Talking Points – where did the power in Sunrisers' play go?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

David Warner & Co took the scoreboard only as far as 27 for 1 in the Powerplay, but the Australian champion structured a wonderful innings by the end of it

Srinath Sripath and Gaurav Sundararaman08-Apr-20192:45

Tait: Yusuf Pathan needs to be replaced

At the end of Sunrisers’ Powerplay, David Warner was on 9 off 17, and Jonny Bairstow had been dismissed for 1. There was no collapse, but Sunrisers Hyderabad got off to their slowest start in this season’s IPL, by a distance.Here’s the sequence that led to it.

  • Kings XI won a good toss on a dewy night in Mohali, and picked Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Ankit Rajpoot in place of Murugan Ashwin and Andrew Tye based on the “opposition and the conditions”, in the words of captain R Ashwin.
  • Ashwin used Mujeeb as a wicket-taking option against Bairstow, who has now been dismissed six times out of six in the IPL to wristspinners and mystery spinners, and held him back for later after that.
  • Ashwin, who has bowled in the Powerplay in four of their five games before this one, held himself back for the middle overs, where he has been most successful. Bairstow’s early dismissal and the discipline from his pace bowlers only made that decision easier.
  • Rajpoot mixed up his cutters and hit the deck early on, as was Ashwin’s plan, while Mohammed Shami refused to offer an inch to Warner outside his stumps, a plan that had worked for Kagiso Rabada earlier in the tournament against Warner. The quicks’ preferred channel of attack to Warner (7 runs in 10 balls) was the short one going across the batsman, just outside off, not too wide, and cramping him for room.
  • Plan A falling into place, Kings XI didn’t need to bring in their swing-bowling option Sam Curran until the ninth over.

ESPNcricinfo LtdAll of which meant there was added pressure on Warner to go the distance, with an off-colour middle order to follow.Warner, playing according to the team’s needsAfter that slow start, Warner had to bat through, there was no option for him.So far this IPL, he has attacked the bowlers early on, played second fiddle to Jonny Bairstow when needed, and on Monday night, with Bairstow gone early on a tricky pitch, he ensured he stayed till the very end.Warner’s innings was a pundit’s delight, a classic example of playing according to the situation.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn that sense, Warner’s situation was similar to that of Virat Kohli against Delhi Capitals on Sunday – the team’s best batsman starting slow and having to carry them all the way through, bat deep and launch a late attack. Kohli fell going for one too many big hits against Rabada. Warner, on the other hand, was prepared to do the hard yards when the boundaries dried up.He had just one four by the end of the 10th over, and on a big ground, picked gaps and hared across for as many as ten twos, an underrated feature of his batting – his team-mates, put together, had only seven. It was his slowest IPL fifty – off 49 balls – but Sunrisers would have been relieved that he stayed on.With the middle order not delivering once again, Warner’s knock was a lesson in not getting bogged down, a man in form backing himself to go deep in the innings and finding ways to score runs when most of his usual routes had been blocked. His first 31 balls fetched him 21 runs. In the next 31 balls, he hit 49. He was at his speediest in the last 23 balls of his innings, when he scored 37 runs.ESPNcricinfo LtdAn inspired call to throw Rashid in against Gayle?Rashid Khan has dominant head-to-head records against most T20 batsmen going around, but Chris Gayle isn’t one of them. Gayle strikes at nearly 180 against Rashid, and had been dismissed by the spinner just twice in seven innings before Monday.Chris Gayle departs for 16•BCCIMost tellingly, he had pasted Rashid for 42 off 16 balls the last time the two had faced off in Mohali: Gayle made a match-winning 104 in that game. Given these, and the fact that Mohammad Nabi has done the job in the Powerplay in earlier games, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s move to get Rashid in for the fourth over was an inspired one in many ways.First ball, Gayle clobbered one flat down the ground, which would have fallen some distance short of the boundary, but a diving Deepak Hooda snaffled a fantastic catch at long-on. Rashid rarely bowls inside the first four – this was only his third time in IPLs – and for the second time this tournament, he struck gold for his side. The previous instance was against Rajasthan Royals, another side that is heavily dependent on the openers, where he got rid of Jos Buttler second ball.ESPNcricinfo LtdCan Sunrisers’ fielders stop dropping catches off Bhuvneshwar, please?Kings XI needed 37 off 27 with nine wickets in hand, when Agarwal presented a rare chance. A short one from Bhuvneshwar, that was sent soaring into the Mohali sky, landed in Yusuf Pathan’s palms. Only, an off-balance Yusuf couldn’t latch on to the simplest of chances.Agarwal added 13 more runs to his total, a number that will haunt Sunrisers given how Kings XI suffered a mini-collapse in the end to add some drama to the game.Yusuf is not the first fielder to fluff a chance off Bhuvneshwar this season: Nabi, Rashid, Sandeep Sharma and Kaul have all put down catches off him. Together, these drops have cost Sunrisers 61 runs, and potentially the match against Mumbai Indians, when they could have had Kieron Pollard for 5. And who knows how things would have shaped up had Yusuf held on here?Bhuvneshwar has endured a difficult start to the season, and as per Luck Index, is the third unluckiest bowler in the tournament so far.

