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He was out of Test cricket for three years before he became Zimbabwe’s captain. He had a batting average of 10.75 before he made a century

Tristan Holme in Harare31-Oct-2016Graeme Cremer does not tend to attract much attention, but there is a story about Zimbabwe’s captain that provides some insight into his character.He had been rested for a warm-up match against West Indies in Sharjah in March ahead of the World T20 but after Neville Madziva injured a finger while fielding, Cremer had no problem stepping in. He took a good catch on the boundary and then insisted on batting when Zimbabwe collapsed. “That’s Graeme – always wanting to improve his game,” Kenyon Ziehl, who was there as Zimbabwe’s selection convenor, said.Cremer took on a short ball from Dwayne Bravo and fractured his left forearm. The X-rays showed numerous splinters, but “he wanted to put the arm in a cast and get on the plane to India for the World T20”, Ziehl said. “He was even willing to sign an indemnity form. In the end we had to make a call based on his health, because the medical advice was that one of the shards of bone could have got into his nervous system or his blood stream.”Such determination has not been been evident in Zimbabwe’s cricket of late. As a team they often deserve sympathy for the conditions they are expected to operate in, but at the same time there is also the feeling that they are all too happy to fall back on those excuses – at least in their own minds – when things invariably get tough in the middle.

The irony is that while he saves Zimbabwe from humiliation, Cremer often leaves the batsmen that preceded him red in the face

Since taking over as captain in June, Cremer has shown – through actions rather than words – that he is not one to utilise the get-out clause. As a result he has often been the difference between heavy defeat and abject humiliation.Cremer began his first Test as captain – against New Zealand in July – having not played the format in over three years. He could have easily hidden himself but he bowled 53 out of 166.5 overs and contributed 33 runs as well, occupying the crease for three hours and helping Sean Williams drag Zimbabwe up from 17 for 4 in the second innings.In Harare against Sri Lanka, Cremer had bowled 42 overs, most of them during the toughest phases of the innings, for four hard-earned wickets. Then, when Zimbabwe were 139 for 6, trailing by 398 runs with only four wickets in hand, Cremer responded with an innings few thought possible of a batsman averaging 10.75 in Test cricket.It began innocently enough, with him holding an end up as Peter Moor counterattacked, hitting two clean sixes down the ground. “I think we bat quite well together because he plays some big shots and keeps the scoreboard ticking, and I know that I can block out a maiden if I need to and just get off strike,” Cremer said.The irony is that while he saves Zimbabwe from humiliation, Cremer often leaves the batsmen that preceded him red in the face. There’s nothing flash about a player who often batted last in his school teams – he has an elegant forward push that brought seven of his 10 fours through cover, but otherwise he remains compact, picks up the length well and, crucially, doesn’t do anything stupid.Graeme Cremer and wicketkeeper Peter Moor were a good combination while batting too•Associated PressBy the evening, Moor had fallen for 79 but Cremer was still there, pinching singles with the tail to get a maiden Test century, before celebrating in a manner that suggested he was also pinching himself. “It’s very special – I hadn’t got fifty before in Test cricket and I don’t even have a five-for yet,” he said. “When I got to 75, I started thinking, ‘There’s a chance here.’ Then I thought I might run out of partners. It was an awesome feeling to get that one run to get to a hundred.”Cremer’s influence appears to be rubbing off on some of the newer members of his side, notably Moor and seamer Donald Tiripano. Moor’s attitude has been evident since the ODI series against India in June. When a journalist commiserated with him over a marginal lbw decision, he brushed the comment off and instead took responsibility for his actions. “I should have hit it,” he said.That no-excuses approach has been drilled into Zimbabwe since Heath Streak, who also scored his Test century as a No. 8 and captain, was appointed as head coach.”We spoke about that as soon as Streaky came in,” said Cremer. “We can carry on whining about things that happen to us and we just keep going backwards, or we try and turn it around and be a lot more positive as a unit, and show what we can do out there. Whatever happens then is out of our control. There’s a good positive attitude in the changing room and it’s good to see for a change.”The Zimbabwe side that Streak was a part of was widely respected not because they won very match, but for an attitude that helped them punch above their weight. When Hamilton Masakadza was axed as captain earlier this year, with Zimbabwe at a particularly low ebb, one wondered what kind of leader might serve them best, especially given few available options. By embodying the sort of grit that has so often been lacking, Cremer has answered the question in his own quiet style – and notched an unlikely Test hundred while he was at it.

South Africa’s captain was bound to be the centre of attention but Faf du Plessis ignored the boos to score another fighting Adelaide century

