With Morne Morkel out of action and Imran Tahir misfiring, South Africa’s captain endured a difficult juggle with limited resources

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg20-Dec-20130:00

Match Point: ‘Can’t understand Smith’s tactics’

It took a few seconds and some eye-rubbing to realise which South African was assigned to bowl the over before tea. AB de Villiers. As if that wasn’t astounding enough, there was the sight of Hashim Amla strapping on the wicketkeepers’ pads and gloves to take in. It really happened.Such sights are not all that unusual. When things are trundling along and not much is happening, a captain has to try something different to catch the opposition off-guard. Graeme Smith did it in Dubai when he brought Dean Elgar on to bowl to a Pakistan partnership that had racked up 197. Misbah-ul-Haq tried to slog him into the next Emirate and was caught at slip. Concentration can lapse, mistakes can happen.The difference between that day and this one was in the message, as Daryll Cullinan explained on the tea-time Match Point show on this website. Elgar is a part-time spinner with 33 first-class wickets and does turn his arm over on occasion. De Villiers, before this one, had only bowled 38 overs in his decade-long first-class career, and last bowled in a Test match seven years ago. And it’s not as though Smith didn’t have other options.Apart from JP Duminy, who had not bowled a ball at that stage, there was Faf du Plessis, who bowls occasionally, or Smith himself. In hindsight, he probably turned to de Villiers for a little bit of fun but with India 140 runs ahead with eight wickets in hand, it may not have been the ideal time for a laugh. By stumps, it turned out South Africa would have little reason for giggles of any description, as they appeared bereft of ideas.AB de Villiers bowled in a Test for the first time in seven years•AFPTheir day had already threatened to be difficult in the over before lunch when Morne Morkel was helped off the field after hurting his ankle. He had only bowled two overs before that but the signs were obvious that he would have an important role to play. In the 12 balls he bowled, he generated steep bounce, which could have helped keep India quiet. With him out of the equation, someone else had to do that job.The person should have been Imran Tahir. Although he is a naturally attacking bowler, Tahir had to contain as well. His first ball today was evidence he could not.Tahir offered a full toss first up and leaked runs in a manner somewhat reminiscent of his performance in Adelaide in November 2012, particularly when he dropped Cheteshwar Pujara on 51 off his own bowling. His confidence seemed to dip after that, and his bouquet of overpitched deliveries and full tosses became rosier. Selection-wise, South Africa may be wondering if they erred by picking Tahir, considering the opposition.The Indian line-up is confident and comfortable against legspin and with Tahir’s history of over-enthusiasm leading to lack of control, they may ask themselves if a conservative option would have worked better. Robin Peterson was in the squad and could have played the holding role or they could have opted for another seamer, with Duminy operating as the spinner, although today’s evidence may contradict that.Besides offering little threat, which is not Duminy’s primary role, he also could not keep his end quiet. Smith had no choice but to use him for parts of the day as a stop-gap to avoid over-bowling the three seamers he had left.Already, Jacques Kallis’ workload was more than ideal. His usual quota had previously been described as 10-12 overs a day but he had to bowl 14. He used the short ball well and attacked the stumps to produce two lbw shouts, but he seemed to lose bite later on.The same could be said of Dale Steyn, who had a rare wicketless day. As Vernon Philander pointed out, “he did not bowl badly”; he just didn’t find any swing. Steyn cannot be expected to produce in every innings and Philander said he could easily “rock up and take five tomorrow,” but it was obvious what a misfiring Steyn and an injured Morkel can do to South Africa’s morale.Philander did his part in leading the attack. He was South Africa’s best bowler on the day and in his first two spells looked as though he would take a wicket every other ball. He got good bounce, he beat the bat, he moved the ball just enough to create tension. Most importantly, he zoned in consistently on an off-stump target.That was the main difference between the South African and Indian bowlers and Philander recognised it. “They attacked the stumps all the time. We didn’t do that well, even in the first innings,” he said. Despite Philander being the person who was doing that, he was used less than he could have been.After spells of five, two and five overs in the first 33 overs of India’s innings, he returned for two spells of three overs each, with long breaks in between. He was nursing a toothache and is still in some discomfort, which may have prompted Smith to use him sparingly, although he indicated he was ready for a bigger workload. “We knew when Morne went down, we would have to bowl a bit more,” he said. “Luckily I am not in Graeme’s shoes at the moment.”South Africa fought back after a middling first day and Philander believed they can do it again. But they will need a sharper plan this time, against batsmen who have adjusted and thrived in these conditions. “They left very well when they came in and the spinners were whom they attacked,” he said. “Then they made the seamers come back on when they were tired.”That means it will be up to Tahir to find a way to contain so the quicks can attack and South Africa can embark on some form of damage limitation. “There is not a lot of turn on offer but hopefully he [Tahir] will get a plan together sometime soon,” Philander said.Playing an 11-a-side game with ten men is tough. Trying to do it with nine is tougher. That is essentially what Smith was left to work with. If South Africa are to salvage something from this bowling performance and give their batsmen a chance to save the game, he either cannot be left in that position again or has to learn to manage it better.

