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Australia have outclassed England in nearly every series played in the last decade but will be challenged by an England team in top form in home ODIs

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan28-Jun-2012History strongly favours Australia
After struggling for more than a decade, England turned the tables on Australia in Tests in recent years by dominating the last two Ashes series and winning three of the last four Test series between the two teams. However, England have never quite been able to lift themselves similarly in ODIs against Australia. In both the ODI series following the Ashes (2009 and 2011), Australia trounced England by a 6-1 margin. The solitary series success for England against Australia in recent years was in the home series in 2010 when they edged Australia 3-2. England, however, have not lost a single home series since the loss against Australia in 2009 and are on a six-match winning streak. Australia, on the other hand, have been unable to maintain their lofty standards in the last two years. They failed to reach the semi-final stage in the World Cup for the first time since 1992. However, they regrouped and went on to win ODI series in Sri Lanka and South Africa before triumphing in the Australian tri-series. In their last series against West Indies, which ended 2-2, their form was patchy as the batsmen struggled on the slow pitches.Overall, Australia lead England comfortably in the head-to-head contests, winning 57 and losing 42 matches. While England have been outclassed in Australia (20 wins and 36 losses), they have been more competitive in home matches (20 wins and 25 losses). In neutral venues, Australia have once again been the dominant team, winning six out of eight matches. Australia have by far been the better team in global tournaments, winning three consecutive World Cups and the last two editions of the Champions Trophy. In contrast, England have made just one major final (Champions Trophy in 2004) in the same time period and have lost to Australia in three of the last four global tournaments. Considering Australia’s world-beating run between 1999 and 2007, it is hardly surprising that the contests against England have been thoroughly one-sided. Since 2000, Australia have a win-loss ratio of 3.00 (33 wins and 11 losses) in head-to-head contests against England. The ratio drops only slightly (2.37) in ODIs played since 2007.

Australia’s record v England in ODIs

MatchesWinsLossesW/L ratioOverall11357421.35In Australia5736201.80In England4825201.25Neutral venues8623.00Global Tournaments9632.00Since 20004633113.00Since 2007271982.37Recent home form boosts England
In 2005, England pulled off a remarkable upset in the Ashes by winning their first series against Australia in 19 years. They threatened to win the ODI tri-series before the Ashes but Australia fought back in the final to ensure that the game ended in a tie. Following a 5-0 Test drubbing in Australia the following year, England stunned Australia by winning the CB series. Since then, however, England have almost always been on the receiving end in head-to-head contests. Australia comfortably beat England in the 2007 World Cup and crushed them 6-1 in the ODI series in England in 2009. In the semi-final of the Champions Trophy in 2009, Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting scored centuries as Australia completed a nine-wicket win.The batting and bowling stats in these series clearly reflect Australia’s dominance. In 2005 (tri-series and NatWest Challenge in England), Australia had the better batting average and run-rate. Although they lost the CB series in 2006-07, the average difference (difference between batting averages of Australia and England) and run-rate difference (difference between run-rates of Australia and England) were in Australia’s favour. In the 2009 series in England, which Australia won 6-1, the average difference was 14.40 in favour of Australia. England have clearly struggled in global tournaments and lag behind by a huge margin on the average and run-rate front (average difference of 62.07 and run-rate difference of 0.64). Considering their vastly inferior head-to-head record, England’s only hope has to be their excellent run in home ODIs since the beginning of 2010. In the same period, the average difference and run-rate difference for England are 5.30 and 0.38 respectively.

Stats of the two teams in series since 2005 (head-to-head matches only)

SeriesYearMatchesWins/Losses (Australia)Bat avg (Australia)Bat avg (Eng)Avg diffRR (Aus)RR(Eng)RR diffTri-series/Natwest Challenge in England200573/236.6032.544.065.024.560.46CB series in Australia2006-0763/331.0226.484.545.014.700.31Natwest series in England200976/139.4025.0014.405.154.860.29Natwest series in England201052/335.6928.587.115.225.100.12ODI series in Australia2010-1176/136.1927.258.945.495.250.24World Cup/Champions Trophy matches2007/2006 and 200933/084.5022.4362.075.364.720.64Australia light on batting
Ponting, no longer a part of Australia’s ODI team, is likely to be missed in the upcoming series. He jointly held the record for the most ODI centuries (five) against England and also averaged 48.42. In the absence of the highly consistent Michael Hussey, the pressure will be enormous on Shane Watson. Watson has been in top form in ODIs in the last few years and has set himself apart in chases. Among batsmen with 1000 runs in chases, Watson is the only batsman to average over 50 and have a strike rate over 90. He holds the record for the top three scores by Australian batsmen in ODI chases, including 161 and 136 against England in Melbourne and Centurion respectively. David Warner, who will partner Watson at the top of the order, has established himself as a dangerous player in the shorter form. Warner made two consecutive centuries in the finals of the CB series and will be the key to providing Australia with a strong start. Michael Clarke has enjoyed his best batting form since taking over as Australia’s captain. With Hussey missing out, Clarke will need to prop up middle order for an Australian team that is thin on batting.England’s worries about the absence of Kevin Pietersen have been assuaged to an extent by the form of Alastair Cook and Ian Bell. Cook, a slow starter in ODIs, has reinvented himself in the last two years. Not only has he averaged an excellent 54.13, he has also scored at superb strike rate of 91.47. With Bell running into form against West Indies, England’s openers (including Pietersen) have scored a century in each of the last six innings. The presence of the highly reliable Jonathan Trott (average 49.25) and the dangerous Eoin Morgan gives the England batting line-up a more settled look before the five-match series.

