ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2015England were quickly on the attack, however, with debutant Shai Hope the second to fall…•Getty Images…Anderson claimed the first three wickets in an immaculate opening spell•Associated PressWest Indies struggled to build partnerships. The highest was between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Jermaine Blackwood before the former fell to a brilliant slip catch by Chris Jordan•AFPBen Stokes struck in his first over, as wickets continued to tumble…•AFP…but Blackwood hit out defiantly during an innings of 85. He was the only West Indies batsman to score more than 25•AFPAnderson took the final three wickets in quick succession to finish with 6 for 42•Getty ImagesEngland took a first-innings lead of 68 but they were soon in trouble second time around, Jonathan Trott dismissed for another single-figure score•Associated PressShannon Gabriel roars in celebration after removing Alastair Cook to leave England 13 for 2•Getty ImagesEngland were under siege and three more wickets went down before stumps – making it 18 in the day – as they closed on 39 for 5, a lead of 107•Getty Images

Australia may have gone down within three days in Edgbaston, but here’s why all is not lost for them in this series. Sort of.

Trent Bartlett04-Aug-2015It is tradition in Australia to deny the existence of any losing, overseas Test series. They are often scrubbed from the record too for that matter. Ask any Australian to name the two most recent Ashes series and they will undoubtedly tell you of how Mitchell Johnson single-handedly took every English wicket in the 2013-14 summer to help retain the urn after their next most recent win in 2006-07.With Australia comprehensively beaten at Edgbaston, this Ashes tour is beginning to be detached from memory. Right now it is looking like the family photograph that Marty McFly carried around in ‘Back to the Future’ – two siblings are now erased and unless natural order is restored, the whole phenomenon will be deleted from a nation’s consciousness.Thankfully both England and the cricket gods are doing their best to help restore that order, here are five ways they are going about it:
1. The English team have spent a while cultivating an impressive pattern of winning and losing Tests. In fact, their past seven games have resulted in a win-loss alternating sequence. We know that cricketers are instinctively superstitious creatures, so the notion of breaking this pattern must be downright terrifying to the English team. We’ll chalk down a win at Trent Bridge and pin our hopes on the ever-reliable London weather to come through with some substantial rain for the fifth and final Test.2. Jimmy Anderson was back to his metronomically-beautiful ball-swinging self at Edgbaston, and now let us all rejoice as he has been ruled out of the fourth Test with a side strain. The ground staff now face a confusing task after being ordered to produce pitches to the exacting specifications of England’s most prolific wicket-taker. Do the Trent Bridge ground staff now, with a mere week’s notice, produce a wicket to favour the strengths of Stuart Broad? But how to ready a pitch for a bowler with a penchant for wayward deliveries?3. Sure, Australia’s middle order looks highly suspect, but so too does England’s top order. Both teams are playing at least one batsman short, Adam Lyth has scored just 72 runs in six innings at an average of 12. Even the out-of-sorts Michael Clarke is averaging a blistering 18.80 in the series. Lyth’s unquenchable enthusiasm for lunging at errant balls flying past off stump will play well into Australia’s ongoing belief that good line and length deliveries provide suitable diving practice for ageing wicketkeepers.4. For all that talk about not being scared of Johnson, those expressions worn by Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes after falling to furious Johnson bouncers, were like looking into the eyes of fear itself.5. Australia have not lost four consecutive Ashes series in England since 1896. Who could forget WG Grace leading his men out to that series victory at The Oval within two days of the third Test? I’ll tell you who forgets it, every Australian. It didn’t happen, nor did the three preceding series’. Of course, Australia’s 1899 tour was a complete success, as was their famous 1896 tour to USA where they clobbered the Gentlemen of Philadelphia.With all of this working for Australia, simply showing up at Trent Bridge gives them one hand on the urn.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.