Teams with good fast-bowling attacks have tended to do well in South Africa

Shiva Jayaraman16-Dec-2013The last time India played in South Africa, they started the tour with a batting line-up that boasted 18,162 runs and 41 centuries in Tests outside the subcontinent. From the current Indian squad, only Virat Kohli has a century outside the subcontinent. VVS Laxman on his own, with 3329 runs outside the subcontinent before that tour, had 509 runs more than all the players in the current team aggregate outside the subcontinent.Given the experience that India had in their batting line-up on their last tour to South Africa, and the fact that they didn’t lose a series there for the first time, one would assume that India’s batsmen had made telling contributions in that Test series. However, India’s top order averaged an ordinary 32.56 in the 2010-11 South Africa tour, which is not even the highest they’ve averaged on a tour to South Africa.Overall, India have won two Tests in South Africa – one in 2010-11, and one on the tour before that, in 2006-07. In those two winning Tests, their batsmen averaged 21.07 runs per dismissal – not the numbers one would expect in a Test from the winning team.Overseas teams have generally struggled with the bat in Tests in South Africa, with none of the top-orders averaging 40 in Tests here. Since 1990, among teams visiting South Africa,only England’s batsmen have managed to average 40-plus as a team in wins. Including India, five teams have averaged under 30 with the bat in wins here.That teams have won in South Africa despite relatively low batting averages implies that bowlers play a greater role in earning wins. Bowling units that have managed to skittle out wickets cheaply have been able to win. India’s bowlers have averaged a miserly 18.78 for the 37 wickets they have taken in wins here, which is the least they have averaged against any team in away wins. Among teams that have won Tests in South Africa, only England’s bowlers have averaged lower in wins here. India’s fast bowlers have enjoyed the pace-friendly conditions – they have taken seven five-wicket hauls in South Africa, which is the most they have taken in any country outside home. Their 148 wickets here have come at 34.40 runs apiece, which is the least they have averaged in any country excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

However, India’s bowlers will be bowling to batsmen who have done well since 2011. In the last couple of years at home, South Africa batsmen have hit 13 hundreds in 11 Tests. AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis all average 50-plus in home Tests since 2011. That their openers – Graeme Smith and Alviro Peterson – have averaged less than 40 in this period hasn’t hurt them much given that the top order of the oppositions have averaged only 25.65 in the same period in South Africa.

South Africa’s batsmen have had mixed fortunes at the two venues for this Test series – the Wanderers, Johannesburg and Kingsmead, Durban. Jacques Kallis is the leading run-scorer at both the venues. At the Wanderers he’s scored 1114 runs at 41.25 in 17 matches, while in Durban, he’s scored 1151 runs at 47.95 from 15 matches, including four centuries. However, the last time Kallis played at Kingsmead, against Sri Lanka in 2011, he bagged a pair – his first in Tests. While Hashim Amla has done well in Johannesburg, having scored 657 runs at 59.72 from seven matches, he’s averaging only 21.23 from seven matches at his home venue in Durban. Though de Villiers’ record at Johannesburg seems nothing out of the ordinary, he’s scored plenty of runs at the venue in the recent past; he’s hit 436 runs in his last four matches here at 87.20, with all of his two hundreds and three fifties at his venue coming in these four matches.

But these batsmen have struggled against India’s fast bowlers in previous series at home. Fortunately for South Africa, though, India are missing their most successful bowler in their last couple of tours to South Africa – S Sreesanth. In pace-friendly condition he’s outshone India’s premier fast bowler, Zaheer Khan. Sreesanth’s 27 wickets against South Africa in away matches have come at 28.55 apiece and at a strike rate of 47.5, while Zaheer’s 23 wickets at have come at 32.52 apiece. However, on this tour, other than Zaheer, Ishant Sharma is the only bowler to have bowled in Tests in South Africa. Thus far, Ishant’s performances in South Africa have been ordinary – his seven wickets have come at 48.14.

South Africa’s success with the bat in Tests at home in the last couple of years has coincided with an exceptionally productive period for their fast-bowling unit. In Tests since 2011, their fast bowlers have taken 180 wickets at 20.25 and at a strike rate of 42 balls per wicket. Both the average and strike rate are the best among fast bowlers for Test teams playing at home in this period. Among them, the South Africa fast bowlers have taken 13 five-wicket hauls in only 11 Tests – the highest for any team in this period. Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn have led their bowling attack superbly in the last couple of years. In eight Tests at home since his debut against Australia in November 2011, Philander has taken 52 wickets at a phenomenal average of 13.78 and a strike rate of 29.6. Steyn’s 64 wickets in Tests at home since 2011 have come at an average of 16.68 and a strike rate of 37.5.South Africa’s all-round performance at home in the last couple of years have yielded results for them. In this period, they’ve won eight out of 11 Tests. Their two losses came against Australia in Johannesburg and against Sri Lanka in Durban, both in 2011. Since 2012 though, they have won six consecutive home Tests.India, however, open the series at a venue where they have not lost a Test – they’ve won one and drawn two in Johannesburg. The win came in 2006, when their fast bowlers dismissed the hosts for just 84 runs in the first innings – South Africa’s lowest total in an innings against India in Tests. At Kingsmead, South Africa have done much better against India, having won two of the four Tests between the teams. A positive for India, though, is the fact that their last Test win in South Africa came in Durban, while South Africa have lost their last four Tests at this venue.

