How well Vettori performed, and how well his team followed

Sambit Bal in Johannesburg04-Oct-2009Like the team that he has fashioned in his image, there is nothing flash about Daniel Vettori. Neither is there any posturing. After leading his injury-ravaged team to the Champions Trophy final, Vettori said the value of captaincy was over-rated. “It’s about leading by the performance,” he said. “My team will follow if I perform.”How well he performed, and how well his team followed. New Zealand’s performance wasn’t as grand as Australia’s yesterday, and Vettori’s own didn’t have the epic feel that Ricky Ponting’s hundred carried, but the sum of his contribution was far more valuable to his team.Vettori doesn’t stir the senses, but there is air about him. It’s of self-assurance and poise. From his fingers, the ball doesn’t hiss, spit and turn extravagantly. He doesn’t bedazzle or spook his victims. But he is a crafty and subtle bowler, who has been among the most outstanding ODI spinners of his age. Only Muttiah Muralitharan among the current spinners has a better economy rate than him, and in an age of batting orgies, it can be counted by the fingertips how many times he has been taken for more than six runs an over.And in his relaxed, unfussy style, he was hard to get away again. As always, there were no magic balls, but an honest length and subtle variations in line and trajectory. Vettori was lucky with Umar Akmal’s wicket for the umpire failed to see the deflection off the bat. But he got his opposite number with a lovely one: the drift got Younis Khan trying to reach out to dab it on the leg-side, and the turn caught the leading edge. It looked like a soft dismissal, but the mistake had been induced.Vettori’s fast bowlers had started well, denying the batsmen width and keeping them pinned to the crease with bounce. Vettori made sure that the leash was never loosened. Pakistan had been in a similar situation against India earlier in the tournament, but had had found easy runs in the middle over. Only twice did Pakistan manage to touch a run-rate of five, in the first and the 12th overs, and never did they go beyond it. Almost unobtrusively, Vettori managed to get seven overs out of James Franklin as he held the strings at the other end.With the bat, his contribution was even more precious. Pakistan are the masters of breaking open the wall when they find a little opening, and Ross Taylor had provided them a huge one with a ridiculously ill-chosen cut to a full and hurrying ball from Shahid Afridi whom he had just clubbed for six. It felt that this was the moment Pakistan would siege.Vettori denied them cussedly. He had chosen to come out ahead of Neil Broom, a specialist batsman, and it was apparent why. He was the man with the nerve. Runs came in little dabs and cuts, but never did they dry up while Vettori was batting. Grant Elliott, playing with a broken and numb thumb, was struggling to put them away but there was never any panic. The asking rate crossed seven, but the batting Powerplay remained.

It wasn’t a very memorable 40, but it was an outstanding 75Vettori on Grant Elliott’s innings

When it was taken, Vettori was the one to lead the charge. Saeed Ajmal was swung past mid-on for four, Mohammed Aamer was driven down the ground for another and Naved-ul-Hasan was swung over midwicket. Then, out of nowhere, Elliott found an explosive release and a 16-run over from Umar Gul sealed the match. “It wasn’t a very memorable 40,” Vettori said about Elliott’s innings, “but it was an outstanding 75.”Perhaps the scorecard will tell us the story. That no New Zealand bowler went for over five-and-half an over and none of their batsmen were dismissed in single figures points to the fact the team never the let the match slip away from their grasp. Pakistan under-performed, and as Younis Khan, candid in defeat, admitted, that dropped catch when Elliott was on 42 might haunt him forever. But nothing should not detract from the fact that New Zealand did what they needed to. It was an utterly professional performance that has taken them, the perennial semi-finalists, to one match from their second Champions Trophy win.It was New Zealand’s third successive win, and Vettori spoke about the importance of entering the semi-final on a high. It was also the third time New Zealand had entered the match as the unfancied team and won comfortably. The final will be no different: Australia will be the favourites to win, but New Zealand will not beat themselves.”I hope we have one more good match is us,” Vettori said. That will be an apt finish to a tournament of delightful surprises.

By his own admission, Mohammad Yousuf was not at his fittest best and had little batting practice before coming to Galle and scoring a serene century

