South Africa have a 11-1 win-loss record in Tests in Centurion since 1992, which means India will be up against it in the first match

S Rajesh14-Dec-2010Come Thursday, and the Indian team will begin their quest to succeed in a task that has been achieved only five times in 31 attempts since 1992, for that’s exactly the number of times an overseas side has won a Test series in South Africa. Of those five home series defeats for South Africa, four have been against Australia, and one against England. The slight crumb of comfort for India is the fact that South Africa haven’t won their last two home series, losing to Australia and then drawing against England last year. However, the only team other than Australia and England to have managed even a drawn series in South Africa since their readmission into international cricket is Pakistan, when they drew 1-1 in 1997-98. South Africa have won 23 out of 31 home series since 1992, including all four against India, which indicates how tough it could be for the visitors over the next three weeks.Apart from their No.1 ranking, what should give the Indians more hope this time is their overseas record in the last ten years – they’ve won a couple of Tests in Australia, and Test series in England, West Indies and New Zealand. They won in South Africa too in 2006-07, but then promptly lost the next two to lose the series. They’ll expect more from their experienced line-up this time around.

India in Tests in each overseas country since 1990

Host	Tests	Won	Lost	Drawn	W/L ratio
Bangladesh	7	6	0	1	–
Zimbabwe	6	3	2	1	1.50
Pakistan	6	2	2	2	1.00
Sri Lanka	15	4	5	6	0.80
England	13	2	3	8	0.67
West Indies	14	2	3	9	0.67
New Zealand	11	1	4	6	0.25
Australia	16	2	10	4	0.20
South Africa	12	1	6	5	0.16

The series begins in Centurion, which is not a bad venue for South Africa to begin their campaign. The SuperSport Park has been by far South Africa’s favourite home venue: in 15 Tests since 1990 they’ve won 11 and lost only one, which was also in slightly dubious circumstances, when Hansie Cronje forfeited South Africa’s second innings in a dead-rubber game against England in 2000. Apart from that, South Africa have won almost every match; the only team which has even managed to draw here is England – they’ve been involved in all three draws. India, though, haven’t played a single Test here so far.

South Africa at each home venue since 1990

Venue	Tests	Won/ lost	Draw	W/L ratio
Centurion	15	11/ 1	3	11.00
Cape Town	21	14/ 3	4	4.67
Durban	18	8/ 4	6	2.00
Johannesburg	21	9/ 7	5	1.28
Port Elizabeth	11	4/ 4	3	1.00

The biggest test for India will be to see if their batsmen can cope with the pace, bounce, and seam that is likely to be on offer for the fast bowlers in the South African venues. Most of the Indian batsmen have played Tests on these surfaces, but none of them can claim to have conquered these conditions.In fact, the South African pitches have been the ones which have troubled the Indians the most. Of the four stalwarts in the side – Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag – who have toured there more than once, only Laxman has a 40-plus average. Tendulkar is 165 away from becoming the first Indian to aggregate 1000 Test runs in South Africa, but he currently averages only 39.76 in his 22 innings there. Dravid has done even worse, averaging less than 35 and scoring only one century in 16 innings. Sehwag began his Test career with 105 in Bloemfontein, but since then his highest in eight Test innings in South Africa is only 40.These numbers are in stark contrast to their stats in Australia, which is generally another country that offers fast bowlers some pace and bounce. In Australia, all these four batsmen average more than 50, have collectively scored 13 hundreds in 85 innings, and have a combined average of 56.61. In South Africa, these four batsmen have scored five hundreds in 59 innings, and have a combined average of 36.06. The collective rate of failure has been much higher for these batsmen in South Africa: in 59 innings, 31 times these batsmen have been dismissed under 20. In Australia it’s much lower – 33 such dismissals in 85 innings.

Indian batsmen in South Africa

Batsman	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
VVS Laxman	7	370	41.11	0/ 3
Sachin Tendulkar	12	835	39.76	3/ 3
Rahul Dravid	8	504	33.60	1/ 2
Virender Sehwag	5	238	26.44	1/ 0

For South Africa’s batsmen too, playing at home hasn’t necessarily been a good thing. Jacques Kallis has done well, as has Ashwell Prince, but some of the others have better averages outside South Africa. The difference is especially significant for AB de Villiers: an overall batting average of almost 48 reduces to just over 36 in South Africa.

South African batsmen at home

Batsman	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s	Overall ave
Jacques Kallis	74	5927	56.44	18/ 31	55.84
Ashwell Prince	33	2001	47.64	7/ 5	43.48
Graeme Smith	43	3125	45.95	9/ 14	51.06
Hashim Amla	24	1628	41.74	5/ 9	46.75
AB de Villiers	33	1877	36.09	4/ 11	47.78
Mark Boucher	67	2834	35.42	4/ 18	30.82

Centurion, though, has been an excellent venue for most of the South African batsmen: Hashim Amla, Prince and Kallis all average more than 60. In fact, Kallis’ recent stats at the ground are even better: in his last eight Tests there, since 2004, he averages 87.67, with four centuries in 12 innings.The only batsman who has really struggled at the ground is their captain, Graeme Smith. In 15 Test innings at this venue, Smith has topped 50 only once, when he scored 139 against West Indies back in 2004. In his last 11 innings at SuperSport Park, Smith has scored 194 runs at an average of 17.63 and a highest score of 45.