Under pressure, England can become the team they want to be

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The hosts face two tough games to qualify for the knockouts but it could free them up to rediscover their game in this tournament

Sambit Bal in Manchester26-Jun-2019Could Carlos Brathwaite, after 81 balls of measured brilliance amid a meltdown of sense from his team-mates, not have tapped a single to long-on and taken the match against New Zealand to the final over, from which five runs would be required? Did he not see Kane Williamson move the fielder back to the very position over which he aimed to deposit the final ball of the Jimmy Neesham over, an over that had contained a series of expertly executed bouncers?It is obvious that Brathwaite, having carted three sixes in the previous over, backed himself to clear the fielder. But the question that will haunt him, and the fans, is whether he needed to attempt it.Batting is at once meditative and chaotic. Pick the ball from the bowler’s hand, judge the length and the line, remember the field, pick a shot, aim for a single or for the boundary, along the ground or over the top… and all these decisions in a fraction of a second. But batsmen will tell you it’s not that complicated really: it’s about harmonising muscle memory and instinct and game awareness. The stillest of minds produces the clearest of choices.Batsmen will also tell you that the biggest disruptor of the process is pressure, both external and internal. The question that can never be conclusively answered is whether Brathwaite let the pressure get to him. He had batted thus far with remarkable clarity and risk assessment, starting the innings with fours hit along the ground and running plenty of singles, but, having brought the game within his grasp, why did he choose the riskiest of the options with six balls to go? You know what MS Dhoni would have done.Some players have what we intangibly describe as a bit of genius, but no one makes it to the highest levels of sport without a generous amount of skills. What often makes the difference for great players, and great teams, though, is their ability to execute their skills when the heat is on. Glenn McGrath might have been adjudged unremarkable on the evidence of his individual balls, but that he was able to replicate it ball after ball in every situation made him the bowler few batsmen wanted to face.And South Africa, choose whatever word you may, but their tragedy-ridden World Cup history has been paved with muddled decision-making at pressure moments. They have been spared that trauma in this World Cup but that can is now England’s to carry.There is an element of truth, as articulated by George Dobell about their inability to cope with the less-than-perfect batting conditions. But Virat Kohli pointed to an equally vital factor even before the tournament began: the World Cup is unlike any bilateral series that had formed the laboratory for the England template. Unseen, but forever palpable, hangs the enormity of the occasion, and, for this England team, the unfamiliar burden of expectation.For four years now they have blazed a path filled with intent and glorious power-hitting. On strips shorn of grass and hope for bowlers, no total had seemed unchaseable, no batting record unattainable, and no dream beyond their grasp. Before the World Cup began, the 500 total was bandied around not as a hyperbole but as an earnestness that now feels woefully misguided.For inspiration, England must look no further than Ben Stokes, who has struck three half-centuries so far•Getty ImagesIt is true that England’s defeat to Sri Lanka came on a pitch not suited to their template, but even if we leave aside the argument that a team aspiring to win the World Cup must show itself capable of chasing down 232 against one of the weaker sides in tournament, it’s hard to ignore the fact that their first loss materialised on a belter that yielded Pakistan their highest ever score in the World Cup and Australia got the rougher end of the conditions at Lord’s.There is no single pattern to these losses either. Against Pakistan, it was a couple of soft dismissals when they appeared to be coasting; against Sri Lanka, there was the strange departure from the trusted method by the top order; and against Australia, the bowlers missed their length in perfectly English conditions.Having to win the last three – four would be safer – games to win the World Cup is not an unusual situation. It’s no different from the last two World Cups that featured quarter-finals. England’s circumstances are slightly more debilitating, though: they have now been thrown off their game and are perhaps uncertain about how they must approach their remaining matches against India and New Zealand. The league stage was meant to be the routine first step in their coronation waltz; their fight to stay alive is an unanticipated twist that has made this tournament, headed towards deathly boredom, utterly compelling.And in that lies possibly England’s most exciting challenge, and the opportunity to make this World Cup that much more memorable. The trophy remains in sight and, unlike the teams for whom the semi-final door has opened belatedly, England’s destiny lies in their own hands. It wouldn’t be like Pakistan in 1992 – who are bent on enacting that script themselves – but it will be a remarkable story in itself for the favourites to rise again after falling off the perch so spectacularly.And for inspiration, they must look no further than Ben Stokes, who has kept his rage without losing his mind, and who kept the battle alive against Sri Lanka till he was left stranded, and against Australia till he was done in by a scorcher. There might be vicious turn in Birmingham, where they play India on Sunday, and they might find themselves in a desperate situation in the last ten overs of the last qualifying match against New Zealand next week, but finding new ways when everything is on the line might push them to become the team they have aspired to become.Coasting to a World Cup would have been fun, but scrapping to win it would be far more stirring.