Sidharth Monga in Galle05-Jul-2009It was as if nothing had changed. When the third wicket fell, the No. 5 didn’t run out immediately in Twenty20 style. He took his time, stepped over the rope casually, past the sweaty track pants and shirts left to dry just outside the boundary, played a couple of air-drives, jogged for a few steps (feet going high behind him but never looking hurried), then walked up to the pitch. If he was anxious, which he was, he didn’t show it.The last time this entry was seen in Tests was in December 2007, against India. For the last year and a half, Mohammad Yousuf’s name has resonated in media releases and legal notices from ICL and IPL, but not in official cricket. ” finish [It used to feel like my career was over],” Yousuf said.He doesn’t want to talk about that period now. He said he sees it as destiny, and has moved on. And when he moved on, back to a Test field, his side was at 55 for 3, in the danger of squandering a stupendous bowling effort on the first day. Soon it became 80 for 4, but with Yousuf comes serenity.The first few overs were edgy. Thilan Thushara moved the ball in and registered strong appeals against him. Still somehow it didn’t seem we were witnessing a batsman who used to think his career was over, and who was now looking to rescue his team, against a team he had never scored a century against. “I have come back after such a long time – a year and seven months. There was pressure, it was difficult, and the team needed a big innings too.”Nor had the wicket become very easy to bat on. Yousuf overcame that period, and went on to show why it is said it’s best to get him out early.Yousuf said he tried to read Ajantha Mendis from the hand. “He is the first bowler in history to bowl like he does. He has so many variations, but I always focus on his hand.” That he was reading Mendis well showed in how he could play the cut and late-cut – two of the most dangerous shots to play against Mendis.He didn’t look under pressure through the innings. It was all normal Test cricket, no aerial shot or ill-advised sweep, or premeditated anything. Though, perhaps, this century was premeditated. At 57 he nicked one to his pad and through to Tillakaratne Dilshan, but the umpire didn’t see it.There is no apparent explanation for how he managed to find the touch of old immediately on a pitch where batsmen have generally struggled. During the lay-off he didn’t do anything special. “I used to train a bit in the gym,” he said. “A bit of running etc, but I didn’t have access to the kind of international-level training that happens with the team trainer. So the fitness level was not where it should be.”Humid Galle is not a place to play Test cricket if you know you’re not at your fittest. What about batting? “I had played a few matches for my club, that’s it.” Oh well.But what about rejoining a team that he had left? How did they react when he came back? “It was not like I was ever out. All of them are my juniors, they respect me. [There were no such concerns.]”Slowly but surely it all came back, as if nothing had changed. Another century, his 24th, his first in and against Sri Lanka, with the same ease. Even the end was not dissimilar: a run-out. The most overwhelming feeling for Yousuf is that of relief. “It’s just because I am playing after so long, and the team needed it so bad. This was just the start I needed.”There were two beautiful moments in the day. One when Yousuf reached his century, threw the helmet away, and did his on a hardly lush square. Shoaib Malik, a former captain, went up to him, picked up the helmet for him, and also wiped his forehead for him. And second, when Pakistan came back to bowl just one over to finish the day. Yousuf was stationed at third man, the farthest position from the pavilion. Younis Khan, the captain, waited at the boundary line for a tired Yousuf to amble along and lead the team off the field. It was clear they had accepted, nay, needed him.

Chandika Hathurusingha has changed the outlook of three cricketers and made them permanent fixtures in the one-day team