South African batsmen in Centurion

Batsman	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Hashim Amla	4	428	85.60	2/ 3
Ashwell Prince	7	542	67.75	3/ 0
Jacques Kallis	14	1035	60.88	4/ 5
AB de Villiers	7	517	47.00	1/ 3
Mark Boucher	13	591	39.40	2/ 2
Graeme Smith	9	371	26.50	1/ 0

For the South African bowlers, though, and especially for Dale Steyn, bowling in home conditions has been an absolute blessing. Steyn averages 23.29 in South Africa, and less than 19 in Centurion. His career-best match figures of 10 for 91 came at this ground too, against New Zealand three years ago.

South African bowlers, at home and in Centurion

Bowler	In SA – Tests	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	In Centurion – Tests	Wickets	Average	Strike rate
Dale Steyn	22	113	23.29	40.0	3	18	18.67	28.3
Morne Morkel	9	36	27.86	48.7	2	9	22.22	42.0
Paul Harris	15	44	31.31	68.0	3	11	23.63	54.1

For the Indians, Sreesanth was the star last time around, taking 18 wickets in three matches at 21.94. Zaheer Khan has had lesser success, conceding almost 39 runs for each of his 13 wickets.In the last five Tests in Centurion, fast bowlers have expectedly taken the bulk of wickets, but spinners have had their moments too, with five-wicket hauls for Paul Harris, Shakib Al Hasan and Graeme Swann. That could mean Harbhajan Singh might have a bit to do over the next five days in Centurion.

Pace and spin in Centurion since Jan 2006

	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI/ 10WM
Pace	132	28.99	52.4	7/ 2
Spin	30	33.67	73.1	3/ 0

With the weather expected to be overcast in Centurion over the next few days, the toss could have a role to play in deciding the winner. If the clouds don’t relent, bowling first could be a good option for the team winning the toss: of the the nine Tests that have ended decisively in Centurion since 2000, six have been won by the team fielding first.

On a day when Canada made their highest score against a Test-playing nation, Ashish Bagai will disappointed at the rubbish fielding on display

Nagraj Gollapudi in Mumbai13-Mar-2011Ashish Bagai showed grit, determination, patience and character trying to add respect to Canada’s pursuit of a massive target. Unfortunately cramps and a mounting asking rate took their toll on Canada’s captain. It was sad that Bagai missed out on a becoming the first centurion for Canada in this World Cup on a day they made their highest score against a Test-playing country. It was a sore miss. But looking at the broader picture, Bagai will be more disappointed at the rubbish fielding on display when New Zealand’s batsmen built their domination. All those qualities Bagai brought to his batting, Canada’s fielders neglected. It only cast them in poor light.The frustrating part was the errors were mostly to do with the basics of fielding: positioning, lining up, being pro-active, backing up to throws, holding catches with soft hands, improvising… the list of things Canada’s fielders failed in doing was longer than the longest boundary at the Wankhede. Take for example Henry Osinde, who was standing at short fine-leg when Brendon McCullum, on 71, swept Balaji Rao and tried going for a single. Osinde, a tall man no doubt, failed to cleanly collect the ball initially because he had failed to take a start. Then when McCullum was casual in returning to the crease, the Canadian failed to throw back the ball or worse go for a direct hit. Fielding coaches like Mike Young have always drilled this into a fielder: when the doubt exists whether or not to throw at the stumps, do so. It only builds an aggressive mindset.It was just not the ground fielding. Even straightforward catches like Zubin Sarkari, failing to latch on to a low catch from Jesse Ryder, John Davison shelling a return catch from Kane Williamson when the batsman was on 1 only dented the confidence of the bowlers. Williamson survived another chance when Harvir Baidwan managed to let one slither through his hands and between his feet. The New Zealander, playing his first match, finished unbeaten on 34. But the worst mistake came when Rizwan Cheema, standing at long-on, failed to improvise trying to hold on to the big hit from Ross Taylor. It was a difficult chance as Cheema, standing on the edges of boundary, had to intercept the ball’s flight while making sure he did not touch the rope or cross over. Teams now have customised training sessions for such catches and make sure fielders understand the right methods to carry out such catches in order to avoid any mishaps during a match.Ashish Bagai gave his all before cramp got the better of him. Pity his fielders can’t say the same thing•AFPOf all the three departments of cricket, fielding is one area where every team stands at par – there is absolutely no distinction in the quality between Test-playing countries and the Associates. Fielding is a discipline that can only be sharpened by working hard on it, by finding ways to exert pressure, by training specialist fielders for specific positions. You don’t need experience or exposure. What you need is a presence of mind, more than a little bit of agility, reflexes and to remain pro-active. The best fielders don’t react, they just put themselves in a spot where they can make a difference.Bagai was honest about admitting that Canada were terrible in the field. “It was very, very frustrating to me. I will be very honest. It was probably the worst effort we had in a very long time in the field,” Bagai said after the 100-run defeat. “The catches and the ground fielding were awful. That put us back and put is in a hole chasing 350. We did not put any pressure on them by letting couple of guys having singles and twos in the outfield. It was a collective poor fielding effort by the team.”Automatically if the fielders are alert sometimes even a bad ball can be offset. The biggest advantage is it puts pressure on the batsman, who is then forced to change his gameplans. Otherwise, as Canada found out today, batsmen can even sleepwalk and get away with the crime.