England's worst collapse at home

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They were dismissed in 23.4 overs, making it their fifth-shortest completed innings overall in Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-201923.4 – Overs in which England were bowled out against Ireland. It is their shortest Test innings ever at home, about 21% shorter than the 30 overs they lasted against West Indies at Edgbaston in 1955. Overall, this is their fifth-shortest completed innings ever in Tests. The last time they lasted fewer overs was against New Zealand in Auckland last year, when they were bowled out in 20.4 overs.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Fewest overs faced by England in a completed innings
Overs Score Versus Venue, year Result
15.4 61 Australia Melbourne, 1902 lost
19.1 46 West Indies Port of Spain, 1994 lost
20.4 58 New Zealand Auckland, 2018 lost
22.5 101 Australia Melbourne, 1904 lost
23.4 85 Ireland Lord’s 2019 –

4 – Number of times England have lost 10 wickets in a session in the last three years: the three previous instances were against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2016, against New Zealand in Auckland and against India at Trent Bridge, both in 2018.ESPNcricinfo Ltd13 – Runs conceded by Tim Murtagh in his five-wicket haul; only once has any bowler conceded fewer runs while taking five or more wickets in an innings against England: Jerome Taylor took 5 for 11 in Kingston in 2009. In England, the previous lowest was 15 runs, by Dennis Lillee at Edgbaston in 1975.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 – Runs contributed by England’s middle order (Nos. 4-7) in their total of 85. It’s the joint-lowest contribution ever by their middle order, equaling their dismal show in that Auckland innings against New Zealand in 2018. In fact, there have only been five instances in Test history, of the four batsmen in the middle order scoring fewer than three runs; three of those have happened in the last 16 months.

Fewest runs by the middle order (Nos. 4-7) in a Test innings
Team Versus Venue, year Runs Ducks
New Zealand South Africa Johannesburg, 1954 0 4
New Zealand Pakistan Dubai, 2018 1 3
Australia South Africa Port Elizabeth, 2014 2 2
England New Zealand Auckland, 2018 2 3
England Ireland Lord’s, 2019 2 3

Amla: An all-format, all-weather force

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

South Africa’s rock at one-down, unstoppable as an opener, and a giant in India – he racked up runs for fun at home and away, and across formats

S Rajesh09-Aug-2019Immense across formatsHashim Amla is the only South African to score a triple-century in Test cricket and their second-highest run-getter in Tests. He is also one of five batsmen to score 25 or more hundreds in both Tests and ODIs, and one of only two to score 8000-plus runs at an average of over 45 in both formats. His numbers in T20Is weren’t bad either: his strike rate in the format was 132, only marginally behind AB de Villiers’ 135, and he is one of only four South African batsmen to score 1000-plus runs at a 130-plus strike rate in T20Is. Over a 15-year international career, Amla notched up formidable numbers no matter the format. His powers diminished in the last few years, but that doesn’t shave off any of the shine from his glittering international career.ESPNcricinfo LtdFor a player who was first thought of as a Test specialist – Amla made his ODI debut over three years after he started playing Tests – he finished with outstanding numbers in ODIs as well. He remains the fastest – in terms of number of innings – to each of the 1000-run landmarks from 2000 to 7000.Only four other batsmen – Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Virat Kohli – have 25 or more hundreds in both formats, while AB de Villiers is the only other batsman to score 8000-plus runs at a 45-plus average in both Tests and ODIs.

The best yearsAmla’s form faded in the last two years – he averaged 26.9 in Tests and 36.6 in ODIs from the start of 2018 – but through the first half of this decade, he was immense in both formats. During the five-year period when he was at the peak of his powers in Tests, Amla averaged nearly 66 from 70 innings, and scored a hundred every 4.4 innings.ESPNcricinfo LtdDuring that period, among the 33 batsmen who scored 2000-plus runs, only Shivnarine Chanderpaul had a higher average.

During the period between 2010 to 2014, Amla’s away record was even more spectacular: 2253 runs at an average of 75.10, with 10 centuries in 20 Tests. In fact, Amla was South Africa’s leading batsman in overseas Tests during the eight years when they were unbeaten in away series. South Africa won 10 out of 15 series during that period, and Amla played 34 out of South Africa’s 35 Tests, scoring more runs – hundreds included – than any other batsman.

