Cricinfo looks at some of the other stats highlights from the second Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan

S Rajesh14-Jul-2009Nuwan Kulasekara had taken five wickets in his first six Tests, but has taken 12 in his last two•Associated Press

• In the last eight years, Sri Lanka have played 17 series at home, winning 14, losing two, and drawing one. The only teams to win a series against them during this period are Pakistan and Australia.
• Sri Lanka have improved their record at the P Sara Oval to seven wins and two losses, and have won each of the last five Tests here.
• Nuwan Kulasekara’s 4 for 37 is his third four-wicket haul in his last two Tests. In this series he has taken 12 wickets at an average of 12.83. In his first six Tests he had taken five wickets at an average of 88.
• Rangana Herath’s 5 for 99 are his best bowling figures in Tests, and his first five-for. He had taken five four-wicket hauls before this, including one in the first Test in Galle.
• Fawad Alam fell just two runs short of the highest score by a Pakistan debutant: Yasir Hameed had scored 170 against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2003. He became only the fourth batsman from Pakistan, after Hameed, Khalid Ibadulla and Javed Miandad, to score more than 150 on debut.
• The 200-run partnership between Fawad and Younis Khan is the highest second-wicket stand for Pakistan against Sri Lanka. The earlier record of 151, between Majid Khan and Mohsin Khan, had stood for more than 27 years.

When the moment came, the graceful Mahela Jayawardene didn’t shy away from the ugly swipe over midwicket or a slog to the cow corner

Sriram Veera in Kimberley09-May-2009Twenty-five men were in the Deccan Chargers’ huddle at the 10-over strategy break. All the support staff had come out. Out in the middle, Mahela Jayawardene rested on his bat. Alone. Tom Moody had just left after a chat and Irfan Pathan, the new batsman, had run to the dug-out. The equation was 83 needed from 60 balls with six wickets in hand.Jayawardene had just seen two of his best batsmen implode in a brain freeze. Kumar Sangakkara stood motionless for a few seconds after being cleaned up, trying to paddle-sweep a seamer, and Yuvraj Singh miscued a pull shot on the last ball of the 10th over. Jayawardene shook his head when Sangakkara fell and looked up to the skies when Yuvraj followed.When Irfan came up, they had a chat and the plan ahead was charted. “We spoke about batting for five overs and try to get six runs per over,” Jayawardene later said. “Leave the rest for the last five. You just need to plan your chase. Bat till the end overs and see what can be done.” And we saw what he could do.Jayawardene is a delightfully graceful batsman with such languid movements that it’s always a treat to watch him bat. He usually seems to waft his wand and the ball speeds away. Today, though, the situation needed him to get his hands dirty, dig deep and graft. When the moment came, there might have to be a ugly swipe over midwicket or a slog to cow corner. Would he? He did.That’s the difference between a world-class player and the merely pretty, who don’t seem willing to play – or may not even possess – the slog hits. Dwayne Bravo, for instance. Against Hyderabad, in a crucial over at the end of the run-chase, Bravo kept trying his conventional big hits like the flick over midwicket or the lofted shot over long-on but couldn’t pull it off. Never did he try to clear the front foot and have a swing over midwicket. The game sunk with that over, as has happened in a couple of other chases as well. Not so with Jayawardene.After two quiet overs with Irfan came the first blow – a hoick over midwicket but with the same signature economy of hand movement. His hands don’t seem to move an inch more than necessary for the chosen shot – unlike most other batsmen, who usually have a full swing, with the bat ending behind their head when they play the hoick.In the stands, at the beer counter, one man commented loudly: “This bloke is going to win the game for his team. What a stylish player.” Another, who had been barracking every fielder standing in the deep in front of him, guffawed. “He looks too weak. He won’t be able to hit the big shots.” The equation then was 62 needed from 47 balls. In the middle, Jayawardene was quietly picking the singles. It was almost risk-free cricket for a couple more overs; he was delaying the assault, saving the wickets. That was the plan.However, Irfan fell and Wilkin Mota ran himself out, turning for the second run after Jayawardene had pinged long-on. As Mota walked back, Jayawardene kept staring at the big screen; thinking, planning, calculating. It’s been just over two months since he and his Sri Lankan teammates survived a terrorist attack in Lahore. He told Cricinfo earlier in this tournament how playing in the IPL has been therapeutic for him: “Your mind is busy working on tactics and how to face the next game. So it keeps you occupied.”Two had departed in two overs. Would he ask the new batsman Brett Lee, who is capable of swinging his bat, to go for the big shots or would he try to do it? The answer came when he got strike two balls later and, facing T Suman, turned on the aggression. He swung a six over midwicket on bent knee and lifted the next over long-on. The game had turned around. He brought the equation down further in the next over with a four to square leg but was run out, trying to retain the strike for the last ball. He couldn’t beat a stunning throw from Ravi Teja from deep backward point and as he neared the crease, cramps had set in as well.As Gilchrist & Co. celebrated, Jayawardene was hobbling in pain a few feet behind the stumps. He turned, threw his bat in disgust before picking it up and trudging off. It must have been the same sinking feeling he had when he had got out in the last game against Chennai after being involved in an almost match-winning partnership with Yuvraj. He needn’t have feared today. Brett Lee and Piyush Chawla got them home in the end and Punjab, courtesy Jayawardene, won a very important game to stay in the hunt for the semi-final spot.