Batsmen from both teams since 2009

BatsmanInningsRunsAverageSR100/50Shane Watson77319444.9891.915/20David Warner2787633.6985.792/4Michael Clarke70287651.3577.624/21Alastair Cook24119154.1391.474/8Ian Bell3093034.4480.101/5Jonathan Trott44192149.2576.993/15Lee leads excellent pace attack
Despite an injury-ridden career, Brett Lee has managed to retain his pace and aggression. His display in the rain-affected ODI against Ireland will undoubtedly give him confidence ahead of the England series. Lee, just two wickets away from surpassing Glenn McGrath as the leading wicket-taker in ODIs for Australia, is by far the most successful bowler against England. Lee has 64 wickets in 34 matches at an excellent average of 22.0 with three five-wicket hauls. His stats are equally good in ODIs played since the start of 2009 (76 wickets at 23.61). Mitchell Johnson, who was left out of the squad after an ordinary display in South Africa, is back in the reckoning again. Johnson, one of only four bowlers with 100-plus wickets since 2009, provides Australia with a useful all-round option given his batting ability. Along with the in-form Clint McKay (52 wickets at 21.84), Watson also strengthens Australia’s bowling department.In conditions that aid swing and movement, James Anderson and Stuart Broad are among the most dangerous bowlers. Although both bowlers have an economy rate higher than five, their wicket-taking ability in the opening overs has proved crucial for England. Steve Finn, who picked up two consecutive four-wicket hauls in the ODIs against Pakistan, is an excellent back-up pace option. England are also likely to play Tim Bresnan, who can contribute on the batting front. Graeme Swann, who bowled England to their solitary win against Australia in the home ODI series in 2009, provides England with the much-needed variety in the bowling attack. Swann has not only demonstrated a knack of picking up important wickets but has also proved to be extremely economical (economy rate of 4.41).

Bowler stats for the teams since 2009

BowlerMatchesWicketsAverageER4WI/5WIBrett Lee457623.614.893/1Mitchell Johnson6510326.334.934/1Clint McKay285221.844.802/2Shane Watson798325.534.751/0James Anderson558529.215.162/1Stuart Broad478326.515.417/0Graeme Swann547725.244.412/1Teams batting first have enjoyed a slight advantage (5-4) at Lord’s and The Oval, which are the venues for the first two matches. In Edgbaston, where the third ODI is to be played, teams chasing have failed to win even a single game. At both Lord’s and The Oval, the first-innings average and run-rate is significantly better than the corresponding numbers in the second innings. The contrast is even more pronounced in Edgbaston where the average difference and run-rate difference (12.58 and 1.15) are strongly in favour of teams batting first. At Old Trafford, where the averages are significantly lower than those at the other grounds, chasing teams have found the going better. Spinners have a better average than pace bowlers at Lord’s but have struggled at The Oval and Edgbaston. However, at Chester-le-Street, spinners have comfortably outperformed the fast bowlers both in terms of the average and economy rate.

Venue stats in England since 2007

GroundMatchesWins/losses (batting first)1st inns (avg/RR)2nd inns (avg/RR)Pace (avg,ER)Spin (avg,ER)Lord’s105/431.97/5.0329.54/4.9732.93/4.9529.91/4.48The Oval95/435.05/5.4426.98/5.0634.25/5.1737.56/5.07Edgbaston54/037.72/6.2325.14/5.0829.01/5.5270.62/5.59Chester-le-Street42/136.82/5.5123.96/4.9339.90/5.3022.40/4.84Old Trafford31/223.86/4.7526.11/4.6625.32/4.8326.72/4.25

Grilled-chicken fiend Ajmal Shahzad is quite the mimic when it comes to other bowlers

Interview by Myles Hodgson04-Jun-2012You have just moved from your native Yorkshire to Lancashire on loan. There were several other counties interested in you, so why did you choose Lancashire?
There were a few reasons. Glen Chapple has been on the top of his game for the last few years and I want to learn as much as I can off him before he decides to call it a day. I wanted to work with Peter Moores as well. I’ve heard rave reviews about him as a coach and hopefully he can help develop my game.Presumably moving to Lancashire meant you also didn’t have to travel far from where you live?
Locality was also important. I didn’t want to be travelling up and down the country or moving about too much. I just wanted to go somewhere and start playing some cricket. I’m on the road a bit now, travelling from Yorkshire, staying in hotels, and the odd night with Ashwell Prince. It’s different but I’m enjoying it and I’ve just got to embrace it.How are you finding all the roadworks on the M62 motorway from Yorkshire to Old Trafford that have reduced the speed to 50mph for many miles?
It’s an absolute nightmare. You’re cruising at around 70mph and then you get miles and miles of 50mph and it takes you ages to get through it. If we’re training, I have to set off from Yorkshire at 6.30am just so I can get there for 8.30am and start training at 9am, but you’ve just got to get on with it. How easy has it been to fit into a new dressing room?
I thought it would be a tricky period for me, trying to fit in with the boys, but it happened seamlessly. I’ve got a few friends here, Saj Mahmood being one of the main ones, and that allowed me to fit straight in. The three days we had rained off down in Sussex [before Shahzad’s debut] allowed me to get to know the rest of the squad.What has the crowd reaction from Lancashire fans been towards you, bearing in mind the great rivalry with Yorkshire?
I got a really good reception from the crowd on my home debut at Old Trafford. My first over went well, so they clapped me in and then I bowled a wide or a no-ball and then a few more wides and they were on my back and gave me abuse! That sort of thing also used to happen at Yorkshire, but I had credit in the bank there and hopefully I can do that here.Fans at your drawn Championship match against Middlesex at Aigburth saw you change your action for part of the final day. Why was that?
I have a natural inswinger, so when the ball reverses, I swing it away. If I want to get a Waqar Younis-type inswinging yorker when it’s reversing, I have to get a bit more slingy in my action, and that’s what I tried on the final day against Middlesex. It was such a placid wicket and they were 150-odd for one, so I thought “anything goes here”, and the boys were happy for me to do it.

“I think I can bowl like Muttiah Muralitharan and I’m getting decent at it now. I keep saying to Glen Chapple that he should let me try it in a game!”

