All posts by n8rngtd.top

Eddie Byrom makes 81 as Marchant de Lange impresses on return to former club

ECB Reporters Network07-Apr-2023Glamorgan continued to dominate their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Gloucestershire, finishing the day on 388 for eight to give them a commanding lead of 223.The innings was built around hundreds from Kiran Carlson and Billy Root as the Glamorgan middle order took the game away from the visitors.A well made 81 for Eddie Byrom set the foundation for what came after as Glamorgan’s batting line-up made a very decent start to the season on a pitch where you had to fight to get yourself set.The standout performer for Gloucestershire was Marchant de Lange who claimed figures of three for 72 on his return to his old club.The day started with nightwatchman Timm van der Gugten still at the crease and he didn’t last long, spooning a catch to Graeme van Buuren off the bowling of left arm spinner Zafar Gohar who had been given the new ball from the Cathedral Road end.When David Lloyd was bowled by Tom Price and de Lange cleaned up Sam Northeast, Glamorgan were 35 for three and Gloucestershire looked to be clawing their way back into the match. Carlson and Byrom had other ideas, as they shared a stand of 160 that took Glamorgan into the lead.Byrom was watchful at first before looking to attack once well set, but Carlson was a bundle of energy from the moment he reached the crease, his first scoring shots were back-to-back boundaries off Ajeet Singh Dale.Carlson had some luck on 39, Zafar putting down a very difficult chance that was high and spiralling while running away from the ball. Carlson was also dropped on 77 when Ollie Price didn’t hold on to a much easier chance at slip. It was a catch that Ollie Price did take that broke the stand between Byrom and Carlson. Byrom had a dash at a ball outside off stump from de Lange and Price took a great grab at a very short gully.The departure of Byrom didn’t slow Carlson down, he reached his first hundred since July 2021 from 128 balls. A return to form for Carlson will be very welcome for Glamorgan after the 24-year-old had a disappointing season in 2022.Carlson’s wicket came when he was trapped lbw by Ollie Price to leave Glamorgan 253 for five, pushing towards a three-figure lead.With Colin Ingram dropping down the order due to a neck spasm there was pressure on Root and Chris Cooke to make the most of the strong foundation that had been laid for them, and their stand of 69 took Glamorgan past 300 to claim their second batting point.With Cooke gone it was left to Root to steady the batting efforts, and other than when he was also the beneficiary of some good fortune when another dropped chance in the slips from Price on 76 his innings was without real drama and contained some very classy shots.Ingram came into bat at nine but didn’t see out the day, edging a ball from de Lange with Ollie Price this time hanging on to a very good catch.Root reached his hundred just before the end of play as he finished the day undefeated on 104, reaching his century with a cover drive for four as Glamorgan claimed complete control of this match.

Deshpande and Chahar did their bit with the ball too, and then it was over to Conway, Gaikwad and Dube to knock off the runs

Himanshu Agrawal06-May-20233:02

Moody: ‘Pathirana completely shut the door on Mumbai’s power-hitters’

On a pitch where the ball was stopping, it was actually Chennai Super Kings’ pace trio of Matheesha Pathirana, Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande which combined to take seven wickets and restrict Mumbai Indians to 139. Super Kings never looked in trouble during the chase at Chepauk, where Ruturaj Gaikwad’s rapid cameo in the first four overs set them up for the six-wicket win.Chahar’s twin strikes had reduced Mumbai to 14 for 3 in the third over; and although Nehal Wadhera and Suryakumar Yadav added 55 to stage a recovery, Pathirana applied the brakes in the death overs. Mumbai managed only 17 – while losing four wickets – in the last three overs, as Wadhera’s maiden T20 fifty turned out to be a solitary effort.The win takes Super Kings to the second spot on the points table, even as third-placed Lucknow Super Giants have an extra game in hand. Mumbai on the other hand, remain sixth.

