All posts by h716a5.icu

Pakistan may have overcome severe lapses in the field to win games in the past, but to expect to get away after handing four reprieves to Sachin Tendulkar is to expect a miracle

Osman Samiuddin at the PCA Stadium31-Mar-2011At some point over the next couple of days, Pakistan will come to understand just how close they actually got – with this side whom few gave a chance – to getting to a World Cup final. The margin of defeat looks comfortable enough but there wasn’t a whole lot between them and India, ultimately, other than a safe pair of hands somewhere, anywhere in the field.There are many frustrating ways to lose a game, let alone one as big as this, but few gnaw away at reason and rationality quite like those lost to dropped catches. In this age of the instant vent and search for a (criminal of the match), Misbah-ul-Haq’s innings is already being pilloried in Pakistan for its poor pacing. The reaction is misplaced and overdone, for the pitch wasn’t given to fluent strokeplay, particularly after the ball softened, and there had already been some momentum-losing poor shots earlier from the openers.Blaming the batting in any case misses the point. Pakistan are never comfortable chasers and 261, in a World Cup semi-final, at the home of the opposition is an entirely different kind of 261 from the ones they might chase down in a bilateral series in the UAE. The point is, they shouldn’t have been chasing that much in the first place.There are some truisms in cricket that Pakistan quite brazenly and joyously ignore; leading among them are those to do with catching. They win matches? Yes, but not as much as scoring runs and taking wickets,thank you. They once dropped Graeme Smith five times as he ground out 65 in an ODI in Lahore, and still won the match comfortably. They dropped seven catches in an innings in New Zealand in 2009-10 and won the Testcomfortably. These are to recall just two examples from a sizeable sample.But there are some rules in life you cannot defy, some batsmen you really cannot give a chance to. And if you give Sachin Tendulkar four chances – not one but four! Tendulkar! – you cannot expect to win a game, no matterwhat else you do. It was one of Tendulkar’s least fluent recent innings as well, but in the drops of Misbah, Younis Khan – their two best catchers -Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal, went the game. It is as simple as that.It wasn’t – as it never is – just the runs that came after the drops, though Tendulkar did add 58 runs after the first chance went down. It was the mood that was lost each time. The first spill, with Tendulkar on 27, came as Pakistan were beginning to regain their senses after Virender Sehwag’s early blast. Tendulkar had just survived two torrid overs from Saeed Ajmal and a seminal moment was at hand.The second, on 45, came the over after Gautam Gambhir had gone. Momentum again was at stake. The third came a few overs after Wahab Riaz’s two-wicket over left India in a position of real danger. All chances, incidentally, were created by the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, the man to whom Pakistan look for inspiration, for breakthroughs, for controlling the middle overs of the game, their captain, a man who thrives on taking precisely such wickets, Shahid Afridi.The effects of this on a game cannot possibly be calculated, except to say the obvious, that it changes everything and goes beyond runs alone. Who knows what target Pakistan could have been chasing? There was another,less important, miss later, on 81, but a miss nonetheless and none of the outfield catches were difficult.”We made some big mistakes in fielding, we dropped some catches, and catches for Sachin,” Afridi said. He then quipped, referring to his much-discussed phantom statement in the build-up of trying to prevent a100th international Tendulkar hundred, “I told you he wouldn’t score a hundred.” It was gallows humour.It is sad – but also predictable – that ultimately it came down to Pakistan’s fielding, for that is the one area they have really worked hard on in training and actually thought about methodically, making sure for once of placing the right fielders in the right places. Younger players have come in who genuinely enjoy fielding, a couple of older ones have led the way.They have been very sharp as they were against Australia but also still capable of sudden, unexpected tragi-comedy as against Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa in the second half of the hosts’ chase and today. Overall, theyhave been considerably better than before, in particular with the energy they have brought on to the field. But there is much, much more to be done.If they are skilled and contrary enough to get away with it against most sides and players, to expect to do so against the game’s greatest modern-day batsman, in such a setting, is to expect miracles.

Harbhajan Singh’s intense opening over ended with the big wicket of Chris Gayle, and consequently put Mumbai Indians on course to win the Champions League

