Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja top the charts at the end of Australia’s memorable series win

Bharath Seervi13-Mar-20195 – Instances of teams winning an ODI series after being 2-0 down after two games. Australia’s remarkable comeback came after South Africa had achieved this twice and Bangladesh and Pakistan once before. This is the second time India have lost a series after being 2-0 ahead. They had lost against Pakistan in a six-match series after being 2-0 ahead in 2004-05.

Team Opposition Mats SeasonSouth Africa Pakistan 5 2003-04Bangladesh Zimbabwe 5 2004-05Pakistan India 6 2004-05South Africa England 5 2015-16Australia India 5 2018-192009 – The last time India had lost three ODIs in a row at home, which was also against Australia. That was also the last time Australia won an ODI series in India. The last time India lost three successive ODIs anywhere was also against Australia, in Australia in January 2016.6 – Number of consecutive ODI series Australia had lost before this victory. Their last series win had come against Pakistan at home in 2016-17. Their last win away from home was in Sri Lanka in 2016.14 – Wickets for Pat Cummins in the series – the joint-most by an Australia bowler in any bilateral series after Mitchell Johnson and Clint McKay. It is also the most by a bowler against India in India in a series of five or fewer matches.3 – Australian bowlers who have averaged less than 30 in this series – Cummins (14 wickets at 15.71), Adam Zampa (11 wickets at 25.81) and Jhye Richardson (eight wickets at 21.12). For India, none of the bowlers who played more than two matches averaged less than 30. Kuldeep Yadav was the top wicket-taker for India, with ten wickets at 30.20.383 – Runs for Usman Khawaja in the series, which is the most by any batsman versus India in a bilateral series of five or fewer matches. Before this series, he had a career average of 32.38 with no hundreds. Now he averages 42 with two centuries.

He was doggedly resistant while he couldn’t find his touch, and devastatingly effective as it returned to him

Danyal Rasool in Centurion28-Dec-2018The drawback to being in form all the time is no one quite knows what it looks like when you’re out of it. And for Hashim Amla, who had, with an average of 23.36 over 10 Tests in the past 12 months, this was a particularly nagging problem, the gravest dip in form in over a decade.The luxuriant cover drives, the deft wristwork, the natural elegance of South Africa’s “rock at number three”, as Faf du Plessis called him before the Centurion Test, is cricket’s answer to the Bolshoi Ballet, as much artistic as it has proved substantial. The technique is so perfect, the movements so unfailingly graceful, when they fail to produce the results they seem naturally predisposed to, the dissonance is disconcerting.There was talk of the dip being more of a decline; Amla has, after all, been playing international cricket for over 14 years, and at 35, is the oldest player in the current South African side. The scratchy, ungainly time he had spent in the first innings against Pakistan did little to dispel the impression this was a man with his best behind him.In the years Amla has been in the side, one of the more successful marketing campaigns surrounding cricket teams has been the #ProteaFire slogan created to represent the fierce combativeness of a team that would refuse to give up. It appears to have caught the imagination of the public, both at home and abroad, a symbol of how this side plays its cricket, with its heart on its sleeve and passion on full display.And yet Amla, one of the faces of the modern, inclusive South African cricket team, is as far removed from the “fire” this side purports to showcase as a sportsman could be. One would be reduced to poring through hours of archival footage to see so much as a significant change in facial expression from the man. Even so, playing international cricket at a high level for such a long time must surely only be possible if unbridled passion courses through the veins; many a cricketer will tell you once that motivation is lost, the game is over.Coming out to bat with his side 0 for 1 in an awkward chase, Amla was out to demonstrate how he interpreted ProteaFire. He survived a magnificent opening hour from Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi – not without luck; he was dropped in the slips on 8 – doggedly resistant while he couldn’t find his touch, and devastatingly effective as it returned to him. A pair of fours through the onside in the early overs might just have given him back his confidence, but there was hours’ worth of work left to be done. Under an overcast sky with the ball rearing and one of the world’s best pace attacks at his throat, Amla, along with Dean Elgar, kept surviving. And, if Elgar is to be believed, cricket was the last topic of discussion as they met in the middle during the change of overs.”There’s a lot of jokes going on when Hash and I bat together,” Elgar said. “There’s not a lot of cricket talk when we bat. We try to see the lighter side of life. That’s maybe your five or ten seconds that you can actually switch off a little bit and crack a joke or throw a little one liner out. Hash and I, we get each other with our humour. Definitely there was time for seriousness, when we knew we were getting closer to our final point. But in the beginning it was quite humorous.”Hashim Amla raises his bat after reaching fifty while Dean Elgar applauds•AFPWith Amla not naturally the most extroverted person, anecdotes like these are what help explain why he enjoys an almost unique reverence and affection among cricketers and fans around the world. He might be out there fighting for a scrappy Test win for his side, but the sense Amla manages to retain perspective better than almost anyone else makes him more relatable to fans, even in this uber-professional modern world. Du Plessis, who had so backed Amla ahead of the Test, said there was nothing about his game he had changed in a bid to regain form.”He’s done absolutely nothing different. That’s been the trademark of, looking behind the scenes, what Hashim has always done. He sticks to exactly the same things. Whether he scores runs or doesn’t, his mental application and attitude away from the game remains the same. He’s a very level-headed, calm guy. You don’t see him get frantic when he doesn’t score runs. He just believes it will turn. And in cricket, that’s how it works. You need a dropped catch, and then all of a sudden the lucks gone your way.”As the target began to whittle down and the ball lost its shine and venom, it was Pakistan who blinked. With Amla back to his unflappable self, the bowlers went searching for his wicket, in the process feeding him the shots out of which he has made such a glittering career. After the first 15 overs, Amla found himself getting greater width, allowing him to brandish that glorious cut, and whenever he found a delivery on his pads, the snappy flick inevitably dispatched it to midwicket.As Elgar got out and South Africa began to lose wickets by the time the result was a foregone conclusion, Amla was still standing at the other end. He may have scored just three runs of the last 25 on the path to victory, but, as ever, when a South African batsman came to the crease, he found that rock standing at the other end. It wasn’t the innings of a man looking for a swansong, but one who embodies the ProteaFire motto in his own, truly inimitable way.