Firdose Moonda at Adelaide Oval24-Nov-20160:39

Moonda: Du Plessis walked out to bat to the sound of boos

Never mind that it was South Africa’s first day-night Test or among Adelaide’s most social events. Never mind that the Australians were facing their first whitewash at home. Never mind that they hoped to avoid that by making five changes including three debutants, a colour-blind wicketkeeper who last played Test cricket three years ago and a third seamer playing his sixth Test in four years. This was always going to be about Faf du Plessis.Convicted chewer of mints and user of fresh-smelling saliva to shine the ball. Charming stand-in captain who continues to claim innocence. Centurion at this venue four years ago who ground down Australian morale and changed the momentum of the series. November 24, 2012 was the date he made 78 on debut; November 24, 2016 was the date he made a century on the road to redemption. If South Australia was looking for a new public holiday, they may be interested in a du Plessis’ day.That is not as far-fetched as it seems. At the end of the first day of this Test, Adelaide loved him as much as he loves it.The cheers outweighed the boos when du Plessis ran to the Riverbank Stand in celebration of his second century at this venue. With the setting sun, the soft light creating a halo of the clouds, the scene should have been romantic, but du Plessis assaulted the cool evening air with a volley of punches. Most of them would have been instinctive acts of achievement; some of them were aimed at the armchair executioners, who labelled him a cheat and wrote him off as an opportunist after the Hobart Test and the ball-tampering bluster.Several of them were in attendance when du Plessis walked out to bat, with South Africa stumbling on 44 for 3. He was greeted with a chorus of condemnation that followed him to the crease, where a much bigger job than clowning around with the crowd awaited.Stephen Cook, South Africa’s most unsure batsman on this tour, had faced 51 balls, most of them uncertainly. He was lucky to be there at all after being reprieved by a no-ball and was fighting his own battle. Someone else needed to fight South Africa’s. The same someone who has fought it throughout the series. The skipper.Australia were more up for it than they had been since the opening day in Perth, even with different personnel. Jackson Bird found the right length for the first time when he drew an edge from du Plessis but it fell short of the cordon. Mitchell Starc exploited the bounce and got du Plessis to fend one into his ribs but the only damage that was done was to his eardrums when he was booed (again) after retrieving the ball and handing it back to the bowler.When du Plessis did that against Australia before, at home during the 2014 Test encounter, they took such exception that he said they were as territorial as “a pack of dogs”. This time the opposition didn’t say anything but their supporters did. They hounded du Plessis with hostility without realising they were helping him along.Faf du Plessis emraces Kagiso Rabada after reaching hundred•Getty ImagesHis flick and drive came out early and he had scored 20 runs from his first 19 deliveries, unusually quick for a batsman who is known to take his time. He slowed against the spin, especially after Nathan Lyon beat the inside edge with one that ripped back in.The early turn would not have worried du Plessis as much as it would have encouraged him, knowing Tabraiz Shamsi was on hand to make use of it later. His declaration with 12 overs remaining in the day was nothing if not sporting but it would not have been possible if he hadn’t scored the runs that allowed him to end the innings early.Du Plessis was the only South African who had some measure of the movement – and there was plenty with the pink ball – and the only one who really had something to prove, besides Cook. In hindsight Cook’s 40 was worth a lot more than it seemed when he offered a catch to Steven Smith at second slip and succumbed to Starc. Cook’s was a demonstration of determination; du Plessis’ was one of defiance.By the time he got to fifty, he’d had his fair share of fortune. Three edges had fallen short and he saw a drive burst through Bird’s hand as the bowler followed through. He was booed and cheered in equal measure and raised his bat without much fanfare. At 130 for 5, South Africa were still in some trouble and they were down to their last recognised pair. Nineteen runs later, Australia were into the tail but now du Plessis stepped up.He started playing the ball later and trusting his timing more. He cut with confidence and forced Australia to bowl full, eventually to overpitch, then he treated the Adelaide audience to the best drives they saw all day. Both were off Josh Hazlewood, both on the front foot, both through the off side and together they took him a shot away from a second century at this venue. He needed more, though, and lost Kyle Abbott in the process, but paddle-swept and sprinted a brace with Kagiso Rabada to earn vindication. Amid the boos, the appreciative applause filtered through.It was not the same kind that du Plessis got four years ago, when he topped up on the first-innings 78 with a fighting 110 not out to draw the game. Then, Australians were in awe. This time, his effort was far feistier and the locals were entertained and annoyed all at the same time. More so when du Plessis took the attack to them after the milestone, with a plan to try and unsettle Australia by putting them in at the end of the day.That move may turn out to be prematurely arrogant but, as things stand, it spoke of du Plessis’ chutzpah as a captain. It is a job he may be doing for the last time in Tests, with the return of AB de Villiers’ imminent. That also meant, as much as du Plessis was playing to make a point, he was also playing for his place.A South Africa middle-order of de Villiers, du Plessis and JP Duminy reads like a dream but there is only really space for two of them. Du Plessis and Duminy know as much from last season when they took turns being dropped. They have both scored runs in de Villiers’ absence – Duminy 88 against New Zealand, du Plessis 112 not out, Duminy 141 against Australia, du Plessis 118 not out – and they are both making telling contributions as seniors. At some point someone will have to make a choice between them but for the rest of this series, never mind all that.

From a left-arm metronome to a spinner who varies his style as per the situation, the changes that Ravindra Jadeja has brought to his bowling have been subtle but very effective

Karthik Krishnaswamy10-Mar-20172:00

The rise of Ravindra Jadeja

St Lucia, August 9, 2016. India made a raft of changes to their XI, and most of the debate that ensued had to do with the shuffling they did at the top of the order. Less remarked upon, but of potentially longer-term impact, was the inclusion of Ravindra Jadeja in place of Amit Mishra.Mishra had been preferred to Jadeja as R Ashwin’s spin partner in the first two Tests of India’s tour of the West Indies – the team management perhaps viewing his classic legspin as more of a threat in overseas conditions than Jadeja’s fast and accurate left-arm spin. Mishra began the series fairly well, but a below-par display on the final day at Sabina Park, where West Indies batted out a draw, caused India to look to Jadeja instead.Jadeja had missed India’s last 11 away Tests, and had last played one in August 2014, at Old Trafford. St Lucia was something of an audition for him.Ravindra Jadeja’s change in bowling styles has seen him rise to the top of the ICC Test rankings alongside his spin partner R Ashwin•Associated PressAs things turned out, he played an excellent support role in a Test match dominated by India’s fast bowlers, finishing with figures of 24-9-27-1 and 5.3-1-20-2. His control was exemplary – so far, so Ravindra Jadeja – but unsurprising there were little moments in his spells that weren’t exactly out of his tried-and-tested playbook.Against the right-handers, for instance, he would fire a sequence of flat deliveries at the stumps, and then dangle one up a little higher and wider, inviting the drive away from the body. Two of his three wickets in the match came off that flighted tempter – Roston Chase caught at slip in the first innings, Jermaine Blackwood stumped in the second.This was an unusual tactic for Jadeja, and at that point felt like a one-off experiment – this West Indies team, after all, was full of batsmen with hard hands, prone to pushing at the ball away from the body. Jadeja, though, has continued to bowl this way even in home conditions. His fundamentals remain unchanged, but he has expanded the canvas of his bowling to include subtle variations in pace and angle.

There is one set of numbers that bears out this change. ESPNcricinfo’s scorers record a wide range of data for every ball played, including which part of the ground the ball went towards. In every series Jadeja played until the end of 2015 (leaving out balls recorded as going into a “not specified” zone – usually balls left alone or dead-batted or played straight back towards the bowler), right-hand batsmen invariably ended up with a roughly 60-40 split between shots going into the off side and shots going into the leg side. This was in keeping with Jadeja being someone who attacked the stumps and turned the ball away from the right-hander, though not to a great degree.Since the start of 2016, however, right-hand batsmen have been playing Jadeja differently. Now the split is closer to 67-33, a significant drop in the ratio of balls played into the leg side. It’s more in line with how they would play a classic left-arm spinner.

Jadeja’s wicket-taking methods have changed too. He’s getting far fewer batsmen out bowled, a greater percentage out lbw, and more batsmen out caught. Analysing his dismissals of right-hand batsmen, in particular, reveals the extent of his evolution.Until the end of 2015, he dismissed 49 right-hand batsmen, of whom 25 (51.02%) were bowled or lbw and 11 (22.45%) caught by the keeper, slip or gully. Since the start of 2016, he has dismissed 36 right-hand batsmen, of whom 16 (44.44%) have been out bowled or lbw, and 11 (30.56%) caught by the keeper, slip or gully.Where he had five right-hand batsmen (10.2%) caught at short leg, midwicket or mid-on in the first half of his career, he has only had two (5.55%) caught at these positions in the second half. Where he didn’t get a single right-hand batsman caught at silly point, cover or mid-off until the end of 2015, he has dismissed four of them in these positions since.The change in bowling style hasn’t dulled his effectiveness in any way. He took 68 wickets at an average of 23.76 and a strike rate of 62.70 in the first half of his career. In the second half he has taken 61 wickets at 23.09 and 61.0. His economy rate, across avatars, has remained exactly the same: 2.27.Perhaps Jadeja’s inability to run through Australia in Pune – where conditions were tailor-made for his 2012-2015 version – was down to his becoming a more classic left-arm spinner. He found it difficult to operate away from a traditional good length, and often ended up turning the ball far too much and, as a consequence, missing the outside edge.India coach Anil Kumble has probably had an influence on Jadeja’s bowling style•AFPAt the same time, though, Jadeja now looks more threatening on flat pitches than he used to, his changes of pace and trajectory keeping batsmen vigilant at all times where his earlier, metronomic style could occasionally bowl them into a rhythm.Now, if he sees a batsman negotiating him largely off the back foot, he’ll aim a round-arm dart at his pads. Or if a batsman is defending him off the front foot with his pad next to the line of the ball, wary of the threat of lbw, he’ll toss one up slower and wider. Sometimes, this may bring immediate results – think Jonny Bairstow scooping a catch to short cover in the first innings in Chennai. At other times, a batsman may simply slice the ball to backward point, off the outside half of his bat, then start bringing his front leg further across in defence, leading to an lbw further down the line.The changes in Jadeja’s bowling have been subtle and can be easy to miss. He has kept quiet about them – or hasn’t been asked about them – unlike Ashwin, who talks often, and in depth, about his bowling. Perhaps Jadeja is happy to pass under the radar and let the world continue to think of him as an uncomplicated stump-to-stump metronome. That won’t last too long though, given he now sits right next to Ashwin on top of the ICC’s Test bowling rankings.One question remains: what triggered the shift in Jadeja’s bowling? What changed between his 16th Test against South Africa in Delhi and his 17th in St Lucia eight months later? One thing did change: India hired a new coach, and that man, Anil Kumble, had a career of two distinct halves. In the first half, he was a fast, non-turning legspinner who speared the ball into the stumps and let the pitch do the rest. In the second, he began flighting the ball more, varied his pace more frequently, and tasted far more success overseas. Jadeja could well be taking the first few steps of a similar journey.

