The two seamers ripped through SA once again, leaving the hosts two wickets away from another innings victory

The Report by Firdose Moonda21-Oct-20194:32

Bangar: Attacking the stumps worked for Umesh

India need two wickets to complete a whitewash over South Africa but they will have to wait until Tuesday morning to do it. The visitors might have one more night in India, awaiting a fate that was writ from the second innings in Visakhapatnam, when Mohammed Shami ripped through their middle order and showed how much of a role seam bowlers would play in this series.

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Though R Ashwin remains on top the wicket charts, it was Shami and Umesh Yadav who exposed a weakness South Africa would not have dreamed they had, especially not in the subcontinent.South Africa have been surprised by short balls, beaten by pace and caught off guard by bowlers who attack the stumps, the very same thing they have seen their own attack do, season after season. But this is the season of change and India have spent the series showing how much they have evolved. No longer a team that relies on conditions loaded in the spinners’ favour, they are now an outfit that wins away and that is not only happy to compete on fair-minded surfaces, but can dominate on them.Zubayr Hamza drives on his way to a half-century•BCCI

Sixteen South African wickets fell on day three as they were made to follow-on in consecutive Tests for the first time since 2002, and seven of their players were dismissed twice on the same day. A concussion substitute was required for the third time in Test history after Dean Elgar ducked into a Yadav short ball and was struck just above the ear. Theunis de Bruyn replaced him and was the top-scorer in the second innings, scant consolation after being dropped and watching his replacement make a strong enough case to stay in the No.3 spot for the foreseeable future.If there’s positive South Africa could take, it was Zubayr Hamza’s first-innings effort. After watching his captain Faf du Plessis get beaten and bowled by a Yadav beauty that swerved away from him in the first over of the day, Hamza played a sprightly knock. He was confident on the front foot, energetic in his approach and was the perfect foil for Temba Bavuma, who was circumspect but promised so much. Hamza and Bavuma put on a fourth-wicket stand of 91, but once Hamza was dismissed, the procession began.Ravindra Jadeja had Hamza caught on the back foot, when the batsman was shaping for a flick, but was beaten in the end. This, immediately after an unsuccessful review from India. In the next over, Bavuma came down the track to defend against debutant Shahbaz Nadeem but the ball turned away from him and into Wriddhiman Saha’s gloves. Bavuma was stumped for 32, a score which only added to his failure to covert starts. The tail wagged a little in the form of George Linde but India were all over South Africa. The visitors lost 7 for 55, getting dismissed for their lowest total of the series.With weather threatening to reduce the time left in the match, and South Africa so far behind, both in terms of runs and in their states of mind, Virat Kohli had no second thoughts about enforcing the follow-on. And within ten overs it was obvious he had made the right decision.South Africa were reduced to 26 for 4 when the blow to Elgar resulted in early tea. By then, Quinton de Kock had played down the wrong line to Yadav, Hamza was late on a ball that straightened from Shami, du Plessis took an unnecessary review when he was given out lbw off Shami, and Bavuma was out for a duck.Shami showed South Africa how it’s done once again. Hit the deck hard. Use the short ball aggressively. Keep the lines tight. The only thing he didn’t do was finish South Africa off. Not even Ashwin managed that. The South African tail has routinely frustrated India and this time Anrich Nortje hung on with de Bruyn till stumps. However, it’s only a matter of time before India complete the formalities.

England’s one remaining decision is the identity of their seam-bowling allrounder

George Dobell in Whangarei13-Nov-2019England face a choice between Chris Woakes and Sam Curran for the final place in their XI for the first Test against New Zealand.With the remainder of England’s plans falling into place, it seems the only decision left for the team management to make is who should operate at first change and bat at No. 8 in the Test team.It was hard to pick between the pair on Wednesday. There was little movement – off the pitch or in the air – for any of England’s bowlers on the second day of this game with two young New Zealand batsmen, Finn Allen and Jakob Bhula, taking advantage of a pitch that flattened out in weather much warmer than the previous day.Not for the first time in recent years, England’s attack struggled to gain much movement from a sluggish surface and the Kookaburra ball. And with every indication that the pitch in the first Test may be very similar, England will be looking to Woakes or Curran to provide control with the older ball. Woakes, not entirely encouragingly, later reported that the Kookaburra ball was “softer after 40 overs than a Dukes gets after 80.”There was, though, one reminder of the value of the variation that the left-arm of Curran offers. While the delivery that bowled Bhula did not appear to deviate in the air or off the pitch, the batsman did seem to misread the angle and, as a consequence, played down the wrong line. If Woakes plays, England will field an attack of four right-arm seamers.Woakes is a bit quicker, however, and hopes his ability to bowl the wobble seam delivery provides an edge that he has lacked on previous overseas tours. He certainly used the skill to decent effect in the English summer and felt that it was the one ball that offered some threat here.Chris Woakes bowls during England’s tour game at Cobham Oval•Getty Images