He doesn’t have the experience, but he has the explosiveness. Will the think tank choose conservatism over boldness, or go the other way?

Nagraj Gollapudi in Southampton21-Jun-2019When his name was not in India’s original squad of 15 for the World Cup, there was quite an outcry – why no Rishabh Pant, one of the most explosive young batsmen in the game?Former stalwarts – Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan among them – felt the Indian selection panel, led by MSK Prasad, had made a mistake. Well, Pant is in the UK now with the India team, as replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan. But now that he is there, how do India fit him in, what are the combination options with him in the mix? ESPNcricinfo takes a look on the eve of India’s game against Afghanistan.Where does he slot in?
If he is in the XI, it will be in the middle-order, anywhere between No. 4 and No. 6. With MS Dhoni behind the stumps, Pant has to play as a specialist batsman. Depending on the conditions, he would have to be a direct swap with Vijay Shankar or Kedar Jadhav, or one of the two frontline spinners; more likely one of the two allrounders.What exactly does Pant offer?
Being a left-hander, Pant has a big advantage over the others in the Indian team – with Dhawan out, there are not frontline left-handed batsmen in the touring party. He can blunt the opposition wristspinners in the middle overs, something Dhawan did against Australia when he batted deep, leaving Adam Zampa to stand quietly the deep. The other advantage, well known but significant, is Pant’s ability to dominate the bowling with his big hitting. Imagine Hardik Pandya and Pant batting together in the final phase – it can be quite a show.Can he deal with the middle overs?
He has played just five ODIs, and has an ODI average that is, well, average, at 23.25. The List A average is 29.73. Does he then have the ability to bat in the middle overs and do what the team needs of a top-order batsman?There’s no way to answer that right now, but it’s important to note that Pant is only 21, and he has been on a steady upward curve.During the India A tour of England in 2018, and then again against the Lions at home in January, Pant played according to the situation, he showed patience and didn’t get carried away at any stage. Even during the IPL, especially after swallowing the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup spot, he showed an ability to bat deep.Two good examples of Pant being a thinking batsman and not just an instinctive one came against Rajasthan Royals during the group phase and then Sunrisers Hyderabad in the playoffs. In the Eliminator against Sunrisers, Pant had walked in midway through a tense chase of a target of 165. At 111 for 5 with less than five overs to go, the responsibility was solely on Pant. He missed the half-century by a solitary run, but his 21-ball 49 was enough to knock Sunrisers out of the tournament. Against Royals, the target was a steep 191. Without a hiccup, Pant took Delhi Capitals past the finish line with an unbeaten 36-ball 78. Incredibly, Pant played just four dot balls against Royals and only one more against Sunrisers.Pant had started the IPL with five dot balls in Capitals’ tournament opener against Mumbai Indians. He ended with a match-winning 77 off just 27 deliveries (seven dot balls overall) and helped his team set a massive 213-run target that Mumbai failed to cross.Not to forget Test centuries at The Oval and in Sydney, he does have the smarts and the skills, clearly.What about the team combination?
The questions the think tank must answer: 1. Do India want to play a part-time seventh bowler – Vijay or Jadhav – instead of a specialist batsman in Pant to have more dimensions in their XI, and 2. Say the Indian top order continues to flourish, then would a more explosive option, like Pant, not be better than Vijay, who usually takes a few balls to settle down? Although Vijay and even Dinesh Karthik are better outfielders, India have the option of throwing their X-factor youngster in. Will they take it?

