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India coach Anil Kumble was confident about KL Rahul’s fitness after the opener missed out the previous Test due to an injury picked up in Vishakapatnam

Sidharth Monga06-Dec-2016The most satisfying aspect of the 2-0 series lead for India will be that they haven’t always had their best XI available. They have played only one of the three Tests with first-choice openers. They lost their No. 1 wicketkeeper after the second Test, and the leading fast bowler has been fighting a niggle through the series. When they went into a week-long break, thanks to an early finish to the Mohali Test, India had a dodgy M Vijay added back to the catalogue.Two days before the Mumbai Test, though, India took to training with fewer doubts than they had in Mohali. KL Rahul, who took a blow on the arm when fielding in Visakhapatnam, was back in the nets, taking the first hit. Vijay looked in a better space as he had a long net session too. While Mohammed Shami didn’t train on Tuesday, India don’t have a major concern over him right now.

Kumble rejects Vengsarkar’s gym comment

A newspaper report quoting Dilip Vengsarkar as saying too much time in the gym is the reason behind the spate of injuries India are having to deal with has not left Anil Kumble impressed. Kumble invited Vengsarkar to have a chat with the support staff rather than make an uninformed assessment, and also pointed out that some of the injuries have come through impact of the hard cricket ball.
“The fitness parameters of the current Indian team is the best that it has ever been,” Kumble said. “I have played in the ’90s where fitness and strength conditioning was a personal choice and not a team choice. In the 2000s, the culture changed and you could see the difference. Now it is part and parcel of modern cricket. I am sure it is a personal opinion but as a coach, and also the current Indian coaching staff and the strength and conditioning coach, plus the physio, we are happy to sit and clarify because Dilip is someone whom we really respect and he also holds a very responsible position as the director of the National Cricket Academy.
“The injuries that we had are hamstring injuries, which are very common in any sport, not only cricket. Unfortunately, Hardik [Pandya] got injured in the nets when he got hit by a ball. Rahul got hit fielding at short leg, Vijay got hit when he was batting and so did Shikhar [Dhawan]. It is something that we have got to live with.”

India’s coach Anil Kumble addressed a press conference before the start of their training session at Wankhede Stadium, but he was confident about Rahul’s fitness. “I am sure Rahul will have a hit today and will be fine, let’s see how it goes,” Kumble said.Kumble did speak about managing Shami’s workload, though. “Workload is something that we monitor, especially Shami, because he came back after 18 months after being away from the game,” Kumble said. “It is not easy for any cricketer so that is something we are constantly monitoring. It is quite a challenge when you only have a three-to-four day gap between Test matches. And this series has gone till the last day so it is important that these guys are given enough breaks”Credit to the way Shami and Umesh [Yadav] have bowled, not just with the new ball but also the way they have been able to come back and bowl in the last hour of the day. Coming back in the third spell or probably sometimes the fourth spell, and rattling the batsmen and picking up wickets is something I am pleased about.”If Shami is indeed rested, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took a five-for in his last Test, is not a bad replacement to be waiting in the wings. “It is not just the two of them [Shami and Umesh] but Bhuvi, Ishant [Sharma], all of them have contributed significantly,” Kumble said. “To have someone like Bhuvi and Ishant sitting out is a credit to the way Umesh and Shami have bowled.”Ishant won’t be available for this Test because he is getting married on December 9. A sign of India’s confidence in Shami’s fitness could be that they have not asked for a replacement for Ishant. In Mohali, India had four quicks in the squad because Shami was not a certain starter.The one compromise India will have to make is to go in without the first-choice wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, but his replacement Parthiv Patel more than made up for Saha’s absence, especially by volunteering to open when Rahul aggravated his injury from Visakhapatnam. Kumble was all praise for his wicketkeeper for the Mumbai Test.”He came in as a 16 or 17-year-old and now – when he still looks 16 without the beard – he has showed a lot of maturity,” Kumble said. “He saved the [Trent Bridge] Test match for India. It certainly shows that if you are really putting in the hard yards in domestic cricket, never losing your faith and believing that you can come back into the Indian team, then it is possible.”I was really pleased that he could walk into the match and not just keep wicket and bat at six or seven but when he was asked to open, he put his hand up and did that really well. That goes to show not just the individual but the character of the player and to say – team comes above self. He was not worried about failing. When you are coming into the team, making a comeback after eight years, you always want to do well for yourself but here was Parthiv who was willing to put his hand up and said ‘I don’t mind opening’. And he did that really well.”If all goes to plan, India are set to make just the one change to the side that won in Mohali: Rahul coming in, Parthiv dropping down in the order, and Karun Nair being asked to wait for a longer run. India should continue with five bowlers because the pitch at Wankhede Stadium didn’t look exceptionally dry although it is expected to turn eventually, as Indian pitches are.