His overseas record is not in his favour. Woakes averages 23.45 with the ball – and, most pertinently, the Dukes ball – in his 19 Tests in England and 61.77 in his 12 Tests away from home when using the Kookaburra or SG ball. Curran averages 20.94 in his seven Tests at home and 105.50 in his four Tests away. Whichever way you look at it, Jimmy Anderson can probably expect, if fit, to return to the side for the Test series in South Africa.Both Curran and Woakes may benefit from the presence of England’s bowling consultant on this tour, Darren Gough. He was one of the few England seamers to have managed to swing – both conventionally and reverse – the Kookaburra and will have told both men his success was derived, in part, from his preparedness to pitch the ball full in search of swing. Yes, it cost him the odd boundary. But it also ensured he continued to threaten.Curran probably bowled fuller of the pair here and was rewarded with that wicket. But he was also thumped for a six back over his head by the impressive Allen. It may also be that Woakes, who played in four of the Ashes Tests compared to one for Curran, is considered the man in possession. Had Saqib Mahmood been considered fit, Curran would not have played here.There’s little doubt over England’s opening pair. While Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer were clearly easing into the tour, they claimed three of the four wickets England managed. Broad, forced to wait until second change here, struck with his third delivery. Continuing the policy which brought him such success in the England summer, he bowled a fuller length and was rewarded when Jack Boyle misread one which took his off stump. Ken McClure was beaten for pace by a full delivery from Archer that struck him on the foot. Archer later picked up the wicket of Leo Carter, too, feathering a catch down the leg side. Neither spinner enjoyed any assistance from the surface, though Jack Leach was the more consistent of the two.In between times, Allen and Bhula, who not so long ago were representing New Zealand U19, added 117 in 29 overs for the third wicket. Both looked high-class prospects but while was the one able to retire after reaching his century from 129 balls, it was Bhula, who spent six months on the MCC’s Young Cricketers scheme, who impressed with the way he dealt with the new ball. Both may have a future at the highest level.All this suggests that England will have to take whatever chances come their way in the Test series. Here they put down a couple, with Allen dropped before he had scored – Stokes, at second slip, realised an edge off Archer would not carry to first slip and attempted a tough chance diving across Joe Root – before Pope, at backward square-leg, was unable to cling on to a tough chance when Bhula, on 58, pulled a long-hop from Matt Parkinson.Earlier England extended their innings by 21 overs into the second day in order to provide time at the crease for more of their batsmen. With Root selflessly retiring on his overnight score, Pope and Jos Buttler settled in comfortably. While Pope, a little too expansive during his first stint in the Test team, left with some discipline outside the off stump, he lost patience against the left-arm spin and sliced a catch to cover. Buttler was fortunate to survive a similar error – Sandeep Patel making a fearful hash of the chance – off Theo van Woerkom’s first ball of the day.Stokes had no such issues. He smashed four fours and a slog-swept six in his 20-ball stay, showing no signs of the blow to the hand he sustained the previous day.But it was a disappointing day for Mahmood. Struck down with a migraine, he was forced to stay in the hotel all day. With little prospect of breaking into the Test team, he may well have missed his only opportunity to play with a red ball on this tour.There was better news for Joe Denly. Having suffered an ankle injury during the T20I series, he had been a doubt for this part of the tour. But he fielded through most of the day and will return to the team for the next game. If, as expected, he suffers no relapse, he is certain to play in the first Test. Jonny Bairstow, who has remained with the squad as backup, will consequently be sent home.The England squad have a rest day on Thursday ahead of a three-day, first-class match against a New Zealand XI here from Friday. As things stand, England will probably field their Test XI in that match.