Pathirana, middle- and death-overs specialist

Only twice in the seven matches this season has Pathirana been introduced before the 11th over. For anyone to have bowled at least 120 balls in that period, he has the best economy rate and average during that phase.On Saturday, he was introduced in the 13th over, just after Wadhera and Suryakumar had given Mumbai hope of a respectable total. Pathirana’s first two overs went for only eight off the bat, and MS Dhoni kept his remaining overs for the death. He returned to start the 18th after the two overs before that were taken for 29 and gave only two runs aside from bowling Wadhera. Seeing the batter make room, he fired a yorker which hit middle stump at 145kph.Mathesha Pathirana celebrates the wicket of Tristan Stubbs•BCCI

Pathirana mixed his lengths as much as he varied his pace. That – combined with the two-paced nature of the pitch – might have been why Tristan Stubbs struggled for timing, eventually slicing to cover-point on being foxed by a slower ball. Pathirana ended with 3 for 15 – all wickets came in the death overs – and further enhanced his reputation of being the season’s best death bowler so far for a minimum of 60 balls bowled in that phase.

Wadhera propels Mumbai to 139

With Tilak Varma out injured for this game, Mumbai were missing a solid middle-order batter. And forced to rebuild after the top-order failure, Wadhera opened up after the powerplay when he gently cut Ravindra Jadeja for four to deep backward point, and then drilled Moeen Ali to deep extra cover.Once Wadhera picked up some momentum, he looked confident enough to keep attacking spin: Jadeja was slog-swept over short fine to start the 11th over, before he beat short fine leg with another sweep off Maheesh Theekshana in the 14th. And with five overs to go, he cracked the innings’ first six by launching Theekshana over long-on.Wadhera’s fifty took 46 deliveries when it was raised in the 17th over, after which he swept, pulled and scooped Jadeja for fours, although his knock of 64 didn’t prove enough.Nehal Wadhera scored his maiden IPL fifty•BCCI

Gaikwad starts in a hurry, Dube finishes in style

Super Kings posted 46 in the first four overs, out of which Gaikwad had bashed 30. That included four fours and two sixes, as he got Super Kings’ chase rolling alongside Devon Conway. The first over included a drive and a flick for four off Cameron Green, while he turned the screw in the third over.Mumbai introduced left-arm seamer Arshad Khan, and Gaikwad went 6, 4, 4, 6: a pull over midwicket, a guide behind point, a punch past the bowler and a swivel-pull over long leg. Gaikwad was dismissed off the first ball of the fifth over by Piyush Chawla, who again turned out to be the standout performer with the ball for Mumbai.Although Chawla was hit for a four and a six by Ajinkya Rahane, he had the last laugh when he trapped the Super Kings batter with a googly in the ninth over. That came after earlier getting Gaikwad with the legspinner. Chawla’s four overs went for only 25, and he was bowled out inside 11 overs.Soon after, the platform that Gaikwad had laid was further built by Shivam Dube, who provided the finishing kick. Two sixes off debutant left-arm wristspinner Raghav Goyal in the 14th over and one swung off Arshad Khan to Mumbai’s dugout two balls before the winning run took Super Kings to a comfortable win after they had lost two and had a game washed out just before.

New Zealand quick unavailable due to persistent Achilles injury

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2022Birmingham Phoenix have signed Ben Dwarshuis as an overseas player after Adam Milne was ruled out of the Hundred with an Achilles injury.Milne was one of Phoenix’s star performers as the reached the final of the first edition of the competition, finishing joint-top of the wicket-takers’ list, with 12, and the best economy (0.95 runs per ball) of any bowler.The fast bowler last played at the IPL in March, and he was unable to feature in New Zealand’s white-ball tour of Europe due to the same problem.Related

• Milne sidelined by Achilles injury, Duffy called into T20I squad

• Richardson, Helm douse Fire's chase as Phoenix rise from the flames

Dwarshuis, the Australia left-armer who won his first cap in Pakistan earlier this year, has previously played county cricket for Worcestershire.He is due to arrive in the UK on Monday and will be available for the second half of the group stage, with Phoenix currently sitting on four points from three games.”We’re really pleased to be able to recruit such an experienced fast bowler in Ben,” Craig Flindall, Birmingham Phoenix general manager, said. “Naturally, we’re disappointed that Adam couldn’t feature for us this year, but Ben will add a left-arm option to our exciting group.”