Joe Root, the Yorkshire batsman, hit an unbeaten hundred as England Lions cruised to a 10-wicket victory against the West Indians on the final day in Northampton

Andrew McGlashan13-May-2012
ScorecardJoe Root made the most of the easy runs on offer during the Lions chase•Getty Images

Joe Root, the Yorkshire batsman, hit an unbeaten hundred as England Lions cruised to a 10-wicket victory against the West Indians on the final day in Northampton. Root and Michael Carberry ensured the Lions knocked off their target of 197 with considerable ease with the visitors disappointingly going through the motions after showing much more spirit the previous day.The West Indians provided barely a threat with a depleted bowling attack after the last two wickets had been removed in the opening half an hour. Kemar Roach did not bowl during the Lions chase after taking a blow on his right hand while batting to add to the twisted ankle he picked up on the second day. Ravi Rampaul then left the field after an opening four-over spell while Fidel Edwards was not given much further work ahead of the first Test despite the visitors’ lack of cricket on tour.Whether there were serious concerns ahead of the Test remained to be seen, but if they do opt to play offspinner Shane Shillingford, one of the three quicks on show here will have to make way for Darren Sammy, who was rested.It meant the bowling was largely in the hands of the two spinners, Shillingford and Marlon Samuels, plus an appearance from the rarely seen medium pace of Darren Bravo who bowled for just the second time in his first-class career. Root and Carberry had few problems as they compiled their partnership at a steady pace in a match that had lost any semblance of intensity.The 21-year-old Root, who is often compared to Michael Vaughan, is in the early stages of his Lions career and remains a longer-term project in terms of international recognition. The attack he faced during this innings did not allow many judgements to be made, but neither did he let the opportunity of a lengthy stay in the middle pass him by, which will have been noted. He also made it a good day for Yorkshire following the earlier call-up for Jonny Bairstow to the squad for the first Test.Root’s hundred, like Kieran Powell’s yesterday, was just the second of his first-class career and came off 132 balls. He had skipped ahead of Carberry during the latter half of his innings against the comfortable bowling on offer with Shillingford conceding more than four an over.The Lions had not taken long to wrap up the West Indian second innings after being given a tough day in the field on Saturday with Powell making his stubborn century. However, the home side did add two more dropped catches to their tally during a below-par fielding display. Nick Compton spilled Roach at slip and Root put down Rampaul at short leg both off Matt Coles, but Coles wrapped up the innings to finish with hard-earned figures of 4 for 76.

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit06-May-2011

Match facts

Saturday, May 7, Mumbai
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Can Virender Sehwag do it once again for Delhi?•AFP

Big picture

Virender Sehwag has made 422 runs at a strike-rate of 178.81, the most in this IPL. Sachin Tendulkar is next, with 351 at 113.59. While Tendulkar might well reclaim the orange cap from Sehwag, the gaping difference between the strike-rates also reveals the gulf between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils. It has taken three outstanding performances from Sehwag to power his struggling side to three of their four wins. Tendulkar’s solidity has been enough for Mumbai’s strong bowling attack to defend par scores. Sehwag has had to be spectacular to make up for a misfiring batting line-up as well as a bowling unit lacking firepower.The three most successful Mumbai bowlers have taken 42 wickets at 6.07 runs per over; Delhi’s top three have 24 at 7.64. Mumbai must be one of the few Twenty20 sides whose batting serves the principal purpose of providing just enough cushion to their bowlers. What some may call a cautious approach has brought them seven wins in nine games, while even a furious churning of the playing XI hasn’t worked for Delhi.The two teams began their season facing each other at Feroz Shah Kotla, where Delhi ran in to Lasith Malinga who shot them out for 95. Their fortunes have followed the pattern of that game, and unless Sehwag can continue to fight adversity with another blinder, tomorrow could see Mumbai extend their stay at the top of the points table.

