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Ravindra Jadeja’s five-wicket haul dismissed India Red for 356 and handed India Blue a first-innings lead of 337 in Greater Noida

The Report by Sirish Raghavan12-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Ravindra Jadeja wheeled away for 34 overs, extracting sharp turn and bounce on a tiring Greater Noida surface•AFP

Ravindra Jadeja’s five-wicket haul led a persistently probing bowling effort from India Blue on a day when they were made to work harder than they would have expected to plough their way through India Red’s batting line-up. That was partly down to the pitch – which offered sluggish turn, rather than the spitting variety – and partly down to sparkling fifties from Gurkeerat Singh, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra and Kuldeep Yadav. India Red’s spirited lower-order resistance frustrated India Blue and delighted a sizeable Monday crowd, but had little impact on the broader outcome of the match as they subsided to 356, conceding a first-innings lead of 337.Jadeja consistently attacked the stumps and turned the ball past desperately groping bats. His speed through the air – averaging over 90kph – was considerably faster than that of any other spinner, denying the batsmen time to adjust to the turn. Bowling 34 overs in the day, he made good use of a sticky surface and dented India Red’s fightback with the key wickets of Gurkeerat and Binny.India Blue could have removed the lower order more swiftly if Jadeja’s fellow spinners, Parvez Rasool and Karn Sharma had been more effective. Legspinner Karn was inconsistent with his line and length, alternating patches of incisiveness with periods that were less convincing. Offspinner Rasool had a good start to the day, troubling Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj Singh with offbreaks and straighter ones. Against the right-handers who followed, however, he was not as threatening as he might have liked.The most impressive spinners after Jadeja were the ones wielding bats. Mishra came in at 194 for 6, and was immediately kept company by nine close-in fielders. He, however, responded by lofting Jadeja back over his head for four. Mishra combined with Kuldeep for an 86-run partnership for the eighth wicket that temporarily brought the third session to life and restored some respectability to India Red’s innings.The reason respectability needed restoring was the limp showing of the India Red top order. Dhawan and Yuvraj managed some lovely drives in the first session, but those were far outnumbered by tentative pokes and speculative swishes. While they struggled most against Rasool, they ultimately perished to over-ambitious strokes against Abhimanyu Mithun and Jadeja.Dhawan, in particular, might rue his untimely indiscretion. His patchy 29 in his penultimate – possibly his last – innings before India’s first Test against New Zealand from September 22, puts him in a tight spot as India’s selectors mull which of three possible openers – M Vijay and KL Rahul are the others – to select in the playing XI.Jadeja, meanwhile, worked his way into fine rhythm in the second session, ending a 63-run stand for the fifth wicket between Gurkeerat and Binny when he dismissed Gurkeerat for 57 with a beauty that drifted into middle before turning away to hit off stump. Binny then put on 64 with Ankush Bains, before Jadeja ended that partnership too when he had Bains caught at second slip. The most decisive breakthrough, though, came minutes before the dinner break when Jadeja pitched one on leg stump and spun it away to hit Binny’s back pad in front of middle. That ended a knock that had been gaining in momentum and poise, and left Binny an agonising two runs short of a century.Mishra and Kuldeep counterattacked in the third session of the day, but Karn eventually dismissed both to end the innings. Riding on a huge lead, Gautam Gambhir and Mayank Agarwal played out the remaining two overs and headed to stumps with their side firmly in control.

Saqlain Mushtaq is set to join the England squad again as a consultant, as he will join the squad for the India tour on November 2

