A puzzling short-ball strategy let Australia off the hook as the bowlers lacked any real discipline or potency

Nagraj Gollapudi08-Jun-20231:49

Paras Mhambrey: ‘Pitch got flatter as the day progressed’

The picture of the day came midway into the final session when Travis Head leapt mid-air to fend off a beautiful but nasty short-pitched delivery from Mohammed Shami. Only Head knows how he managed to get out of the way safely from a delivery that would have grounded him if it made contact. With super-quick reflexes and agility, Head jumped to fend off the rising ball as he arched backwards while simultaneously dropping his hands, even as the ball thudded into KS Bharat’s gloves. The Indians in the crowd got off their seats with a huge shriek of excitement.Shami followed it by banging in another lifter. Head watched this one safely zip over his head and the outstretched hands of Bharat for four wides. It was that kind of day for India where their bowling plans looked in disarray. Their bowling line-up was debatable, and while the bowlers themselves were honest, barring Shami, they weren’t exactly disciplined, thus offsetting several moments of brilliance like the first of the above deliveries.That over was part of a short spell of short and aggressive fast bowling deployed by India from both ends, with Shami and Mohammed Siraj targeting Head. In the previous over, Siraj had floored Head with a delivery that kicked from short of a length, and then followed it up with another rising ball that Head gloved to his helmet, eventually facing a concussion test.Related

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But this late dose of aggression from India against Head had come in far too late: the left-hander was on 99 already. Why was Head allowed a free pass as soon as he arrived immediately into the second session? Head had faced just one short delivery in the first 29 balls. Not that he has any evident vulnerability against that type of ball, but an incisive bowling plan would comprise firing short deliveries on the middle- and-leg stump line while cramping Head for room with an aggressive field including a leg slip.That is what pundits on air suggested. Known for not being shy to take on the bowling in his new avatar, Head might have fallen for their trap.India’s bowling coach Paras Mhambrey admitted the team faltered targeting Head straightaway. “We definitely discussed this amongst our bowlers: we always felt that was one area we could exploit against him,” he said.Mhambrey revealed that captain Rohit Sharma felt pulling the trigger on the short-ball strategy as soon as Head replaced Marnus Labuschagne wouldn’t have been beneficial, even though it was part of the bowling plan. Head raced to 30 off 22 balls with six boundaries, and although he would soon be stabbed in the ribs by Siraj’s lifters, he kept getting up and looked to score runs despite not being completely in control against the short ball.”But we could have done it little earlier, may be 30-40 runs before this strategy could have been [used],” Mhambrey said. “But you have to trust the captain, you also go with his instincts, and he felt may be that situation [early on] wasn’t right to use that kind of a strategy. But I thought we could have done it a little earlier.”Rohit Sharma and Co made some questionable decisions on day one of the WTC final•AFP/Getty ImagesA formidable fast-bowling attack has been the backbone for India’s success overseas in the past. The one man missing from the line-up in this Test is Jasprit Bumrah, who is in rehab after a back surgery in March. But India have done well abroad even without Bumrah in the recent past only because the fast-bowling pack had shown patience, discipline and a killer instinct.While the cloudy conditions on Wednesday morning, prevailing over the past few days, played a huge role in Rohit putting Australia to bat, while also opting for a four-pronged pace attack instead of playing a second spinner in R Ashwin, he would have had the confidence in his bowling to not let the opponent get away.An hour into the morning, Australia were 29 for 1 after 12 overs with each of the openers playing out a maiden. However, the pressure lid put on them by the Shami-Siraj pair eased quickly as Warner blasted three consecutive fours off Umesh Yadav, who bowled just 14 overs in the day, and lacked control or potency. This was the same venue in 2021 where Umesh had troubled England with reverse swing and pace, and was India’s best bowler in that Test which the visitors had won. On the first day of the WTC final two years on, Umesh was a bystander.Shardul Thakur had started off with a good rhythm. He shaped the ball away, and was lucky to pick Warner off a delivery which could have been dispatched or left alone, but instead fetched him a wicket. But gradually, Thakur experimented with his line and length to Rohit’s chagrin at times, and could never create any consistent pressure.Ravindra Jadeja was not used until well into the second session•ICC/Getty ImagesAnother curious decision Rohit made was bowling his lone spinner Ravindra Jadeja well into the second session despite the left-arm spinner having a favourable match-up against Steven Smith in the recent Border-Gavaskar series in India. By then, Smith was on 28 and Head on 37, and Australia were 141 for 3. The Oval was draped in bright sunshine, and the pitch was starting to favour batting.While Mhambrey remained optimistic that India could still regain the initiative early on Thursday, especially with the second new ball which was taken shortly before stumps, the challenge would be to rejuvenate his tired fast men. Shami, Siraj and Thakur had delivered long spells, and by the end were landing on a braced front knee, a sign of the toil they had undergone. Overall, the false-shots percentage induced by each of the Indian quicks read like this: Shami (25), Siraj (25.44), Thakur (18.52). and Umesh (17.86)”In terms of the bowling, we could have been more disciplined, definitely,” Mhambrey said. “We started off very well; the first 12-15 overs we really hit the right areas. But after that we weren’t disciplined, and that’s one of the reasons we conceded a little more runs than we ideally would’ve preferred.”India started the day with consecutive maidens. They would walk back quietly after Smith had hit the last ball from Shami for another easy four. It was a forgettable start for an otherwise proud bowling unit.