R Ashwin has always looked a better bowler when he has tried to take wickets, as was showcased in the Asia Cup

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Mirpur05-Mar-2014All through his career, advice has followed R Ashwin wherever he has gone. Most of it has gone like this: don’t try too many things; focus on your stock ball; stop bowling that carrom ball so much.After nightmare tours of South Africa and New Zealand, in which he lost the lead spinner’s place in the Test eleven and took just two wickets in eight ODIs at an average approaching 200, Ashwin seems to have taken all that advice and thrown it in the bin.On Wednesday, he took three wickets against Afghanistan, two of them – the lbws of Mohammad Shahzad and Shapoor Zadran – with the carrom ball. He ended the Asia Cup with nine wickets; he took five of them with the carrom ball.It’s hard to remember Ashwin using the carrom ball this often in recent times. During the ODIs in New Zealand, he slipped it in every now and then, but apart from one spell to Ross Taylor in Hamilton, he didn’t really use it in a sustained manner. And that, contrary to popular opinion, is exactly how he has used it for most of his career.A look through his list of wickets reveals it is likely that only 19 out of Ashwin’s 106 ODI wickets have come via the means of the carrom ball. He used it quite a lot in his early matches, but as batsmen around the world grew more comfortable with it, he began deploying it far less frequently. This was a completely natural cycle of evolution.Along with this, however, he frequently bowled with less than optimal control. Against England at home, he provided a steady diet of leg-side singles to the right-hand batsmen and fed Alastair Cook’s cut with a regular supply of short balls.He seemed to work this out when Australia came visiting, with his then coach Sunil Subramaniam helping him correct his set-up at the bowling crease, aligning the heel of his landing front-foot with the toe of his back-foot. This change allowed Ashwin to bowl with more of a pivot, put more of his body into his action, and extract more help, as a consequence, out of the pitch.He seemed to have forgotten all of this, however, by the time the South Africa tour came around. He not only wasn’t turning the ball off the pitch, he didn’t seem to be spinning it out of his hand either. In Johannesburg, he seemed to merely put the ball in a general area, on a fifth-day pitch, and wait for an error. In the ODIs before that and on the New Zealand tour, he bowled in much the same way.All of that changed at the Asia Cup, if in a bizarrely circuitous manner. In India’s first match, Ashwin seemed to be bowling one set of deliveries to Bangladesh’s batsmen and tossing another bunch the spectators’ way. In place of the hand-twisting motions that usually accompanies his run up, Ashwin was raising a pair of full-sleeved arms above his head, à la Sunil Narine.All manner of outrage erupted, and it was perhaps out of proportion to the changes Ashwin had made. His approach to the crease hadn’t changed significantly, and the things a spinner does with his hands during his run-up are often purely ornamental. If you compare videos of his spell against Bangladesh to any of his earlier spells, his set-up at the crease and his release weren’t markedly different either.It still made no sense why Ashwin had gone through all that, though, and he was back to bowling with his usual action a few deliveries into his first spell against Sri Lanka. Since then, he has looked better than he has for a long time.He has still been patchy, but he has not been the Ashwin of South Africa and New Zealand, who seemed content to let batsmen milk him for three or four singles every over. He has been willing to ask the batsman to come after him, whether by dangling a full and wide carrom ball at Sharjeel Khan or by forcing Sohaib Maqsood out of his comfort zone with his field changes. The increased frequency of the carrom ball has been one sign of this.At some level, this change has been forced on Ashwin. India have twice had to defend middling totals, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The pitches, moreover, have helped the spinners. Virat Kohli’s captaincy may have also contributed; the fact that he picked Amit Mishra as a third spinner, in a crunch game against Pakistan, showed that he might be inclined to view spin as an attacking weapon.Whatever the case, Ashwin has always looked a better bowler when he has tried to take wickets. There is no way to tell if he will continue bowling this way, even in less helpful conditions, but you can still hope.

Lydia Greenway on the challenges of playing Australia in Australia, the fielders she admires, and her favourite beer

Interview by Jack Wilson21-Jan-2014You were instrumental in the 2013 Ashes win. What was it like to win that series?
Brilliant, especially against a team who are No. 1 in all formats of the game. To win so convincingly put the icing on the cake.Would that have been the highlight of your career so far?
It’s definitely up there, alongside winning the two World Cups.You have got off to the perfect start in the hunt to retain the Ashes. Will doing so in Australia exceed that?
I think so. Playing Australia in Australia is one of the biggest challenges in any sport. They are naturally a very competitive sporting nation and the home advantage means that they are playing in an environment that they are comfortable with.Many consider you the best fielder in women’s cricket. How do you feel when people say that?
It’s obviously a nice compliment to hear but there are a lot of great fielders in the women’s game now. For me, it’s just a part of the game I love.If you are the best fielder in women’s cricket, who do you think is the best in the men’s?
I used to enjoy watching Ricky Ponting field, and more recently, as much as I hate to say, another Aussie, David Warner, is brilliant to watch too.Who is the greatest women’s cricketer to have played the game?
I’m probably going to sound a bit biased but Charlotte Edwards.How much has women’s cricket benefited from playing alongside the men, often at the same venues?
Loads. It’s an opportunity for us to put our game on show and hopefully get more support along to watch. I think that’s the effect it has had so far and hopefully it can keep getting better.What is your favourite shot?
I know I’m labelled as a sweeper but you can’t beat a good old-fashioned straight drive down the ground.Tell us about the switch hit, a shot you love. What are the keys to playing it well?
Balance, base and a still head.Your England team are lined up for a 100-metre race. Who would win?
Danielle Wyatt.You are going on a girls’ night out. Who takes the longest to get ready?
Katherine Brunt, biggest faffer ever.If you had to perform a party trick, what would you do?
I’d love to be able to breakdance!In your Twitter bio you describe yourself as a wannabe beer connoisseur. What is your favourite?
I love trying beers from around the world. My most recent favourite is a pale ale called Blue Moon with a slice of lemon.What’s your favourite meat in a roast dinner?
Lamb.Which of your team-mates has the most annoying habit?
A lot of the girls crack their necks and backs a lot. Heather Knight and Jenny Gunn are the biggest culprits.Do you play any other sports?
I used to play hockey for my local club. It was a great release away from cricket and also helped my fitness. I still go and watch my sister play there too.You are stuck on a desert island. Which three things would you take?
My family, friends and food.