Full transcript of Virender Sehwag’s statement on his retirement from international cricket and the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2015To paraphrase Mark Twain, the report of my retirement yesterday was exaggerated! However I have always done what I have felt was right and not what conformists thought to be right. God has been kind and I have done what I wanted to do – on the field and in my life and I had decided sometime back that I will retire on my 37th birthday. So, while I spend the day with my family, I hereby announce my retirement from all forms of international cricket and from the Indian Premier League.Cricket has been my life and continues to be so. Playing for India was a memorable journey and I tried to make it more memorable for my team-mates and the Indian cricket fans. I believe I was reasonably successful in doing so. For that, I wish to thank all my team-mates over the years – some of the greatest players of the game. I would like to thank all my captains, who believed in me and backed me to the hilt. I also thank our greatest partner, the Indian cricket fan for all the love, support and the memories.I have also played against a lot of great players and it was an absolute pleasure and honour to do. It was the greatest motivation there was to play to the best of my ability. I have lived my dream and played at the finest of cricket grounds across the globe and I want to thank the groundsmen, clubs, associations and everyone who painstakingly prepare the arena for our performances.I miss my father today, he was there when the journey started and I wish he could have been there today as well but I know I made him proud and wherever he is today, he is watching me with pride. I want to thank my coach Mr A.N. Sharma sir who was possibly the only coach who could have groomed me into the player I became, I would probably have struggled to play for my school under any other coach. My mother, my wife Aarti and my children Aryavir and Vedant are my biggest strength and their presence in my life keeps my mind without fear and head held high.I would like to thank the BCCI for all its support over the years. The work that the BCCI does at such a scale is phenomenal and it has had some fine administrators over the years who have led the board in developing the game, appreciating the contribution of players and have brought a lot of benefit to the players.I would also like to thank the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association and particularly Mr Arun Jaitley who always supported me and sought our feedback and implemented what the players wanted and ensured that I always had someone to rely upon personally and for the furtherance of the game’s best interest in Delhi.I would like to thank everyone at the Haryana Cricket Association who have welcomed me with so much love and affection and it is really exciting to work with some really talented youngsters. I would especially like to thank Chaudhry Ranbir Singh Mahendra who has always had words of motivation for me during the toughest of times and I have felt safe in the knowledge that I can always turn to him for well considered advice which I value immensely.’My mother, my wife Aarti and my children Aryavir and Vedant are my biggest strength and their presence in my life keeps my mind without fear’•Sehwag International SchoolI would also like to thank the Delhi Daredevils and the Kings XI Punjab, the franchises that I represented, for believing in me and letting me be a part of them. I always gave my best for my team and consider myself fortunate to play with some brilliant players in the IPL.I would also like to thank the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC). Very little is known of the effort they put in to promote sportsmen and sportswomen across various disciplines. ONGC gave me the security to pursue my game and the organisation will always have a special place in my heart.I must also add that I have enjoyed every press conference and every interaction with the members of the media throughout my international career and the presence of Indian media on foreign tours has left some very pleasant memories that I shall always cherish.I want to thank all my sponsors for believing in me and all the bat manufacturers that have been associated with me over the years for providing me the willow that I love.I want to tell everyone at the Sehwag International School , Jhajjar that I now hope to have a higher frequency of visits to the campus to be with you all.I also want to thank everyone for all the cricketing advice given to me over the years and apologise for not accepting most of it! I had a reason for not following it: I did it my way!

A long-time friend remembers the demon bowler off the field

David Frith28-Sep-2015It was the first of many stomach-churning moments I’ve witnessed at Test matches. Frank Tyson, England’s No. 7 batsman, completely lost a bouncer from Australia’s master fast bowler Ray Lindwall and was cracked squarely on the back of the skull. Down he went. Head protection for batsmen was unknown in 1954-55. Tyson was wearing only his England cap, and as he lay lifeless on the Sydney turf, many of us thought he might well be dead. It was a long time before he was helped to his feet by the St John’s Ambulance men and walked slowly and unsteadily to that lovely old SCG pavilion. It seemed that this might be the end for the poor chap who had taken 1 for 160 in the previous Test, in Brisbane.But as we all know, the “Typhoon” came roaring back to take ten wickets in that match to draw England level after the thrashing they’d endured at the Gabba. Frank’s memory of being flattened was so fissured that he was to write later that he was batting at the Hill end, whereas he had been on strike at the Paddington end. I can still picture Godfrey Evans, next man in, grinning nervously as his stubby legs carried him to the middle.Of that colourful and outstanding Ashes series of ’54-55, the next chapter is fairly well known. Tyson terrified the Australians again in Melbourne on a dodgy surface that had been secretly and illegally watered overnight after two days’ play: 7 for 27 for the Typhoon, and England were not only ahead but now looked invincible.

