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It is difficult to separate the series of 1981, 2005 and 2023 for the cricket played or the impact they had

Mark Nicholas01-Aug-2023″Don’t bother looking for that, let alone chasing it. That’s gone straight into the confectionery stall and out again,” said Richie Benaud of a hit by Ian Botham at Headingley in 1981. From a position of nowhere after the first two Tests of that summer, “Beefy” stole the series; so much so that it was immediately christened Botham’s Ashes and has remained so ever since.Andrew Flintoff did much the same in 2005 but didn’t quite manage to get his moniker stuck to it. Freddie bowled like the wind that golden summer and struck the ball like the warrior he was from the first day we saw him as an outsize youth to that last Ashes day at The Oval in 2009, when he limped home, spent.We might have expected the next in the line of great England allrounders to stamp his name all over the 2023 edition, but a dicky knee and the hidden demands of captaincy stole the title from him. Of course, there were heroics that came mainly with the bat and his unwavering message of cricket without inhibition but in the end Ben Stokes gave way to Chris Woakes as gamebreaker writ large across three Tests that so nearly did something only Don Bradman’s Australians managed 87 years ago.Related

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The show-stopper, however, was neither Stokes nor Woakes but Stuart Broad, whose sense of theatre is very Beefy and Fred; not that even those two gargantuan figures of the English game could finish in a front of a full house at The Oval by hitting their final ball faced in Test cricket for six and take the wicket that squared the series the following evening* with the last ball they ever bowled in first-class cricket. You couldn’t make it up.This stunning triumph and the amazing scenes that followed were nothing more than England deserved. The cricket played by Stokes’ team brings pride to its supporters and inspiration to the generation now growing up with so much else to grab their attention. Various sessions, not least the last two hours yesterday, have been as electrifying as anything in the arena of sport, and some of them more so. It is risk and reward in a way most professional sportsmen look to avoid for fear of the wheels coming off. It is exemplified by names such as Botham, Best and Ballesteros; Flintoff and Federer; Stokes, Senna and Sobers. Only, this time Stokes has press-ganged a whole team to walk in the steps of its leader.

Over-analysing this period in English cricket history is not so much futile as it is unnecessary. Rather, we must applaud the light, the hope, the faith and the brilliance

Probably England deserved the 3-2 margin in their favour simply because of the extent of their ambition. It is one thing to entertain, quite another to avoid becoming only a Harlem Globetrotter. There is a practicality to winning cricket matches otherwise known as game management, and as the series progressed, so England began to log in. When the free spirit joined forces with clear thinking, it became an unstoppable force.As it was, rain in Manchester denied this result and in a strange sort of way it doesn’t now seem to matter too much. Sure, Australia retained the Ashes but everyone knows what happened and who made it so. Two fine teams went at it with an iron will and by the end could not be separated. One took the game to a soaring new height of expressionism, the other did it by the book of words long written into history. This contrast was in itself a fascination.The clamour in the immediate aftermath is to call it the greatest Ashes ever. How we love to rate things!Frankly, it is difficult to separate the series of ’81, ’05 and ’23 for the cricket played or the impact they had on the nation, or should we say nations? How do Australians see Ashes defeats that followed a winning start? In 1981, Botham left the field at Lord’s to silence from the MCC members: probably not the same ones who gave Usman Khawaja and Co a serve early last month, but members nonetheless. The match was drawn but England had been outsmarted in a low-scoring game and the grim reaper followed England’s captain and talisman up those steps to the dressing room, in which he decided upon resignation. Mike Brearley took over and the rest, well, it’s thrilling history.Sense of theatre much? Stuart Broad struck to take the final two wickets at The Oval and level the series•Getty ImagesBrearley’s contribution was immediate. Twenty-four years later, Michael Vaughan matched it with bells on, though Vaughan had long planned the mission while assembling a gifted team driven by an engine of fast bowling of the sort rarely seen in the storied life of England cricket. After a dramatic and hugely promising first session in the first Test at Lord’s, England were humbled – hammered actually – by a great Australian team. What followed was remarkable. Far from retreating into themselves, Vaughan and his troop fashioned a comeback for the ages amid four nail-biters and mighty resistance from cricket’s most charismatic talent. Across that draining seven weeks Shane Warne took 40 wickets at 19.9 each and made 249 runs at 27.6 from No. 8 in the order. But still England won.At The Oval yesterday my mind cast back to Kevin Pietersen’s explosive innings which secured the series and led to all manner of eccentricity in celebration. Pietersen was Bazball long before Ben or Baz, an outlier untouched by English reservation and in situ for a good time if not necessarily a long time. Actually, he was around longer than many thought, and never dull. To save The Oval Test, he hooked Brett Lee’s searing bouncers from his eyebrows and into the crowd. When finally out for 158, Australian players shook him by the hand. Well, one. Warne.Eighteen years on and Stokes’ team was being picked apart by the finest Australian batter of the day. Steven Smith had a fortunate match, having been given the benefit of the doubt after a review in as tight a run-out call as you can imagine during the first innings and then surviving Stokes’ “catch” at leg slip in the second. Eventually Woakes of Warwickshire found his edge and Zak Crawley at slip did the rest.There has been controversy throughout the series and the sense, from afar, that the players have been more on edge than they have revealed. For once, dignity has not been the first to leave. Probably, the IPL is to thank for players who understand each other better then at any time previously. A few names from the past have grumbled about how “nice” everyone is to one another on the field, but rather there be a kind face for our game than a sneer.

Probably England deserved the 3-2 margin in their favour simply because of the extent of their ambition. It is one thing to entertain, quite another to avoid becoming only a Harlem Globetrotter

It is a sign of the times that the 1981 series was played across 75 days, the 2005 battle fought through 52 days and nights (ask Vaughan about his sleep, or lack of it) and this little corker of a five-match set has taken 46. No wonder Pat Cummins began to look knackered. Remember that he started in early June with the final of the World Test Championship, and has been on the edge of his nerves ever since. It seems mean to question his suitability for the job.The relevant question is whether such a schedule compromises the quality of the cricket and the longevity of its players. Of the three series, 2005 is the standout for me. England were able to beat an Australia side jammed with a collection of the country’s greatest ever cricketers. Each day was hard-fought, won and lost, as against some in this current series that were relinquished.Truth be told, by throwing all signs of caution to the wind, England made a surprising number of mistakes. Australia judged these to be the cause of an unsustainable method and chose to play more pragmatic cricket themselves. Game management is a skill, albeit an unglamorous one. Self-awareness is an attribute. At various times in the series England have missed the mark on both, and costly it has been. The second-innings freefall with the bat and dropped catches cost them Edgbaston; a first-innings slide into chaos and further missed chances cost them Lord’s. But does one come with the other? Is the corollary of inhibition the fallout from consistency?The same happened at The Oval. Four wickets were lost for 28 on the opening day and five for 35 in the second innings – most of them to batting that was, not so long ago, perceived as madness. We must buy in and watch on with a joyous heart. Over-analysing this period in English cricket history is not so much futile as it is unnecessary. Rather, we must applaud the light, the hope, the faith and the brilliance.For me, 2005 nicks it but only because 2023 has been a series of flawed genius within the parameters of cricket as entertainment. But when the free spirit kicked in and the clear thinking held its own – think Woakes and Mark Wood bowling and batting at Headingley, and specifically, the manner in which they ushered England over the finish line – well, the potential of cricket seemed to have become endless. For that, captain, we thank you.03:38 GMT, August 2, 2023: The article originally said Broad hit his last six and took his last wicket on the same day. This was corrected.