Some people said you looked like Shoaib Akhtar…
The boys were telling me to bowl like Shoaib Akhtar, so that’s what I was trying. It got to the phase of the game where you were allowed to do what you wanted to do and it was good to just go out and enjoy your cricket.What other cricketers can you mimic?
When I was younger I really used to bowl like Shoaib, but I had to stop because it put too much pressure on my back. I watch a lot of cricket on TV, so I must admit I’ve tried bowling like people in the nets. I think I can bowl like Muttiah Muralitharan, and I’m getting decent at it now. I keep saying to Glen Chapple that he should let me try it in a game! Adil Rashid at Yorkshire is brilliant at bowling like Saeed Ajmal in the nets – I used to get him to bowl at me like that so I could practise against it.What are you like at other sports?
I played badminton for Yorkshire from Under-15s to Under-17s, but again, it wasn’t really doing my back much good, so I had to give it up once I took up cricket seriously. I was good at squash and racket sports in general. I’m not really one for going out on the golf course. I tried to get into it but I’d rather put my feet up on a day off. You rarely get days off, and now that I’m on the move it’s even worse.What music do you like?
I like my dance music but I haven’t managed to influence the boys in the Lancashire dressing room at the moment. Steven Croft is the DJ man, so I’m just letting him get on with it, see how he gets on and then I can try and introduce a few of my tunes. What are you like at cooking and what can you cook?
I’m not very domesticated at all. I know this sounds really lame but I’ve just started doing boiled eggs and things like that. I can do potatoes but I’m not really a cook.Anybody who follows you on Twitter will know that you eat at Nando’s a lot. What’s so good about it?
I’m at Nando’s most of the time, which I get a lot of abuse for on Twitter, with people telling me I should branch out to other places. I just love it in there. I can get my grilled chicken with rice or whatever, and it’s healthy too. A lot of cricketers go – I think we should get a loyalty card going because we spend enough money there! When I stay with Ashwell and we talk about what we’re going to eat, he says to me, “I know what you’re thinking”, because he knows I want to go to Nando’s.

His numbers are phenomenal, and that’s thanks largely to his ability to make a plan and stick to it

Aakash Chopra13-Sep-2012When they first donned the Indian colours, the likes of Ms Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh were self-assured, resilient, fiercely talented and more. Today, though, Virat Kohli seems to have outmoded his predecessors in a manner that has made him the face of Indian cricket’s next generation. He has scored 13 centuries in 90 ODI matches. Those are phenomenal numbers by any yardstick. Look closer, in a comparative framework, and the numbers hit harder. Kumara Sangakkara, for instance, has scored 14 hundreds, 11 of those from No. 3 or higher, in 333 ODIs. Virender Sehwag has scored 15 in 249 matches, and Gautam Gambhir has 11 in 139. These stats, striking as they are, tell us a thing or two about the sort of prospect Kohli is for Indian cricket.If one goes by the exterior – the spiky hair, tattoos, the swagger and arrogance of a confident young man, Kohli epitomises 21st century Indian youth. But the way he bats, especially in the first half of each innings, he seems the antithesis of how young cricketers in India like to bat in this day and age of T20 cricket. These days most young men prefer to go after the bowling right from the beginning, and to keep hitting it till they last. It takes your breath away when it comes off, and looks woeful when it doesn’t, but taking a bit of a risk seems to be the new way of living.Kohli, on the contrary, is old-fashioned when it comes to constructing his innings. Regardless of his personal form, familiarity with the attack and the conditions, he always starts slowly, albeit confidently. At the beginning of an innings, every batsman is slightly edgy and likes to get bat on ball and score a few to get going. This urge to get on with the game is even stronger if you are in good form. It must take immense self-control for Kohli to resist that temptation every time he walks out to bat these days, and to stick to his original plan of biding time.His self-control at the beginning of every innings is the primary reason for his consistency. Exercising this self-control would be a lot easier for someone who doesn’t have as many shots as Kohli does, which makes his self-denial more creditable. His ability to plan meticulously and then diligently follow the plan is the common thread in most of his innings.Conventional wisdom suggests that the bigger the arc one’s bat creates, the more power one generates. The arc starts from the top of the backlift and finishes with the follow-through after playing the shot. The best way to ensure a bigger arc is to allow the top hand to remain in control for as long as possible and extend the arms fully (elbow not bent) after playing the shot. Kohli’s bat-swing, however, is not quite how the coaching manuals say it ought to be. He has a relatively short backlift, and an even shorter follow-through. But he generates phenomenal bat speed by flicking his wrists at the point of contact, which in turn generates immense power. The flip side of such a bat-swing is that he is a bottom-hand-dominated player. Once again, though, by delaying his strokes, he has found a way to be equally fluent through the off side.How Kohli accelerates in ODIs

Overs 1-15: Faced 1728 balls in 68 innings (average of 25 balls per innings) and scored at a run rate of 4.12
Overs 16-30: Faced 1813 balls in 55 innings (average of 33 balls per innings) and scored at run rate of 5.00.
Overs 31-40: Faced 754 balls in 32 innings (average of 23 balls per innings) and scored at 7.01.
Overs 41-50: In the final ten overs (played 17 innings), he has faced 12 balls on average per innings and scored at 9.07.

When I saw Kohli for the first time, I was a little sceptical about his short front-foot stride. To make matters more complicated, that short stride was going far too across. While the short and across front-foot stride allowed him to whip balls pitched on middle through the on side, it also made him slightly susceptible to full-pitched swinging deliveries, or when the ball deviated appreciably off the pitch.During one of our conversations while playing for Delhi, I told him about my observations. He assured me that he had found a way around it, which was by allowing the ball to come to him. I saw merit in his method of dealing with the shortcoming, but I wasn’t fully convinced that it would work at the highest level.By scoring 13 ODI hundreds while batting at No. 3, he has certainly proved that his solution works just fine. It also proves that technique is slightly overrated at times. In fact, Kohli’s method of overcoming his technical deficiency is his biggest strength: playing very late. By allowing the ball to come to him, he is able to find the gaps more often. Playing the ball right under his eyes also ensures that he misses fewer deliveries, and so the perils of the short front-foot stride are taken care of.He may still find it slightly difficult when the ball is pitched up in seaming conditions, but considering the way he has evolved as a batsman, I don’t have any reasons to believe that Kohli won’t find a way around that too.