England batter talks Ashes heroes, his upcoming IPL debut… and whether he could hit a home run in baseball

Matt Roller15-Mar-2023Harry Brook’s memories of watching Ashes series growing up are hazy. He did not watch much cricket on TV, because he was “always out trying to get in the nets, to play with my mates or my dad,” he explains.He used to watch the DVD highlights of the iconic 2005 series, but was six years old when it actually took place. “I have memories of Shane Warne, all the big fast bowlers, and obviously Kevin Pietersen… but it was a bit early.”It is no surprise that Pietersen stuck in Brook’s mind. He is an idol for a generation of English cricketers, and the similarities between the two are abundantly clear: tall, aggressive batters, who looked at home in international cricket right from the start of their England careers.Pietersen was an early advocate for Brook’s elevation to international cricket, having first watched him play for Northern Superchargers in the first season of the Hundred. They briefly crossed paths in January, when Pietersen was invited to an England training session in Bloemfontein.Related

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“I used to love watching him bat when I was younger,” Brook says. “He always looked to take the attack to bowlers and put them under pressure. In that aspect, I’m quite similar.” Brook believes there are some technical differences – “he was very wide-stanced… I’m fairly wide, but he’s a lot taller than me” – but the shades of Pietersen in his presence at the crease are unmistakable.Brook only turned 24 last month, but has achieved more than most England players do in their careers. He already has a T20 World Cup winners’ medal and four Test hundreds to his name, and will fly to India later this month to fulfil his INR 13.25 crore (£1.3m approx) contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad.He has made international cricket look straightforward over the last six months, lofting in-to-out sixes over extra cover and pulling good-length balls over midwicket. But he bristles at that very suggestion: “I never like saying any cricket’s easy – nothing’s easy. It can soon bite you in the arse if you say something like that.”He has only played six Tests, but Brook has already come to embody England’s focus on positivity since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took charge. He has scored at a fraction slower than a run a ball, the fastest strike rate of any England batter in the last nine months; his four centuries have taken 80, 137, 133 and 107 balls.”In cricket, I’ve got quite high hands when I’m batting but in baseball, they wanted me to get them above my head, nearly”•MLB”I’m very lucky to have come into this Test side,” Brook says. “The way we’re trying to play, the positive brand of cricket we’re trying to play to entertain the crowd – it suits my game more than any, really.”But he rejects the idea that he has set the standard for England’s more senior batters, instead highlighting his captain’s role. “I don’t feel like I’m leading at all: I’m just following orders,” he says, grinning. “Stokesy is leading at the minute: the way he’s going out and playing his cricket is so good to watch.”It’s not like we’re just going out and slogging. There is method behind the madness. Obviously we’re scoring at a quick rate, but I don’t feel like I’m going to get out. I feel like I’ve been pumped up with so much confidence going out, I feel like I can do anything.”And when we’re out there, we feel like we’re superhuman. Stokesy’s definitely leading from the front. There’s been a few dodgy dismissals, but if the captain’s getting out in funky ways as well, then it doesn’t really matter [if others are], does it?”We’re trying to play this positive brand of cricket, and entertain the world. We’re trying to put as much pressure on the bowler as we can, and be as positive as we can. The more positive you are, most of the time, you put them bad balls away, even if they’re [only] slightly off line or length.”Brook has been the busiest man in English cricket this winter, playing 41 days of international cricket spread across five different tours. He is one of five men to have appeared in all three formats for them in the last six months (Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks and Mark Wood are the others) and time at home has become increasingly rare.Bizarrely, and despite Yorkshire’s protestations, Brook only holds an incremental contract with the ECB; his international breakthrough came just too late to force his way onto the central contracts list for 2022-23, and there is no scope for players to be promoted to one mid-cycle.”The technology was ridiculous. The ball’s thrown outside your body and I’m used to hitting it through point, but they had all the TVs and iPads up where I’d usually hit the ball. It was hitting it quite close to where all the expensive stuff was, so they were getting a little bit scared. The amount of training, technology and analysis they go into is remarkable.”And did he pick anything up that might prove useful to his cricket? “A few things. Having a strong base is one of them… it’s similar to a golf swing at the end, your rotation of your hips and trying to use them for power. The lads there were stacked, they were massive, and they were saying all the power comes from the legs.”In his new role as an MLB Europe ambassador, Brook’s bats will feature a sticker of the league’s logo over the coming months – including in the Ashes this summer. His only experience of playing Test cricket at home to date was in his debut at The Oval, a “weird week” which saw the first two days lost to national mourning after the Queen’s death.”I’ve said so many times that Test cricket is the pinnacle of cricket. There’s no better format at the minute, and the way that we’re playing the game, we’re bringing more crowds and people wanting to watch us more. It’s definitely going to be a great summer of cricket; winning or losing side, it’s going to be really good to watch.”St. Louis Cardinals will play Chicago Cubs in the MLB World Tour: London Series 2023 on June 24-25 at London Stadium. Tickets are available now