George Dobell29-Oct-20161:01

Quick Facts: Saqlain Mushtaq from player to coach

Former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq will join up with the England squad on November 2 as they prepare for the Test series in India.Saqlain made a good impression in a brief stint as England’s spin bowling consultant during the home Test series against Pakistan. The ECB made no secret of their desire to utilise his experience ahead of the series in India but had expressed some concern over whether they could secure a visa for him.With that issue now resolved – it is understood he has a 15-day visa – he will join the England squad in Mumbai ahead of the first Test in Rajkot on November 9.England hope that Saqlain can help England’s relatively inexperienced spin attack prepare for a series in which they will be required to play a substantial part. Gareth Batty, Adil Rashid and Zafar Ansari have played just 14 Tests between them – in Batty’s case, seven out of eight came more than a decade ago – while Moeen Ali admitted on Friday that he was “nowhere near where I want to be as a spinner.”It may also be that Saqlain proves of benefit to England’s batsmen. During Mushtaq Ahmed’s spell as spin-bowling consultant, he helped the batsmen work out methods of attack against spin bowling.Saqlain, who claimed 208 wickets in a 49-Test career, has previously had spells as a spin consultant with New Zealand and West Indies.The England Test squad has not had a dedicated spin-bowling coach since Mushtaq left the role in early 2014.

Teenage wicketkeeper produces fighting knock but Lancashire on top at close

Paul Edwards27-May-2021Spectators sit quietly and watch Yorkshire’s partial recovery from 40 for 7. Some chat with friends who are nearby but not too near. Others drink beer and eat their sandwiches. One or two may momentarily take their happiness for granted. In the evening home supporters will see Lancashire’s openers reassert their side’s dominance with a 71-run stand and they may end their first sight of cricket on this ground in 617 days with a second, somewhat celebratory, pint. It will be a week or two before such commonplace behaviour ceases to be faintly miraculous.For all that the cricket we saw will be recalled fondly by Lancastrians this was still a day when what happened outside the boundary competed with, and then complemented, what took place within it. This was something of an achievement given that a quite abysmal morning for Yorkshire’s batters – yes, another one – was followed by a fine afternoon in which Harry Duke compiled his maiden fifty in only his second first-class innings and the last three batters helped him hoist the visitors’ total to 159 all out at tea.Yet wide-ranging judgements on the day seem particularly valid to a man who has watched a dozen games since last August, most of them in sepulchral stadia with only the players’ comments for company. The echoes stayed with such a spectator, whatever his professional involvement; they reminded him his game was not complete.Imagine, then, his joy when he arrived at Emirates Old Trafford this morning and noted that at least two Yorkshire supporters had made the trip across the Pennines for this 274th first-class Roses match. They draped a flag of St George over the balcony of their room in the Hilton Garden Hotel. There were two white roses in a couple of the quadrants and the words “Jane – Mel – Wrinklies on Tour” written elsewhere on the banner. By the time Tom Bailey bowled the first ball of the match to Adam Lyth the English standard had been joined by another Yorkshire flag and also one from Lancashire. At that stage there were people on over 30 of the hotel’s balconies and another 2000 spectators scattered around the half of this mighty stadium that was open to them. They sat in tiny groups or in splendidly sensible isolation, a noun so recently freighted with anxiety.Jane and Mel cannot have enjoyed their morning. Indeed, they may have augmented their wrinkles with furrows and the odd scowl as they watch their side waste winning the toss and collapse to 21 for 6 in the face of some high-quality new-ball bowling. Bailey took two wickets and barely conceded a run; Saqib Mahmood had Will Fraine caught behind by Dane Vilas for nought but deserved more rewards for a superb six-over spell.Matt Parkinson was among the wicket-takers on the first day of the Roses clash•Getty Images