When we all drove up the winding road through the McPherson Range for a picnic it was usually Frank who drove, and his heavy foot on the brake pedal left the wives in the back ready to parachute out by the time we’d reached the valley

The Ashes had been retained by the time the Poms came back to Sydney for the final Test, which didn’t begin until the fourth morning, so persistent had been the rainfall. Even then, when Australia were asked to follow-on on the final day there seemed just time for England to wrap it up. Tyson bowled off a very short run – and still knocked Keith Miller’s bat out of his hands.The match was drawn, and afterwards (no presentation ceremonies) this teenager hovered around the SCG pavilion, catching sight of Tyson wandering round the dressing room in just a towel and resembling Henry Cooper. Just look at those shoulders. So that was where the power and speed came from. No wonder. For Tyson was no smooth rhythm bowler. It was brute force that gave him his speed and lift. An hour later I saw him emerge, fully and elegantly dressed, and I composed for myself a fantasy: I stood on the pathway exactly 22 yards from him and tried to imagine what he looked like to the poor, doomed Aussie batsmen. The effect was rather spoilt when Frank beamed a pleasant smile.Some decades later, my wife and I found ourselves living part-time on Queensland’s Gold Coast, and enjoying close friendships with Frank and Ursula Tyson (as well as Bill and Judy Johnston). These were idyllic times, when the old battles were revisited, long-hidden facts revealed, triumphs and setbacks re-examined, flaws in the modern game lamented. Frank was vulnerable when it came to one glass of something, and could become quite noisy. But he was always interesting, a man widely read and with broad interests. One evening as the four of us dined in Surfers Paradise, he and I decided to speak French for a while. He was fairly fluent. I was not, and he enjoyed his little verbal triumph.Clockwise from left: David Frith, Ursula Tyson, Debbie Frith and Frank Tyson in Australia•David FrithWhen we all drove up the winding road through the McPherson Range for a picnic it was usually Frank who drove, and his heavy foot on the brake pedal left the wives in the back ready to parachute out by the time we’d reached the valley. Poor Frank certainly suffered in after years for his express-bowling efforts. The left ankle was damaged beyond repair. But the mind remained sharp, and not so long ago he took up painting. His panorama of Trent Bridge hangs in my library.I suppose the peak moment of our friendship came when he was coaching the Gold Coast Dolphins in Queensland. One evening just the two of us remained in the nets, so I put on the pads, and it was 1954 again. Which meant that I trembled slightly, for was this not the fastest bowler of all time? Yes, he was now past 60. But I, a long-ago Sydney first-grader, wasn’t exactly in my prime either. I treated his medium-pacers with respect. And after a dozen or so deliveries I found that my pal was getting frustrated – not at his own limitations but at my feeble response to his offerings. What he didn’t appreciate was that I have an unusually vivid imagination, and I was still seeing the mighty tearaway of ’54-55. I couldn’t get past that. I was ever ready to duck, but you can’t duck gentle half-volleys.It was a revelation to both of us, I guess. We went off for a beer. Soon we were discussing the possibility of a book on his 1954-55 triumph. came out in 2004, and Frank inscribed it “To David – As John Arlott would have written: ‘Something to read on the train.’ Thanks for your assistance. Frank Tyson – Surfers January 22nd 2005”.Of all the illustrations in the book the most beguiling is of Frank with his hero Harold Larwood, a photo taken in the latter’s lounge room in Sydney. Here sit England’s fastest two bowlers of all time, Ashes winners in Australia both of them, and eventually Australian citizens. Is there a moral there somewhere?

Waves and waves of cricket fans wound the clock back to the 1990s and early 2000s and cheered on players who had meant so much to them in their impressionable years

