Also, just why India’s set batsmen need to carry on during twilight come the Adelaide Test

Sidharth Monga11-Dec-2020No spinner in the Indians’ XI
That the Indians chose to play neither offspinner R Ashwin nor left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav in this match could mean one of three things. Let’s start with the most dramatic possibility first: India are toying with the idea of four quicks in Adelaide. If they are indeed thinking along those lines, it is not without merit. In seven day-night Tests in Australia – four of which have been held in Adelaide – spin averages close to 50 per wicket despite an impressive average of 26 for the home spinner Nathan Lyon. Among the visiting spinners to struggle, the most prominent name is Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah. Thus, it can perhaps be argued that there might still be something in there for playing a spinner of the pedigree of Ashwin, but equally there might be a case for not playing any except that it could leave India with a long tail.The other reason could be that India saw enough of Ashwin and Kuldeep in the first warm-up to decide on Ashwin for Adelaide and have left this second match for those who need more practice. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah required overs under belts and some long-format rhythm, while Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj could still be in a contest for the final spot in the pace attack. Umesh Yadav, though, remains the frontrunner for the third seamer’s slot.The third – and worrying – reason for India could be to manage the workload of Ashwin, who wasn’t at his fittest during the IPL. With Ravindra Jadeja already struggling with a hamstring injury and concussion, India could do better than to have to cotton-wool their only experienced spinner.Set batsmen need to carry on
During the 63-run second wicket partnership between Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill that went at nearly ten an over, the ball hardly moved off the pitch before one that suddenly seamed back in a couple of feet to bowl Shaw. But by about the 20th over and close to the twilight period, the ball had started to do plenty. In the first 40 minutes of the second session, it seemed all Australia needed to do was to land the ball at the right place; from 72 for 1, the Indians eventually lost eight wickets for 51 runs.If day-night Test cricket has taught us anything in its brief history, it is these variables: there can be the pockets of play – usually once it starts getting dark – where bowlers can run away with the game in a session. The only way to get through these phases has been for set batsmen to continue playing through, as new batsmen find it extremely hard to start in these conditions.Wriddhiman Saha takes a diving catch in the outfield•Getty ImagesRishabh Pant or Wriddhiman Saha?
It has emerged that Saha didn’t play ahead of Pant in the first tour game due to any preference, but because Pant had woken up with a sore neck. However, Saha had used that opportunity to score a match-saving half-century, showing he too can bat in Australia. That possibly resulted in a bat-off between the two wicketkeepers today, as Pant scored five and Saha nought. The big gloves went to Pant, but Saha pulled off a stunner in the field, running back to take one over his shoulder.Head injury protocols
When Cameron Green hit Jasprit Bumrah on the head, Bumrah immediately signalled to everyone he was fine and tried to wave away the medical attention. The umpires had to step in and ask the Indian medical staff to come and check on Bumrah and his helmet. This is a significant event coming on the heels of a concussion to Jadeja during the first T20I on the tour, for which he was tested only during the innings break. He was allowed to bat for four balls against high-quality fast bowling with a possible concussion. And if Bumrah would have had his way, he would have refused immediate attention today. Rather than leave this protocol up to the player, testing them after every blow to the head should be mandatory.Shami, Bumrah look dangerous
It was a little surprising when both Bumrah and Shami played neither the last two T20Is nor the Test warm-up in the week gone by, but that was result of a well-earned trust between Virat Kohli and his fast bowlers. They wanted some rest, and were given their dues. And when they came back on the park for this three-day fixture before the first Test that begins on December 17, both looked in ominous form.The pink ball was moving under lights, and they hardly bowled any loose deliveries. The pitch made them look sensational, but their pace was up, the seam movement was pronounced and even long spells were bowled. Fortunately for the pair, it rained for long enough when it was time for their spells to end, thus giving Shami an extended break to provide further nightmares to the batsmen, as he ended up bowling 11 overs on the trot. Whoever the third – and fourth, if needed – quick might be for India, the top two showed they were ready.While Bumrah scoring his maiden first-class fifty and walking out to a guard of honour from his team-mates was the highlight of the day, the bowling form – 20 overs between them for 62 runs and five wickets – of him and Shami might be India’s biggest positive from the day.