His ODI form remained top-notch till 2017; in the eight-year period prior, Amla’s ODI aggregate of 6533 runs was bettered only by Kohli although Kohli played 51 matches more than Amla. Amla also won 15 Player-of-the-Match Awards during this period; only Kohli, de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Martin Guptill won more match awards in these eight years.

South Africa’s rock at one-downFor more than a decade, the South African Test team knew they could depend on Amla to anchor the innings at the fall of a wicket. He was a permanent fixture at No. 3, and with good reason: only three batsmen – Sangakkara, Rahul Dravid and Ponting – have scored more runs – and hundreds – at that position. For South Africa, the next-highest tally at that position is 3335, by Jacques Kallis. Excluding Kallis, who batted at No. 4 for most of his career, no other South Africa batsman has managed even 1500 runs at No. 3.ESPNcricinfo LtdOn top as an openerIf No. 3 was his preferred position in Tests, the opening slot was his own in ODIs. Out of the 178 times he batted in ODIs, only three times did he bat anywhere but at the top of the order. His 27 hundreds as ODI opener is third only to Tendulkar’s 45 and Sanath Jayasuriya’s 28, while his average of 49.89 is second only to Rohit Sharma’s 58.18, among batsmen who have opened the innings at least 50 times in ODIs. With a cut-off of 100 innings, Tendulkar, Dilshan and David Warner make up the rest of the top five.

A giant in IndiaSome of Amla’s greatest achievements in Tests came in India. In 2008, he scored 307 runs in five innings at an average of 61.40, but even that wasn’t a patch on what was to follow on his next tour of India: in three Test innings in 2010, he made 253*, 114, and 123* – an aggregate of 490 runs, for one dismissal. His average of 490 is second-highest in any series in which a batsman has played more than one Test and scored 400-plus runs. The only instance of a batsman averaging more was in 1933, when Wally Hammond scored 563 in two Tests against New Zealand, and was dismissed once. The 1033 balls Amla faced in that series are the most by any batsman in a two-Test series in Asia. The 2015 series, when he averaged 16.85 from seven innings, somewhat spoiled his numbers in India, but despite that, he remains one of five non-Asian batsmen to score 800-plus Test runs in India at a 60-plus average.

Amla averaged 78 in three Tests in the UAE, but couldn’t replicate that form in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh: in 16 innings in these two countries, he crossed 50 only once, and averaged 28.53.

Kohli breaks personal best, Rahul third-fastest to 1000

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

KL Rahul also became the third fastest batsman to 1000 T20I runs in men’s cricket

Bharath Seervi06-Dec-2019208 – The target chased down by India in the first T20I against West Indies is their highest ever in T20Is. The previous biggest target chased down was 207 against Sri Lanka in Mohali in 2009. Overall, this is the fifth-highest successful run-chase in T20Is.3 – Number of times India have successfully chased 200-plus targets, which is now the most among all teams. Australia and South Africa have each done it twice. All the three successful 200-plus chases of India have come in India. In fact, the visitors have put on 200-plus scores against India four times in India and three of those scores were chased down by the hosts.ESPNcricinfo Ltd94* – Virat Kohli’s score in this match – his highest of T20I career. His previous best was 90 not out versus Australia at Adelaide in 2016. He hit six sixes in his innings, which are also the joint-most he has hit in a T20I. This was Kohli’s 23rd fifty-plus score in the format, which is also the most among all batsmen.10-2 – India’s win-loss record when chasing at home in T20Is since 2016. Both the defeats were against New Zealand. India’s win-loss ratio of 5.00 is the best among all teams at home when chasing.60 – Runs conceded by Kesrick Williams, are the most by a West Indies bowler in a T20I. They are also the joint second-worst figures by a bowler against India.50 – Runs scored by Kohli from 15th over onwards, in just 16 balls. He smashed two fours and five sixes in these overs to seal the chase with eight balls to spare. The other two batsmen in this phase – Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer – scored only 16 runs from 14 balls they faced.ESPNcricinfo Ltd29 – Innings taken by KL Rahul to complete 1000 runs in his T20I career. Only two batsmen have got to the milestone in fewer innings – Babar Azam (26 innings) and Kohli (27). Aaron Finch also took 29 innings for the same. Rahul became the seventh India batsman to score 1000 runs in the format.12 – Number of Man-of-the-Match awards for Kohli in T20Is – the joint-most for a player, equalling Mohammad Nabi. This is his second award in T20Is this year.

Can Siya Kolisi and Jurgen Klopp inspire South Africa?

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The Springboks captain is friends with Faf du Plessis, and both recently ran into the Liverpool manager. Is sporting success contagious?