New Zealand left-arm spinner set to play his 100th ODI, with Australia sweating over his kind of bowling in Dharamsala

Sidharth Monga27-Oct-20231:01

What makes Mitchell Santner so effective?

Every little while during Australia’s training session in Dharamsala, one of their coaches would go to the tent in the back where the net bowlers sat, and signal for a left-arm spinner. Almost every batter either wanted to face left-arm spin, or was asked to face left-arm spin.It should come as no surprise. In their two defeats in this World Cup, against India and South Africa, Australia were tripped up by left-arm spin. Ravindra Jadeja got Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to derail their innings in Chennai, and Keshav Maharaj returned figures of 10-0-30-2 in Lucknow. And now Australia are coming up against one of the best bowlers in the tournament – Mitchell Santner, who has taken 12 wickets and has gone at just 4.25 runs an over. Only Adam Zampa has taken more wickets, but he hasn’t exerted the kind of control Santner has.Santner doesn’t have the late release of Jasprit Bumrah, the wristspin of Kuldeep Yadav or the height of Marco Jansen. He is a fingerspinner who has done a defensive job for far too long; who is now a kid in a candy shop because there are pitches with a little bit of purchase at this World Cup. Santner has drawn a false response every five balls in this tournament: pretty similar to Kuldeep, and behind Bumrah, Maharaj and Josh Hazlewood, who have been doing it once every four balls.Related

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Santner has survived this long in limited-overs cricket primarily because of his pace variations. He has a wider range of pace variations than perhaps any other spinner: he can go from under 70kph to around 105kph without really settling on a “stock speed”. Watch him from square on and you can appreciate the beauty of his release points: early to bowl slower and flight it, but holding it back when trying to bowl into the pitch and quicker.Tom Latham, Santner’s captain for the moment, spoke highly of his left-arm spinner. “We’ve seen the work that he’s put in day in day out,” Latham said. “And the performances that he’s had not only in the one-day game, but also in the T20 game. He’s had many experiences over here and the IPL for a few years now, so he understands what he brings; and conditions back home obviously don’t suit spin as much.”Seeing him come here and apply his skill, and do what he’s pretty much done for us for a long period of time… It’s nice for him to get a few rewards for the hard work that he’s put in. So he’s obviously been a valued member of the side for a long time and I guess he’s able to bowl in every situation – whether that be at the top, in the first ten, through the middle and at the back end.””I had to learn my trade a little bit on the job in international cricket” – Mitchell Santner ahead of his 100th ODI•ICC/Getty ImagesIn this World Cup, Santner’s guile has been assisted by the conditions, and what better place than this then to bring up his 100th ODI. He looked back at how much he had to develop after entering international cricket just after the 2015 World Cup.”You are kind of just happy to play one game for your country,” Santner said. “Looking back now, it’s pretty special, and I guess at the time [in] 2015, I had played one-and-a-half seasons of domestic cricket. So when I did get the call-up, it was a bit surprising. But I probably wouldn’t have had it any other way. I had to learn my trade a little bit on the job in international cricket.”A lot of the bowling coaches along the way have helped me. Obviously Jugo [Shane Jurgensen, New Zealand’s bowling coach] has played a big part later on. In the early days, it was a bit more of bowling with Daniel Vettori, which was quite cool. And then, Jeetan Patel at times as well.”What we’ve done really well as a spin unit is talk between each other a lot. I guess me and Ish [Sodhi] have done it for a little while now, and you know, at times I am his bowling coach and at times he’s my bowling coach. I still obviously keep in contact with Jeet and Dan, which is quite cool.”Vettori is an assistant coach in the opposition camp now. An opposition that is sweating on just his kind of bowling even though the conditions in Dharamsala might be more conducive for seam bowlers. That is tribute enough.

Parts of the script for the series ahead were written during the tour of 2021, and India’s visits to England that year and the next

Andrew Miller23-Jan-2024There’s nothing new about Bazball, you might say. Two decades have elapsed since Virender Sehwag started blazing run-a-ball 300s for fun, and even the sepia-tinged Gilbert Jessop made a 76-ball century way back in 1902 that remains tantalisingly out of reach for England’s Baz-racers. So it’s little wonder that England’s apparent reinvention of the wheel has received quite so much pushback of late.Nevertheless there’s something especially compelling about the series that’s looming before us. Not simply because England are arriving with a plan that has proven its worth in two away campaigns in Pakistan and New Zealand last winter, but because so much of the action that is due to unfold across these five Tests was rehearsed, in defeat as much as victory, in their two most recent tussles with India, at home and away in 2021 and 2022.On the face of it, much has changed for England since their last Test series in India, which took place in the grip of the Covid outbreak in February and March 2021. Most symbolically, there’s no place at the top of the order for the look-before-you-leap pairing of Rory Burns and Dom Sibley, though the latter’s sheet-anchor 87 from 286 balls in the first innings of the series was nonetheless instrumental to his team’s solitary victory.Related