Ranji Trophy is not all about first-innings point. Here are five of the best matches this year

Sidharth Monga05-Jan-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Zaheer Khan bowled a 13-over unbroken spell to keep Mumbai alive. Ranji Trophy matters, after all•ESPNcricinfo LtdFirst round of the tournament, and what a draw. Batting first, Gujarat took a lead of 105, and possibly batted on for a little too long to save their three points when they declared only after their lead had crossed 400. Having said that, their bowlers reduced Madhya Pradesh to 179 for 6 in 62.4 overs with well over a session to go in Indore. Enter Jalaj Saxena and Anand Rajan. The offspinning allrounder and the quick. Nos 8 and 9. They batted together for 24.3 overs to deny Gujarat. While Saxena scored a fifty, Rajan batted for 96 minutes and 64 balls for just nine runs. MP found a new opener from the match, and Gujarat went away three points short, three points that could have made a vital difference to their progression in the end.
Scorecard
This was only the 14th one-wicket win in the entire history of Ranji Trophy. In cold Lahli, with hardly anyone watching, Haryana and Baroda matched each other blow for blow on a helpful surface. There was a hundred and a five-wicket haul in each of the first innings. Then a collapse each in the second, until Baroda fell to 48 for 6 and 108 for 9 in the chase of 133. It was so important and intense that one of the nine wickets was a mankading.However, Baroda’s Nos 10 and 11 – Utkarsh Patel, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, and Bhargav Bhatt – took their side through with 25 added for the last wicket in 3.5 overs. Players on both the side said this was the closest first-class match they had played. Baroda’s coach, Sanath Kumar, called it “an amazing but harrowing day”. How important was it? Baroda sneaked through by two points in the end, and they were at the disadvantage of not playing in the last round.
ScorecardOnly nine Ranji matches have been won by five runs or fewer. This was decided by seven runs. MP could have easily played safe as they were placed comfortably as the penultimate round of the league stage began, but despite the presence of Zaheer Khan in the opposition they produced a sporting track. Moreover, when Mumbai lost the will to win outright and looked content with three first-innings points, MP kept attacking.Chasing 311 in 78 overs on the last day, MP went after it with such gusto that they became the most popular side of the year. However, they were up against a side that might not be known for attractive cricket but is renowned for ruthlessness and knowing how to win. Zaheer Khan, his fitness dodgy, brought Mumbai back with a 13-over unbroken spell. The best that could have achieved was a draw for Mumbai, but MP still kept going for the win. Now appeared the quintessential Mumbai player, Abhishek Nayar, with three wickets and a run-out. MP’s No. 11 and arguably the best bowler of the year, Ishwar Pandey, brought it close with three sixes, but fell to Nayar to start a Mumbai comeback that is now looking scary, especially with the return of Sachin Tendulkar.MP themselves went on to pay dearly for not making it as difficult as Mumbai. Next week, Mumbai went through with merely a first-innings lead, and MP collapsed on a turner in Rajkot to bow out of the tournament they lit up.
ScorecardIf MP v Mumbai brought the Ranji Trophy to life, this brought people to an absolute standstill for an hour or so. In the final round, Karnataka needed to win outright, and have many other results go their way besides. The other results had almost all gone their way, but Karnataka were struggling to keep their end of the bargain on a flat pitch.They scored 572 for 9 in Pune, bowled Maharashtra out for 99 on a crazy third morning, but ran into obdurate resistance over the next five sessions. Maharashtra not only batted time, but they also scored fast. Towards the final session of the match, they went into lead with wickets, especially that of the centurion Ankit Bawne in hand. Elsewhere they saw Delhi, competitors for a place in the quarters, meet the same fate against Vidarbha, and rallied again.The final session began with a deficit of 40 for Karnataka, and four wickets yet to be taken. The pitch remained flat. Abhimanyu Mithun, though, provided the inspiration with three quick wickets, and an inspired bowling change gave part-timer Amit Verma the fourth. It was still now over. They still had to go out and chase 89 in 13 overs, preferably without losing a wicket. They lost one, which meant now their win would amount to nothing if Delhi won their game, which was going on at the same time.So with a prayer in the heart, they kept chasing, and reached their target with eight balls to spare. About 10 balls before that, news had poured in than Delhi had run out of time. What a finish.
ScorecardIt was not all over yet. There was another group to take care of. In Group C, with Jharkhand winning their match outright, Andhra and Kerala now needed nothing less an outright win to progress. Most of the final day went by without much intent, and when Andhra – leading on the first innings – were bowled out, Kerala were left 209 to chase in 25 overs.Now that is a huge chase in first-class cricket, and accordingly Kerala offered a draw, but Andhra still wanted to take their chance. Quickly, though, it all changed around, and aggressive fields allowed a few runs, and now Kerala began to go after the total. VA Jagadeesh, their highest run-getter this season, and Sanju Samson both scored quick half-centuries as the match headed deep into overtime with light still holding good.However, with 17 runs required off the last over, about 50 minutes after scheduled close, the light had deteriorated enough for the umpires to allow only spinners to bowl. Andhra, who by now had nothing to gain or lose in terms of progression, still had a match to lose, and refused to bowl a slow bowler. The match ended in a draw.