For much of the last seven years, Bangladesh were ranked No. 9 in ODIs. But series wins over Pakistan, India and South Africa in 2015 have led to a transformation

Mohammad Isam26-May-2017Even when qualification for the Champions Trophy was based on the ICC’s ODI rankings, it mattered very little because teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe didn’t threaten the traditional top eight. But last year when Bangladesh confirmed Champions Trophy qualification, rankings gained extra significance.They became the biggest mover in the ICC ODI rankings after they reached the No 6 spot for the first time earlier this week. But for much of the last seven years, Bangladesh had been rooted to the No 9 position, hovering above Zimbabwe and Ireland.It was in February 2011 when they first jumped up to No 8, shortly after beating Zimbabwe 3-1 and New Zealand 4-0 at home. The move came after West Indies had lost to Sri Lanka 2-0, giving Bangladesh the short-lived promotion that ended in March that year.The progress, especially during the New Zealand whitewash, was surprising because they had lost 17 out of 19 games leading into this home series. In fact, they had arrived home amid criticism after losing to Ireland and the Netherlands.Tamim Iqbal had been ruled out of the New Zealand ODIs through injury while Mashrafe Mortaza got injured after just one over in the first game. Shakib Al Hasan led the way, averaging 71 in four innings to go with 11 wickets. It was the first glimpse of how Shakib could lift himself in a tough situation and produce a memorable performance. It was gut-wrenching for New Zealand. Daniel Vettori later admitted that the margin of defeat put pressure on his captaincy.Bangladesh’s consistent series wins at home propelled them up the ICC ODI rankings•ESPNcricinfo LtdAfter two years of mostly one-off wins, Bangladesh reached the No 8 position again in January 2013, weeks after they beat West Indies 3-2 in the 2012 home series. They had taken a rapid 2-0 lead in Khulna before West Indies fired back to level 2-2 in Dhaka. In the deciding game, Mahmudullah and Nasir Hossain guided Bangladesh through quick wickets and a nervous finish.The West Indies series win came in the same year in which Bangladesh beat India and Sri Lanka to reach the Asia Cup final. But the move to No 8 lasted just 12 days. After New Zealand beat South Africa 2-1, they were back to No. 9.Bangladesh made it to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in 2015•ICCBangladesh had more success in 2013 when they drew the ODI series in Sri Lanka 1-1 and beat New Zealand 3-0 at home later that year. But 2014 was disastrous as they lost 12 out of 13 matches, with other one being rained out. Beating Zimbabwe 5-0 in November-December that year helped them regain some confidence before they went into training camps for the 2015 World Cup.They reached the knockout stage of the event for the first time, having defeated Afghanistan, Scotland and England in the group stages. For the period immediately after their World Cup exit, Mashrafe was wary of how players could become complacent for the Pakistan series that followed.Bangladesh crushed them 3-0 to mark their maiden series win over Pakistan that helped them jump to No. 8. for the third time. Tamim, Mushfiqur Rahim and Soumya Sarkar struck centuries as a new-look Pakistan under Azhar Ali surrendered.In June, Bangladesh unleashed the mystifying left-arm bowler Mustafizur Rahman on India, as the rookie finished with 11 wickets in the first two matches, both of which Bangladesh won comfortably. Bangladesh moved to No 7 soon after completing their maiden ODI series win over India.These two major series wins meant that Bangladesh comfortably qualified to the 2017 Champions Trophy. After they also beat South Africa 2-1 in July their rating points received a further fillip.It took them 21 months to take the next step up, this time with an ODI win over New Zealand in the Walton tri-series. The ICC had outlined before the tournament how Bangladesh would reach the No 6 spot – beating New Zealand once – and on May 24, they replaced Sri Lanka with whom they drew another ODI series in March this year.

On a first-day pitch, Kuldeep Yadav outfoxed three Australian top-order batsmen with guile and his natural attributes