Plays of the day from the fifth ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi

Abhishek Purohit27-Dec-2013The brain-fade
You’ve been denied pace from one end on a slow pitch. You see a quicker bowler at the other, and try to take some runs off him. You hit him for four over extra cover. Next ball, you cart him high over the wide long-on boundary. If you are an opener, you think that it’s enough for one over, there are plenty more to come. But Ahmed Shehzad went for glory off the third ball too, against Suranga Lakmal, and his wild mis-hit only found mid-on in the sixth over.The blinder
Sohaib Maqsood was looking in fine touch, having got off the mark with an elegant extra-cover drive for four. First ball of the 17th over, he got a short and wide offering from Lasith Malinga, and slapped it in the air behind backward point. He hadn’t timed it too well, but it was still travelling. Tillakaratne Dilshan, all of 37 years, threw himself to his left, got both hands to the ball and came down on the ground with it safely lodged in his palms.The return to convention
Misbah-ul-Haq was finding it difficult to score at the start of his innings. He turned to the reverse-sweep to release the pressure, but missed a couple of times against Sachithra Senanayake. Undaunted, he tried the stroke once more, against Dilshan this time, and almost got himself out, the ball hitting the glove and falling just short of the wicketkeeper. Realising innovation wasn’t working, Misbah turned to the regular sweep next ball, and grinned as it scurried away fine for the first boundary in 56 deliveries.The change
Having dismissed Kumar Sangakkara in his previous over, Junaid Khan pulled up after the first ball of the 31st. He had a chat with Misbah, who handed the ball to Umar Gul to complete the over as Junaid walked off the field. A fast bowler coming back after a long injury layoff and replacing a sore fast bowler. Should have been cause for concern. It was, for Sri Lanka. Gul bounded in, got the first ball to kick from back of a length and produced an edge from Ashan Priyanjan to the keeper.

He was Maharashtra’s captain when they last reached the Ranji Trophy final 21 years ago. As coach, Surendra Bhave has made them dream again

Amol Karhadkar15-Jan-2014Just before lunch on Day Three of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Mumbai, as Maharashtra readied themselves to take the field after conceding a 122-run first-innings lead, coach Surendra Bhave delivered one of his numerous pep talks, hoping it wouldn’t be his last one of the season.Bhave, a former Maharashtra captain who had led them to their last Ranji Trophy final appearance in 1992-93, gave his players two choices. “One was to go on to the field, complete the formalities, pack our bags and head straight to Pune from the Wankhede. The other was to go out, play with our heads held high, give it our best shot and change the opinion of the people.”Even when Maharashtra captain Rohit Motwani recalls the words four days later, he seems just as charged up as he was after hearing them at the Wankhede. “That speech inspired us a lot,” says Motwani. “We chose the second option and it worked for us.”

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Just over 12 months ago, Bhave, the then chief selector, was given the additional responsibility of being the interim coach with two games remaining in the group stage. Maharashtra were then at the bottom of Group B and required a miracle to avoid relegation.It wasn’t to be. Maharashtra were blown aside by Karnataka in their last league game. “[Abhimanyu] Mithun and Stuart [Binny] just ran through us and poured water over all our ambitions to continue the good work of the previous game against Baroda and avoid relegation. At that time itself, all of us knew we had to start afresh.”It was a fitting end to an erratic season. Maharashtra had started it by appointing Dermot Reeve as coach, and had replaced him with Bhave midway through the season. Reeve, the former England allrounder, had raised eyebrows during his brief tenure, playing the guitar just outside the boundary ropes during Maharashtra’s matches and even missing a couple of games to work as a TV analyst on the India-England series.Without a father figure, the team was in disarray. “Due to the prevailing circumstances, the team wasn’t that together,” Motwani says. “Everyone was kind of coming into the field and playing his own game. Even though all of us had been playing together for a while, the cohesiveness was somehow missing last season.”Maharashtra didn’t do any better in the second half of the season, and failed to progress beyond the zonal stages of the domestic one-day and Twenty20 competitions, which were considered their strengths.

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If Maharashtra were to turn the tide this season, they needed a pitch-perfect build-up. But with the Maharashtra Cricket Association in financial disarray, the team only had their first official training session on August 19. The mess also deprived the team of any competitive warm-up games. The association hadn’t been able to participate in preparatory tournaments or conduct a reciprocal tour with another state team, which had been a trend during recent off-seasons.But this gave Bhave ample time to evaluate what had gone wrong and to come up with a solution. “If you see the numbers, most of the batsmen had averaged 45-plus and still the team was not doing well,” he says. “We had to imbibe among the players that if your aim is to play for yourself, you’re not contributing to the team. Once we got everyone to work for the cause of the team, most of it was taken care of.”Bhave’s next task was to get the bowling act together. Barring Samad Fallah, the attack didn’t have a consistent performer in its ranks. And the lack of match practice may have affected the bowlers’ rhythm going into the season. Bhave’s solution benefited not only the bowlers but the batsmen as well.