He got to the mark in his 199th match, having already played a part in setting Bangladesh up to make their highest total in 50-over cricket

ESPNcricinfo stats team02-Jun-20192 – Wins for Bangladesh against South Africa in four World Cup matches: they also beat them in the 2007 encounter in Providence. In non-World-Cup matches, South Africa have won 15 times and lost only twice.330 – Bangladesh’s highest total in ODIs; their previous best was 329, against Pakistan in 2015. It is only their second 300-plus score in a World Cup match, and their first against one of the top teams – their previous one was 322, against Scotland in 2015.ESPNcricinfo Ltd278 – Bangladesh’s previous highest in an ODI against South Africa; they smashed that score by 52 runs today.142 – The partnership between Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, which is Bangladesh’s highest in World Cup matches. The previous highest came in a memorable victory, when Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur added 141 against England in the 2015 World Cup game in Adelaide.66 – The number of not-in-control runs scored by Bangladesh, the highest in any World Cup game since the start of the 2003 edition. Shakib was the major contributor with 21, followed by Soumya Sarkar (13) and Mushfiqur (12).Shakib the all-round giantWhen he dismissed Aiden Markram, Shakib Al Hasan reached 250 ODI wickets and became the fastest cricketer to achieve the double of 250 wickets and 5000 runs.ESPNcricinfo LtdLast year, he became the fastest to score 3,000 runs and take 200 wickets in Tests, bettering Ian Botham.Additionally, he is is one of only three cricketers with 4,000 runs and 300 wickets in T20s. And here too, he’s been rapid, taking 260 matches to the mark, beating Afridi (283) and Dwayne Bravo (292)And combining all three formats, he is the fastest to 10,000 runs and 500 wickets, taking 302 matches for the achievement, with Jacques Kallis (420) and Afridi (477) behind him.

Are Bangladesh’s batsmen poor players of legspin because the country doesn’t produce enough legspinners? Mohammad Isam explores

Mohammad Isam05-Nov-2019Among the few things Bangladesh didn’t do well during their seven-wicket win over India in Delhi was to handle Yuzvendra Chahal. The legspinner finished with 1 for 24 from four overs, but as long as he was bowling, the Bangladesh batsmen couldn’t quite settle down.Chahal removed Mohammad Naim in his first over when the left-hand batsman skied a catch to long-on. Mushfiqur Rahim and Soumya Sarkar both survived close calls in his second over before Krunal Pandya dropped Mushfiqur in Chahal’s third. Although they got two fours in his last over, it was clear that Chahal had then in his spin.He will certainly feature prominently in team meetings in Rajkot and Nagpur, but Bangladesh’s problems against legspin isn’t limited to Chahal. Last month, Rashid Khan dictated the course of the one-off Test in Chattogram with his 11-wicket haul. Apart from two matches in the last 12 months, Rashid has been a constant thorn in Bangladesh’s side, having taken 33 wickets at an average of 12.87 since 2016. Legspinners like Yasir Shah, Adil Rashid and Devendra Bishoo have also troubled Bangladesh in the last five years, often proving the difference between the two sides. Bangladesh even succumbed to newcomer Brandon Mavuta last year, when he took a four-wicket haul in Zimbabwe’s historic Test win.