A statistical analysis of what went down in Cape Town

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013Fact illustrated by the Newlands Test #1: Cricket is a team gameCricket is not as much of a team game as other team games. But it is a team game nevertheless. The Newlands Test proved this in enough spades to open a half-decent DIY store. Pakistan had individual performances that should have laid the foundations for victory. They also had collective frailties than made defeat almost inevitable. They posted the only two centuries of the match, and had the leading wicket-taker. But they still lost, and quite comfortably ‒ becoming just the third side in Test history to lose a Test in which they have had both (a) two or more centurions with the bat, and (b) a ten-wicket haulster with the ball.This they achieved because they also had: (c) three significant batting collapses, (d) both openers out for ducks in the same innings, (e) a combined match analysis of 1 for 181 by their opening bowlers, and (f) Vernon Philander, with his Dickensian name and his 19th-century statistics, on the other team.Thus, Younis and Shafiq’s outstanding twin 111s, and Ajmal’s ten wickets, ultimately came to nothing, and left those three players in elite company in the annals of Test defeats by teams with two tons and a ten-for. Gavaskar, Amarnath and Bedi were similarly let down by their team-mates at the WACA in 1977-78. No prizes for guessing which two scored the hundreds and which one took the ten wickets. Hobbs, Sutcliffe and Woolley all scored centuries at the SCG in 1924-25, but despite their efforts, and Maurice Tate’s heroic 11-wicket bag from 89 eight-ball overs ‒ in today’s squad-rotational game, he would have been rested for about 15 months after that kind of workload ‒ England were soundly walloped. Their problem was that they blended those three centuries with 13 single-figure scores (compared to Australia’s three – similarly, at Newlands last week, the single-figure dismissal tally was South Africa 2 Pakistan 11).India lost that high-scoring Perth game in 1977-78 due to a second-innings collapse after their two centurions were out, and because Bedi was left more unsupported than a county championship match on a wet Wednesday afternoon in April in the immediate aftermath of nuclear Armageddon. Chandrasekhar and Venkataraghavan could only manage three wickets between in the match, and those were the final three wickets in the first innings.Other than these three games, teams boasting two or more centuries and a ten-wicket haul have won 82 Tests and drawn 6. So it took a fairly determined all-round anti-performance for Pakistan to lose in Cape Town, despite three outstanding individual displays in the country that has in recent years been least hospitable to visiting sides. Ajmal became only the fourth spinner to take ten in a Test in South Africa since the Second World War (only Murali had done so since 1957), whilst Younis and Shafiq, coming together at 33 for 4, became the first visiting pair to compile a double-century stand in South Africa since April 2006.They were also just the third pair to add 200 in South Africa and end up on the losing side. Overall, of the 510 double-century partnerships in Test history, 244 have contributed to a victory, 234 have been in drawn games, and only 32 ‒ just over 6% ‒ have preceded a defeat.Pakistan’s fate in what was a gripping and fluctuating match until their second-innings subsidence was ultimately decided not by the potentially match-winning excellence of Younis and Shafiq’s batting and Ajmal’s wizardrous tweakery, but by the endemic frailty of their batting ‒ 15 Pakistan batsmen were out for less than 20 in this match. At least this was a step forward on the first Test, when 16 of their 20 dismissals were for 18 or less.Losing 15 batsmen for less than 20 does not necessarily mean you will lose a Test. But it does certainly give you a headstart in the race to the losing line. Statistically, teams are nine times more likely to lose than win a Test if they do so (47 wins, 430 losses) (thanks be to Statsguru, fount of all knowledge) (or at least, fount of some extremely useless pieces of knowledge). Fact illustrated by the Newlands Test #2: A Test hundred in South Africa is a good inningsTo illustrate how tough batting in South Africa is for visiting teams, particularly this decade, a fact: of the last 11 centuries scored by away batsmen since 2009-10, only two have been scored by players with fewer than 50 caps – New Zealand’s Dean Brownlie (in his eighth Test), in the second-innings of a Test that had long been a lost cause, and Asad Shafiq ‒ 18 Tests ‒ last week. Younis was in his 81st Test; previously Cook and Bell posted three figures for England in their 50th and 51st Tests respectively in the 2009-10 series; for India the following season, the undeniably experienced Tendulkar centurionated himself in his 175th and 177th matches; in 2011-12, Australia’s only hundred-maker was Clarke (73rd), who was then followed by Sri Lankan veterans Sangakkara (105th) and Samaraweera (70th and 71st). Fact illustrated by the Newlands Test #3: South African lower-order batsmen aren’t quite what they used to beRobin Peterson’s match-turning 84 was the first time a South African batting at 8 or lower has scored 80 in a Test for almost eight years, since Nicky Boje hit 82 against Zimbabwe in March 2005. In the seven years between January 1997, when Lance Klusener slapped a rapid hundred against India batting at 9, and January 2004, when Mark Boucher, batting 8, flayed West Indies with his penultimate Test century, South African lower-order batsmen scored six hundreds, two undefeated 99s, and two more scores in the 80s.

AB de Villiers’ latest Twenty20 onslaught shows he’s currently the most nerveless all-round hitter of a cricket ball around