It’s not just when the chips are down that he [Bhave] speaks. He makes it a point to compliment us for our good work. A pat on the back from someone you have idolised means a lot and he knows it. His words of wisdom – sometimes one-on-one, sometimes to the whole group – are cherished by all of us.Rohit Motwani, Maharashtra captain

“We couldn’t go to any of the warm-up tournaments, so the moment the monsoon receded, we formed four teams amongst our probables and played a handful of practice matches on lively tracks at Gahunje,” Bhave says. “The atmosphere was no different to a first-class match and you couldn’t even sense it was a practice match. It helped the bowlers get used to running in and bowling more than 20 overs per day and the batsmen were tested against tough bowling in tougher conditions.”The decision to prepare lively pitches for the warm-up games was based on the assumption that “every Plate team has three decent pace bowlers”. With the bowlers made to work hard outdoors rather than in the confines of the gym and the batsmen made to bat in adverse conditions, the team was ready by the time the season began.

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“We may not be that old but we are not a young team,” Motwani says. “For the last four to five years, more or less the same bunch has been playing together. And we were all confident at the start of the season that we could deliver this time around.”For the captain’s words to come true, Maharashtra needed to get their campaign off to a strong start. Harshad Khadiwale and Kedar Jadhav gave them just that, in their contrasting styles. At the end of Maharashtra’s fourth game of the season, they had scored three centuries each and were occupying the top two positions in the list of the Ranji Trophy’s highest run-getters.”Every time Khadi or KJ reached a milestone, the dressing room revelled with them,” says Akshay Darekar, the team’s leading spinner. “They gave us bowlers the much-needed cushion to bowl oppositions out.”While they piled on the runs, not many gave Khadiwale and Jadhav their due, reckoning that a hundred in a Plate (Group C) match wasn’t a big deal. “I can’t help such perceptions,” Jadhav says. “Those who say this don’t understand that many Plate teams play with such a defensive mindset that they bowl with seven or eight fielders on the boundary once a batsman is set. Scoring runs becomes really difficult at such times. When a batsman still scores big in such circumstances, you should give him his due. Be it myself or Khadi or anyone else from any other team.”The impact that Khadiwale and Jadhav had on their team can be gauged by the fact that Maharashtra didn’t once concede a first-innings deficit during the group stage. But the bowlers were coming to the party too; Maharashtra won an unprecedented four games outright, and ended Group C seven points ahead of second-placed Jammu & Kashmir. The team’s primary objective, of regaining their place in the top flight of the tournament, had been achieved. But the group was far from satisfied.

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Two days before the quarterfinal, Maharashtra’s players asked the driver of their team bus, going from Pune to Mumbai, to take them straight to the Wankhede Stadium rather than their hotel. They were playing Mumbai, their big brother, away from home, in a televised match. They were ready.On the second evening, with the Maharashtra batsmen struggling in the face of a ferocious spell from Shardul Thakur, on a wicket tilted in favour of pace bowlers, it looked like the heckling of Maharashtra as flat-track bullies would continue. Mumbai captain Zaheer Khan, in what might have been a mocking gesture, placed all nine fielders behind the wicket early in Maharashtra’s innings.”We didn’t even take it as an insult. We took it as yet another challenge – a first of its kind, and Ankit (Bawne) and Kedar counterattacked to show we could take them on,” pace bowler Anupam Sanklecha says. “Even then, it wasn’t as if we had played bad cricket. All of us know that Mumbai crossed 400 only because of some stupendous batting by Vinit (Indulkar) and Surya (Yadav).”The next afternoon, Sanklecha led the Maharashtra fightback as a three-pronged pace attack dismantled the Mumbai batting in 38 overs to get Maharashtra back into the game. “The 60-70 runs that we were helped with when Mumbai over-attacked in the first innings helped us reduce the innings deficit,” Bhave says. “When we talked to the bowlers, my impression was, if there are more play balls, there are more chances of us getting wickets on such a track. Another thing that worked for us was, since we didn’t have a bowler who could rely on sheer pace in our attack, it was ultimately going to be a case of pitch it up to the bat and catch it whenever it comes your way.”But the manner in which the three seamers and the slip cordon executed that basic plan left the Wankhede spellbound. Often, seamers in India tend to get carried away when they see a green surface. It happened with the Maharashtra bowlers in the first innings and they sprayed the ball around. But to learn the lessons and reverse the trend so quickly stunned even Sunil Gavaskar, who was commentating on his first Ranji game.It isn’t a surprise that beating Mumbai meant so much to the players, since only one of them had experienced the feeling before. Sanklecha, in fact, had become the first Maharashtra player to feature in two outright wins over Mumbai. “Back then (in 2005-06), I had contributed with the bat, ending as the highest scorer in the second innings,” says Sanklecha, who hails from Ahmednagar, 120 km to the west of Pune. “This time around, my bowling came good. For the last four days, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing. I feel like I’m on top of the world right now.”

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Bhave’s pep talks have been a constant feature over the season. “Each time one of us drifts slightly, a pep talk is waiting, and it invariably sets things right,” says left-arm spinner Darekar, who, with 31 scalps, is Maharashtra’s leading wicket-taker this season. “His technical expertise is well known but he has also been a great motivator.”Motwani adds: “It’s not just when the chips are down that he speaks. He makes it a point to compliment us for our good work. A pat on the back from someone you have idolised means a lot and he knows it. His words of wisdom – sometimes one-on-one, sometimes to the whole group – are cherished by all of us.”When it began its journey back to Pune on the evening of January 11, the team bus was juddering down the same expressway it had taken to Mumbai. Bhave, however, knew everyone in it was floating in the air. Naturally, just before the team got off the bus, he had another pep talk waiting for them. “I said: ‘We have to play two more matches in the same way. Don’t get too far ahead of yourselves. Don’t think that you cannot be conquered. Be guarded against complacency. Enjoy the hard work and the rest will be taken care of’.”