Form guide (most recent first)

Mumbai Indians: WWLWW (first in points table)
Delhi Daredevils: WLWLL (seventh in points table)

Team talk

Delhi surprisingly left out David Warner for Aaron Finch against Deccan Chargers and he should return tomorrow. They could also consider playing S Nadeem or Roelof van der Merwe as spinning options to add some variety. Apart from that, there should not be too many changes to the XI that played against Deccan.Mumbai’s problem is about dealing with too much of a good thing. Tendulkar and Ambati Rayudu have been so efficient, and Rohit Sharma so effective when required, that the others have hardly been needed. The only time they were, against Rajasthan Royals on a difficult Jaipur surface, they managed 94. That, and the fact that the top order, especially Tendulkar, has preferred accumulation to acceleration, seem to be the only niggles for Mumbai.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

Morne Morkel may have not had the impact of a Malinga, but he has been Delhi’s best bowler by quite a distance. The Wankhede Stadium pitch usually offers bounce, and Morkel with his natural short of a good length should enjoy it. Delhi’s chances will depend on how quickly they can get through to the Mumbai middle order, and Morkel will be crucial for that to happen.Munaf Patel has taken as many wickets as Harbhajan Singh, at a slightly better economy-rate. His role as second seamer behind Malinga has gone unnoticed, and as always, Munaf has gone about his job quietly. He has performed both roles admirably, taking wickets when needed as well as keeping batsmen in check. Expect more of the same tomorrow.

Prime numbers

• Lasith Malinga’s strike-rate and average in this IPL are both under ten, and his economy rate is below six
• Mumbai and Delhi are among the four IPL teams who have an overall scoring rate exceeding eight an over

The chatter

“If we go too hard, we can get out for 95 also. We have to decide based on the track.”

In the semi-finals, Bangladesh will face India and Afghanistan will be up against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2023Afif Hossain put on an all-round show as Bangladesh beat Malaysia by two runs to confirm their semi-final fixture against India at the Asian Games. Malaysia needed five in the last over with Virandeep Singh batting on 52 off 35, but Afif gave away just two runs to keep the upset at bay.Afif varied the pace in each of the first three balls of the final over to frustrate Virandeep before lobbing one up outside his hitting arc. Virandeep tried to break the shackles but holed out to long-on with Malaysia still needing five. Afif then nailed two yorkers to give away just two runs and end the contest.Chasing 117, Malaysia were reduced to 18 for 3, with Afif striking twice in the fifth over. Virandeep then stitched two key partnerships, adding 34 for the fifth wicket with Vijay Unni and then 40 for the seventh with wicketkeeper-batter Ainool Hafizs, to take his side close. But Malaysia faltered in the last over.Earlier in the day, Afif found himself in the middle with Bangladesh three down inside three overs. He struck a 14-ball 23 with two fours and two sixes and added 38 in just four overs with captain Saif Hassan. Hassan struck a steady half-century – 50 off 52 balls – on a surface that slowed down considerably after the earlier game, between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, in the day.Pavandeep Singh, Virandeep’s elder brother, finished with two wickets for Malaysia but Bangladesh managed to get to 116, which eventually proved to be just enough.

Naib, Qais take Afghanistan into semi-final

File photo – Gulbadin Naib dealt early blows•AFP/Getty Images

Afghanistan knocked an inexperienced Sri Lanka side out of the Asian Games to book a spot in the semi-final in Hangzhou. On a slow-turner, Noor Ali Zadran struck a steady fifty before three-fors from Qais Ahmad and Gulbadin Naib dealt the final blow to Sri Lanka, who had nine debutants.After opting to field, Sri Lanka struck with the seventh ball of the match when Nuwan Thushara cleaned up Sediqullah Atal. Noor and Mohammad Shahzad then added 54 for the second wicket but both batters struggled against left-arm spinner Nimesh Vimukthi and took their time in the middle.After Shahzad fell to seamer Lahiru Samarakoon, Shahidullah struck some lusty blows during his 14-ball 23. But then a collapse ensued that saw Afghanistan slide from 92 for 2 to be bowled out for 116. Thushara, with his slingy action and accurate yorkers, finished with 4 for 17.In reply, Sri Lanka raced off the blocks, with Lasith Croospulle hitting Naib for a four and a six in an 11-run second over. Even though he fell in the next over, Sri Lanka reached 59 for 3 by the end of the ninth over.That’s when Qais came into the attack and turned the game around with a two-wicket over. Ashen Bandara fell to a googly and played on while attempting a drive. Three balls later, wicketkeeper-batter Lahiru Udara was lured into playing a heave across the line to be bowled.Captain Sahan Arachchige showed some resistance with his 22 off 29, and later, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth kept the slim hopes alive when 15 were needed from 12 ball and then nine in the final over. But Karim Janat knocked Thushara over with the first ball of the 20th over to kickstart celebrations in the Afghan camp.