The best dismissals by India’s latest pace-bowling find from the Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2021Cameron Green lbw, MCG, first innings
On his first day of Test cricket, Siraj showed an ability to do what no one else had done in the series so far: swing the old ball. In the 62nd over, he got a couple to shape away from Cameron Green and then swung one back into him, hitting him in front of middle stump. The ball was nice and full so there was no danger of it going over the stumps.David Warner c Cheteshwar Pujara, SCG, first innings
In Sydney, Siraj was handed the new ball and he showed he could swing that too. In the fourth over, he swung one appreciably away from David Warner and got the edge. The ball looked like it would pitch just outside off but swung, and by the time it got to Warner it was wide and had him playing away from his body.Will Pucovski c Wriddhiman Saha, SCG, second innings
Siraj struck early in the second innings in Sydney too, this time with one that left the right-hand opener. The line was perfect, just outside off, and the in-between length had Pucovski stuck on the crease. The slight movement off the seam had him squared up and nicking to the wicketkeeper.David Warner c Rohit Sharma, Gabba, first innings
Fourth-choice bowler before the series, Siraj, after a spate of injuries, was the leader of the attack by the final Test. And he set the tone with a wicket in the first over of the game. He set Warner up like a seasoned pro. His first ball to him shaped into the batsman. Then one full and wide. Then a little shorter. And then one on the perfect length, pitching on middle and just going on with the angle away from Warner, who played at it half forward and got a thick edge to second slip, where Rohit Sharma took an excellent catch.Marnus Labuschagne c Rohit Sharma, Gabba, second innings
Australia had reached a dominant position in the fourth Test, 156 ahead with just two wickets down in the second innings and their two best batsmen at the crease. It was Siraj who dismissed them both with corkers to keep India in the game. First went Labuschagne, who got a peach in the channel outside off. It was on a length and bounced more than expected, taking a thick edge to second slip.Steven Smith c Ajinkya Rahane, Gabba, second innings
Siraj had dropped Smith on 42 off Washington Sundar, misjudging a catch at long-on. He then also dropped Green off his own bowling. Under pressure, he steamed in and bowled an effort ball that landed short of a length and reared up at Smith, hitting his glove and flying to gully. The delivery is even more special in retrospect as Australia’s quicks were not able to extract the same kind of life from the Gabba pitch.

Leagues have the advantage because the narratives that nurture fandom can develop more easily around them

Ahmer Naqvi24-Apr-2021The older you get, the more you learn to value routine. You realise how it can give shape to days that otherwise easily veer off into nothingness, how it can form a structure for your life, how it can order things in your head. Routine gives context and narrative to our actions – this is what we do and how we’ve always done it.Thoughts of routine rolled around recently just as the PSL did. Among the first things that stood out were social media posts celebrating “that time of the year again”. That phrase, in particular, is striking – the PSL takes place around February and March every year, and in its six editions has come to offer a set of traditions. The anthem release and its subsequent reception, for example – in fact, the last two years have also seen a tradition of controversy around the release of the anthem, with vast social media campaigns undertaken in its wake.Many social media accounts posting memes either emerge from dormancy or pivot towards cricket for a few weeks. Brands launch splashy cricket-themed campaigns, and restaurants use cricket-inspired names for every deal and dish. Everyone from celebrities to politicians starts littering their pronouncements and posts with PSL references.Related

$1.6 billion for two IPL franchises: does it add up?

FICA calls changes 'missed opportunity'

Which is the most popular IPL team?

'CPL is the second-best T20 league after IPL'

Is sporting fandom a set of rituals or a relationship? (2015)

Watching these traditions play out earlier this year, it was difficult to think of a similar “time of year” for international cricket. There was Sharjah cricket on Fridays in the ’90s, and there is the tour of England that reliably happens in the northern-hemisphere summer; and events like the Boxing Day Test in the southern hemisphere. But beyond that, there is no real association of international cricket with predictable routine. And the more you think about it, the more bizarre it seems.After all, routine is a big ingredient in all sorts of sports. In the USA, for example, each major sport has a specific part of the year it is associated with – the Super Bowl at the start of the year, the NBA playoffs in the early summer, the World Series in the fall. When the coronavirus pandemic caused rescheduling of these events, the disruption in routine was one of the main reasons television ratings fell for them.

With the exception of the Ashes, no bilateral series follows a predictable, repeatable schedule. Instead, cricket fixtures are determined by potential broadcast revenue, and the wealth and power of boards