Aakash Chopra25-Mar-20171:36

Chappell: Kuldeep’s perfect ball was wicket of Handscomb

There are legspinners and there are left-arm wristspinners. While both ply the same craft, albeit with a different arm, they are treated and viewed differently. Familiarity is a highly underrated virtue and a decent left-arm wristspinner spinning a web around batsmen highlights that. The same variations bowled by a legspinner don’t seem to have the same mystery as compared to a left-arm wristspinner. Kuldeep Yadav, the first left-arm wristspinner to play for India in Tests, used his variations to great effect on the first day.At the outset, there are two things that work in his favour – his short stature, which allows him natural dip. Taller bowlers find it difficult to create the parabola loop and therefore, have to work really hard to get the ball to dip on the batsman. Some of Kuldeep’s deliveries land a touch shorter than where the batsman expects them to fall. The other key difference is his unique angle from over the stumps. He forces right-handed batsmen to open their stance – to take care of the blind spot outside the leg stump – and that in turn is testing the batsman’s footwork more. Now, they have to plant the foot a little straighter and play inside the line for deliveries pitching within the stumps, and yet be mindful that they don’t go too straight as some might hold the line and go across with the angle. Also, there’s a demand to have a bigger front-foot stride going across to the ones that pitch a little wider outside off.David WarnerWhile facing Kuldeep, batsmen often misread full balls for short ones, like David Warner. Since the trajectory is quite low, you mistake normal falls for faster and shorter deliveries. He went back to a ball that was too full and too close to cut. My coach Tarak Sinha would tell us to avoid playing an attacking shot when an error – misreading the line or length – is committed. That would add to the first mistake, and batting doesn’t let two errors go unpunished. Kuldeep’s biggest strength on the first day was the cluster he created, which highlighted that he bowled a lot fuller than any other spinner in the series. Bowling it full forced the batsmen to play offensive shots, thereby creating possibilities of committing errors. Also, his length took the flat nature of the pitch out of equation, for he was no longer reliant on a positive response from the pitch to create doubts. Kuldeep has two different legbreak deliveries; the one that dismissed Warner was bowled with the seam going across the pitch.Kuldeep Yadav’s pitch map in the first innings•ESPNcricinfo LtdPeter HandscombThe other variety of Kuldeep’s legspin dismissed Handscomb: this one was bowled with a scrambled seam which caused the ball to spin sharply after pitching. The sequence of deliveries that led to Handscomb’s wicket highlighted Kuldeep’s guile in weaving a trap. He bowled a flatter googly that stayed low. Handscomb went back and missed it by a fair distance. Kuldeep flighted a few deliveries to which Handscomb responded by stepping out and reaching the pitch of the ball, which he successfully managed a few times. Then Kuldeep bowled one wide of the off stump, luring Handscomb into playing an expansive drive. This time the foot was nowhere close to the ball – due to the angle created by bowling over the stumps – and the ball sneaked through. A tactic for Kuldeep could be to start leaving the cover area vacant to invite more such shots.Kuldeep Yadav was the slowest of the Indian spinners•ESPNcricinfo LtdGlenn MaxwellExcept Steven Smith and Matthew Wade, most Australian batsmen failed to read the spin from Kuldeep’s hand. Therefore, they were trying to read it off the pitch, which led to playing more off the back foot, even to deliveries that should’ve been played off the front foot. Maxwell has a tendency to stand on the leg stump and staying besides the ball. This allows him to create extra room, which is an asset in limited-overs cricket, but that works against him in Tests. The ball that dismissed him was bowled from the back of the hand and since Maxwell didn’t have a second line of defense, it crashed into the stumps. It was quite obvious that he didn’t read the spin from the hand and hence ended up playing down the wrong line.Kuldeep’s first bowling performance in Tests was quite impressive, for picking wickets on a first-day pitch is always tough for a spinner. Since his optimum speed is a little slower than both Ashwin and Jadeja, it’ll be interesting to see if and how the slowness of the pitch impacts his bowling in the second innings of this Test.

Jhulan Goswami on being the highest wicket-taker in ODIs, and the young Indian bowlers she is mentoring

Peter Della Penna15-Jun-20172:19

‘Never thought I’d beat Fitzpatrick’s record’

You recently broke the career ODI wickets record that had been held by Australia’s Cathryn Fitzpatrick. Among all of your other career achievements, what does this particular record mean to you?
Until today I never thought about becoming the highest wicket-taker. I just enjoy every moment and try to contribute for my team. It’s a nice feeling becoming the highest wicket-taker, because when I started, Fitzy was one of the finest medium-pacers I have seen in women’s cricket. She was an extraordinary bowler and I learned to watch her bowling skills, the way she prepared, leading from the front.Were you aware that you were nearing the record? And what was the reaction from the team as you got close and when you passed her?
We knew that I was a few wickets behind Fitzy, but my preparation was to contribute for my team. When I crossed the landmark, one of my team-mates came and told me, “Finally you have broken Fitzy’s highest wicket-taker thing, so now you’re the highest wicket-taker. Yes, you’ve done it!” We enjoyed and celebrated in our way, and it was one more occasion that we enjoyed as a team.This will be your fourth World Cup. You were part of the squad in 2005 that made the final and lost to Australia. That’s the closest you’ve come. How has this preparation compared to the previous three World Cups you’ve been a part of?
This is a new World Cup, new season. You’ve been in the finals, been a semi-finalist and been a No. 7. The last three World Cups – there were a lot of ups and downs we saw. So this time we’ll go one by one. It’s a long way because we’re going to play round-robin matches. Whatever we have done in the past, we’ll learn from that and try to implement it this time.”It’s a nice feeling becoming the highest wicket-taker, because Fitzy was one of the finest medium-pacers I have seen in women’s cricket”•Getty ImagesWhat kind of impact has the opportunity to play more games through the ICC Women’s Championship had on getting younger players exposure prior to the World Cup?
One good thing about this team is, the last few years we have played a lot of bilateral series in the ICC Women’s Championship. Because of the matches, they have the experience of international cricket and they know how to handle pressure now. Previously, sometimes a few new girls would come straightaway into a World Cup side and were not able to handle the pressure.What’s it like trying to mentor some of the younger bowlers? Are there any you’ve taken under your wing who you think can pick up the mantle and lead the bowling attack after you leave?
Whatever I have learned in the last 15 years, I try to share those experiences with them. They are also very keen to learn something from me. It’s fun playing with them. Sometimes it’s a bit challenging. You need to have a lot of patience because overnight everything can’t change, but it’s fun.Shikha Pandey is very exciting. She is doing consistently well for the team. She has a very good work ethic. She’s keen to learn new things. Mansi Joshi has just come into the international circuit. If you give her some time, she’ll be a good bowler for the future. You need to give them time and a lot of confidence so they can deliver for you and play freely for the team.What’s the No. 1 thing you hope to get out of this World Cup experience?
As a team if you do well, then definitely the ultimate goal is winning the World Cup. But for that you have to work hard. It’s not coming easily. All the teams are very good and very balanced. You have to fight each team.

ESPNcricinfo looks at how the usual suspects stack up ahead of the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy quarter-finals

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-20171:44

The Ranji Trophy 2017-18 Story

Karnataka

League Phase: WDDWWWKnockout history
Karnataka have been among the most frequent visitors of the knockouts in the past decade. This will be their tenth appearance in the last 11 editions. They hit their peak in 2013-14, when they won the title, and successfully defended it the following year. After an aberration in 2015-16, they were back in the quarterfinals last year, but were routed inside two days by Tamil Nadu in Visakhapatnam.Season so far
Karnataka’s season has been underpinned by the manner in which they have shed their dependence on their biggest stars. With the likes of KL Rahul – who won’t be available for the quarter-finals – and Manish Pandey making isolated appearances at best, their less heralded performers courageously took the mantle. Mayank Agarwal buried opponents under a mountain of runs. R Samarth seized his moment to become one of their lynchpins. Abhimanyu Mithun left opposition batsmen on shaky ground with his scorching pace. K Gowtham’s evolution as an offspinner took him to the top of their wicket charts. And Shreyas Gopal proved his utility with his loopy legspin and solid lower-order runs.The men they need to thank
Agarwal ascended unprecedented run-scoring heights, amassing over 1000 first-class runs in a single month. After opening his season with 31 against Assam and a pair against Hyderabad, Agarwal hit back with 304*, 176, 23, 90, 133*, 173 and 134. Together with Samarth, he has formed the most prolific opening pair this season.
Mithun’s renewed intensity has been unmissable. He has had his issues with fitness in the past, but Karnataka have found a workaround by judiciously using him in short bursts. Successive five-fors on flat surfaces against Maharashtra and Delhi showed that he wasn’t a spent force yet. Along with his tall and muscular frame, sharp bounce and lively pace have made him a fearsome prospect.Karnataka have revelled in Pandey’s experience and quick runs. With 454 runs at 151.33, he has made every chance count. In four innings, Pandey has struck two centuries, including a double century, and a 74. As a result, he has shot up to third on Karnataka’s run charts despite having played half the number of innings as that of the next-best Karun Nair.Areas of concern
Karnataka’s fielding has been lackluster at times. It was especially true in their second match in Shimoga. Though they picked up an outright win against Hyderabad, they dropped a few catches, with Vinay Kumar later citing difficulty in sighting the ball. They have subsequently brushed up and even managed some moments of absolute brilliance, but it has been a mixed bag.Coach and captain speak
“We’re settled in all departments now. Against an opponent like Mumbai, the best will come out of our boys. Mumbai have had their ups and downs and we need to capitalise on that. You have to plan for everybody against a side like Mumbai. We will not get overawed or overconfident.”