Abhishek Purohit02-May-2013There are hitters. There are finishers. There are sloggers. And there are, as Brad Hodge says, “cultured sloggers,” such as AB de Villiers, who have taken Twenty20 batting to another level. After his latest assault on Ashok Dinda tonight, “surreal slogger” is more like it. It wasn’t the fact that de Villiers took 26 runs off the Dinda over. It was the ridiculous regularity with which he kept coming up with different strokes for different deliveries and kept executing them.Sample these. Very wide ball slog-swept over deep midwicket. Wide ball carted straight over the bowler. Short slower ball smashed flat over long-off. Full delivery reverse-swept to fine third man. Length ball scooped from outside off over short fine leg. Forget Dinda. Last IPL season, de Villiers did the same to Dale Steyn, the highlight being a near-yorker on middle stump lofted over extra cover for six.It is very well to say that T20 frees the batsman from the bother of having to guard his wicket and in a way, forces him to innovate with the pressing need to score more all the time. While that means a great bowler like Steyn can easily have an off day in the format, it does not explain the almost eerie calm with which de Villiers’ scoops a fast bowler over short fine leg.This is an incredibly difficult shot to execute, even without the fear that you can get out. And there is also the risk of injuring yourself badly. Brendon McCullum did it with success against the extreme pace of Shaun Tait in 2010, and has said he knew he could have had his jaw smashed, but went for it anyway., as he did not think he could have scored in front of square.For many batsmen, the scoop is an option to break free. Many bend their knees and go across with clear desperation in their eyes, hoping to connect and avoid getting hit. De Villiers tries this shot regularly, and he makes it appear as normal as if he were going for a cover drive. There is absolutely no desperation about him, neither in expression nor in movement.And then the reverse sweep to the fast bowler. The way he turned Dinda miles clear of short third man, he might as well have been glancing one off his pads past short fine leg. These are no longer innovations for de Villiers, or ploys to unsettle a bowler. They are as normal a part of his arsenal as orthodox cricketing shots, of which he has plenty as well.Chris Gayle bulldozes attacks with sheer presence and reach, but he has his hitting zones marked out. Kieron Pollard will go hard and straight. Bowlers can attempt to deny these batsmen what they prefer. How does one attempt to control de Villiers, whose range is 360 degrees?The first time he was involved in a one-over eliminator scenario, against Delhi Daredevils, he and Gayle took singles off the first three balls. De Villiers couldn’t connect with the fourth. No problem. He sent the last two over deep midwicket for six.The absence of the need to guard his wicket would have been of little help at that moment. It is a combination of extraordinary skill, pinpoint execution and unbelievable clarity of mind that enables de Villiers to get away with he does. He has got to be the most nerveless all-round hitter of a cricket ball at the moment.

From legalised player dissent to big-screen reviews, international umpires are now on a hiding to nothing but humiliation

Brydon Coverdale at Chester-le-Street11-Aug-2013The DRS is meant to help umpires, not humiliate them. But Tony Hill was humiliated on the third morning at Chester-le-Street. There can be no other word for it. When Stuart Broad rapped Ryan Harris on the pads dead in front, Hill declined the appeal. Presumably, he felt Harris may have nicked the ball. It was not a ridiculous supposition, for the ball had struck both pads, creating two noises. Whatever the case, Hill felt there was doubt and gave the benefit of it to the batsman, as Test umpires have done for 135 years.England asked for a review, as is their right under the DRS. The replays showed that Hill had erred; Harris was plumb lbw. The process played out on the big screen at the ground. Ripples of laughter went around as Hill’s mistake was not only shown but magnified, replayed, every angle leaving him further exposed to ridicule. The final indignity came when the third umpire relayed the decision to Hill, who raised his finger to an empty pitch. The players had seen enough on the big screen and were halfway inside.It was impossible not to sympathise with Hill, who trudged off with all the haste and enthusiasm of a newly-dismissed Shane Watson or Jonathan Trott. He looked sapped of all confidence. There is no avoiding the fact that Hill’s call was wrong, and that the final outcome was correct. But the process left him embarrassed and must surely have compounded the existing doubts in his mind. How is that good for cricket, or for this match, or for Hill? How does that help anyone?”Throughout my career I never had a batsman dispute my decision,” Dickie Bird said in 2010. That may be a slight embellishment, or perhaps it’s true, but one thing is certain: Bird was never made to look a fool. Bird was a renowned “not-outer”. If in doubt, say not out. That’s what Hill did here. But in Bird’s day, what the umpire said was final. Had he given this same decision – and he would’ve done countless times over the years – the bowler might have felt aggrieved, the viewers curious, but all would have moved on.Nobody remembers the right calls, even the controversial ones. Kevin Pietersen’s caught-behind at Old Trafford will be recalled for Pietersen’s rudely-requested review and reluctance to accept the outcome, not for Hill’s correct decision to trust his ears in the first place. Or Australia’s unsuccessful review when Harris rapped Trott on the pads. Hawk Eye predicted the ball would have clipped leg stump on an “umpire’s call” margin. Rightly, Hill had given Trott the benefit of the doubt.Of course, Hill has made mistakes. He is human. Every umpire in this series has erred. Every umpire in every series throughout history has probably erred. Dickie Bird erred. David Shepherd erred. Tony Crafter erred. But commentators did not forensically dissect every aspect of a decision. That’s out, they said. Not, that’s out unless he hit it, and let’s see if he did, and unless it pitched outside leg, and let’s see if it did, and unless it was sliding down leg, and let’s see if it was.

The disdain with which Kevin Pietersen called for a review in the third Test was downright contemptible. Where was his respect for the umpire or for the game?Daryl Harper on the demands of the modern umpire

But technology creates unrealistic expectations. Mistakes are unjustly magnified, wrongly made to appear proof of complete incompetence. How could an umpire get wrong? That decision that we’ve just seen six times in slow-motion from four angles and with the help of technology? What a buffoon!”The DRS has certainly increased the pressure on umpires to get virtually everything right,” former Test umpire Daryl Harper told ESPNcricinfo on Sunday. “The high performance experts would tell you that an umpire must put a poor decision out of his mind and focus wholly on the next ball. Sure, it sounds easy enough. I haven’t known a single umpire who can do it.”In the eighties, the general television coverage of cricket was very basic. In the nineties, the quality of technology improved, but even then, decisions were not scrutinised to the degree that we see today. It was common practice to give the batsman the benefit of the doubt to any ball that was drifting towards the leg stump.”After the turn of the century, umpires made their lbw decisions, only to see replays on the big screen at the ground that suggested that the decision was wrong, before the batsman had even left the field. It isn’t a good feeling and definitely gnaws away at one’s confidence. After seeing so many replays of balls clipping leg stump in particular, umpires began to widen the target and gamble more often on that count.”And in modern times, our administrators have now legalised dissent. The disdain with which Kevin Pietersen called for a review in the third Test was downright contemptible. Where was his respect for the umpire or for the game? Having been told to go a second time after the review, how did he possibly escape a sanction for his parting words? I can lip read as well as anyone.”All of these factors can gradually erode the confidence of an umpire. An umpire like Hill, who by the ICC’s judgement is one of the best 12 in the world, a man who has made enough good decisions to get himself here, is made to look foolish. Yes, umpires choose this well-paid career. Yes, they accept the pressure that goes with it. But the expectations of players and viewers must remain realistic.Umpires are not machines. They are men, and men who do their job in increasingly trying circumstances. Once, they were inconspicuous, but never infallible. They never will be, yet cricket has reached a point where decisions and umpires and reviews and technology the story. It is an unhealthy situation for any sport, and it breeds self-doubt in men whose very job relies on backing their judgement.”With this respect for officials being stripped back to the bone, I have great sympathy for my former colleagues who are on a hiding to nothing,” Harper said. “Our administrators have snatched at the television dollars and sold the officials up the river without a paddle. As often as American sports are unfairly maligned, Major League Baseball allows its officials to make decisions, good and not so good. Replays of missed calls are shown but life goes on.”Life will go on for Tony Hill, and Aleem Dar, and Kumar Dharmasena, and Marais Erasmus. They have all made mistakes in this series. Some have been howlers. But none deserve ridicule. No official should have to raise the finger to an empty pitch. Respect must return. And unless it does, who’d be a Test umpire anymore?