If he didn’t have a pretty good idea already, Alastair Cook now knows how quickly the emotions of an England one-day captain can shift

Andrew McGlashan at Headingley01-Jul-2011If he didn’t have a pretty good idea already, Alastair Cook now knows how quickly the emotions of an England one-day captain can shift in the matter of a few days. From a performance where everything went right at The Oval he was left pondering an insipid display at Headingley where, except for a couple of short spells, England weren’t at the races.They still had a chance at the mid-point of the match, especially as last year they chased 295 to beat Pakistan, but no one could anchor the innings. In that game last summer Andrew Strauss scored a superb hundred and it appeared Cook could do the same, but his innings ended limply went he lofted to deep cover for 48.”I think it was gettable but one of us needed to play a special innings,” he said. “I think they got a few too many and the last 10 overs went for 100. We didn’t get our skills right at the end. All of our top six got in but no one did a Mahela Jayawardene to get us close.”However, while admitting no one went on to make the telling contribution – Eoin Morgan’s electric 52 off 40 balls was the top score – Cook defended the approach of England’s top order. Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen were both caught on the boundary while Morgan was stumped off Suraj Randiv, but Cook said it’s part of the risk-and-reward strategy of the format”It’s part of one-day cricket, you have to take those risks to keep the scoreboard ticking and when you don’t execute it well it looks a poor shot. I thought a lot of our shots were the right choice, we just didn’t play them well enough.”Two matches into Cook’s full-time reign is far too early to be drawing any conclusions – this was his first defeat in five matches as ODI captain – but the start of this series has been another example of the lack of consistency that has so often been the major issue with England’s 50-over cricket. For every 110-run win there is a 69-run defeat just around the corner. Even when they win one-day series – as they did three times last summer against Australia, Bangladesh and Pakistan – it is not without a mid-series wobble (Bangladesh and Pakistan) or a late fade with the job done (Australia). It is why their ranking has stayed mid-table for so long.England’s performance in the field highlighted how their standards had slipped just three days on from their victory in London. Graeme Swann’s costly miss at slip to give Mahela Jaywardene a life on 7 was called “an 80-20″ chance by Cook, but England train hard to take those types of catches, while Swann spilled another at short fine-leg off the struggling Stuart Broad.”It was a very tough chance and you aren’t blaming them,” Cook said. “It wasn’t a game-turner but in our fielding we aim to take those chances and we work hard in practice. I’m not blaming Swanny for that one.”The other problem for Cook was a lack of control with the ball in an attack heavily based around four pacemen. Three of them went at seven or more per over which undid any pressure built up by probing spells from James Anderson and Graeme Swann. Broad’s problems continued with a wicketless 10 overs for 70, leaving him with no scalps since the Test series and just eight for the summer, while Tim Bresnan didn’t enjoy his home ground return.Jade Dernbach was the other bowler to have a rough day with his nine overs costing 63. That is no issue for a player in just his second game but he did get involved in a slightly hot-headed confrontation with Jayawardene in the 38th over which required words from umpire Billy Bowden. Jayawardene’s suggestion appeared to be that Dernbach altered his path to impede the batsman although Cook was quick to defend his fast bowler’s attitude.”I enjoyed it, I think that’s the passion you need to play cricket with,” Cook said. “You’ve got to have that passion and pride to play for England and it’s important not to take a backward step.”Tillakaratne Dilshan also insisted he had no issues with the exchange – “it happens on the cricket field,” he said – but perhaps what Cook should have done is told Dernbach to have a look at the scoreboard. Jayawardene was on 116 when the two exchanged views. It was a moment that summed up a poor day for England.

The weather wasn’t too hot, nor was the bowling, but the Sri Lankan batsmen gave the fans something to shout about

Adam Shoesmith16-May-2011Choice of game
It was an easy decision to go to this one. Never before did I have such a short journey to make to a cricket match: a 20-minute bus journey to see a world-class international team for a mere £10. It makes the £70 that Lord’s are charging for next month’s Test look positively astronomical in comparison. After Strauss helped himself to a century on day one, I predicted a dominant Sri Lanka would rack up the runs.Team supported
With no great loyalty to either side, I was looking for a good day’s play. Early on, Dilshan had a half-hearted appeal against him and at that point I was certainly hoping he would stay in so I could see more of him in action. However, by the time tea ticked around I was desperate to see Middlesex take a wicket that didn’t involve the word “retired”.Key performer
How could it be anyone other than Dilshan? He was still probably jet-lagged, and a swirling, biting wind across the pitch could have made life difficult for Sri Lanka’s new captain, but he thrived on a flat track against a listless, impotent Middlesex attack to kickstart his campaign on English soil with a century. His acceleration in the morning to take himself to 69 by lunch, while Paranavithana was down the other end on half that score, was the most impressive aspect of the performance.One thing you’d have changed about the day
The weather. It was a day of thick woolly jumpers all round. A cold wind, with heavy cloud and spitting rain, was only partially interrupted by the briefest rays of sunshine. Not much problem if you are playing, but very chilly for stationary spectators. Jumpers in the merchandise tent sold out before lunch.The interplay you enjoyed
Unfortunately this game was not much of a contest. Middlesex were just unable to apply any consistent pressure. This was to be expected as they played many of their 2nd XI bowlers, but it meant the most gentle and sedate of introductions to English conditions that the tourists could have hoped for, and little for the crowd to get stuck into.Wow moment
A period in the morning session where Dilshan clearly thought he was still batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore, taking 14 runs from Tom Smith’s first over of the day.Shot of the day
From that expensive over, the big shot of the day was a smashed six straight by Dilshan, over the bowler’s head, over the sightscreen, out of the ground, and into a nearby residential front garden. It took a few minutes to fetch that one back.Player watch
I sat by the players’ balcony, and there was a steady buzz throughout the day as an army of Sri Lankan fans had taken advantage of the small, intimate ground, plus the relaxed nature of their heroes, to get as many autographs and photos as possible. The Middlesex players did not have much to cheer; the most animated that young bowler Gurjit Sandhu, fielding near me, got was when motioning to the balcony for liquid refreshment. He must have been tired from having to fetch the ball from the boundary so often.Crowd meter
The large turnout of Sri Lankan fans helped boost not only numbers, but to create a bit of a buzz around the ground. I am sad to report that yet again the anti-fun police sprung immediately into action when a Sri Lankan fan dared to wave his small flag around in support. I simply do not understand why flags are banned from matches at some grounds in this country. This was a warm-up match, played in front of just a few hundred people, it wasn’t televised… was he really doing any “harm” with his flag? It was a highlight, though, when after remonstrations with stewards, the flag owner offered the witty riposte: “So, will you also be confiscating that Sri Lankan flag flying above the pavilion too, then?”Entertainment
Good selection of food on offer from the Indian stall, including those favourite staples – and . Braver folk than I sank cold beers and ice-cream on what was an unseasonally cold day in Uxbridge. I think cups of tea were the day’s number one seller.County v Twenty20
Following the World Cup and a recent diet of two matches daily of sugary IPL, this certainly looked like a return to the more patient long form of the game. Overcast conditions, the red Duke ball, and a 90% male crowd with scoring books in hand certainly gave this illusion off the pitch. On it, however, clearly no one had told the Sri Lankans, who cantered along at over five runs an over. Their innings would not have looked out of place in a 50-over game.Overall
Seven on 10. A great, inexpensive day out for a cricket fan of any denomination, seeing two world-class players make fine centuries, even though there was nothing by way of competition or contest between the two sides. You were out of luck if you were hoping to see any wickets.

