wide ball and sending it through the covers to reach his 15th Test century. While the Wanderers and the change-room applauded, Graeme Smith indicated it was the milestone he was waiting for and called the batsmen in. Amla was unbeaten on 74 at the time.Tribute of the day
For the first time, the Wanderers Stadium hosted a players’ day. The Long Room was filled with former cricketers from both establishment and board eras. The highlight for most of them was the opening speech given by Yusuf Garda, who played for Transvaal in 1956. Garda gave a telling oration about the history of cricket in the province across all racial divides and reminded the crowd that they were all in the same room now.Golden arm of the day
Dale Steyn may be the go-to man for Smith, but Jacques Kallis must be his magician. The 37-year-old was brought on for a second spell after bowling just two overs before lunch and struck almost immediately. With the fourth ball of his third over, Kallis hit Azhar Ali with a length ball that struck him on the knee roll. It looked plumb but Azhar reviewed anyway and the replays confirmed it. That scalp leaves Kallis needing 12 more to get to 300 Test wickets.Bowler of the day
For 29.1 overs in the Pakistan first innings, Robin Peterson was merely a fielder. He had not scored any runs either, so his total participation in the match was just about nothing at that point. After 34 overs of the Pakistan second innings, Peterson’s only contribution was a catch at mid-on when Nasir Jamshed threw his wicket away. But then, at the start of the 35th over, Peterson was finally called on to bowl for the first time in the match. He started with two maiden overs to prove just as miserly as the rest of the attack but didn’t have as good a day as some others – Peterson dropped Misbah-ul-Haq on 31 before the close.Premature celebration of the day
Smith brought Vernon Philander back for a burst close to the end of the day and it looked a masterstroke. With his fourth ball, that held its line as it went through, Philander induced an edge from Asad Shafiq and had him caught behind on 40. Philander was mid-leap through the air and Shafiq was walking off when he was called back by the umpires as a message was relayed that the bowler had overstepped. Very little had gone Pakistan’s way as far as third umpire decisions go but this time they were beneficiaries.

Graham Onions’ lack of form has larger implications for England’s fast-bowling reserves

Andrew McGlashan in Queenstown02-Mar-2013Few people leave Queenstown with bad memories – unless you are involved in the England rugby squad – but Graham Onions has not had a time to remember in the shadow of the Remarkables mountain range.It was a chastening outing for him against the New Zealand XI as he ended with match figures of 1 for 213 from 38 overs. That included a two-over period in the first innings which cost 33, and another two-over spell that went for 23 in the second.As the game wore on, during the final day, his shoulders slumped further and it was not nice viewing to see a bowler, who had worked so hard to give himself another England opportunity, visibly lose confidence. A significant part of his problem came from his delivery stride as he sent down 11 no-balls.While it would be foolish, and premature, to write off the possibility of Onions having a sustained second chance at the international level, it is by no means certain that he will add to his nine caps – the most recent of which came against West Indies, at Edgbaston, last year. He had earned every right to be regarded as the next in line after a 2012 domestic season where he took 72 wickets at 14.73. Figures like those demanded attention.It is not Onions’ fault that there is only the one warm-up match in New Zealand, but he certainly did not grasp his opportunity to put pressure on Stuart Broad for the final bowling place. It was a similar tale for him in India, where his warm-up form was disappointing: if you add together his last two appearances in an England shirt (Queenstown and Ahmedabad against Haryana), his combined figures are 2 for 313.It has been suggested on the domestic circuit in England that Onions has lost some pace since his serious back injury. That would be no disgrace at all – it was career-threatening, and to see him just back on the field was a terrific story. Yet, at some stage, it may have to be acknowledged that a decline has occurred.There was a good chance that if Onions had performed well against the New Zealand XI, he would have kept Broad out of the Test side for longer. He could, of course, just be out of form but watching his bowling first hand, it did appear a little more than that. This is an occasion where the England backroom staff will have to come into their own. Right now, if there was a late injury before Dunedin, it would be very difficult to pick Onions.Which raises the question: there is an accepted stance at the moment that England’s pace bowling stocks are well resourced, but does the evidence really support that? James Anderson and Steven Finn lead the line, but the latter has had some injury concerns. Broad is trying to resume a stalled Test career with no guarantee he will be able to string matches together with his troublesome heel and then what comes next is a little more uncertain, especially if Onions’ problems are a sign of something more than just a dip in form.Tim Bresnan is currently recuperating from a second elbow operation with an aim to being fit for the Champions Trophy. A continuation of his one-day career does not seem in too much doubt, but that cannot be said for Test cricket.