The visitors had a wobble in the morning but ended up comfortable winners

AAP19-Oct-2022Caleb Jewell inspired Tasmania to a seven-wicket victory in their Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia at Adelaide Oval.Tasmania started the final day at 0 for 104 in their pursuit of 235, but the loss of Tim Ward, Jake Doran and Ben McDermott during the morning session on Wednesday saw the visitors slip to 3 for 164.Jewell kept his cool to guide Tasmania over the line, with Jordan Silk there in support.Related

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Ward fell on the sixth ball of day four when he edged Wes Agar behind. Jake Carder took an excellent diving catch while running with the flight of the ball to remove Doran, and McDermott fell a short time before lunch.Jewell dug in to ensure there would be no late wobbles, with the 25-year-old notching his century in fine style by pulling Agar for six.Veteran paceman Peter Siddle was crucial in Tasmania’s victory, returning the excellent figures of 4 for 51 and 4 for 45.Tasmania’s win marked a huge turn around from their season-opening flop, when they lost to Queensland by an innings and 172 runs.

Captain says selections driven by need to have “experienced guys making good decisions under pressure” for coming World Cups

Alan Gardner29-Jul-2020England will play their first ODI on home soil since last summer’s successful World Cup campaign when they take on Ireland in a three-match series from Thursday, with captain Eoin Morgan hailing the “unbelievably talented” group of players at his disposal.Despite six members of the World Cup final XI being unavailable while on Test duty (plus the absence of the discarded Liam Plunkett), Morgan said that selecting the first white-ball squad of the reshaped English summer was “particularly difficult”, with a number of young batsmen pushing for inclusion during the intra-squad encounters.Players such as Phil Salt, who scored a 58-ball hundred for England Lions against Ireland on Sunday, and Sam Hain, who averages 59.78 in List A cricket, were left on the sidelines, as England chose to give further opportunities to a clutch of candidates who were in and around the World Cup group last year, such as James Vince, Joe Denly and Sam Billings.ALSO READ: Topley wins recall, Billings and Willey return to face IrelandMorgan said that England’s depth in white-ball cricket was “definitely” greater than at any previous time during his involvement.”Being able to see more and more of the Lions players or the guys outside of the Lions over the last couple of weeks has been exceptional,” he said. “There is such a big pool of players who are unbelievably talented. Yes we don’t know whether they will succeed in international cricket but you are comfortable selecting them in the squad for if you need them at any stage.”Selection was particularly difficult. Over the last four-and-a-bit years we’ve always had tough decisions to make and I think everybody who was left out was a tough call. The standard and skill level that has been produced since guys have come together has been exceptional. It’s been way above the standard that I expected given the time we had off. Certainly [Salt and Hain] were unlucky to miss out along with others.”I think we’re blessed with a high-calibre group of top-order batters, not only in the first XI but also sitting in the wings. Even the guys that will play this series and the guys that are left out will probably need some injuries to get call-ups. It’s a product of having a consistently strong team over the last period of time, it’s allowed players to spend more time at county cricket so your highly-talented players aren’t playing a handful of county games and then automatically being called up to the national team… It’s a huge positive even though it’s bad news for the guys who have missed out.”Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow head to the nets•Getty Images

Without the likes of Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, England could have been tempted to include a few more faces from their up-and-coming generation – Tom Banton is the only batsman under the age of 29 in the squad – but Morgan gave an indication of the value he places on experience when asked about the retention of Vince and Billings.”I think a lot of the perception is that they’ve almost had their chance and their time has gone – whereas we see it as, going into the next World Cup, we need experienced guys making good decisions under pressure, that’s exactly what we’re after, and experience lends itself to that. We’ll continue to give opportunities but it’s to those guys we feel might have an impact in selection on the next two T20 World Cups or the next 50-over World Cup.”Morgan also talked about the “framework” of England’s ODI batting, and the importance of selecting players to fill certain roles. “We have an abundance of top-order batters and possibly an area that we need to fill is in the lower and middle order where we need a bit more strength in depth,” he said.To that end, England look set to continue with 34-year-old Denly at No. 5, where he made scores of 87 and 66 in South Africa back in February, and Banton a place lower down – despite his regular role as an opener for Somerset – with Morgan encouraging both to stake claims for further involvement.”Joe played really well in South Africa, a long time ago but he’s still a high-quality player,” Morgan said. “Creating opportunities for him is important to us. With Joe, age is not something we talk about – he’s fit and agile as anybody. It’s just his desire and hunger to play and succeed. I think the opportunities that both of those guys might get will determine how they long they might go or what direction we go in.”While the greater part of England’s white-ball focus has recently been on T20, the postponement of this year’s World Cup allows for some breathing space, and perhaps a celebration of the format that Morgan and his team finally cracked in 2019. As World Cup holders, Morgan admitted “it creates a level of expectation everywhere we go” – particularly against an opposition like Ireland, hungry to take advantage of their limited opportunities on the biggest stage.Tom Banton plays a cut shot•Getty Images