At least three of the first six batters dismissed were complicit in their departures: Lyth drove Bailey to Danny Lamb in the gully; Harry Brook’s run out was caused first by his being idle in answering Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s call and then hesitating as if sealing an atrocious deal; Dom Bess steered Luke Wood to a joyous Lamb, who celebrated his second catch by having Kohler-Cadmore leg before for 10 in the next over. The Yorkshire opener had already been dropped twice in the slips and Lancashire were to put three more catches down but until Duke put on 77 with Steve Patterson, it didn’t seem to matter. When Jordan Thompson was seventh out, fending Wood to Keaton Jennings at short leg, Yorkshire were 11 short of their lowest total at Old Trafford.It should be noted that Patterson’s team are without four frontline batters in this match. Joe Root is playing for England next week; Gary Ballance injured his calf on Tuesday; Dawid Malan is not playing for personal reasons which, given our ignorance of them, should be respected by default; Jonny Bairstow has been withdrawn by England, his employers.Jonny Tattersall has been dropped and replaced by Duke, whose innings was easily the finest thing in his team’s chastening day. Hesitant at first, the Wakefield youngster was soon coping with Lancashire’s seamers much more capably than his senior colleagues. His three successive boundaries off Wood in the over before lunch took the total past fifty and his partnership with Patterson saved his side from trousers-down ignominy. Yorkshire’s skipper also played his part, swatting Wood for a six over cover and a four through mid-on as Lancashire’s attack briefly lost their way in mid-afternoon. Patterson was eventually bowled for 27 when attempting to sweep Matt Parkinson and Duke was caught down the leg side for 52 in the next over when trying to pull Bailey.As the young Yorkshireman walked back to the dressing room he was given a warm ovation which he duly acknowledged. One saw almost at once that all this must be new to him but then one realised with a start that it must also have been fresh and unfamiliar to those doing the applauding. It was a day of reconnections.Coad’s 28-ball 32 took Yorkshire’s innings to bare respectability although even that judgement seemed debatable when Alex Davies was hitting eight boundaries in his 52. Bailey returned figures of 3 for 6 from 14 overs and was neither ill-served nor flattered. Deep in the evening session Duanne Olivier had Davies caught down the leg side for 52 but Luke Wells and Jennings ensured they were no more unpleasant surprises for the home supporters, relatively few of whom opted to leave the ground early.They chose instead to see Bess bowl the day’s final over on a perfect late-spring evening. Last week, it was Bristol and Trent Bridge; this week, Old Trafford and Hove; next week, Headingley and Taunton. Gradually we are taking down the shutters that protected us from a world both familiar and strangely hostile. Whatever their loyalties spectators are rediscovering the poetry of the everyday, the simple beauty of the quotidian.

Pakistan tighten grip on contest despite Babar Azam’s first golden duck in Tests

Danyal Rasool30-Apr-2021This might not have been the best advert for Test cricket, but it is precisely days like these Fawad Alam has come to relish. With Pakistan needing to press home an advantage following an under-par Zimbabwe first-innings total, the left-hander struck his fourth Test hundred – he has never been out for less than three figures once he reaches 50 – stretching Pakistan’s lead past 175, with four wickets still in hand.Zimbabwe’s hapless bowlers tried to make the best of a bad situation, looking to claw a way out of the pit their batters had dug, and emerged from the day with a fair bit of credit. The run-scoring was never free, and breakthroughs fairly regular. Donald Tiripano was the pick of the bunch with three wickets; the removal of Babar Azam for his first golden duck a particular highlight.At that point, Zimbabwe might have felt a surge of optimism about the direction of this game, but it was perhaps fitting that Alam was the man to extinguish those hopes. No stranger to slow, attritional cricket when it seems no one might be watching, he dug in and began to ensure no bowler would settle. The routine of bowlers going through entire overs – spells, even – without needing to make an effort to be economical began to be undone. He used his feet to manipulate the field, work singles, and punish any loose delivery, especially when the spinners bowled a shorter length. He got off the mark the same way he got to his half-century, with a four off a spinner. The first was a smart cut past backward point, the latter an effortless flick back past the bowler that pierced mid-off and mid-on perfectly.Partners came and went either side of him, as they often tend to, but Fawad, as you’d expect, pushed ahead. Never in danger, never hassled, he moved past the half-century as if it hadn’t happened, more important goals and milestones on his mind. Towards the close of a day even the most ardent Test match enthusiasts might have found hard to remain glued to, he drove Tiripano back down the ground, a misfield gifting him the boundary that brought up this third century in in last four Tests.Related