“In the slips, the ball hits your hand so hard it almost felt like a heavy hockey ball.”

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2019Fielding, rather than batting, could be the biggest challenge faced with the pink ball, according to Virat Kohli. The India captain spoke about adjusting to how quickly the ball travelled, and getting used to its feel on the eve of India’s first day-night Test, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.ALSO READ: ‘Wanted to play in our own conditions first’ – Kohli on pink-ball change of heart“Catching the ball, we felt like how you feel like with the white ball in the afternoon,” Kohli said of India’s fielding session on Thursday. “You don’t know how far the ball is and then it hits your hand very quickly. In the slips, the ball hits your hand so hard it almost felt like a heavy hockey ball, or those synthetic balls we’ve played with when we were younger. It really felt like that on the hand, and it’s definitely because of the extra glaze of the ball.”It’s definitely much harder, and it felt a little heavier. Obviously, it can’t be a difference of weight, but for some reason it felt heavier. Even the throws took a lot more effort than the red ball to reach the keeper. And again, the dip perception was very difficult when the ball went up in the air. During the day, high catches will be very difficult. We had to watch the balls straight into our palms more often than not. With red ball and white ball, you catch with the idea of how fast the ball is coming down, but this time if you don’t look down at the ball in your palms, it’s gone. So, I think the fielding session for me was far more challenging than batting. People are going to be surprised by how challenging fielding with this ball can be.”ALSO READ – Fashionably late, India and Bangladesh join the pink parade
As for batting, Kohli said earlier practice sessions had helped tune up the batsmen, and the ploy against the pink ball was merely to keep things tight.”I think in general, if you haven’t played with the pink ball before, it’s going to be challenging throughout the game,” Kohli said. “It’ll require more concentration, more solid technique. A more compact game compared to the red ball, purely because anyway in the longer format, the ball does a lot more than the white ball. Add not having great visibility or the ability to pick that colour, and it makes it even more difficult. As you can imagine, decision-making will have to be very precise. Your idea of off stump… I think that’s going to be the most crucial thing. Because even yesterday when we practiced, we felt that the ball could be closer to you but it’s not actually that close to the off stump. So I think that channel, one will have to be careful.”Batting is something we were focussing on. As a batsman, invariably you end up thinking a lot more about cutting down those errors when you’re playing with a different coloured ball. As batsmen, we were in the mindset of solidifying our games and our techniques. It’s going be a challenge, it’s going to be something which should excite everyone. Sometimes you need to change the template and be excited for new things and new challenges that you’re going to try out. I think we’ll have to be very precise and our skills will be tested.”Kohli also said that India were particularly excited about playing in front of a packed Eden Gardens and described their first pink-ball Test as a “landmark occasion”.”It’s a nice occasion. We were already excited about this Test, like I said, it’s a challenge for us,” he said. “I think before this, we had this much excitement and buzz in Eden when we played against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. Even then there had been big names and there was a felicitation ceremony and there was a packed stadium. So, I think that type it’ll be that kind of atmosphere. It can be daunting or intimidating, but it’s also very exciting.”When a batsman goes out, he’ll have a lot of support. When a bowler is standing at his mark and 80,000 people are cheering for him with the new ball, which is not easy to play with, he will be boosted. The first session, the first hour, I think will be very exciting, because the energy will be high. And the people will enjoy it a lot. So, obviously this is a landmark occasion and like I said before, we’re lucky that we’re starting this new trend. It’s a matter of honour.”

As a result, the left-arm seamer has been removed from the BCB programmes he’d been part of previously

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2019Left-arm fast bowler Qazi Onik faces a lengthy suspension after he failed a dope test during this season’s National Cricket League. As a result, he has been removed from every BCB programme he had been part of, chief selector Minhajul Abedin said.”The BCB’s medical team informed us of his results,” Minhajul told Bengali daily . “He wasn’t allowed to play in the NCL thereafter, and his name was also withdrawn from the BPL draft. He was also part of some of our other programmes, but from there too we have withdrawn him.”Once the full report is ready, the BCB will take a decision based on its anti-doping policy.Onik, now 20, had represented Bangladesh in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, and was part of the Dhaka Dynamites set-up in the BPL earlier this year. So far, he has taken 15 wickets in four first-class matches, 41 wickets in 26 List A games, and 11 wickets in nine T20s.He was talked up by some Bangladesh coaches as an international prospect, but his future becomes uncertain now as he awaits his punishment.