England have made a big play of the fact that there are a number of immediately interchangeable options for the full side. That does not necessarily ring true. Those names are ranked high on promise and low on experience, which is another reason Onions’ faltering is an issue.

Chris Woakes was steady against the New Zealand XI, but does not yet appear a Test bowler and none of the quicks on the Lions tour of Australia (albeit on a trip consisting of solely 50-over cricket) have enjoyed a standout trip. Stuart Meaker and Toby Roland-Jones have plenty of time to forge international careers, while Reece Topley, Tymal Mills and the Overtons – Craig and Jamie – are worth watching this year. James Harris has been around the one-day squad, but England have made a big play of the fact that there are a number of immediately interchangeable options for the full side. That does not necessarily ring true. Those names are ranked high on promise, low on experience which is another reason Onions’ faltering is an issue.Much interest is being given to the recovery of Chris Tremlett from the knee and back injuries which restricted him to one Championship match last season. He has recently returned from a training camp in Potchefstroom and is on course to be ready for the start of the English summer. If all goes well, and he can play the majority of the season, then England would dearly like to have him for the Ashes in Australia. That, however, does not scream strength and depth.It is the one area Australia are edging ahead. Their rotation policy is causing much angst, but they are creating a collection of fast bowlers to call on. Injuries notwithstanding, it can read: Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Jackson Bird, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus and, perhaps still, Ryan Harris.Before the tour to India, the main concern for England was in the batting. Kevin Pietersen’s return and Joe Root’s emergence mean that someone as talented as Jonny Bairstow is on the sidelines, while James Taylor, who was in the middle order against South Africa, is back with the Lions. Now, in a year where fast-bowling resources, the experience of them and the durability, will play a key role there is just a sense that England’s options are not quite as fulsome as 12 months ago.

It is hazardous to go by bowlers’ figures in T20, but his figures of 4-0-17-1 in defence of just 115 were possibly an accurate reflection of how well he bowled

Sidharth Monga12-May-2013Bowling analysis is a term used synonymously with bowling figures. That usage doesn’t work here. Twenty20 is a hazardous place to “analyse” bowlers. You can get wickets without doing anything, like when AB de Villiers reverse-swept L Balaji through to the keeper. In IPL, what with the inconsistent fielding standards, it becomes even worse. Ask Ravi Rampaul, who did everything right when opening the bowling in a small defence, but saw Abhimanyu Mithun make a right mess of a sitter at long leg. The beneficiary, Jacques Kallis, scored 38 after that reprieve, and possibly cost Rampaul’s side the match.Bowling figures usually prove crucial in the IPL, because, well, somebody has to get the wickets when the batsmen go kamikaze, but the bowlers are often incidental to what happens. More often than what is ideal, at any rate. Sometimes you just see batsmen do inexplicably crazy things, and bowlers walk away with excellent figures. Sometimes you see top edges fly for sixes and your fielders letting you down, and you take home dubious records. However, Murali Kartik’s figures of 4-0-17-1 in defence of just 115 were possibly an accurate reflection of how well he bowled.And Kartik was hit for the longest six of the match off the first ball he bowled. It was a pitch where all batsmen had struggled to time, and the other two sixes, hit by Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, had just about cleared the rope. It can be demoralising when you run in, and see Yusuf Pathan, a hit and miss player on current form, smack one out of the ground.Kartik, a veteran of Twenty20 in a variety of conditions and against a variety of batsmen, didn’t respond with darts. He didn’t go for ultra defensive fields. He trapped Yusuf in his next over with a left-arm bowler’s offbreak, and then went on to show his mastery over Manoj Tiwary. Once again, it has to be seen through the tunnel of Twenty20, which has caused panic among better and more accomplished batsmen.For the best part of Kartik’s bowling, and perhaps the match, we need to go to the 13th over, which began with Kolkata Knight Riders needing 48 off 48. It wasn’t quite Shane Warne, but there was drama all around. On more than one occasion, he pulled out of the delivery looking back at the non-striker. The batsmen, Tiwary and Jacques Kallis, weren’t backing up too far, and it would have taken extraordinary work to mankad them, but Kartik was playing his small tricks to get under their skins.Kartik might have too, because the batsmen did look indignant from afar. The bigger tricks, though, were seen in the actual bowling. Tiwary is known to play a wild shot as soon as he faces a few dot balls, but this time he responded with a flick over mid-on. The captain, as with almost all Twenty20 captains, sent mid-on back immediately. Sitting back and waiting for the batsmen to make the inexplicable mistake is the preferred way in T20. And it has happened more often in this IPL than makes for exciting cricket.Kartik, though, called the mid-on back up. He wanted Tiwary to play that shot again. He was telling Tiwary he wasn’t impressed. Tiwary nearly responded to the taunt, jumping out of the crease next ball. Kartik beat him in the flight, but couldn’t go past the bat. Then he fired one in. And then he saw Tiwary make room, and tossed one up wide outside off. Despite the boundary, only six had come off that over. Despite that six first ball, Kartik had gone for just 15 in three.Kartik was kept back after that over. He was to make the impact. And what a cruel game. You get one over to make the impact. And that one over can easily be played out when the asking rate is six an over. So on he came with 31 required off 30. The over was full of moral victories. You could argue Kartik would have won this if the contest had gone longer, you could have argued Tiwary would have behaved more like a batsman had this been a longer contest.It was clear Tiwary was charging too early because with three consecutive deliveries Kartik saw him and bowled wide twice, and cramped him up once. On one of those occasions, he nearly had Tiwary stumped. Just two runs came off the over, Knight Riders now needed 29 off 24, but Kartik was bowled out. He had done his bit, though. It was up to other bowlers now.And Kallis got a massive top edge to the next ball, which sailed over the keeper’s head. All pressure gone. Knight Riders won.