Ian Butler talks about his highs and lows, the thrill of playing at Otago, and the biggest dressing-room joker he’s seen

Interview by Jack Wilson30-Mar-2014You were told ten years ago you would never bowl again. It looks like they got that one wrong, doesn’t it?
It just shows that what is the medically “normal” diagnosis of an injury can be worked through. Maybe my back wasn’t in a great shape but over the last few years it hasn’t got any worse – and I know how to manage it.When you came into the New Zealand side you were replacing Shane Bond, one of the country’s greatest bowlers. How difficult was it to fill his shoes at such a young age?
In no way did I ever fill them. He was a superb bowler and was one of the players I aspired to emulate. The biggest issue was learning for my first few years of cricket at the international level. I had played two List A games and three first-class games when I was picked. I had no idea about how to play any form of cricket. I didn’t know my game and to say I was very fresh was an understatement.In a way, I’m glad NZC has built such depth as the youngsters now hopefully will get two or three years to learn how to bowl through playing. Only by learning from different experiences at first-class level can you build a game that will withstand international cricket.How close were you – or are you – to walking away from New Zealand to play county cricket over in England?
That’s something I have to consider. We have such depth now that maybe it’s an option, a fresh challenge that can sometimes stimulate that never-ending search to be the best you can be. In the early days it wasn’t even something that crossed my mind as you always dream of representing your country against the best in the world.What would be the toughest thing about doing that?
Leaving the culture we have got at Otago cricket. They are great people throughout, from the players to the staff.Your New Zealand debut came in 2002 – and your last game was last year. Were there times during that 11-year period when you wondered if you’d ever play again?
Lots. The doubts are part of any sport. My way through that is to focus on the steps. You must prove your worth to get picked at provincial level, and with the wickets we play on in New Zealand and the boundary sizes, it’s a tough game as a bowler. In a way, now you can relax. If you do the job and contribute to a successful team on and off the field then you give yourself a chance of higher honours.How do you see your international future now?
No one ever gives up. Before the hiccup this summer I was in the ODI and T20 side, but with the emergence of so many quality allrounders and seamers, I’m probably behind the eight ball. I can’t control the players in front of me so I just focus on what I can do to help Otago win games.Pick the highlight of your career so far.
The Test series win in West Indies with Bondy and [Daryl] Tuffey was pretty special. Also, the Volts’ 16-game T20 winning streak through our domestic competition and into the Champions League was amazing to be a part of. They are a great bunch of guys with so much talent and belief. We managed to win games from positions we shouldn’t have.You have played Tests, ODIs, T20s and four-day cricket. What form of the game do you enjoy most?
I would say Tests. Sadly I played too early to have a good record, and got injured just as I started to understand my game – but it’s the pinnacle and what the best are remembered by.Who is the best coach you have ever worked under?
Mike Hesson and John Bracewell were two that stood out to me. Sadly Braces had me as a young tearaway and probably tore his hair out! The strength of both of them was man-management. Coaching at the elite level isn’t so much technical, it’s about working out how 15 different players need to be treated to maximise performance. Hess outlined my roles well and gave me confidence to play them without fear. Bowling at the death and batting in clutch situations in limited-overs games requires that.And who is the best captain you have played under?
Baz [Brendon McCullum] is awesome for his aggression and no fear. He always wants you to take the foot-forward option and if you back your plan he will too. I also enjoyed Dan’s [Daniel Vettori] captaincy. He has a great cricket brain and didn’t say much. When he did it was always spot on.Who has been the biggest dressing-room joker you’ve played with?
Chris Harris. What a legend. There was never a boring second with him around. He’d always be trying to kick some object a metre above eye level. One moment of hilarity that sticks was him in India throwing biscuits up into the circulating fan blades. The changing room was covered in biscuit particles. Harry thought this was great fun until he was told to clean it all up.And who has had the worst banter in any dressing room you’ve been in?
Scott Styris. He’s a constant chatterer about cricket trivia questions that he is the answer to.What would you rather do: be hit by six Brett Lee bouncers or to be dump-tackled by Richie McCaw?
Neither appeal, really. I’ll go with the tackle and hope the ground is soft.Which of your team-mates past or present is the best fun on a night out?
Daryl Tuffey. He’s the world’s best player of the coin-game Spoof. Aaron Redmond has an obsession with anyone owning a snapback cap. Maybe it’s to cover the hint of a comb-over.Who would be the last at the bar to get a round in?
Scott Styris. He’s the clear winner.

ESPNcricinfo presents plays from the India-Pakistan World T20 game

Mohammad Isam and Abhishek Purohit21-Mar-2014The run-out
Pakistan were involved in some comical running early on. In the second over, Kamran Akmal tried to rush a leg-bye as the ball rolled away close to the pitch. Ahmed Shehzad responded eagerly, and in an instant, the two were within hand-shaking distance, Akmal having covered some more ground. Suddenly, Shehzad decided he was running to the danger end, and abandoned the run. An astonished Akmal stopped in his tracks, turned around and tried to regain his ground but to his misfortune again, Bhuvneshwar Kumar found the stumps with a direct hit.The near run-out
Shehzad decided to make amends the very next ball by enthusiastically charging up the pitch as this one rolled fine down the leg side. Mohammad Hafeez was having none of it. This time it was Shehzad’s turn to apply the brakes and double back. He scrambled and dived, and MS Dhoni’s throw missed the stumps.The late reaction
Mohammad Shami had sent down a superb over and had taken his position at the long-leg boundary when Shahid Afridi had one of his almighty swings at Bhuvneshwar. Shami possibly did not think it would travel behind square, or he just did not pick it, or he was plainly caught napping. Whatever be the case, by the time he did and set off to his left, there was no way he was stopping the boundary.The half-attemptShoaib Malik was timing the ball inconsistently and at the end of the 15th over, his swipe caught a top edge and swirled towards Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But the fielder was in two minds, first rushing forward and, when the ball started to die towards him, pulling out only slightly. It was enough for the ball to drop short, and slip into the boundary.