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan08-Nov-2015There was a time, back in the 17th and 18th century, when nostalgia was considered a mental disease. Some physicians treated it on par with paranoia and one French doctor recommended that it be treated with inciting pain and terror. Over time medical science has moved on. And these days nostalgia is sometimes even considered a virtue, a means of clinging on to an age long gone.For a few hours on Saturday, New York’s Citi Field was soaked in nostalgia. Waves and waves of cricket fans (large numbers wearing Indian and Pakistani jerseys) wound the clock back to the 1990s and early 2000s and cheered on players who had meant so much to them in their impressionable years. For those between 20 and 30, this was a return to their childhood, watching players who they had imitated in their backyards with their first cricket kit. For those between 30 and 40, it was a return to their adolescence, a time when they had sought out heroes and aspired to world dominance.They weren’t alone. A tiny fraction watched their first cricket match; a group of fans had flown in from Trinidad just for this game; there were a smattering of Australian, English and South African expatriates; men waving Sri Lankan flags; a bunch of middle-aged men in fancy dress attire (with fake blond wigs); a couple of dozen fans wearing Guyana Amazon Warriors jerseys; and a group of young men and women in Jamaican hats. The entire mass of human bodies combined in Mexican waves and high-decibel roars. The team announcements before the game was met with delirium.Virender Sehwag, Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar: mad cheers. Sachin Tendulkar: the stadium shook.The final result, in case you were wondering: Warne’s Warriors beat Sachin’s Blasters by six wickets. The stadium was small, the setting intimate – Ricky Ponting admitted that it was the first time in his life that a fan had clicked a selfie with him when he was fielding at the boundary. Most of the former fast bowlers used short run-ups and were mostly military medium (though Shoaib cranked it up for a few overs, getting Kumar Sangakkara and Matthew Hayden with short ones, and hurrying Jonty Rhodes with a sharp bouncer). Had Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh faced their own bowling, they might have fancied getting half-centuries. And Allan Donald has not only halved his run-up but also his pace.But all that was not the point. Through the game there were moments when the mind took a journey back in time. When Tendulkar and Sehwag walked in to open (with Sehwag, as expected, taking strike); when Akram, running his hands through his hair in that classical I-have-such-sleek-hair-that-I-can-crush-your-toes-and-burn-your-stumps-while-whistling-my-favourite-Nusrat-tune, ran in to bowl to Tendulkar (the memories! gosh, the memories!); when Warne set his field to bowl to Tendulkar (nightmares, here we come); when VVS Laxman came down to Warne (exactly like in Kolkata in 2001) and tried to slog him, cross-batted through midwicket (exactly not like Kolkata in 2001) to be stumped; when Muralitharan, eyes aglow, his hair in Jheri curls, a Colgate grin plastered on his face, appealed by wiggling his index finger at the umpire.These may have been retired cricketers having a bit of fun in the park but seeing them in action put spectators in a time-capsule. When Lara strolled in, as if he was on a beach; the mind could do little but pop up a string of numbers: 277, 375, 501, 213, 153, 400, 221…For some fans in the stadium watching these cricketers and the individual contests transported them to a phase of life when cricket was all-pervading. When coursework took a backseat, when the match scorecard was more important than mid-term report cards. Yes, fans remember Tendulkar hammering Warne in Sharjah – but many also remember where they were and what they were doing. Sure, they recall the scores and stats but they are intimately in tune with how upbeat those innings made them feel, how deeply connected they felt with both the man and the game as a whole.And each time they picked up on some action that triggered a new memory, the chants got louder, the flags waved faster, and the mood was filled with a sense of gusto. It is not far-fetched to assume that those who attended the game – especially those between 20 and 40 – were filled with a sense of gratitude: thanking the cricketers for being there when cricket meant the most.

Stats highlights from the first day’s play of the second Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies, at the P Sara Oval

Shiva Jayaraman22-Oct-20154 Fifty-plus scores by Sri Lanka’s No. 6 batsmen against West Indies in Tests before Milinda Siriwardana’s 68. The last instance was Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 62 in Port-of-Spain in 2008. Hashan Tillakaratne is the only No. 6 to make a century against West Indies – he made 204 not out and 105 not out at the SSC and Galle respectively in 2001.3 Number of West Indies left-arm spinners to take a four-wicket haul (or better) on debut in Tests before Jomel Warrican. The last one was Neil McGarrell, who took 4 for 72 on debut against South Africa in 2001. Alf Valentine has the best figures and the only five-for by a West Indies left-arm spinner on debut: he took 8 for 104 at Old Trafford in 1950.16.7 Runs Sri Lanka batsmen have averaged in their last two innings at the P Sara Oval. They have made a total of 334 runs losing 20 wickets: they had been bowled out for 134 – their lowest total at this venue – by India in their second innings of the last Test here. Sri Lanka’s total of 200 in this Test was the fifth-lowest at this venue. The 66 overs that Sri Lanka batted in their first innings is the third lowest for which they have been bowled out in a Test at this venue.0 Number of fifty stands in Sri Lanka’s innings; they managed to put up a total of 200 in spite of their highest stand being only 33 runs. This was only the tenth time that Sri Lanka had posted a total of 200-plus without a single fifty-run partnership in a Test innings. The last such innings also came recently – in the first innings of their last Test against India at the SSC, when they made 201 runs without a fifty stand. The highest such score for Sri Lanka had come against New Zealand in 1984 when they had been bowled out for 256.2012 The last time a Sri Lanka opener was dismissed for a golden duck in Tests before Kaushal Silva. Tillakaratne Dilshan had got out without scoring on the first ball he faced at the MCG. The last time this happened in the first innings of a Test was in 2009, when Tharanga Paranavitana got out to Umar Gul off the first ball he faced in the Karachi Test. Silva is going through a lean patch in Tests with his last ten innings producing seven single-digit scores including two ducks. He has made 116 runs at an average of 11.60 in these ten innings.10 Number of first-class matches Kusal Mendis had played before making his Test debut in this match. Mendis had scored 459 runs including a hundred at an average of 30.60. Mendis, at 20 years and 262 days, is the youngest Sri Lanka Test debutant since Chamara Kapugedera, who was 19 years and 76 days old while making his debut against England in 2006.90 Runs Sri Lanka had made when they lost their fifth wicket in their first innings; this is the second-lowest score on which Sri Lanka had lost half their side against West Indies in Tests. In Port-of-Spain in 2008, they had lost half their side for just 73 runs, which is the lowest.