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The first session was an excruciatingly slow affair, with Pakistan trudging through 16 overs while adding just 13 to the overnight score, their intent conspicuous by its absence. Imran Butt, seven runs away from a half-century overnight, still hadn’t got to that mark. Azhar Ali’s arrival at the crease added some impetus, and towards the close of the session, the visitors finally looked like they were off and away.Zimbabwe began the day with eight maidens in 14 overs, Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava giving little away. Abid Ali and Butt appeared keen to take their time settling in, as they had the previous day, but ended up finding themselves in a bit of a bind, unable to up the ante as the overs trickled by. Any thoughts of punishing poor deliveries were put to one side, and when Tendai Chisoro’s left-arm spin was introduced, the batters retreated ever further into their shells. It appeared to have the opposite effect of the one Pakistan might have desired, with Abid losing his fluency, nicking off to first slip with one of the few drives he attempted. Brendan Taylor juggled with the catch but ended up holding on.Following the turgidity of the first session, the events of the second seemed positively slapdash. Pakistan raced along at more than three runs an over while Tiripano got himself on a hat-trick at one point. Butt fell nine runs short of a hundred and Azam lasted just one delivery.Zimbabwe enjoyed the better of the first half hour of the middle session. Azhar was undone by the surprise of extra bounce from Tiripano, with gully pouching a straightforward catch. Much more notably, Azam, in his first away Test as captain, fell to the most transparent of traps. Mid-on was brought up close as Tiripano bowled straight, inducing a drive which went to Roy Kaia, stationed there for that purpose. Zimbabwe had suddenly removed the two most prolific batters in the side.Butt at the other end chipped away more cautiously, eager to get to the three-figure mark he evidently had on his mind all session. It didn’t appear much would stop him, before Ngarave finally shaped one away that took his outside edge. It brought the left-armer his first Test wicket, denying Butt his first Test hundred in the process.The partnership that followed between Mohammad Rizwan and Alam was perhaps the one that conclusively wrenched the game away from Zimbabwe. The wicketkeeper continued his rich vein of form, helping to add 107 before falling five short of a half-century, Muzarabani sending his stumps cartwheeling. Faheem Ashraf missed out, too, but that only gave Hasan Ali the chance to have some fun at the bowlers’ expense. They might have been humoured from time to time, but in truth, Pakistan haven’t really left the home side with a chance.

Barinder Sran has said that the bowler-friendly conditions in Zimbabwe and the time spent with Ashish Nehra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL have helped him develop an inswinger

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2016Barinder Sran had an underwhelming debut series in Australia, where he took three wickets at an average of 56.66 and gave away 6.45 runs an over. But in India’s three-ODI series against Zimbabwe, the left-arm seamer took four wickets at 24.75, at an economy rate of 4.12, and showcased a new weapon – an inswinger that was a source of discomfort for Zimbabwe’s batsmen. Ahead of the T20I series that begins in Harare on Saturday, Sran said he had consciously worked on getting his wrist position right.”It’s the difference in the conditions [between Australia and Zimbabwe],” Sran said. “I changed the seam position a bit, made some changes to my action because I’m looking to swing the new ball. So I’m not putting in too much effort, because if I do that, I lose my wrist position and it reduces the swing.”Sran had erred frequently in his line and length in Australia, and his bouncers were largely ineffective. But in Zimbabwe, he has mostly stuck to a fuller length. “[In Australia], I had a problem in my shoulder because of which I couldn’t perform to my potential. So I was under some pressure,” Sran said. “I didn’t have much IPL experience either then, I had played only one IPL match, and even in the Ranji Trophy, only 10-11 matches. Still, everybody supported me and that felt good.”Nothing much has changed, because in Australia, there was a huge difference in the kind of wickets. It was quite hot there and they were good batting wickets, whereas here, there is some help for the bowlers. I have just been focusing and working on those areas where I’m weak, like when I was trying to swing, the ball wasn’t coming back in, so I worked on that regularly. In the IPL too, [Ashish] Nehra and Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] were with me, they taught me seam position and supported me in all aspects from the beginning. For two-three days, I went to Chandigarh as well and met my coach Amit Uniyal and worked with him.”The performances in Zimbabwe have been a step forward after his struggles in Australia, but Sran acknowledged that work was needed before he can be considered ready for Test cricket. “To get there, I need to be consistent and bowl one line and length,” he said. “I need to improve a lot, I need to improve my pace and fitness level. I will work towards achieving these in the next season.”