Nitin Sundar at the MA Chidambaram Stadium10-Oct-2011In his utterly brilliant debut novel , Shehan Karunatilaka vividly likens the six balls in an over to the six bullets in a revolver. He writes that a bowler should not mind firing one or two into the air, as long as one of the remaining bullets finds the mark. Harbhajan Singh’s first ball in the Champions League final was one such bullet – it did not get Chris Gayle’s wicket, at least not immediately – but it set up an intense over that ended with his dismissal, and consequently put Mumbai Indians on course to win the Champions League Twenty20.The game was set up beautifully in the first five overs of the chase. Royal Challengers Bangalore had started well in pursuit of 140, with Tillakaratne Dilshan trying to hit the Mumbai fast bowlers out of the attack. Harbhajan persisted with Lasith Malinga for a third over, and the bowler of the tournament delivered a 148-kph yorker to detonate the needlessly-aggressive Dilshan’s stumps.With one member of their top-order troika out of the game, the Royal Challengers needed Gayle and Virat Kohli to stick to the script that had worked for them in the lead-up to the final. Harbhajan would have known that separating them early would give Mumbai an opening into the Royal Challengers’ underdone middle order.The outcome was in the balance when Harbhajan wind-milled into his action, round the stumps to Gayle, who had only faced six balls in the first five overs. The first ball looped in at an angle, and landed on a length outside the off stump. Gayle indifferently reached out and felt for it with an opened face. It wasn’t a poor choice of shot, given that the pitch had not shown signs of spin through the night. The ball, however, gripped the surface and veered away sharply as if it had a life of its own, squaring Gayle up.With the echo of that first bullet still ringing in the air, Harbhajan used skill and subterfuge through the rest of the over to work Gayle over. The second ball spun even more than the first, and was called a wide as it darted away from Gayle’s attempted cut. The viciousness of the spin consigned Gayle to the crease, and Harbhajan kept him guessing with one more fizzer that broke away wildly, and a couple that straightened from a flatter trajectory.Harbhajan Singh seized the biggest moment of the Champions League when he got rid of Chris Gayle, and it was smooth sailing for Mumbai Indians thereafter.•Associated PressSensing the kill, Harbhajan brought in an extra fielder in the covers and positioned a slip for the final ball. He curled it in with his trademark drift, got it to land on off stump and hurry in straight. Gayle was well forward, but the umpire upheld a marginal appeal – not the first slice of fortune that had gone Mumbai’s way in the tournament.With two of their three big guns spiked early, the Royal Challengers subsided in astonishingly limp fashion. Harbhajan continued to bowl beautifully, and went on to nip out the two batsmen most likely to resist Mumbai – Kohli and Daniel Vettori – on his way to figures of 3 for 20.”That first ball actually got Gayle out,” Harbhajan said after the match. “I knew that was an important over in the match, and obviously getting Gayle out was going to be crucial. After that ball, he was not sure which one was going to spin and which one would go straight. The first ball surprised him, and that probably did it for him.”Mumbai had made up for their lack of consistency through the tournament with the uncanny ability to win the big moments. On the day of the final, their captain’s opening over ensured they won the biggest moment of the Champions League, and it was all smooth sailing thereafter.

England’s tour of the UAE came to a gripping conclusion after what has been an important period for the game