The pick of our coverage of the England fast bowler over the years

01-Aug-2023As Stuart Broad calls time on his 17 years in international cricket, we look back at how we reported on the career of one of England’s leading fast bowlers.2008Profile: Geek god
England’s 638th Test player knows he can swing the ball pretty fast and accurately. By Edward CraigInterview: ‘I’m 22 and I’ve played close to 40 ODIs for England and I’m gaining in experience’
England’s promising new fast bowler is already a seasoned campaigner at 22. By Nagraj Gollapudi2009Match analysis: Broad reaches hero status
Broad’s five wickets gave England a chance to regain the Ashes at The Oval. By Peter EnglishInterview: Face of a child, mind of McGrath
The kid who almost missed the boat has grown up fast, physically and mentally. By Daniel Brigham2012Interview: ‘I learned pretty quickly to mix it up’
Ahead of Stuart Broad’s 50th Test appearance, and 100th first-class game, he reflects on his career to date. By George Dobell2013Feature: The delights and frustrations of Stuart Broad
His ability should make him a national treasure but there is an element to Stuart Broad that gets fans gnashing their teeth. By Jarrod Kimber2015Match analysis: Broad produces his golden day
Having played little brother to James Anderson for so long, Stuart Broad stepped up to replace England’s attack leader with 8 for 15 at Trent Bridge. By George DobellESPNcricinfo Awards 2015: Test bowling winner: Stuart Broad’s remarkable, absurd day
Broad’s 8 for 15 against Australia at Trent Bridge. By George DobellWatch: Broad explains #Broadface
The fast bowler explains his shocked expression when Ben Stokes took an incredible catch off his bowling at Trent Bridge, and the memes that followedProfile: The English Aussie
Stuart Broad is one of England’s finest. Yet he is baited abroad and only grudgingly admired back home. By Rob Smyth2016Interview: ‘I’d rather be the guy you can turn to in a high-pressure scenario than a dead rubber’
Stuart Broad looks back on a satisfying year in Test cricket, and especially the spells at Trent Bridge and Wanderers. By Andrew Miller The joy of stupendous Stu
Andy Zaltzman looks at some of Broad’s statistically provable destruction-bringing, series-turning credentials (and a few meltdowns)Hate to Love: A touch of Pakistani mayhem
Broad is easy to hate – until he conjures up one of his cathartic spells of fast bowling. By Ahmer NaqviESPNcricinfo Awards 2016: Test bowling winner: Stuart Broad, serial destroyer
Broad’s 6 for 17 against South Africa in Johannesburg. By Andrew Miller2017Analysis: The voice from outside the bubble
Meet Steffan Jones, the coach who helped Broad recover his pace and movement. By George DobellHate to Love: Schadenbroad
Broad’s audacity was aggravating, but you had to admire it too, however grudgingly. By Brydon Coverdale2018Watch: Inside Stuart Broad’s pub
When he’s not bowling fast, he’s pulling pints at the Cat and the Wickets pub2019Stats feature: James Anderson and Stuart Broad: 1000 Test wickets between them
A breakdown of the numbers as England’s leading Test wicket-takers reach a combined four figures. By Alan GardnerWatch: ‘Yuvraj’s six sixes made me the bowler I am’
Broad remembers that record-breaking over in Durban during the 2007 T20 World Cup2020Watch: Anderson and Broad discuss retirement
Broad explains why he won’t continue to bowl for as long as Anderson hasFeature: Stuart Broad takes 500: England’s spring-heeled superstar
On the day he took his 500th Test wicket, he evoked memories of the great Curtly Ambrose. By Andrew MillerStuart Broad – topping the finest, triggering collapses, getting better with age
A look at the numbers of the fourth fastest bowler to 500 wickets. By Bharath Seervi and S Rajesh2021Match analysis: Stuart Broad’s subtleties prove the old dog isn’t done with learning
Three first-day wickets in Galle set agenda for England and scotch some preconceptions. By Andrew Miller2022Match analysis: Stuart Broad steals back the limelight, just when it seems he’s being shunted out of it
Against South Africa at Old Trafford the loss of the new ball was the catalyst for another key display by the veteran. By Vithushan Ehantharajah2023Watch: The many milestones of Stuart Broad
He is the fifth bowler to reach 600 Test wickets, and England’s leading wicket-taker in the AshesBroad’s magnificent seven
Looking back at some of Broad’s most memorable spells in Test cricket