Despite the long gap, Virat Kohli doesn’t expect Mitchell Starc to be any easier to face

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai13-Jan-20201:20

Looks like Starc is back to swinging the ball like he used to – Kohli

When Ashton Turner turned up at the pre-match press conference on Monday, the first question was about his last India tour, highlighted by the Mohali ODI in which he clobbered an unbeaten 84 of 43 balls to help Australia chase down 359. Each time he recalled that innings on Monday, he let out a beaming smile.What would Mitchell Starc say if he was asked the same question? He’d have to jog back his memory a long way, because his last ODI in India was nearly 10 years ago. Starc made his ODI debut in India, back in October 2010, and hasn’t played an ODI in the country ever since. There are non-Asian players who are eager to tour India, who jump on the opportunities provided by the IPL, to not only play T20 cricket, but also familiarise themselves with the conditions so that it helps them for international tours later on. Not Starc.His last IPL game in India was in 2015 and his last international game in the country was during the Test series nearly three years ago. It’s still likely that because of his skills, Starc’s name will be among the first few on the team sheet on Tuesday. Don’t be surprised if he strikes with the new ball and then nails his yorkers in the death overs.Starc’s adroitness is such that he knows what to do in what kind of conditions. He has played 11 ODIs in Asia – the last one in Sri Lanka in 2016 – and taken 26 wickets at a phenomenal average of 18.65, which is bettered only by Rashid Khan and Mustafizur Rahman (minimum 100 overs bowled).In those five ODIs in Sri Lanka in 2016, Starc tormented the top order with his swing and pace – almost always striking with the new ball – and then occasionally deceived batsmen with his cutters and pace variations. One thing he did through the series was to target the stumps on the flat and slow pitches, taking nine of his 12 wickets either bowled or lbw. And he was the top wicket-taker that series. Which means that despite the long gap, Virat Kohli doesn’t expect Starc to be any easier to face.ESPNcricinfo

“I don’t think that not having played in India [recently] will be much of a factor for him, because he’s played a lot over here,” Kohli said on Monday. “And anyone who has pace, once they find their length they can adjust anywhere, so pace is always going to be an advantage. But having said that we have played against these guys a lot.”What India haven’t faced from Starc recently is his tweaked action, the result of working last year with New South Wales coach Andre Adams. Starc made the change after being picked for only one Ashes Test last year, and upon return to domestic cricket, returned career-best Sheffield Shield figures of 10 for 60 against Tasmania.Starc now bends his left elbow a little more in his delivery load up, so as to hold the ball closer to his left ear, and he looks more linear just before the release when his right arm is outstretched. Kohli has been keeping track of all this.”He is a very skillful bowler and he’s changed his action now, which we saw him getting more swing. Looks like he’s back to swinging the ball like he used to, and that makes him a lethal bowler all over again,” Kohli said. “When he gets to swing the ball like that – the new ball – and then he can tear it away with the old ball because he has got his action in a linear fashion. It is pretty interesting to come up against a guy like that.”Against India, he will have two duels: first against the robust top order and then against the lesser experienced middle and lower order. It could very well be that the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Kohli see Starc’s first spell off to target the other bowlers. Kohli has been dogged enough to not lose his wicket to Starc even once in ODIs, while scoring 56 off 57 balls, while Dhawan has been the poorest of the lot – Starc has dismissed him thrice in 41 balls, conceding 23 runsThe tougher test will be for India’s middle and lower order. If the more experienced batsmen are gone, and the pressure is to score quickly against Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, players like Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Kedar Jadhav and Ravindra Jadeja will need to come up with answers to a variety of questions.”It is going to be a great challenge for them (middle order) to face someone like Mitchell,” Kohli said. “I’ve played with him, played against him a lot. We’ll definitely have to be up for it and especially the younger guys in the middle order. They should look for a challenge. Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, if he plays, (Kane) Richardson is an experienced bowler. Adam Zampa. All these guys will challenge us throughout the game.”No matter who comes out on top in these contests, it’s likely Starc will look like he has been a regular on India tours.