George Dobell in Abu Dhabi27-Feb-2012Perhaps it was fitting that this tour should end with England’s batsmen struggling for fluency against Pakistan’s spinners. On the pitch where England suffered their tour nadir – dismissed for just 72 in the second Test a few weeks ago – batting again proved desperately difficult against the host’s spinners.It was fitting, too, that this game should be decided by the final delivery. Despite the score lines on this tour – a whitewash to Pakistan in the Test series and a whitewash to England in the ODI series – there is little to choose between these sides. Both are fine but flawed teams with some way to way to go on the road of progress.On this occasion, however, England prevailed. As a consequence they took the Twenty20 series 2-1. Coming on the heels of their 4-0 ODI series victory, it was redemption of sorts after losing the Test series 3-0.While it would be tempting to credit England’s bowlers with this victory, it would not tell the whole story.England’s bowlers certainly produced an excellent performance here, but there is nothing new in that. They have performed exceptionally well all tour, but it was to prove to no avail as their team lost the Test series.The difference, here and throughout much of the limited-overs series, has been the form of Kevin Pietersen. After his struggles in the Tests, where he averaged just 11.16, Pietersen has been quite magnificent during the limited-overs leg of the tour. Here he batted right the way through the England innings and underlined his return to form with an unbeaten innings of 62 on a pitch where all other batsmen struggled. To say that his contribution dwarfed that of his colleagues would be an understatement: the next highest score was just 17.The questions asked about Pietersen midway through this tour were valid. He looked unrecognisable from the masterful player that led England to the World T20 and No.1 in the Test rankings. He was low on confidence with a technique in tatters.The important thing is Pietersen answered all those questions. He adapted his technique, he worked hard and he overcame what he rated as the toughest challenge of his career. Perhaps he still has a point to prove in subcontinent Tests, but in this form, few would bet against him.There were many key moments in this game: the last ball full toss in the England innings that Pietersen thrashed for six; the four wides (five runs) that Umar Gul donated when he attempted to cramp Pietersen for room; the impetus added by Samit Patel’s cameo innings; Jos Buttler’s pick-up and throw that helped run out the fluent Asad Shafiq; the nerveless penultimate over delivered by Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow’s superb throw that defeated a labouring Shahid Afridi.Most pertinently, however, England held their nerve and Pakistan did not. Pakistan required only 23 from the final 18 balls with seven wickets in hand. It should have been easy; instead it was a nightmare.Some in Pakistan will blame Misbah-ul-Haq for this loss. They will criticise his somewhat ponderous batting and it will fuel their calls for Shahid Afridi to be reappointed as captain. The pressure on Misbah may well become unbearable in the coming weeks.It is true, too, that Misbah must take some responsibility for the result. He batted for 12-and-a-half overs, only found the boundary twice (once through a misfield) and must accept that he misjudged the pace of Pakistan’s chase. His side are fast gaining a reputation as ‘chokers’; it is not completely unwarranted.But he was far from alone in failing with the bat. Umar Akmal betrayed his inexperience with a reckless heave; Afridi simply did not look fit enough for a quick two and Mohammad Hafeez, for all the excellent influence he clearly has on this team and his usefulness as a bowler, has barely contributed with the bat for some time. Pakistan won the Test series as a team; they failed in the limited-overs series as a team. It would not be constructive for all the failings of the Pakistan team to be heaped upon Misbah’s shoulders.He had few answers afterwards. “Full credit to the England bowlers,” he said. “They bowled very well. But it was not [a] difficult [chase]. [We had] 18 balls to get 23 runs and we had wickets in hand.” When they come to reflect, however, Pakistan will surely conclude that their bowlers have performed to an extremely high standard throughout, but that their batting and fielding must improve.England – and specifically their batsmen – have certainly improved over the course of the tour. But while Broad, captain in the T20 format, took pleasure in that, he admitted that limited-overs victories were no substitute for Test success.”This doesn’t make up for losing the Tests,” Broad said. “We came here to prove ourselves in the subcontinent and we didn’t do that. But we did show character and we do leave on a high. It also gives us a lot of confidence with the next World T20 in the subcontinent.”Pietersen agreed. “It was an exceptional end [to the tour] and a slow start,” he said. “Full credit to the bowlers who have bowled brilliantly all the way through. I do believe we’re on our way to fixing our problems against spin in the sub-continent.It will be of little consolation in the short-term, but perhaps, in time, Pakistan can also take comfort in the fact that all the key memories of this tour are cricket related: the spin bowling of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman; Younis Khan’s gorgeous century; Azhar Ali’s defiance. From an England perspective they might be the successful comeback of Monty Panesar, the return to form of Pietersen and Alastair Cook and the rude wake-up call that their batsmen received at the hands of Pakistan’s spinners.The important thing is that they are all cricket memories. Bearing in mind the context in which this tour began, that is no mean achievement. Series between these two countries have been strained for some years; this one has been fiercely competitive but good spirited. The various captains involved – all four of them – deserve much credit for that.Some things – many things, actually – are more important than winning and losing. After the damage inflicted to our beautiful game during the last series between these sides, this was the encounter that the game required. Hopefully, when results and performances are dissected over the coming weeks and months, that bigger picture will not be forgotten.

Bangladesh’s cricketers take time to get back into the groove after a significant event, and so Stuart Law’s resignation as coach comes as a big setback