Former Pakistan allrounder Abdul Razzaq talks about his biggest six, his best coach, and the toughest bowlers he faced

Interview by Scott Oliver09-Aug-2014It’s your first year playing league cricket. What have you found most difficult?
You have to perform. Every match, you have to perform.You played for five counties – which was the best experience?
This is a good question. My intention always was wanting to do well for my team; doesn’t matter whether it’s in the league, county or whatever. I had sympathy with my counties, but they didn’t treat me as well. At Leicestershire and Hampshire we won the T20 and they didn’t give me another contract, which is very painful. I wanted to do well, and I did. We were successful. But they didn’t give me respect for that. They released me.What was your happiest day on a cricket field?
The happiest day is whenever you perform, when you get the Man of the Match. Everybody is praising you. Your name is in the newspaper. I had a Man of the Match against India in Hobart in 2000. They had a good team at that time. It was my lucky day, and that really kick-started my career.And your worst day?
I belong to a very poor family. Our bread and butter is cricket, you know. We take it very seriously. So any day you don’t perform, or it’s not your day, that’s very painful. So you have to be committed. You have to say, “Razzaq, come on. Show your talent.”Who was the best catcher of a cricket ball you played with?
I played for Pakistan. Pakistan doesn’t have good catchers! But I suppose you can say Younis Khan was a good catcher.Who was the best coach you played under?

I’d say Bob Woolmer. He was a good motivator. He was very friendly with the players. When you coach, you should give confidence to the players. If you’re friendly with the players, they will tell you everything, they will never come under pressure, and they will perform.The best captain you played under?
Wasim Akram.Why, given the amount of talented cricketers Pakistan has had during your career, has the team regularly underperformed?

I will blame the PCB, all the chairmen who have come. They don’t understand the feelings of the players. They don’t know how to respect the players. That’s where we’re lacking. That’s why we’re not creating many good players nowadays.What was the biggest six you hit?
It was in Karachi, against Balaji, in a series against India in 2004. It went out of the park – over the stands – and it’s a huge ground.Were you more a batsman or a bowler?
I started as a bowler, but I’m a good observer. I watch very closely when the match is on. As time went on, batting gave me more enjoyment.Who was your room-mate when you were with Pakistan?

Shahid Afridi, most of the time.

“The PCB don’t understand the feelings of the players. They don’t know how to respect the players”

Who was the joker in the Pakistan team?
Mohammad Yousuf was very funny. Also, Shoaib Malik.Do you play other sports?
I like badminton, but I don’t have time to play other sports. Cricket is my passion.Who was the toughest bowler to face?
Shane Warne and Muralitharan. Of the fast bowlers, I was really impressed by Damien Fleming. Australia had world-class bowlers – McGrath, Brett Lee – but I felt comfortable against them. Fleming swung the ball. Very good bowler.And the quickest?
Shoaib Akhtar, in first-class cricket in Pakistan.If you had to survive the final over of a Test, who would you rather face: Wasim or Waqar?
Waqar Younis.Who was the fittest player in the Pakistan squads with which you were involved?
Younis Khan.Which individual statistic gives you the most pride?
I have 279 wickets and over 5000 runs in ODIs, but I missed 70, 80 one-day matches because of problems with the PCB chairman from 2007. So if I could have played those games, I might have been able to break a lot of records.If you were picking a Test World XI, which would be the first three names on the team sheet?
Dale Steyn, Saeed Ajmal, and AB de Villiers.And for T20?
Dilshan, Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Jos Buttler, Aaron Finch, de Villiers…Where’s your perfect holiday destination?
England. I like the cold weather, rain, everything. England has discipline, law and order. It’s a perfect lifestyle for me.What advice would you give to youngsters?

If you’ve got talent, don’t spoil it, don’t waste it. Talk to the right people. I’m doing Level 2 coaching and want to teach players to become hard hitters. I hope I will make more Abdul Razzaqs.Who practised the hardest in the Pakistan team?

You cannot say one person. What matters is quality practice that you enjoy. With Pakistan we had an eight-hour session when Javed Miandad was coach, and that was ridiculous. Eight-hour session!The Lahore terror attacks, the spot-fixing by Butt, Asif and Amir – it’s been a tough few years. What’s the way forward for Pakistani cricket?
You know, you need a good man as PCB chairman. If you’re not bringing them on merit, these kind of problems will come out. Everybody is out to become famous, not to help Pakistan cricket. They don’t have good intentions for cricket. They want to help themselves.