Plays of the Day from the first ODI between South Africa and India in Johannesburg

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers05-Dec-2013The billiards table
When Quinton de Kock scored the series’ first boundary, a crisp flick off the pads through midwicket, the ball raced across the Wanderers outfield so quickly that the umpire had barely turned to look where it had gone when it crossed the boundary. Fast outfields are not uncommon in South Africa but considering the amount of rain that has been around Johannesburg, it was a credit to the groundstaff that they prepared a carpet so smooth.The tee-off
De Kock played his entire innings with the freedom of youth, so when the first free-hit came with him on 92, there was a sense he would go big. Mohit Sharma bowled an innocuous length ball, and de Kock stood solidly, giving himself a firm base with his legs parted just enough to provide a platform for his body to swivel on. With a swing that would make the likes of Ernie Els proud, he struck the ball over long-on, high and hard enough for it go for six.The bad timing
One of the worst times to give a batsman a send-off is after he’s scored a century. De Kock’s aggressive knock came to an end on 135, when he handed Virat Kohli a simple return catch in his follow-through, and the bowler was so delighted with the scalp that he told the batsman where the dressing room was with his finger. De Kock walked in that direction but it was Kohli who looked silly.The shot
It appeared as though almost every delivery AB de Villiers made contact with found the boundary. His best came at the end, when India would have wanted nothing more than to get off the field. Mohit Sharma bowled full and de Villiers made room by backing away and sliced over point. The ball travelled flat and fast, not a typical slog but a calculated one that would have left India wondering how to stop the South African captain.The run
There were many more eye-catching runs scored than the ones Rohit Sharma got via a leading edge that beat the cover fielder. It was an unsure stroke from a man struggling to cope with Dale Steyn’s pace and swing, but the runs were significant. They were Rohit’s first after facing 16 deliveries from Steyn, all full and swinging away from the right-hander. They were also the first runs Steyn conceded in an opening spell laced with venom.The wicket
Ryan McLaren’s place in the South African side was considered to be in doubt because of Jacques Kallis’ comeback, but he proved his value with two wickets in his third over. His second victim was Yuvraj Singh, who was struck by a bouncer first ball before receiving a fuller delivery as a follow up. Yuvraj played all around the delivery and the ball brushed the pad before hitting the stumps, sending the bails flying and etching McLaren’s name on the team sheet for matches to come.The run-out
With South Africa’s bowlers proving difficult to handle, the last thing India wanted was to lose a wicket to their fielders. Rohit, however, was too slow to respond to a call for a single from Suresh Raina, who had pushed the ball gently towards cover and set off immediately. Rohit’s hesitation gave David Miller enough time to sprint in from cover, and as he dived he released the ball under arm to hit the stumps direct with the batsman short of his crease.

The Sydney Test could be viewed as a fresh start for England at the beginning of a new year, but the build up has not inspired confidence and it will take a colossal turnaround to end with a victory

George Dobell in Sydney02-Jan-20140:00

ZaltZone: I’m waiting by the phone, call me

Paul Downton could be forgiven for wondering what he had walked into as he started his new job on Thursday.Downton has just assumed the role of managing director of England cricket and made his first appearance at an England net session at the Sydney Cricket Ground the day before the fifth Test. Observing from the back, talking to head selector James Whitaker, Downton kept his thoughts to himself, but cannot have been overly impressed by what he saw.He might interpret recent events in a positive manner. He might conclude that, unlike David Moyes a few months ago, he is not inheriting a team in which there are unrealistic hopes or expectations. He might conclude that the only way is up. But he will also have seen how much work he has in front of him.He would have seen Jonny Bairstow, who will retain his place as England wicketkeeper for this game, kicking the stumps after dropping yet another chance in practice. He would have seen a listless warm-up, a long team talk and a joyless net session from which smiles and laughs were absent. England look as if they cannot wait to go home.Downton would also have seen Monty Panesar, who is said to be an injury doubt with a strained calf muscle, bowling without obvious discomfort. If Panesar does not play – and it seems highly likely he will not – it will have little to do with his fitness.Scott Borthwick is expected to make his Test debut in Sydney•Getty ImagesEngland still have a tough decision to make on selection. The Sydney pitch traditionally offers a little assistance to the spinners, though less in recent years, but this one is unusually green. If they go into this game without Panesar or James Tredwell, they will be reliant for spin upon Joe Root and Scott Borthwick. Both are talented young cricketers with many positive qualities, but neither is yet a specialist Test spinner.Among the other decisions England have to make is whether to include Gary Ballance and Boyd Rankin. The evidence of the training session suggests both will play with Ballance likely to displace Michael Carberry and Rankin likely to displace Tim Bresnan. Three debutants doesn’t just speak of a new era; it speaks of desperation. It has happened only once since the chaotic 1990s, at Nagpur in 2006.It would be tough to drop Carberry. He is currently England’s second highest run-scorer in the series – only Kevin Pietersen has scored more – and, though his strike-rate (38.20) has attracted much attention, it is higher than Root’s (33.27).But in desperate times, players are afforded less patience. Carberry could well be a victim of the management’s need to find some positives from such a disappointing tour. In the longer-term, his omission should be cause of reflection for the selectors. No-one should be surprised if an unproven opener, thrust into an away Ashes series, struggles.Root and Pietersen hit the ball beautifully in the nets on Thursday, but Root, in particular, needs to start justifying the faith expressed in him by the England management. In retrospect, it was a mistake to move him from No. 6 ahead of the last Ashes series – a decision that also saw Nick Compton dropped – and, in an ideal world, he would still be able to continue his development against the softer ball in the middle-order.As it is, though, Root looks set to move to the top of the order with Ian Bell moving to No. 3. Some might say that is how it should have been since Jonathan Trott went home; others that England are in chaos and might as well pick the batting order out of a hat. Root has passed 30 just three times in 16 innings when batting in the top three.And that’s the problem for England. For if you claim an attention to detail that includes the publication of a cookbook, that requires more than £20 million of investment each year, that requires an army of support staff so vast that it may as well include a lumberjack and horse whisperer, then you have to show more for it than a team that changes each game, a random batting order and a collection of out of form players who look as if they’ve rather be stacking shelves. Somewhere, somehow, this England environment has started turning fine players into mediocre ones.Cricket would not be the beautiful, beguiling sport we love if it was predictable. But England require a miracle of Biblical proportions to earn a ‘consolation’ victory in this game. And it’s hard to see how even a plague of locusts can help them now.