Mohammad Isam17-Apr-2012Stuart Law’s resignation as Bangladesh coach after only nine months in the job is a backward step for the team, which had turned a corner with their performance and outlook during the Asia Cup. His sudden departure will be a critical break in continuity for a team notorious for its unpredictability.As they have shown in both the micro – after a break for drinks, lunch or tea – and macro – change of coach or captain – Bangladesh’s cricketers take time to get back into the groove after a significant event. The start under Law was poor, with losses in Zimbabwe and against West Indies and Pakistan, but Bangladesh hit form in the Asia Cup. Their dedication to the cause and their team spirit was praised by those outside and inside the dressing-room.Law was blessed, in some ways, with a combination of cricketers who are more talented than any in Bangladesh’s history. Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal are products of the Siddons-era, but Shakib, despite losing captaincy, has risen to prominence as a world-class allrounder and Tamim has been on the road to recovery over the past two years. Mushfiqur Rahim, who was made captain after Shakib was sacked in mid 2011, has also made his mark as a finisher, and Nasir Hossain made a impressive start in international cricket.In Law’s first Test as coach, former captain Mohammad Ashraful, who was battling for form, struck an important half-century. He was then given an extended run despite falling into his characteristic dip right after that Zimbabwe Test. Ashraful said Law liked to give players confidence without tinkering with how they play. “I have seen him work and he didn’t really want us to change techniques,” Ashraful told ESPNcricinfo. “He wanted to give players assurance with what they have.”He was getting to know the players though he didn’t get a lot of time to work with everyone properly. Before the Zimbabwe series he only got two days and even later he didn’t get much time But he made a difference, as was seen during the Asia Cup.”A nine-month stint is too short to pass judgement on but Law had more success in the same time period than the two previous coaches. Dav Whatmore, who took charge in 2003, only won a single one-day international in his first nine months, while Jamie Siddons oversaw four wins against weaker teams but had poor results against the stronger ones.However, while Law thrived on bringing a cluster of performing cricketers together to form a core group, the team’s biggest stars, Shakib and Tamim, did not have the greatest relationship with him.In Zimbabwe, there was an alleged spat between Tamim and Law in his first match as coach. After Bangladesh beat India in the Asia Cup, Law wanted to remind the senior players to keep learning. He said: “If you think you’ve got it, it will come back and bite you in the backside. It’s got that wonderful knack of doing that.”On the day he resigned, Law again reminded Bangladesh that they must have everyone performing, and not just one or two players, to move forward. “I am a firm believer that you do have your outstanding performers in the team but they can’t be the ones you rely on all the time. At some stage they’re going to come up short so that’s when the other players should be ready to take the bull by the horns.”As great a player Shakib is, I didn’t want him to be the only player making all the contributions. Shakib and Tamim are the marquee players but the other players have stuck their hand up so that’s what you want to see.”Law also saw the darker sides of cricket administration in Bangladesh, when the board suddenly sacked Shakib as captain and took its own time to name a successor, even holding a warm-up tournament to determine whether Mushfiqur Rahim or Mahmudullah was the better choice. There were selection issues before every series with the matter coming to a head when Akram Khan resigned ahead of the Asia Cup. While insisting his departure was for family reasons, Law was gracious enough not to find fault with the BCB.However, former captain Khaled Mashud said the board must look into the reasons behind Law’s departure. “He [Law] has a personal problem, as he has told us, but the board should dig deep. There should be an inquiry so that the next man doesn’t have the same problems he had,” Mashud said. “His performance was better towards the end of his short tenure but he seemed like a good coach, listened to the players as much as he talked to them. It will be a big loss.”Law’s approach to coaching Bangladesh was to take a backseat and not take the lead like Whatmore or Siddons did. With a team containing two stars, a captain and a few more performers, it was important for the coach to let it function on its own. He will always be remembered for sitting in the dugout when Bangladesh took the Asia Cup by storm.Ashraful was of the opinion that Law’s successor should be a high profile coach. “We are still the No. 9 team in the world so there is an effect of what he [a coach] says. The coach also has to be a good motivator.”ESPNcricinfo has learned the BCB is already looking for a new coach and will put out a circular in the next three days with applicants from home and abroad. The likelihood of former Australia batsman Dean Jones, who said he had been contacted by the BCB, getting the job might not be popular with some players after Jones’ stint with Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the Group C game between South Africa and Zimbabwe in Hambantota

Andrew Fernando in Hambantota20-Sep-2012The delivery
Many of Zimbabwe’s batsmen were inept against South Africa’s pace, but although Vusi Sibanda’s attempted straight drive to Morne Morkel in the second over wasn’t a great example of the shot, Sibanda can at least be comforted by the fact that he was dismissed by a ball that would have had most batsmen struggling to make contact. Morkel fired a full delivery down at 145 kph, and got it to tail in a touch in the air, before pitching and jagging in dramatically. Sibanda’s whoosh found only air, and the ball zipped between bat and pad to flick the off stump.The double-strike
Craig Ervine and Stuart Matsikenyeri had cobbled together the beginnings of a recovery, grinding forward Zimbabwe’s total to 51 after coming together at 16 for 3, but in two balls, Jacques Kallis crippled the rebuild and restored Zimbabwe’s slide. With the score moving at less than six an over, Matsikenyeri attempted an expansive stroke, bouncing down the pitch to Kallis’ fourth ball, but although he managed to connect, he slapped it straight to short cover. Kallis then removed Elton Chigumbura next ball, when the batsman played around an unremarkable full delivery that struck him flush in front of middle and off.The catch
South Africa had appealed twice for caught-behinds down the leg side and had already snared a victim that way, but when another short ball deflected off the batsman’s glove in the 17th over, the deviation seemed to be too great for the wicketkeeper to haul the catch in. AB de Villiers, though, threw himself full tilt to his less-favoured side and pouched the ball left-handed, close to where a leg-slip might have stood.The shot
In a Zimbabwe innings notable for its timidity, Ervine was the only batsman who showed the application and verve that would have seen Zimbabwe provide more of a challenge to South Africa. Ervine trotted down the pitch to the first ball he faced from Robin Peterson, but when that didn’t work, played a terrific reverse-sweep next ball, splitting the fielders at backward point and sweeper to find the boundary.