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What’s also gone, however, is the air of stultifying pessimism that was set in motion at the back end of that series. It’s easily forgotten that England had won six Tests in a row in Asia going into the second Test of that India tour. Joe Root’s masterful batting form won the last three of those almost singlehandedly, in Galle and Chennai, while prior to that, in the winter of 2018-19, England’s 3-0 win in Sri Lanka had been secured by a broadly similar set of players, and with an innovative style of “total cricket” – encompassing deep batting strength and bowlers for all occasions – that could almost be regarded as a Bazball prototype.What happened next was instructive for all manner of different reasons. England’s trio of losses in the final three Tests, in Chennai and Ahmedabad, set in motion an extraordinarily bleak ten-month run of one win in 17 matches – exacerbated by the strictures of Covid bubbles, no doubt, but culminating in the 4-0 Ashes crushing the following winter, which confirmed the inevitable end of Root’s tenure as captain. That mini-era truly was the darkness before the dawn from which Bazball would emerge, and the rest quickly became history as Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum set about the psychological reinvigoration of their team’s self-worth.Pant vs Leach in Chennai was Bazball before it had a name: 48 runs came in 21 deliveries•BCCIBut the curious truth about that period is that England knew – both from their prior success, and from the speed of their subsequent revival – that they were capable of better (and braver) cricket, but they just could not access the mindset required to liberate their strokeplay and, as per the oft-mocked mantra of the current regime, “run towards the danger”.And no matter what impression they might give in public, India know from personal experience – on their two legs of the Covid-interrupted Test tour in 2021 and 2022 – that England’s turnaround in fortunes is no fluke of circumstance.In the first four Tests of that series in 2021 (and notwithstanding a James Anderson swing masterclass at Headingley) the hosts were routinely bullied by an outstanding India team playing in the uncompromising image of its then captain, Virat Kohli – most vehemently in their statement victory in the second Test, at Lord’s, when England’s resolve crumbled in the third and fourth innings. Twelve months later, however, those same timid also-rans were hunting down 378 at Edgbaston at close to five an over to square the series with unparalleled style.The naysayers will argue that there’s a world of difference between a victory canter on a flat deck in Birmingham and the trial by spin that seems certain to be waiting for them in India these next few weeks. But the need for bravery in Test cricket is universal, and crucially, many of the same players who were swept aside three years ago will recognise that their own loss of nerve was a crucial factor in such an abrupt series turnaround.Statement victory: India take the final wicket at Lord’s in 2021•AFP/Getty ImagesWhen the going was good in the opening Test in Chennai, England played an unequivocal blinder, first through Root’s outstanding 218 – his third massive hundred in as many England wins – and then, with a formidable 578 to push against, a bowling display that showcased the sort of hand-to-hand combat that has come to epitomise the Bazball era.Jofra Archer won’t be present this time around, but his influence on their tactics will surely live on. A superlative five-over new-ball burst evoked his MVP displays for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL: Archer scalped both of India’s openers, including the soon-to-be-peerless Rohit Sharma, with a relentlessly accurate yet subtly varied diet of raw pace, cutters and assorted sleight of hand.And then, with those early wickets in the bag and enough runs in reserve to roll the dice against the middle order, came an extraordinary duel between the returning Jack Leach and the since sadly injured Rishabh Pant – one that foreshadowed the uncompromising pursuit of wickets that has become the other key feature of England’s new-found attitude.It resulted in Leach’s first eight overs being launched for 77 – “I thought I was playing in the IPL!” he joked afterwards – but the logic of the match-up was unimpeachable. With Leach extracting some appreciable turn from outside the left-hander’s off stump, and Pant trusting his methods to hit through the spin time and time again, the passage of play was not simply compelling, it was a potential harbinger of England’s own batting approach this time out. Pant’s strength was his weakness – it could get him out at any moment, so why stand on ceremony? Instead of dying in a hole, waiting for the ball with his name on it, he backed himself regardless and picked off the small matter of 91 from 88 balls in the process.Even though, on that occasion, Pant’s counterattack didn’t prove successful, it was the sort of proactivity that England were incapable of matching when India cranked up the spin settings for the final three Tests. Clearly R Ashwin and Axar Patel swiped the plaudits for the series turnaround, as they shared 50 of England’s 60 wickets in those three defeats. And yet, as Root proved in taking 5 for 8 in the first of the Ahmedabad Tests with his then-still-speculative offbreaks, the challenge of surmounting the conditions wasn’t simply confined to the visiting batters.Eat my dust: Rohit Sharma made 66 and 25 in the first Ahmedabad Test in 2021•BCCIEnter Rohit, whose magnificence at the top of the India order didn’t simply turn the series on its head, but also provided a pointer to his beaten opponents as to how to thrive in such invidious circumstances. By lunch on the first morning of the second Test, on a crumbly surface that was only going to get tougher, he’d cracked 80 runs out of 106 for 3, and 161 from 231 balls by the time of his extraction in the 73rd over.”Mentally before the game I was prepared for what I was facing once I get in,” Rohit said after that innings. “Be clear in your mind. You can’t be tentative.” A week later, he repeated the trick in even more extreme conditions in Ahmedabad, where his 66 and a run-a-ball 25 not out helped condemn England to defeat inside two days. Only Zak Crawley, fourth man out for 53 in an innings where no one else passed 17, came close to matching such transcendence. But notwithstanding his efforts, or the eventual speed of their loss, England still dribbled along to a total of 193 runs in 79.2 overs across two innings, their slowest run rate to that point for a completed Test since the start of 2020.Other factors ate into England’s competitiveness, not least the ECB’s rest-and-rotation policy that was designed to manage the players’ well-being during Covid but ended up denying them a first-choice XI at any stage of the winter. It created, also, a jam-tomorrow mentality within the squad at large – a sense that the team’s real challenge was always further down the track. It’s a trait that Stuart Broad in particular called out in a memorable tirade during the following winter’s Ashes, and one from which England have entirely pivoted, with their uncompromisingly consistent squad selection a defining feature of the Bazball ethos.None of which necessarily means that England are any better placed to avoid the fate that they, and pretty much every other visiting team, have endured since their most recent series win in India, in 2012-13. But that Chennai win three years ago was the second of only three home defeats that India have suffered in 46 matches since the start of 2013, and if it contained within it the seeds of a strategy that would lie dormant for the rest of the tour, then the manner in which Rohit and Pant ripped the series India’s way is perhaps even more instructive for the days ahead.

Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett are set for debuts in Melbourne while West Indies hope to ride the wave of Test glory

Alex Malcolm01-Feb-20241:09

Finch: You can start to future proof the Australia team

It has been a week of celebration in Melbourne for both West Indies and Australia. The smiles on the faces of the West Indies team after their Test heroics on Sunday in Brisbane will last for a long time. And despite being on the losing end of an epic, Australia have also had cause to celebrate.On Tuesday night every member of the winning World Test Championship and ODI World Cup teams, bar David Warner and Marcus Stoinis, gathered at the Eureka Tower Skydeck, with the players receiving commemorative rings. They doubled down on Wednesday at the Australian Cricket Awards where Mitchell Marsh was the toast of the night, winning the Allan Border Medal as Australia’s best international player over the last 12 months.Related

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But while Marsh was flying back to Perth on Thursday morning, a young fresh-faced Australian squad gathered for an optional training session at the MCG ahead of the first ODI since that World Cup triumph and scarcely a player skipped the session.Both sides are missing some big names for a variety of reasons, but the series looms as a very early fact-finding mission for the 2027 World Cup, while Australia also have the 2025 Champions Trophy in sight.

