Angelo Mathews said that he felt “great” after getting over the barrier of scoring his maiden hundred on the fourth day of the third Test against Australia

Sa'adi Thawfeeq19-Sep-2011Angelo Mathews has said he felt “great” after getting over the barrier of scoring his maiden hundred on the fourth day of the third Test against Australia.”It was great getting to it after a couple of missed opportunities,” said an elated Mathews who finished unbeaten on 105. “This was a very patient knock close to 270 balls. Even though the wicket was flat and hard the Aussies didn’t give it easily. We had to be patient and wait for the loose balls.”Mathews admitted that he was nervous batting in the nineties and having to bat with the tail. “You can always say batting in the nineties you get a bit nervous because I haven’t got a hundred yet. I was a bit nervous on this occasion as well,” said Mathews, who was helped to the elusive mark by last man Suranga Lakmal who hung around for 37 minutes.Mathews said that Sri Lanka certainly had a plan in mind when they started the fourth day with a lead of 112 but were pegged down by some accurate bowling by Australia. “We wanted to get 100 runs today and get the lead up to about 200 runs which we couldn’t. We fell short by about 40 runs. Australia was not giving away any easy runs, they bowled to a plan. If we had to push then we had to go for big shots and we couldn’t afford to lose wickets. We had to be patient.”We need to win this Test to level the series. We are in a very strong position today because Australia are three wickets down and the wicket has started to spin. In Rangana Herath and Tillakaratne Dilshan we have two good spinners. If we can get a couple of early breakthroughs tomorrow we are back on track.”Mathews who is playing as a batsman said that he would be travelling to Australia at the end of the series to get a few injections for his troubled quadricep of the left knee that has prevented him bowling. “I hope to start bowling gradually soon after the injections and hopefully bowl from the next series.”

Yuvraj Singh has been rewarded for his stellar World Cup with a Grade A contract from the BCCI for 2011-12, while Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma have both been given Grade A contracts for the first time

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2011Yuvraj Singh has been rewarded for his stellar World Cup with a Grade A contract from the BCCI for 2011-12, a year after being demoted to Grade B. Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma have both been given Grade A contracts for the first time.Rohit Sharma moved up from Grade C to B, as did R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, but Ashish Nehra, who had a Grade B contract, did not make the list of contracted players at all. Harbhajan Singh, who was not picked for the one-day series against England or for the upcoming first Test against West Indies, remained in Grade A.Yuvraj had a forgettable 2010, with indifferent form and fitness dogging him through one of the toughest phases of his career. He bounced back superbly to be Man of the Tournament in the World Cup, before injury cut short his tour of England.The total number of contracted players ballooned from 24 to 37, with Umesh Yadav, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Sharma and Varun Aaron receiving contracts for the first time. Aaron and Yadav impressed with their pace in the recent home one-day series against England. The pair, along with legspinner Rahul Sharma, were included in the squad for the first Test against West Indies starting on November 6. All three players were given Grade C contracts.Munaf Patel, who missed out last year, was also in Grade C as was Ajinkya Rahane, who made his ODI debut in England this year. Cheteshwar Pujara, who recently recovered from injury and has not played since the IPL, retained his Grade C contract. Meanwhile M Vijay was moved from B to C after struggling on the tour of West Indies earlier this year.The annual retainers are worth Rs 1 crore (approximately $205,760) for Grade A, Rs 50 lakh (approximately $102,880) for Grade B and Rs 25 lakhs (approximately $51,440) for Grade C.The BCCI’s working committee also voted to classify the IPL as List A cricket at its meeting today in Kolkata and stated their opposition to the new sports bill being promulgated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.The ministry had drafted a sports bill ostensibly to bring accountability and transparency to India’s sporting bodies, but the idea met with stiff opposition. A first draft was sent back to the ministry for redrafting, and the BCCI said it would oppose the latest version as well.”While the BCCI is all for good governance and transparency in sports bodies, certain aspects of the bill seek to destroy the autonomy of the board and dilute the rights of its members,” the BCCI said in a statement. “Therefore the Board is totally opposed to this bill and will be communicating its objections to the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports shortly … The bill tends to encroach upon fundamental rights of sports bodies.”Among the committee’s other decisions was to appoint Evan Speechly as the Indian team physiotherapist on a two-year contract, replacing Ashish Kaushik. Speechly, a South African who was with the Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL team, will join the India squad for the third Test between India and West Indies.In addition the committee approved in principle a proposal to allot a certain portion of the gate receipts from the IPL playoffs for the benefit of retired cricketers. They also created an award for the best allrounder in the Ranji Trophy and India’s domestic limited-overs tournaments, named after the late former India captain Lala Amarnath. The award will comprise a trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 2.5 lakhs ($5000) in each category.Grade A: Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma.Grade B: Praveen Kumar, R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja.Grade C: Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Cheteshwar Pujara, Abhimanyu Mithun, Vinay Kumar , Ajinkya Rahane, Munaf Patel, M Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Parthiv Patel, S Badrinath, Manoj Tiwary, Piyush Chawla, Dinesh Karthik, Jaydev Unadkat, Umesh Yadav, Rahul Sharma, Varun Aaron.