In international cricket, by contrast, the lack of routine is endemic. With the exception of the Ashes, no bilateral series follows a predictable, repeatable schedule. Instead, cricket fixtures are determined by potential broadcast revenue, the wealth and power of boards, and the relationship between them. In the past ten years, for example, India have played their Big Three brethren (England and Australia) in 50% of their Tests. At the same time, they have boycotted their one-time arch-rivals Pakistan; what was once the marquee rivalry in world cricket is now a match-up that is rarely seen. India have played four Tests against Bangladesh since the start of 2011. England have not played Zimbabwe – a fellow Full Member remember – in an international of kind since September 2007.That makes it significantly harder to generate and sustain narratives. When a competition loses the ability to provide exciting, compelling narratives about its rivalries, its stars and its history, it leads to a decrease in interest. International cricket’s set-up – with 12 Test-playing sides – should ideally operate as a league, but instead it is effectively a tiered system, with the richest teams most frequently playing those it is most lucrative for them to play. The World Test Championship (WTC) is a belated attempt to address this, but even before the its first cycle was played through, the ICC’s chair thought it needed to go back to the drawing board.Early in 2020, pre-pandemic, a visit to the Gaddafi Stadium and the National Stadium for two matches between the Karachi Kings and the Lahore Qalandars revealed crowds whose noise and excitement matched those of Pakistani crowds when India were the opponents.At one level it shouldn’t be a surprise that matches between Karachi and Lahore – the two largest, richest and most influential cities in Pakistan – are a big deal. But these two franchises who have only been around since 2016. Indeed, when franchise-based T20 leagues first arrived, many snickering commentators wondered why fans would care for corporate-run sides with ridiculous names and zero history. But because these were matches between cities/regions that already had the context of a historic rivalry beyond sport, and because games were held on a predictable, regular schedule in an easy-to-understand format where every team was equal, the interest and fandom grew exponentially.ESPNcricinfo LtdFrom the very first PSL onwards, the rivalry between Lahore and Karachi was the biggest draw and the intensity of this rivalry has only grown since. And the PSL is hardly the only example of franchise sides rapidly creating a rivalry between them. The Wikipedia page for the Karachi-Lahore PSL rivalry suggests the Mumbai Indians-Chennai Super Kings rivalry page as similar content.Since 2016, a young fan in Pakistan has had the opportunity to watch the Karachi Kings take on the Lahore Qalandars a dozen times, twice every year (three times in 2020, when they met in the final as well). By contrast, the same fan could only have watched seven matches between Pakistan and India. As noted above, it is hard to sustain context and narrative without routine. There is no doubt that India and Pakistan have a storied rivalry, but when you barely get to watch it, how invested can you get in it? Karachi’s and Lahore’s natural competitiveness finds an outlet every year in the PSL.True, franchise sides regularly change squads and staff, their uniforms, their catchphrases, even their names; some disappear altogether, to be replaced by new teams. But this is where the importance of routine comes in – franchise sides still play one another more regularly and reliably than international teams, and that allows for narratives to form more readily.This is perhaps why many of the narratives that dominate international cricket routinely feel forced, or why the rivalries are not nearly as close or exciting as advertised. For instance, the media seems to hype any successful, wealthy team without acknowledging that said team hasn’t taken on all available challengers. For example, by 2011 many in England were claiming that their Test side was among the greatest in history after a famous Ashes win. That side was then whitewashed by Pakistan in the UAE. Indeed, Pakistan over a period of seven years in the UAE had a record of eight Test wins, two draws and no losses against England and Australia. And this is just one example. We have seen even the most celebrated sides of all time have slip-ups, whether it was Clive Lloyd’s West Indies in New Zealand or Steve Waugh’s Australia in India.

While no ICC event can truly be a success without India, every league in the world outside of the IPL that has succeeded has done it without any Indians in them

South Africa, despite being possibly the most consistent Test side this century, with a glorious seven-year run from 2007 as possibly the best long-form side, during which span they lost just one series out of 25, haven’t played a five-Test in 16 years. New Zealand, who have 25 wins to five defeats at home in Tests in the last ten years, have not played more than three Tests in any series in the 2010s. The so-called top sides fail fairly frequently against these teams, yet it doesn’t result in any change to the meandering system that determines the international calendar.And if you find this baffling, consider the ODI circuit, where tons of meaningless bilateral series are played each year, though they have little impact on the World Cup. The World Cup Super League is a belated attempt to address this, but like the WTC, it proposes modest changes, and inconsequential bilateral matches that don’t affect the rankings are still allowed to be played alongside.Where international cricket offers this haphazard, meandering schedule, with no real context for the majority of its encounters, and no real sense of which teams are better, franchise cricket offers the opposite.ESPNcricinfo LtdIt doesn’t impact the fans alone. For sponsors and broadcasters, an India-Pakistan series would be the ultimate jackpot, but as long as that series does not come to pass, they can prepare and plan and invest more rationally and securely in franchise cricket. Each league is played around the same time every year, the teams all play one another. Advertising campaigns and fan-engagement initiatives can all be created and rolled out accordingly. The same is true for the media, which can dedicate resources to creating content for each league on a predictable cycle. You can plan a year in advance to run a weekly show about the PSL, but developing one dependent on a national team’s schedule would be more difficult and fraught with uncertainty.Solving this problem in international cricket would require the sort of political weight that the ICC just doesn’t have. The WTC was a relatively modest proposal bereft of radical changes to the existing structure – or lack of one – yet it feels unsustainable already. Creating a future for the sport, where, for example, every major team plays all other teams regularly, feels impossible.The success of franchise leagues – not just the commercial behemoth that is the IPL, but other leagues in the Caribbean and South Asia – shows that franchise cricket doesn’t need the blessings of the richest sides to prosper. While no ICC event can truly be a success without India, every league in the world outside of the IPL that has succeeded has done so without any Indians, who are barred from playing in them. And in each of these leagues, particularly the CPL and PSL, the biggest new stars inevitably seem to be local players, which suggests that sustaining fan interest isn’t completely dependent on foreign players.Most importantly, perhaps, players from Associate sides can make a living and even become superstars via franchise cricket. The success of Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane in franchise leagues has provided him with the stature and earnings he couldn’t have acquired representing Nepal on the international circuit.