Australia’s youth get their chance

The post-Warner era begins for Australia in ODI cricket, but Australia’s selectors have also rested Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood from the World Cup-winning team while Stoinis is playing franchise cricket after discussions with selectors about a desire to give youngsters some opportunities.Australia are set to field one of their most inexperienced attacks in quite some time with two debutants likely to play at the MCG in Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett, while allrounder Will Sutherland may well get a chance at some stage later in the series.Hard-hitting allrounders Matt Short and Aaron Hardie are set to play in their first ODIs on home soil while Cameron Green comes back into the XI after being squeezed out during the World Cup.Jake Fraser-McGurk, Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett and Matt Short ahead of the ODI series against West Indies•Getty ImagesDeveloping some lower middle-order batting depth in ODI cricket is a key part of the selectors planning for this series with Short and Hardie, who open and bat No. 3 in BBL cricket, set to be trialled down the list in the opening match at least. The selectors’ reasoning is that they have enough knowledge of what those two are capable of at the top of the order in domestic cricket and would like to give them some time in the tougher middle-order roles at international level, given they do not get a chance to bat there at the level below.While Short would prefer to open, as he has done with great success for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL and Victoria in the 50-over Marsh Cup competition, he understands that there is potentially a chance to grasp a permanent place in the middle-order.”I do feel more confident at the top of the order but any opportunity you get playing for your country, whether it be through the middle or at the top, I guess that’s the challenge,” Short said. “If the spot is there to be taken, if that’s the only way in, you just have to take that opportunity and try and do as best you can and sort of wait your turn.”

Likely Australia XI

1 Travis Head, 2 Josh Inglis, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Matt Short, 7 Aaron Hardie, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Xavier Bartlett, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Lance Morris

Short has spoken to Stoinis about the transition from being a BBL and one-day opener to becoming a middle-order finisher at international level.”He’s been in a similar boat,” Short said. “He was really dominant at the top of the order throughout the BBL and probably didn’t quite have the spot available for him at the international level. So he’s sort of changed his game a little bit, obviously batting through the middle and finishing innings. I spoke to him a little bit just on that role change and starting with the field out. But I think it’s still having that same positive mindset.”Australia are also set to trial Josh Inglis at the top of the order in ODI cricket for just the second time in his career, having been an important middle-order contributor in the World Cup after replacing Alex Carey. Inglis has contracted Covid in the lead-up to Friday’s series opener at the MCG but was still able to train on Thursday and is expected to play, with some precautions taken in terms of his interaction with team-mates as was the case with Green during the Brisbane Test.Shai Hope and Steven Smith will captain the ODI series•Getty ImagesIt means there is likely no spot for exciting young batter Jake Fraser-McGurk in the series opener, but he will get the chance to play during the three matches, and it did not go unnoticed during the pre-series photo opportunity that he was wearing the No. 23 on his back, the same number worn by two of Australia’s great showmen, Shane Warne and Michael Clarke.If history is any guide, Australia’s XI on Friday could form the backbone of the side at the 2027 World Cup. Australia’s first ODI XI after the 2019 World Cup featured six of the XI who played in the 2023 final, with Marnus Labuschagne debuting in that game. But Travis Head, Marsh and Maxwell were all left out of that 2020 side on form before being matchwinners in the World Cup three years later.

West Indies look to build depth

Kavem Hodge could get the chance to bring his Test form into the ODIs•Getty ImagesWest Indies’ journey to 2027 has already begun with an excellent 2-1 series win over England at home in December. The ignominy of missing qualification for the 2023 World Cup is disappearing in the rearview mirror. Given the qualification for 2027 will likely be done on world rankings, the match-by-match pressure of the ODI Super League has been relieved, however, there is a need to be consistent.Coach Daren Sammy reiterated his captain Shai Hope’s statement that West Indies are trying to build some squad depth.”It’s about giving exposure, getting a core of guys,” Sammy said. “What I’m really happy about is the competition for places. And it’s competition from performance, not the lack thereof. If you give somebody an opportunity to play in your spot, sometimes you might not get it back. As you saw through the Test match, seven guys who have not played [performed].”Sammy was hopeful his ODI squad could be inspired by the deeds of the Test team. From the side that beat England last December, Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford have been released to play franchise T20 cricket while Shimron Hetmyer has been dropped. It opens the door for three batters to make a name for themselves.Kavem Hodge performed exceptionally in the Brisbane Test and could win an ODI recall having played three matches in 2023. Justin Greaves also showed promise in the Tests and could play his first one-dayer since 2022 while Grenadian top-order batter Teddy Bishop and Guyanese wicketkeeper-batter Tevin Imlach could make their ODI debuts.Sammy urged his inexperienced group to follow the lead of the Test side and adapt quickly to the style of cricket required in Australian conditions.”I’m looking at the MCG there, you got to adjust,” Sammy said. “Unlike most grounds where the square boundaries are short, Australia poses that challenge with big square boundaries. It means the ball will be more back of a length, shorter than fuller. So the ability to adjust and that’s the brand. Understanding what’s required. Everybody is clear about their roles.”Ever since I came in myself, and Shai, we’ve always tried to be clear with what’s required to help us with matches. To me adaptability here in Australia is key. The Test team did it. [It’s the] first ODI series in 2024 for us, we’ve got to come here and be adaptable in these conditions.”

The squads

Australia: Steven Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Lance Morris, Matt Short, Will Sutherland, Adam ZampaWest Indies: Shai Hope (capt), Alzarri Joseph, Alick Athanaze, Teddy Bishop, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Cricket’s financial model demands West Indies perform miracles to stay competitive