An ongoing power struggle in Rajasthan cricket – primarily between Lalit Modi and a senior bureaucrat, Sanjay Dixit – threatens the immediate future of its players

Jamie Alter21-Oct-2009This week two teams made the 600km, ten-and-a-half hour train journey from Jaipur to Indore to take part in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic Twenty20 competition. They represented the two factions claiming to control the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). After approximately 24 hours in Indore, both sides turned around and headed back to Rajasthan.The first team to arrive in Indore, one announced by the RCA via a scribbled fax, was led by veteran batsman Gagan Khoda. The second was led by Rohit Jhalani, a batsman with 52 first-class matches to his credit, who called it a proper Rajasthan side with experienced players. The Khoda-led team turned up at the stadium only to be turned away; the second didn’t even make the trip from their hotel to the venue.Welcome to the murky world of Rajasthan cricket, where an ongoing power struggle – primarily between Lalit Modi, one of cricket’s most powerful people, and a senior bureaucrat, Sanjay Dixit – threatens the immediate future of its players. While the big men battle it out, the players are collateral damage, caught in the middle and uncertain of the present and future. Last week, two teams sent to the Under-19 National Women’s Championship were both refused permission to participate.The BCCI’s stance is that it will not allow either side to participate until a clear governing body is identified. “Since there is no clarity about which is the proper side representing Rajasthan, we can’t allow either teams,” Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI’s chief administrative officer, told Cricinfo.The origins of this mess can be traced back to March, when Sanjay Dixit defeated Lalit Modi in the RCA elections. Since then the parties have been sniping and plotting, culminating in a sort of coup in September when a group backed by Modi claimed to have removed the incumbent, Dixit, through a no-confidence motion. It was decided that fresh elections would be held on October 14, but that was postponed to November 19.The seeds of doubt were sown in the players minds in the months following the March election. “We knew there were two parties fighting and we were wary of this affecting our cricket,” said one player on condition of anonymity (most players Cricinfo spoke to on this issue didn’t want to be quoted, for obvious reasons.) “We were told that matters would be resolved soon but this clearly has not been the case. It’s most worrying because we need to plan for our future. A lot of us rely on playing cricket as a means of income.”The prevailing feeling is of confusion, which would be laughable were it not so serious. When the Rajasthan squad assembled in Jaipur earlier this month, says a source close to the RCA, players were unsure of what exactly was happening but, wary of questioning authority, went along with what their closest team-mates were doing. The Modi party, headed by Rajendra Singh Rathore, and the Dixit party each tried to get players on their side, with the result that two teams caught the train to Indore. Each one was led to believe it was representing Rajasthan.The players weren’t even unsure of whom they were representing. “I have no idea whose side I am playing for,” one senior player said. Another said he was sent to play for Dixit’s side but was named in what the tournament’s official scorers say is the Modi-backed group’s nomination. The scorers – the final authority in any cricket tournament – can’t even confirm which party has faxed copies of a 16-player squad because the A4 heading merely stating the source or origin as the RCA headquarters in Jaipur.There was no dialogue between the players and their board as to why there being sent back; the directive had come from the BCCI. As it now stands, the two teams have returned to Rajasthan where they hope to understand more about the situation and, more importantly, get an answer about their season prospects.Former India batsman Hemang Badani, who signed for Rajasthan earlier this year, is less concerned for his own future than for the younger generation of players. “It is very frustrating that cricket is the loser here,” he told Cricinfo. “It will have a massive effect on the players, especially the younger ones who have much to offer Rajasthan cricket. We all trained very hard to reach here and then were told to return home. It’s totally unfair on the players. I’m told there is a good talent pool in Rajasthan cricket. What happens now? Where do they go? They would have been able to make a case for Ranji selection, push for IPL contracts.”