Statistical highlights from the third day’s play of the second Test between India and West Indies in Mumbai

Shiva Jayaraman16-Nov-2013

• Pragyan Ojha’s ten-wicket haul was the first of his Test career. He is the first left-arm spinner since Venkatapathy Raju, who took 11 for 125 against Sri Lanka in 1994, to take a ten-wicket haul for India. He is also the seventh left-arm spinner from India to take a ten-wicket haul for the match. This was the 19th occasion of an Indian bowler taking two five-fors in a Test. Harbhajan Singh has taken two five-fors in a match three times in his career, the most by an Indian bowler.
• This was the second-shortest India Test, in terms of the number of overs bowled, that ended with a result. A total of 216.2 overs were bowled in this Test, which were the second lowest after the 202.1 overs that were bowled at the same venue in the Test against Australia in 2004. Click here for a list of the shortest Tests played that ended in a result.
• Ashwin averaged 77.00 with the bat and 19.33 with the ball this series. The difference of 57.67 between his batting and bowling averages in this series was the third-highest ever among India players who have scored 100-plus runs and taken ten or more wicket in a series. Ashwin has now hit a hundred and taken ten or more wickets in a series, twice. This was only the 11th such instance for India.
• This was one of West Indies’ worst performances in a series. Their batsmen averaged 19.27, which was the third-lowest ever in their history. Their bowlers averaged 47.40, which was the fifteenth-highest ever they have averaged in a series. The difference of 28.13 between their bowling average and their batting average was the third-highest ever in a series, which is an indication of how ordinary their collective performance was. Their worst collective-performance came in the series against England in 2009 when they averaged 61.12 with the ball and 22.35 with the bat – a difference of 38.77.
• Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s highest score from four innings in this series was 41. The last time Chanderpaul failed to hit a fifty-plus score from four or more innings in a series was against England in 2009. This was his first series against India in which he played at least four innings without a fifty-plus score. His series average of 44.33 was his third-lowest against India as well.
• Shane Shillingford’s 11 wickets in this series were the third-highest ever by a visiting spinner in India from two matches, or less, in a series. Saqlain Mushtaq’s 20 wickets in 1998-99 are the highest by a visiting spinner from two matches in a series in India.
• This was MS Dhoni’s ninth win as captain by an innings. He has overtaken Mohammad Azharuddin as the India captain with most win by an innings. Dhoni had equalled Azharuddin’s record in the last match at Kolkata. Sourav Ganguly won seven Tests by an innings as captain. This was also Dhoni’s 49th Test as captain, equalling Ganguly’s record for captaining India in most Tests.

Ryan Harris’ willingness to exert himself on this tour to South Africa, despite his badly deteriorating knee, and his effectiveness through the pain on day three in Cape Town, take one back to Merv Hughes and the 1993 Ashes