Andrew Miller11-Jul-2024The great and the good were gathered in the Long Room last Friday, drawn together by the landlords of Lord’s, Marylebone Cricket Club, for the inaugural World Cricket Connects symposium.This day-long talking-shop was the brainchild of MCC’s incoming chairman Mark Nicholas – who happens to be one of the most passionate and engaged cricket fans ever to have been drawn into the sport’s administration. Unfortunately, the club’s subsequent summary of the event might as well have been drafted by the ECB’s former chief executive, Tom Harrison, for all the grimly capitalist realpolitik with which it dripped.If it wasn’t Greg Barclay, ICC’s chairman, being quoted as “highlighting the unsustainable pace of the current cricket calendar”, it was Manoj Badale, Rajasthan Royals’ owner, cautioning that the sport must be “relevant and accessible to the next generation”. Andrew Strauss, former England captain and allround ECB grandee, believes that “growth should be a priority”; Mike Baird of Cricket Australia advocates “learning from other sports’ marketing and grassroots investment strategies”.All of which, and more, was a lot of hard yakkity-yakka to fit into one day’s chat, although that is not to denigrate the effort or the enterprise that went into organising such a gathering in the first place: “All good things start with rhetoric,” as a former ECB executive once told me in relation to cricket’s racism crisis, the point being that gathering in a room to exchange platitudes is probably an improvement on not gathering in a room at all.But in throwing open its opulent doors to the (mostly) men who control the purse-strings, Lord’s couldn’t help but frame itself rather as Davos does each year in inviting a bunch of plutocrats to pontificate on the climate crisis. All the while, the world burns with increasing vigour, as West Indies have spent the past two days proving in their own increasingly forlorn traipses through that same Long Room.MCC members wait for the gates to open on the first morning at Lord’s•Getty ImagesFor this week, we have again witnessed what happens when sport is reduced to mere product. West Indies versus England at Lord’s has been an obligation to economics rather than an essential stirring of the soul, and with the best part of three days’ worth of refunds in prospect, it’s been spectacularly unsuccessful on that front too.If you’re really in the market for “grassroots investment strategies”, then a genuine appeal to the emotions remains an unimpeachable recruitment tool. It also happens to be the very reason why West Indies in the 1980s and 1990s became the most compelling drawcard the sport has ever seen, and if for some reason you still need convincing on that front, Brian Lara has the summer’s most compelling autobiography to plug.That’s not to say that West Indies have lacked the requisite passion in this week’s performance. On the contrary, they fought and they fell with the bat, while their reward for a genuinely spirited bowling display – in which none of England’s five very well-set batters could reach three figures – was merely to hasten Friday morning’s inevitable denouement. If nothing else, the raw joy of Mikyle Louis’ run-out from deep point evoked the same pride and togetherness that recently powered their white-ball squad’s home campaign in the T20 World Cup, not to mention that startling victory in Brisbane back in January.Ah yes… Brisbane. Maybe, just maybe, West Indies can bounce back at Trent Bridge next week, just as they did after their ten-wicket drubbing at Adelaide in January; just as they did at Headingley in 2017, after a similarly sickening loss at Edgbaston. But even if they can, it’ll prove nothing other than the superhuman resilience of the men who make it happen. No team in elite sport should be expected to perform miracles simply to stay competitive.West Indies have lost 16 wickets in 76.3 overs•Getty ImagesFor this pattern of anti-competitiveness has been abundantly clear for years. Only last summer, Ireland rocked up to Lord’s for a contest of even less context, coming as it did only days before their (failed) attempt to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, a campaign upon which their entire financial viability seemed to have been staked.Moreover, the pattern endures, even after the most vivid jolt to the sport’s economic model that could ever have been conceived. Last week, while recalling the circumstances of the 2020 England tour, which took place in bio-secure bubbles in the midst of the Covid outbreak, CWI chief executive Johnny Grave pointed out that the experience had reminded the ECB that “you can’t play against yourselves … you need to have opposition”.Related

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And yet, that’s not really the takeaway from two unnervingly dislocated days at Lord’s. From the pensioning-off of James Anderson, to Ben Stokes’ revealingly long-range focus on Australia, to a batting display – in bright sunshine, on a flat and unforgiving surface, and broadly stripped back of any Bazball fripperies – that smacked of a dress rehearsal for a first innings in Adelaide, England have gone through the motions of this match with diligent professionalism but with tangible dispassion.For if this is the look and feel of Bazball 2:0 – the “refinement” of which Brendon McCullum spoke after India, then caveat emptor for the rest of the summer. Speaking before the Test, Stokes was audibly exasperated when it was put to him that England’s failure to get over the line in their last three Test series might put a new emphasis on winning at all costs, but nothing about the way they’ve gone about this contest would debunk that notion.As Stokes himself put it, however, criticism along such lines is “a bit uncalled for”. The team’s evangelistic tendencies, lest we forget, came as a reaction to the very same atrophy that has rendered this contest, and too many like it, so unappealing. But they came across as too preachy, and they failed to seal too many positions of dominance along the way – including, in incredible scenes at Wellington last year, the second Test against New Zealand: a team that McCullum appeared to suggest, during MCC’s meet-and-greet last week, might not make the cut if Test cricket was pared back to just six teams. But whatever, boo to fun: back to the bottom line we must go!Does any of this matter to the men who call the shots, or is Lord’s just a happy backdrop for gatherings of the rich and famous? Among them in the Mound Stand today, as it happens, was Jacob Rees-Mogg, the recently ex-MP who is presumably familiar with hollowed-out husks of once-proud institutions. As with last week’s Long Room event, the glut of popped corks that littered the outfield by the close of play told a story of greater contentment than the state of play should warrant.

Bangladesh have a rare chance of starting a fresh day with ten wickets in hand, and they have Shadman and Zakir to thank for that

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2024One thing batters do not look forward to is to face twelve overs of bowling after spending the whole day fielding. Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam’s brave faces weren’t fooling anyone in Rawalpindi. Justin Langer wrote in his autobiography about wanting the twilight challenge, but few are cut from the same cloth.Zakir and Shadman are Bangladesh’s tenth different opening pair in the last three years. After Shan Masood declared the Pakistan innings on 448 for 6 at 4.34 pm local time, they were set to face at least an hour of hellfire from Pakistan’s pace attack. And they did… okay. They blunted Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, and annoyed Khurram Shahzad a little bit. That’s not a bad evening’s work. They have a more work to do but for now this will do.Related