All the landmarks and milestones reached by South Africa – some in tandem with Sri Lanka – in a run-fest in Delhi

Sampath Bandarupalli07-Oct-2023428 for 5 – South Africa’s total against Sri Lanka in Delhi is the highest in the men’s ODI World Cup, surpassing the 417 for 5 by Australia against Afghanistan in 2015. It is also the highest ODI total against Sri Lanka, surpassing India’s 414 for 7 in 2009 in Rajkot.8 – Totals of 400-plus for South Africa in ODIs, the most for any team. Three of those have come at the World Cup, while all the other teams have two 400-plus scores in total.3 – Hundreds in South Africa’s innings, the first such instance in the World Cup – Quinton de Kock (100), Rassie van der Dussen (108) and Aiden Markram (106).3 – Previous instances of three players scoring hundreds in the same ODI innings. Two of them were by South Africa in 2015 – against West Indies in Johannesburg and India in Mumbai. England had three centurions when they made 498 against the Netherlands last year.100 off 49 balls – Markram scored the fastest hundred in the ODI World Cup, breaking the 50-ball mark set by Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien against England in 2011.4 – Consecutive 300-plus totals for South Africa in ODIs; they had scored three in a row during the recent home series against Australia. It is the first time South Africa have made 300-plus totals in four consecutive ODIs.204 – Partnership runs between de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen, the highest for South Africa against Sri Lanka in ODIs.17 – ODI hundreds for de Kock before his maiden World Cup century on Saturday against Sri Lanka. No batter has scored more ODI tons before a maiden World Cup century.4 – Number of specialist Sri Lanka bowlers who conceded 80-plus runs against South Africa – Kasun Rajitha (90), Dilshan Madushanka (86), Matheesha Pathirana (95) and Dunith Wellalage (81). It is the second instance of four bowlers conceding 80-plus runs in a men’s ODI innings. Netherlands suffered the same when they faced England in Amstelveen last year.754 – Runs scored in total by South Africa and Sri Lanka in Delhi, making it the highest aggregate for a men’s ODI World Cup match. The previous highest was 714 runs between Australia and Bangladesh during the 2019 edition at Trent Bridge.31 – Sixes hit by South Africa and Sri Lanka in Delhi, thejoint-second most for a World Cup game. The 2019 game between England and Afghanistan in Manchester featured 33 sixes, while New Zealand and West Indies collectively hit 31 sixes in Wellington in the quarter-final of the 2015 edition.

And did Yashasvi Jaiswal have the highest score for an opener on Test debut?

