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Women’s cricket is beginning to emerge from the shadows

Jenny Thompson30-Dec-2005

At a time when the women’s game needed a shot in the arm it got a welcome
boost in May when, as expected, the IWCC merged with the ICC. This was a
significant fillip in a year in which one team – West Indies – nearly
dropped out of the World Cup because of a lack of funding.Such financial worries should now be a thing of the past, leaving the
women free to concentrate on their game, which is one that should become
even more professional if the ICC delivers on its promises.International teams have already benefited from various mergers of their
men’s and women’s boards, none more so than in Pakistan where this year
the women’s game took unprecedented steps forward, under the
umbrella of the Pakistan Cricket Board who they merged with in 2004.After years of trying to gain recognition from the government, the PCB and
the public alike, Pakistan finally hosted their first match on home soil,
against India Under-21. It was a massive, almost inestimable, stride not
just for women’s cricket, but for women’s rights too in the largely
conservative Islamic republic.Only ten years ago the first moves to introduce cricket to Pakistani women
– by sisters Shaiza and Sharmeen Khan – had resulted in death threats and
court cases and even in 2003, playing cricket in public was virtually
unknown for women in Pakistan. But then came the India tour – which was
immediately followed up with the Women’s Asia Cup in late
December, which was also held in Pakistan.But some things were as predictable as ever. Australia won the World Cup
in South Africa, marching unbeaten into the final where they brushed aside
the first-time finalists India. But while Australia’s dominance has been a
snore factor in the men’s game for quite some time (until recently that
is), in the women’s it continued to act as a shining example of
near-professionalism.They beat England in the one-dayers and the Twenty20 to add to their ODI
clean sweep (3-0) against New Zealand. But cracks were starting to appear
– and they lost the Ashes in a two-match series which England won 1-0.
Just three Tests were played all year, in fact, and England were involved
in all of them; the third was a drawn affair in India.Test cricket continues to be a curiosity in the women’s game: dusted off
for the occasional outing like a rarely worn hat, it sits awkwardly,
attracts few compliments and even fewer spectators. Media coverage is
practically non-existent, although the Ashes was a pleasant exception,
even making the front page of The Times newspaper.England’s captain Clare Connor is adamant that Test cricket will not die
off just yet – even though only 16 matches have been played this
millennium. “It’s a tradition we want to continue,” she says, despite
there being no preparation, either mental or physical for this form of
cricket until the day arrives.As ever, it’s the one-dayers that matter – and specifically the World Cup
was the big prize up for grabs this year. But never mind trying to win,
West Indies only just made it to the tournament at the eleventh hour after
sponsors came on board to rescue them. Yet, having been chalked up as the
tournament whipping girls, these Cinderellas clawed their way into a
credible fifth place and secured automatic qualification next time around.
The stuff of dreams.Their batsman Nadine George was then awarded the MBE for her contribution
to sport, capping a fairytale year for the team – and the sport in
general.

New (wo)man on the block: England’s Holly Colvin – one minute she was
preparing for her GCSEs, the next a stiffer examination came in the form
of an Ashes debut at Hove. The 15-year-old sailed through and even found
herself on a hat-trick on her very first day.Fading star: Not so much fading stars as ones who chose to hang up their
boots . Australia lost the services of Belinda Clark
and Lisa Keightley – on the stage at least; the forward-thinking Cricket
Australia went on to appoint Clark as head of their academy. England’s
Lucy Pearson and Clare Taylor also quit at the top level.High point: So many to pick from, but the IWCC merger with the ICC for
what it means for the future, and the situation in Pakistan for burying
some of the ghosts of the past certainly rank foremost.Low point: Robin Marlar set the cause back with his misogynistic comments
– “Girls! It’s absolutely outrageous!” – while Cathryn Fitzpatrick stirred
up controversy by helping as an unpaid assistant coach for Australia men’s
Test against the World XI. “I can’t cop that” fumed Terry Alderman. “There
are highly talented fast bowling coaches around the country yet they get
someone like that in.”What does 2006 hold? India are visiting England and their itinerary
includes a trip to Lord’s, a match which will presumably be attended by
Marlar in his capacity as the new president of MCC. Standby for fireworks.Tomorrow: Pakistan add method to madness

India’s bowlers must get the credit for bowling the West Indies with guile and accuracy to bundle them out for 157.