Firdose Moonda24-Dec-2019Faf du Plessis and Siya Kolisi are not your average BFFs. One is the captain of the national cricket team, a leader who has recently weathered a storm that saw all the team’s management replaced. The other is the captain of the national rugby team, a leader who lifted the World Cup in 2019. As far as 2019 goes, du Plessis and Kolisi could not be on more opposite ends but if they needed reminding it came when they dined out in Cape Town last month.At the same restaurant was Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who Kolisi had a “man crush moment” with because of his support for the Reds. Klopp was equally starstruck by the Springbok captain, having watched him lead the team to victory over England just ten days before their meeting. Asked if Klopp recognised du Plessis in the same way, South Africa’s cricket captain had a short, sharp answer.”No,” du Plessis said, quickly changing tack. “But he (Klopp) said he watches cricket. The Liverpool guys watched the cricket World Cup and he knew about how well England did, so that’s great.”

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About last night… When ur bro @siya_kolisi_the_bear has a serious man crush moment when he meets one of his heroes… very impressive man . Get why his players love him so much . I’m a fan aswell now #jurgenklopp

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Klopp also knows about how to lead a group of people – Liverpool won last year’s Champions League and sit atop this year’s Premier League table, having also won the Club World Cup – and though their conversation was brief, du Plessis was so impressed with what he saw that he has now become a Liverpool fan.”For someone to be that famous, he is a great guy, and that’s what I believe real leadership is about,” du Plessis said. “It’s about connecting with people, having great relationships with people, so I became a massive fan. I am not a huge football fan, I don’t support a lot but I do support him now.”Ultimately, du Plessis’ friendship with Kolisi and admiration for Klopp speaks to something bigger: his need for South Africa to remember what it’s like to be successful. They enter this England series off the back of five consecutive Test defeats spanning two series. The one at home, against Sri Lanka, was a dent to their pride – no subcontinent side had ever won a series in South Africa before – while the one away, in India, was the crash that exposed the mass of problems that South Africa have spent the last three weeks untangling.By now, you already know that cricket in this country has been through an administrative crisis. The CEO has been suspended, sponsors have pulled out, and an interim structure has been put in place to begin the repair job. The national team has been bolstered with former greats Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis as well as Charl Langeveldt and Paul Harris, and has been in an intensive training camp since last week Wednesday. Their preparation – though left a little late – has been meticulous and has confirmed to du Plessis the value of using their international retirees in key roles.”Why have these guys not been here for the last ten years?” du Plessis asked. “If you look around international cricket, other teams have got that. Think of Australia – Justin Langer, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting. We need that. We want that.”Graeme Smith, Enoch Nkwe, Mark Boucher and Linda Zondi at the unveiling of South Africa’s new coaching structure•AFPNow they have it, and it is the start of what du Plessis hopes will be a road to redemption that will culminate in reclaiming the Test mace, at some point down the track. “There is a vision. The Test team is still in an infant stage. The plan is to get back [to No.1]. As a Test team we do need to mature.”With two players, Rassie van der Dussen and Dwaine Pretorius, all but certain to make their debuts, and two others, Zubayr Hamza and Aiden Markram, with less than 20 caps to their names, South Africa’s batting is laced with inexperience. Though Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada have played 100 Tests between them, Anrich Nortje has only played two Tests and the back-up seamers, Beuran Hendricks and Dane Paterson, are uncapped.It’s a time of experimentation and testing the depth of a system that seemed to be breaking apart at the seams just a few weeks ago. But du Plessis is upbeat that all is not as bad as it looks. “When someone retires and you wonder where is the next Dale Steyn or Hashim Amla will come from. but it will happen. It will happen. It’s about trusting that we’ve got people in the right positions.”The Springboks followed the same route. After a period of poor performance, they appointed former flanker Rassie Erasmus as the director of rugby and head coach at the start of 2018. In less than two years, Erasmus united the squad and won the World Cup. There is a similar period of time before the World Test Championship final, and though South Africa currently sit at the bottom of the table, with no points to their name, du Plessis doesn’t think it’s too lofty a goal to aim to be there.”The final of the Test champions is 18 months away…” he said wistfully. South Africa’s journey to get there begins this Boxing Day.