Steadiness and stars continue to steer Tasmanian cricket into a bright future

Mike Bingham04-Nov-2014For a place that was founded in 1803 as a penal colony for thousands of British convicts, Hobart has come a long way. The Tasmanian capital is the nation’s second oldest city and is home to 220,000 people.The journey since 1803 has often been a struggle, given its isolation from the Australian mainland and lack of investment, but in recent times the gloom has given way to optimism and pride as Hobart and the entire island benefit from a clean, green image. The city’s small population is increasingly diverse, thanks largely to the century-old University of Tasmania, which is home to thousands of international students, including Chinese, Indians, Malaysians and Thais.The lifestyle is relaxed and the people are welcoming to visitors and have time to talk. No surprise in a city in which peak hour lasts all of 15 minutes. Australia’s smallest capital has a lot to offer, including an amazing and diverse range of restaurants, and a thriving arts scene.The inner city itself has escaped most of the modern development that swept away much of the colonial heritage architecture in places like Sydney and Melbourne. Instead, whole streetscapes retain touches of Georgian grandeur.With Mt Wellington (1271 metres) at its back and the broad Derwent river estuary creating a deep water harbour – rated by many as second only to Sydney – Hobart’s setting is spectacular. Each summer, the port hosts at least 40 cruise-ship visits.The mountain is a marvellous vantage point from which to look over Hobart and its surrounds. It is also a platform offering dramatic views of the vast south-western wilderness. The drive from the CBD takes about 30 minutes, but be prepared for the weather. Snow sometimes falls in summer.Some 45% of the state’s 26,000 square miles is set aside as reserves, national parks and World Heritage areas. The sky is pollution-free; the air is reckoned to be the cleanest and freshest in the world. The first thing most Hobartians do when returning to Hobart airport after travelling interstate or overseas is to take a deep breath and announce how happy they are to be home.

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One of the city’s showpieces is Blundstone Arena, formerly Bellerive Oval. It is the venue for three World Cup games – Zimbabwe v Ireland, Scotland v Sri Lanka, and Australia v Scotland.Less than 30 years ago, it was a dusty suburban ground. Today it is one of the world’s finest boutique stadiums, accommodating 20,000 spectators in a beautiful riverside setting on the city’s eastern shore.Its transformation was triggered by the cricket’s administrators’ decision in 1987-88 to transfer from the TCA (Tasmanian Cricket Association) ground on the Queens Domain, which had been its headquarters for more than 100 years. The ground is on a hill on the outskirts of the CBD and was notorious for chilly winds blasting down from the nearby Mt Wellington. Bails were often blown off and, during one game, a sightscreen was toppled.

Less than 30 years ago, Blundstone Arena was a dusty suburban ground. Today it is one of the world’s finest boutique stadiums, accommodating 20,000 spectators in a beautiful riverside setting on the city’s eastern shore

Cricket has a long and quirky history in Hobart. One of the earliest references to it is contained in the 1813 diary by a colonial clergyman, who mentioned he had seen gentlemen playing the game. It is thought that some early games were played in June and July, thus matching the English seasons. Presumably the players soon woke up to the fact that mid-winter in Hobart was a far cry from a glorious summer day at Lord’s.It was not until 1977 that Tasmania was admitted to the nationwide Sheffield Shield competition. Until then, the state’s first-class cricket options had been a few annual matches against some of the other states, and an occasional game against touring international teams. A bid to gain admission to the Shield competition in 1964 was rejected. The message became clear: cricket in Tasmania had been held back by regional rivalries on the island. At times, representative selections were split between the south (Hobart), north (Launceston) and north-west. Improved administration and a growing realisation of the need for change gradually overcame that obstacle.In 1969, Tasmania was included in the inaugural national one-day competition and, three years later, Lancashire allrounder Jack Simmons was recruited as captain. His tough and inspiring leadership shaped the emergence of Tasmania on the national stage. Between 1974 and 1979, Simmons lifted his players to two semi-finals and two finals, culminating in victory in 1978-79. Along the way, he identified a brilliant young talent in Launceston: David Boon. The emergence of the gritty and gifted opening batsman in the early 1980s put the state on the international map. A statue at Blundstone Arena honours the great man who scored a century against New Zealand at the venue in 1993.Simmons was followed by another experienced English county cricketer, Brian Davison, formerly of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), who continued to develop the professional approach. In more recent times, Launceston has also produced Ricky Ponting, Australia’s best batsman of the modern era and a fierce competitor. Add to that list George Bailey, the current state captain. The impact of the performances and leadership by those three players cannot be over-estimated.The recruitment of the likes of Dennis Lillee, Richard Hadlee, Shane Watson and Michael Holding added strength to the team and glamour to the game itself. Modern cricket is now established as the premier summer sport on the island.These days, recruiting concentrates on the other Sheffield Shield teams. Opening batsman Ed Cowan, from NSW, was starved of opportunities at home but has blossomed as a Test player in Tasmania. The traffic hasn’t been one-way. Former Tasmania keeper-batsman Matthew Wade is now captain of Victoria, having played second fiddle to Tim Paine.In recent years, Tasmanian cricket has continued to punch well above its weight, having won the Sheffield Shield three times, plus a string of national one-day competitions. And Hobart Hurricanes excelled in the 2014 Champions League, helped by the fact that numerous state players are regulars in the IPL.Australian players have the reputation of being take-no-prisoners competitors, and Tasmanians adopt the same approach. For the administrators, the role of the Sheffield Shield competition is to develop players for the Test team. For the Tasmanian players, it’s a chance to take on the best and win. They say Test matches are tough gigs. Take your place in a stand at Blundstone Arena during a Shield game and you will see where the preparation for that challenge begins.The 2015 World Cup matches in Hobart will provide another huge boost to cricket and carry the beauty of the city to an international audience.