Several of India’s batting heavyweights helped themselves to half-centuries as the home side got halfway to West Indies’ 590

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran24-Nov-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Darren Sammy removed Virender Sehwag for the third time in the series•AFP

For the third day in a row, the batsmen had an easy time at the Wankhede Stadium. Several of India’s batting heavyweights helped themselves to half-centuries as the home side got halfway to West Indies’ 590. Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid didn’t make it to triple figures, but Sachin Tendulkar was well on his way towards reaching the most talked-about milestone of the year.West Indies didn’t declare overnight, allowing their final pair to bat on, and after 15 minutes of entertaining tail-ender swings, Devendra Bishoo was bowled by offspinner R Ashwin, who completed his second five-wicket haul in his debut series.A typically quick start followed from India’s openers: Virender Sehwag routinely scything the ball through cover, and Gambhir poking the ball either side of point for runs. Gambhir was a touch loose to start with – chasing and missing several wide deliveries and surviving an early lbw appeal off Fidel Edwards – before getting more fluent.Edwards and Ravi Rampaul bowled with aggression but there wasn’t much extra bounce or sideways movement to encourage them. West Indies resorted to a defensive field half an hour into the innings – seven fielders on the off side, with two of them in the deep in front of point.It was the least pacy of the West Indian quicks, Darren Sammy, who snapped the opening stand at 67. He got one to slide past Sehwag’s inside-edge and hit the stumps, signalling with three fingers that it was the third time he had dismissed Sehwag in the series.The tempo was predictably slower after Sehwag’s exit, and West Indies could have added to the advantage after lunch. Dravid seemed to have hurt his back after slipping when Gambhir turned down a single. Gambhir had a reprieve when he guided Sammy towards first slip, where Kirk Edwards made a lazy attempt at a catch, barely getting a finger on the ball.

Smart stats

• Virender Sehwag moved to joint-second position with Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis on the list of Test batsmen with the most sixes. He now has 88 sixes and is second only to Adam Gilchrist, who has 100 sixes.

• Rahul Dravid became the second batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to reach the 13000-run mark in Tests. He has now scored 13061 runs at an average of 53.31. Dravid is the fastest to the mark in terms of matches (160) but Tendulkar got there in 11 fewer innings.

• Dravid also passed 1000 runs in a calendar year for the third time in his career. Among Indian batsmen, only Sachin Tendulkar (6) and Sunil Gavaskar (4) have done so more times than Dravid.

• Gautam Gambhir scored his second consecutive half-century of the series and went past the 3500-run mark in his 44th Test.

• Tendulkar’s half-century is his 63rd in Tests bringing him level with Allan Border on the list of batsmen with the most Test half-centuries.

• Dravid, who scored his 62nd half-century, was involved in his 48th fifty-plus stand with Tendulkar. This is the highest for any batting pair in Tests.