The matter isn’t restricted to this one tournament in Indore. It could easily affect us for the four-day games as well. This is not a good climate to be playing cricket inPankaj Singh, Rajasthan fast bowler

Badani fears the mess will not be sorted out by the time Rajasthan open their Ranji Trophy campaign on November 3.Manoj Prabhakar, the former India allrounder, who was appointed Rajasthan coach ahead of the season, is similarly wondering what the next chapter will be. Having landed in Indore with Khoda’s squad, he is miffed at being turned away. “We just hope the matter gets sorted because it’s really disappointing to have been sent out of Indore,” he said. “We have a season starting and we need to be in the right frame of mind. This isn’t the way cricket should be run.”Jhalani, who has represented Rajasthan for more than a decade, was left to sit with his batch of players and await notice of their fate. “That’s really all we could do,” he said. “Do we have a say? No. The players, the coaches, the staff, we just waited. The coaches were in contact with the administration in Rajasthan. We were told we are the official side representing Rajasthan, but then we landed and were told there was another. Now we have been disqualified. Will we get any answers? We can only hope.”Fast bowler Pankaj Singh was not with either side due to personal reasons but was in regular contact with some of the players. He too is worried about the Ranji season prospects. “The matter isn’t restricted to this one tournament in Indore,” he said. “It could easily affect us for the four-day games as well. This is not a good climate to be playing cricket in.”Ajay Jadeja, who played for Rajasthan for two seasons after leaving Delhi in 2005, put the blame squarely on the two factions. “This will definitely affect the morale of players, because sitting there in their hotel rooms they wouldn’t have a clue about what has happened. It’s not even like a tug of war where the players have a say; it’s just down to two arguing parties somewhere else.”

Kolkata were unable to put two big overs together after the Powerplay and Bangalore’s ability to bounce back from an expensive over and take wickets in the next proved instrumental

George Binoy at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore11-Apr-2010
R Vinay Kumar finished with figures of 3 for 23•Indian Premier LeagueThe first fightback was led by Jacques Kallis. Praveen Kumar, in the fifth over, had been blitzed by Sourav Ganguly and Chris Gayle for 21 runs. Kumble turned to Kallis and was rewarded instantaneously, when Gayle drove the second ball of the sixth to Rahul Dravid at extra cover. Kolkata, however, reached their best Powerplay score – 61 for 1 – and took another 11 off the seventh. Kallis then sent down a mix of slower balls and bouncers and conceded only four off the eighth. Kolkata plundered 42 runs between overs five and seven, but only managed 11 runs between eight and ten. It was a familiar script for Kolkata had endured periods of lull before: 30 runs between overs 12 and 16 against Delhi, and only 23 runs between overs six and ten against PunjabThe second fightback began after Brendon McCullum laid into S Sriram, hitting three fours and a six on the leg-side to take 18 runs off the 11th over. With Ganguly for company, McCullum had charged Kolkata to 101 for 1 when Kumble brought Vinay Kumar into the attack. McCullum tried to play the ramp shot, but Vinay outsmarted him with a straighter line that sent the batsman tumbling. He then dismissed Ganguly by cramping him on the pull and ended the over having conceded only two runs off it. Kallis followed up with another two-run over, which had a couple of intense short balls, one of which accounted for Manoj Tiwary. Kolkata were 105 for 3 after 13.The third fightback was the decisive one. McCullum threatened to cut loose again after Angelo Mathews had been dismissed off the first ball of the 14th over. He collected three streaky boundaries to third man and Kolkata moved ahead by 16, to 121, in the space of four deliveries. This time Kumble brought his experience into play. He varied pace, trajectory and length and conceded only three runs off each of his last two overs that sandwiched a nine-run over from Dale Steyn. In his final over, Kumble also induced a mis-timed pull from an unbalanced McCullum and had him caught on the square-leg boundary. Kolkata’s hopes of 180 ended there and Kumble finished with figures of 1 for 17.The final fightback was Bangalore’s coup de grace. Having scored only 19 in the previous four overs, Cheteshwar Pujara gave Kolkata a 15-run penultimate over by ruining Jacques Kallis’ figures with two sixes. However a steady stream of wickets – six in the space of eight overs – had left Kolkata with two tailenders to face the last six balls of the innings. Vinay Kumar bowled them and conceded only five, limiting Kolkata to 160.Kolkata were unable to put two big overs together after the Powerplay and Bangalore’s ability bounce back from an expensive over and take wickets in the next proved instrumental in winning a crucial game.