Stats highlights from Durban as South Africa succumbed to a third consecutive defeat

Shiva Jayaraman30-Dec-20155 Number of times South Africa have lost in their last six Tests at Kingsmead. Their only win at this venue since 2009 came against India in 2013-14. South Africa’s win-loss record at Kingsmead against England equals their second worst at any venue where they have played more than two Tests.2010 Last time England won the first Test of an away series, which was against Bangladesh in Chittagong. Before that, their previous instance of starting a Test tour with a win came in Port Elizabeth in 2004. England won that five-match series 2-1.18 Number of Tests won by Alastair Cook as England captain, out of 42. He now has as many wins as Mike Brearley had from 31 Tests as captain. Click here for a list of England captains with most wins in Tests.0.25 South Africa’s win-loss ratio in Tests this year – equals their worst in any year since their return to Test in 1992. This is the eighth time South Africa have lost four or more Tests in a year and six of them have come since their readmission.241 Runs South Africa lost the Test by – their third worst defeat at home in terms of runs since 1992. They lost the Centurion Test against Australia last year by 281 runs, which is their worst. Including innings defeats, this is South Africa’s sixth-worst loss at home since readmission. This is also their second-worst defeat against England during this period.2009 The last time South Africa were bowled out by England in Tests for a lower score. That, too, happened at Kingsmead, when the hosts were dismissed for 133 in their second innings. Since 1992, five of South Africa’s lowest Test totals have come in Durban. This was also the lowest total for which South Africa have been bowled out in the fourth innings at home since 1992.5 Number of times since 2000 England won an away Test by a margin bigger than their 241-run win in this Test. Their last such win came at the SCG in 2010-11 when they won by an innings and 83 runs. One of those five wins also came against South Africa in Durban, in 2009, when they defeated the hosts by an innings and 98 runs.2009 Last time South Africa lost three consecutive Tests before this. On that occasion, Australia were the opposition in all three Tests and the defeats came in Sydney, Johannesburg and Durban.6 Number of Tests lost by South Africa since 2014; four of these losses have been by a margin of 200 or more runs. The defeat in this Test was their second such loss in succession, having been beaten in Delhi by a margin of 337 runs.0 Number of century stands for South Africa in Tests in 2015 – only the sixth time a team has failed to put up a single century stand from five or more Tests (with at least one innings played) in a year. The last such instance was by Bangladesh in 2002 when they had no century stands from eight Tests. For South Africa, this is the first year since 1963 when they haven’t had a hundred stand in Tests.0 Man-of-the-Match awards won by Moeen Ali in Tests before this. He took 7 wickets from the 51 overs he bowled in the match and conceded 116 runs at an economy of 2.27. Moeen’s figures in this match were the third best by an England spinner in a Test at Kingsmead.38 Runs added by South Africa’s last six wickets in their second innings – their third-worst collapse in Tests at home since their readmission to Test cricket. Their worst such collapse came in Cape Town in 2011-12 when their last six managed to add just 23 runs.

India have failed to put up any semblance of a fight despite posting large totals because they are letting the little things slip while on the field