Most team officials and coaches in domestic cricket pick multiple left-arm spinners in their line-ups, and explicitly discourage kids from bowling offspin and legspin

Legspin has always been a missing link for Bangladesh in their step-by-step development as an international cricket team. A major part of the problem is the lack of legspinners within the system, which prevents them from having the right kind of practice against this type of bowler. The struggle only becomes apparent to the outside world when the likes of Rashid, Yasir and Chahal expose them at the highest level.Back home, people in positions of power and authority are aware of the issue. Last year, chief selector Minhajul Abedin was so desperate to promote a legspinner that he got the aptly named Minhajul Abedin Afridi in for a tour game against Zimbabwe. The young legspinner managed to break into the Chattogram first-class side this year.Aminul Islam, who took two wickets against India in Delhi, is being touted for big things but he is actually a batsman. He has hardly bowled enough in domestic cricket but because of a mandate by the BCB to promote legspinners, Aminul was pushed into the senior side prematurely.[L to R] Najmul Hossain, Aminul Islam and Mohammad Naib, the new boys in the T20I squad•BCBChahal, who saw Aminul bowl for the first time, somehow felt that this was an experienced domestic campaigner. “He [Aminul] did well in Bangladesh domestic cricket,” Chahal said in Rajkot ahead of the second T20I. “He must have played 40-50 matches in the first-class level. He bowled very well. I think he bowled three overs, and took two crucial wickets.”In reality, Aminul has only played a single first-class game, a handful of List A matches and the Sunday T20I was only his fourth T20 game.The clamour for legspin has also forced the BCB into strange decisions like sacking two coaches for not deploying legspinners in their XIs after a diktat to that effect. The BCB has also decided that each BPL side for the 2019-20 tournament must play a legspinner, local or foreign, in every game. Shakib Al Hasan had criticised this decision.One of the main reasons for Shakib’s displeasure was the way Jubair Hossain, a promising legspinner, was treated in Bangladesh cricket. After Chandika Hathurusingha had plucked him out of the nets for a berth in Bangladesh A and then the senior side in 2014, Jubair bowled pretty well against Zimbabwe that year. Hathurusingha was so adamant to pick him in the 2015 World Cup squad that he got into a quarrel with chief selector Faruque Ahmed.Rashid Khan catches up with Bangladeshi legspinner Jubair Hossain•BCBJubair went on to take Virat Kohli’s wicket in the 2015 one-off Test in Fatullah, but while he was being taken seriously in the Bangladesh team, first-class and Premier League club sides ignored him completely. The Bangladesh domestic scene is heavily influenced by the ideals of one-day cricket, where a bowler is only as good as his economy rate. For this reason, most team officials and coaches pick multiple left-arm spinners in their line-ups, and explicitly discourage kids from bowling offspin and legspin.This culture has affected the national team’s development, and with more and more legspinners in bowling attacks around the world, Bangladesh became susceptible to this style of bowling. In the last five years, some of Bangladesh’s top batsmen like Mushfiqur (18 times), Mahmudullah (13) and Tamim Iqbal (11) have been dismissed frequently by Rashid, Adil Rashid, Yasir, Bishoo and Mavuta. Mushfiqur averages 22.44 against legspinners, while Shakib, and surprisingly Imrul Kayes, have 40-plus averages, as well as a low rate of dismissals.Now, even if it is a bit late and part of a desperate move, Bangladesh’s batsmen will have the chance to face a lot more legspin in the nets and in competitive matches too, going by the looks of things in the NCL, the domestic first-class competition.The emergence of Aminul will also provide another way outside of mere video footage to combat top-drawer legspinners. At this stage, Bangladesh’s batsmen are focused on playing legspinners conservatively. So survival will be key against Chahal in the remaining two matches. If they can overcome him in this series, their next target, just in time for the T20 World Cup in 2020, should be to attack legspinners.