Piyush Chawla on his most cherished wicket, field restrictions he’d like to modify, and the advantages of being short

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi01-May-2010Have you taught Preity Zinta how to bowl a wrong’un?
Not really. She wants to bat, she’s not interested in bowling. Whoever starts to play the game wants to bat.Are the shorter boundaries in Twenty20 unjust?
Even the crowds don’t come to see a bowler getting a batsman out – they just come to see fours and sixes. So, yes, it is injustice.Has Sreesanth taught you anything?
I am a quick learner, but I am in no mood to learn anything from Sreesanth.What is your favourite Uttar Pradesh phrase?
, boss? (You teasing me, mate?)What’s one game you would pay to watch?
I would have loved to watch a Test – if not, then an ODI – where Sachin [Tendulkar] faced Shane Warne.You seem to be crazy about shades.
I have some 40-odd pairs. In the IPL I carried 15 around with me in a hard box.What is one thing you never did as a kid?
I never fancied autographs. When I went to the National Cricket Academy, some of the boys from my batch would ask for autographs from the Indian players who were recuperating or attending camps. I would tell the boys, “Just take my autograph. One day you will remember me.”What are you known as at home?
Paras – it is a stone that turns anything it touches into gold.Is there a game from cricket history you’d have liked to play in, as the player who turned the match?
Anil [Kumble] picked up 6 for 12 against the West Indies [Hero Cup final, 1993]. That was in an ODI and that turned the whole match.What is the best advice Kumble has given you?
I spoke to him after I was dropped from the Indian team. I was quite frustrated, those first three months. But he said, “Play your cricket, enjoy your cricket and just give it your best shot. Everything will fall into place.” I can never forget those words.Which batsmen do you not like bowling to?
Yuvi [Yuvraj Singh], Mahi [MS Dhoni], Viru [Virender Sehwag]. They hit so hard and you don’t have any place to run.Are there any advantages to being short?
As a legspinner it allows me to flight the ball nicely. And most of the greats are short – Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Sachin , Sunil Sir [Gavaskar], they all are short. I want to follow in their footsteps.What is one rule you would like changed in favour of bowlers?
In the Powerplay, I would like to have three fielders in the outfield in Twenty20.Tell us about a funny incident involving an umpire.
During a practice game against Australia in Hyderabad a couple of years ago, I deliberately did not deliver the ball this one time. I just went through the motions and turned my bowling arm over, but the ball was in my hand. I forget who the batsman was, but the umpire signalled a no-ball. I was surprised and pointed at the ball in my hand and he apologised immediately.What has been your best moment on a cricket field so far?
The one ball that changed my life: getting Sachin out in the Challenger Trophy. I was just 16 then and it will remain in my memory always.What is the best ball you have seen a legspinner bowl?
The ultimate would be the ball of the century by Shane Warne. There was another one from Warne to Andrew Strauss – he left it alone but the ball started outside off and went behind his legs to knock out the off stump [Edgbaston, 2005].Name one quality you have that Anil Kumble doesn’t.
I am very, very mischievous.

Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the second Test between India and New Zealand in Hyderabad