“It’s very important to dominate the first session, but it’s not a one-innings game. Five days is a lot of time for anybody to come back and we need to be very careful. It’s all about being fresh and focused. It’s my responsibility to make sure the team remains in the present. On the bowling front, we need to cut down those boundary balls.”

Squad: R Vinay Kumar (capt), Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, R Samarth, D Nischal, Stuart Binny, CM Gautam (wk), Shreyas Gopal, K Gowtham, Abhimanyu Mithun, S Aravind, Pavan Deshpande, J Suchith, M Kaunain Abbas, Sharath Srinivasan, Ronit More

ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mumbai

League Phase: WDDWDD (most recent first)Knockout history:
Since 2005, Mumbai, the 41-time champions, have been in the quarter-finals every season, barring 2007-08. They have converted five of those appearances into championship wins, the last of which was the vanquishing of Saurashtra in little over two days in February 2016.Season so far
It’s been a huff-and-puff journey, to put it mildly. After four matches, five teams from the group were in the race. Andhra and Madhya Pradesh were frontrunners. Mumbai had just one outright win and were in the middle of the table, with Tamil Nadu trailing. Baroda were further down, but couldn’t be ruled out. Up against the table toppers Andhra in an away game, Mumbai pocketed a crucial first-innings lead to remain in contention. They couldn’t have asked for an easier game in the final round: a home match against Tripura, a side that had returned winless in five outings. Mumbai had a simple equation: win and stay in contention. They did more than that, pocketing a bonus point with a ten-wicket win, to sneak in. For the quarter-final, they will be without their batting mainstay Shreyas Iyer, who will be away on India duty. Can a new hero emerge?The men they need to thank
Siddhesh Lad has been a crisis man, delivering consistently for the side. His numbers – 613 runs in ten innings with two hundreds and three half-centuries – become even more impressive because a majority have come batting with the lower order. His unbeaten 71 in the second innings against Baroda helped stave off an innings defeat, after the top order had caved in. He occupied the crease for over five hours and faced 238 balls, and Mumbai had three wickets standing when stumps were drawn. Then, against Andhra, he arrested a top-order slide with a knock of 86 that shored up Mumbai’s total to 332, big enough for a first-innings lead. He topped it off with a century in the must-win game against Tripura.Areas of concern
With pace spearhead Shardul Thakur ruled out due to a shoulder injury, the bowling is thin on experience. Mumbai will also be without one man who has been at the center of several recent triumphs – Abhishek Nayar, who was dropped because of poor form. At the best of times, Nayar has stood up to score vital lower-order runs or eke out crucial wickets. Now, Dhawal Kulkarni will lead a young pace attack consisting of Akash Parkar, Shivam Dubey and Sagar Trivedi; Dubey and Trivedi are yet to make their first-class debuts. Vijay Gohil is the lone specialist spinner. Fair to say the batsmen will have to do the running.Captain speak
“There was a time when we struggled to find openers. We kept trying out five or six pairs after Wasim Jaffer moved out. That was the only puzzle in the jigsaw we were yet to find. Now, we’re in a position where our first-choice and most-experienced opener Akhil Herwadkar is struggling to come back in because Prithvi Shaw and Jay Bista have established themselves.”
Squad: Aditya Tare (Captain), Surya Kumar Yadav (Vice Captain), Dhawal Kulkarni, Siddhesh Lad, Jay Bista, Prithvi Shaw, Akhil Herwadkar, Sufiyan Shaikh, Akash Parkar, Karsh Kothari, Sagar Trivedi, Vijay Gohil, Shivam Malhotra, Shivam Dube and Shubham Ranjane.

Ashok Dinda celebrates with the match ball•PTI

Bengal

League phase: DWLDWD (completed matches, most recent first)
Knockout history
Since 2005, Bengal have progressed to the knockouts five times – in 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2013-14, and 2015-16. They made the finals in 2005-06 and in the following season, but came up short on both occasions.Season so far
Bengal had a chaotic build-up, with the state association initially unwilling to release Pragyan Ojha to play for his home state Hyderabad. After weeks of confusion, the Cricket Association of Bengal ultimately let him go on eve of the season opener. Manoj Tiwary’s men, however, have brushed that off, and scrapped their way to the final eight with two wins in six matches.The new-ball pair of Ashok Dinda and Mohammed Shami and opening batsmen Abhishek Raman and Abhimanyu Easwaran have led the resurgence. Raman, who had played only two first-class games before this season, has rewarded the management’s faith with 549 runs in 10 innings. They’ve also benefited from Wriddhiman Saha’s presence in the first half of the season. Nineteen-year-old medium-pacer Ishan Porel – who was picked in India’s Under-19 World Cup squad – has impressed in the two matches he’s played. His form bodes well, given they won’t have Shami’s services for the remainder of the season because of national duty.The men they need to thank
Dinda and Shami account for 48 of the 98 wickets Bengal bowlers have picked up. The two quicks produced visual moment of the season when they had nine slips in place in the dying moments of Bengal’s bonus-point victory over Chhattisgarh in Raipur. After Shami joined the India squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka, Dinda took up the extra load and prodded the side into the knockouts with a five-wicket haul against Goa.The area(s) of concern
Ojha’s departure has punched holes in the spin attack. Aamir Gani, the offspinner, has managed only 12 wickets at 41.50 while medium-pacers B Amit and Koushik Ghosh haven’t done enough to ease the pressure off Dinda. Porel’s availability for the quarter-final, after which he’ll be joining the Under-19 camp, is significant because of this.Captain speak“I always believed we will qualify for the knockouts. While I cannot disagree to the fact that there have been slip-ups from our end, I feel that we will have to give emphasis on our fielding and develop for the knockouts. In addition to that, I feel that the bowlers who are bowling alongside Dinda need to do better as we cannot afford mistakes in the knockouts. The team will definitely look into this.”