• Dravid’s half-century is his 13th against West Indies. He now has 18 fifty-plus scores against them, which is second only to Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of 20.

• R Ashwin’s 5 for 156 is his second five-wicket haul in Tests. The 156 runs conceded by Ashwin is sixth on the list of most runs conceded by an Indian bowler in an innings against West Indies while picking up five or more wickets.

After those close calls, Gambhir and Dravid were more solid against the West Indian quicks. Dravid reached 13,000 runs by classically driving a half-volley for four, while Gambhir’s increasing confidence was on display as he launched one over midwicket to reach his half-century. With Bishoo off the field for half the post-lunch session, getting his injured knee attended to, Dravid feasted on Marlon Samuels’ gentle offbreaks, crashing him through covers for successive fours.Both batsmen were set, and the track was still a shirtfront, but West Indies managed to wheedle out a wicket, when Rampaul banged in a bouncer that Gambhir threw his bat at. The ball flew through to the keeper, and though the Snickometer showed nothing, the umpire was convinced there was an edge.The crowd wasn’t too disappointed since it brought in Sachin Tendulkar, continuing his quest for the century that has eluded him since March. Tendulkar used his feet well against the spinners right from the start, and quickly progressed to 20. After tea, the crowd had more to cheer as he upper-cut Fidel Edwards into the stands beyond third man. It was a shot he repeated against a quicker one from Samuels, getting four for his effort.Dravid, meanwhile, worked his way to 1000 runs for the year, and his half-century soon after. He showed his presence of mind off the final delivery before tea: after he defended the ball, it spun alarmingly back towards the stumps, but he reacted just in time, booting the ball away when the it was inches away from the wickets.His sixth hundred of 2011 – his personal-best for a calendar year – seemed inevitable as he soldiered on untroubled after tea, jumping down the track to power Bishoo over mid-on before powerfully square-cutting Edwards for another boundary. He coaxed the ball past mid-off to move into the eighties, but was dismissed off the next delivery, top-edging on to the stumps.Tendulkar carried on, unfurling several stylish boundaries to march past 50, a landmark that was greeted by his home ground with expected boisterousness. VVS Laxman also joined in the fun, showing off the wristy whips to midwicket that make him such a delight to watch. Both had a moment of worry each: Laxman top-edging towards a vacant point region, and Tendulkar surviving on 58 as Cartlon Baugh put down a regulation outside edge.Those two wickets would have swung the match in West Indies’ favour. Instead, with only 13 wickets toppled in three days, and the track showing little signs of degenerating, it remains an even game with chances of an outright result receding.

Michael Clarke believes his batsmen are well prepared and should play their natural game, even if they are sent in under cloudy skies on Boxing Day