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The expectations of Bangladesh’s batters have been so low these days that going twelve overs unscathed felt like a big deal. On a tough day for Bangladesh, Shadman and Zakir looked in control to ensure the visitors left the ground with some respite. Shadman is returning to the Test side after 16 months while Zakir is playing his first overseas Test. The pair played out 58 dot balls in the twelve overs and even hit three fours.Batting coach David Hemp wore a smile at the end of the day. He looked like one of those dads who watching their kids’ recital and mouthing their lines along with them. Hemp had received good news earlier in the day from the Islamabad Club where Saif Hassan and Jaker Ali struck hundreds for Bangladesh A. He was however more pleased with what he saw in Rawalpindi.”It is always a challenge to bat for a limited time in the back end of the day,” Hemp said. “After being in the field for five hours. We are really pleased not to lose wickets, but more importantly their approach. They are still trying to capitalise on scoring options. I also felt that they made good judgements about leaving the ball.”Shadman’s recent form should provide some confidence. He made 88 against Pakistan A in Darwin recently. Zakir didn’t have a good outing against Pakistan A in Islamabad last week, but he was beginning to forge a solid partnership with Mahmudul Hasan Joy, whose groin injury kept him out of this Test.Zakir Hasan cuts the ball•Associated PressHemp added that the rest of the Bangladesh batters are also prepared to take on the Pakistan attack. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque are up next, followed by the veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, and Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz lower down the order.”From what we are seeing in the preparation period, they have all been striking the ball well and getting into good positions,” Hemp said. “They are all confident that they can contribute to the team. We have depth in the batting order with Litton at seven and Mehidy at eight.”[Pakistan] have four good seamers and a reasonable spinner. They have bowling options. They are a good attack. It is going to be a challenge. The priority is to bat the day. We have to negotiate each session, and then see where we are.”Hemp also expected the lower order to contribute runs, citing how the Bangladesh tail stood up against New Zealand in their last Test win, in November 2023.”The mantra in the team is for everyone to be able to contribute,” he said. “Everyone is expected to bat as much as possible. For us internally, we look at contributions from the lower order. We are more interested in balls faced than runs from No 9, 10 and 11. During the New Zealand series at home last year, the last four batters averaged 33 to 34 balls per innings. That’s 120 balls, which kept New Zealand in the field for 20 extra overs. It had a massive impact on the game. For us it is a really important factor.”Shakib, Shanto and Litton have not been among the runs. Mominul and Mushfiqur are low on game time, while Mehidy is also returning from a considerable break. Bangladesh will need a massive effort from the batters to get even in this Test.

“You’ve got to have a bit of trust in what you’re trying to do,” Smith says after scoring his 34th Test century on a heady day for Australia

Alex Malcolm27-Dec-2024Just before Steven Smith raised his arms to celebrate his 34th Test century, there was a little knowing nod to the dressing room.It wasn’t the release of emotion that erupted from him after his drought-breaking century at the Gabba. The running joke within the Australia team at the start of each summer is that Smith has found his hands again. This nod suggested he had found something else, his old self.His 140 against India at the MCG was the closest Smith has resembled to the run-making machine he once was. The movement patterns, the scoring shots, the defensive strokes, the calmness and the ease of his accumulation all looked familiar. There was an air of inevitability about his century. It was a matter of when, not if, as it had been so often in the past.Related

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The nod was telling when juxtaposed with Smith shaking his head as he walked off Adelaide Oval three weeks ago, having been strangled down the leg side for 2.Then, he wore the look of a man bereft of answers, exasperated to the point of exhaustion that he could not find his old self. He was averaging 23.20 for the calendar year at that point and 10 in his last seven Test innings. The move back to No. 4 had yielded scores of 0, 17 and 2. Ten-thousand Test match runs was only 296 away but it was starting to feel like a matter of if rather than when.Three hits later, there was a moment at the MCG where he looked like he might get there before tea, until he was bizarrely bowled 51 runs short of the milestone after scoring a second century in as many Tests.”You’ve got to have faith,” Smith said after play. “You’ve got to have a bit of trust in what you’re trying to do. I’ve played the game for long enough now to know that you can have your ups and downs. Sometimes you can be hitting the ball really nicely, which, I think I said when I wasn’t scoring the runs, I actually felt like I was batting pretty well. And there’s a difference, I think, between being out of form and out of runs.”I think you need a lot of luck on these wickets to get big runs as well.”Australia will be grateful Smith has found his old self again. It may be a fleeting plateau amid a gradual decline. It could also be a regression, as he would hope, in the opposite direction back towards his extraordinary mean.As always with Steven Smith, it didn’t always look orthodox, but that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?•Getty ImagesBut it comes as Australia have found a functioning batting order. That too may be fleeting. It also could be because the MCG pitch has finally given the batters some grace.”This one’s probably offering a little bit less perhaps, than some of the others,” Smith said. “That’s probably more the ball getting a little bit softer quicker than the other wickets, but yeah, there’s certainly still something on offer”Coincidentally, the order has functioned as a collective for the first time in a long time. Sam Konstas’ extraordinary and chaotic innings dragged Australia’s struggling top-order in its slipstream. Each of the top four passed 50 for the first time in 28 Test matches. Smith walked out to bat in the 45th over, the first time he had faced his first ball as deep into an innings in 32 walks to the crease, during which time he had averaged 36.32.Australia piled up 474 without the need for an exceptional rearguard from Travis Head or Mitchell Marsh, who contributed just four runs between them.And apart from finding his old self, Smith found a rare ally at No. 8. Pat Cummins made an excellent 49 in a stand of 112 with Smith. It was the highest score by an Australia bowler at No. 8 in six years. Only Alex Carey has reached 50 batting in that position in that time due to a nightwatcher dropping him down one spot.

“I thought Patty played really nicely, really good, positive intent,. We were able to get a nice partnership together and sort of take a bit of a momentum of the game from that point”Steven Smith on the partnership with Pat Cummins

Cummins has been a clutch contributor for Australia with the bat in the last 18 months. But his heroics at Edgbaston, Brisbane and Christchurch had all come at No. 9. For all the talent that he and Mitchell Starc possess with the bat, they both average 14 at No. 8 in Test cricket. It is the reason they have switched positions as often as they have. Cummins has repeatedly spoken about how little batting positions matter when talking about his top order, yet it seems to matter a great deal to him and Starc as both have declared a preference to bat at No. 9.Of the 18 players to have batted at No. 8 more than 25 times since Cummins’ Test debut in 2011, only New Zealand’s Doug Bracewell has a worse average than Cummins and Starc.Starc averaged 25.40 in his first 18 innings in the position but has averaged 9.33 in his last 34 since 2017, hence Cummins has taken the role this summer.Getting such poor contributions from No. 8 has meant Australia’s batters have not been able to form lower-order partnerships. In the last ten years, Australia had only four century stands for the seventh wicket or lower. Only Ireland and Afghanistan have had fewer.Steven Smith and Pat Cummins put together a century partnership for the seventh wicket•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesBut Cummins, like Smith, looked as comfortable as he had all series. Like the top-order batters, he has been tormented by Jasprit Bumrah. In his career, Cummins had been dismissed by Bumrah eight times for just 45 runs at an average of 15.75 deliveries per dismissal. Having entered against the second new ball on the first evening at 299 for 6, and then faced Bumrah again on the second morning, he was able to survive 20 balls against him without being dismissed.Smith and Cummins then attacked at the other end. They rattled along at five-an-over to grind India down. Smith got inside the line and hooked two balls for six, including one of Bumrah. Cummins stayed leg side and carved balls either side of point.”I thought Patty played really nicely, really good, positive intent,” Smith said. “We were able to get a nice partnership together and sort of take a bit of a momentum of the game from that point.”They needed the stand. Without it, a score under 350 would have looked vulnerable on a surface that became splendid to bat on in the afternoon. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli were made Australia’s attack look toothless for significant period in the afternoon. But the scoreboard pressure they had created with that first innings total played a part as India imploded late via a calamitous run-out and another special MCG spell from Scott Boland.”We’ve posted a nice score and we’re in good spot,” Smith said with another knowing nod. “That last hour, that was a big last hour in the game.”