Sussex skipper Ben Brown took no part in their successful T20 Group campaign, but he made his presence felt as the Championship returned

David Hopps19-Aug-20181:40

Edwards leaves Notts with a headache

ScorecardSussex have a T20 quarter-final on Friday, but such is the nature of the English season that their immediate task is to blank it out. T20? Never heard of it. The emphasis is back on their promotion challenge in the Championship and 400 in a day against Derbyshire represented a job well done for a county currently lying second, seven points behind Warwickshire.It helped Sussex to have Ben Brown around to aid the transition. Brown does not have to blank out T20; T20 has blanked him. He has not played a game for Sussex all season, a well-meant enforced rest for a captain/wicketkeeper facing heavy demands in the other two formats, formats where his record is strikingly better. Itching to play some meaningful cricket, he struck his first Championship hundred of a highly-consistent season.It also helped Sussex that Derbyshire were looking somewhat ramshackle. Harvey Hosein, their young wicketkeeper, dislocated a finger in practice before the start so Wayne Madsen had to don the gloves while Daryl Smit travelled down from Derby. By the time he took the field at 10 to 4, Brown was on the verge of his first Championship hundred in a highly-consistent season.Smit had mixed feelings: his wife is pregnant and that was most on his mind on a relaxing Sunday morning. “I was lying on the sofa with my wife, hearing my baby boy breath through her tummy – hearing him for the first time – and five minutes later I got the call from Derbyshire,” he said. “And five minutes after that I was backing out of the drive for the four-hour drive down to Hove. I don’t think my wife was too impressed.”

Rampaul has hospital check-up

Ravi Rampaul, Derbyshire’s former West Indies player, left the field at Hove complaining of breathing difficulties and went to hospital for a precautionary check-up before returning to the ground later.
The match was delayed briefly in the final session when Rampaul, who had bowled 16 overs without signs of distress, needed treatment on the boundary edge.
Billy Godleman, Derbyshire’s captain, said: “I saw him panting at the start of his over. He’s not the kind of guy who complains easily. He told me was struggling to breath. He’s very much stable now but it’s always worrying to see something like that.”

There is also trouble at t’mill. Kim Barnett’s premature departure as cricket consultant because he felt cricket specialists were suffering too much interference (a regular Barnett refrain over the years) has left the county interviewing for a coach with the season far from spent; Dave Houghton, who has done the job once before, is among those shortlisted. The experiment with a specialist T20 coaching team – John Wright and Dominic Cork – is not certain to continue.Disagreements at Derbyshire are nothing new. If the club was run by only one person, they would automatically develop a split personality just so they could argue with themselves. In small clubs like Derbyshire, rich men can become all-powerful very quickly. That power needs to be used responsibly and that has not always been the case.Madsen is interesting Yorkshire, who are attracted by the reliability he brings in all competitions, the fact he will be 35 next season seemingly not an issue.But attention at Hove rested largely on Brown, another salt-of-the earth county performer. He made light of his month without a first-team fixture with his 15th first-class century, taking his season’s tally past 600, after Sussex had been under pressure at 111 for 4. Brown first put on 103 with Harry Finch and then added 142 for the sixth wicket with David Wiese to place his side in a commanding position.Derbyshire had looked dangerous on an unchanting morning marked by a stiff breeze and a light sea fret. Phil Salt, playing well away from his body, fell to a juggling catch in the slips, Tom Haines was caught low down at third slip by Matt Critchley. By lunch, Madsen also had two wicketkeeping catches: Luke Wells glanced Rampaul down the leg side and Michael Burgess edged Antonio Palladino.On a ground where Hardus Viljoen took 15 wickets for Derbyshire last season, and where Derbyshire have an excellent record (eight wins in 12 in the past 50 years), Brown’s combative qualities were in demand.He found a willing ally in Finch, who pulled Viljoen for two sixes in an over on his way to 82, before David Wiese, with an unbeaten 89, provided an emphatic conclusion to Sussex’s day.