Sa'adi Thawfeeq04-Oct-2009In the past two months or so if the once vulnerable Sri Lanka middle-order batting has shown some form of consistency in one-day internationals it is due to the presence of batsmen like Thilan Samaraweera, Thilina Kandamby and Angelo Mathews. What is common with all three players is that they have at some point of their career come up against Chandika Hathurusingha, the former A team coach and presently shadow coach of the national team. What Hathurusingha has done to change the outlook of these players and make them permanent fixtures in the one-day team is simply amazing.Take the case of Samaraweera, who was initially an overly defensive player and rated as a batsman good enough only to play Test cricket. A poor tour of England in 2006 saw him dropped from the Test side. In order to regain his form he was made captain of the Sri Lanka A team that toured England in 2007 and it was then that he met Hathurusingha, who was the coach. What Hathurusingha did to Samaraweera is now history.He transformed Samaraweera from an introvert into an extrovert and opened up new avenues in his batting that had been unexplored for so many years. When he returned to the Sri Lankan team 17 months later against Australia at Brisbane in 2007, everyone saw a new-look Samaraweera who was prepared to score runs from ball one. His new approach not only saw Samaraweera accumulate a mountain of runs – he is only the second batsman for 2009 to score 1000 runs in Tests in a calendar year – but has eventually led to him finding a place in the one-day side. It is something that was unimaginable three years ago.Samaraweera soon established himself in the one-day side by scoring his maiden century in this format of the game last month. It is not so much his personal contributions that mattered but his ability to build partnerships which has brought about a great degree of solidity to the Sri Lanka one-day middle order. He bats at no. 5.The case of Kandamby is different. He was a batsman who didn’t believe in his own batting ability. He would go about using up 30 balls to score 15 runs and after four ODI appearances for his country in 2004 he was virtually lost to international cricket. Even in domestic cricket Kandamby would make a good 90 and then throw his wicket away. The change about him came after he left Bloomfield and joined SSC in 2007.Kandamby scored heavily that season and helped SSC win the Premier League championship. His own personal contribution to that victory was 822 runs at 68.5, with three centuries, including a career best 202. Kandamby then came under Hathurusingha when he was picked to lead Sri Lanka A in the 2007 tour of South Africa.One of the first things that Hathurusingha did was to get Kandamby to lose weight and change his style of living. “The lifestyle that Kandamby was enjoying at that time was not suitable for cricket,” said Hathurusingha. “We gave him a fitness guide to make sure he lost weight and was light on his feet.”Kandamby never believed in himself. He never believed how good he was. I knew he had the potential to make it. The few changes I made to him are that I got him thinking about cricket and his lifestyle. He’s got a good cricket brain and he could one day captain his country.”Since his return to the Sri Lanka team against Zimbabwe in 2008, Kandamby has been in outstanding form; he now enjoys a one-day career batting average of 37 and a strike rate of 70. In his last 17 ODIs since his return, Kandamby has scored five half-centuries, which include two unbeaten knocks in the nineties against India where he ran out of partners before he could complete his century. Some international scribes have started comparing him with Arjuna Ranatunga, whose rotund physique he resembles. He is also a left-hand batsman like Ranatunga and bats at No.6.”Thilina Kandamby’s got a good cricket brain and he could one day captain his country.”•AFP”The advantage I have with these players is I have played with them and know them very well,” said Hathurusingha . “Each of the players has to be tackled differently. Some respond fast and grasp the points quickly others are slow and need to be told several times while there are others where you have to give it to them in writing.”It’s all about asking questions. When you explore options only you find out how much more you can learn and expand your game. You need to push them to the limit to find out what they have. There is always room for improvement.”When I was A team coach it was all about continuous improvement. If it doesn’t work out you can always come back to what you have. What I have given them is the confidence and the freedom to improve their game. That way they have grown in confidence. I can only give them options the rest is up to them.”Mathews is one of three players who Hathurusingha predicted as possessing the potential to make it to the national side after the A tour to South Africa in 2007. The other two were Tharanga Paranavitana and Suranga Lakmal. Two months later Mathews was making his ODI debut in Zimbabwe where he quickly displayed his potential as a brilliant allrounder. Mathews has not looked back since scoring a fifty in this third ODI, and has fulfilled the role of allrounder in all three formats in a matter of ten months. So much so that he has managed to keep Farveez Maharoof out of the reckoning.”Mathews is an intelligent cricketer who knows how to adapt to certain situations without being told. He is a self-learner and doesn’t rely on anyone. You don’t have to push him. He is very good at building on whatever information he is given and improving on it,” said Hathurusingha. “I found about Mathews’ potential during the tour to South Africa where he scored an undefeated 99 when we were chasing 250 to win. He showed a lot of maturity with that knock. I made it a point to make that innings a good example for every player to learn from.”Hathurusingha recalled an incident involving a selector on tour in South Africa where he was questioned why he batted Mathews at No.4 when he was being groomed as an allrounder. Hathurusingha’s reply was Mathews had to first get selected to the national team and to do that he must have enough runs behind him; that is why he batted him at No.4. Now Mathews bats at No.7 for his country.According to Hathurusingha, wicketkeeper-batsman Kaushal Silva is waiting on the sidelines to make it to the national team along with fast bowlers Isuru Udana, Suranga Lakmal and Chanaka Welagedara. “It is only the presence of the best wicketkeeper in the world today, Prasanna Jayawardene, that is keeping Kaushal from making it to the Test side. But he is a cricketer who can adapt to any format of the game if the opportunity arises.”

Watching Hayden bludgeon both pace and spin around the park, you cannot help but wonder – will the Mongoose make its way onto the international scene?

Jamie Alter at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi19-Mar-2010File under “Sights I Never Expected to See”: Matthew Hayden, post international retirement, clobbering bowlers all around an international stadium with what looked like a baby’s brass rattle in those paws of his. Here’s introducing Matt the Bat, now with a longer handle, aka the Mongoose bat.For the uninitiated, the Mongoose is a something of a miniature version of a normal cricket bat, but it has two distinguishing features: the handle is as long as the blade and the splice, which normal bats have in the blade, is built into that handle to guarantee a clean hitting surface on the bat. Its USP – if you’ve been following events in the build-up to the IPL – is that it essentially allows a batsman to hit harder and further without changing the way he plays. On the basis of what Hayden achieved at the Feroz Shah Kotla today, the Mongoose suits Twenty20 to the T.Its short, stocky frame – the base is reportedly five centimeters – allows for sweet timing and that was as evident as crystal. The first sign that Hayden, after two poor games, was roaring back in to form came in the second over when he slammed three boundaries in four balls.The Mongoose made its debut in the second ball of the fourth over, after Hayden had already muscled some good shots with his normal blade. He’s has always wielded the bat like a club, but here was Hayden with a big handle and small blade. To the naked eye, the Mongoose looked silly in his bear hands. In fact, at first it just didn’t look right. Surely he would mishit one, inside-edge one onto his stumps, fail to reach out to a spinner, or be caught short of his crease while putting in a dive? None happened.The first shot Hayden played with the Mongoose was a letdown. He went for an ugly heave and got a streaky single to the leg side. You can’t time a cricket ball at pace with that toothpick, was the common assumption. Then Rajat Bhatia came in to the attack for some military medium stuff, only to feel the full effect of what Hayden and his buddy could do. Bhatia to Hayden was never going to be a key contest, but this was too one-sided. Hayden swept four to fine leg, slammed a straight six, tickled another off the pads for four, and slogged four to long-on. Bhatia was nonplussed.Right, so this thing can do a bit, you started to think. But what about against spin, when the pace is taken off and the pitch plays a bit slow and low? The answer came all too soon, as Tillakaratne Dilshan was called on for some offspin in the eighth over. Hayden was back at his furious best: Dilshan tossed it up and the punishment was immediate – three sixes stung Delhi and sent the crowd into raptures. The second was a mishit but still soared into the stands. You marveled at the distance the ball travelled after it struck the blade of the bat.The Mongoose didn’t restrict Hayden in any way, as you might have expected it to. What it lacks in reach, it more than makes up for with effect. Length balls were swatted over the infield nonchalantly; those that hit the edges ran away to fine leg or third man; two balls that came off the toe end sped past extra cover; those that hit the sweet spot just disappeared. A low full toss from Dirk Nannes – and it’s for this specific delivery and the yorker that the Mongoose could prove to be most crucial – was sent speeding past short fine leg.The Mongoose didn’t require Hayden to change his grip or style, but it did allow him to smack the ball harder and further. It was the perfect remedy for Hayden to strike form and Chennai to canter home. On the evidence of what we saw this evening, its power really is phenomenal.Watching Hayden in full flow is one of the more delightful viewing experiences today, his brute force and style elevating him above many currently active hard-hitting batsmen in international cricket. But watching him with that little thing in his hands was something else. Cricket has traditionally been averse to change and innovation, but watching Hayden bludgeon both pace and spin around the park, you cannot help but wonder – will the Mongoose make its way onto the international scene?In 1983, Tony Montana blasted through a door firing his automatic machine gun and screaming six words that went on to become part of cinema lore – “Say hello to my little friend!” Twenty-seven years later, a man who has already etched his name cricket’s history with a pivotal role in how openers approached the game unveiled a small piece of willow that threatens to further revolutionize batting. Talk about creative mojo.