Squad: Manoj Tiwary (capt), Sudip Chatterjee, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shreevats Goswami (wk), Anustup Majumdar, Abhishek Raman, Amir Gani, Pradipta Pramanik, Ashok Dinda, Ishan Porel, Mukesh Kumar, Kanishk Seth, B Amit, Ritwik Chowdhury, Saurabh Singh, Writtick Chatterjee

Gujarat

League phase: WWDWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Knockout history
Since 2005, Gujarat have made the knockouts thrice – in 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2016-17. They wrested their maiden Ranji Trophy title last season on the back of a sublime 143 from captain Parthiv Patel.Season so far
Gujarat amassed 34 points – the most by any team in the league phase this season – with five wins and draw. In the absence of premier bowlers Jasprit Bumrah – who hasn’t featured since their semi-final win last year mainly because of a packed international calendar – Axar Patel and Rush Kalaria, who is nursing a shoulder injury, Gujarat’s rejigged attack has stepped up, taking 20 wickets in five of their six games.The spinners – veteran legspinner Piyush Chawla has benefitted from bowling on red-soil tracks with bounce, and 17-year-old left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai – have led the way. They’ve been complemented well by medium-pacers Chintan Gaja, who claimed a career-best 8 for 40 against Rajasthan, and debutant Kamlesh Thakor, who helped them secure a bonus-point win over Jharkhand to seal a knockouts berth.The men they need to thank
No Axar, no problem. Desai has grabbed 28 wickets and two Man-of-the-match awards in four matches while Chawla has three wickets more than Desai at an average of 17.51. Having started shakily, last season’s top-scorer Priyank Panchal has peaked heading into the quarter-finals: he has hit 538 runs in nine innings at 67.25The area of concern
It might not be a major worry but Parthiv has 313 runs in eight innings – of which 173 came against Rajasthan. He had five double-digit scores but failed to convert the starts. There’s no better time than now to hit big runs and carry the confidence to South Africa, where he’ll be India’s second wicketkeeper on tour.Coach speak
“We are [the] defending champions but there is no pressure on us. In 2014-15 we won the T20 tournament, in 2015-16 we won the Vijay Hazare Trophy, last season we won the Ranji Trophy. The boys have realised their full potential. Parthiv has led them brilliantly. We did not have Axar this year, but there was this young boy Desai with a lovely high-arm action – he has nearly 30 wickets and that is something great. Even in batting we have everybody scoring. We are not dependent on one individual and confident in the knockouts.”
Squad: Parthiv Patel (capt & wk), Rujul Bhatt, Samit Gohel, Manprit Juneja, Chirag Gandhi, Dhruv Raval, Mehul Patel, Priyank Panchal, Piyush Chawla, Hardik Patel, Bhargav Merai, Ishwar Chaudhary, Chintan Gaja, Kamlesh Thakor, Siddharth Desai

Pat Cummins talks about becoming a fixture in the Australian side, and his part in the review of the team’s culture.

Daniel Brettig20-Jul-20183:09

Pat Cummins talks about the 1990s, the cricket record he’d like to own, and his all-time favourite cricketer

Having spent five years in and out of the team, then 12 months playing pretty much everything, was it weird being back on the couch [for the England ODI tour]?
Last summer there was one ODI I was rested from, and I remember thinking, “This is weird, I haven’t watched an Australian cricket game with me not playing in it for nearly 18 months”, so it is a little bit weird being at home and watching it. I normally just turn straight into cricket-fan mode rather than player mode. It was a tough tour in England, the ODIs, but good to see some pretty good performances from a couple of the guys.How have you reflected on the past 15 months or so and the sheer volume of cricket you played – second only to Kagiso Rabada among pace bowlers since the start of 2017?
It’s pretty crazy. I think I played 13 straight Test matches, just about all the ODIs bar one or two, and a few Shield games, some IPL, some other cricket. It was pretty much more cricket [in a year] than I’d played in the last five or six years previously. It was a great transition from feeling like a fringe player to a white-ball player to a Test player, to “now I’m on every tour”. It was a pretty nice feeling.I think in the years leading up to it, it was always a case where I never knew where I was going to be in a month’s time because I could be on tour, not picked, injured or fully fit.Being able to think about playing well rather than whether I was going to play or not has been really nice. Really happy with how everything’s gone in terms of my cricket. I couldn’t have been happier. The challenge now is to keep building on that and playing that much cricket again and trying to play as well.Did you see benefits for your bowling from that continuity?