Stats highlights from the match between SRH and RR in Hyderabad

Sampath Bandarupalli23-Mar-20252:06

‘Kishan hammered everyone to every corner’

286 for 6 Sunrisers Hyderabad’s total against Rajasthan Royals is the second highest in the IPL. They missed equalling their own record by one run.242 for 6 RR’s total against SRH is their highest in the IPL, going past the 226 for 6 against KXIP in 2020.528 Total runs scored by SRH and RR – the second-highest aggregate for a T20 match. The highest is 549 runs by RCB and SRH in last year’s IPL match in Bengaluru.4 Number of 250-plus totals by SRH in the IPL; all have come since the start of 2024. They have four of the top five IPL totals. SRH are the only team with four 250-plus totals in men’s T20s.34 Fours hit by the SRH batters against RR – the most in a men’s T20 innings .208 Runs scored by SRH in boundaries vs RR. Only RCB have scored more in an IPL innings – 210 boundary runs in their 263 for 5 against Pune Warriors in 2013. SRH also scored 208 runs through boundaries during their record 287 against RCB last year.81 Boundaries hit by the SRH and RR batters – 51 fours (SRH 34, RR 17) and 30 sixes (SRH 12, RR 18) – equalling the most in a T20 match. South Africa and West Indies also hit 81 boundaries in the 2023 Centurion T20I, while RCB and SRH hit 81 in 2024.76 Runs Jofra Archer conceded in his four overs – the most expensive spell in the IPL, going past the 73 runs Mohit Sharma conceded against Delhi Capitals last year.14.1 Overs in which SRH passed 200 against RR – the joint fastest in the IPL, equalling RCB against Kings XI Punjab in 2016.94 for 1 SRH’s powerplay score on Sunday is the fifth highest in the IPL. Three of the top five powerplay totals in the IPL have been by SRH, including the top two.

Bangladesh and West Indies are the favourites, but if Pakistan raise their game at home, the calculations could change

Firdose Moonda08-Apr-2025The last stretch of the road to India begins in Pakistan, where six teams will compete for two spots at the Women’s ODI World Cup later this year over the next few days.All 15 matches will be held in Lahore, between the newly renovated Gaddafi Stadium and the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) ground, which will host women’s internationals for the first time. Lahore was chosen as it will not have any PSL games taking place there for the duration of this event, and yes, that means the tournament clashes with not one but two of the biggest men’s franchise competitions (the IPL and the PSL). If that means there’s too much cricket to keep an eye on, we’ve got the cheat sheet to keep you covered.To recap: six teams – hosts India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka – have already confirmed their places at the World Cup by virtue of their positions on the Women’s Championship table played between 2022 and 2025. The four other teams in that competition – Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan and West Indies – will play in the qualifier, along with the two next highest teams on the ODI rankings at the cut-off date of October 28, 2024. Those two teams are Scotland and Thailand, who finished 11th and 12th.The tournament takes the format of a league, in which each team will play the other five and the top two will qualify for the World Cup. Unlike the men’s ODI World Cup qualifiers, there is no final, which is without any context in any case.Bangladesh enter the event as the most improved women’s side over the Women’s Championship cycle•Getty Images

Bangladesh and West Indies start as favourites

After a maiden ODI World Cup appearance in 2022, Bangladesh missed out on automatic qualification by the narrowest of margins. They finished on the same number of points as New Zealand but with a lower net run-rate and one fewer win, which pushed them into the qualifier. Their captain Nigar Sultana previously told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast that she hoped to avoid the tension and pressure of a qualifier through more consistent performances, but two series wins out of eight, over Ireland and Pakistan, were not enough to do that.Still, Bangladesh enter the event as the most improved women’s side over the cycle with a particularly strong and varied bowling attack. Among them is the fifth-highest wicket-taker of the women’s championship overall: left-arm spinner Nahida Akter, who could be the player to watch in Pakistan. With a left-arm seamer in Fariha Trishna, right-arm seamer Marufa Akter, and three legspinners – Fahima Khatun, Shorna Akter and Rabeya Khan – Bangladesh will be difficult for most line-ups to negotiate. And given their quality, they would be disappointed if they don’t secure one of the two spots.The same could be said for West Indies, who were semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup but have found themselves in the qualifiers now. In their women’s championship campaign, they only beat their opponents who are at the qualifiers – Bangladesh, Ireland and Pakistan – which may bode well for them for this event but is also an indication of the gap between them and the top sides.Another concern is how overly reliant West Indies have become on one player: their captain Hayley Matthews. She finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer and ninth-highest wicket-taker in the women’s championship, where West Indies ended eighth, and she needs some support for West Indies to go further. On paper, West Indies have the personnel. Stafanie Taylor, Shemaine Campbelle, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharak and Chinelle Henry all provide experience, while Zaida James, Janillia Glasgow, Mandy Mangru and Ashmini Munisar make up the younger crop. If they all click, West Indies should be shoo-ins for India, and anything less is likely to prompt severe introspection.On Fatima Sana’s young shoulders rests Pakistan’s hopes now•Getty Images

The curious case of Pakistan

As hosts, Pakistan should be able to take advantage of familiar conditions to push for a World Cup spot, but recent form doesn’t inspire confidence. They have not won an ODI since November 2023, and have since had a change in captaincy from the experienced Nida Dar to the potential of young Fatima Sana. At just 23, Sana is also their premier allrounder and, like Matthews, she needs others to stand up.Muneeba Ali, Gull Feroza and Aliya Riaz are key with the bat, while Diana Baig’s return from injury bolsters the seam department. Pakistan have a solid spin contingent in left-armers Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu, and could challenge Bangladesh and West Indies for a World Cup place. They have already beaten one of them, West Indies, by five wickets, in a warm-up game on Monday.Should Pakistan qualify, it will complicate the World Cup schedule. After India and Pakistan agreed a hybrid structure for all ICC events starting with the Champions Trophy, Pakistan’s matches must be played outside India, who have announced five host cities for the event. It is likely Pakistan’s games will be in either Sri Lanka or the UAE.

Can Ireland redeem themselves?