“That sits well with some of our guys but for a lot of our guys, they haven’t experienced that, so it’s important to recognise what is expected of us moving forward,” Morgan said. “Because we want to win more trophies.”Following the ECB’s successful implementation of bio-security protocols to enable the Test series against West Indies to go ahead, Morgan said the one-day team were happy to be back playing, even behind closed doors, and thanked Ireland for bringing forward their tour amid uncertainty about whether planned series against Australia will go ahead.”I think given the context of everything that’s gone on over the last five months or so, we are extremely happy to be playing,” he said. “Things are moving quite quickly outside of the bubble, I know Middlesex and Surrey over the weekend did have spectators and things like that, so potentially down the line that might progress. But given the context and the serious nature of the virus, we’re just delighted both to be back playing but also to have cricket back on TV. I think there’s a huge and monumental effort gone into everything to make it happen so we’re extremely grateful for that and also grateful for Ireland coming over.”

The bowling coach has also identified some back-up candidates for South Africa’s international bowlers

Firdose Moonda21-Apr-2020The ability to not lose their collective cool during South Africa’s worst home season since readmission is what kept the new national staff on track during the 2019-20 summer, according to bowling coach Charl Langeveldt.South Africa won only one out of five home series across all formats and navigated through numerous obstacles, including administrative crisis, retirements and several debuts, but the team management remained level-headed and now have a clear way forward.”As a coaching staff, we were calm. I am very calm. I am not an emotional coach, so I keep my emotions in check,” Langeveldt said, in the midst of a 35-day nationwide lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. “I think if you want to become a good coach, you need to find a balance with your emotions. As a coaching group, we could have got very upset but we just came back and said this is what we need to focus on to improve. The players listened and they went and took that out onto the field.”Langeveldt joined Mark Boucher’s backroom staff from Bangladesh, where he was working as the bowling coach after a stint with Afghanistan and a previous spell with South Africa between 2015 and 2017. He was let go when Ottis Gibson took over as head coach and assumed the bowling coach duties himself. Under Boucher, a bowling coach was once again required and Langeveldt was persuaded to return home and work with players he knew, albeit in very different circumstances.The South African team Langeveldt left had lost a Test series in England in 2017 but still had Morne Morkel, Duanne Olivier and Chris Morris in its ranks. The one he returned to had none of them and was also preparing to say goodbye to Vernon Philander, besides coping without Kagiso Rabada, who was first suspended, then rested and then injured.”We had a lot of youngsters coming into the set-up and that was really hard for us and then when you lose a big player like KG, it’s difficult to replace him,” Langeveldt said. “But in saying that, we came back and showed we can play with a young attack and we competed.”ALSO READ: Tabraiz Shamsi interview: ‘Was on the sidelines for three years, so want to take the chance now’Langeveldt’s stand-out speedster of the summer was Lungi Ngidi, who is South Africa’s leading white-ball wicket-taker in 2020 so far and rated himself as six out of 10 last week. “When Lungi Ngidi came back after a long layoff, there was a lot of pressure on him to perform. In a young attack, he was regarded as one of the senior bowlers,” Langeveldt said. “He really handled it well. He stepped up to the plate. I was so proud of him. He showed he can handle pressure.”Ngidi was particularly impressive at the death, where he took three wickets in the final over of the opening T20I against England, for example. He also worked well with Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla and Tabraiz Shamsi. “Where we came from, in December, it showed there was a lot of improvement and guys were assessing conditions on the field and adjusting,” Langeveldt said. “Most of these guys come from the domestic level and they haven’t played a lot of international cricket. It showed a lot of maturity and that for us is a real plus point in going forward.”But the work is far from over and Langeveldt’s next task is to develop a second-tier of international quality bowlers who can step up, if needed, with him having already identified some candidates. “We’ve been looking around the country for young and upcoming bowlers. You always have to have replacements if somebody gets injured,” Langeveldt said. “Guys like [Under-19 players] Lifa Ntanzi and Gerald Coetzee and Glenton Stuurman from the Warriors. These are the guys that are going to be the back-up for our national team.”All those players were due to be involved in a six-day bowling camp scheduled to start on Sunday but it was postponed. Instead, Langeveldt and the rest of the coaching staff have a meeting planned for Wednesday to address their plans for the rest of the winter period. And Langeveldt is hopeful they will be able to get some intensive training in. “These camps are really important to up skill these guys to international standard,” he said.South Africa’s lockdown is scheduled to end on April 30 but the national team will not be in action until at least mid-July when they are due to travel to the West Indies for two Tests and five T20Is. On Monday, their June white-ball tour of Sri Lanka was postponed and a call on the West Indies series is likely to be made in the coming weeks with officials hopeful that the home summer, starting in September-October will go ahead as planned.