For boards, the idea of running their own franchise-based leagues makes more and more sense, rather than asking more powerful boards for a piece of the international pie

Far too many see this debate as one between formats – T20s and Test cricket. They think it is casual fans and greedy administrators who are advocating one format over another. That isn’t incorrect, but the reason for the focus on T20 is that it the format of franchise cricket, and the predictability and regularity of the schedules in franchise cricket makes it more enticing. If international cricket had a regular calendar, or if the franchise model was adopted for other formats, we could well see sustainable commercial and cultural interest in those longer formats. The international cricket calendar, rather than Test cricket, is the anachronism.Seven years ago, pre-PSL, when Pakistan was still enduring its home-cricket exile, a domestic T20 competition generated enough interest and excitement to encourage the board to use the commercial potential of domestic T20 to make up for revenue lost from not being able to host international cricket in Pakistan. Today that exile is thankfully over but it is still apparent that the rich boards are not interested in helping the others grow. That is why, for boards, the idea of running their own franchise-based leagues makes more and more sense, rather than asking more powerful boards for a piece of the international pie.Taken together it means that unless aggressive and far-reaching action is taken, international cricket’s days might well be numbered. For far too long, international cricket has gone along as it always has because there wasn’t any great alternative, but the rise of franchise cricket offers a truly viable option for fans, sponsors, media and administrators. It is difficult to see that advantage being reversed any time soon.

Statistical highlights from Afghanistan’s victory in the second Test against Zimbabwe

Sampath Bandarupalli14-Mar-2021596 Balls Rashid Khan bowled in this match, the most by any player in a Test in the 21st century. These are also the most balls bowled by a player in a Test match since Muttiah Muralitharan’s 683 against England at The Oval in 1998.Most balls bowled in a Test match since 1999•ESPNcricinfo Ltd187 The partnership between Sean Williams and Donald Tiripano in the second innings. This is now the highest eighth-wicket partnership for Zimbabwe in Test cricket, surpassing the 168-run stand by Andrew Blignaut and Heath Streak against West Indies in 2003.3 Test matches that Afghanistan have won out of the six they’ve played. These are the joint-most wins for a team in their first six matches in Test cricket. Australia also won three of their first six games in this format.5 Lbw dismissals for Rashid in Zimbabwe’s second innings, the joint-highest by a bowler in an innings. Six other players have also managed this quirky little feat, with Saeed Ajmal against England in 2012 in Dubai, the most recent.3 Centuries by Williams as captain of Zimbabwe in four Tests. Only Brendan Taylor (4) has more Test tons as captain for Zimbabwe than Williams, while Andy Flower also scored three hundreds as a skipper. The unbeaten 151 by Williams is only the fourth 150-plus score by a Zimbabwe captain in Test cricket.95 The highest score made by a Zimbabwe batsman coming in at No.9 or lower. Tiripano is the new holder of this record, beating the 91 made by Andrew Blignaut in 2003 against West Indies in Harare.Tiripano’s 95 is also the highest individual score in a follow-on innings while batting at No.8 or lower. Kapil Dev’s 89 against England in 1982 was the previous highest when he batted at No.8.17 Test debutants before Shahidullah who also got to be on the winning side without contributing a run, a wicket, a catch or even a stumping. Shahidullah’s work in this match comprised five overs in the second innings for six runs.

Retired batter opens up on his decision to call time and the “mental burnout” he suffered after 2013