Wisden CricInfo staff05-Jul-2005West Indies were diffident in their first innings, but India’s bowlers must get credit for bowling with guile and accuracy to bundle them out for 157. The graphic alongside may not indicate the control with which they bowled, but is a perfect representation of the variety in India’s bowling. As many as 140 of the 451 balls India bowled – 31% – were pitched on middle stump or further down leg.
But this was not profligacy – Zaheer Khan, bowling round the wicket, pitched a lot of balls on leg which reached the batsman on off stump or just outside; and Harbhajan Singh bowled an effective over-the-wicket leg-stump line to the left-handers. Twenty-eight of his 31 balls that pitched outside leg were bowled to lefties Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Mahendra Nagamootoo, as were 17 of the deliveries on leg stump. All of 12 runs accrued from these 48 balls.Erapalli Prasanna once said: “line is optional but length is mandatory”. He would have been pleased today at the length the Indians bowled. As many as 354 deliveries – 78% – were on a good length or just short, and a further 40 – 9% – were yorkers. It was surprising that West Indies never tried something different to hit the spinners off their length – only once in the 451 balls they faced did a batsman step out.Interestingly, 103 of West Indies’ runs were scored on the leg side. Chanderpaul had a lot to do with this. His ungainly but effective shuffle towards off, and the tendency to play across, ensured that he scored 42 of his runs – 78% – on the leg side. It doesn’t matter how they come as long as they do – and when Chanderpaul plays India, they do.Amit Varma is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India.

Matt Prior became only the third wicketkeeper to score a hundred on debut, and the fifth batsman to do so at Lord’s

S Rajesh and HR Gopalakrishna18-May-2007Four batsmen managed three-figure scores against a hapless West Indian attack, but the man of the moment was undoubtedly Matt Prior, the 25-year-old debutant wicketkeeper. While the rest of the batsmen scored at a strike rate of less than 60, Prior blasted 126 off a mere 128 balls, a scoring rate of 98.43 per 100 balls.As the table below shows, Prior’s most productive stroke was the pull – he played it 12 times for 36 runs, including eight fours. The drives on either side of the wicket fetched him plenty of runs too.

Prior had little problems in dealing with the good-length stuff – West Indies’ bowlers sent down 93 deliveries around that length, and he scored at more than a run a ball, including 14 fours.

With this hundred, Prior has become only the third wicketkeeper to score a hundred on debut, after two Sri Lankan glovemen – Brendon Kuruppu (201 not out against New Zealand in 1986-87) and Romesh Kaluwitharana (132 not out against Australia in 1992). He also became the fifth batsman to score a hundred on debut at Lord’s – after Harry Graham, John Hampshire, Sourav Ganguly and Andrew Strauss – and needs only five more runs to become the highest scorer on debut here. The record is currently held by Ganguly, who scored 131 in 1996.West Indies, on the other hand, didn’t have much to celebrate in the field. Four of their bowlers conceded more than 100 runs – it’s only the second time this has happened to the West Indians in a Test against England: the only earlier occasion was in Jamaica in 1930, when England amassed 849. The only consolation for West Indies is that with two days of play already done, it’s highly unlikely England will attempt to get anywhere near that total.

Captains keeping and scoring hundreds; and most runs scored in the first and last 10 overs

Steven Lynch23-Oct-2007The regular Tuesday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket:

What is the Test batting average? I mean runs scored by batsmen
in Test cricket divided by total dismissals. I’m guessing it’s around 30,
but the idea has been pinging around in my head for a while and it needs
to get out! And while you’re at it, what’s the overall bowling
average? asked Kieran O’Leary from Australia
Your guess was remarkably close: the overall Test batting average (runs
scored divided by completed innings) is 29.84 since the first Test in
1876-77. The overall bowling average is slightly higher – 31.43 – because
of run-outs and the recent counting of wides and no-balls against the
bowler.Who has scored the most runs and taken the most wickets without ever
appearing in a World Cup? My guess for the batsman is VVS Laxman – am I
right? asked Satyakant from India
There’s some fine guessing going on this week, because the batsman with
the most ODI runs who has never appeared in a World Cup is indeed VVS Laxman, who has made 2338.
The leading wicket-taker is another Indian, Irfan Pathan, who has so far
taken 122 one-day wickets. He’s just ahead of Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Zoysa, who has taken 108
wickets in 95 matches, and holds the record for the most ODIs played
without appearing in the World Cup.Was the Test between India and New Zealand at Hamilton in 2002-03 the
only one in which part of all four innings took place on the same day?
asked Ashwin Sundar from India
The match you’re talking about is this one. India started the third day
(the first was washed out) at 92 for 8 in their first innings, and were
soon all out for 99; New Zealand were bowled out for 94; India went in and
out again for 154; and by the end of the day New Zealand, chasing 160 to
win, were 24 without loss (they completed a four-wicket victory next
morning). This was the second occasion that part of all four innings had
taken place on the same day of a Test: it also happened on the second day
of the 2000 Lord’s Test between
England and West Indies (one ball of West Indies’ first innings, whole
innings by England and West Indies, then seven balls of England’s second).What is the highest number of ducks in an ODI? I only ask because there
were seven in one of the India-Australia matches … asked Ed Dixon
from England