The pair put on a stand of 269 in 38.1 overs, falling just short of their own Australian record ODI partnership of 284

Alex Malcolm22-Nov-2022Australia 5 for 355 (Head 152, Warner 106, Stone 4-85) beat England 142 (Roy 33, Zampa 4-31) by 221 runs (DLS method)Life after Aaron Finch is proving a breeze for Australia with new opening pair Travis Head and David Warner piling up twin hundreds in a record-breaking partnership to hammer a listless England in the final ODI at the MCG a secure a series whitewash.The pair put on a stand of 269 in 38.1 overs, falling just short of their own Australian record ODI partnership of 284, to underpin Australia’s imposing total of 355 for 5 after the innings was reduced to 48 overs due to rain. They broke a host of records including becoming the second duo in ODI history to post two 250-plus runs stands behind India pair Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.Head continued his dominant year in ODI cricket scoring 152 from 130 balls, his second century and third overall, while Warner made 106 from 102 to post his first century for Australia in any format since January 2020, breaking a 68-innings drought. Head’s innings was even more extraordinary given he was fighting gastro, having struggled to take on food and fluids pre-game, and was unable to field.England are booked on a 6am flight out of Melbourne on Wednesday morning and played like they were already waiting for it as they slumped to their largest ODI defeat after winning the toss and electing to field. England’s intensity matched that of one of the smallest ODI crowds ever at the MCG of 10,406, on a miserable cold and wet Tuesday night in November, with the dead rubber resembling an Australian domestic one-day fixture. It was the lowest crowd at an MCG ODI since 1979. Two rain interruptions only dampened the mood further. All of England’s bowlers were collared at more than six runs per over. Olly Stone took four of the five wickets to fall but finished with the extraordinary figures of 4 for 85.Their chase was equally poor in pursuit of a DLS-adjusted target of 364, albeit they had the tougher of the batting conditions as the ball nipped and swung under lights. But it didn’t excuse a lack of intent from the top three and then a slew of poor shots from the middle-order as they folded to be bowled out for 142 in just 31.4 overs. Adam Zampa picked up 4 for 31 as all five Australian bowlers shared the wickets. The final margin of 222 runs surpassed England’s previous biggest loss of 219 runs. Australia could have ended the game sooner if they had not dropped four catches.Like Australia, England found some swing early on with the new balls on an overcast afternoon and Head enjoyed several slices of luck. He twice edged behind, flashing hard outside off stump, as one flew safely through a vacant third slip and the other escaped the grasp of Liam Dawson at second as he jumped high to his right. Head was also given out lbw onfield to Chris Woakes but had it overturned on review as it was pitching outside leg.From there Head found another gear, lashing England’s bowlers to all parts of the MCG on what turned into an excellent batting surface. Not even a brief rain delay could slow his momentum.The early swing subsided, and he feasted on the easy pace of England’s seam attack. He smashed 16 fours and four towering sixes, to reach his century off just 92 balls in the 27th over, celebrating by rocking his bat like a baby in acknowledgment of his recently born baby girl.David Warner had the chance to bring out the trademark leap•Getty Images

Warner was the silent partner for a large part of the partnership. He was on 62 when Head reached his century having barely taken a risk. He breezed to his 19th ODI century, punching a gift of a full toss from Stone wide of mid-off and celebrated with his trademark leap. It looked like a statement innings, moving to second on Australia’s all-time ODI centuries list just a day after he had vented his frustration at Cricket Australia for their handling of a review into his lifetime leadership ban.Australia were 217 for 0 at the second drinks break after 34 overs, having not struck a boundary in the previous five overs. Head and Warner then went into party mode smashing 52 from the next 24 balls as Head raced past 150. But both men holed out in the same Stone over to stall Australia’s momentum a touch. A second rain delay cut two overs off the innings and saw Marcus Stoinis fall attempting a wild swipe first ball after the break. But it allowed Mitch Marsh to come in and smash 30 off 16 balls to finish the innings.England never came close to chasing the adjusted target. Dawid Malan was caught behind cheaply while Jason Roy and James Vince opted to dig in rather than hit out as Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins proved extremely challenging under lights. The pressure eventually built as most of England’s batters had one foot on the plane home. Jos Buttler’s wild swipe across the line fourth ball to be caught off a leading edge for just 1, just nine days after holding the T20 World Cup aloft on the same ground, summed up England’s mindset. The game could have ended sooner had Australia’s catching been sharper. Zampa dropped two, including one off his own bowling that cost him three wickets in an over. Steven Smith missed a very difficult diving catch at slip, and substitute fielder Mackenzie Harvey, who was on for most of England’s innings as Head had felt ill after his innings, spilled another challenging chance at deep backward square having held another earlier on.To make matters worse for England, Phil Salt was subbed out of the game with concussion after suffering a head knock and shoulder injury in a fruitless chase and dive to save a boundary. Salt had his left arm in a sling post-match but it is believed to be precautionary. Moeen Ali was subbed into the game having been rested after Buttler returned as captain.