George Dobell26-May-20212:02

Quickfire questions with Ian Bell

There’s just a moment, when you see Ian Bell with a bat in his hand, when you wonder if he might have retired too soon.It’s true the bowling (supplied by the golfer, Andrew “Beef” Johnston) is not the most threatening you’ve ever seen. And it’s true there isn’t much match intensity, either. This is a video shoot for Bet365. Bell is relaxed and having fun.But he looks so good. So damn good. He’s slim, he’s fit, he still loves the game. Put simply, he looks full of runs. And it’s not as if England have adequately replaced him. James Anderson is less than a year younger. Darren Stevens is six years older.Bell, it could be forgotten, was actually contracted to Warwickshire for the 2021 season. He could easily have accepted a salary commensurate with his position as the club’s greatest homegrown player and fulfilled the role of senior pro. Yes, injuries had hampered him, and yes, the torrent of runs had dwindled a little. But he made 140 runs (split across innings of 50 and 90) in his final first-class match. There was nobody pushing him into retirement.But he knew. He knew his body could no longer accede to the commands his eyes gave it. Or not as quickly as it once did, anyway. And, having excelled for so long, he wasn’t content to be “okay”, as he puts it. He might, he says, pull on the whites once more when his son reaches club third XI standard – just so they can play a game together – but, in essence, he is fulfilled.”I didn’t want to just sit on a contract; I didn’t just want to be okay” – Bell walked away from a deal to play in 2021•Getty Images”It didn’t feel like a hard decision to retire,” he says. “I didn’t really feel sad. There’s definitely things I miss. I miss that feeling of winning. I miss the hard work that goes into helping Warwickshire win a Championship game. And I’ve loved having a bat today. But I don’t miss the fielding and the soreness in the morning, especially as you get older.”I feel like I gave everything I had. As a kid, my dream was to play 100 Test matches and I achieved that. I had 22 years as a professional cricketer. When I look in the mirror, I know I tried everything I had.”I know I was blessed with some talent. But there’s stuff that people don’t see behind the scenes. I gave it everything I had in training. No stone was left unturned in terms of my preparation and trying to be as good as I could be. Some days it turned out well; some days it didn’t. That’s sport. That’s life. I feel very satisfied with the efforts that I made to be as good as I could be.”I was very lucky Warwickshire offered me a contract to play this year. I signed it. But I’d been out the whole year [2019] injured and, until you’re in the middle, or you’re fielding or running between the wickets, you’re not sure. I just didn’t feel I was moving how I wanted to. And that was restricting me a little bit from getting the best of myself. I didn’t want to just sit on a contract. I didn’t just want to be okay.”And we [Warwickshire] have some good young players coming through. There’s Dan Mousley, Rob Yate and Jacob Bethell. I didn’t want to just take up a spot and block some young, homegrown players from coming through. That would have hurt me more.”So, it felt like the right decision if I’m honest. I’ve enjoyed the media and events work I’ve done and I’m trying to go down the coaching route. I’m very comfortable with I’m doing now.”He accepts, however, that burnout played its part in the ending of his international career. For though there were more obvious casualties of the schedule in 2013 and 2014 – Jonathan Trott, notably – in their own ways, Andy Flower, Kevin Pietersen, Alastair Cook and Graeme Swann were all broken, too. Those who decry England’s recent rest-and-rotation policy, would probably do well to reflect how things might look if such a policy was not in place.

“The mental side of the game for me got to a point where I probably needed to take a backward step, take some time off, re-energise and go again”Bell on suffering from burnout

The decline in Bell was less obvious. Indeed, by the end of the 2013 Ashes – in which he scored three centuries and was named Player of the Series; his proudest achievement he says now – it seemed his game had risen to a new level. He had the confidence and experience to add to his obvious class. From Christmas 2009 until August 2013, he averaged 57.51 in Test cricket with 12 centuries in 43 matches. England went to No. 1 in the Test rankings and he went to No. 3 in the ICC’s batting rankings.In retrospect, though, the summer of 2013 was the beginning of the end. In his final 25 Tests, a period which coincided with two more Ashes series (one of them a whitewash), a disappointing World Cup campaign (Bell was actually England’s highest run-scorer in 2015, but we’re in “tallest dwarf” territory here) and a World T20 campaign in which he was a non-playing squad member, he scored two more centuries and averaged 29.52. And there’s nothing more ageing than the cocktail of weariness and disappointment.Reflecting on this period now, Bell accepts he should have taken Andrew Strauss, the managing director of England men’s cricket at the time, up on his offer of a few months’ sabbatical.”That wasn’t physical,” Bell says. “That was more mental burnout. At the time, I was one of those guys who thought I should keep ploughing on. Andrew Strauss, to his credit, offered me the winter off.”But I’d just accepted a central contract. So I didn’t feel taking winter off was the right option. When I look back, probably that was the wrong decision. It probably would have been a good option.Bell was Player of the Series in the 2013 Ashes•Getty Images”Whether it would have changed things and I’d have gone back in and had another two or three years with England, I don’t know. But the mental side of the game for me got to a point where I probably needed to take a backward step, take some time off, re-energise and go again.”There are no serious regrets, though. Marriage and fatherhood suit him nicely. While he remains modest, he has the good-natured honesty to admit, while filming a feature for ESPNcricinfo about the perfect 360-degree batter, that he wouldn’t swap his cover drive with anybody. And really, why would he?He’s not finished with cricket, though. He hopes to move into coaching and has particular interest in the fortunes of his old team-mates, Joe Root – “the best player of spin England have ever had” – and Dom Sibley, who “at his best, he is just what England need,” Bell says. “There are lots of different ways to be successful.”And then there’s Ollie Pope. The similarities between Bell and Pope are lost on nobody and Bell admits there are moments he double-takes and wonders whether his TV is showing live coverage or highlights of the old days. Perhaps partly as a result, there is an almost paternal attitude to analysis of a 23-year-old who is currently coming to terms with the burden of high expectations.”I had that from 16 myself in terms of some quite big statements,” Bell says, referring perhaps to that Dayle Hadlee line about him being the best 16-year-old he had ever seen. “But I think that comes with playing for England.”It always makes me laugh when people say that certain innings weren’t under pressure. You’re always under pressure when you play for England. You have to be able to deal with expectation. But there’s no doubt [Pope] has the ability. And he has the people around him too. I used to tap into Alec Stewart, his coach at Surrey, a lot about batting.Related