Seamer thinks successful tournament with Rajasthan Royals can push him forward in England queue

Andrew Miller27-Feb-2020Deception and subterfuge are key parts of the armoury of a T20 death bowler, but for Tom Curran, Rajasthan Royals’ latest English recruit, those traits may have to be deployed in the nets at Jaipur too. That’s because, with the T20 World Cup looming large on the horizon, a number of his IPL colleagues – not least the team’s Australian head coach, Andrew McDonald – are likely to be grateful for an insight into his mindset come October.Curran’s growing reputation in the crunch moments came to the fore in England’s recent T20I win in South Africa, where he held his nerve with the series on the line to seal a two-run win in the second match at Durban.ALSO READ: Five series takeaways for England’s T20 World Cup preparationsHaving started the final over of that game with a healthy 15 runs to defend, Curran and England were pushed to the brink of a series defeat when Dwaine Pretorius connected with a six and a four from consecutive balls to take the requirement down to five from three.But from that point on, Curran found the resolve to seal the contest, producing a pair of fine yorkers followed by a perfectly executed back-of-the-hand slower ball, that the new man on strike, Bjorn Fortuin, could only flick over his shoulder to short fine leg.”That’s cricket, it can go the other way very quickly,” said Curran during a Rajasthan Royals event in London. “But that game was really big for me. At the start of the over I should have been defending it anyway but, with three balls to go, they were on top. So looking back on it, I was really proud of that. The fact that, in that moment, I had no choice but to execute and I managed to do so.”As Curran recalled, there had been a meeting of England’s brains trust before that final delivery, with the captain and vice-captain, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, in on the discussions, along with the experienced Chris Jordan. But ultimately, as soon as Curran was clear in his own mind what needed to be done, that was the end of the matter.”I was weighing up the options,” he said. “I’d just bowled two good yorkers, so if he tries to stand there and whack it, if it’s on the money then a yorker is still a good option. But I just thought a slower ball, he actually has to hit it for four, whereas a yorker you can still nick it for four.”I just went with my gut really, and when I said that to Morgs and Jos, everyone was like ‘cool, let’s go with it’. Luckily it came off.”Tom Curran poses in his Rajasthan Royals colours•Getty Images

No doubt his new employers were watching that performance closely. For, with Jofra Archer, Rajasthan Royals’ go-to at the death, set to miss at least the first half of the tournament as he recovers from an elbow fracture, Curran knows that the coming tournament offers him a massive opportunity to cement a role, and his reputation, ahead of the World Cup.”It’s an unbelievable standard at the IPL, so it’s a great experience for me,” he said. “These are sold-out games and it’s proper loud. So it’s mirroring as close to the biggest games on the international circuit, what they’ll be like. It will be a great experience. If guys go there and do well, they’ll take a lot of confidence from that. That’s what it’s all about.”Curran has had one previous taste of IPL action when, in April 2018, he was called up by Kolkata Knight Riders as a late replacement for Mitchell Starc, and performed creditably with six wickets at an economy rate of 11.60 in five matches. This time, however, he was picked up by Rajasthan for his base price of INR 1 crore (approx. £110,000), where his profile will doubtless be raised by the presence of two of the most influential members of England’s white-ball squads, Buttler and Ben Stokes.”I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I’ve already played a lot of cricket now with the guys there, so it makes it that much easier. Especially being somewhere like India, where it’s a busy hectic schedule, to have those familiar faces there will be nice.”Not all the familiar faces will be on the Curran’s side come October, however. Rajasthan’s squad contains two overseas stars in particular – Australia’s Steve Smith and South Africa’s David Miller – who may find themselves at the other end of the pitch come the World Cup. And when it comes to sharing knowledge during the IPL, weaknesses as well as strengths, Curran conceded he’d have to be cautious about being too open.ALSO READ: ‘Test cricket is the best form of the game’ – Jos Buttler“I don’t think you chat weaknesses with loads of people anyway,” he said. “There’s a few people who you might trust, and you might ask, ‘what does Steve Smith do in this situation?’ but it’s more about developing and getting better, which we players focus more on.”If I’m bowling in the nets to some of the Indian guys, I’m not going to be showing them all the tricks. But that’s a huge benefit of having Jos, Stokesy and these guys. I think you actually learn a lot too. Speaking to Jos I’ll learn about batting. You just need to have some of the players on the international stage to talk to, and try things with.”However, Buttler, who was also present at the event, added that there was some merit in sharing a bit more of your repertoire with future rivals, because too much knowledge can be used against your opponent in the heat of battle.”It evolves, as well,” said Buttler. “TC will show someone his slower ball – you can use it both ways. It can be a bluff as well. He might say: ‘Yeah, I always bowl this slower ball.’ But there will be times when TC says at the end of his mark, ‘Yeah I said to Smith in the nets that I bowl this ball, so let’s bowl something else.’ That might become part of your [repertoire].”It definitely does happen,” Curran added. “You’ll be aware of it. If you have it in the back of your mind that I’ll throw in the odd curveball in there.”As for McDonald, Rajasthan’s highly-rated new head coach, Curran insisted that his dual status as Australia’s assistant coach would have little bearing on their relationship, even though the Aussies are set to go into their home World Cup as favourites after winning nine of their last ten completed T20Is.”It seems to be the way things are going now,” he said of McDonald’s roles. “I don’t think it will make too much of a difference. It will be great to work with him there and he’ll be fully involved once he gets to India.”I haven’t worked with him full-time but I have bumped into him,” he added. “Nowadays you tend to bump into people and have conversations, so it will be a really good experience.”You’re always going to have coaches, but it’s about filtering information. There are things that people say… some people you’re going to listen to, and you almost build up that relationship over time from working with someone.”If a [new] coach comes and gives you some information, you take it with a pinch of salt. You don’t want to be making massive technical changes mid-tournament, but it’s different for everyone.”