The performance of the fast bowlers, neither of whom are first-choice picks, will hearten Sri Lanka

Cricinfo staff20-Nov-2009At the end of the five days, 1600-plus runs were scored in three innings, with 21 wickets falling on a pitch that failed to crack even on the fifth day and allowed batsmen to make several records. And, well before the scheduled close of play, the captains agreed that a draw would be a logical conclusion.The contrast between the start and finish, though, couldn’t have been sharper. Motera on Monday morning echoed to the sounds of silence as Chanaka Welegadara asserted himself over the Indian top order with a controlled spell of fast swing bowling. Less than an hour into the game, with India at 32 for 4, a result looked likely. By the end of the day that idea had faded; it would fade further over the next few days and evaporate by Day 5.Much of that was because of the pitch; MS Dhoni initially joked he wouldn’t have played any cricket on it given a choice but eventually did not single out the pitch as the culprit. “The wicket was quite flat, but it was not the flattest I’ve played on,” he said. He did, though, concede there was no help for the spinners. “Even if there was a bit of turn there was no real pace and bounce from the rough for them to exploit.”Consequently the batsmen, safe in the thought that the pitch would behave, only had to play sensibly. For the bowlers, especially the spinners, it was an endless grind. They would turn up every day fresh and ready like hopeful job aspirants, only to retreat into the dressing room six hours later drained of all energy and ideas.Yet there were positives, more for the Sri Lankans, who entered the game with meagre resources – especially in their fast bowling department – and were forced into last-minute replacements. Welegedara was asked to get ready five minutes before the toss, after Thilan Thushara failed to recover from a shoulder injury, for his first Test since his debut against England in 2007. Creditably, he held his nerve, bowled at good speeds and got decent swing to keep the Indians in check. “To respond the way he did shows he has a lot of character, a lot of hunger,” Kumar Sangakkara said of him.Dammika Prasad, Welegedara’s new-ball partner, bowled aggressively and, though he went for runs, he was relentless with his pace and even managed to get some good reverse swing in both innings. Unfortunately he pulled a hamstring and according to his captain has a slim chance of playing the next Test.Sangakkara does have one concern: The performance of his seniormost bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan, who was the most ineffective of all bowlers on duty. Though conceding that the “bulk” of the job was done by his fast bowlers, he didn’t criticise his spinners. “Our spinners are still finding their way round bowling in Tests in India,” Sangakkara said. “This was a good experience for them bowling lengthy spells.”That’s not entirely true of Murali, the world’s leading wicket-taker; he took all of three in the match – none of them in the crucial second innings. He will be under pressure to perform in Kanpur, especially after Sangakkara singled out Rangana Herath’s performance in this Test. The compliment will boost Herath given that his inclusion ahead of the unorthodox Ajantha Mendis had stirred a debate.Yet Sri Lanka’s best chance to win the game, as Sangakkara said, was on the first day when India were on 32 for 4. “We just let it go with the lines and length we bowled after lunch and tea,” Sangakkara said. “There was nothing there in the last two days. It is all about taking the chances that come your way and we didn’t on the first day.”When India walked in for their second innings Dhoni admitted there “was a bit of bother” in the dressing room. The key was to get a good start, which came by way of the 81-run brisk opening stand between Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir; Gambhir’s patient century led India to a safe zone. “We needed a good partnership to begin with and we got that,” he said.