Ireland have not qualified for an ODI World Cup since 2005, which is too long ago to make much material difference, but they do have recent World Cup pedigree. They have appeared at four T20 tournaments, most recently at the 2023 T20 World Cup in South Africa, but missed out on the 2024 edition after a shock defeat to Scotland in the qualifier.

Should either of them make it to the World Cup, expect questions to be raised about their inclusion in future editions of the FTP

Unlike Scotland, Ireland are part of the FTP, and would consider themselves Europe’s second-best side (after England) and have the results to show for that. Since the last World Cup, Ireland have played 11 series and won four – against Netherlands, Scotland, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, – which suggests the quality is there. The question facing them is whether they have the ability to turn over the bigger sides consistently enough to start making regular World Cup appearances, and they would hope to start here.

Scotland, Thailand aim to be first-timers

Neither Scotland nor Thailand are part of the women’s FTP or championship, neither have been to an ODI World Cup, and both have little experience in the format. Scotland have played 17 official ODIs, and Thailand nine. But they could be the Cinderella story of the qualifiers.Scotland have some experience of what it takes to get to a global tournament after beating Ireland to qualify for the T20 World Cup, where they were thoroughly outplayed but won hearts. They will have Ireland in their sights again after beating them in an ODI 2023. Thailand, too, have World Cup experience. They were at the 2020 T20 World Cup and have 11 players from that tournament in this squad. Should either of them make it to the World Cup, expect questions to be raised about their inclusion in future editions of the FTP.

They used one of their three trump cards and had almost everything with their four experienced batters go right for them

Sidharth Monga24-Jun-20254:09

Gambhir: We had opportunities on all five days

India’s big guns have all fired. Rishabh Pant has scored two creative centuries, the openers have each hit a classy one in each innings, the captain has notched up a regal one, their gun bowler has exhausted one of the three Tests he is going to play and has delivered a five-for. And yet they are down 1-0. They have lost the unlosable Test.Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Their last four aggregated nine runs in both innings put together, becoming parts of collapses of 7 for 41 and 6 for 31 in pretty flat conditions. They dropped more catches than any team in a Test in England in the last 20 years. Their third and fourth fast bowlers provided them neither control nor penetration. They could have batted England out on the second day; they didn’t. They could have secured a huge lead had they held their catches; they didn’t. They could have batted England out again on the fourth day; they didn’t.It was a proper baptism by fire for captain Shubman Gill, having to lead a transitioning bowling unit on one of the more idiosyncratic grounds of the world against a side that might not have the quality of some of India’s recent opponents but are intimidating frontrunners. A new slips cordon had to come to terms with fielding about a foot or two below the pitch level, bowlers needed to quickly adjust to running in up and down the slope, and their mistakes with the bat forced them to defend more than they could attack on a notoriously difficult-to-defend ground with pitches running all the way to the boundary. He also has to deal with his lead bowler playing only three Tests.Related

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However, Gill will need to lay down the law here. It wasn’t long ago that the India tail used to dig in and fight for whatever runs they could claw out. On their last trip to England, India got the lead because of the runs the lower order scored. It’s not that Nos. 8 to 11 aggregated only nine runs in two innings. Dismissals can happen. Even to specialist batters. It was more the nature of the dismissals. They batted like millionaires without getting a feel for the conditions despite having a proper batter at the other end. They played Shardul Thakur precisely to provide them batting depth, but he was out playing expansive drives eighth ball and 12th balls.Gill just needs to imagine what would have happened if the tail had displayed such a casual attitude when Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma was captain. Once, leave alone twice, in the same match. Gill will soon learn it is nice to have a great atmosphere and respect in the dressing room, but there needs to be some fear of the leaders as well.The lower-order flop is not the only reason why India lost the unlosable Test but it was a symptom of general drops in intensity that a captain needs to watch out against. Test cricket is more about playing good cricket for longer periods of time than flashes of brilliance. This is why an attack of four good fast bowlers is better than one world-beater, one good bowler and two bowling ordinarily. You need fitness, intensity, and ruthlessness to be up six hours a day, each day for five days, or however long it takes.3:26

Harmison: Not sure India believed they could get Duckett out

On the final day, when finally none of the big guns fired, India didn’t seem to have a plan on how to put together a consistent set of overs. Jasprit Bumrah should be allowed to have a day on which he is not bowling an unplayable delivery every over. The bowling choices need to be made based not just on numbers that day. Mohammed Siraj, the best bowler on display on the final day, wasn’t bowled from overs 42 to 80, a period of not just 39 overs but also two rain breaks. Ravindra Jadeja took a little too long to shift his line wider, into the rough, to challenge Ben Duckett’s reverse-sweeps. At one point Ben Duckett punched Jadeja towards mid-off, and he looked up to see there wasn’t one. Not short, not wide, not deep. Just no mid-off at all.In a Test that you make only one or two such mistakes, they can have only a trivial impact on the eventual outcome, but all these things add up.This was also collectively India’s worst fielding performance in a long time. Thakur misfielded because he slipped, but took forever to get back up and retrieve the ball. As Rishabh Pant could be heard saying on the stumps mic, “It is okay to misfield, but you need to recover.” It should have come from Gill. If you zoomed-out a little and looked at the whole field as events unfolded during the final day, it was hard to tell if Gill was in charge. At various times, Pant and KL Rahul set the fields and talked to the bowlers.1:59

Why were Indian seamers ineffective on day 5?

The most important job for Gill and Gautam Gambhir will be to lift the team after they have lost a Test in which they used one of the three trump cards given to them and had almost everything with their four experienced batters go right for them. As has been said in this space before, Gill’s real test will be if he plays Thakur as the bowling allrounder and it doesn’t work out. The ideal response will be to double down on the need to take 20 wickets and bring in a proper bowler – possibly Kuldeep Yadav – but their collapses have given them every reason to be conservative.A captaincy debut which started like a dream for Gill has ended up being a nightmare. This was only his sixth first-class match as captain. He needs to be cut some slack, but this is a job that comes with a lot of prestige and also responsibility. He has no option but to learn quickly on the job. There is no magic potion that can maintain the love and care but still instil fear and accountability.This is not to say the players are not hurting for this loss. They are hurting more than anyone on the outside can. They will all have to dust themselves off and do the good things again but also make sure their intensity doesn’t drop. The England bowling attack can be taken down. They just need their bowlers to be in the good areas more often than at Headingley, and then be switched on in the field.If there is any consolation, it has been done before. Kohli’s first Test as captain is remembered for his brilliant twin hundreds, but even that game featured ordinary selections and lower-order disasters. In his first series as the full-time captain, Kohli lost what seemed like the unlosable Test in Galle to start off with. You can quibble with other things, but it is hard to remember drops in intensity in the side after that.