ECB remains hopeful that series – due to start in late June – can be played in some form

Matt Roller08-Apr-2020England women’s home series against India is in doubt due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but the ECB remains hopeful that it will be possible for the tour to be completed at some stage this summer.India are due to play two T20Is and four ODIs in England, with the first game of the tour scheduled for June 25, but with the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the UK continuing to rise at speed and some form of social distancing measures likely still to be in place, it appears unlikely that the series will be played as planned.All professional cricket in the UK has been postponed until May 28 at the earliest, though there is a growing acceptance that the date will be pushed back. Contingency planning for games scheduled from June onwards is ongoing, but for now, the ECB remains hopeful that fixtures after that date can be fulfilled in some form as possible.The tour is due to finish on July 9, and England’s next engagement is against South Africa on September 1, while India have no confirmed fixtures after that series. As a result, it may well be possible to find a window for the fixtures in July or August as necessary, particularly if the inaugural season of the Hundred is shortened or pushed back to 2021.Meanwhile, the ECB has ring-fenced the £20m it has pledged to invest in women’s and girls’ cricket over the next two years as part of its 2019 action plan, allaying fears that investment might be cut due to the financial impact of the pandemic.ALSO READ: ECB announce funding boost to transform women’s cricketA major part of that plan involved the creation of eight semi-professional regional development centres, with a 50-over competition between the new teams due to start in late August.But the crisis has delayed the process of launching those centres, as the ECB re-evaluates the details of the new domestic structure’s first full season. It remains unclear when and if it will be possible to stage games this summer, and as such various different scenarios are being modelled.The initial financial commitment of £20million over two years leaves some room for flexibility – it seems likely that most of that investment will take place in 2021 – but the intention to honour that pledge is a boost for the women’s game at a time of uncertainty.”The ECB remains committed to the transforming women’s and girls’ cricket action plan, despite the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic,” an ECB spokesperson said.”In light of the current health crisis we need to re-evaluate the logistics of the first year of the new elite domestic structure, both on the field and off the field – including player and staff recruitment, and fixture dates.”We are currently collaborating closely with our regional hosts and modelling a range of alternative scenarios, including a later start to the season and a reduced season. Although it is not yet on the agenda, a postponement of the first year of elite domestic structure fixtures is also a scenario that may need to come under consideration.”The board’s initial two-year investment into this long-term plan remains unaffected and close discussions with our regional hosts will continue as the situation becomes clearer.”Last week, the England women’s squad announced that they have taken a pay cut for the next three months, in line with their coaches and support staff.