Daniel Brettig in Cape Town03-Mar-2014Among the more courageous chapters in the saga of Australian fast bowling concerns Merv Hughes on the 1993 Ashes tour. To carry a few extra kilograms on his mincing run to the wicket was typical for Hughes, but to do so while also nursing an injured and painful right knee was not. Allan Border’s Australians had lost Craig McDermott during the Lords Test, and it was Hughes who led the pace attack, wonky knee and all, through six Tests and 31 wickets. By the time the tour reached The Oval, Hughes was struggling to walk, let alone bowl. The damage to his knee was such that he only played two more Tests, the last at Newlands the following year.Two decades later and Hughes was on hand in Cape Town to witness what may or may not be another valedictory display by a stout-hearted fast man with a degenerative knee. Like Hughes, Ryan Harris put off the requirement of surgery to be a part of a major series, and has fought through considerable pain and increasing signs of deterioration in the joint to play his role. There were times during the second Test in Port Elizabeth that Harris might have pushed his body a match or tour too far, and he admitted to doubting himself ahead of the decider. But he stirred back to venomous life on day three at Newlands, delivering spells that he and Hughes will both remember.For much of the time between Tests, Harris wondered whether or not he would be granted another match. His accuracy had deserted him on occasions in Centurion and Port Elizabeth, notably with a tendency to begin spells by dropping short. His knee was locking up more often due to the loose bone and cartilage floating around it, requiring him to stop in his run-up and kick it back into place on an unpleasantly frequent basis. While Harris will tend to downplay the issue, his fellow fast man Mitchell Johnson offered gruesome evidence that this is far from a minor niggle.”You’ll be sitting up in the viewing room when we’re batting and he’ll go ‘feel this’ and it’ll be a little bit of bone in his knee,” Johnson said. “You’re a freak to be able to keep going [in that condition]. He’s mentally strong and physically strong and it definitely pushes everyone along. It puts your little niggles to the back of the room, because if he can get through that, you should be able to get through anything as well. He should be an inspiration to a lot of fast bowlers out there and upcoming fast bowlers as well.”As his bowling coach, McDermott watched Harris’ looming doubts and suspicions that his bowling action was getting ragged and his wrist position less than perfect, precluding him from summoning swing. Like Michael Clarke with the bat, Harris wished to bowl an extra session on the team’s nominated day off earlier this week. Instead he was counselled to rest, relax and get cricket off his mind. McDermott offered the opinion that any issues with his action were the result of a heavy workload at St George’s Park after the tourists were bowled out cheaply in their first-innings reply to a stolidly built South African total.Nevertheless, Harris still turned up to bowl at training on the day before the Test, something almost unheard of in the present day and a testament to his desire for improvement. “I actually gave him a bit of stick because he came to training the day before and normally fast bowlers don’t turn up to the optional session,” Johnson said. “So he works extremely hard and he was quite frustrated at the way he’d been bowling. We all thought he’d been bowling fine, but he’s a perfectionist.”Perfection can be fleeting, but every so often Harris locates it, whether first ball to Alastair Cook in Perth last year, or when utilising reverse swing to savage effect against Hashim Amla in his second spell on day three. Early on Harris had found a modicum of conventional bend against Graeme Smith, shaping a few deliveries in – including one that was wrongly referred for an lbw appeal – while also seaming others away. The projectile that flicked Smith’s outside edge was a classy one – it had precision in line, length and movement – but it was a mere entrée for the Amla rocket.Australia’s pursuit of reverse swing was far more concerted than in Port Elizabeth, utilising Johnson’s ability to land the ball on the leather rather than the seam to good effect. It was not yet 30 overs old when Harris began to gain some alarming hoop, beating Amla completely as he played outside the swerve. Johnson called it a “Steyn ball”, after Dale’s stump-pluckers to Brad Haddin – the only difference here was that the wickets were splayed rather than flattened. Harris confessed to feeling like a mere bowling machine against Amla at St George’s Park; here he was Pro-Batter set to 11. The next ball almost cut Faf du Plessis in two.Less spectacular but equally notable was Harris’ deconstruction of JP Duminy, another thorn in Australia in Port Elizabeth. A series of old-ball inswingers had Duminy conditioned to expect the ball curling towards him, making the delivery angled across doubly dangerous. Watched in isolation, the edge looked profligate. But watching the whole over, it made far more sense. Subtle movement both ways has always been a prime element of the Harris method. It was far too good for Duminy, the 99th Test victim of a masterful practitioner.Australia’s progress was interrupted for a time by du Plessis and Vernon Philander, forcing Harris back for stints that came close to wickets without quite delivering. His 100th wicket in Tests will have to wait until the second innings, the final stop on a 12-Test journey that began at Lord’s more than seven months ago. Harris often sets himself the goal of being on the plane with his team-mates at the end of a tour rather than an early casualty, and in South Africa he has managed it once more. The cost of these exertions will not truly be known until Harris checks in with his surgeon later in the month, and it may be steep. But as Hughes can attest, victory will be worth the pain.