Navdeep Saini's rise, Malinga's problems and India's change

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The things we learned after Virat Kohli and his men beat Sri Lanka 2-0 in the recently concluded T20I series

Deivarayan Muthu11-Jan-20205:02

Star Sports Match Point – ‘Indian team a well-oiled machine’

Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur step upIn the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar, Saini and Thakur had to take their chance and they did. Saini, in particularly, was impressive with his hostile bouncers and near-unplayable yorkers at speeds of 145kph. Even as Jasprit Bumrah made a rusty return from injury, Saini showed that he could be more than just a back-up. After demolishing the stumps of Sri Lanka opener Danushka Gunathilaka in Indore, he cleaned up Kusal Perera in similar fashion in Pune. All told, Saini bagged five wickets in 7.5 overs conceding 46 runs.Thakur, too, picked up five wickets, including three in an over in the second match. He said that he had worked on perfecting his variations, including the knuckle ball, during his T20 stints with Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings. Thakur then made a telling contribution with the bat, when the series was up for grabs in Pune, cracking an unbeaten 8-ball 22. Thakur’s blows propelled India past 200 and he made that total look a whole lot bigger by besting Avishka Fernando and Dasun Shanaka in the chase.Nothing to separate KL Rahul and Shikhar DhawanThis series was shaping up to be a direct shootout between the in-form Rahul and a fit-again Dhawan for the second opener’s slot behind limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma. However, there’s nothing to separate both batsmen at the end of two games against Sri Lanka.Dhawan started slowly in Indore as well as Pune, but in that third match, after being 7 off 9, he zoomed to a 34-ball half-century. Rahal also raised a 34-ball fifty to follow his barnstorming run in the series against West Indies late last year.Rohit, who was rested against Sri Lanka, is slated to return for the ODI series at home against Australia and the T20I series in New Zealand, where the race for the other opener’s role will gather more pace.2:12

As opener, it’s my job is to take advantage of first six overs – Dhawan

India are ready to be flexibleIndia have tried six No. 3s in their last six (completed) T20Is. In Thiruvananthapuram against West Indies last December, it was batting allrounder Shivam Dube who had made the most of the promotion by smacking a 30-ball 54. More recently, against Sri Lanka in Indore, Shreyas Iyer pitched in with a fluent 34 to hasten India’s victory. Apart from Virat Kohli, Rahul, Rishabh Pant and reserve wicketkeeper Sanju Samson have also been trialled at No. 3.”See, it is more to give players [game-time], like how Sanju Samson came in today (at No. 3), then Shreyas [in Indore], so they can get more time in the middle, because it is totally different feel when you are batting in the match and having more overs and so that was the reason today,” Dhawan explained.”Even Manish Pandey went up [the order]. So, they can have more time, otherwise it’s the same pattern [that’s] going on. In these series, we can do the experiment, it is best time to experiment and once we know, ‘okay that this guy is clicking’, then we are going to go ahead with those pattern again.”Pandey, who had got a game instead of Dube on Friday, batted above Iyer and Kohli and gave India the fillip they needed in the end overs. He also threw himself around on the field and made some sensational saves at backward point and long-on. By giving the fringe players some chances, India are trying to ensure that they get a decent workout before they face possibly a similar scenario in the T20 World Cup later in the year.Navdeep Saini is pumped after another wicket•BCCIThe pressure mounts on Lasith MalingaMalinga didn’t take a single wicket in eight overs and gave up 81 runs and after Sri Lanka went down 2-0, he took part of the blame for his side’s poor run. Since Malinga had been reappointed captain, in January 2019, Sri Lanka have lost ten T20Is under him and have won just once. That solitary victory came when Malinga wound the clock back and scooped up four wickets in four balls against New Zealand at home.So, is the pressure of captaincy getting to Malinga? “Ahh…yes! Captain means, when we have experienced players who can handle situations, it is very easy to do my job,” Malinga said at the post-match press conference in Pune. “But now I didn’t have that luxury, because when I was captain in 2014, I had Mahela [Jayawardena], Sanga [Kumara Sangakkara], Angelo [Mathews], [Tillakaratne] Dilshan; we had a lot of experienced players, who were single-handed match-winners. They knew what they need to do. Now young players, they are not experienced and I have to guide them and I have to wait and see.”A fit-again Mathews is now back in Sri Lanka’s T20 mix, but Malinga and co. still have a lot of work to do considering they still have to play a qualifying tournament to even make it to the T20 World Cup.2:46

‘I’ve to perform well because I’ve got experience’ – Malinga

Sri Lanka’s wristspinners impressSri Lanka’s top order folded in both matches, their bowling attack was depleted by injuries, and the newly-appointed Mickey Arthur (head coach) and Grant Flower (batting coach) are just feeling their way through the set-up. However, Sri Lanka had some positives from this series in the form of the wristspinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Lakshan Sandakan.”When there was no Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan], we still had to win,” Malinga had said on the eve of the washed-out T20I in Guwahati. “When there’s no Akila [Dananjaya], we still have to win”.Hasaranga has more than filled in for Dananjaya in recent months and has a zippy wrong’un that can trouble even the very best. In addition to the variations with the ball, he is a fine batsman in the lower order and it was on view when he slammed Bumrah for three successive boundaries in the last over in Indore. Hasaranga is also reputed to be one of the best fielders in the current Sri Lankan batch.With Hasaranga by his side, left-arm wristspinner Sandakan made a sparkling return to T20I cricket, picking up 3 for 35 in four overs, in a match where India amassed 201 for 6. Sandakan isn’t as attractive an all-round package as Hasaranga, but seems to have greater control over his lines and lengths.”We have got a plus point that is [Lakshan] Sandakan and [Wanindu] Hasaranga bowled well in these conditions and against this kind of batting line up,” Malinga said. “Going forward, we are looking forward to give opportunity to all these players because we didn’t have time to change our line-up and get new guys into the system. The management and I want to give maximum opportunities because they are talented players.”