Splendid bowling shows came from both sides, but New Zealand also got vital lower-order runs again

The Report by Sidharth Monga01-Mar-202013:50

Star Sports Match Point: Momentum back with NZ

India began the second day needing a big effort just to stay alive in the Christchurch Test, but so big was their bowling effort they ended up with a first-innings lead of seven runs. However, another lower-order rally by New Zealand followed by yet another varied and special bowling performance brought them right back into the contest. After a 16-wicket day, India were 97 ahead with four wickets in hand. One of the six wickets lost was nightwatchman Umesh Yadav.There was a bit of everything to enjoy for bowling enthusiasts: Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah looked unplayable for three hours with their seam and swing, Trent Boult swung the ball, Tim Southee used the surprise bouncer, Colin de Grandhomme mixed swing and seam, and Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson found disconcerting bounce. Throw in two wickets and a superman catch for Ravindra Jadeja, Jamieson’s innings of 49 and 51-run partnership with Wagner, Virat Kohli’s pumped-up reactions to New Zealand’s players and crowds followed by another early dismissal to end a personally dismal tour, and you had a day bursting at the seams with action.This was a pitch unlike any seen in New Zealand in recent times. It quickened up from day one and allowed more seam movement, which brought Shami and Bumrah right into the game. However, it is one thing to have conducive conditions and quite another to barge through on the back of them from so far out of the game. India had toiled for 23 overs on the first evening for no wicket, and began the day just 179 runs in lead.They were handed a lifeline through the prodigious seam, but they also corrected their lengths accordingly from the first evening. It was also their skill and pace that made life difficult for the batsmen. They also had to show fitness: Bumrah had to bowl a spell in each of the four hours that India were on the field, Shami bowled 12 overs unchanged either side of lunch followed by another spell after a half-hour break.While it was Yadav who got India the first breakthrough, Shami and Bumrah were the ones who tortured the batsmen with their seam movement. Bumrah’s seam movement accounted for the early dismissal of Kane Williamson, who played at a wide ball he would have left alone otherwise. Kohli, looking away from his team, evidently let out a Hindi expletive but didn’t get in the personal space of the batsman. This was not even close to the most pumped up he would be on the day.Ross Taylor and Tom Latham batted with better intent, adding 40 in little over 10 overs, but Taylor perished trying to dominate the weak link on paper, Jadeja. He stepped out in premeditated fashion, and didn’t have a bail-out option when Jadeja pulled the length back. Yadav then took an amazing catch running back from point, despite over-running the ball a little.It was still not panic stations as Latham and Henry Nicholls got into a partnership. The heart of the resistance, Latham had been excellent in his judgement until he left one ball too full from Shami, and it hit his stumps. Moments later, Kohli dived in front at second slip to send Nicholls back. He was so pumped up he was asking the crowd to “shut the **** up” by now.The celebrations begin after Ravindra Jadeja’s stunning outfield grab in Christchurch•AFP