India captain wants her batters to play according to the match situation, instead of being overly concerned with scoring rates

Annesha Ghosh23-Jan-20221:23

Mithali Raj: Getting to know India team-mates in Dehradun boot camp will help us in World Cup

India captain Mithali Raj wants her batting line-up, especially the top order, to dig their heels in and “play according to the situation” in the upcoming ODI World Cup, instead of channeling their focus “entirely” on strike rate. And, when the need arises – which, in India’s case, is often, going by their up-and-down performances with the bat since the 2017 World Cup – they must take the responsibility to “get your team out of the hole too”.India have been trying to score 250-plus totals on a consistent basis and, according to Raj, this is the blueprint by which they can achieve it. To further reinforce the point, she cited the example of Beth Mooney and her epic 125 not out last year where she started off circumspect, risking a low strike rate for prolonged periods of time, before hitting top gear.”I think too much importance isn’t given to strike rate by you all?” Raj asked in response to a question on India’s takeaways regarding dot-ball percentage and boundary rates from the Australia tour, where they narrowly lost the ODI series 2-1. “Because it is always spoken [of] when it comes to batting or putting up big totals.Related

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‘I just wanted to know if you all only follow the strike rates of the India players or the players from the other teams, because if you might give me an opportunity to enlighten [you], the Australia [ODI] series itself, the game that Australia won, the decider, if you’ve seen Beth Mooney, who scored her 50 in 80-odd balls, but she went on to play a match-winning innings for the team.”So, as for me, I believe that cricket is a game played on situations on the ground. And yes, it is important that we keep that in mind that we need to have a healthy strike rate. But at the end of the day, it’s how our batting unit revolves and [what] the depth of the batting unit in our team [is].”So yes, when we have to score 250-270, we need to have a healthy strike rate, but having said that, we will not only entirely focus on strike rate, it’s important to play an innings to win and build partnerships, and that happens, not because of strike rate but because you apply and play according to the situation on the ground. Sometimes you have to play fast, but sometimes you have to play to get your team out of the hole too.”India, who were runners-up in the 2005 and 2017 tournaments, are looking to win their first world title in New Zealand in March-April.1:50

Jhulan Goswami: ‘I hope past experiences help us handle pressure better in this World Cup’

In a manner reminiscent of her call to action to India openers Smriti Mandhana, especially, and Shafali Verma after the visitors’ heavy defeat in the opening ODI against Australia in Mackay during the 2021 tour, Raj reiterated the need for the top order, which also includes the rookie Yastika Bhatia at No. 3, to stitch together sizeable partnerships if they are to stand a chance of crossing the 250-run mark in the World Cup.”Firstly, I think if we have to visit the 2017 World Cup where the team has done well, where the team has put on a score of 250-270 is because there’s at least one top-order bat who plays through the innings and the rest of them revolve around it. So it’s important that the top order – one of them – takes the responsibility of playing through the innings and there has to be a partnership or two of 50, so that you know if we get to play more, the top order contributes. I think that way we would be able to score 250-270. It is very rarely that middle order or the lower middle order scores the bulk of the runs, so it’s important that as a batting unit, all of us take the responsibility of playing our roles.”Though India lost the points-based multi-format series against Australia, they made headway on several fronts. They posted back-to-back 250-plus totals, in the second and third ODIs, sealing their highest successful chase, of 265, in the latter. Before their 274 for 7 in September, India only had three 250-plus totals in 19 innings batting first.There were individual successes as well. Mandhana, India’s leading ODI run-getter since the last World Cup, made her highest score (86) in 16 innings and five series. Debutant wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh injected a quick-scoring element in the middle order. And in Yastika, India unearthed a solid one-down option, allowing Raj, to slot herself in at No. 4, a position she is expected to retain.Throughout her 23-year international career, the onus has often fallen on Raj to play the anchor and rebuild an innings, and while she still has the skills to do that, her strike rate does end up as a point of debate. It also doesn’t help that India’s second-most experienced batter and vice-captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, has struck only three fifties in 28 innings since her epochal 171 not out in the semi-final of the 2017 World Cup.”I think it’s important you back your players and that’s what we do on this team,” head coach Ramesh Powar said when asked about Kaur’s ODI form. “Once you are selected in this team, we look for present and future, what you have done behind. You have to take confidence out of it or you learn out of it and move forward. As far as Harman is concerned, she just came out of the WBBL as the Player of the Tournament. So, currently she’s in good form and it’s up to her to capitalise those good days into best days in the World Cup.”