Test whites the ultimate dream for fiercely driven Jayden Seales

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

On World Cup debut, the fast bowler bagged a match-winning four-for in front of his adoring family

Sreshth Shah in Kimberley18-Jan-2020The moment Jayden Seales was born in September 2001, he was destined to be a fast bowler. How could it have been otherwise?His grandfather Nigel played club cricket in the Caribbean as a left-arm quick. His father Larry and uncle Neil were fast bowlers too. His cousin Jalarnie is a 140kph fast bowler who played for Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) in West Indies’ Super 50 tournament last year. None of them, however, have worn the West Indies maroon.And therefore, as Seales walked out with the rest of his team for the anthem ahead of West Indies’ first game of the 2020 U-19 World Cup, against Australia, there were some moist eyes in the West Stand of the Diamond Oval, where his family was present to witness the moment.”Brought tears to my eyes,” father Larry says. “Very emotional. I’m an emotional guy.”From the time he was handed the new ball, it looked like Seales belonged to the big stage. Off his fifth delivery, an outswinger, he got the opener Liam Scott to chip a catch to cover. In his fourth over, he parried a drive from Jane Fraser-McGurk onto the non-striker’s stumps to send back Mackenzie Harvey, Australia’s captain. A wicket and a run-out in your first World Cup spell. Can’t ask for too much more.When Seales returned for his second spell, Australia had recovered from his early breakthroughs and were cruising towards a big total. He went full and straight, forcing Fraser-McGurke, who was on 84 at that stage, to hole out at mid-on, ending a fifth-wicket stand of 91. Thereafter, Seales cranked up his pace and dismissed two more lower-order batsmen finish with his best Youth ODI figures of 4 for 49.A shoeshine celebration for a spotless performance from Jayden Seales•Getty ImagesHe marked each of his wickets with a different celebration. The first one was of uninhibited joy, running across to his captain Kimani Melius at point and delivering a high-five of enough force to make his hand ring for days. Then came the salute, now trademarked by Sheldon Cottrell, followed by a cheeky shoe-shine jig in tandem with keeper Leonardo Julien.The last one was minimal: no smile, no sprint, just a puffed-out chest.His father Larry was celebrating with equal fervour. Seales’ second wicket made him jump out of his garden chair on the grass banks. The third one brought out a raw cry of joy, and, just like his son’s, his celebration of wicket number four was muted. It was as if an invisible thread connected him to his son on the field.What makes Seales stand out is his ambition: he wants to wear the West Indies whites, not just the maroon. Test cricket is his only ambition, says his father.”He’s really not about getting a contract in the IPL or Big Bash to make money,” Larry says. “He wants to represent West Indies in Test cricket. He has always said to me that the pinnacle of his career will be the day he plays cricket for five days straight wearing the West Indies cap. And if that’s what he wants, as a father, that’s what I want.Jayden Seales with an award he won at an Under-13 tournament•Larry Seales”What I like about my son, and I shouldn’t say it – but he’s humble. Jayden’s a guy who takes five wickets, but when he goes back home, he’s just normal. He wouldn’t be full of himself. He’s an excited young guy, but before today’s game, he told me, ‘Dad, I just want to hear the West Indies anthem.’ That was the only thing he wanted to do here at the World Cup. His thing is that even if West Indies Test cricket is on the down, his dream is to resurrect it. Other forms of cricket come after.”Jayden’s parents have been with him at every step of his development, and both his father Larry and mother Ann-Marie have sacrificed weekends to drive him to far-flung grounds and help him in various ways to excel at the sport he so dearly loves.”If I couldn’t drop him to cricket, his mum would,” Larry continues. “We ensured we went with him to watch his games and support him.”Sometimes I show him recordings of games we’ve taped for him. We run back the tapes at home, and we discuss what he needs to do, whether to bowl yorkers or variations. We discuss how he should bowl in the first five and the back five, and importantly he listens. Jayden is a thinking bowler. He’s always thinking.”Seales couldn’t have made a better start to his World Cup. A match-winning four-for against Australia isn’t an everyday event. But he knows it’s just the start, and his sights are already set much higher. If he can fulfill his burning ambitions, West Indies will have quite a player on their hands.