Steven Lynch18-Jul-2023In Dominica, R Ashwin bowled Tagenarine Chanderpaul, having already dismissed his father in a Test. How many people have achieved this double? asked Ahson Atif from India, among others
India’s R Ashwin completed this rare feat by bowling Tagenarine Chanderpaul in the first Test against West Indies in Roseau last week; he’d dismissed Tagenarine’s father, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, four times in Tests in 2011 and 2013.Ashwin was the fifth bowler to dismiss a father and a son in a Test. The previous two also involved the Chanderpauls: Mitchell Starc of Australia, and the South African offspinner Simon Harmer have also accounted for both. The first two cases involved the New Zealanders Lance and Chris Cairns, who were both dismissed by Ian Botham and Wasim Akram.Did Yashasvi Jaiswal break the record for the highest score by an opener on Test debut? asked Priyanth Kumar from India
The Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 171 on his Test debut against West Indies in Roseau last week. He was the 17th Indian to score a century on Test debut, and the third opener.The highest score by any opener on debut is 201 not out, by Sri Lanka’s Brendon Kuruppu, against New Zealand in Colombo in 1986-87. The only other double-century – and the highest by a left-hander – was Devon Conway’s 200 for New Zealand against England at Lord’s in 2021.Next, and the highest for India, comes the 187 of Shikhar Dhawan, against Australia in Mohali in 2012-13.Earlier this summer Pat Cummins won three successive Tests after losing the toss. Was this a record? asked Rahul Sompura on Facebook
Although Pat Cummins lost the toss in the World Test Championship final against India and the first two Ashes Tests, Australia won all three matches. This turns out to be the 15th occasion a captain has lost the toss but won three Tests in a row. There are five cases of four – by Australia’s Warwick Armstrong (starting in 1921), Viv Richards (1988-89), Stephen Fleming (2005-06), Graeme Smith (2008-09) and Steven Smith (2017-18). But leading the way, with five successive Tests won after losing the toss, is MS Dhoni, in a sequence that started in 2013. Shivnarine Chanderpaul lost seven successive Tests after losing the toss, starting in 2005-06.This strikes me as a rather contrived record, as it relies on the captain being repeatedly unlucky at the toss, which is unusual – even though England’s Nasser Hussain once lost ten tosses in a row (Dhoni and Sunil Gavaskar come next, with nine). Perhaps a better marker is successive Tests won after losing the toss (ignoring matches where the toss was won); Australia won 12 in a row in which Ricky Ponting lost the toss from 2007-08, and South Africa 11 under Graeme Smith (starting 2008-09). Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh lost eight successive Tests in which he won the toss, starting in 2018.MS Dhoni went on to win five successive Tests at home after losing the toss, starting in 2013•BCCIWhat is the lowest number of wickets a team has lost while winning a Test match? asked Sanket Amdalli from the United Arab Emirates
There have now been five Test matches in which the winning side lost only two wickets, all of them innings victories. The most recent was by South Africa (637 for 2 declared) over England (385 and 240) at The Oval in 2012, in the match in which Hashim Amla scored 311 not out. South Africa also beat Bangladesh in Chattogram in April 2003 while losing only two wickets.The first three instances were all by England: against South Africa at Lord’s in 1924, New Zealand at Headingley in 1958, and India at Edgbaston in 1974.There are 11 further Tests in which the winning side lost only three wickets, the most recent by Sri Lanka against Ireland in Galle earlier this year.George Headley played Test cricket against Wilfred Rhodes, who made his debut in 1899, and also against Tom Graveney, whose last Test was in 1969 – a total span of 70 years. Has any other Test player covered a longer period with opponents and/or team-mates? asked Stephen Parker from Australia
The 70-year span you mention for the great West Indian George Headley actually comes in second on this particular list: in his first Test, England’s Wilfred Rhodes played alongside WG Grace (debut 1880) and in 1929-30, against Headley, who played on till 1953-54, a total span of more than 73 years.Freddie Brown of England played alongside Frank Woolley (debut August 1909) and Brian Close, whose last match was in July 1976 – a span of almost 67 years. George Gunn played against Australia’s Syd Gregory (debut 1890) and Headley, whose last Test was in 1953-54 (total span more than 63 years), while Woolley played against Gregory and with Brown, whose last Test was in 1953 (span almost 63 years. Here’s the list of the longest Test careers .Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

They seem to complement each other well, guiding the team through the middle overs to facilitate a late onslaught