• Bell's timing seductive but England need more than quick fixes

• Bell primed for role as England's U19 World Cup batting coach

• Bell bows out with 90 to push Warks towards farewell victory

“But my advice to him – to any, player, really – would be staying in the moment. And that’s really hard to do. A lot of the time, as a batsman in particular, you’re chasing outcomes. You want to get a hundred, for example. So you’re desperate to get those big scores and sometimes you put a little bit too much pressure on yourself.”When I look back in the partnerships I enjoyed with Trotty, or Cooky, or KP or Matt Prior, we just broke things down into small, achievable targets. I used to try and get to five. And then 10. And then 15. So, I’d say don’t look too far ahead.”But don’t worry about him. He scores big runs whenever he goes back to Surrey. He learns fast. He’s going to be a fine, fine player. I love watching him.”So, no need for a Bell comeback then? “No chance,” he says with a smile. “I played for more than 20 years. I played around the world and enjoyed some success with some really good teams. I did my bit.”

Dawid Malan could be set for a longer run while Eoin Morgan needs to catalyse his team into action

Andrew Miller03-May-2021Moeen Ali More unobtrusive excellence from a liberated player. Moeen picked off 15 free-flowing runs from eight balls against the Sunrisers Hyderabad to ensure there would be no loss of momentum after a 129-run opening stand between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis, then he lumped five sixes in a 36-ball 58 against the Mumbai Indians, which ought to have been ample until Kieron Pollard got busy in an extraordinary 219-run chase.In between whiles, his offspin has been a quietly vital weapon in MS Dhoni’s armoury – three more overs this week, including an exceptional piece of matching-up against Mumbai: one over, one run, one wicket as the dangerous Quinton de Kock chipped a return catch into his midriff. Any more of this, and England will have no option but to take note for the T20 World Cup.Sam CurranTo borrow a phrase from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Sam Curran is a f***ing mentality giant. Nothing else can explain his insatiable lust for the sharp end of IPL combat – never better exemplified than his heroics against Mumbai, which could have won the game twice over had the support been there from his team-mates, with the ball and in the field alike. With Pollard running riot in his extraordinary 87 not out from 34 balls, Curran nailed his yorkers with extraordinary poise, prising out Krunal Pandya to a plumb lbw while conceding just two runs in his third over, the 17th of the innings.Then, in arguably an even more pronounced display of cojones, he battled back from being bashed for back-to-back sixes in the 19th over to claim two for three in his next four balls. Had Pollard not been on strike with 16 left to get, it would have been the game’s decisive contribution. As if that wasn’t enough fun for one week, he secured intra-squad bragging rights in the England camp by bouncing out the Sunrisers’ Jonny Bairstow.Jos ButtlerIt’s a debate that has been in slight abeyance since the injury to Ben Stokes, but if there were any lingering doubts about Jos Buttler’s value as a T20 opener, they were emphatically scotched against the Sunrisers this week. It has taken him the small matter of 282 matches to reach his maiden 20-over century, but he made it worth the wait in a brutal 124 from 64 balls.It’s true, there are few players in the world with Buttler’s finishing powers – his last 74 runs came from an eye-popping (and wrist-cocking 25 balls) as he slammed sixes at will with that inimitable crack of the bottom hand – but in toughing it out at the top to reach a 39-ball fifty, he also laid himself a platform that lesser players might not have managed. He showed the early glimpses of a return to his best form in making 41 from 32 balls against