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2010Celebration of the day
When he had reached his maiden Test century in Ahmedabad, Harbhajan Singh reacted slowly, letting a few moments pass before breaking into celebration. There was none of that today. As he set off for the single that made him the only No. 8 to score back-to-back centuries in Tests, Harbhajan raised his arms aloft, roared and leapt in celebration as he completed the run. He continued running halfway to the boundary and one might have thought that India had declared. Harbhajan headed back to the middle, though, looked up at the sky and embraced his partner Sreesanth, acknowledging the multiple body blows the No. 11 had endured to ensure that this moment happened.Pose of the day
It happened at least twice. First when Sreesanth struck him on the pad outside leg and yelled vociferously, and then when Harbhajan hit him outside off and appealed optimistically. Both times, Brendon McCullum was a picture of nonchalance. He would stand with legs crossed, leaning to one side, resting on his bat with the other hand on his hip, giving off a distinct “You can’t be serious” vibe. His celebration on reaching his first Test century as opener was calm and measured as well.Crash of the day
Suresh Raina, India’s swiftest fielder, watched McCullum get down on one knee and sweep the ball powerfully. He set off immediately, sprinting from midwicket, in pursuit of the ball. As quick as Raina was, he wasn’t able to reach it before it went over the boundary. He wasn’t able to stop himself running either and tumbled over an advertisement hoarding, toppling it as he went over. He wasn’t hurt though, he had only created a small scene.Streaky start of the day
Tim McIntosh doesn’t like facing Zaheer Khan. He’s fallen to Zaheer all three times in the series and struggled to get going against the bowler during his first-innings century in Hyderabad. That hasn’t deterred him from taking strike first-up though. Today, McIntosh shouldered arms to his first two balls from Zaheer but decided to push forward at the next two. Both deliveries hit the outside edge and flew wide of the slip cordon for fours.Aggressive start of the day
McCullum had waited one ball before driving Sreesanth through cover in the first innings. He didn’t wait that long today, lofting his and Sreesanth’s first delivery over the infield to the cover boundary. When Sreesanth offered him a short and wide ball a while later, McCullum got under it and slashed over the slip cordon to collect another four and he was away.McIntosh moment of the day
McIntosh hit a six in each innings in Hyderabad. Both shots were off left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and both cleared the boundary between wide long-on and deep midwicket. They were extremely different strokes, though. In the first innings, McIntosh had reached forward and played a flick-chip that sailed gently over the boundary. In the second, he charged down the track, got under the ball and heaved it with might. It soared high towards midwicket and cleared the optimistic boundary-rider.Drama of the day
Martin Guptill was out. He had edged Ojha to MS Dhoni and was walking off. And then word reached him that he should wait because the umpire Simon Taufel was checking whether the bowler had over-stepped. Deja vu. In the first innings, Guptill had crossed the boundary after nicking Sreesanth before he was called back by umpire Kumar Dharmasena, who confirmed late with the third umpire that it was a no-ball. Guptill wasn’t that lucky twice, though, for Ojha’s boot was a fraction behind the line.Consolation of the day
You had to feel for Daniel Vettori. He had bowled his arm off on the third day and his top-order strikes had kept New Zealand on par with India until Harbhajan Singh collared him as fatigue levels rose. The punishment continued on the fourth morning as Harbhajan skipped down and lofted over long-off. Vettori had his reward a while later, when he trapped Sreesanth lbw. It would have been little consolation but the wicket completed his 19th five-wicket haul in Tests.

An Australian fan takes in the sights and sounds of Test cricket and Tendulkar in India