Greg Dyer, the players’ association president, on the sort of changes needed in the board – at the state and national level

Interview by Daniel Brettig04-Dec-2011What are the major problems inherent in CA’s current structure?
The problems are really two-fold. One is the qualifications of the individuals on the board, the skill set – and that is not to denigrate any one of them. There are some very high-quality people on that CA board, but they’re not pre-qualified, there’s no skills list and set that they’re asked to live up to. So they’re not necessarily well-qualified to be running a modern corporate structure, which is basically a marketing company in many respects.The second problem is the lack of independence. Cricket Australia has a very substantial job to do, but it has come out of this historical anomaly, where effectively CA was tasked with running the international aspects of the game on behalf of the states. You could understand why that was set up as a model, where the states had representation, and the board was effectively an accumulation of the states, and CA simply did the states’ work. Now CA is running the game, basically, domestically as well as internationally, and taking a huge hand in the way in which the strategy of Australian cricket works. So you’ve got constant conflict between what CA wants to achieve versus what the states need to get out of it. There’s an inherent conflict of interest, which I’m sure they manage in the best way they can, but it inevitably means there is no singular purpose about CA – it is a set of compromises from the states’ agenda.Dyer’s proposed model for CA

Company form
CA becomes an incorporated association in structure with a membership of constituent organisations.
It has a number of agreed objectives which cover the full extent of its activities and enable it to manage the business of Australian cricket.
The constitution should define the general powers of the association and the separately defined (subset) powers of the board of directors.
Membership structure
State Associations have senior membership status; ditto the Australian Cricketers’ Association.
ACT and NT, umpires etc have associate membership status.
Senior members have two delegates each to an AGM, associate members have one delegate.
Voting
Voting rights for each member could be pro rata, based on the number of affiliated local or other constituent associations each member has, or in line with some other indicator, such as registered player numbers. Alternatively, a simpler model would allocate 10 votes for senior members, five for associates, or similar.
The members appoint a president by vote at the AGM (three-year terms). They may also want to appoint a patron (a significant public person) for a longer term, if required. The role of patron is entirely ceremonial.
Meetings
AGMs would be held to consider accounts, elect officers (board and president), and consider any other business as appropriate and within CA’s general powers.
A minimum number of, say, 30 votes could requisition a general meeting at another time to consider and vote on any matter within the association’s powers, but not overriding the board’s defined powers.
Board
Could have up to nine members. For example, with three directors up for election each year on a three year rotation.
Board chairman would be elected each year, after the AGM, by the nine directors.
Director candidate nominations can be provided by any member association, but nominees should be subject to the scrutiny of a selection panel before being eligible for election.
Selection panel for the board
Could be three: one Australian Institute of Directors representative, one outgoing existing board member, and the president.
Panel is required to adhere to particular agreed selection criteria, and to ensure that the board has an appropriate spread of knowledge and background, given the specific powers it must exercise under the constitution.
Candidates reviewed for skills, background and fit with the ongoing six board members to ensure that an appropriately rounded board will be elected.
If there are more than three qualified and approved candidates, an election is then conducted at the AGM, with voting recorded from all member associations.
Powers
The board’s powers are defined by the constitution, but include all the usual powers, such as the appointment and remuneration of the CEO and the delegation of authorities to the executive.
Development, approval and execution of a strategic plan covering short and long term goals.
Agreeing on the CEO’s key performance indicators (in line with the strategic plan) and then their regular review.
Approval of annual budgets and monitoring of results.
Doing all things necessary to ensure that CA is properly organised, staffed and run so as to successfully implement the strategic plan.
Strategic plan
The draft updated strategic plan must be provided to all members annually for comment and input prior to its re-adoption by the board. Ultimately, however, the plan is the board’s responsibility.
The document should address all the main areas of CA’s objectives (as defined by the constitution).
Board meetings would then receive reports from the executive to cover the areas of its delegated authority and the achievement of the strategic plan’s goals and objectives.