The match you’re talking about was the seventh one of the recent series
between India and Australia, at Mumbai last week, and
there were indeed seven ducks (three golden ones), four by Australia and
three by India. That was the sixth instance of seven dismissals for 0 in
the same ODI – but the record is eight, shared by England (5) and West
Indies (3) in the 1979 World Cup final at Lord’s. For a list of the other
sevens, click here.Who has taken the most wickets against England in Tests and ODIs?
asked James Hamilton from Dundee
In Tests it’s a familiar name leading the way: Shane Warne took 195 England
wickets in 36 Tests. Another Australian, Dennis Lillee, lies second with
167, just ahead of Curtly
Ambrose of West Indies (164). Overall 17 bowlers have taken 100 or
more wickets against England in Tests. In ODIs the leader is another
familiar Aussie – Glenn
McGrath, with 53 wickets. Next come Malcolm Marshall (41) and Shaun Pollock (40).Which cricketer called his autobiography Retired Hurt?
asked Max Hayes from Brisbane

This was Roshan Mahanama, the
Sri Lankan batsman who played 52 Tests between 1985-86 and 1997-98
scoring 2576 runs including 225 in the Test-record total of 952 for 6
against India in Colombo in
1997. Mahanama’s book was privately published in Australia in 2001, and he
called it that because he was upset at his treatment by the selectors,
especially towards the end of his career.And there’s an update on the recent question about the
highest score in the last ten overs of an ODI, from Sreeram in India
“I believe that the most runs scored in the final ten overs of an ODI
innings is actually 146, by South Africa against Pakistan at Centurion earlier this year. They were 246 for 4 after 40 overs, but finished up with 392 for 6 – Mark Boucher made 78 in 38 balls.” That just beats a match several other people notified us about, Pakistan against Zimbabwe at Multan in 2004-05 – in that match Pakistan were
147 for 6 at the end of the 40th over but, with Abdul Razzaq and Shahid
Afridi going ballistic, they finished up with 292 for 7.

Cricinfo looks at some of the numbers that could matter ahead of the second Test between Sri Lanka and India in Galle

George Binoy30-Jul-2008

• 16th century Dutch fort overlooks the Galle International Stadium where Sri Lanka have proved difficult to conquer. They’ve won six out of 12 Tests here, including five in a row between 2000 and 2002, and lost only two. Their recent results aren’t so flash: Sri Lanka have not forced a win in their last four Tests at Galle. They drew against England in 2003, lost to Australia and drew with South Africa in 2004 before the tsunami laid waste to the stadium. The first Test after it was rebuilt in 2007, against England, was also drawn despite Sri Lanka dismissing the visitors for 81.
• Having equaled Don Bradman for most centuries at a venue by scoring his ninth at the SSC, Mahela Jayawardene prepares to move on to an even more prolific venue. He’s scored 1389 in 17 innings in Galle at an average of 99.21. The rest of Sri Lanka’s batsmen have solid, if not spectacular stats in Galle. Even Chaminda Vaas averages 31.58 here.
  