Madushka Balasuriya20-Jun-2023Sri Lanka’s opening game of the World Cup Qualifier was pretty much as textbook an execution of their game plan as head coach Chris Silverwood could have hoped for.The top order set a platform, the middle order kept things ticking, the set batters then began the acceleration in that brief period between the 30th and 40th over, before the launch was executed consummately at the death. The bowlers, led by Wanindu Hasaranga, then proved just too good for some admittedly spirited UAE batters.Now, as to whether Sri Lanka can put together such performances consistently remains a pertinent question for another day, but what we did learn from this resounding victory was that this is most definitely a side making rapid progress.Related

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Sure there are still problems to be addressed, a seam-bowling unit that needs to be wrapped in cotton wool and an opening pair that consume dot balls like they’re hard-boiled eggs, are two very pertinent ones. But, whisper it quietly, despite all their recent chaos, in Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sri Lanka may finally be coming close to resolving their longstanding middle-order woes – ironic since both batters are arguably better served at the top of the order.While a majority of their interactions in the middle have been for the Sri Lankan Under-19 side – they’ve played just six ODIs alongside each, of which three have come in the past month – it seems that they have nevertheless found in each other kindred spirits.For all of Mendis’ brashness and tendency to throw away promising platforms, Samarawickrama seems well equipped at ushering his former Under-19 captain through the middle overs and into the point in the game in which most damage can be done.While this strategy has admittedly fallen short in the two games this year that both have partnered up – Mendis falling for 78 against both Afghanistan and UAE – both games have nevertheless seen the pair combine to guide Sri Lanka through the middle overs and catalyse a late-overs onslaught.In the second ODI against Afghanistan earlier this month, they put on an 88-run stand at a little over a run-a-ball having joined up in the 23rd over – a partnership in which the highlight was a purposeful upping of the scoring rate from overs 30-35. A carbon copy of this blueprint was put into effect against the UAE, with the pair coming together in the 27th over and putting together a 105-run partnership off just 79 deliveries. It’s no coincidence that in both matches Sri Lanka have managed to surpass the 300-mark, a feat they’ve otherwise rarely accomplished over the past five years.But where Sri Lanka are truly fortunate, is that these two players seem to be linking up at just the right times in their respective careers.Sri Lanka are now reaping the rewards for keeping their faith in Kusal Mendis, even when he showed a downturn in form•AFP/Getty ImagesIt’s a fascinating microcosm of the chaotic progression structure of Sri Lanka’s cricketing setup, that despite both Mendis and Samarawickrama having come through the same Under-19 batch, they’ve had such diverging paths to the national side.Mendis, of course, was the older and more highly regarded of the two, having been captain of the Under-19 side and known for his brazen stroke play. He made his Test debut in 2015 aged just 20, and by the end of his sophomore year had notched a match winning 176 against Australia, as well as a handful of ODI fifties.As for Samarawickrama, his route to the national side was more winding. He scored a fluent 38 on Test debut against Pakistan in 2017, but following a chastening tour of India later that year was left out of the Test side for six years. He wouldn’t return until earlier this year against Ireland, when he registered a maiden Test ton. Meanwhile in ODIs and T20Is his inclusion was sporadic, never truly grabbing his chance but also never really being given a run of games to find his footing – another victim of a particularly dire period in Sri Lankan cricket, in which selection was at its most volatile.During this period, only a handful of players remained mainstays, one of whom was Mendis. While this spell coincided with a prolonged period of inconsistency, the selectors still kept their faith in a man seen as one of the stars of the future. That faith is now being handsomely repaid but it wasn’t without its trials. Coming through in an age in which social media was gaining increasing prevalence, Mendis’ downturn in form made him a prime target for the ire of disgruntled fans, which in turn impacted his performances further. He struggled off the field too, suspended for his role in breaking Covid protocols alongside Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka.But upon his return from suspension, a more focused version of Mendis emerged. Last year saw him rack up 388 runs in ODIs at an average of 48.50, his best non-Covid impact in the calendar year since 2016, which was when he made his debut. In T20Is too he found another gear, consistently setting the tone at the top of the order, and playing an integral role in Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup triumph.Samarawickrama, in the meantime, was grinding the domestic circuit, patiently waiting for his opportunity – which given past evidence, something there was no guarantee would come. But it was his performances in last year’s Lanka Premier League, which arguably turned the tide in his favour. Scoring 294 runs at an average of 58.8 and a strike rate of 131.25 for champions Jaffna Kings, Samarawickrama was named Player of the Series, but more importantly his versatility across the batting order proved invaluable.Sadeera Samarawickrama’s temperament has been his best quality•ICC/Getty ImagesThis earned him a recall to the limited-overs and eventually Test squads, but even then it was only following a failed flirtation with Angelo Mathews that Samarawickrama eventually got his break in the playing XI. This time though he took his chance.If the Samarawickrama that was first called up all those years ago was an impetuous top-order batter prone to lapses in concentration, now his temperament is arguably his best quality.Against the UAE, he racked up 21 singles, but once it was time to pick up the pace, he had the ability and wherewithal to shift gears as needed. Having scored just two boundaries across his first 39 deliveries, he would score seven more across the next 25 balls faced – motoring from 31 off 39 to his eventual score of 73 off 64.”I was planning to go for a big one, but from a team point of view, I had to go for runs at that point,” Samarawickrama would state after the game. “I knew that there were power hitters to come after me, so I was just looking at scoring two boundaries an over at that stage.”What must be pointed out here is also the knock on effect on Mendis, someone who has in the past shown a propensity to get bogged down, unable to rotate the strike, and then lose his wicket trying to break free. With Samarawickrama by his side, he’s running more – against the UAE he ran 27 singles – and conversely feeling less pressure to search for the boundary.The next step is in getting Mendis to be around at the death, something that is likely a large part of Sri Lanka’s game plan if their World Cup campaign is to be any kind of success. Fortunately for them, in Samarawickrama they might just have found the ideal foil to help get him there more often than not.