No side has won a Test after being bowled out for as little as 85 in the first innings since 1907

Bharath Seervi26-Jul-201938 Ireland’s total in the fourth innings, which is the seventh lowest in overall Test cricket history and lowest in the last 64 years. Eighth of the ten lowest totals in Tests have come against England.ESPNcricinfo Ltd94 Balls for which Ireland’s innings lasted, is the joint second-shortest innings in Tests. The only shorter innings was 75 balls by South Africa at Edgbaston in 1924.4 Number of times a team has won a Test after making a first-innings score less than England’s 85 in this Test. All the four instances occurred more than 100 years ago. The only other instance in the last 100 years of a team getting all out for less than 100 and winning a Test is Pakistan (99) against England at Dubai in 2012.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 for 17 Chris Woakes’ figures in the fourth innings – his career-best figures. Woakes has taken three five-wicket hauls in his career and all have come at Lord’s. His haul is also the cheapest six-wicket haul in Tests at Lord’s. Woakes has got 24 wickets in four Tests at Lord’s at an average of 9.75. In the last Test at Lord’s, he scored his maiden Test century, against India.2011 The last time there were two sub-100 totals in a Test, which came in the Cape Town Test between South Africa and Australia. Overall, this was the 26th instance of two sub-100 totals in a Test and the first in England in the last 60 years.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 Jonny Bairstow and Gary Wilson – the wicketkeepers for both sides – got pairs in this Test. This was the first time both wicketkeepers got pairs in a Test. There were seven ducks by batsmen at No. 5 to 7 in this match, which is also the most in any Test.

Afghanistan stand to lose one of the best coaches in the world because of off-field drama, and West Indies could stand to benefit (again) at their expense

Jarrod Kimber at Headingley03-Jul-2019Phil Simmons was coach of the West Indies team. Simmons is now coach of the Afghanistan team. And it is very possible that Simmons will again become the coach of the West Indies team.What is looking likely is that he cannot continue as coach of the Afghanistan team after tweets like, “I am in the middle of a World Cup and trying to get our team to perform to the level we expect, but at the end of the World Cup I will tell the Afghanistan people about the part that Mr Dawlat Ahmadzai had to play in our preparation and his part in the dismissal of #AsgharAfghan”.That was him responding to Ahmadzai’s – a selector who lost his position during the tournament – comments about Afghanistan’s poor preparation.With those comments and some other things that have happened, like Afghanistan sending two players home, and having a random selection forced on the group as captain, you can certainly see that whether by his decision, or the Afghan cricket board’s, Simmons may not stay as coach.Not that any return to the West Indies would be smooth. In September 2016, Phil Simmons talked about the “interference from outside” when trying to choose the West Indies team. Then chairman Dave Cameron did not like that, and Simmons lost his job. Earlier this year, Simmons finally settled with CWI for a large settlement of nearly USD 500k.However, this is the new CWI, with Ricky Skerritt already looking far more professional than his predecessor Cameron. With players like Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard being brought back, Andre Russell being treated well for his injured knees and Chris Gayle announcing he wants to play Tests, suddenly West Indies cricket doesn’t have the talent drain it did before. That also includes the coaches; there are two world class head coaches from the West Indies at the moment. Ottis Gibson – who based on what has happened with South Africa in this World Cup, will soon need a new position – and Phil Simmons.It’s incredible that Simmons hasn’t had one of the major jobs in world cricket. His record is consistently outstanding.Simmons’ work with Ireland proved he was brilliant at improving a side, even without the financial or logistical advantages that major teams have. Then, he came back to the West Indies to win a World Twenty20. Also, it is clear how much Afghanistan have grown since he took the job, despite the mess behind the scenes.People who work with Simmons are almost always positive. He is excellent at coaching, tactics, and was one of the early adopters to cricket analytics. And yet, with that record, you don’t even hear his name mentioned for the England job. It would appear from the outside that Simmons is one of the best coaches in the world, and with the West Indies opening their arms to those who left acrimoniously, he should be brought back home.Floyd Reifer, the interim coach, was picked in part because of Skerritt’s desire to find a local coach. When the decision was announced, Skerritt said, “Our landmark decision to immediately introduce a well suited young West Indian professional as our men’s team coach is, therefore, a clear indicator of the seriousness of our West Indian-first policy and represents our commitment to celebrate the best of what it means to be West Indian.”Simmons is one of the best coaches in the world, and not only a Trinidadian, but also represented the West Indies 169 times. Surely – even despite his large and recent payout – he should be the man to lead this side into the future.Put ’em up: West Indies coach Phil Simmons boxes with captain Jason Holder•AFPThe game against Afghanistan is a dead rubber, but West Indies are already looking towards the future. As Roddy Estwick – West Indies assistant coach and former PE teacher of Rihanna – said, “Unfortunately we didn’t have more time. We had to work with what we had.”Looking back over the eight games that we played, I mean I personally thought that we should have won four of those. We were very, very close. We just didn’t play the big moments well. And hopefully we can learn from that and we can move forward and we can plan for the next one.”Obviously we’re not happy losing games. But we started to build something, and once we can remain patient and we can keep building. Young players are coming through, and once that keeps happening then things will get a lot better.”The tournament has been poor for West Indies, but the level of talent in the younger players is as good as anywhere else. Nicholas Pooran was thrown in at number four, and has flourished. Oshane Thomas looks fit and scary. Fabian Allen showed what he can do last game. And the big-hitting Rovman Powell is not even in this squad.If you are a head coach, this is an ideal job to get now.Simmons – as the diligent coach he is – will look to ensure Afghanistan win this game. The pitch looks brown, the Afghan spinners are back in form, and the second half of this tournament they have been very close to winning games. Any win for Afghanistan will be a major achievement for Simmons considering the clown show they’ve put on off the field.Also, an upset win could help Simmons when Reifer’s interim contract ends. Not that anyone in the West Indies needs a reminder of what a good coach he is.