Plays of the Day on the opening day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo

Andrew Fernando at P Sara Oval25-Nov-2012The howlerDRS wasn’t missed in the first Test, but it would have saved Brendon McCullum in the fourth over of the day when he was given out lbw off Shaminda Eranga. Eranga had been firing it into the pads, and though McCullum defended down the wrong line to one that moved in a touch, he got a thick inside edge on the pads and was adjudged lbw. He stared at the umpire, muttering expletives, before punching his bat in frustration as he exited the field.The near-missRoss Taylor’s good luck in the first hour of his innings went some way to negating the misfortune of McCullum’s dismissal, as he edged several times before reaching the 30s. He had edged Eranga over the slips twice in one over – once just evading the tips of Angelo Mathew’s fingers – but his closest call came off Mathews a few overs later. Taylor went back to defend the ball, but Mathews got it to jag back at him, and the Taylor’s inside edge just evaded the stumps on its way to the fence.The physics-defying bailLate in the second session Mahela Jayawardene dived at short midwicket to intercept a Taylor drive, and the ball deflected towards Thilan Samaraweera at short mid-on, who picked up the ball and shied at the stumps, seeing Taylor out of his crease. The ball hit the off stump, causing it to rattle visibly, but the bail stayed firmly in place, leaving Samaraweera to stare dumbfounded at the furniture. Tillakaratne Dilshan jogged to the offending wickets at the end of the over and lifted the bail, just to make sure it wasn’t glued on.The shotTaylor shelved his brute power strokes during his century, and perhaps nothing epitomised this better than the boundary he hit to sign off on day one. Nuwan Kulasekara was bowling with the second new ball, and he went full, searching unsuccessfully for swing. Taylor’s drive was more off a checked push, but he had timed it beautifully and the ball sped past the bowler and to the straight boundary, all along the ground. Mid-off barely moved, except to retrieve the ball from the boundary.

Welcome to Part 2 of the Official Confectionery Stall Multiple Choice 2009 Ashes Quiz