Sean Kelly11-Oct-2010Choice of game
I chose this game as it pitted two fierce rivals with an unmatched recent record of high-quality and memorable cricket – a fact amply proved by the heroics in Mohali. My pre-match prediction was a high-scoring draw. This result was favoured by the pitch, the respective powerful batting line-ups and under-strength bowling attacks, and the fact that it would be enough to hand India a series win.The day began early, around 8am, with passage through the first of many security checkpoints at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Thoroughly patted down and waved over with a metal-detecting wand, I finally emerged onto the second deck overlooking the western square boundary. At this early stage the only people on the ground were security personnel, slowly lapping the outer edge of the boundary with various bomb-detecting high-tech devices.Team supported
I finally got to marry my patriotism with the natural desire to support the underdog. Nevertheless, I was often carried by the crowd’s fervour into cheering for the locals.Key performer
It remains to be seen whether Sachin Tendulkar can turn this match on its head, though the second day undoubtedly belonged to a patient yet powerful Marcus North. Ashes bound?Interplay I enjoyed the most
Early in the final session, Virender Sehwag took on the daunting riposte with typical flair. After sending Mitchell Johnson and his much-spoken-of bouncer barrage to the boundary and beyond, the aggressive opener sought to treat similarly the supposedly more sedate Ben Hilfenhaus. In the tenth over of the innings, Hilfenhaus struck Sehwag on the helmet as he attempted to duck in an ungainly manner. The next ball was short and straight and Sehwag duly crashed it to Johnson at deep backward square. The chants of “Sehwag! Sehwag!” that had previously engulfed the stadium were transformed into an absolute, eerie silence as he trudged off.Wow moment
In the 50th over of the day, Australia were 470 for 8 and eyeing 500. Hilfenhaus cut Sreesanth past point – or so he thought. The debutant, Cheteshwar Pujara, threw himself to his right, saved a certain four, picked himself up and threw down the single stump offered to him. The third umpire did not take long in adjudging Nathan Hauritz short and the stadium erupted. It was instinctive and just what Indian cricket needs. However, today it was not wow moment.Not for the first time did Tendulkar upstage all-comers. He became the first cricketer to surpass 14,000 Test runs. The countdown was directed by the big screen and began with 10 required. When he was within a boundary of the landmark, Tendulkar flayed the hapless Hauritz through the covers and into history. Tendulkar acknowledged the deafening applause and waited – for what seemed an eternity – for sufficient calm so he could resume his innings. Eventually the crowd subsided, but not for long, as the very next ball Tendulkar repeated the dose. The crowd was now delirious; it was not the medicine Hauritz required.Player watch
A great bulk of the typical spectator’s time is spent in eliciting an acknowledgment from a nearby fielder. Late in the day, Marcus North, perhaps on a high from his splendid innings, proved fertile ground. Not only did he wave to the thousands of faces every time he walked back to his position, he even bowled and drove imaginary balls into the adoring masses.Shot of the day
Sehwag’s ferocious upper-cut for six off Johnson, which perfectly bisected the fielders placed at deep backward point and third man. It proved a false dawn, however, as Sehwag departed shortly thereafter.Thus the “shot of the day” ought to go to North. He must have been nervous knowing that the innings was there to be saved, not to mention his place in the Ashes line-up, as he walked out this morning. The day’s first full over was delivered by the disappointing Sreesanth; first, North delightfully guided a hip-high delivery to the fine-leg boundary, then he firmly turned a ball from his pads for a brace behind square. They were not the most spectacular, brutal or delicate shots played today, but they had the biggest bearing on the match.Debutant woes
Peter George knew it was not just a dream when he ran into bowl to Tendulkar late on the second day for he had already been rudely introduced to Test cricket by Sehwag. Replacing the expensive Johnson, George proved no economical alternative as Sehwag punished him for a brace of boundaries straight down the ground. Welcome to Test cricket, indeed!Crowd meter
Being a Sunday with a high possibilty of India (read Tendulkar) batting, all but a few areas of the sizeable ground were packed. The only thing larger than the crowd today was its unceasing passion. The spectators were unbelievably exciting and excitable, and yet always appreciative of the tourists’ efforts. Every Australian milestone was applauded warmly, as was George when he readied himself for his debut over. Indeed, when Australia registered their highest score in Bangalore – a seemingly innocuous achievement – the locals resoundingly congratulated them.Sehwag fell into Hilfenhaus’ trap•Associated PressBanner of the day
Unlike in Australia, the dynamic Indian cricket fan brings blank poster paper to matches so as to permit instant updates to his/her banners. One read “Dhoni, please send Tendulkar this side” (interactive idol worship), while another proved that cricket fans might also aspire to poetry: “Tendulkar Twinkles, Aussies Wrinkle”.Tests v limited-overs
Today I witnessed Australia powerfully grind out a position of strength notwithstanding the odd mini-collapse, a possibly career-defining century, two debutants mix it with the best, a typically Sehwag-esque onslaught, and a seasoned master reaffirm his dominance. All must be well with Test cricket.Marks out of 10
9. My imagination inflated my expectations to such a degree that it would have been difficult for a day at the Chinnaswamy Stadium to match them. Nevertheless they were exceeded and more. The only letdown were the amenities. No outside food or water were permitted (for safety or business, I know not), and the invariably small plastic temporary seats provided very little comfort (though I suspect they are somewhat more accommodating then the cement slabs upon which they were placed).

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the day of the match between Pakistan and Kenya in Hambantota