Should the new structure be broader-based, in terms of the skills of directors – chosen for their ability to chart the path of the company rather than to protect the interests of their home state?
In the corporate world we seek to put together groups of people who have broad skills that run right across the gamut of the company’s operation. So you have the HR specialists, the legal guys, the marketing guys – people with the industry skill set and knowledge. You’ll have people who’ve played the game, because that is important too, but it is in a broad base of skills which matches what the organisation needs to achieve. So you’ve got this well-rounded group of individuals who are put together for the task at hand… that is basically my premise. We need to put together a group of people who have the right skills to do the job that is required, rather than a group representative of state associations, who have to do the bidding on behalf of their state to make sure they get their share.The state associations will pick their delegates, logically, if they have any common sense at all in the current system, to best represent their own interests on the national board. That’s their job, so that almost means they’re by definition the wrong person. You can’t blame the state associations, because they are entirely beholden to CA these days for their financial and developmental areas, and their result at the end of the year is basically dependent on CA largesse. There are inherent conflicts between what is good for CA and what is good for state A or state B.The handing down of the governance review is imminent. Do you expect the states to recognise the need for change, or will there be a drawn-out struggle to relieve them of their current power?
I really hope not. I hope the report from Colin Carter and David Crawford gets made completely public. I hope it gets laid on the table for everybody to read. I’m not sure they’ll come up with a model which looks exactly like mine, but I suspect it won’t look terribly different because that is the only logical way you can set an organisation up for success.Having put it on the table, then they have to talk about it, decide at CA level which recommendations they’re going to go forward with, and then it has to go back in to the states for a decision, because at the moment they’re the stakeholders, the guys who hold the power. It is such an amazing opportunity, and if they miss it, it’ll put cricket back another five years.Urgency about this issue seems to be evident at CA, but how confident are you that the view is shared widely enough for change to take place?
I haven’t spoken to all the participants, but I have spoken to some and they do recognise the need for change. All power to CA for bringing this on. James Sutherland is to be applauded for having the guts to do something like this, because it is pretty far-reaching. But I think the executive at CA are probably just as frustrated by the situation as anybody else. I think they don’t get the direction that they need. They’re constantly looking to play the politics of compromise between the states and CA’s objectives, and the model I’m talking about – and hopefully that is recommended – can give them much better clarity around their purpose and their objectives over the next five years or more. The executive, leaving aside the board and the state boards, is probably sitting there hoping they achieve some real change.Where do the players and their rights sit in this debate?
Historically there has been a sort of us-and-them mentality. Cricket administrators have known what’s best, if you like. But today the players are the administrators’ best asset, so they need to be working with them. They need to be trying to improve the quality and the value of those assets, and you only do that by working with them, rather than feeling like it is an us-versus-them kind of mentality. The whole structure needs to change in order to improve that relationship with the players.Change at board level would continue an important year of regeneration and even revolution around the national team.
There’s a mood for change, but in some respects it is back to the future – they’re doing some basic things again that they’d forgotten about, and it is great. A bloke like John Inverarity is old guard, old-school, almost by definition, and I think it is a really good thing they’re returning to some of those values and putting teams of people together who are likely to succeed.The ICC is also undergoing a governance review. Do you think that change in Australia could be a catalyst for similar movement on a global level?
I’m not sure that of itself change in Australia will produce change at the international level, but one thing is for sure, if we fail to take this opportunity in Australia, it is much less likely we’ll achieve change at the international level down the track. One of the objectives of CA should be to try to achieve change at the ICC level, but that won’t be achieved overnight. They’re going to have to work the politics and be a little less naïve in the way they do do that, than they’ve been in the past.

The limited-overs leg has reinforced the state of flux both teams find themselves in, and the Test series could be won by the side that handles the uncertainty better