The build-up was full of fitness concerns and off-field noise; now it’s time for a star-studded line-up to flex its muscle

Andrew McGlashan20-Oct-2022In many ways, Australia’s preparation for their T20 title defence has felt like a contradiction. In all probability the XI that takes the field at the SCG on Saturday (weather permitting) will be the one that has appeared likely for quite some time, with Tim David replacing Steven Smith from the last T20 World Cup.So while that projects a sense of a stability, there is a lot else that has been going on that would suggest a build-up that has been far from ideal. It has included managing injuries to key allrounders Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, plus back-up bowlers Ashton Agar and Kane Richardson; a significant amount of travel, including a week-long trip to India; the debate around David Warner’s captaincy ban, which national selector George Bailey made no secret was becoming a frustratingly drawn-out affair, and the appointment of Pat Cummins as ODI captain along with the debate around one of Australia’s leading sponsors.Related

• New Zealand take on Australia under La Niña's shadow

• Changing New Zealand come up against bogey team with form not on their side

• Adam Zampa: World Cup opener will get Australia's 'juices flowing'

• Matthew Wade: 'When you go in feeling like every tournament is your last, it's funny how open-minded it makes you'

• Weather watch: High chances of rain affecting Aus vs NZ, Ind vs Pak

Most recently an old golf club snapped in Josh Inglis’ hand on the second hole at the La Perouse course in Sydney, badly cutting the wicketkeeper and ruling him out of the tournament. In itself it is not the most damaging injury the squad could have been dealt on the eve of the tournament – Inglis would not have been in the starting XI – but it left an unwanted conversation about who should be the replacement and its implications (Warner as wicketkeeper, perhaps?). Inglis was also a very versatile batting understudy.On the field Australia would have been beaten 3-0 by England if it wasn’t for rain in Canberra, after which Aaron Finch made comments about fatigue in the squad after the lengthy build-up. A number of players have felt they have had matches they didn’t need, but then on the other hand there have been one or two lingering form questions, although Finch made timely runs against India at the Gabba.Mitchell Marsh looks at home at No. 3, but it’s unclear whether he’ll be fit to bowl against New Zealand•Getty Images

Glenn Maxwell remains the one who has yet to put in a significant contribution with the bat this season – although he, too, looked to be getting going against India – but he is being backed to come good when it really matters.”I think it looks a lot different on the inside than it does on the outside,” head coach Andrew McDonald said of the build-up. “We have a task at hand and that’s to get the players ready for the first game.”Probably the thing that’s consumed us the most has been injured players returning and you’ve seen in the lead-up that we’ve had to not take certain players to certain fixtures because of the risks of injury, so that’s been our big discussion to get the eleven players who will play that first game to the start line. The medical team has done a fantastic job. So we’ve had our own, probably internal, battles as opposed to what’s been happening on the outside.”The injury concerns over Marsh (ankle) and Stoinis (side) were the most critical to Australia’s build-up given their overs are vital to balance the side since it moved to seven batters and four bowlers. McDonald conceded losing one or both of the allrounders “was real” for a period of time over recent weeks, which led to their extended use of Cameron Green at the top of the order after his success in India, in turn leading to the unusual sight of Finch batting in the middle. In the end Green has found his way into the squad, but as Inglis’ replacement.Marsh may still not be right to bowl in the opening game against New Zealand and there are lingering concerns over Stoinis being able to back up in a tight schedule, particularly when travel is included – Australia, as hosts, play each group game at a different venue. In the balance of their side, Maxwell becomes as important for his bowling as his batting.Yet, despite all of that, if Australia can put their expected XI on the park, it looks very strong. David has brought more power and finishing ability to the middle order, Warner has played some sparkling innings leading into the tournament, Marsh still looks at home at No.3, Matthew Wade has had a prolific 12 months as a finisher, and it’s hard to pick holes in the four frontline bowlers with Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood particularly dominant in the format.Tim David’s finishing prowess will be put to test in the T20 World Cup•Getty Images