Plenty is going well for Pat Cummins’ team, but an ongoing concern nearly came back to bite them against New Zealand

Alex Malcolm31-Oct-20231:53

Moody: ‘Warner bringing a T20 approach to ODIs’

The Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne questionAustralia have become the first side in men’s ODI history to post three consecutive totals of 350 or more. It’s hard to believe that there are any weaknesses in the batting armour when such scores are being posted so consistently. But the middle-order has not contributed greatly in those innings and has even been a hindrance at times that has only been rescued by the incredible late-order hitting of Glenn Maxwell, with support from Josh Inglis and Pat Cummins in the last game in particular.Australia slumped from 252 for 0 to 363 for 9 against Pakistan, scoring just 108 in the last 16.1 overs. They fell from 244 for 2 to 290 for 6 against Netherlands before Maxwell unleashed fury with a 40-ball century, and against New Zealand crawled from 200 for 1 in the 24th over to 274 for 5 in the 39th over before Maxwell, Inglis and Cummins clubbed their way to 388. But they also lost 4 for 1 in the last two overs.Related

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Stats: Runs galore, Australia's record victory, and Bas de Leede's unwanted feat

Smith will do 'what's best for the team' – Cummins

“They’ll be relief from the Australians, no doubt about it. If it [the New Zealand game] had snuck away from them, their batting through the middle of their innings was deplorable,” Ricky Ponting said on the host broadcast.The openers, led by David Warner alongside either Travis Head orMitchell Marsh have been laying superb platforms, but Australia have been unable to maintain the momentum.Marsh looked very uncomfortable starting against spin having been moved to No. 3 against New Zealand following Head’s return and was a big reason for the go-slow. Meanwhile, Smith has voiced his displeasure about batting at No. 4. Labuschagne played well against Netherlands but has not been able to capitalise on starts otherwise in the tournament with an overall strike-rate of 77.30.Unlike the two other form sides in the tournament, India and South Africa, and to a lesser degree New Zealand with Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, Australia’s middle order looks like a weak point. Marsh and Smith in particular need to find a way to gel at No. 3 and 4 if the openers have made a big start. Or Australia need to be more flexible with their order, as they were without success against Pakistan, and send out better starters against spin ahead of Marsh to keep the momentum moving through the middle-overs.Marcus Stoinis has only played three games in the tournament due to injuries•AFP/Getty ImagesWhat is the role for Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green?Australia had long planned to play a bevy of allrounders in their line-up in this World Cup to give them options in this tournament. They had played XIs in the previous 12 months with four allrounders in them, including Marsh, Maxwell, Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis with one of them batting at No. 8 to strengthen the batting and give a multitude of bowling options.In the last game, they picked just Maxwell and Marsh and the latter only bowled two overs for 18. Stoinis’ fitness is a major concern. He’s played just three matches in five weeks and bowled just nine overs in the tournament. He missed the first game against India with a hamstring problem and has missed the last two with a calf niggle.It was telling, too, that Green, who had already been dropped for Stoinis, played against the Netherlands but didn’t bowl and then was squeezed out when Head returned against New Zealand. Australia’s selectors preferred the more in-form specialist batter in Labuschagne to retaining Green as an all-round option, showing faith in their specialist bowlers and Maxwell to do the job, which they were just barely able to do.But if a bowler goes the journey again, like Mitchell Starc did in Dharamsala, it leaves them vulnerable, particularly if they don’t score enough runs. If Stoinis is fully fit, he will likely be named in their first-choice XI as it strengthens the bowling and the death-hitting and potentially means the middle-order is less one-dimensional.However, it means one of Smith or Labuschagne would make way leaving the middle-to-lower