  
  
  

  Sri Lanka’s batsmen in Galle

  Batsman	Matches	Runs	Average	100s
  Mahela Jayawardene	12	1389	99.21	4
  Kumar Sangakkara	9	647	53.91	2
  Thilan Samaraweera	5	282	40.28	0
  Tillakaratne Dilshan	4	220	44.00	1
  Michael Vandort	1	18	18.00	0

• The Indians don’t have much experience of playing in Galle. Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan are the only players to have played a Test here. Dravid scored 73 in that Test in 2001, Ganguly made 19. Zaheer took 3 for 89 while Harbhajan bowled 33 overs for his solitary wicket.
• Galle is Muttiah Muralitharan’s second most prolific venue after Kandy. He’s played only 12 Tests here but picked up 91 wickets at an average of 16.50 and strike-rate of 50.40. In contrast, Vaas’ 11 Tests here have brought him only 23 wickets at 33.43 apiece. Murali’s effectiveness increases as the match progresses in Galle: his average in the third innings is 15.96 and in the final innings is 12.00.
• Teams have batted after winning the toss in ten out of 12 Tests in Galle. The average per wicket in the first match innings is 37.9. It drops to 33.3 in the second innings, 27.8 in the third and 20.5 in the final innings. Visiting teams average 26.87 per wicket in the first innings, 28.80 in the second, 26.33 in the third, and 22.36 in the fourth.
• Both Sri Lanka and India have two spinners in their bowling attack and, given Galle’s history, they will have a crucial role to play. Spinners have taken 217 wickets at 28.06 in 12 Tests here. Fast-bowlers and medium-pacers have 116 wickets at 40.29.

The only thing better than defeating opponents is crushing them. And the only thing better than that is to do so at their own game

Osman Samiuddin in Lahore24-Jan-2009

The only thing better than defeating opponents is crushing them. And the only thing better than that is to do so at their own game. The themes before Sri Lanka arrived in Pakistan laid themselves out readily. Spin, Pakistan’s batsmen must conquer and likewise pace, the Sri Lankans.The pitches were bouncier and Pakistan picked six fast men in their squad. All talk was on how best to tackle Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan, cricket’s M&M, every bit as tasty a prospect as the candy and every bit as vicious as one of the rapper’s lines. The only cursory glance cast over Sri Lanka’s pace attack was at Chaminda Vaas, for being here.Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara became, by default, the men to wait through before the spinners came on and the real game began. Yet with delicious irony and Tillakaratne Dilshan aside, no one contributed more to this series win than Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling pair. Together they took one less wicket (nine) than Murali and Mendis, but no one will deny they essentially set up both wins and the series. It has happened more often than people think and it may happen more often.Without too many people cottoning on, Sri Lanka have built a depth in their pace reserves matched by only a few, but envied by all. Probably the variety cannot be matched. There was something in the pitch today, as well as something in the lights and the atmosphere; in Kulasekara and Thushara they had the men to wring every little bit out of it. They located whereabouts to bowl early on and went about it with considerable verve. The movement they got suggested at times they were playing on a different pitch to Pakistan’s bowlers.Beyond them, Dilhara Fernando is more than just a magnificent mullet. He is tall and hits the bat very hard and if he is erratic, it still means he has days when he can run through sides. Farveez Maharoof every now and again, on particular surfaces, reminds various people wherever he travels of Glenn McGrath. There is to be relished the soon-to-return freakishness of Lasith Malinga. Dammika Prasad has pace, reverse-swing and spunk. And remember, Vaas has not yet retired. Only Maharoof has been a member of their pace attack in this series.Malinga aside, none of these individuals has perhaps been given the recognition they deserve. And collectively, just the depth of resources has slipped by. It is understandable, and difficult, when you have men such as Murali and Mendis doing things never before seen on a cricket field. But Kulasekara and Thushara are part of what Mahela Jayawardene, the man responsible for deploying this talent, called Sri Lanka’s “unsung heroes.”

“They have been unsung heroes for quite some time because of someone like a Murali, who has taken a bucketful of wickets. Guys like Vaasy have been forgotten, guys who have been doing a lot,” he said. “But our pace attack has been really good for the last two to three years and these guys have been pushing each other.”Sri Lanka bid adieu but return soon enough for two Tests. It is likely Pakistan will still focus on how to handle the spinners but they will overlook the pace attack at their own peril. The names will be different, the threat the same.”There was lot of focus on the two spinners and we were quite happy for them to talk about that because we knew these guys [the fast bowlers], given the right conditions, are very good bowlers and they can create opportunities. They came to the party when required, so Murali and Ajantha have a good group of bowlers around them which is a good thing.”We have completely different guys coming into the Test series, who have been playing consistently. Dammika, Dilhara and all those guys, even Lasith is coming back. He’s played three-four games back home so he will probably be in the squad pretty soon.”As he usually does, Jayawardene’s words were calmly uttered, with a smile. Make no mistake, Pakistan – and indeed the world – should heed them as warning.