Daniel Brettig in Colombo22-Aug-2011Michael Clarke is, so far, providing ample evidence that he is a natural tactician and on-field leader, particularly adept in his management of spin bowlers and Mitchell Johnson. Numerous observers, Trevor Bayliss and Darren Lehmann among them, expected Clarke to add plenty to a team of humble means by marshalling his men with flair and vision. His batting has been quietly efficient, and in the final match there was the determined air of a man preparing mentally for coming Tests. Clarke’s batting, of course, is the greatest question against his name, for he has averaged barely 21 since being promoted to Test match No. 4 in mid-2010.Lasith Malinga is Sri Lanka’s most incisive bowler by a distance, and the Australian dressing room will be thoroughly relieved that they won’t have to factor him into their Test calculations. A hat-trick in the final ODI illustrated Malinga’s capacity to blast out the tail, and his speed and swerve can test the reflexes of top-order batsmen almost as readily. The physical demands of Malinga’s bowling action were bound to cause him to retire from one form of the game sooner rather than later, but it is a most unfortunate state of affairs that arguably the most compelling sight on either side – Malinga in full flight – has been seen for the final time this tour when three Tests remain to be played.Freed from the responsibilities of captaincy, Ricky Ponting is in ominously fluent shape. He now looks the right man to set the course of Australia’s Test batting from No. 3, a role he was all but incapable of during the Ashes, his final series as leader. The release of the Argus review did not cast Ponting’s later years as captain in the most favourable light, as it cited the weakening of a culture that was firmly in his custody. But another observation of the review, that the team has been in decline since 2008, fits neatly with Ponting’s reduced runs output. His success with the bat waned in direct proportion to the amount of time and the worries his captaincy duties demanded. He is now able to focus on his oft-stated task of leaving bowlers with only the merest margin for error, and based on the evidence provided in the ODIs it is not hard to picture a Ponting century in Galle.Australia has a duo of in-form players going home and another pair of out-of-touch cricketers staying on for the Test series. Doug Bollinger and Brett Lee were oddly rested for the final match when they had no longer form cricket ahead of them, and Bollinger’s verve through the series suggested he would have been a useful inclusion to the Test squad. The selectors’ concerns about Bollinger’s fitness were not invalid, but his trim visage and consistent performance in the ODIs suggest Bollinger has made significant steps towards answering those queries. By contrast, the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin is fortunate there is no reserve glove-man on the tour. Told by Clarke to concentrate on his ‘keeping, Haddin’s batting has fallen away, culminating in his demotion from the opening spot. His glove work has varied – spectacular at times but far from spotless. Michael Hussey is another who has so far failed to find the correct gears.Tillakaratne Dilshan has some way to go as a captain. Having made the ideal start in the Twenty20 matches, his team has succumbed to capricious batting habits and diminishing danger with the ball. Test runs will be the best way for Dilshan to lead on the field, and his tactics to unsettle the touring bowlers will be refreshed by the arrival of what is, with the exception of Mitchell Johnson, essentially an all-new Australian bowling attack. Dilshan has also had to contend with the instability of political machinations and the odd baffling selection – Kumar Sangakkara cannot be missing the job all that much.The visiting batsmen are growing more sure of themselves against the wiles of Ajantha Mendis with every innings. Hindsight might have had the Sri Lankan selectors hiding Mendis from the Australians after he had left a distinct aura of danger and mystery during the T20 matches. As it was he retained his place and has gradually diminished in effectiveness, as a tally of five wickets at 34.60 in the ODIs can attest. Mendis’ inclusion in the Test XI will be a matter for conjecture, and he will need pitches to offer him the same degree of spin he was able to find while plucking 6 for 16 in Pallekelle if he is to have similar impact against Australian batsmen with increasingly trained eyes.Much will rest on Thilan Samaraweera’s ability to add spine to the Sri Lankan middle order. His handsome record and measured style will be welcome to a group of batsmen who have struggled for meaningful scores. The pivotal batting trio of Dilshan, Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are neither wholly in form nor out of it, but haven’t given the impression that it would be entirely beyond Australia to dismiss them cheaply. Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal have struggled for runs, so Samaraweera’s composure is sorely needed.Australia have fared better against Ajantha Mendis as the series has progressed•AFPIrrespective of his coaching record, Tim Nielsen deserves credit for how he has handled the release of the Argus report and the imminent end – for there can be no other possible conclusion – to his tenure as Australia’s coach. Almost as startling as the release of the entire executive summary of the report was the fact that Nielsen stepped up to speak in its immediate aftermath. By contrast, the selector on duty and national talent manager Greg Chappell has declined interview requests until he has met with the Cricket Australia chief executive, James Sutherland, in person this week. Members of the touring party have commented that a difficult situation might have been made worse had Nielsen reacted with more venom towards what amounts to an excoriation of his work. That he has retained his composure says much for Nielsen as a man, and should be recognised by his employers even as they move him on.Shaminda Eranga has been Sri Lanka’s find of the limited overs series. Quick and swinging the new ball, Eranga is not quite the sultan of sling that Malinga has been, but his impact has been striking enough to leave open the possibility of a Test match debut. Eranga’s two wickets were just as important to Sri Lanka’s win in the third match as Malinga’s five, while in the final encounter he swung the new ball through Shaun Marsh and then returned to defeat Michael Clarke with skiddy movement away from the bat. Few regard Sri Lanka’s bowling attack as particularly strong, but it is certainly sharper for Eranga’s emergence.The Test series will be won by the team that responds best to its presently unsettled state. Both Sri Lanka and Australia must contend with forces gnawing at the edges of the dressing room. The Argus review went down like the kind of cough syrup that often comes straight back up, and has left the visitors in an odd state of flux. The head coach is probably leaving, the selector on duty definitely is, and the fielding coach Steve Rixon is now a likely contender to replace Nielsen, his current superior. Added to this is the fact that Clarke and Nielsen now have equal selection rights to Chappell, who is yet to decide what to do with his future. Sri Lanka meanwhile have board unrest and confusing selection to contend with, plus the pressure of maintaining a strong home record against a team not fancied before its arrival. Neither side is flushed with confidence, and defeat in the first Test will only compound the fact.

Plays of the Day from the first day of the second Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Durban