A stats preview to the Sri Lanka India Test series.

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan17-Jul-2010India and Sri Lanka have played each other with monotonous regularity over the last few years especially in the one day format. In Tests, however, the contests have been pretty interesting. India will be seeking their first series win in Sri Lanka since 1993, while Sri Lanka will look to reassert their dominance. On their two previous visits in 2001 and 2008, India won the second Test of the series but were convincingly beaten in the first and third. Contests between these two teams often favour the home team as is seen in the tables below. India have clearly been the dominant team in matches played at home, while they have quite clearly finished second-best in away games.

India v Sri Lanka in Tests

Host nationMatches playedMatches won by IndiaMatches won by Sri Lanka Matches drawnIndia171007Sri Lanka15357

India vs. Sri Lanka in the 2000s

Host nationMatches playedMatches won by IndiaMatches won by Sri LankaMatches drawnIndia6402Sri Lanka6240The last two series played between the teams were lit up by two double centuries by Virender Sehwag. His effort at Galle was remarkable considering the little support he received. The rest of the Indian batting was a failure, falling to Ajantha Mendis. The table below summarises the top batsmen against Sri Lanka in the 2000s. Rahul Dravid had an excellent series in 2001, but was well below par in the last series in 2008. The form of the openers, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, will be key for India, while the middle-order will want to make amends after a forgettable outing in 2008.

Performance of top batsmen for India against Sri Lanka in the 2000s

PlayerMatchesInningsRunsAverage100s50sRahul Dravid111992551.3825Virender Sehwag81389174.2532Gautam Gambhir81464646.1423VVS. Laxman91558545.0016Sachin Tendulkar91548134.3521

Performance of top batsmen for India against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in the 2000s

PlayerMatchesInningsRunsAverage100s50sRahul Dravid61238334.8103Virender Sehwag3634468.8011Gautam Gambhir3631051.6603VVS. Laxman3621543.0002Sachin Tendulkar369515.8300Sri Lankan batsmen have turned in excellent performances against India in the 2000s, mostly in the home games. Mahela Jayawardene has scored over 1000 runs in the 2000s with four centuries. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera were prolific in the 2008 series and their form will be vital to Sri Lanka’s fortunes.

Performance of top batsmen for Sri Lanka against India in the 2000s

PlayerMatchesInningsRunsAverage100s50sMahela Jayawardene1219120366.8346Kumar Sangakkara 121979043.8831Tillakaratne Dilshan91460450.3332Thilan Samaraweera 101553949.0023Prasanna Jayawardene 6940450.5010

Performance of top batsmen for Sri Lanka against India at home in the 2000s

PlayerMatchesInningsRunsAverage100s50sMahela Jayawardene6957571.8732Kumar Sangakkara 6942553.1221Thilan Samaraweera/td>45346115.3321Tillakaratne Dilshan3418662.0010Prasanna Jayawardene 3410726.7500India go into the Test series with a significantly weakened bowling attack after the departure of Zaheer Khan, who has been the second-highest wicket taker against Sri Lanka in the 2000s after Harbhajan Singh. Apart from Harbhajan, who boasts a good record both home and away against Sri Lanka, the inexperienced bowlers will have their task cut out against a formidable Sri Lankan batting line-up. The performance of Indian bowlers against Sri Lanka in Tests this decade is summarised below.

Performance of Indian bowlers against Sri Lanka in the 2000s

PlayerMatchesWickets takenAverage5WI10WMHarbhajan Singh124733.7622Pragyan Ojha2928.6600Ishant Sharma4843.5000

Performance of Indian bowlers against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in the 2000s

PlayerMatchesWickets takenAverage5WI10WMHarbhajan Singh62037.1011Ishant Sharma3635.5000Muttiah Muralitharan’s impending retirement has been the talking point all around, and with good reason. He has undoubtedly been the best bowler from either side and has been a terrific matchwinner in home games. If he does go on to achieve the landmark of 800 wickets in his final Test, it could well be a winning performance. Ajantha Mendis was the star in 2008, picking up 26 wickets, and could be picked in the team after Muralitharan’s retirement. Rangana Herath and the inexperienced Chanaka Welegedara could have their hands full against the powerful Indian batting.

Performance of Sri Lankan bowlers against India in the 2000s

PlayerMatchesWicketsAverage5WI10WMMuttiah Muralitharan126928.9552Ajantha Mendis42822.8521Dilhara Fernando51143.6310Rangana Herath31148.8110Chanaka Welegedara3666.1600

Performance of Sri Lankan bowlers against India at home in the 2000s

PlayerMatchesWicketsAverage5WI10WMMuttiah Muralitharan64420.7042Ajantha Mendis32618.3821Dilhara Fernando3933.7710Much of the reason for Sri Lanka’s success, especially in home games, has been the performance of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Their partnerships this decade, which includes the record 624-run stand against South Africa, have been extremely productive. Against India, however, the record reads quite differently. An average of just 17 in home games and 19 in away games is well below their overall record and is something they would look to better in the forthcoming series.