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013

Welcome to Part 2 of the Official Confectionery Stall Multiple Choice 2009 Ashes Quiz. Following last week’s four questions about the Lord’s Test, this week’s exam focuses more on the Edgbaston Test, which, if predictions about the weather and pitch prove true, is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting matches ever played in the Birmingham area which straddles July and August 2009.Pencils at the ready…5. Who is going to win at Edgbaston?
(a) EnglandThey’ve already broken one hoodoo – not having beaten Australia at Lord’s since Greta Garbo was still a proactive conversationalist.In the oldest of all cricketing proverbs: One Brings Two. They will surely now break another hoodoo – not having beaten Australia in the next Test match after beating Australia at Lord’s since 1890. It will help if the team can follow the example of the majority of the English media, and forget how they only managed to escape from the jaws of defeat in Cardiff by first coating themselves in mayonnaise and climbing into those jaws.(b) AustraliaMitchell Johnson has set himself up perfectly for a startling return to form, catapulting England out on a docile pitch before slugging a match-winning century. Australia’s batsmen are averaging almost 10 runs an innings more than England’s in the series so far, and, as Michael Clarke himself said, his team is never more dangerous than when the chips are down. Recent history suggests this is almost as big a lie as his claim that this Australian team is as good as any he has played in, but you have to admire the lad for saying it anyway.(c) No-one – it will be a drawRain is forecast, the pitch is reportedly flat as a demotivated pancake, and, more pertinently, both sides should have learned from their mistakes of the first two Tests, each of which were played on friendly batting surfaces, and each of which required batting of catastrophic ineptitude to lead make a positive result possible.Even so, the runs-per-wicket for both sides put together (43) is so far the highest ever in an Ashes series. It will take something special for either side to force a defeat out of themselves.Furthermore, in the West Indies, England proved masters at accidentally playing for the draw when they need to play for the win. They should therefore have no trouble playing for the draw when they actually need to play for the draw. Three stalemates would be enough to match the glorious 1926 and 1953 one-nil-out-of-five triumphs.(d) No-one – it will be a tieThere has never been an Ashes tie. The last Edgbaston Test was the closest the two teams have ever come. There have been 321 Tests between these nations. Statistically, with only four results possible, around 80 of those should have been ties. It is long overdue. 6. All cricket fans will be hoping that Edgbaston is not scarred by further umpiring controversies of the sort seen and giggled/whinged about (delete according to hemisphere of origin) at Lord’s. What is the long-term solution to disputes such as the Hughes-Strauss-Koertzen-Ponting-Ball-Grass-Referral Incident?(a) End all arguments by removing caught from the list of dismissals.This will also encourage more exciting, aggressive bowling. Fast bowlers would be forced to bowl yorkers in an attempt to dismiss batsmen bowled or lbw, and bouncers in an effort to make batsmen retire hurt. In this age of breakneck modernisation, it could also herald a return to underarm daisy-cutters − cricket re-embracing its roots.(b) Take the fielder’s word for it – we’re all adults, and it’s only a game.The batting team must, however, be entitled to demand an instant on-field polygraph test to ensure the catcher is telling the truth. If it transpires that he has fibbed, he should be paraded around the boundary, booed and pelted with biscuits shaped like Colin Cowdrey.(c) Alternating decisions – one out, the next one not out.This new system was trialled at Lord’s – refer one, don’t refer the next. Statistics say that such a system will even out over the course of a series, or, at least, over the course of the rest of cricket history.(d) Dye the entire outfield with a bright purple pigment.This is a simple, error-proof solution to demonstrate conclusively whether or not a ball has bounced before thudding into a fielder’s hands. Only the 22-yards between the stumps would be left unpurpled. The ball would be thoroughly cleaned by the umpire before each delivery. After a disputed catch, the umpire would inspect the ball. If the purple pigment is visible on the ball, the ball would have been shown to have bounced, the catch would be duly disallowed, and the umpire would tut at the fielder concerned and start muttering about how the entire planet has lost the plot.The pigment would have to be re-applied to the outfield between each over, to ensure a fair and even covering at all times. Batsmen would not be allowed to coat their bats in the purple pigment.Traditionalists will of course bleat about how cricket has always been played on a green surface, players will complain about getting purple all over their clothes and faces, and groundsmen will whinge about the added workload and potential toxicity of a substance that may have to be radioactive in order both to be sufficiently purple and not to cause interference on TV pictures.Surely, however, reaching a fair decision is more important than any of these minor quibbles, in this day and age?7. Last week, I promised to ask the question: How much will England miss Kevin Pietersen? On reflection, this can now be more productively phrased: Which of the following true statistics about Ian Bell is the most misleading?(a) Ian Bell averages 25 against AustraliaThe widely-accepted idea that Ian Bell has ‘never really done it against Australia’ is true in the sense that he has never really done it against Australia, but false in the sense that the statistics point unerringly to him doing it in no uncertain terms this time.Whilst only a mathematical Luddite could dispute that Bell averages 25 in his 10 Ashes Tests, and has been out in single figures 11 times in his 20 innings, it should also be remembered that he averaged 17.1 in 2005, but a much more respectable if scarcely abacus-shattering 33.1 in 2006-7.This represents a 93% series-to-series improvement. If the Warwickshire Whirlwind continues to ski the right way up this graph, he will average 64 this year, 124 in 2010-11, and 240 in 2013, by when he will be universally recognised as the greatest player of all time.It should also be remembered that Bradman scored six ducks against England, so he wasn’t all good either. And, in the 2006-07 series, Bell scored more runs than Strauss, Cook, Flintoff, Panesar, Prior, Bopara, Botham, Barrington, Compton, Hutton, Hammond or Hobbs. Or Gilchrist or Langer.(b) Ian Bell averages over 40 in Test cricketThis puts him above, among others, England stalwarts such as Stewart, Atherton, Hussain, Lamb, Gatting, Greig (both Tony and Ian), Fletcher, Woolley and even Hutton (Richard, admittedly, not Len). He averages 48 in the first innings when games are shaped, averages 47 batting at No. 4, 74 with Strauss as captain, 45 in England, and 43 in third Tests (although he’d better perform at Edgbaston – he averages 18.5 in the fourth and fifth Tests of series). And he averages 297 when Kevin Pietersen is not in the team.Against this, he has mostly played on nice and friendly pitches, it’s a batsman’s game these days, averages mean less and less in modern Test cricket, he filled his boots against Bangladesh at the start of his career (see Pietersen-absent stat above), filled them again against a fairly weak Pakistan attack in 2006, since when he has scored three centuries in three years. And you can dress a statistic us as smartly as you like, but it doesn’t guarantee that it will be dancing cheek-to-cheek with truth at the end of the evening.In summary, Ian Bell could have done better, Ian Bell could have done worse. Bearing in mind the class of his best innings and finest strokes, however, the overall feeling is that Ian Bell’s career has so far been like a fillet of prime sirloin made into an adequate stroganoff. Neither inedible, nor incredible.(c) Ian Bell averages 1.3 catches per match in Ashes TestsThis compares domineeringly against Kevin Pietersen’s figure of 0.3. So he is effectively worth one extra innings per Test. Which means that Bell’s batting average of 33 is in effect almost identical to Pietersen’s 50.8. Which part of their game will Australia have to improve most to avoid repeating their disappointing performance at Lord’s?a) Bowling.b) Batting.c) Rudi Koertzen.And, finally, as a tie-breaker in case the scores are level:9. Will there ever be another Test pitch with genuine pace and bounce in it?a) No.b) Probably not.