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG24-Dec-2011Last Boxing Day, the biggest day on Australia’s cricket calendar, Andrew Strauss sent the Australians in on a pitch with a little bit of juice in it. They didn’t last 50 overs. Chris Tremlett and James Anderson skittled the Australians for 98. They never recovered, England secured the Ashes with that victory, and the Argus review was commissioned in the weeks that followed.Fast forward 12 months and the Australians have been bowled out for 47 in an innings against South Africa. They have lost a Test to New Zealand in challenging conditions at Bellerive Oval. Their batsmen continue to fail. Only David Warner and Shaun Marsh, the two newest members of the top order, have averaged more than 40 in the past year.And now they are back at the MCG. It is still the biggest day on Australia’s cricket calendar. They are still struggling against the moving ball, the reason behind their batting camp over the past few days. Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma are skilled movers of the ball in the air and off the pitch. But the captain Michael Clarke still believes his batsmen should play their natural game, even if they are sent in under cloudy skies.”I think it’s important if we bat first that we play our natural game,” Clarke said. “I think you have the confidence to back your own ability. We’ve done plenty of work so it’s not from lack of training … Our preparation has been spot on. Now it’s about getting out there and enjoying every minute of it. I have no concerns if we bat first on that wicket and there’s a bit of movement. I’m confident we’re ready for it.”I make no bones about it, we’ve had extra time as a batting unit because we know we’ve got to get better at facing the new ball if there’s a bit in the wicket. We want to improve. We want to get better in that department of our game as batters. We’ve done the work though. That’s all I can ask any of the boys for.”Clarke said the ghosts of last year’s Test – five members of that side will not play this year – were well and truly exorcised. However he said it remained a special day and the Australians would need to handle the atmosphere at the start of the contest against a strong India side.”It is [special] because of the date,” Clarke said. “It’s the Boxing Day Test match. It’s built up because it is a special Test match, no doubt about it. And we’re playing against a very good opposition. I think the start of any Test match is crucial, whether you bat or bowl is irrelevant, but how you start the game… is a good indication to where the Test match is going to end up.”As the first Test in the series, the Boxing Day match will set the tone not only for the type of cricket that is played over the coming month, but also how the teams interact. Last time India toured Australia, under Anil Kumble in 2007-08, the series was acrimonious in the extreme, the Sydney Test featuring controversial umpiring and a racism row involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds.However, since then the sides have played two Test series, both in India, without major incident, and plenty of the players now turn out together in the IPL. Clarke said he was confident the series would be played in the right spirit.”I think the IPL has been very good for that,” he said. “The relationship between the Australian players and the Indian players is very good and will continue to be that way. The IPL has played a big part, the opportunity to play with people from all around the world.”In saying that I think the series out on the field will be very competitive. Both teams want to win. Both have a lot to play for. In my career it’s been no different against India. It’s always been very competitive on the field but off the field both teams get on very well.”

After India’s 122-run loss at the MCG, India’s third first-Test loss on their last four tours, MS Dhoni said it was the batting that let the side down

Sidharth Monga at the MCG29-Dec-2011After India’s 122-run loss at the MCG, India’s third first-Test loss on their last four tours, MS Dhoni said it was the batting that let the side down. The team, he said, also need to come up with ways to run through the opposition’s lower order.”We thought with a 230-odd runs [overnight] lead, if we could get them for 240 or 250, that’s a very gettable score,” Dhoni said. “But I felt 290-odd was also a score we should have achieved. The wicket was good, it was not like there was too much wear and tear on the wicket. I think the batting line-up flopped in both the innings.”First innings, we got off to a decent start. We had a kind of a partnership going, after that we needed to capitalise on it. We were not really able to do that, because of which we were close to 50 runs short. In the second innings, wickets kept falling at regular intervals, which meant getting close to 300-odd runs was more and more difficult. Just that we need to get consistent with our batting.”The Indian batsmen began this year in overcast Cape Town, facing dream spell after dream spell from Dale Steyn who was ably supported by Morne Morkel. Led by Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir, they fought the conditions and the bowling, and managed a draw. That, sadly, was the high point of their Test cricket this year. Since then they have played 16 innings away from home, and have crossed 300 only once. One of those innings was a declaration at 269 for 6, another a score of 94 for 3 in a chase. That leaves 13 innings when India haven’t crossed 300, which is a minimum requisite to compete in most Tests.MS Dhoni: “In games like these, both the innings together, if the amount of runs goes to 90 or 100 for the tail, it’s a big amount of runs to chase.”•AFP