Partnership record of Sangakkara-Jayawardene in the 2000s

OppositionInningsTotal Partnership runsHighest partnershipAverage100s50sIndia (in Sri Lanka)3514017.0000India (in India)61145719.0001All other teams66444062470.471119On the other hand, Gambhir and Sehwag have been exceptional in all conditions over the last few years and boast a great record in Sri Lanka. The opening pair, in just 50 Tests, is ranked among the most successful opening pairs of all time. They topped the batting averages when India last toured Sri Lanka, and much of India’s chances will depend on the starts they produce.

Partnership record of Gambhir-Sehwag in the 2000s

OppositionInningsTotal Partnership runsHighest partnershipAverage100s50sSri Lanka (in Sri Lanka)643116771.8313Sri Lanka (in India)637223362.0011All other teams31170121856.7049The table below summarises the overall batting and bowling performances of India and Sri Lanka in head-to-head contests in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka have bossed the contests, averaging much higher and also scoring 12 centuries to India’s one. On the bowling front too, Sri Lanka’s average is far better than India’s, and the visitors’ inexperienced bowling line-up will have its task cut out.

Overall performance of teams in India Sri Lanka Tests in Sri Lanka in 2000s

TeamMatchesRuns scoredBatting average100s50sWickets takenBowling average5WI10WMIndia6268324.171137340.1231Sri Lanka6285938.6312710626.2573Galle has been a pretty good venue for the home team, with seven wins and three defeats since 2000. There were no matches there for three years following the tsunami in 2004, but as the table below shows, Sri Lanka’s record in the last three years there has been almost as dominant as in the period between 2000 and 2004.

Batting and bowling performances of Sri Lanka and visiting teams at Galle

TeamMatchesRuns scoredBatting average100s50sWickets takenBowling average5WI10WMSri Lanka (before 2005)9461136.88112215328.46114Other teams (before 2005)9421427.01111411839.7241Sri Lanka (after 2005)4205433.12486826.6411Other teams (after 2005)4175823.13366034.7011

A wait-first-and-capitalise-later approach did the trick on the second day for the home side

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2010India are well placed for “moving day.” It’s what their bowling coach Eric Simons called days three and four, when the Test takes large strides towards its conclusion. And it was a patient wearing down of New Zealand, rather than a concerted attack, that allowed India to control the pace of the game and reach a position from where a strong batting performance on Sunday will give them command of the match.To achieve that, India used fields that weren’t popular. Harbhajan Singh began spells, even his first of the day, with a deep point and a long-off. In what appeared to be reactionary tactics, MS Dhoni sent fielders to protect the boundary immediately after Jesse Ryder or Tim Southee slogged Pragyan Ojha in a particular direction. Zaheer Khan had a third slip at the start of the day but watched an edge from Ryder fly wide of second slip in the seventh over.On Friday, the fields for Tim McIntosh had not been attacking either and singles were easily available as the batsman nudged and pushed his way through the nineties to his second international century. Martin Guptill, who was fighting to secure a Test berth, even spoke of his relief at some of the fields set because they allowed him to “just push it around and get off strike here and there.”India always had men in catching positions, though – a permutation of a couple of slips, a short leg, a silly point and a leg slip, waiting for the edge. But between them and the men in the deep, there were expanses of grass with singles for the taking. These in-and-out fields are the vogue and, on pitches where assistance for bowlers is minimal and shot-making is easy, they are effective because they keep the bowling side in the game for longer by controlling the run-rate, even if the wickets aren’t forthcoming. So despite India’s struggle for breakthroughs on day one, New Zealand managed only 258 and were only an early wicket or two away on the second morning from falling behind.And fall they did. Zaheer struck two momentum-wresting blows in the first half-hour after which Harbhajan capitalised to finish with four wickets. Everyone was caught at the wicket, lbw or stumped. Persevere for the breakthroughs, but let’s also keep New Zealand’s scoring in check, was the formula. New Zealand lost six wickets for 92 runs and ended with 350, a total Ryder felt wasn’t enough. “I think we are a good hundred runs short from what we wanted after the start we had yesterday,” he said at the end of play.

We are a good hundred runs short from what we wanted after the start we had yesterdayJesse Ryder

India’s wait-first-and-capitalise-later approach didn’t end there. Perhaps wary of the havoc Chris Martin had caused in the second innings in Ahmedabad, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir fought through a testing period with the new ball. Both batsmen struggled as Martin swung the ball in and Southee moved it out from tight lines and lengths. The openers attempted a few shots and were beaten but they stuck it out until the bowlers tired in the heat and their discipline wavered.Sehwag, who had pottered to 2 off 23 balls, got going soon after a change of bat in the eighth over. Gambhir, in the middle of a slump, attempted to emulate his partner with an unsuccessful waft outside off stump. Sehwag met him mid pitch immediately after and spoke while his partner listened.In the 16th over, after he had struggled to 16 off 48 deliveries, Gambhir played his first convincing shot on the off side – a cover drive against Southee – after which he looked up at the skies and said a few things to himself. Soon, his feet began to move smoothly, he began to place balls in gaps, and though he never matched Sehwag’s fluency, Gambhir had fought his way through a rut and was part of a century opening partnership for the first time since Dhaka in January. When Sehwag brought up India’s 100 with a drive through cover off Vettori, the batsmen met mid-pitch and punched gloves to celebrate. They would do so again a while later, when Gambhir steered Southee to the third-man boundary to reach his fifty.Gambhir and Sehwag eventually fell in successive overs – the 41st and 42nd – but because India had already knocked 160 off New Zealand’s total, the visitors will need a few more quick strikes on moving day to bring the Test back into balance.