The big selection call has been to move Smith aside from the first-choice XI, although McDonald reiterated there could be a role for him during the tournament. While Smith has shed the ‘Mr Fix-It’ tag, there is still the question of how Australia respond if they are in early trouble against the new ball, but McDonald was confident others could do that role.”The term ‘hitters’, those players have a few extra layers than just being able to hit the ball over the ropes,” he said. “They do have some power but they do have some craft as well.”All this does not mention the opposition themselves on Saturday, the well-drilled New Zealand side who were the other finalists last year and have a terrific record in global events. However, there is a thought that they are side that has, perhaps, passed its peak while they have not beaten Australia in any format in their country since 2011. The hosts are probably not too disappointed to be starting against them.After a long build-up that has not all been smooth, it is what happens at the SCG that matters. The prospect of rain and a shortened game brings further jeopardy. No men’s team has yet to defend the T20 World Cup and there is very little room for a mistake.

Durham beaten as Duckett, Clarke combine but hopes fade for hosts

ECB Reporters Network01-Jul-2022Nottinghamshire 184 for 6 (Duckett 53*, Clarke 51) beat Durham 183 for 8 by four wickets Nottinghamshire Outlaws’ last desperate hopes of a seventh successive T20 quarter-final berth finally vanished despite a comfortable victory over Durham Jets by four wickets in the Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge. Amongst other things, they needed a tie, no less, in Leicester to retain any hope but Leicester just refused to oblige.It was at least a rousing farewell for Dan Christian, their departing veteran captain who led the Outlaws to T20 glory in 2017 and 2020. He could revel in watching 51 from 30 balls for Joe Clarke and Ben Duckett’s unbeaten 53 from 34 that helped bring success at the gallop with three overs to spare.Christian’s fellow Australian and opposite number, Ashton Turner, threatened to upstage things earlier with a rapid 33 as Durham’s third wicket added 54 in five overs but Steven Mullaney removed him and two new batters in four balls as the Jets backfired.From 98 for five with 51 balls to come, Michael Jones, the opener, reached 41 until brilliantly caught on the mid-wicket rope by Mullaney off Jake Ball and Durham finished with 183 for eight, late-order hitting bringing 70 from the final six overs. It proved far from enough.The evening had started painfully when the opening delivery, from Ball, cut back to strike Graham Clark flush in the box, flooring him and causing a three-minute delay for treatment. Durham, already out of quarter-final contention, chose to bat but lost Clark, slicing his drive for 14, and Ollie Robinson, who skied a swipe to the keeper, as Ball conceded only four in the fifth over.But in the later charge, Brydon Carse, batting at No.7, was dropped off Ball when twelve before surging to 25 from 17 balls when becoming Lyndon James’s maiden T20 scalp, whilst Ned Eckersley finished unbeaten with 23 from a dozen balls. Andrew Tye hit two sixes in his not-out 13.Even by the second over of the reply, however, with Liam Trevaskis taken for 19, the target seeemed less than daunting. The left-arm spinner had revenge of sorts when Alex Hales top-edged a sweep to go for 26 but the Outlaws had struck as many sixes in the reply’s first 47 balls as the Jets managed in their entire innings.Clarke, who had creamed 53 with Hales in 26 balls for the first wicket on a typically good Nottingham pitch with short boundaries inviting mayhem, then added another 55 in 35 balls with Duckett.Eventually miscueing against a leg-break from the Australian, Nathan Sowter, Clarke gave way to Mullaney, another victim of spin when soon stumped by Robinson off Trevaskis next over. James arrived to send his third and fifth balls for six off Carse and at the end of an over that cost 16, only 46 were needed from the final 42 balls.James fell smiting for 20 but, maintaining the tempo, Tom Moores hit his first four balls for boundaries until magnificently caught by Sowter who took the ball jumping on the boundary, threw it up before crossing the rope then grasped it again back on the field. Dramatic, indeed. But not enough, even though Sol Budinger fell stumped with three needed.