Jamaica Tallawahs rampaged past Guyana Amazon Warriors by nine wickets to claim their second CPL title on Sunday night at Warner Park

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKesrick Williams picked up two wickets off two balls in the 16th over•CPL/Sportsfile

A rematch from Wednesday’s first Caribbean Premier League playoff qualifier between the regular season’s top two teams quickly turned into an uncontested romp for Jamaica Tallawahs, who rampaged past Guyana Amazon Warriors by nine wickets to claim their second CPL title on Sunday night at Warner Park. For Warriors, it was a flat effort that left them runner-up for the third time in four CPL seasons, twice to Tallawahs.Warriors were the regular season table-toppers and beat Tallawahs in two of their prior three meetings, including by four wickets in Wednesday’s opening playoff match. On Sunday, however, they stumbled badly after being sent in by Chris Gayle at the toss and were bowled out for a franchise record low total of 93 in just 16.1 overs. Warriors never won a game while batting first in 2016, and lost all three games in which they batted first, with two of those losses coming against Tallawahs.Warriors were under pressure early when Nic Maddinson became the first of three batsmen dismissed first ball, edging Andre Russell behind in the first over. A bigger blow came at the start of the third over when Chris Lynn, the tournament’s leading scorer, carved Shakib Al Hasan straight to Jonathan Foo at backward point for 7.Left-handed Sohail Tanvir was promoted up the order to No. 4 in an attempt to combat the left-arm spin threat posed by Shakib and Imad Wasim. At an individual level, the plan worked as Tanvir top-scored with 42 off 37 balls, but the rest of his team-mates struggled. Despite Tanvir’s calm, chaos was ever-present at the opposite end. Dwayne Smith was one of just two others apart from Tanvir to reach double-figures but his stay ended for 17 when he top-edged a pull off Oshane Thomas to Rovman Powell at mid-on to make it 50 for 3 in the eighth.With the top three removed, Shakib and eventual Man of the Match Imad Wasim set about tearing through the middle order in ruthless fashion. Jason Mohammed was trapped playing down the wrong line to an arm ball from Shakib for a golden duck to make it 53 for 4 before Imad took the first of his three wickets as Christopher Barnwell mistimed a slog to Gayle at short midwicket for 10. Two balls later, Anthony Bramble was bowled backing away for a slog and Imad claimed his third in four balls to start the 15th when Rayad Emrit was stumped for nought missing a flick to a leg-side wide to make it 83 for 7.Kesrick Williams also was on a hat-trick in the 16th over – he had Tanvir caught by Foo running in from the midwicket boundary, and followed it up with a gem of a delivery that jagged back in to knock Steven Jacobs’ off stump for 7. Adam Zampa survived the hat-trick ball to end the over, but was out one ball later after failing to ground his bat coming back for a second run with Williams’ relay from long leg to Sangakkara producing the end of the innings.Gayle propelled the chase with his third fifty-plus score of the season, reaching his half-century off 22 balls and ending up with 54 off 27 balls. He was dismissed flicking Emrit to Jacobs at deep midwicket. The Tallawahs captain ended the campaign as his side’s leading scorer with 425 runs, third overall behind Lynn and St Lucia Zouks’ Johnson Charles. Gayle’s opening partner Chadwick Walton steered the rest of the chase with 25 not out, ending seventh overall in the CPL run charts with 301 runs and second for Tallawahs.However, it was the old pro Kumar Sangakkara who struck the winning runs with a four smeared wide of long-on off Veerasammy Permaul to clinch the title with 7.1 overs to spare. Russell was named Player of the Tournament thanks in large part to his scintillating 100 in Friday’s knockout game against Trinbago Knight Riders. Russell struck the fastest century in Caribbean T20 history, off just 42 balls, and also broke a three-game Tallawahs losing streak lifting them into the final.