"At least I've won trophies": Onana hits back at Matic "worst 'keeper" claim

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Andre Onana has spectacularly responded to former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic after the Serbian took issue with the goalkeeper’s recent comments.

What did Andre Onana say?

Ahead of Man Utd’s Europa League tie with Lyon, Onana was in a defiant mood as he talked up his team’s chances of making the semi-finals.

He said: “We all know the importance of this game, we will go there with the winning mentality. We have to go there and show who we are. If we are focused, stay compact and together and follow the gameplan, we will be winning the game.

“Of course, it’s not going to be easy, but I think we are way better than them.”

8 goalkeepers who could replace Andre Onana at Man Utd

United could be after a new ‘keeper in the next transfer window…

1 ByBarney Lane Feb 24, 2025

Matic, who spent five years at Old Trafford before leaving for Roma, blasted Onana’s claim that United were “way better” than their midweek opponents, claiming that the Cameroonian is “one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s history”.

Onana

Matic

Appearances

93

189

Finals

1

3

Trophies

1

0

Best league finish

8th (2023/24)

2nd (2017/18, 2020/21)

The midfielder quipped: “If you’re one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s history, then you need to take care of what you are talking about.

“If David De Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar said that, I would question myself, but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s modern history, he needs to show that before he says it.”

Now, Onana has issued a response – while appearing to aim another dig at Matic.

Posting on X, he wrote: “I would never be disrespectful to another club. We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent.

“We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud. At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same.”

The post was accompanied by Onana kissing the FA Cup after last year’s final, which Man Utd won after beating Manchester City at Wembley last May.

In contrast, Matic didn’t win any major honours during his time at Old Trafford, despite appearing in three finals and finishing as a Premier League runner-up twice.

It appears unlikely that Onana’s latest comments will end the feud between the pair, but whether sparks will continue to fly after kick-off on Thursday remains to be seen.

Which English clubs will play in Europe next season?

There is a fierce fight to claim a European football spot this season – which teams will make it?

ByStephan Georgiou Mar 29, 2025

Everton poised to rival Liverpool in move to sign "superb" £40m DCL heir

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Eyeing one of the moves of the summer, Everton are now reportedly poised to join Liverpool in the race to sign an in-form forward who would instantly replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Calvert-Lewin closing in on Everton departure

As things stand, Calvert-Lewin is set to bow out of Merseyside as a free agent when his current Everton contract comes to an end this summer. The forward – once destined for great things – has seen his recent seasons controlled by injuries and looks destined to leave with a whimper rather than the goalscoring roar that Goodison Park hasn’t heard enough in the last few years.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin last 5 seasons

Goals (via Transfermarkt)

2024/25

3

2023/24

8

2022/23

2

2021/22

5

2020/21

21

It remains up for date whether the Toffees will miss Calvert-Lewin like they would have done in the past, especially given how Beto has stepped up since David Moyes’ return to the dugout.

The Everton boss hasn’t hesitated to hand the forward some tough love either, telling reporters earlier this season: “I have seen a difference in him. There’s just a wee bit more eye of the tiger.

“He was rightly praised for his performance at the weekend. I was still saying he should have probably scored a couple more, we talked about that as well. Maybe we need a wee bit of tough love with him. He needs to be told, but also given the confidence and shown what he can do, he’s got all the capabilities.

“If I’m a centre forward, I wouldn’t be complaining about the opportunities the team have made him in the last couple of games. He’s been given three or four really big chances. He’s taken one, we’d like him to take more.”

Moyes has "massive" interest in Everton signing Sunderland star Dan Neil

His current club are readying themselves for bids.

ByHenry Jackson Apr 7, 2025

Whether they’re better off or not this summer though, Everton must replace Calvert-Lewin if he departs and that has reportedly seen them join a hectic race to sign an impressive forward.

Everton join Liverpool in Liam Delap race

According to TeamTalk, Everton are now poised to battle Liverpool in the race to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town this summer. The former Manchester City youngster reportedly has a relegation release clause worth £40m, which looks almost certain to become available in the coming weeks given that Kieran McKenna’s side sit 12 points adrift of safety in the Premier League.

Whilst Ipswich will likely go down, Delap has done more than enough to earn a permanent place in the top flight and one that Everton can provide this summer. Unlike Liverpool, one advantage that the Toffees could have is the offer of guaranteed game time for Delap, who may not be ready to make such a major step into the top six.

Praised for a “superb” season by talent scout Jacek Kulig after scoring as many as 12 goals in all competitions – nine more than Calvert-Lewin – Delap is undoubtedly one to watch.

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