When he quietly – he wouldn’t know any other way – walked out to field against Andhra last week, Yere Goud became only the 16th player to have played a 100 Ranji Trophy matches

Sidharth Monga in Delhi01-Dec-2008

Not many noticed, but when Yere Goud quietly – he wouldn’t know any other way – walked out to field against Andhra last week, he became only the 16th player to have played 100 Ranji Trophy matches. It is a proud achievement, and also a damning one: because while you have to be good enough to be selected for your state side, you also have to miss out on the national selection to play so many matches.A glance at the list tells a story. Out of the 16, 10 have never played for India, and two played fewer than 10 Tests. The 10 include the well-known Rajinder Goel, Amol Muzumdar, Amarjeet Kaypee and Kanwaljit Singh, and the less celebrated Tushar Arothe and Ravinder Chadha. Goud falls in the second category.The achievement calls for possibly as much motivation, dedication and sacrifice as playing 100 Tests. Goud has been through all that. If a player is at the top of his game and his team is also doing well, he gets about seven to nine games a season. Then there is form, injury, personal reasons that can stand in his way. Along with Muzumdar, the 14 seasons Goud has taken are the least by anybody to reach 100 matches. But the most difficult part is to stay motivated despite knowing that he may never get to graduate to a higher level.For Goud motivation hasn’t been a problem. He turned 37 the day after completing his 100th match yet he is one of the fittest in the team, one of the first to train, and still works on his game – while batting in nets he has been using a custom-made inner glove, with a half-cut ball inside, that keeps his top hand prominent.Goud the man is the same as Goud the batsman. He is quiet, unassuming and steady. While he is “definitely hurt” that he never played for India, he is not angry. Maybe he never gets angry, and it shows in his batting. He acknowledges that through most of his career the Indian middle order was off-limits, with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly already there. “But after performing so well for two years, I got only one chance,” Goud says. “Perhaps they could have given me two or three opportunities to prove what I was. There were a lot of A tours where they could have given me the chance to establish myself.”The only chance he talks about is a game against England in Jaipur in 2001-02. It hadn’t come easy either, as he mentions. In the season preceding his India A selection, he was the leading scorer in the Ranji Trophy, with 901 runs at 75.08.Goud’s only chance came on a pitch where even England XI could manage only 170. Goud scored 0 and 13. The irony was that Ashok Malhotra, who played seven Tests and 112 Ranji matches, was one of the selectors then.People who know him are more disappointed at his not being given enough opportunities than he himself is. “I’ll tell you very honestly, don’t get me wrong, but after Rahul Dravid he was the steadiest and most solid player of his time,” says Abhay Sharma, former team-mate and now coach. “And I am talking about Indian cricket, not only domestic cricket.”He has got such a unique quality that once he has stayed there for 15-20 minutes, he has that calming effect on you. You know he is in there for a big one.”Goud is neither stylish nor eye-catching, he scores too slowly. But that works for his team, and he puts his team’s interest before his. As against Uttar Pradesh on Monday, with his team struggling to avoid a follow-on and his running out of partners while nearing a century, it was easy to hit out. “I could take some amount of risk to score runs, but the team needed me to play more overs to avoid the follow-on,” he says. He scored 78 not out, and Railways escaped the follow-on by three runs.

“I want to perform well for whichever team I am playing. Whatever the situation. For me playing cricket itself is worth enjoying.” That explains why motivation is not a problem for him.
Even after that snub after the England A game, he had two good seasons, scoring 964 and 635. Then a lean patch followed, and an effort at rediscovering himself, which completed his journey. In the finale of the second of those lean seasons, he scored a century against Punjab to bring back the Ranji Trophy, an innings he considers among his favourites.More difficult times would follow: his daughter was not well and he wanted to stay near Bangalore. So he moved to Karnataka, and Railways supported the move by granting him the no-objection certificate. His second season with Karnataka was ordinary, and it was believed his exit from the side was acrimonious.As fate would have it, his first match back with Railways was against Karnataka. Abhay says: “I just told everybody in team meeting that let us play this match for Yere. ‘Let’s pull our socks while fielding and while chasing the runs also’. He was the star batsman in that match: he batted throughout the innings, and that was a perfect example of how to take the pressure.”Chasing 365, Railways were 110 for 4 when Goud entered. They were 389 when Goud exited – undefeated on 122 off 351 delivers scored over seven-and-a-half hours. On reaching his century he gestured towards the cabins of the administrators at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He clarifies there was no animosity when he left Karnataka. “There was no such thing,” he says. “I just waved towards my friend who was sitting below the cabin.”Back with Railways, he is a peaceful man. He has scored 228 runs at 57, and many of those have come in crucial situations. He is 127 short of reaching 6000 Ranji runs. He has played a crucial part in two Ranji triumphs within four years. But there is one feather missing: the India cap. He has not completely given up yet. “To be honest, I still think of playing for the country. That is the motivation, and I am fit.”It is easy to scoff at a 37-year-old dreaming of a Test debut. It’s foolish as well. Because that motivation keeps such players – the fabric of Indian domestic cricket – going. It’s their wickets, after all, and the challenge that they pose, that is cherished by international bowlers who come back to Ranji.