Plays of the day from the second day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies in Galle

Andrew Fernando in Galle16-Nov-2010Miraculous healing of the day
Perhaps Angelo Mathews had taken a sip of some magical recuperative elixir during the tea break, but the man who had not been allowed to bowl a single delivery during the tour of Australia, and the first five sessions of this match due to a thigh strain, was handed the ball to bowl the first over of the evening session. The magic potion can’t have been that great, as the spell lasted just two overs, but I guess that there’s nothing like the opposition being five-hundred -and-something for three for your captain to suddenly forget that you’re injured.Road-safety-equipment imitation of the day
Shivnarine Chanderpaul took his reputation for having a safe pair of hands to a whole new level as he sported a pair of high-visibility batting gloves during his stay at the crease. Given that the fluorescent glow from the bright orange gloves was almost enough to blind spectators hundreds of metres away; it was a little puzzling as to how Chanderpaul himself maintained his concentration amidst the shimmering amber glare. Still, no chance of him being run over by a milk truck mid-innings, or being clipped by one of those pesky road cyclists while taking guard. You can never be too safe.The reprieve of the day
Because obviously, a guy who has scored 287 runs and completely demoralised the opposition attack in the process needs sympathy, umpire Richard Kettleborough decided to make absolutely sure that Chris Gayle was out when he was caught at short cover, by checking that Dammika Prasad had bowled a legitimate delivery. Sure enough, replays showed Prasad had overstepped, and Gayle was called back to continue rubbing the Sri Lanka bowlers into the dirt.Chris Gayle impression of the day
When Prasad thought he had had Gayle caught, the fast bowler chose to celebrate a wicket in the same way that Gayle had celebrated his century yesterday: by sprawling himself out on the pitch. What on earth is happening to the players in this game? Is someone slipping sleeping tablets into the water? Are the beds not quite luxurious enough for them in their five star hotels?Cinderella moment of the day
When Thilan Thushara misfielded an Andre Russell push at mid-off, the batsmen decided to scamper through for a single. Russell took off for the other end, but lost his shoe halfway down the pitch. No word yet on who will be playing the part of the handsome prince who will scour the lands in search of his one true love.

Pakistan won their first series since 2006 and continued to maintain their impressive win-loss record in New Zealand

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan19-Jan-2011It may have come as a surprise to many that Pakistan did not try to chase down New Zealand’s target of 274, but considering that they last won a series in 2006-07, their safe strategy was probably understandable. Pakistan, though, continued to maintain their excellent stats in New Zealand. Their record of eight wins in 15 matches in New Zealand since 1990 is level with Australia’s. Also, Pakistan continued their excellent run in Wellington, where they have not lost a single match since 1990.For New Zealand, however, this turned out to be yet another opportunity lost to register an elusive series win. They last won a Test series in 2005-06 (matches excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) against West Indies at home. Since then, their only series wins have come against Bangladesh and they have lost three of their last five home series.The defeat in the first Test was Vettori’s 16th as captain. Among the four New Zealand captains who have led the team in at least 20 Tests, his win-loss ratio of 0.37 is better only than John Reid’s 0.16.

Teams in New Zealand since 1990

TeamPlayedWonLostDrawnW-L ratioAustralia128224.00Pakistan158342.67England127233.50South Africa73133.00Sri Lanka112450.50India111460.25West Indies91440.25Pakistan were the more consistent side in both departments. Their bowling was much more lethal as they dismissed New Zealand for 110 in Hamilton and succeeded in bowling out the home team in all four innings. New Zealand, despite performing much better in Wellington, lacked the bowling firepower to bowl out Pakistan twice.

Batting and bowling stats of the two teams

TeamRuns scoredBatting average10050Wickets takenBowling average5WI10WMPakistan96338.52093826.6300New Zealand97924.47192538.8400Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan scored crucial half-centuries to help Pakistan salvage a draw in the second Test. Misbah has revelled in his captaincy role: he has scored six fifties in seven innings since taking over as captain and is just one fifty away from equalling the record of seven consecutive half-centuries.Younis, on the other hand, improved on his already outstanding fourth-innings record. Among batsmen with over 700 runs in the fourth innings, his average of 59.13 is second only to Don Bradman’s 73.40. Only two of his eight fifty-plus scores have come in victories, though.