For the England debacle the batsmen could be given some benefit of doubt because of the pressure a toothless bowling attack on them, but here India actually had an attack that matched Australia blow for blow, except for bowling the tail out, where you have to argue captaincy played a big part too. Dhoni agreed about the batsmen’s flaws, but chose to give credit to the Australian bowlers too.”There are a lot of things that could have happened [differently with the batting],” Dhoni said. “But at the same time you need to give credit to the opposition bowlers because of the line and lengths they bowled. A lot of the batsmen who got out, the delivery was close to the off stump. Some of them came in, some of them just held their line. They bowled really well and they pushed the batsmen to play most of the deliveries.”The batsmen had to guess if it [the ball] was coming in or going out. Consistently they bowled well. And session after session, they bowled in the same areas. At some point of time you may commit an error. Maybe that’s what happened in this game.”Dhoni credited the Indian bowling, too, which in turn meant the batsmen needed to clean up their act even more urgently. “The bowlers did their job in this Test,” he said. “We didn’t start off really well in the first innings, but in between we got quick wickets. And we were able to put pressure on the opposition. In the second, when it came to bowling, we started off really well. Overall the bowling department did the job. Just that we need to put runs on board.”However, they needed to find a way to run through the tail as well, he said. “It [Australia’s lower-order contribution] didn’t deflate us,” he said. “It’s something we need to keep an eye on. Even in the first innings their lower order put decent runs on the board. In games like these, both the innings together, if the amount of runs goes to 90 or 100 for the tail, it’s a big amount of runs to chase. We need to come up with ways to get the tailenders out.”The defeat at the MCG, and the England debacle, leaves India with a mixed year. “It was a good year for us as a team,” Dhoni said. “At the same time there were phases we didn’t do really well, the England series being one of the patches where we didn’t win a single game. The World Cup, being one of the most treasured things, gave us immense pleasure to win it, but we weren’t as consistent as were last year. That’s something that does happen in cricket. Overall it’s a good year, that’s what I would say. If we had performed better in England, it would have been a perfect year. It doesn’t always go that way.”

Legspinner Tarun Nethula has said he was surprised to know he’d been picked in the New Zealand squad for the three-ODI series against Zimbabwe starting on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2012Legspinner Tarun Nethula has said he was surprised to know he’d been picked in the New Zealand squad for the three-ODI series against Zimbabwe starting on Friday. It would have been be less of a surprise, he said, if he had been called up to the Test squad.”It was more a surprise because I’d never really put myself into contention for the limited-overs format,” Nethula told the . “I didn’t make any winter tours, either for the A side or Emerging Players. I thought there were a couple [of players] ahead of me. It took a while to sink in.”Nethula, 28, was born in Hyderabad but moved to New Zealand at the age of 11. He picked up 28 wickets in the 2008-09 season for Auckland, helping them with the first-class competition, and then moved to Central Districts.”The main reason was to try and really challenge myself to play all forms of the game,” Nethula said, explaining the reason behind his move. “I was desperate to play limited-overs cricket. Auckland had an abundance of allrounders and spinners. I approached CD and I’m quite grateful they gave me an opportunity.”Nethula has played 27 first-class matches, picking up 78 wickets at 35.92. He’s played fewer List A games, taking 17 wickets in 12 matches, and has 10 wickets in nine Twenty20 games. His aim is to keep his place in the squad for New Zealand’s winter tours to West Indies, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa.”It is one of my goals to finish the season in a really strong manner and put myself in the frame to get on a winter tour,” Nethula said. “If there is an opening for a second spinner, I definitely want to be the one putting my hand up. But it’s baby steps for now.”Nethula will not be playing the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Dunedin, as he’s not been picked in the squad of 12 for the game.

Elton Chigumbura scored an unbeaten ton to revive the Eagles after they lost five wickets for four runs before coming back to snap up 3 for 27 as Mashonaland Eagles won the Pro50 final

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2012
ScorecardElton Chigumbura had a top day with bat and ball•AFP