Osman Samiuddin in Hambantota23-Feb-2011Catch of the day
Seren Waters’ effort to send back Mohammad Hafeez would’ve done the world’s greatest goalkeepers proud. Hafeez’s clip went well to the left of Waters at short midwicket, but a full length aerial dive saw him grasp on. Even then the job was half done; as he landed the ball bobbled out of his hand, bounced off his forearm, only for him to clutch it with his left. Less than a week into the tournament, it’ll be difficult to better it.Best Reverse ‘Graham Gooch World Cup 1987 semi-final’ impersonation of the day
In slightly less grand circumstances than the Wankhede, Misbah-ul-Haq reversed a leaf from Graham Gooch’s strategy of the day by reverse-sweeping everything that came his way or at least every six balls or so. In a 69-ball innings, he reverse-swept seven times and attempted four conventional ones as well. Given the opposition, he probably didn’t need to.Favourite school lesson of the day
Given the hosts’ absence and the fact that the stadium is as easy to reach as Atlantis, local authorities resorted to the oldest trick in the subcontinent, shipping in thousands of uniformed school children to occupy the tiered stands. A handy day off, bang in the middle of the week, beats geography any day. As the day progressed and the harshness of the sun lessened and the gates were opened for all, however, a handy trickle of older fans started coming through, including the arrival of Pakistan’s Chacha Cricket.Least attractive innings of the day
Extras. Pakistan’s innings had four half-centuries of varying aesthetics, but the worst was the 46 directly contributed by Kenya’s bowlers, of which a whopping 37 were wides. That is the joint-highest wides conceded in an innings ever, equaling the 37 the West Indies conceded, also against Pakistan in January 1989 in Brisbane. Forty-six is the fifth-highest score by extras.Worst hat-trick ball of the day
Thomas Odoyo’s wickets off two successive balls in the 49th over didn’t make much of a difference to Pakistan’s charge but a hat-trick would’ve been a nice, individual feat. Having had Umar Akmal caught at long-on and then a successful referral against Shahid Afridi for leg-before, things were nicely set up. In came Odoyo, glory in his eyes, and duly bowled a miserable wide two feet down the leg-side.

ESPNcricinfo looks back at a few of the memorable moments from England’s triumphant Ashes campaign, from a frenzied start at the Gabba to the decisive blow on Boxing Day at the MCG

Andrew McGlashan08-Jan-2011Cook lays his marker
The tension on the first morning of the series was immense and amid the frenzied atmosphere Andrew Strauss cut the third ball straight to gully. England needed calming down before bad memories came flooding back. Alastair Cook was called a ‘weak link’ before the series, unsurprisingly given his poor numbers against Australia, but he soon began setting the record straight. No one knew what riches would come his way during the series, and 67 pales in comparison to 235, 189 and 148, but in many ways it was the most important innings. It gave England time to breath and proved there was nothing to fear in the Australian attack. He left well, refusing to be drawn into the drives that previously brought his downfall, and the impact was that England reached the relative comfort of 4 for 197. Then came Peter Siddle, who began his hat-trick by having Cook caught at first slip and a few moments later the innings was spiralling again. Cries of ‘same old England’ could be heard from the fearsome Gabba fortress but this was nothing of the sort. This was a new England team, ready to prove doubters wrong. And none more so than Cook.Captain’s innings
Still, England were well behind after three days in Brisbane. Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin had added 307 to build a lead of 221 and it all looked set for a home win. Andrew Strauss, though, was determined that he wouldn’t be remembered for that first-day duck. For a moment it appeared he may have bagged a sickening pair when he padded up to Ben Hilfenhaus’s first ball; it was given not out, Australia reviewed and it was just going over the stumps. Strauss and Cook survived a torrid hour on the third evening and emerged primed for a famous rearguard the next day. Strauss stood up to play his most important innings for England. It was a statement of the highest order as he took the attack back to Australia with cuts, pulls and, in the clearest sign of his form, straight drives. He even used his feet to loft the spinners straight and suddenly England were past 100, then 150 and the deficit was nearly erased. Strauss’s hundred came up with a late cut off Xavier Doherty and although he was stumped off Marcus North England didn’t lose another wicket as they rewrote the record books with 1 for 517.3 for 2 or 2 for 3?
So who had the momentum after Brisbane? It took less than an over to find out despite Adelaide being predicted as a nailed-on draw. Rarely has a Test begun in such extraordinary circumstances. After three dot balls, James Anderson speared a delivery at Shane Watson’s pads which rolled into the leg side. He set off for a single, but Simon Katich didn’t move straight away. Jonathan Trott, one of England’s least mobile fielders, collected the ball and with one stump to aim at hit direct. Katich had a diamond duck, yet the drama wasn’t finished. Ricky Ponting prepared for his ball against Anderson; it was a perfect outswinger on off stump which drew Ponting forward and took the edge to second slip. Five balls, two wickets, no runs. And still more. In Anderson’s next over another fine outswinger lured Michael Clarke into a flat-footed drive and Graeme Swann took his second catch. The pitch was flat – as England later proved by making 5 for 620 – and the hosts were in tatters. Ponting’s world was starting to crumble.Good call
It wouldn’t have been an Ashes series without at least one insane fluctuation in fortune and it duly arrived at Perth as England were hammered by 267 runs to breathe life back into Australia. They were bullish heading to Melbourne – that word ‘momentum’ was as popular as turkey and stuffing on Christmas Day – but Boxing Day dawned cloudy, cool and damp. It was a home-from-home for England and Andrew Strauss won the toss. Four hours later – and it was only that long because of a rain break – Australia were humbled for 98. James Anderson made the ball talk, Chris Tremlett provided brutal lift and Tim Bresnan slotted perfectly into the holding role that Steven Finn struggled to perform. By the end of the first day England were 0 for 157. The Ashes weren’t going anywhere.Bresnan swings it
England finished the series with only half of their attack from the first Test. Yet it was part of the planning. Tim Bresnan had impressed against Australia A in Hobart but was always going to take a back seat early on in the series. England came with a plan to target Australia from a height with Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett. But they were also ready to adapt. Broad was already home injured and Finn had proved problematically expensive despite taking 14 wickets so it was Bresnan’s turn. He’d played just two first-class matches since September but settled straight into his task, claiming Phil Hughes and Brad Haddin. However, he really came into his own in the second innings when he reverse swung the ball with devastating effect on a surface that had lost its first-day greenness. On the fourth morning he claimed Ben Hilfenhaus to retain the Ashes but, as with the whole team, wasn’t finished yet. In Sydney his old-ball skills came to the fore again with five wickets in the match and England’s pace-bowling stocks were looking very deep.Beer’s no-ball
In the end Australia were hammered, yet for a time on the second day in Sydney they were clinging to the prospect of a scarcely deserved series draw. Mitchell Johnson had flayed 53 to lift them to 280 and when he bowled Jonathan Trott for a duck, to leave England 2 for 99, memories of Perth were emerging all round. Cook was standing firm, laying the foundation yet again on 46, when he faced the debutant Michael Beer. He came down the track but wasn’t to the pitch and lofted a catch to mid-on. Beer celebrated his maiden Test wicket and Cook was walking off. Then Billy Bowden signalled he wanted to check the frontline. Surely a spinner hadn’t overstepped? But there it was. Beer’s heel was fractionally over the white line. Emotions swirled around Beer’s mind and Cook wouldn’t depart for another 143 runs. The rest, as they say, is history.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the match between Pakistan and Canada