Firdose Moonda at Kingsmead26-Dec-2011Debut of the day
Fifteen minutes before the toss, the South African squad got into a huddle. At the centre was a face that has not been seen in national colours since the last time South Africa won a Test at Kingsmead in 2008, Shaun Pollock. The much-loved Pollock was not making a surprise comeback but was tasked with handing over a debut cap to the latest quick to be named in the starting XI – 21-year old Marchant de Lange.Pollock gave a small speech, which every member of the squad listened to with intent and when he handed the cap over, the players did a collective jump and clapped hands for de Lange. Then, they stood for a while in what looked like a prayer before getting ready to take the field. This year has been particularly kind to bowlers playing Test cricket for the first time and de Lange was the latest to benefit from that, taking two wickets in his first spell.Needlessness of the day
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene shared the highest stand of the morning – 37 runs – and looked to be settling well on a flattening pitch. Dilshan had taken a liking to Imran Tahir, who was brought on after just 70 minutes of play and in the legspinner’s third over dispatched a full toss for four. The next over, Tahir presented him with another full toss down the leg side that Dilshan could have hit anywhere behind square. He chose to send straight to Morne Morkel at fine leg. It was almost as careless as the hoick he played to be dismissed for six in the first innings of the first Test in Centurion. This time, he added 41 more runs before doing it.Dinesh Chandimal’s careless reach to be dismissed in the dying minutes of the day comes a close second.Milestone of the day
Sri Lanka’s batsmen set the bar pretty low in Centurion after being bundled out for 180 and 150 in their two innings. On a much flatter deck, with few demons, they made better starts at Kingsmead. Although they still gave away their wickets on occasion, they appeared a slightly more composed unit. Thilan Samaraweera and Chandimal guided them through most of the post-lunch session and it was up to the rookie to take them into unchartered territory. His pull through the square leg, off a rare Jacques Kallis boundary ball, took the score to 184 for 5, and brought up Sri Lanka’s highest total of the series so far.Non-wicket of the day
Tahir bowled better from the Umgeni End, the breeze helping him with drift. He should have got Samaraweera out, shortly after he became the first Sri Lankan to score a half-century on this tour. Samaraweera lobbed the ball back to Tahir who took the catch one-handed and in deflated fashion – because the delivery was called a no-ball by Umpire Steve Davis. Replays showed that Tahir did have some part of his back foot behind the line and should have had another scalp to his name.Decision of the day
With calls to end play early causing annoyance around the world, most recently Australia, umpires Davis and Richard Kettleborough can be lauded for their decision to keep going in a venue notorious for bad light, as should the teams. At the press conference, Sri Lanka coach Geoff Marsh said the teams agreed to “try to play for as long as possible” under lights.Even as the new ball came, Dale Steyn bowled short and five o’clock arrived, the umpires made no gestures to indicate they were considering calling play off before the full 90 overs had been bowled. Thisara Perera ended the day with three balls to go after he was dismissed by de Lange.

India still stand a chance of qualifying for the final but it’s not something MS Dhoni and his team were aware of before being told so at a press conference

Sidharth Monga27-Feb-2012India have a head coach, a fielding coach, a bowling coach, and other support staff that includes an analyst, a trainer, a physio, and a masseur. Then there are 17 cricketers. Between them not one had bothered to check the playing conditions and inform the captain that India were still alive in the tournament – only just, but alive. After their third straight defeat in the triangular series – and third while conceding a bonus point to Australia – India’s captain MS Dhoni said his side couldn’t make it to the finals now because the margin of their losses was too big to make up for in the net-run-rate column.This is not to jump at Dhoni’s throat, but a side desperate to make the finals would know every last backdoor entry and try to break it open. This is clearly a side looking forward to going home. At least that way they can catch a break of three to four days before being packed off for the Asia Cup and the IPL. Dhoni himself – perhaps the man who physically endures the most in this side – had the runs during yesterday’s game, and after it he hobbled out of the press conference.To add to it there is Irfan Pathan, who might or might not experience trouble from his collision with Suresh Raina in the field. Zaheer Khan is already out with a calf injury, R Vinay Kumar has done his hamstring. The batting has been so abysmal the captain himself conceded the bowlers will have to keep sides down to 200 if they were to win in this current form.Nobody likes losing, yet you can imagine the relief India must be feeling at the idea of home, away from the bouncing and seaming ball, away from the scrutiny, away from fans who line up at every training session expecting a better show, away from the pressure of that expectation even if for less than a week, away from the barracking, away from the losses, away from the same faces for close to three months, away from the media.And then Dhoni is told his side is not out yet. That if they beat Sri Lanka by a bonus point, and Australia then beat Sri Lanka, India will play the final week of the Australian summer. Oh, the torture. Coming to terms with failure is hard enough, realising you have done it too soon is worse. Dhoni was expectedly sheepish, but then he smiled. He said it was good to know this was the case. In a second he was crushed too, possibly thinking of how hard it will be to attain a bonus point when he is struggling to find four fit bowlers.”I am quite happy to hear that,” Dhoni said of the playing conditions. “Gives us another chance.”A moment later he said, “That would be saying I am very optimistic, seeing that we have not consistently done well with the bat, which means whatever the opposition scores we will have to score in 40 overs, which will be a very difficult task, but I am happy that at least there is a chance subject to some other game, but I would love to take it.”So it is down to one more evening now. An evening in the beautiful Hobart. The players can look at it as one last evening before riddance. Or they can look at it as one last evening where they can let themselves go, where they give it their all and hope for another week in Australia to show the country they are a better team than the one that turned up earlier. Arguably, though, to get themselves up for this last league game would have been much easier if they knew this was it, and there would be a break after the Australia tour. Here, on the other hand, if India make it to the final, they ensure they fly straight to Bangladesh.They will also be looking back with regret at the Adelaide game against Sri Lanka, which they had almost wrapped up but could only just tie because of some nervous, reckless batting. Had they won it, they would have only needed to win the upcoming game and wait for the other result as opposed to winning this with a bonus point and then sitting back to await the outcome of Australia v Sri Lanka.Some of the players will get one final chance to show why they should not be dropped from the squad that will be picked a day after the game. Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag and Ravindra Jadeja find themselves on thin ice.The bottom line won’t change, though. The much-acclaimed batting line-up, more a behemoth on this tour, will have to either put on a total their bowlers can defend 80% of or chase in 40 overs whatever the bowlers have allowed. This is being asked of a group that has been bowled out in four of the seven games, thrice for less than 200.India look every bit an ordinary side right now. It will take some extraordinariness to stay alive for three more days. It will be breathtaking if they manage to do it. A year or so ago, you wouldn’t write India off because they had that intangible fight in them; now not many will be holding their breath.