Sidharth Monga15-Jan-2016India have now become only the third side to lose successive matches after putting 300 on the board. As has become the norm there will be a temptation to blame Rohit Sharma – particularly the shortage of singles in the earlier parts of his innings – but there have been other smaller and bigger factors with much bigger impact at play.Rohit has scored 295 off 290 balls out of India’s 617 runs, has got out only once, but has not seen his side come even close to defending any of the totals. He faced 77 dots in Perth, and 59 in Brisbane. Put together, Steven Smith and George Bailey faced 93 dots and scored 261 runs. In Brisbane the two scored a total of 122 runs, and faced just 35 dots. In these hard and cold numbers lies the argument that the ODI game has changed – 300 is not a good total and Rohit needs to go hell for leather sooner than he has been doing so that India can get a par score. However, there are other hard and cold numbers that need to be looked at before picking on Rohit.If the period after a World Cup usually marks the start of new trends, it will be instructive to look at numbers from World Cup to World Cup. Between the 2003 and 2007 editions, teams lost nine of the 60 games a 300-plus target was put up. Between 2007 and 2011, sides batting first reached 300 120 times, and lost 22 of those matches, one of them on Duckworth-Lewis calculations. Between the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, 101 scores of 300 or more were posted, out of which 18 were chased down, one thanks to D/L. Clearly more 300s are being chased, but that’s because more 300s are being scored.If you look at the ratio of 300s being defended progressively, the change is not drastic. It is still a safe total for a good bowling attack. It should at least make the chasing side break sweat, not stroll through and frustrate the captain into words to the effect of: forget about it, we will need to score at least 330.A measure of India’s new bowling low can be seen in how the opposition has treated them. Australia have tapped singles inside the 30-yard circle, and pinched the extra run on almost every throw from the deep. Smith’s men have done the little things right while playing an extremely physical game.Take the example of Barinder Sran. He has been impressive with the ball and made a fine attempt to catch Shaun Marsh at long leg, but his arm has been exposed mercilessly by the Australian batsmen. Almost every ball hit to him in the deep has yielded a minimum of two. Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma haven’t been completely spared either, but when Virat Kohli tried to do the same – he likes to give as good as he gets – a missile from Kane Richardson arrived right by the stumps.Ishant even dropped a sitter, and the agony came full circle when he drew the edge of the batsmen he reprieved, Marsh, and Manish Pandey dropped a difficult chance at first slip. Pandey was MS Dhoni’s third partner on the night, and he may well argue this was the wicketkeeper’s catch. Pandey had to dive to his right, whereas Dhoni hadn’t moved. As fantastic as Dhoni has been standing up to spin, not going for catches towards first slip when standing back has long been a weakness. As has been not running up to the stumps, which if he had done soon enough in Perth, Smith would have been run out for 9.There was another similar run-out missed in Brisbane, when R Ashwin, who has improved a lot with the ball, didn’t go behind the stumps to collect a throw from short fine leg. Instead he just banked on a direct hit with Marsh nowhere near the crease. Over the years India have improved their fielding to unrecognisable levels, but Australia have exposed the minor weaknesses ruthlessly: weaker arms which can’t be hidden on such large grounds, and not enough concentration for nearly long enough.

The selectors have to shoulder part of the blame for this. This is one of India’s more unbalanced squads. There are only five established specialist batsmen, which means Shikhar Dhawan can score three ducks in the rest of the series and there will be no cover

If there has to be a criticism of Rohit’s effort, it has to be over a little thing. No matter how he had got there, he was now batting at a run-a-ball and in his favourite part of the innings: the final few overs where he can make up for the slowest of starts. On the surface, he got out in the unluckiest fashion – run out while backing up at non-striker’s end – but you will rarely have seen Michael Hussey dismissed in this manner. That is not to say Hussey never backed up, just that when he saw the striker hit down the ground, he used to make a move back towards the stumps lest he get out the way Rohit did.Until then, Rohit had done the job his side had given him. There was more intent to hit the big shots early, but the main concern was to bat deep into the innings. In cold hard numbers his efficiency has been poorer than that of Smith and Bailey, but they have the comfort of knowing Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner are back in the hut. Rohit has Dhoni, who is a shadow of his own self, a rookie, Jadeja, who can be hit-or-miss and the bowlers. This lack of batting depth explains some of the caginess even in Dhoni. They are too worried there is no one behind them, a fear that came true when India scored only 53 after Rohit’s dismissal in the 43rd over.The selectors have to shoulder part of the blame for this. This is one of India’s more unbalanced squads. There are only five established specialist batsmen, which means Shikhar Dhawan can score three ducks in the rest of the series and there will be no cover. Suresh Raina, who can offer a few overs should one of the main bowlers have a day off, is not in the side. The allrounder provided to Dhoni doesn’t seem to be to his liking. Rishi Dhawan opens the bowling for his state Himachal Pradesh, but ahead of the series the India captain said there was no seaming allrounder in the side.All in all this ODI tour has all the ingredients of a perfect disaster and harping on minor flaws in Rohit’s batting, who has anyway been making up for slow starts with freakish regularity, is to bark up the wrong tree. Then again, perhaps that is the only field India can improve in? Dhoni won’t start diving overnight, the arms won’t strengthen overnight, nor will all five bowlers start bowling to a plan overnight. And it literally will have to happen overnight: India travel to Melbourne tomorrow and play the day after.