Yeah, absolutely, and I think that just comes from playing and getting more confident. One, in my body, that I could bowl 20 overs in a day consistently, but also more confident that I can try new things. Whether it’s trying to take the risk with an inswinger, or trying to just be a bit more confident in the way I approach the game, expecting to take plenty of wickets and be a big performer each game.If you haven’t played a lot of cricket, it’s pretty hard to fake that. The more I played, the more comfortable I felt in everything, getting a routine, getting up for a game and preparing for a game, and once I was in a game, also just knowing what I needed to do. If I didn’t take a wicket in my first couple of spells, I knew I was all sweet because I’d been playing a lot and bowling well.Did you go to the pre-tour camp in Brisbane, and if so, what did you get out of it? One of the things I heard was that the team’s standards and expectations are much more about behaviour than results now.
I was there for a couple of days. JL’s [Justin Langer] really big on controlling the things that we can control – common sense, fitness, honesty. Those kinds of things which all contribute to us winning games, but more than anything else, it’s getting the best out of ourselves. Hopefully that translates into winning more games, but that’s not the absolute be-all and end-all. It’s making sure we train hard, do everything right, be honest, be good players, play for the right reasons, play well, and be judged on that rather than whether we lose a game or not. It’s slightly different to some of the outlooks we had previously, but we’ve got really clear values written down now that we always go back to, and we all think they’re great values, they’ve worked really well over in Western Australia.In the thick of it: Cummins has been an Australian mainstay for a while, after a sporadic, injury-plagued start to his career•Getty ImagesFair to say there’s been plenty of thinking about the wider implications of playing for Australia since South Africa – although you’ve spoken about having this realisation during the home Ashes series before it.
After South Africa it gave us all a chance to think, and it did show us a really clear perspective, because before the Ashes I’d been on tour for Australia for six months, all overseas, and you know it’s important, you know there’s people at home watching. But it’s not until you get on a bus to the ground and you see all the Australian flags and people dressed up, walking to the game, that it really hits you. You know it on tour as well, [but] it’s such a bubble you’re in, hotel to ground, hotel to ground, and you just do that for so long, sometimes you do lose sight of how much it means to so many different people.After that it really gave us a chance to sit back and think. JL as well was an outsider – he hasn’t been on tour for a few years. He was able to give some really good perspective as well, as a fan and someone involved in the game. Part of those values is just recognising why we’re playing the game, who we’re playing it for, and more than anything, just taking that extra second to think about how much cricket means to Australians.Something that you were able to do that others have not is study at university – how much do you think that has helped you mature?
I was really lucky. If I was on tour with Australia the whole time, I think I would’ve really struggled to finish my uni or do it properly. Whereas with the injuries, it afforded me the time to actually go sit in the classroom and do the things a lot of my other mates from back home are doing. It gave me a little bit more of a perspective about what most people have to do.We certainly don’t live in the real world. We’re so lucky with where we travel and how we travel. Our hobby is basically a full-time job, so having something outside of cricket, I think has helped me with a bit of perspective. For me it was uni and studying, for other people it may be different hobbies or things they like to immerse themselves in, but for me uni definitely helped to get a bit more normality into my life.That study included public relations, so are you more conscious of the image of the game even as you’re playing it?
I did a business degree and marketing and PR. It all encapsulates what’s involved in cricket. It opens my mind a little bit to know that not everything’s so black and white, everything’s got a bit of grey and there’s always two parts to every story. That’s what you learn at uni, and I think it’s a pretty important lesson for cricket. When you’re injured or dropped it seems like the worst thing in the world, but it never really is, and when you’re flying high you are only a game or two away from suddenly being a dunce. So just being a bit more level, that’s another thing the real world teaches you about.You may not be able to go into specifics but you’re on the panel for the independent review of the Australian men’s team, chaired by Rick McCosker. What sort of an experience has that been?
Rick’s been really good. We’ve just met up a couple of times but I think from our part, the players’ part of the process, it has been relatively informal. We’re not out to try and catch anyone or do anything too drastic. For Rick it’s about trying to get a bit of a context for cricket, where it’s at and just a bit of an overview of the last five or ten years, of the way we do things, how can we do things better or things we’re doing well, and just give that feedback to Cricket Australia, and have a bit of a more independent look at some of the things we go around. It hasn’t been too formal or super-intense. I’ve been really glad to be part of it, and Rick’s certainly involving a lot of people.Cummins on Smith: “He just can’t do anything right at the moment and I feel so sorry for him”•Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesI think South Africa started that conversation, and obviously with the incredible amount of media attention, fan feedback and all those kinds of things you read in the newspapers and online, it’s pretty clear that everybody wants to see a bit of change, and that started the conversation – what can we improve on, what can we change, what do we think we’re doing well? I think that naturally happens as well when you’ve got a new coach and captain, and I see this review just as part of that process, some more voices into the conversation and creating some independent input. From there it’s up to us to take that forward.If we need to change any way we play or conduct ourselves or things like that, now’s the time to do it. It’ll be interesting to see how we go ahead, I don’t think we’ll see anything too drastic, but it’s a time for everyone to reflect on how they present themselves, how they play and alter that if they need to or find things they need to work on.How do you reconcile that desire for change with the aggression, even anger, inherent in being a fast bowler?
The reason so many people love sport and why I love watching sport is because it’s so natural, so pure, and for me I don’t want to lose any of that emotion that comes with it. But if we talk about abuse, it’s certainly over the line, and that’s not pure emotion, that’s pre-planned bullying sometimes, and we’ve all been guilty of that. But it’s about trying to harness that aggression into our bowling and our body language, those kinds of things, but trying to keep it in check and not get too carried away with it. I feel like as bowlers we all do it reasonably well at the moment, but like anyone else we’ve always got things to improve on. We’re still going to be trying to bowl fast and trying to puff the chest out, I’m sure.The ICC has introduced specific code-of-conduct charges for cheating, swearing and personal abuse. Do you think that reflects this has been a wider unsavoury trend in the way the game is increasingly being played?
That’s it. We’ve always had the umpires, both on-field and off-field, being the people who pull us into line if we’re out of line – they’ve been the judges so far. [After] opening up the mics full-time, I hope those are still the main people who make decisions and they’re pulling us into line before anything becomes a problem like in the past. I think it’s great to see a crackdown on a few of those rules. The last couple of years it probably has got a little bit more prevalent than maybe it was beforehand, but whatever’s best for the game, us players are always happy to go for.Steve Smith recently was described in the press as a “sad sight” having a drink by himself in New York. Does that sum up the sort of spotlight this whole affair has created?
I just feel for them so much. I think anyone has a dream to go to New York and have a quiet beer by themselves, but if Steve does it then it’s suddenly the worst thing anyone could ever do. If he stays home then suddenly he’s a hermit. He just can’t do anything right at the moment and I feel so sorry for him. I know when he came back, he went to the shops and there was paparazzi following him at the shops. We’re talking about a really normal 29-year-old here who just wants to get on with his life and just be a normal 29-year-old. I really feel sorry for them. They just want to get back to doing what they love, do it quietly, and I just wish that everyone lets them be, encourages them. I feel like 99% of people are, it’s just to that 1%, give them a chance, give them a bit of space and treat them like anyone else.

Two of England’s most attacking batsmen showed a different side to their game which should be a template to take forward for a faltering top order

George Dobell at Trent Bridge21-Aug-2018For a while on Tuesday afternoon in Nottingham, it was possible to believe that all was golden in the world of England cricket.Yes, it was a consolation goal. But, as Jos Buttler gave the strongest evidence yet that he can flourish as a Test player and Ben Stokes demonstrated the technique and temperament that this side have so lacked in recent times, it was just about possible to believe England could combine the application and flair that could render them both entertaining and successful.It wasn’t to last, of course. And the damage was too deep to be repaired. England still have serious problems in developing fast bowlers, spinners and batsmen with an attention span longer than a forgetful goldfish. They are, in many ways, in a fearful mess.But, just for a while, as two of England’s more exciting talents combined to produce the largest fourth-innings, fifth-wicket partnership in their Test history, it was possible to see some way out of the mess. It was possible to imagine a day when the talent was harnessed and optimised.There was a lovely moment at the end of Buttler’s innings at Trent Bridge when Virat Kohli, the India captain, ran up to congratulate him.For one thing, it was a reminder of the improved relations between these sides. They reached a new low in the Test at this ground four years ago after an alleged altercation between James Anderson and Ravi Jadeja; an affair that dragged out for so long it should have become known as Jadeja-vu. Perhaps Kohli’s gesture was also a reminder of the value of the IPL – many of these players have far greater empathy for one another having mixed during that tournament – and the fact that players do not have to abuse each other to play tough cricket.Most pertinently, however, it was, perhaps, a sign that Kohli, for all his competitive qualities, recognises something special in Buttler. And that he recognised how tough the struggle had become and how significant this innings could turn out to be. On a level – the level of the simple cricket lover rather than the deeply competitive opposition captain – you imagine Kohli was even quite pleased for him.There was a similar reaction from Stokes. Not only did he celebrate Buttler’s century with as much emotion as he might his own but, when his partner was in the 90s, he twice gave him stern talks (and even a couple of friendly punches to the chest; nothing to worry about this time) in urging him to make his hard work count.Because Buttler needed this innings. Kohli knew it, Stokes knew it and Buttler knew it, too. He was 23 Tests into a career that hadn’t brought a century and, in this series, he was averaging 8.33. He really does enjoy the confidence and belief of the England management but you wonder if his own confidence was starting to ebb.But in registering his maiden Test century – and his first century in first-class cricket for 50 months – Buttler may well have made an important psychological breakthrough. He may have proved to himself, as much as anyone else, that he can prosper at this level. And, in leaving 24 percent of the deliveries he received (the highest percentage in England’s last 30 Test centuries, according to CricViz), he showed that he was learning one of the great truisms of first-class batting: the shots you don’t play are every bit as important as those you do.1:30