However, with Zimbabwe batting diligently so far in the third innings, the visitors have a tough road to victory

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Jan-2020Angelo Mathews batted for ten hours to hit Sri Lanka’s first double-century in five years, helping put his team in a near-unassailable position in Harare. But with Zimbabwe batting diligently so far in the third innings, the visitors have a tough road to victory. As it stood at stumps, Zimbabwe were 127 runs behind, with all ten second-innings wickets in hand. Although the occasional ball kept low, there was no substantial turn nor significant wear on the pitch to encourage the spinners.At least Sri Lanka’s batsmen have given their team a chance of victory however, with Dhananjaya de Silva and Niroshan Dickwella both hitting 63 through the course of the day. Zimbabwe’s best bowler was debutant Victor Nyauchi, who dismissed de Silva, and finished with 3 for 69 from his 32 overs. Offspinner Sikandar Raza took two wickets in two balls in the third session, and eventually finished with 3 for 62, but those lower-order breakthroughs were not quite as hard-won as Nyauchi’s.Their openers then faced 17 overs without major incident. Prince Masvaure was solid in defence through 52 balls, the fatigue of two days in the field not weakening his concentration. Debutant and concussion substitute Brian Mudzinganyama was just as solid, playing out 51 balls of his own. He came into the game on account of a delayed concussion to another debutant, Kevin Kasuza, who had been hit on the helmet at short leg on day three, and on day four showed symptoms of a concussion, which ruled him out of the match.Where on day three Mathews’ progress had been a struggle, he was much more assured on Wednesday. Although Nyauchi beat his outside edge in the morning and offered a half-chance off Ainsley Ndlovu on 108, he seemed much more at ease, inching forward in the first session, then gradually growing more aggressive through the second and third sessions. Mathews has never faced as many balls as the 468 deliveries he did in this innings.That he seemed fresh right until Sri Lanka’s declaration, hitting a six off Ndlovu to get into the 180s, then completing the double-century with an aerially swept four off Raza, was a testament to the work he had put in over the last few months. In 2018, he had been dropped over fitness issues. There was no doubt he was in outstanding shape in Harare.It was also fitting that it was Mathews who finally got to 200 after other Sri Lanka batsmen had perished in the 190s and 180s in recent years. Although at one point in his career he seemed destined to take the batting mantle from Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, his Test form had fallen away since 2016, while injuries forced long layoffs. Big runs for him on this tour augur well for a year in which his team play important World Test Championship series, Sri Lanka will hope.Through the course of his mammoth innings, Mathews was involved in two partnerships that saw Sri Lanka take control of the Test. He and de Silva combined for 98 for the fifth wicket – de Silva making 63 of those runs, pulling and driving confidently through the early overs of that first session, until he holed out to mid-on, trying to raise the tempo against Nyauchi.Dickwella then came to the crease and played with uncharacteristic care, hitting only one boundary in his first 87 deliveries, though he frequently picked up singles, twos and threes into the outfield to maintain a strike rate close to 50. He was dropped on 45 off the bowling of Nyauchi, but was out for 63 in the dying minutes of the second session, missing a sweep off the bowling of Raza, to be struck in front of off stump. He and Mathews had put on 136 together – Sri Lanka’s most profitable stand.Suranga Lakmal was also capable in partnership with Mathews, making 27, but became the first victim of Raza’s double strike when he let a full delivery slip between his legs, and overbalanced to stumble momentarily out of the crease, only for Regis Chikabva to whip the bails off in a flash. Raza immediately bowled Lasith Embuldeniya with a delivery that straightened to miss the bat and hit off stump, and bowled a surprise yorker to Kasun Rajitha as well, who managed to dig it out just in time to prevent the hat-trick. Mathews, who was on 196 as Raza was threatening to leave him stranded so close to a double-hundred, finally got to the milestone in Raza’s next over.