The lunch break came at the right time for India as Bumrah and Shami came back well rested, and unleashed hell. They were now bowling 145kmph legcutters regularly, hoping at times that it would seam less so as to take the edge. That wasn’t needed with BJ Watling and Tim Southee, who fell in the same Bumrah over. Watling, tied down for no run off 15 balls, tried to break the shackles with a big drive, but found a diving Jadeja at point. Southee could be forgiven for just poking at one; the bowling was just too good.de Grandhomme and Jamieson then started to play their drives, and as both the main bowlers came off they saw an opportunity. Only for Jadeja to rip one past the outside edge and into the off stump of de Grandhomme for 26 off 44. At this point, India’s high-risk batting in the first innings looked like a masterstroke. New Zealand had survived for only two overs fewer than India, but they were 65 behind. It didn’t look like they would last much longer as Shami drew a top edge from a Wagner, which Hanuma Vihari dropped at fine leg.That catch would have made it 190 for 9, but instead Wagner went on to frustrate India even as Jamieson looked like the most comfortable batsmen on either side. Wagner finally nailed one hook after the partnership had crossed 51, but Jadeja intervened with an absolute stunner 20 metres off the deep backward square leg fence. It went flat and fast, but Jadeja moved sharply to his right, leapt up with his legs sort of cycling through the air and stuck his left hand out over his head to stun Wagner. Shami soon drew another top edge from Jamieson, one short of his fifty, to get India the lead.Nobody knew how the pitch would be on day three so every run was vital now. This is where the quality in New Zealand’s attack shone through as they attacked India from various directions. Boult got early swing after angling one across to repeat Mayank Agarwal’s first-innings dismissal. India’s lead 15 for 1. Southee repeated Prithvi Shaw’s dismissal from the second innings in the first Test with a short ball that cramped him up. India’s lead 33 for 2.Kohli walked in at seemingly the perfect time as both Southee and Boult were towards the end of their spells. He got the better of wide lines, and comfortably drove the full ones. However, de Grandhomme bowled the perfect ball to an attacking batsman. Kohli committed to his outswing, but then got done in as the ball seamed back in to repeat his first-innings dismissal. India’s lead 58 for 3.Now New Zealand shut down India’s scoring, and began to bounce Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane from both ends. Wagner’s angles and unpredictability, and Jamieson’s steepling bounce made life difficult for them. Rahane top-edged one soon enough only for de Grandhomme to drop him at deep backward square leg. However, it brought Rahane a world of pain as both bowlers kept peppering his knuckles and helmet. All for an extra 10 runs added to the partnership across six overs of pure torture. Eventually a bouncer that kept low was played on by Rahane, but these first signs of variable bounce would have given India hopes if they were to get some sort of defendable lead.Boult came back to put paid to those hopes with two absolute beauties in the last half hour. Pujara, who had battled for close to two-and-a-half hours, had no response to a ball swinging in late from around the wicket, and pegging back his stumps. In what turned out to be the last over of the day, Boult wasted the same delivery on nightwatchman Yadav. India were now left looking at Vihari, Pant and Jadeja to repeat what the New Zealand lower order did.

CA has estimated a 48% reduction in revenue for 2020-21 and 20% for 2021-22, the figures out of which the players’ revenues are drawn

Daniel Brettig04-Jun-2020Almost three years after a pay dispute that ended in an exhausted compromise, Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association are back in conflict. The players’ union has advised its intent to formally challenge the governing body’s pessimistic revenue forecasts for the next two summers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.As per CA’s forecast, there would be a 48% reduction in revenue for 2020-21 and a 20% drop for 2021-22. These are the figures out of which the players’ fixed 27.5% of Australian Cricket Revenue (ACR) are drawn. The ACA has informed players of its intent to commence dispute resolution proceedings with CA. This process provides for 21 days of “good faith” negotiations, followed by a mediation process and ultimately a confrontation in the courts if required.The ACA had questioned CA’s financial warnings last month as well. But CA has been unable to convince either the ACA, or the New South Wales or Queensland cricket boards of the need to accept their proposed form of cost-cutting, which was initially thrashed out by a small group of CA executives and board directors in late March.Kevin Roberts and Earl Eddings, CA’s chief executive and chairman respectively, have attempted to balance the financial uncertainties with the maintenance of confidence among commercial, broadcast and player partners that the summer will go ahead. They have offered the ACA more frequent financial forecasts than previously provided as circumstances change, while also trying to account for the possibility of a major drop off in match-day revenue, from around A$55 million (US$38 million approx.) to A$10 million (US$7 million approx.) in the wake of Covid-19.However, the ACA and dissenting states contend that such figures do not account for the high costs associated with achieving that level of revenue, with broadcast rights revenue providing the overwhelming majority of the game’s cash flow, followed by sponsorship dollars.The ACA board comprised of the chair Greg Dyer and president Shane Watson, alongside Alyssa Healy, Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins, Lisa Sthalekar, Moises Henriques, Kristen Beams, Janet Torney and Neil Maxwell – also a director on the NSW board – has disputed the notion that CA’s forecasts would not affect player pay because extra funds could be drawn out of the adjustment ledger that collects money delivered over projections made in 2017. This is largely because adjustment ledger cash is now handed over annually rather than in a lump sum at the end of the MoU, and also because significant portions of the adjustment ledger are committed to grassroots cricket, extra money for female players for the first time in MoU history, and contributions to the players’ retirement funds.