Earlier, his bat used to point to first slip at the point of the bowler’s delivery. Now it’s over middle and off stump, but there’s been teething issues

Karthik Krishnaswamy02-Sep-2019Was that a defensive shot, or was it a leave? If you watched KL Rahul scratch his way to 6 off 63 balls on Sunday, the question would have popped into your head on several occasions.It usually happened when West Indies’ fast bowlers hit the short-of-good-length area in the corridor outside off stump. Rahul would push his bat at the ball, and then, having made contact, withdraw it hastily, as if he’d just touched a blazing skillet.He’d been out playing the same sort of half-shot in the first innings, getting squared up by a ball from Jason Holder, nicking to first slip, and then pulling his bat away futilely with an elaborate flourish.Batsmen often shadow-practise the shot they have played after they are beaten or dismissed; with Rahul, the shadow-practice seems to begin as soon as he’s made his mistake, as if to say, “wait, I’ve taken that shot back!”His dismissal on Sunday was a little different, off a front-foot defensive shot to a delivery from Kemar Roach that left him late in the corridor. But again, his bat, having felt for the ball, shrunk back guiltily after edging it.Rahul didn’t look like he was simply watching the ball and reacting to it. He seemed preoccupied with thoughts of where his feet were, where his head was, and how his bat was coming down.The uncertainty was understandable. Since the start of 2018, Rahul has averaged 22.23 across 15 Test matches, scoring one hundred, against England at The Oval, and one fifty, against Afghanistan in Bengaluru. His career average, which stood at 44.62 before this lean run, has now slumped to 34.58.In that time, he’s made a few technical adjustments, possibly prompted by a run of nine straight innings – in England, and against West Indies at home – in which he was either bowled or lbw.The most visible change is in the pick-up of his bat. In 2017, and through most of 2018, Rahul’s bat used to point to first slip at the point when the bowler let fly. During the Australia tour at the turn of the year, his pick-up became a little straighter, with his bat pointing over the top of off stump, perhaps to ensure that he didn’t leave too big a gap between bat and pad. The change didn’t bring him any immediate reward – he only managed one double-digit score in five innings.