Elton Chigumbura scored an unbeaten ton to revive the Eagles after they lost five wickets for four runs – four of them on the score of 34 – before coming back to snap up 3 for 27 with the ball to stall Mid West Rhinos’ chase of 221. Chigumbura’s all-round brilliance sealed a 63-run win, giving Mashonaland Eagles the Coca-Cola Pro50 title as Rhinos fell short by 63 runs.The Rhinos’ decision to field was vindicated early as the Eagles came unstuck following a 31-run opening stand. Ed Rainsford and Michael Chinouya ripped through the top five in a manic passage of play as Eagles slipped to 34 for 5. Chigumbura picked up the pieces through a 58-run stand with Regis Chakabva, who fell to Graeme Cremer in the 25th over. Nathan Waller slogged 26 off 24 balls, as the Eagles resigned themselves to quick runs before getting bowled out. Ray Price exited soon after, and the Eagles were staring at an early end to their innings at 129 for 8 in the 32nd over.However, Innocent Chinyoka provided just the sort of stubborn resistance that Chigumbura needed to swell the total. Chinyoka occuped the crease for 78 minutes, facing 57 balls for an invaluable, unbeaten 26. Chigumbura took care of the scoring business at the other end, and surged past his century. The stand was worth an unbroken 91 in 18.1 overs, and pushed the Eagles to a respectable 220 for 8.Chinyoka was back to torment the Rhinos with the new ball, offering able support to Tatenda Manatsa (2 for 31) as the top three perished for a combined contribution of 10 runs. Thereafter Chigumbura took over, slicing through the middle order with a three-wicket burst that left the Rhinos gasping at 60 for 7. Cremer and Rainsford sparked a lower-order resistance, but there wasn’t enough room for another twist in the tale.

Sri Lanka secured a place in the tri-series finals with a tense victory over Australia

The Report by Brydon Coverdale at the MCG02-Mar-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDaniel Christian picked up a hat-trick, but it was Sri Lanka who finished on top•Getty Images

Sri Lanka entered this match with their fate in their own hands. It turns out those are pretty safe hands. Not even a hat-trick from Daniel Christian, a four-wicket comeback from James Pattinson, a captain’s half-century from Shane Watson or a remarkable, late, fighting fifty from David Hussey could prevent Sri Lanka from winning the last qualifying match at the MCG. Lasith Malinga led a strong bowling performance to complete Sri Lanka’s nine-run victory, which propelled them into the tri-series finals.No doubt Australia were disappointed, for they must now enter the best-of-three deciders knowing they have lost their previous three games to their Sri Lankan opponents. But India would have been even more gutted. An Australia win would have sent Sri Lanka packing and secured India a place in the finals. Instead, MS Dhoni’s men will now fly home at the weekend, ending a disheartening three-month tour.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have a chance to win a tri-series in Australia for the first time at their ninth attempt. Their total of 238 at the MCG, set up by half-centuries from Dinesh Chandimal, Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne, seemed a fraction skinny on what looked like a reasonable batting surface. But despite losing Thisara Perera to injury during his first over, Sri Lanka’s total proved defendable with Malinga in their attack.Not that it was straightforward. Hussey’s run-a-ball 74 nearly snatched victory for Australia. They needed 10 runs from the final over, bowled by Kulasekara, but Hussey holed out to long-off from the first ball of it and Sri Lanka celebrated. They had been on top early, when Australia were 3 for 26 after Malinga and Kulasekara troubled the top order, but then Australia fought back.Batting at first drop, the stand-in captain Watson – Michael Clarke was not risked ahead of the finals – led Australia’s fightback with a solid, composed 65 and he had good support from Michael Hussey (29). But once their 87-run stand was broken, Australia struggled again.Michael Hussey has proven a handy partnership breaker with his slow-medium bowling recently and this time he was on the receiving end of a similar ploy, as Thirimanne drew an edge behind that was well taken by Sangakkara. It was Thirimanne’s first international wicket and his second in all List A cricket, and importantly for Sri Lanka it was followed a few overs later by the departure of Watson.Watson had brought up his half-century from his 61st delivery with a straight drive off Thirimanne and he had been strong when the bowlers had strayed too straight, but he was in no particular hurry. His innings, an encouraging one in his second match back from a long injury lay-off, ended when he played all around a fast, straight Malinga ball that knocked middle stump out of the ground.David Hussey kept Australia afloat and did a fine job but his partners gradually dwindled. His fifth half-century of the series shot him to the top of the tournament runs tally but it wasn’t quite enough for Australia, whose innings started with the loss of both David Warner and Matthew Wade, who had been reunited as the opening pair. Warner (6) slapped Malinga to short cover, a strange shot to a ball that sat up on him, and Wade was lbw for 9 to Kulasekara, before Peter Forrest tickled a catch behind for 2 when he tried to cut Malinga.