Afghanistan brought out their best in the final session once again, but the game had swung so far out of their reach that the second day of their first Test proved to be the last one

The Report by Varun Shetty15-Jun-20185:01

Manjrekar: Afghanistan batting’s defensive technique needs most attention

Afghanistan brought out their best in the final session once again, but the game had swung so far out of their reach that the second day of their first Test proved to be the last one.Purely on numbers it was a colossal defeat, by an innings and 262 runs, and the flattening reality of being bowled out twice in a day – only India and Zimbabwe had suffered that before – will take a while to get over. At different points in the day, Afghanistan were done in by different bowlers. Ravindra Jadeja got the last piece of the pie, finishing the second innings with 4 for 17.Their first innings of 109 lasted a session, between lunch and tea, and their second innings of 103 did not last much longer. India needed only 66.3 overs to take 20 wickets and complete their first ever two-day Test win.The flailing effort was best signified by how Afghanistan lost their three most experienced batsmen in the first innings: in complete surrender.Mohammad Shahzad’s innings was a race to the finish the moment it began. His first boundary came off the outside edge, his second off the inside edge, and the odd ball that hit the middle was often one he was trying to leave. After all that and several attempts to tap and run, he chose to take on Hardik Pandya at point and was promptly run-out at the non-striker’s end in the fourth over. Asghar Stanikzai came in at No. 6 and lasted 14 deliveries before stabbing ambitiously at a loopy R Ashwin offbreak without getting his foot forward. He almost fell over as the ball knocked the top of middle stump.Mohammed Nabi, the top-scorer in the first innings, looked okay for his 24 at No. 7 before miscuing a slog and being the ninth man out. The only solid batting effort by a visiting player came from left-hander Hashmatullah Shahidi, who battled 88 balls for an unbeaten 36 in the second innings.Hashmatullah Shahidi showed great heart during his resistance lower down the order•BCCI

Scattered all around these efforts were batsmen rooted to the crease in anxiety against a vastly experienced bowling attack. Unlike their opposition’s debutant seamers, India’s fast bowlers sustained both a predominantly full length and near-140kph speeds in getting all three of their first-innings wickets either bowled or lbw. They stuck to the plan in the second innings as well. Umesh Yadav brought the flair, moving the new ball considerably in both innings, and Ishant Sharma looked content playing workhorse.It was Ashwin, however, who accelerated Afghanistan’s downfall and eventual folding-up before tea. At that point, given the extended final session ahead, perhaps only the probability of a follow-on was higher than that of Afghanistan being bowled out a second time.Earlier in the day, Pandya snuck in a breezy and mature innings. India didn’t have as subdued a session as they did at the end of day one, striking at more than four an over despite the four wickets they lost in stretching the overnight score of 347 to 474. Pandya was patient against Yamin Ahmadzai, who impressed with his lengths once again. He wasn’t rewarded with the new ball, however, with Rashid Khan bowling predominantly from the other end. Pandya saw through this phase before opening up.His go-to defence mechanism against pace bowling – walking across into the off side – which didn’t quite work out in South Africa was a lot more effective against the late-120 kph pace of Wafadar. And while Pandya did eventually cramp himself against the 18-year-old, it wasn’t before he had swatted the bowler into the leg side several times from various lengths, in control every time but one – and even on that occasion, deep square leg gifted him four overthrows. When the line wasn’t straight, Pandya also managed to pick up boundaries through the off side. He got out looking to accelerate but what the Indian dressing room would have particularly liked was the uncomplicated, organised manner in which he managed an innings with a 75-plus strike rate during his 94-ball 71.