Mumbai, before being done in flight by Rahul Chahar. But in setting up a vital win that has vaulted the Royals from the bottom of the table to fifth, Buttler may have hit top gear at the perfect moment for his injury-plagued side.Jonny BairstowIt’s been a pretty terrible week for the Sunrisers. You suspect that the fall-out from the axing of David Warner as captain has only just begun, particularly after Sunday’s crushing loss to the Royals. But Bairstow’s form at the top of the order has been one of their few saving graces this season, even if he struggled to produce his best this week. Sam Curran had his number against Chennai. It was always asking a lot for Bairstow to match Buttler’s impact in the clash with the Royals, even if his 30 from 21 balls seemed to have got his side on the right track until he holed out to long-on. If the Sunrisers are to haul themselves off the base of the table, Bairstow and his new captain Kane Williamson may need to strike up a bromance to rival what he once enjoyed with his deposed leader.Eoin MorganHarsh words were spoken after the Kolkata Knight Riders slumped to their fifth defeat in seven against the Delhi Capitals on Thursday, with coach Brendon McCullum particularly critical of a becalmed top order that had creaked along at barely a run-a-ball in the first 10 overs of their innings – a platform that didn’t exactly allow Morgan to die wondering as he gave himself room off his second ball and slapped a flat slog to long-off for a duck. Nevertheless, it was another non-contribution from a skipper who’s struggling to get his no-fear message across to his players.Eoin Morgan returned to form against the Punjab Kings but his team hasn’t found momentum yet•BCCI/IPLAt least he can take personal credit for KKR’s second win of the campaign earlier in the week, after coming in at 17 for 3 in the third over against the Punjab Kings, and anchoring a chase of 124 with 47 not out from 40 balls. Therein lies a truth about Morgan’s preferred approach to T20 cricket. If you’re going to malfunction at the top, at least do so quickly enough for your team-mates to bail you out.Dawid Malan… which brings us to Malan’s long-awaited T20 bow, a run-a-ball 26 for the Kings against the Capitals that inadvertently encapsulated all of the concerns for England’s incumbent No.3. His low-octane approach often comes off in the closing overs, but when it doesn’t, it adds up to a whole lot of not a lot – on this occasion, a Kings’ scoreline of 87 for 3 in the 14th over that never looked like being enough, even after Mayank Agarwal had turned on the afterburners in a brilliant 99 from 58 balls. Malan got his chance due to KL Rahul’s untimely bout of appendicitis, which suggests it may not be a one-off. His next few outings could be very instructive, especially given Moeen’s polar opposite approach in a similar role.Chris JordanJordan has had to bide his time for the Kings, but his introduction to the line-up for three matches this week has been a qualified success. He played a low-key but vital role in the Kings’ victory over the Royal Challengers Bangalore, serving up his four overs for 31 including a purposeful post-powerplay over that built on an aggressive opening gambit from the seamers, while against KKR, he was the only batter in the entire line-up to strike at above 100, as he thumped 30 from 18 balls from No. 8 in an otherwise flat-lining innings.The four remaining England players at this year’s IPL – Chris Woakes, Sam Billings, Tom Curran and Jason Roy – have spent another week bench-warming, although the one who might be closest to a call-up is Roy, given that Warner is out in the cold for the Sunrisers, and that the temptation to reunite his mighty white-ball partnership with Bairstow must be compelling. Not just yet… Manish Pandey got the gig against the Royals, but watch this space.

From Anderson masterclass to unbeaten fifties for Hameed and Burns, everything went right for hosts