Stats highlights from the second T20I between Australia and India at the MCG

Bharath Seervi29-Jan-20161 Wins for India in their previous six T20Is before their consecutive wins in this series. They had lost two games to South Africa and one each to Zimbabwe, England and Sri Lanka. They had seven consecutive wins, including five during the World T20 2014, before that period.0 Instances of India batsmen scoring more than one fifty-plus score in a bilateral T20I series. With unbeaten scores of 90 and 59, Virat Kohli has become the first to do so for India. Kohli’s 149 runs in this series are already the most runs by an India batsman in a bilateral series and also the most by any batsman in a T20I bilateral series against Australia.50.65 Kohli’s batting average in T20Is, the highest for any batsman with at least 500 T20I runs. Australia’s T20I captain, Aaron Finch is a distant second with an average of 41.61 and is the only other batsman to average 40-plus.140 Number of stumpings effected by MS Dhoni in international matches, the most by any player. He went past Kumar Sangakkara’s 139 stumpings with two such dismissals in this match. This was also the first time Dhoni had stumped two batsmen in a T20I innings. For India, Dinesh Karthik is the only one to have done this before Dhoni: against South Africa in Durban in the 2007 World T20. Dhoni has 38 stumpings in Tests, 89 in ODIs and 13 in T20Is.2013 Last time Australia lost a bilateral T20I series involving two or more matches: to Sri Lanka by a 2-0 margin in 2012-13. Since thenand before the current series, they had played four series, won three and one was drawn. The only bilateral T20I series between India and Australia before this was drawn 1-1 in 2011-12.97 Runs added for the first wicket by the stand between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan – India’s second-highest opening stand in T20Is. There has been only one century partnership for the first wicket for India in T20Is: 136 between Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir against England in Durban in the 2007 World T20. Against Australia, only twice has an opposition’s first wicket added more runs. The Indian openers also made the highest opening stand in T20Is at the MCG by eclipsing the 60-run stand by England’s Ian Bell and Steven Davies in 2010-11.2 Instances when there have been two opening stands of 75 or more in a T20I. The first such instances was between New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Hamilton in 2011-12 when Stuart Matsikenyeri and Hamilton Masakadza put on 76 for Zimbabwe and Rob Nicol and James Franklin added 103 for New Zealand. Overall, this is the 12th instance of both teams having fifty-plus run partnerships for the first wicket in a T20I.68 Balls used by India to reach the 100-run mark, the second-least by any team against Australia in Australia. The quickest was 67 balls by West Indies in Brisbane in 2012-13.182 The previous highest total in T20Is at the MCG, by the hosts against South Africa in 2008-09. There has been only one other total in excess of 150 at the MCG before India’s 3 for 184 in this match – 161 for 4 by Sri Lanka against Australia in 2012-13.74 Runs by Aaron Finch, the highest individual score against India while chasing in T20Is. The previous highest was 73 by Jacques Kallis in Gros Islet in the 2010 World T20. Incidentally, both these scores have come in a losing cause. For Australia, there has been only one score higher than Finch’s in chases – 90 by Steven Smith against England in Cardiff in 2015. Glenn Maxwell also made 74 against Pakistan in Dhaka in the 2014 World T20. All these top scores have come in lost causes for Australia.2 Number of times a team’s first three batsmen have all scored 40 or more in a T20I innings. In this match, Rohit made 60, Dhawan 42, and Kohli 59 not out for India. The first such occasion was by New Zealand’s top three against England in Hamilton in 2012-13.

A look at the Australian spinner’s struggle after his remarkable arrival as a teenager in the 2013 Ashes