Jacob Oram said his running catch to dismiss Jacques Kallis and Martin Guptill’s run-out of AB de Villiers were the two key moments that propelled New Zealand to victory in their quarter-final against South Africa

Osman Samiuddin at the Shere Bangla Stadium25-Mar-2011At the centre of a magnificent fielding performance that won New Zealand their quarter-final against South Africa were two moments. The first was an exceptional running catch on the boundary by Jacob Oram that saw the back of an unperturbed and ominous looking Jacques Kallis. The other was Martin Guptill’s run-out of AB de Villiers, a few overs later and just two balls after JP Duminy’s dismissal, in a short passage of play in which was crystallised South Africa’s collapse.Kallis was progressing in typically Kallis-like fashion on 47 when, in the 25th over, he pulled Tim Southee towards deep midwicket. Oram, Man of the Match for his 4 for 39, ran to his left and back towards the boundary rope, and with a little skip, held on to the catch face-high, still running. It looked far more impressive live than on the TV screens. It was the kind of catch that wins a quarter-final.Oram’s only thought when he saw the shot was to run. “The beauty of it was that it wasn’t in the air that long. If it was a real skier where I had 5 or 10 seconds to think about it, I probably would’ve got a little bit scared underneath it.”My only thought was just run, because he did hit it so well. What helped me was just the angle the ball was coming at; with a pull shot like that, it almost curls back into the angle I was running on. So I was running back and across. Thankfully I am 6’6”. I replaced Kane Williamson out there who is about 4’6″; maybe it would have been a one-bounce four if he was out there.”Guptill’s intervention came from midwicket, exploiting a tiny moment’s hesitation between Faff du Plessis and de Villiers. The catch and Guptill’s effort, which ended the most fluent knock of the match, were, Oram said, moments that turned the entire game.Jacob Oram’s running catch of Jacques Kallis started a South African collapse•Getty Images

“My catch [was a turning point], and I’m not just pointing that out because it’s me, but because it broke a partnership that looked like it was starting to build. And the second moment which galvanised us to another level, and put the skids on them, was Martin Guptill running out AB de Villiers. That just seemed to make us all grow a foot taller, and you could see them getting a little worried.”There was a sustained level of excellence in the field throughout the match, from both sides. Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, thought the fielding allowed them to keep the pressure up.”We got a little bit of luck with the Hashim Amla wicket, and there was a great piece of work with Guptill running out de Villiers,” Vettori said. “Those two things, combined with some great bowling and great fielding, allowed us to attack the whole game. The way we bowled and particularly the way we fielded, led by Guptill, probably got us through to the victory.”Another semi-final spot for a side that was stuttering until recently may have surprised others, but not Oram, who believes this is not the end of New Zealand’s run. “Did we ever think we could make it to the semis? Of course we did and we’re not finishing here, hopefully. We didn’t come across here to defeat the minnows in our pool and then lose the quarter-final and go home. Why not go on and win the semi-final and take on the winner of the other semi in Mumbai in a week’s time?”If that eventuality does occur, Oram wouldn’t mind facing Pakistan. “That’s not because we’re scared of India,” he said. “It’s because we’ve played Pakistan in a six-match series at home and we’ve defeated them in Pallekele. So we know them very well, even though they defeated us at home. But if it’s India, bring them on as well.”

Robin Singh, the former India allrounder, has been appointed coach of the USA’s Under-19 team

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2011Robin Singh, the former India allrounder, has been appointed coach of the USA’s Under-19 team and is in talks with United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) about taking over the national team as well. He will help the Under-19 team prepare for the ICC Americas Region Division 1 tournament, which begins in February, and replace Sew Sewnarine as coach.He previously coached the IPL franchise Deccan Chargers and is presently involved with the Mumbai Indians. He had also been fielding coach of the Indian team and has played 136 ODIs.