Harmison: Buttler and Stokes showed perfect approach for Test cricket

It was not flawless. He was dropped on 1 and might, had Kohli posted a gully or third slip, have perished on another couple of occasions. It would be disingenuous to pretend he has suddenly answered all the technical questions he faced; there will, no doubt, be tricky days in the future. But Kohli, too, has benefited from reprieves on the way to centuries this series. It doesn’t invalidate all the success. It doesn’t invalidate the concentration, the range of strokes or the discipline that was apparent in this innings.The old-timers used to say it was competence that breeds success. But perhaps it can work the other way, too. Buttler has never really proved himself in first-class cricket the way players of an earlier generation were obliged to, but he has demonstrated great talent on the international stage and, so long as his mind isn’t plagued by doubt, perhaps he can translate it to the Test game. This innings went along way to doing so.Stokes, too, can look back on his half-century with some satisfaction. He may have the reputation as something of a blaster – of this side only Stuart Broad has a higher batting strike-rate in Test cricket – but here he demonstrated the other side of the game. The responsible side. The patient side.None of his colleagues left so well, defended so compactly or demonstrated so much restraint. And that, in particular, is not a word you see associated with Stokes that often. Technically and temperamentally, this was an excellent innings.You suspect Stokes felt he owed his side this performance. While he may well genuinely feel he did little wrong during the two minutes or so that was the focus of the court case – the jury accepted his explanation that he felt compelled to use force to protect himself and others – you suspect he knows, on a level, that he probably shouldn’t have been hanging around outside shut nightclubs in the early hours of the morning.And even if he doesn’t accept that, you suspect he regrets the attention he has heaped on his team-mates. He knows that much of the attention they attracted in Australia – the Jonny Bairstow ‘head-butt’ nonsense; the Ben Duckett debacle; the curfews and talk of a drinking culture – stemmed back to that night in Bristol. Life became more complicated for all of them.Stokes is not an especially eloquent fellow and you suspect that his desire – his desperation, even – to contribute to this team had resulted in a slightly underwhelming return to the side. But, presented with an almost hopeless position, he showed the rest of England’s batsmen how these bowlers and these conditions could be combatted. Not by counter-attacking, but by compact defence, unerring concentration and a determination to sell his wicket as dearly as possible. It was arguably as good a technical innings as this match has seen.None of this is intended to distract attention from what has been on the whole, a dismal performance. Buttler’s century was, after all, the first by a member of England’s top six in any of the eight Tests they’ve played this year. There’s still no evidence of anyone improving in this environment and, while it may make sense for one of the selectors to watch the game on the basis that it helps them assess the mental state of players, it seems excessive that all three (Trevor Bayliss, Ed Smith and James Taylor) should be at Trent Bridge rather than assessing the mental – and physical – state of players in county cricket.So, make no mistake, England have been thrashed. One good partnership doesn’t make it all right. But it tends to be best if the autopsy waits until the patient has died.

The Madhya Pradesh batsman, son of the billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, is determined to be more than just a surname

Shashank Kishore20-Nov-2018Rewa in Madhya Pradesh is a far different world to the opulence of South Mumbai. The cement unit of the Aditya Birla Group – a billion-dollar enterprise – is headquartered in the city. Therefore, when Aryaman Birla, the son of the billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, moved there, it wouldn’t have been outlandish to assume he was there to learn the ropes of the business. However, the real reason for his move was his first love – cricket.After four years in the junior circuit in Madhya Pradesh, Birla took small steps towards strengthening his position in only his third first-class outing last week. He rescued MP with a maiden backs-to-the-wall century at Eden Gardens to help salvage a draw against Bengal. This was a significant because MP are looking to fill the void left by the retirement of their long-time talisman Devendra Bundela, the most-capped player in Ranji Trophy history.Watching the entire team stand up to applaud must have been reassuring because for the first three years in MP, he “felt like an outsider”. The murmurs were invariably about how his “privileged background” may have given him a push. “Performances are the best way of earning trust and respect, so when I started scoring runs, people started seeing me in a different light,” Birla tells ESPNcricinfo. “When I first came to MP, I was known more by my last name. I kept hearing ‘Birla’s son, Birla’s grandson.’ But through my performances, I changed perceptions, they started seeing me differently.”That’s been my biggest achievement so far. Recently someone came and asked me ‘you’re so (simple and straightforward), we didn’t even know you’re from the Birla family.’ That to me was a sign of change.”Birla decided to leave Mumbai as a 17-year old who was unsure of his immediate future as a cricketer trying to “fight for survival” in the city. Not wanting to lose time, he decided to take the plunge by enrolling for district trials in MP in 2014. A three-month stint in England, prior to his move to Rewa, helped him ease self-doubt.

“People realise when you come with the name behind you, you have to live up to certain standards. I want to carry a legacy forward in my own way. As a young kid, I was used to taunts. Now my team-mates joke about it and I laugh it off with them. Any small thing and they’re like ‘ (big people, big talk)’ but I laugh about it now.”

Birla trained with Paul Weekes, an English first-class veteran who played 236 first-class matches for Middlesex before retiring in 2006. Birla represented West Hampstead Cricket Club and made it to a minor county side – the London Schools Cricket Association.”As a young kid in Mumbai, people often said things to please me, it was hard for them to not associate me with my name,” he says. “Whenever I was complimented, I was like ‘are they saying this because of my surname?’ In England, I was just one among the others. They only knew me about my cricket, so playing there made me more confident and mature as a person.”His temperament shone through last season, when he topped the CK Nayudu (Under-23) Trophy run charts with 602 at an average of 75.25, scoring three hundreds in nine innings. It was enough to earn him a Ranji Trophy debut against Odisha. The call-up vindicated his decision to move from Mumbai to MP.He broke his thumbnail at training on the morning of the match, but made his debut nevertheless. It wasn’t “a dream like I’d expected”, but he still battled through pain to put on 72 for the first wicket with Rajat Patidar. The toughness was lauded in the dressing room, even though there had been doubts before he went out to bat.Away from the cricket field, Birla is like the average 21-year old, interested in music and movies. He’s often asked about joining the business and “enhancing the family’s legacy”. It irks him, but he doesn’t feel burdened. “Yes, I don’t have to worry about money, so I can channel that positively and ensure the focus is just on cricket,” he says. “When I was a lot younger, it felt like pressure.”People realise when you come with the name behind you, you have to live up to certain standards. I want to carry a legacy forward in my own way. As a young kid, I was used to taunts. Now my team-mates joke about it and I laugh it off with them. Any small thing and they’re like ‘ (big people, big talk)’ but I laugh about it now. I’m very comfortable now. That’s partly got to do with my upbringing because we were never sheltered and made to live in a bubble at home as young kids, even though our parents had their own careers.”Birla hopes to carry his form through the season and possibly into the IPL – he’s been retained by Rajasthan Royals, who signed him for INR 30 lakh at the 2018 auction. Game time eluded him this season, but opportunities can’t be far off if he keeps performing.”This year, I went in with no expectation, and wanted to give it my best if I got the chance,” he says. “It was tough to get batting time as a reserve, because the time between training and match days is little, but I was maintaining my routines, preparing like I’d play. I did a lot of catching and fielding, fitness work. Knew even if I didn’t get a chance, there was a first-class season to look forward to, and I’m going to be in for the long haul, I can’t get disappointed by one season of warming the bench.”