Shikhar Dhawan didn’t miss a moment during his ruthless century on debut to show up the Australian attack for what it was

Sharda Ugra16-Mar-2013For the better part of his turbo-charged, fireworks display of a debut century, which shredded records and caused a stir, Shikhar Dhawan showed no signs of nerve or panic. He raced through the 60s to his 90s in 15 balls as if he was weaving his way through traffic in his hometown Delhi, with music on top, thumping volume and the sunglasses on. On 91, Dhawan edged Peter Siddle past a diving gully’s hands, but his cool stayed unrattled.On 99, though, there came a flash. Of anxiety or desperation, of what looked like the stark hunger that must have kept him going through first-class cricket. Dhawan push-dropped one from Siddle, called for a run that never was and charged. It was a blind, suicidal mini-mission that had “oh-no” written all over it.For close to nine years following his stunning performances in under-19 cricket, Dhawan had waited for his Test debut. In Mohali, he couldn’t bear to wait even one more ball to do what, until today, he must have only dreamt of. As the throw was fired through, Dhawan’s full-length dive for the crease was less panther and more hopeful pilgrim. The ball shot past the stumps and Dhawan went from being flat on his face and onto his feet in seconds.The helmet was pulled off and from under it emerged a grin larger than the stadium. Dhawan threw his head back and arms into the air. No matter where his career goes from here, on this one afternoon, Shikhar Dhawan was, to himself and those watching, king of the world.On Saturday, his innings of 185 not out was India’s prime driver of what can only be called batting on speed. Dhawan’s own signature is now in the history books, the fastest Test century on debut, and the highest score by an Indian on Test debut. It has opened up possibilities for India in the Test, with time and a wearing pitch now on their side.Australia know that in the course of two hours, they were pushed on to thin ice by Dhawan and the best that they can do in Mohali is draw the game. Dhawan’s century, in its tempo and silken ferocity, also turned into an odd homage to Virender Sehwag, the Delhi senior man whose place he has taken.India ended the day on 283 for no loss in reply to Australia’s 408. For the second Test in a row, M Vijay, batting on 83, found a sedate, lower gear and allowed Dhawan to have his moment in the sun. After stumps Dhawan said that, despite his ear-ringed, poker face, he had in fact felt anxious, “No, I was nervous, but you didn’t realise it. No, I was certainly nervous, but I wasn’t as nervous as I used to be earlier.”Until today, Dhawan’s presence in the field had been virtually invisible. He misfielded the first ball that came his way on Friday and as non-striker, during the lone over India had to bat before lunch, had wandered out of his crease. The ball slipped out of Mitchell Starc’s hand, hit the stumps, with Dhawan a foot out of his ground. A smiling Michael Clarke had made some jokey third-umpire signs and the over then formally began. Had the Aussies appealed, Dhawan might or might not have been deemed safe by the umpires, but it would still have been a nervous start.*When his first run came, a single through covers, his partner Vijay came over to acknowledge and reassure. On television, Ravi Shastri’s voice was sardonic, “First for me. Never seen anybody being congratulated for scoring one run.”Over the next two hours, Dhawan settled in and produced an innings that ended up being a first in many ways for most watching. To the Australian bowling, his batting was a geometry lesson in contempt. He was assured on his front foot, had enough time to adjust his shots and find precise gaps in the field. When he was given a short ball, he played the pull efficiently, without hesitation. The off side was packed, but to Dhawan, the fielders were either woven through or zipped past.By the time he got to his century, Dhawan had scored 84 runs off boundaries, but his first shots in the air came only after he’d gone past 100. Dhawan stepped out to medium-pacers and spinners alike and carved up sections of the ground as if it were cake to be eaten. Even the unfailingly polite and considerate VVS Laxman couldn’t contain himself, saying Australia had an “average bowling attack.” Dhawan didn’t miss a moment to let it show. For all Australia’s good intentions and plans (and this is without homework jokes), Dhawan showed them their place in these conditions and on this pitch.He was severe on Moises Henriques, hitting cover drives on the up, walking out against a short ball before drilling it square. Xavier Doherty got the heaviest treatment, 18 runs in his fourth over, turning the bowler’s plans inside out. He was driven against the spin, then reverse-swept when Clarke moved out of slip, dispatched past three men through the covers and then paddle-swept to the boundary again.Dhawan’s Delhi team-mates are cackling with delight. Old pro Rajat Bhatia says he can tell how Dhawan’s innings are going to go from the first few balls. Immaculate defence, blocking and plodding is a bad sign. If he looks to get the strike moving, taking singles and playing strokes, things are looking good. In Mohali, Dhawan took three balls to get off strike and had hit his first boundary off Siddle off his sixth ball. It had to be his day.* 6.48pm GMT, March 16: The copy has been updated after reviewing the laws of the game.