Osman Samiuddin in Colombo03-Mar-2011The flashback
Overcast conditions, empty-ish stadium, Pakistan batting first, a minnow on the other side. Ireland anyone?The over
Whether or not Harvir Singh Baidwan comes across such conditions often in Canada is not known first, but there could not have been a better use of them. From the very first over, in which snared Ahmed Shehzad, he hit the perfect length, allowing the ball to nibble this way and that like he was a Kiwi medium-pacer from the 1992 World Cup. The highlight was his fifth over, a maiden, so constrictive it could’ve been the hangman’s noose, with one surprise bouncer right at Umar Akmal’s throat, also slipped in. Deserved a wicket, but he got three anyway.The Powerplay
The one Pakistan didn’t take when Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal were set at the crease, or the one when Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq were briefly at the crease. Instead they took it with Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal. It lasted one over.The Dwayne Leverock moment
There are worse things to do in life than watch the, ahem, generously waist-lined Balaji Rao stroll in to bowl his leggies. Rao is one of cricket’s many ‘coulda been a contenders’. He bowled a nice spell as well, ripping the ball on occasion and giving it some air for two deserved wickets. But his finest moment came at slip, when Wahab Riaz edged Jimmy Hansra. Rao took it, watched it slip out, tried to grab it a few times thereafter before somehow he pouched it between his not inconsiderably-sized thighs.The System
Like any self-respecting celebrity, the DRS has rarely strayed away from the headlines in this tournament. With the BCCI it has enjoyed a particularly torrid hate-hate affair. But in Canada’s response its utility was there for all to see, especially with Daryl Harper and Nigel Llong in the midst of a shaky spell. First Pakistan reviewed a leg-before decision Harper turned down from Umar Gul, one which even from behind Ravindu Gunasekera looked full enough to be not pitching outside leg. Zubin Sarkari was then given out leg-before next over by Llong though the ball looked high: on referral it was, comfortably. In the eighth over, Harper again gave Ashish Bagai out to a ball that looked without replays to be hitting the stumps only if they were a foot higher. Bagai was reprieved by Harper eventually in the 18th over only to find, as it appeared to the naked eye, that he was pretty plumb. On referral, he was duly given. Just for good measure, Harper had another decision overturned later. When the umpire is having a shocker, is the answer to the question, what use is the DRS?