A few key numbers on the eve of the IPL final between Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Johannesburg

S Rajesh23-May-2009Adam Gilchrist needs 78 runs to go past Matthew Hayden and become this IPL’s highest run-getter•Associated Press1 – The number of batsmen, from either team, who have scored more than 350 runs in the tournament. No one other than Adam Gilchrist has managed this.78 – The number of runs Gilchrist needs to go past Matthew Hayden’s aggregate of 572, and become the highest run-getter of IPL 2009.6 – Number of wins for Bangalore in the nine games when they have chased a target. When they’ve batted first, Bangalore have won three out of six.4 – Number of wins for Deccan in the eight games when they’ve chased. Batting first, they’ve won four out of seven.5 – Bangalore’s current winning streak, which equals the longest such run in this IPL. Chennai had won five in a row earlier in the tournament.527 – The runs scored by Deccan’s openers, at an average of 35.13 and a run rate of 9.11 per over. All three are the highest of all teams.220 – The runs scored by Bangalore’s openers, at an average of 14.67 and a run rate of 5.97, all of which are the lowest for any team.86 – Number of runs Gilchrist has scored in two games against Bangalore, off 63 balls, at an average of 43 and a run rate of 8.19 per over. Bangalore’s highest run-scorer, Kallis, has only scored 20 in two innings against Deccan, though.22.09 – Bangalore’s runs per wicket in the tournament. In their last five matches, though, the average increases to 33.13.6 – Number of wickets Bangalore have lost in the middle overs (6.1 to 14) in their last five matches. They average 48.50 during this period, at a run rate of 7.27. Deccan have lost 11 wickets during this period in their last five games, at an average of 23.90 and a run rate of 6.57.100% – Bangalore’s win percentage in Johannesburg. In all three games, they’ve batted under lights and chased successfully.83.33% – The win percentage for teams batting second in night games in Johannesburg. In six such games, five have been won by the team batting second.27 – Wickets taken by spinners in Johannesburg, at an average of 24.85 and an economy rate of 6.39. Fast bowlers have taken 42 wickets at 30.23, and an economy of 7.83.

With the World Cup in sight, what matters is that Sri Lanka are slowly beginning to find men who are soaking up the pressure and learning to deliver