KL Rahul has changed the way he picks up his bat, and the extent of his trigger movement. It hasn't changed his Test-match fortunes, just yet. pic.twitter.com/49CMISIIKS

— Karthik Krishnaswamy (@the_kk) September 1, 2019

On the West Indies tour, he’s been holding his bat up even straighter, over the top of middle and leg stumps, and his back-foot trigger movement isn’t taking him as far across his stumps as it used to.His indecision in the middle suggests that he’s still getting used to his new technique. It can’t be easy to be playing international cricket with a set-up you aren’t fully comfortable with, but that’s the way of the modern game – particularly if you’re an India player – with no off-season and hardly any gaps between series to fine-tune your game.India might have given him a break here if their other first-choice opener had been available, but Prithvi Shaw’s suspension has almost forced them to pick Rahul. And with the ability he has, he isn’t an easy batsman to leave out in the first place.Rahul’s struggle is hard to watch, and it must be even harder to experience. But hidden somewhere amid all the indecision is a top-class batsman who not too long ago made ten 50-plus scores in the span of 14 Test innings. India will hope Rahul can rediscover that batsman sooner rather than later.

They have four opening options but barring Gunathilaka to some extent, nobody else has managed to cement a place at the top

Deivarayan Muthu in Pune09-Jan-2020Sri Lanka have issues in the middle order and their bowling combination, but they seem to have a problem of plenty at the top. They have four opening options – Avishka Fernando, Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis – but barring Gunathilaka to some extent, nobody else has managed to cement a place at the top. ESPNcricinfo runs the rule over Sri Lanka’s opening options as they prepare for the T20 World Cup qualifier later this year.Danushka Gunathilaka
A bruising batsman, Gunathilaka is strong on both sides of the wicket, something that was on bright display during Sri Lanka’s 3-0 T20I series win in Pakistan last year. Pakistan’s teenaged tearaway Mohammad Hasnain bagged a hat-trick (spread across two overs) in the first T20I in Lahore, but that didn’t impact the game as much as Gunathilaka’s 38-ball 57 did. Forty-three of those runs came in the Powerplay itself and while Gunathilaka’s ball-striking wasn’t as brilliant on the larger grounds in Australia, his power at the top has made his top-order case too hard to ignore.He had initially been ignored for the Champions Trophy in 2017 and then ignored altogether for the World Cup, but Gunathilaka might well be the No.1 opener for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup qualifier. He can also pitch in with some part-time offspin.Avishka Fernando
“It looks like he has a lot of time to face the quicker bowlers.” Angelo Mathews delivered a glowing appraisal of Avishka after he had become Sri Lanka’s youngest centurion (21 years, 87 days) in the World Cup. Mathews might have well been talking about Avishka’s front-foot pull for six off left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell.As much as Avishka can thrill you with his style, he can also frustrate you with the lack of substance. He has made 20 at least 12 times in 26 limited-overs innings, but has managed just three fifty-plus scores overall. Avishka is no power-hitter like Gunathilaka, but his T20I strike rate of 98.83 needs some buffing up.In his most recent T20I, in Indore, Avishka played some regal on-the-up drives, but he still wound up playing out nine dots in 16 balls. After Sri Lanka went down by seven wickets at the Holkar stadium, Mickey Arthur, their coach, suggested that rotating the strike is something that their top order needs to work on.Niroshan Dickwella
Dickwella is quite a character in front of the stumps as well as behind it, and even during media conferences. He’s such a freakish talent that he can Dickscoop a 142kph rocket from Kagiso Rababa for six. He made some charming cameos, although in the middle order, in New Zealand, but was rattled by the pace and bounce of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in Australia – the scene of the T20 World Cup later this year.With Danushka Gunathilaka providing the attacking enterprise at the top, Sri Lanka are looking for a failsafe at the other end rather than another big-hitter. Dickwella can’t make it to the XI as a frontline keeper either as Sri Lanka’s management believes Kusal Perera is currently a safer option behind the stumps.Kusal Mendis and Oshada Fernando
On the eve of the third T20I against India in Pune, Arthur suggested that Sri Lanka were considering both Mendis and Oshada as middle-order options with a mere outside chance of being bumped up to the top.”I think Oshada and Kusal Mendis are batsmen that can bat for us through the middle,” Arthur said. “So, that’s going to be their roles going forward.”T20 cricket isn’t Mendis’ strongest suit and although he can’t strike big blows, he is adept at manipulating the gaps by chipping the ball over the infield. Mendis’ strike rate has been significantly higher, in the 140s while opening, but there’s no place at the top for him now.Oshada has never opened in limited-overs cricket so far and the highest position he has batted at is No.3, but this strike rate of just a shade under 50 there isn’t encouraging. Nevertheless, these are still early days yet for the 27-year-old.