Top batsmen in the fourth innings in Tests (min qualification 700 runs)

BatsmanMatchesRunsAverage10050Don Bradman1873473.4034Younis Khan2388759.1344Geoff Boycott36123458.7637Sunil Gavaskar34139858.2548Jack Hobbs2697957.5826Ricky Ponting51136254.4845Jesse Ryder had a career average of over 50 coming into this series against Pakistan. But his performance in this series was very poor, as he aggregated just 39 runs in four innings including two first-ball ducks, which resulted in his career average dropping to less than 45.Despite his troubles with captaincy, Vettori’s superb batting form continued. He scored his sixth Test century overall and his fourth as captain. Among New Zealand batsmen who have scored at least 1000 runs as captain, Vettori’s average of 39.12 is the fifth highest. His four-wicket haul in the first innings made him only the sixth player to score a century and pick up four wickets in an innings in the same match as captain.

Plays of the Day from the quarterfinal between India and Australia in Ahmedabad

Brydon Coverdale and Nagraj Gollapudi at Motera24-Mar-2011The shot of the day
At his best, Ricky Ponting makes batting look as easy as breathing. Unfortunately for Australia, his best has not often been seen in the past year. But when Ponting advanced down the pitch and lifted Yuvraj Singh over cover for six, it appeared as simple as playing a forward defence. Ponting played some fine shots in his innings, but that stroke, which took him to 72, was the “wow” moment.The non-appeal
R Ashwin was so certain that he had Cameron White caught behind in the 38th over that he didn’t even bother appealing, clapping as he walked down the wicket to congratulate MS Dhoni on the catch. There was just one problem. White wasn’t going anywhere, and the umpire Marais Erasmus hadn’t raised his finger. A review was inevitable, but the replays showed Erasmus was spot on – the ball had lobbed up off White’s forearm as he tried to sweep, and had not touched his gloves as the bowler thought.Munaf redux
When Brad Haddin flung hands, shoulders, bat and bloody murder straight towards Munaf Patel in his second over, the man called Munna would have seen his life – or at least the World Cup – flash in front of his eyes. When Kevin Pietersen had lashed one at him in Bangalore, Munaf had flung up his hands to stop the ball, landed on his derriere, and seen the ball pop up tamely for the easiest of return catches. In Ahmedabad, Haddin’s retort had been so fierce, that the ball burst through his palms and screamed all the way to the boundary.The Warne moment
Sachin Tendulkar brought the full house to its feet by coming on to bowl the 30 over. Having bowled a full toss on his second ball, Tendulkar might have given the Aussies a false sense of comfort. His next delivery was a perfect slow leg break, straight out of Shane Warne’s book. The flight was perfect, luring Ponting to come out, but then it dipped and then it turned square, leaving Ponting, the Indians and the 45,000 fans gasping.The DRS moment
India got their DRS reviews muddled not once but twice. Egged on by Munaf, Dhoni asked for a review when Brad Haddin was hit on the left thigh. Even the naked eye could tell that the ball, even if it had pitched on middle, was travelling over the stumps. Replays confirmed that and the Indians returned to business abashed. The second review was used unsuccessfully for the Ashwin-White appeal. Once strident opponents of the DRS, the Indians were in a rush to use it today, and eventually Ricky Ponting escaped a certain lbw shout when on 91.Catch controversy of the day
Ricky Ponting. India. A catch that fell short. It had all the combustible ingredients required for an A-grade blow-up. When Gautam Gambhir clipped a Shane Watson delivery to square leg and Ponting dived forward in an attempt to get his fingers under the ball. It wasn’t immediately clear whether a clean catch had been taken. But lest there be any flashbacks to Sydney, Ponting didn’t appear to claim the catch this time, and let the umpires decide what to do. They went upstairs for help and the TV official saw a replay that clearly showed the ball bouncing short of Ponting’s hands. The crowd was unhappy with the Australia captain, but he seemed to have done nothing wrong, uncertain if he had grasped the ball cleanly or not.Harikari of the day
Two overs, four balls, three run-out chances. India needed 94 with six still standing, Ricky Ponting, who could hit a bulls eye wearing a pirate’s patch a year ago, squandered the first juicy chance. Yuvraj Singh tapped Mitchell Johnson to the leg side, straight towards Ponting at midwicket. Yuvraj was disinclined to sprint, but his partner Gautam Gambhir was already out off the blocks. He was turned away by Yuvraj, was left stranded out of the crease, but Ponting who failed to pick up the ball cleanly, and when he did, his throw missed by inches.Two balls later there was more. Yuvraj played all over a fastish David Hussey delivery, and the ball rolled towards the unmanned leg side. Gambhir screamed for a single. Yuvraj, disinterested initially, started and stopped. Gambhir twisted and turned. But Brad Haddin, who had rushed to collect the ball threw to the wrong end. Gambhir, who was left stranded for the second time, walked back to safety. Amazingly the duo had another absolutely identical brain fade off the very next delivery. Gambhir was left stranded and fuming, and this time the Aussies made sure they were not going to let the Indian pair escape. Gambhir walked off shaking his head in disgust and mouthing abuse that would have horrified a few million parents watching with offspring for company.