George Dobell25-Aug-2021Days like this don’t come along very often. Golden days when the edges are found, the catches are taken and the openers reply in such convincing style that it appears they are playing on a different wicket. As James Anderson, who conceded just six runs in India’s completed first innings, put it, “It doesn’t get much better than that.” It was hard to disagree.You surely have to go back to Trent Bridge in 2015 for anything close to such a dominant first day of a Test for England. Indeed, only three times in history has a team batting second ended the first day of a Test with a lead having not lost a wicket. The last time England managed it, on Boxing Day 2010 in Melbourne, was one of the all-time high points of the side’s Test history.”With both ball and bat we’ve displayed exactly what we wanted to do,” Anderson said afterwards. “These days don’t come around very often so you just have to be happy when they do.”The only difference with Melbourne is that I was keen to bowl there and I wasn’t today for some reason. I was trying to tempt Joe [Root] into batting if he won the toss. I think he was leaning towards a bowl but we’ll never know.”It was Anderson who set up the performance. His new-ball spell, a masterclass in skilful swing bowling, should be studied by anyone who wants to follow in his footsteps. It was a reminder, too, that for all the talk of aggression and verbal intimidation, it is clear-headed, calmly applied skills that tend to win the day over macho posturing.But it will have been equally pleasing for England to see their support bowlers weigh in with seven wickets between them. They are currently without at least six seamers who would have played ahead of some of those in action here, so to see Craig Overton, in particular, produce a sustained spell of seam bowling was reassuring. In that area, at least, England are well supplied.Craig Overton, Ollie Robinson and James Anderson shared eight wickets between them•PA Photos/Getty ImagesNothing, however, was as pleasing to English eyes as the openers scoring runs. This was, it must be noted, England’s 22nd opening pair since the retirement of Sir Andrew Strauss in 2012. In the last five years, they had – before today – managed only one century stand between them. This, worth 120 so far, is already the highest in that period and was, remarkably enough, only their third in England and against India this century.Both played well. But it was, perhaps, the performance of Haseeb Hameed which will give the most pleasure. It is no secret that he has had a tough time of things since his brief exposure to the international stage in 2016. He lost his place in the Lancashire side and was eventually released. But, under the benevolent eye of Peter Moores, at Nottinghamshire, he has recovered his confidence and form and here looked every inch the international batter those performances in India suggested he could be.”I couldn’t be happier for him,” Anderson, a former teammate at Lancashire, said. “Since he’s come back into the Test set-up you can see how much he’s worked on his game, how he’s become a better player. One thing he’s always had is the right temperament for international cricket and we saw that today in bucket loads. He was calm, he was measured and he had a game plan which he executed brilliantly. To see him play that way is not something we’re surprised by. Everyone is absolutely delighted for him.”The way the two guys played towards the end of the day with the bat was outstanding and exactly what we’ve been asking for.”When you bowl someone out for less than 100 you’re never quite sure whether you’ve bowled well or if the wicket is not as good as you think it might be. To see both sides bat on it and see the way our openers went about their business just felt so calm. They were solid in defence, left well and put away the bad ball when they got one. I just thought it was brilliant Test match batting.”Related

At Headingley, India were undone by a master of his craft

James Anderson: 'Emotion got the better of me' after Bumrah barrage

James Anderson puts things right after learning lessons of Lord's

India 78; Hameed 60*, Burns 52*, England 120/0

Virat Kohli's famous last words, or how India misread the conditions

India, it must be acknowledged, had a poor day. While there is some mitigation to their batting – they came up against a great swing bowler in conditions which suited him – they might also reflect that they erred in their decision to bat first. And while some of those top-order batters were almost blameless, a couple of others (Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma in particular) were more than a little culpable. That lower order – despite the unlikely heroics of Lord’s – is an accident waiting to happen, too.It’s harder to excuse their efforts in the field. From the moment in the first over when Jasprit Bumrah, attempting to return the ball back to the bowler, instead threw it over his head and to the boundary leaving Ishant Sharma to retrieve it, they were oddly close to shambolic. Sharma bowled – and fielded – as if the imposter who ran on with the team at Lord’s (Jarvo, as he was known) had somehow found a way to further breech security protocols and actually found himself in the team, while there were also overthrows, mis-fields and a drop. Sometimes you wonder if Virat Kohli’s high expressed emotion is really the best way to manage a side.England, at least, had reflected on Lord’s and concluded they had let the verbal confrontations cloud their minds for a while. They wanted to put that right here.”There was a bit of chat about that,” Anderson admitted. “The first three or four days at Lord’s we played brilliantly and didn’t get involved in too much discussion. After that maybe it did affect us a little bit. We have made a conscious effort of trying to focus on us, what we do well and trying to ignore anything else, like the outside noise or whatever else might be going on.”None of this means England’s problems are over, of course. Or even that this game is won. We know that, in the most recent Test here, England prevailed despite having been bowled out for 67 in their first innings. We know, too, that England’s attack is potent in such conditions. It’s in conditions where lateral movement is tougher to gain where they have questions to answer.But this was hugely encouraging. And after the disappointment of Lord’s it set up the rest of this match – and perhaps the series – beautifully.

There is a clear frontrunner but the selectors also have other options to look at

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jan-20222:06

Is Rishabh Pant a dark horse to be India’s next Test captain?

Rohit Sharma
Rohit is the frontrunner mainly because he was appointed the Test vice-captain by the Indian selectors ahead of the recently concluded South Africa series. However, a hamstring injury ruled him out of the series. Rohit had taken over the vice-captaincy role from Ajinkya Rahane, who has struggled for fluency with the bat for the past few years despite an impeccable Test-captaincy record. In contrast, Rohit has emerged as India’s best batter since he returned to the Test team in January 2021 for the final two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In those two matches, Rohit also served as Rahane’s deputy when Kohli returned home after the first Test for the birth of his child. India went on to beat Australia 2-1 to secure a historic triumph. The selectors’ strong faith in Rohit reflected in their decision to appoint him as India’s white-ball captain ahead of the South Africa tour. With the second edition of the World Test Championship final as well as the ODI World Cup coming up in 2023, the selectors might not mind having Rohit lead in all three formats as that could help with stability in the decision making.