Enzo Maresca has plenty of dynamic midfield options in his Chelsea squad. Of course, he has two of the most expensive Premier League footballers ever, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, the former of whom is sometimes tasked with playing in more advanced roles.

The Italian coach can also call upon the likes of Romeo Lavia in the middle of the park, although the talented youngster has struggled with injury this term.

Summer signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is another option the Blues have in midfield, but he has started just one league game since moving to Stamford Bridge, and captain Reece James, a right-back by trade, has also featured in midfield.

However, that is seemingly not enough depth for Maresca’s liking, given Chelsea are linked with another midfielder ahead of the summer transfer window.

Latest on Chelsea's search for a midfielder

It is no secret that one of the best academies at producing midfield talent is Barcelona’s La Masia academy. The famous trio Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets are all graduates, and a modern-day example is Pedri.

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Well, reports from Spain suggest that Chelsea, and owner Todd Boehly, have ‘set their sights’ on signing Marc Casado, who has impressed for the La Liga giants.

The West Londoners reportedly see the 21-year-old ‘as a strategic addition to strengthen their midfield both now and in the future’ and are willing to ‘submit’ an offer to secure his signature.

However, Maresca’s side are reportedly not alone in their hunt for Casado’s signature. London rivals Arsenal are also interested in a deal and view the Spaniard as the ‘ideal option’ to add to their midfield quality. Casado could cost the Premier League giants upwards of £33m this summer.

Why Chelsea could be targeting their next Fabregas

Given that he is a La Masia graduate who has featured prominently for Barca this term, there is no doubt that Casado will be a quality player for Chelsea’s midfield. Naturally, he oozes technical quality on the ball.

The youngster has played 41 times for his boyhood club so far across his career, making his debut in the 2022/23 campaign. However, under Hansi Flick this term, Casado has really made an impact.

The young midfielder has played 36 times across competitions this term under the German boss. In that time, he has grabbed six assists and managed to get on the scoresheet once in the recent 4-0 win over Real Sociedad.

Many of Casado’s appearances this term have come from defensive midfield, which suggests he has the progressive skills and ball-winning ability to play a deeper role.

The 21-year-old was described as a “midfield general” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

In fact, his statistics via FBref from La Liga games this term show just how good he is on the ball. For example, the midfielder averages 5.98 progressive passes per game, which ranks him in the top 18% of Spanish top-flight midfielders.

He makes, on average, 3.69 tackles and interceptions per game, placing him in the top 22% of midfielders in La Liga.

Passes completed

68.21

95th

Passes into final third

7.71

94th

Progressive passes

5.98

82nd

Tackles

3.69

78th

Ball recoveries

5.03

60th

Should Chelsea sign the Barca prodigy, it would be reminiscent of the reported £30m deal to sign Cesc Fabregas from the La Liga giants back in 2014.

Described as a ‘major coup’ for the Blues by The Guardian at the time, the Blues swooped in to sign the former Arsenal midfielder after the Gunners decided against their buyback clause.

Indeed, what a signing the 2010 World Cup winner proved to be for the West Londoners. Described as a “maestro” by former boss Jose Mourinho, he played 198 games for the club, scoring 22 times and grabbing 57 assists.

Fabregas’ quality was on a whole other level during his time in the Premier League. His 111 assists for both Arsenal and Chelsea, of which 41 came for the Blues, are bettered by only two players in the competition’s history – Ryan Giggs (162) and Kevin De Bruyne (118).

If Casado could have anywhere near that level of impact at Stamford Bridge, it would be a hugely successful signing for Boehly and co. He would certainly elevate the technical quality of Chelsea’s midfield, and would hope to help them win titles, just as Fabregas did all those years ago.

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