Sriram Veera at the Shere Bangla National Stadium05-Jan-2010Never mind that Sri Lanka’s win came in a tournament struggling to find a context and a meaning, but in the bigger picture, and with the World Cup near, this victory has a special significance. It got much closer than it should have, especially after Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera appeared to be in complete control, but a sweet aftertaste followed once they overcame the threat of choking.Sri Lanka have, of late, been found wanting in pressure situations, especially against India. They come painfully close to the finish line but catch the yips and fall short. It happened in Rajkot and Cuttack during the ODI series in India recently, and during matches in Sri Lanka as well.But with the World Cup in sight, what matters is that they are slowly beginning to find men who are soaking up the pressure and learning to deliver. Last time they won a close game was in Nagpur, when Angelo Matthews finished the game. Tonight Samaraweera, helped by a blinder from Thissara Perera, pushed them past the line. Just like in Nagpur, the finish was tighter than it should have been.The choke started in the familiar manner with a soft dismissal. When Sangakkara slammed a wide delivery from Harbhajan Singh to cover, things began to look eerily familiar. Thilina Kandamby fell to a fatal slog sweep soon after and the required rate started to climb. The panic had definitely set in as Samaraweera went for some risky shots, dashed for dangerous singles and interestingly, kept delaying the batting Powerplay.The build-up suggested that the Powerplay could be the make-or-break factor in the match. The field restrictions, which gives the team batting first an invitation to plunder runs, can turn into a catalyst for choking in close finishes. The batsmen, seeing the close-in fielders, think singles aren’t possible and often get out with risky hitting over the field. Even tonight, Sri Lanka were nervy at the start of the five-over block requiring 56 from 42 balls to win. Did they take the Powerplay too late? Considering the havoc that it normally unleashes on teams lacking in confidence while chasing, did they take it a touch early?Samaraweera backed away the first ball and was nearly run out attempting a non-existent single, but Ravindra Jadeja missed the stumps. Off the third ball, he again moved outside leg, looking for a big hit, and the ball went off his pad to MS Dhoni. More panic. Randiv charged across for a quick run but slipped while turning back, to be run out.It was now all up to Samaraweera, or so one thought. Fortunately, for him and Sri Lanka, it wasn’t the case. Perera, aged just 20 and two ODIs old, caned the bowlers for some big boundaries to lift the pressure off Samaraweera. India helped their cause with some tripe bowling in the end and Sri Lanka got home with two overs to spare.Sangakkara said, “Thissara’s inexperience and Samaraweera’s experience really worked for us. We knew we had a chance if Thilan kept batting and Perera comes off. He [Perera] has got no fears, which is good to see. Sometimes it can happen that a bowling attack might get confused where to bowl when a new player you have not seen much of comes to bat in these situations.”Sangakkara was delighted with the win, which arrived after some close defeats in India. “We have six guys in the team with less than six games of experience,” he said. “We have to trust the players and give them the opportunities and sometimes they surprise you with the ability. In all senses, it was a really important win.”

Keep an eye on the point of release, the wrist, the position of the seam and more

Aakash Chopra26-Aug-2010The replay comes up in slo-mo for us to get a closer look: Brett Lee runs in and bowls a short-pitched delivery at 150kph. Sachin Tendulkar seems to have all the time in the world to get into the right position – he goes back and across and plays it right under his eyes. The pace at which the TV camera reruns it makes it look a cakewalk, an everyday shot, but the batsman gets only a fraction of a second to judge, decide and execute. What is it that enables the likes of Sachin to tweak their responses and plan their shots?Let me break it down further for you. At the point of release a batsman must ascertain the line and the length of the delivery, must weigh his options with regards to his response (attacking or defensive) and then move quickly to get his body into the right position to execute the option chosen. One of the principles of batting is to be prompt and to be in a position to receive the ball, as against arriving at the same time as the ball, because that is invariably too late. The quicker the bowler, the less time you have in hand to act. If the batsman fails to get his calculations right in time, he is most likely doomed. Unlike against slower bowlers, with whom you may have a second chance.Judging the length and line

If judging the length and line early makes batting relatively more easy and effective, failure to do so puts the batsman at a disadvantage.To judge the length, the batsman must watch the point of release of the delivery. The earlier the release, the fuller the ball, which in effect means that if the bowler delivers the ball at the first point of release, it would result in a beamer. Every subsequent delay in release would mean a reduction in the length, with the bouncer being the last point of release. That’s the reason every batsman is taught to be ready for the full ball first, because that’s the first possibility; if the bowler passes that point of release without delivering, the mind starts sending the body signals to be prepared to go on the back foot.Batsmen around the world are brought up playing bowlers with high-arm actions and hence their minds are attuned to trying to ascertain the length by looking at the point of release. But if you’re up against someone like Lasith Malinga or Shaun Tait, both of whom have slinging, round-arm actions, it’s simply not possible to know the length for sure at the time of the delivery, as there is always a doubt about whether the release was early or delayed. The angle at which the arm comes down leaves a lot to the imagination; unfortunately, though, there isn’t much time to imagine at their pace.Another important aspect that influences the ability to judge length is the position of the batsman’s head in his stance. Ideally the head should be still and the eyes level to be able to judge the length correctly. If the head is tilted upwards, even slightly, all deliveries might seem short-pitched.Next comes the line. Batsmen try to keep a close eye on the bowler’s wrist at the point of delivery and the position of the wrist with regards to the crease. In the case of a fast bowler, the tilt of the wrist may help send the ball in the direction in the direction it is tilted towards. When Ishant Sharma’s wrist tilts towards the on side, you’re more or less sure the ball will swing in to the right hander. This isn’t foolproof, though, especially when the ball is reverse-swinging. Waqar Younis used to keep the wrist completely upright, or even slightly tilted towards the off side, while making the ball dip in to the batsman.Wrist position is a good giveaway when it comes to reading spinners, many of whom cock their wrists to bowl topspinners. Similarly, the back of a legspinner’s hand will usually face the batsman when he tries to bowl a googly. These variations are subtle but if observed and decoded accurately, they can help the batsman.Makhaya Ntini’s wide-of-the-crease action gave away the angle of his stock deliveries, which came in to the right-hander, while Glenn McGrath’s close-to-the-stumps action ensured the ball stayed on a well-defined line around the off stump. An offspinner will usually prefer to come in close to the stumps to bowl the topspinner or floater.While the wrists and the action will give you clues, keeping a still head in the stance, almost in line with the toes, is vital to your ability to judge line correctly as a batsman. The moment the head starts falling over, the lines get blurred – a problem Rohit Sharma is facing at the moment. Since his head is falling over, he’s either chasing balls that should be left alone (in the first ODI against New Zealand) or finding the ball finishing in line with the front pad instead of in line with the downswing of his bat. From there on it’s just a matter of when and not if he misses one.Swing and drift