order heavily reliant on Maxwell who has been most effective when he is held back for the final 12 overs.Pat Cummins relied on Mitchell Starc to bowl the last over against New Zealand•AFP/Getty ImagesMitchell Starc yet to sparkleMitchell Starc is not the same bowler he has been in past editions of the World Cups where his record marks him down as an all-time great. His record 22-game World Cup wicket-taking streak ended against New Zealand when he gave up 89 from nine overs. He found a way to survive the final over with 19 runs to play with but it wasn’t pretty.The Dharamsala surface was not kind to the faster bowlers in general which puts his off-colour performance in context, but his overall tournament has not been great. Australia have been one of the poorest-performing teams in terms of new ball bowling, which is Starc’s specialty.He did have a compromised preparation due to ongoing groin soreness that has lingered since the Ashes and it may explain why he hasn’t been as explosive. But Australia need a bigger contribution from him. They do not have a like-for-like left-arm option in the squad if Starc does need a rest with Sean Abbott the only back-up pace bowling support.

Virat Kohli goes level with Sachin Tendulkar as India continue their charge at the World Cup. Will they go all the way?

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2023Was Virat Kohli’s record-equaling century inevitable? How important is Rohit Sharma’s approach to this unbeaten run? Can India win it all without dropping a single game? In the latest episode of , Kaustubh Kumar is joined by Karthik Iyer and S Sudarshanan to discuss India’s campaign so far, after they beat South Africa emphatically at Eden Gardens.

Mumbai has been the go-to venue for women’s cricket in the recent years. But it’s a welcome change with Bengaluru hosting this WPL

Ashish Pant22-Feb-2024Grace Harris, the Australia and UP Warriorz batter, is on her fourth trip to India. She has barely seen anything beyond Mumbai’s Marine Drive and the route along the expressway to the DY Patil Stadium. Bengaluru, which is hosting the second edition of WPL, is a welcome change.Harris isn’t the only one. Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning, a global superstar who scorched the international scene for 13 years, hadn’t played any cricket in Bengaluru. On Thursday, the former Australia captain was at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first time.It’s not like seasoned international players haven’t been keen on playing elsewhere. Mumbai had until now been the go-to venue for women’s cricket in recent years, because of logistical issues, Covid-19 pandemic, or crunched calendars. But with this year’s WPL, the BCCI has finally extended the canvas with the tournament equally split – 11 games each – between Bengaluru and New Delhi.Related

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“I have not been to Bangalore before, so it’s nice to experience a new city,” Lanning said at the inaugural press conference on Thursday. “I have personally thoroughly enjoyed it thus far and I know the other girls have as well.”Like anywhere in India, they’re cricket mad…love their cricket and support it extremely well and that will certainly play out as the games go here. I think it is great that the WPL is able to move around and be in different cities to expose the game to different fans and new fans, hopefully.”I have only just sort of seen the stadium for the first time over the last couple of days, but it looks a pretty cool stadium. Hopefully, there are a lot of people here tomorrow night and throughout the tournament to experience the WPL. It is certainly a great spectacle.”Four of the five teams arrived in the city over ten days ago, camping at different hotels, and setting base at different training centers across the city. There have been no favours for even the supposed hosts, Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have had to at times travel an hour towards the outskirts to train at Just Cricket Academy near the international airport. That’s because teams have been allotted training sessions equally at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

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King Queen #YehHaiNayiDilli #TATAWPL #ShahrukhKhan #MegLanning |… pic.twitter.com/iynVjwH1jg

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) February 22, 2024