Plays of the day from the sixth match of the Champions Trophy between India and West Indies

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Nagraj Gollapudi11-Jun-2013The punt
Ravindra Jadeja had bowled the delivery into the pads of Marlon Samuels, who responded with a bat-pad defence on the front foot. Although the Indian captain MS Dhoni had joined the chorus of appeals from the close-in fielders and the bowler, he was not entirely sure whether to opt for the one review given to each team. The doubt was whether it had hit bat or pad first. Once he got a firm nod from Jadeja, however, Dhoni signaled to Aleem Dar for the review. Jadeja’s hunch proved correct as ball had just brushed the pad plumb in front before it hit the bat.The stop
If you make Dhoni jog to you and shake your hand, you clearly must have done something special. The Indian captain is not a man for big gestures on the field, but today he was forced to acknowledge Rohit Sharma’s agility at point. Against a short and wide ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Darren Bravo moved swiftly into position to unleash a dashing square cut which was travelling fast towards the point boundary. However, Rohit was equally quick to move to his right and then dive to interrupt the passage of ball and convert a certain boundary into just a single.The punch
As soon as he had charged Jadeja to slap a powerful inside-out six over cover to get to his half-century, an ecstatic Darren Sammy turned to the West Indies change room and punched his right hand, a gesture loaded with significance. Ahead of the Champions Trophy, Sammy had been replaced by Dwayne Bravo as the ODI captain, and was dropped in the first match against Pakistan. Bravo had said one reason for Sammy’s exclusion was to strengthen the batting order. Sammy is no doubt a bowling allrounder, but on evidence so far he is a better batsman than at least Ramnaresh Sarwan, who has had a horrid tournament. So Sammy’s excited celebration was clear in its message: don’t you dare drop me next time. I am a good batsman too.The drop
India’s openers motored to 72 by the end of the 11th over, but when West Indies finally had an opportunity to break the stand, Kemar Roach allowed it to slip through his fingers. Spotting a Shikhar Dhawan top edge off Dwayne Bravo in the 12th over, Roach stepped off the boundary rope at fine leg and set himself for the catch, but misjudged the trajectory slightly, and had planted himself a foot short of where he needed to be. He could have still comfortably taken the catch falling forward, but perhaps put off by a raucous India crowd, could not get his hands around the ball, and the batsmen continued to progress swiftly.The lazy fielder
Often at slip, Chris Gayle has one of the least taxing jobs in the field, but if there is any way someone else can do his work for him, Gayle will not pass up the opportunity. In the 28th over, Dinesh Karthik edged Marlon Samuels safely towards third man, and initially, it seemed as if Gayle, running back from slip, would haul the ball in. He caught up with it just before the 30-yard circle, but as he did, saw Ravi Rampaul also approaching from third man. Instead of bending down to pick up the ball, which had stopped no more than a foot away from his boot, Gayle gestured to Rampaul to collect it and throw it in himself. Amused, Rampaul obliged him, and Gayle returned to his position with a broad grin as the crowd cheered his lethargy.

The Plays of the day from the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils, in Hyderabad

Siddarth Ravindran04-May-2013The appeal
In the second over of the match, Ishant Sharma bowled one of his typical deliveries – a short of length ball cutting in – that beat Virender Sehwag’s inside edge and struck him on the pads. As is the norm, the bowler and the wicketkeeper went up vociferously asking for the lbw. The ball would have missed legstump and the umpire rightly turned down the shout. The most dramatic appeal, though, came from Darren Sammy, who was fielding at a very wide first slip and would have had no idea of the line of the delivery. That didn’t deter Sammy from appealing so vehemently that he sank to his knees while asking the question.The no-ball
It is only this month that the rules have been changed to make it a no-ball when the bowler brushes the stumps during his run-up, a problem most prominently faced by England’s Steven Finn. Bangladesh fast bowler Shafiul Islam became the first bowler to be no-balled for that in international cricket yesterday, and today it was Thisara Perera in the IPL. There is no free-hit for this sort of no-ball, but perhaps the batsman Unmukt Chand was unaware of that, judging from his wild swipe after charging out of his crease on the next delivery.The drop
The IPL’s highlights reels may be stacked with a bunch of terrific catches, but this season has had its share of schoolboyish fielding bloopers. Hanuma Vihari added to that list today, when he didn’t just put down a skier from David Warner, he barely got a hand on it despite settling under it well in time. Luckily for him, Warner’s continued struggles against spin meant the drop didn’t prove too costly.The confusion
Daredevils, like most IPL franchises, have a vast support staff, one of whom should be assigned to give lessons in calling for Irfan Pathan and Shahbaz Nadeem. First, there was a total communication breakdown when they were batting, resulting in Nadeem’s run-out. Initially the striker Nadeem wanted the run and Irfan didn’t, then Irfan did and Nadeem didn’t and in the resulting confusion Sunrisers Hyderabad had time to complete the run-out even though the first throw missed the stumps. Then, in the second over of the chase, a top-edged shot looped towards deep square leg. Irfan ran back from square leg, and Nadeem from deep midwicket; both of them were converging on the ball but at the last moment both pulled out of attempting the catch and watched the ball land between them.