Michael Hussey28-Feb-2016Ashton Agar is a terrific young man who I hope has a great future in the game as a left-arm orthodox bowler and decent lower-order batsman. But his remarkable experience of becoming a household name during the Ashes in 2013 was followed by a long period of treading water. And I was not the least bit surprised. His story is a striking example of how the glare of the spotlight can change the equation when you are trying to create a cricket career.Ashton had played hardly any first-class cricket when he was thrown into the Test team and caught the attention of the nation by scoring a record 98 as the No. 11 in the first Test at Trent Bridge. He said after the day’s play: ‘It’s a dream come true … Forever I’ve dreamed of playing Test cricket for Australia and for my debut to start the way it has, I’m over the moon.’ But what he did not realise and was totally unprepared for was that suddenly the expectation and demands, on the ground and off it, would become enormous.I captained Ashton in his first few games for Western Australia. He bowled beautifully. He was accurate, had variation and could operate both aggressively and defensively. His batting was similar. He performed like any young guy coming into a new level of the game, without fear and with genuine excitement.After just three first-class games the Australian selectors invited him on a national team tour to India to be a net bowler and gain experience from being around the team. It sounded like the right thing to do, but the alarm bells went off for me immediately. I knew he would bowl really well, I knew the selectors had doubts over Nathan Lyon, despite investing eighteen months of hard work in him, and I had a sneaking suspicion they would see Ashton as the bolter who could fix everything.Unsurprisingly Ashton turned heads while with the team in India. I remember getting a message from the assistant coach Steve Rixon saying, “How good is this Ashton Agar? I think he should play the first Test in India.” I thought to myself, “No way! Please don’t make this mistake!” Ashton was nowhere near ready. In my opinion he needed three or four seasons of first-class cricket to learn and grow and have some idea of what he would be in for if he was to play Test cricket.

While walking down Kensington High Street with his girlfriend to do some shopping they were set upon by paparazzi. The two of them ended up locking themselves in the hotel room

The selectors did not pick Ashton to play in India but he was thrown into the side for the first Ashes Test not long afterwards. I felt it was a huge mistake. Like in India, playing in the Ashes is akin to being in a cauldron. There are a multitude of distractions. There is so much hype and expectation. There are functions to go to, people to meet and huge interest from the media. There was no way this young fella could have been ready for that. For him to come out and score runs in his first match was a great achievement but it also created a perfect storm.It’s hard to comprehend how Ashton’s life was turned upside down in the space of one day. I talked to him about it when he came back to Perth afterwards. He said he could not believe the interest in him following that innings.While walking down Kensington High Street with his girlfriend to do some shopping they were set upon by paparazzi. He said his girlfriend tried to run away, only to be chased by the photographers. He said he had no idea what to do. The two of them ended up locking themselves in the hotel room. Even as an experienced cricketer, that kind of attention is extremely hard to handle. But Ashton was a nineteen-year-old with hardly any cricketing experience. Suddenly he was being pursued as though he was a movie star.Hardie Grant BooksBoth at the time and in the weeks and months that followed Ashton’s ill-timed entry into international cricket, his manager, Jason Bakker, did his best to try to protect him from the many distractions that could divert him from concentrating on cricket. Commercial offers and opportunities came flooding in, but Bakker was careful not to add to the already huge burden of trying to keep playing at the top level. It is a good illustration of the value of having a manager who has an understanding of life in the spotlight and the demands of first-class cricket.For some time after the Ashes, Ashton was on a high while the public raved and the media loved him. But the wickets began to dry up. The harder he tried the worse he performed. He became frustrated and had too little experience to draw from to help him to change course. Eventually he got suspended in a match for showing dissent to an umpire. Ashton went from Ashes superstar to possible has-been in an alarmingly short time.In my opinion the whole episode was very poorly handled. The duty of care to this young Australian cricketer was pretty much ignored. If everyone associated with making the decision to pick Ashton had just been patient and let him develop he would have held on to his youthful zeal, grown gradually in confidence, expanded his knowledge and been much better off in the long run.He could have made the regular mistakes that young guys do and worked his way through them away from the spotlight. He should have been given space to learn about bowling, learn about life and enjoy the maturing process. I believe Ashton will come through this chastening experience and become a fantastic player. But I worry it will happen a lot later than it otherwise would have.

I remember getting a message from Steve Rixon saying, “How good is this Ashton Agar? I think he should play the first Test in India.” I thought to myself, “No way! Please don’t make this mistake!”

Ashton has a good head on his shoulders. He is intelligent and has good people around him. But my concern for young guys finding their way so publicly like he did is that they do not carry mental scars for the rest of their careers or throughout life. With the right help it is possible to come out of such situations a better person and a better cricketer. But for some people the negative effects can be enduring. Psychological damage can be deep and your outlook on the game can be changed forever.Examples such as Ashton Agar and even Michael Clarke and others make me grateful for the path I travelled to get into international cricket. I have often said that I wished I had been picked earlier for Australia and learned on the job, making mistakes and progressing that way. But the more I have learned about life in the spotlight the more I feel lucky to have had the time to grow up at my own pace. Even after ten years of first-class cricket it was a very confronting adjustment to make when it all started to happen for me. by Michael Hussey, published by Hardie Grant Books