England have endured some dark days at The Oval but Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott shared a partnership that demonstrates how far they have progressed

George Dobell at The Oval19-Jul-2012Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder. But, on the ground where England first lost to Australia, on the ground where England were booed by their own supporters having lost to New Zealand and slipped to the foot of the Test rankings, where Michael Holding exposed their batsmen against pace and Muttiah Muralitharan exposed them against spin, the batting of Jonathan Trott and, in particular, Alastair Cook, was, to English eyes, nothing less than beautiful.England supporters have known suffering. They have seen their teams humiliated. They have been to the bottom of the rankings. But, after years of talented individuals and awful results, England at last have a team that have delivered sustained success. And they have not done it through pleasing cameos. They have done it through hard work, discipline and denial. And, if any demonstration of their methods was required, it was provided on day one at the Oval.This was the big stage. This was the important moment. And yet, brought together in the first over of the day against an attack containing record-breaking bowlers, Cook and Trott resisted everything that was thrown at them and, without too much fuss or flourish, laid the foundations of what could prove a match-defining total in a stand of 170 in 57 overs. There is a long way to go in this game and anything less than 400 in the first innings will surely prove inadequate but, having lost just three wickets on the first day and with plenty of batting to come, England will be much the happier of the teams.Cook may lack the gorgeous timing of Gower or the awesome power of Botham, but his records will put them all in the shade. He has now, aged 27, scored 20 Test centuries. Only Hammond, Cowdrey, Boycott (all of whom scored 22 Test centuries) and Strauss (with 21) have scored more centuries for England. All of them had played more Tests than Cook and Strauss, by comparison, was 27 when he made his Test debut. Cook will, given some fortune with health and fitness, break every England Test batting record in existence.Most pertinently, Cook now has the same amount of Test centuries as his mentor as England and Essex opener, Graham Gooch, who is now with the team as batting coach. “He was a great player and to have the same number of hundreds as him is a very special moment,” Cook said.There is something of the cockroach about Cook. He is not a pretty batsman and he is not armed with obvious weapons or blessed with great speed. But, like a cockroach, he has adapted to survive. He has flourished in the most hostile environments and seems able to withstand pace, spin, flood and famine. There are times, when he is out of form, when it seems any delivery probing around off stump should be enough to account for him. But, on days like this, it seems he could survive nuclear war. It will be no surprise to wake up the day after the apocalypse and find Cook taking guard and nudging a single off his hips.

“When Trott, not for the first time this year, squandered his hard work with a loose shot outside off stump, it was as surprising as discovering that your postman actually used to be Elvis.”

Perhaps it is unfair to talk so disparagingly of him. He produced some delightful strokes here – a couple of cuts and a forward prod that sped back past the bowler spring to mind – but he would not care. He is all about substance. Others can worry about style.They can worry about their preparation, too. Cook certainly feels happy to prepare in his own unique way and spent the days before this series working back on his in-laws’ Bedfordshire farm. If success breeds imitators, future England batsman may spend less time in the nets and more time chasing sheep. “I started 10am in the morning the day after the Australia ODI series and I didn’t stop until Monday morning the day we met up here,” Cook said. “It seemed to work alright. We had a couple of sessions with Goochie and his dog stick but the rest of the time I was moving sheep.”This was, on the surface, a deflating day for South Africa. Certainly any hubristic talk that England would be blown away by pace – Steyn is reported to have said he wanted to “scare the s***” out of England – was rendered foolish. So was the talk of a new, refined Morne Morkel as a fast bowling machine. If he resembled any sort of machine, it was the type built in the 19th century that occasionally takes off a child’s arm. Jacques Kallis, despite being given the second new ball for the first time in a decade, looked pedestrian and Imran Tahir ran around in the field like a woman of a certain age rushing back to the restaurant when she feared she had left her pearls. He bowled a little like that, too.Alastair Cook has, like a cockroach, adapted to survive•Getty ImagesBut it would not be true to conclude that South Africa bowled poorly. On a painfully slow wicket – the days when the Oval offered pace and bounce to bowlers are long gone; the pitch is now much more like the cabbage patch it used to be before they started to play cricket here – they were forced to adopt an attritional approach. And taking on Cook and Trott in a game of attrition is like taking on a dolphin at swimming. As Cook put it, “The ball nibbled around in the first session but it did it very slowly so we could grind our way through it.”It is an oddity of cricket that something as seemingly passive as a leave can provoke such rapt attention. But here Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn and Morkel all maintained a nagging off-stump line that could, on another day, another pitch and against another opponent, have drawn a series of edges. Yet Cook and Trott left with remarkable judgement and refused to be drawn into the prods that could have brought their downfall. As is so often the case with the pair of them, it was the shots they did not play as much as those they did that brought them success.They represent infuriating opponents. Trott invariably clips, drives and nudges through the leg side when the bowler pitches on the off stump. Cook simply leaves anything that requires him to reach for the ball, forces the bowler into bowling straighter or shorter and then feasts. When Trott, not for the first time this year, squandered his hard work with a loose shot outside off stump, it was as surprising as discovering that your postman actually used to be Elvis.This was a day of high-quality, absorbing cricket from both sides. And, while England enjoyed the best of it, their joy will be tempered in the knowledge that they will face similar problems dislodging the South African batsmen. But, while there seems little reason to believe that England’s seamers will find any more assistance in this surface, it is possible that Graeme Swann will coax more out of it than Tahir managed.

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