A maiden ton to Kithuruwan Vithanage at almost a-run-a-ball was the most telling personal contribution, as he joined the wave of young players suggesting Sri Lanka’s future is more secure than previously imagined

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Mirpur29-Jan-2014As the Sri Lanka middle order, led by Mahela Jayawardene, ground Bangladesh into the Mirpur dirt on day three, perhaps little was revealed about the extent of their skill, or the depth of their character. Jayawardene did not admit this had been the easiest of his seven double-centuries – even if it had brought the most muted celebrations – but he did concede that, at times, the hosts’ efforts subsided to allow his team easier progress.Jayawardene has also prospered in such conditions before, and had already been in fine touch in the approach to the series. Angelo Mathews’ 86 was further evidence of increasing batting maturity, but also perhaps of a frustrating tendency to fall when three figures are in sight – he had already hit two scores in the 90s in the past month.A maiden ton to Kithuruwan Vithanage at almost a-run-a-ball was the most telling personal contribution, as he joined the wave of young players suggesting Sri Lanka’s future is more secure than previously imagined. Vithanage has a reputation for power and positivity in first-class cricket, but few Sri Lanka batsmen translate home success into such emphatic Test returns in as few Tests as he has had. Far sterner examinations await him than this friendly surface and tired attack, and he will probably never again arrive with 554 runs already on the scoreboard. But there was technique and intelligence to match his spunk, and to outscore Jayawardene – already batting on a ton – during their 176-run partnership is a praiseworthy effort.”The way Kithuruwan batted today – that’s the first time I batted with him – he looks very promising, very confident out there, the way he was striking the ball,” Jayawardene said. “All in all we’ve got some young talent coming through. It’s important we give them the opportunity and guide them in tough situations and they’ll carry forward the good work we’ve done.”Day three did reveal, however, something of Sri Lanka’s mentality. Not content with a first-innings lead of 400 the visitors spurned the chance to have half a session or more, bowling to Bangladesh. That Sri Lanka plays conservative cricket is no surprise to fans who followed their tour of the UAE. Although a deterioration of that approach had ended with Sri Lanka receiving an almighty shakedown in Sharjah, they proved they remain committed to the grind, against Bangladesh.That outlook is not without merit, but a strong argument may be presented that a 498-run lead is overkill, particularly against a team that has never come close to defeating Sri Lanka. In their last Test match less than a year ago, 240 and 265 were the totals Bangladesh managed. The pitch had flattened out since the hosts were dismissed for 232 on day one, but it has also become more profitable for spinners, of which Sri Lanka played two.The team might argue though, that mounting a mammoth total not only served to demoralise opposition batsmen, it also ensured Bangladesh would begin on a pitch that was in worse shape. The wicket of Tamim Iqbal, whose leading edge caught a ball he did not expect to turn so much, may be presented as supporting evidence.”We were looking at a 400-run lead because the wicket still looks good,” Jayawardene said. “So we needed as much as we could get. We had to make a call to try and give them about 15 overs, but the way Kithuruwan batted, the management and the captain decided to give us a few more overs. We got the message that we’d get another four-five overs max to try and get a hundred and a double-hundred. It wasn’t easy because they had fields spread. We had to bide our time a bit longer, and that was the call. Having as many runs on the board as we’ve got gives us the opportunity to attack more tomorrow.”It is difficult to imagine this team would choose to pursue the quickest, most emphatic win they can manage. On this occasion, they have a chance of dealing the final blow on the fourth day, particularly as some deliveries had begun to misbehave towards the end of Sri Lanka’s innings.”There’s a bit of rough being created so there’s a bit of spin,” Jayawardene said of the surface. “Shakib Al Hasan spun quite a few yesterday and today. We just needed to make sure we keep putting the ball in the right areas as many times as possible and try and wait for those opportunities to come our way and try and create that pressure. That’s what we did to them in the first innings, so we’ll try and do the same.”Fans will note there has been no public concession that negative strategy brought Sri Lanka’s downfall in Sharjah. The team has not been anywhere near as defensive in this match, nor is there much chance Bangladesh can turn this Test around, as Pakistan did. There are also good reasons for delaying Wednesday’s declaration – it is just hoped that Sri Lanka know boldness and intent can put an opposition under pressure just as well as a blown out scoreboard.