Batsmen also try to look at the way the bowler has gripped the ball, with regards to the position of his fingers and the orientation of the shiny surface. When bowling a slower one McGrath would hold the ball with his index and middle fingers split wide apart; Lee while doing similar would hold the ball deep in his hand. Zaheer Khan often bowls with his fingers across the seam, which tells you to be ready for a straight delivery because the ball won’t swing unless the seam is upright.

One of the principles of batting is to be prompt and to be in a position to receive the ball, as against arriving at the same time as the ball, because that is invariably too late

The shiny surface, if visible, often gives away the direction in which the ball will move in the air. For instance, an offspinner’s drift can be read by looking at which way the shiny part of the ball faces. If the ball is swinging conventionally, it will drift into the right-hander if the shiny side is outside, and vice versa. Keeping the shine facing the palm not only takes the ball away in the air, it also makes it skid after pitching, as the ball lands on the shiny side. Obviously, looking at the shine doesn’t help much if you’re up against the likes of Muralitharan, or someone who prefers to bowl with a scrambled seam.Leg position
Once the line is deciphered, a batsman will mostly try to keep the front leg outside the line of the ball. For a right-hander the front leg must stay leg side of the ball. If the leg is not in the appropriate position, the bat will never come down straight, and you might end up playing across in front of your pads. Also, keeping the leg outside the line is mandatory to maintain good balance, or else you risk falling over.There is a good chance, though, that these lines will get blurred when the ball’s swinging or spinning too much. Murali and Warne have wreaked havoc because batsmen were never sure of the amount of turn off the surface while facing them. What started out seeming the correct place to plant the front foot often proved incorrect in the end. It’s the same when the ball is reverse-swinging. Haven’t we seen Waqar and Wasim hit people on the toes umpteen times?Things are slightly more manageable on the back foot, because not only does the short ball give a little more time to adjust, it also doesn’t swing as much.The role bounce plays

Tall bowlers with high-arm actions, like McGrath, Ambrose, Kumble and so on, tend to generate more bounce than their round-arm, slingy counterparts like Malinga or Ajit Agarkar. While tall bowlers get consistent high bounce, it also often misleads the batsman into playing on the back foot, even to balls that are meant to be played on the front foot; this results in them getting trapped in front. On the other hand, bowlers like Malinga and Agarkar pose a different kind of threat – you can never trust the bounce with them. Playing horizontal bat shots and ducking – for both of which you need to be able to trust the bounce – are difficult while facing these bowlers. You have to tell yourself to be on the front foot, even if the length and pace are pushing you back, and also to play with a vertical bat as much as possible, to make up for the lack of bounce.Then there’s the rare breed of freakish actions, which take a while to make sense of. Remember Paul Adams and how he took the world by storm initially? He was bowling normal chinamen and wrong’uns but batsmen were hopelessly caught in the flurry of limbs. Such actions are a batsman’s nightmare when you’re up against them for the first time. Your brain will eventually find ways to look for certain nuances to decode the mystery. That’s why it’s important for these bowlers to keep evolving, because once the novelty wears off, they become easy pickings.