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ESPNcricinfo assess the performance of the eleven players who took South Africa to the top of the world

Firdose Moonda21-Aug-20129Hashim Amla
The leading run-scorer of the series, with 207 runs more than his nearest rival, and the only one with two centuries from the three matches, Amla’s form has hit its peak. At The Oval, he broke the South African record for the highest individual Test score with a sublime, undefeated 311 in an innings of class, finesse and style. He wrote his name onto the Lord’s honours board for a second time with a score, with a more contrasting knock of grit and grind. Like all the other batsmen in the match, Amla struggled to time and place his shots but unlike them, he survived and gave South Africa the base from which they could win the match, the series and rise to the top of the Test rankings.8Graeme Smith
He did not account for an England captain this time – at least, not yet – but he did take something of equal importance from the opposition: the No.1 Test ranking. His development as a leader was evident as he made two positive declarations at The Oval, a decision which saw South Africa take the series lead, and Headingley, where if weather had been better, a result could have been achieved. A hundred in his hundredth Test match was his best contribution with the bat and it was an innings that set up a massive victory but he also weighed in with two half-centuries. More telling than his individual efforts was his tactical management of the bowlers and it was evident that he had a plan for every England batsman. Smith is world cricket’s longest serving Test captain, having broken Allan Border’s record at Lord’s, and after this triumph, few would argue that he is not also world’s cricket best captain.Dale Steyn
The world’s best fast bowler showed why he is the world’s best fast bowler. Steyn steamed in every time he had the ball – bar the first day of the series at The Oval. He swung it prodigiously and attacked from all angles. His five-for at the Oval won the match for South Africa and he finished the series as the overall leading wicket-taker. Steyn did not bowl with the new ball – a mystery to many – as part of a strategy to avoid having him bowl to left-handers and to save him for targeting Jonathan Trott, who he has dismissed seven times over the course of his career. Steyn also batted in nightwatchman capacity twice, one failing but the second time doing his job and more when, at Lord’s, he shared in a stand with Amla that lasted 12.4 overs.7.5Vernon Philander

Five wickets in the second innings at Lord’s will be what Philander is remembered for but that was not his only contribution to the series. Philander bowled well throughout, using the same skills that brought him to the fore in the seven Tests he had played before this tour. He maintained a line around off-stump, more than half his deliveries were on a good length and he got seam movement and occasional swing. The result was that he ended as the second highest wicket-taker, the lowest average and the lowest economy rate. Although his claim to being an allrounder was laughed at, Philander scored vital runs at Lord’s, with an accomplished 61 in the first innings and a handy 35 in the second. As a measure of the significance of his batting, he scored more runs than England captain Andrew Strauss in the series.Morne Morkel brought hostility to South Africa’s attack and continued his hold over Andrew Strauss•Getty ImagesJacques Kallis
World cricket’s premier allrounder ended what could well be his last tour of England on a high, having previously had a poor record in the country. Kallis averaged less than 30 before this tour but righted that with an undefeated 182 at the Oval which pushed it up to 35.33. His name will not appear on the Lord’s honours board after a two umpiring decisions with which he was unhappy about ended his innings on both occasions. Kallis was used in his new impact role with the ball and took four wickets, including two in the Oval Test, of Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen, which helped South Africa open England up. What the numbers could not tell was that Kallis, the senior most member of the squad also played an important part in the leadership of the side and the advice he provided to Smith is unquantifiable in its value. His catching was also outstanding.7Morne Morkel
He accounted for Strauss twice to bring his head-to-head record against him to nine times in 11 innings and found what Allan Donald called his “mongrel.” Morkel was more aggressive than before, attacking the stumps, the batsmen and their heads. His bouncer will be remembered as one of the best weapons of the series. If not for his splatterings of inconsistency, which were at their worst at Lord’s, he may have had better figures. He ended as South Africa’s third-highest wicket-taker, behind Steyn and Philander, but encouragingly, did well with the new ball again since it was taken away from him after Philander’s meteoric rise. No bunny with the bat, Morkel also ensured South Africa’s tail was not hollow and provided resistance as far as he could.6.5 Alviro Petersen
A hard-fought 182 made Petersen’s series, after a lean run with the bat in the warm-up matches and the county season. Petersen’s century in Wellington was forgotten when he made a duck at the Oval, sandwiched between the hundreds but he returned to see off a more determined England attack at Headingley. He held the South African line-up together there and was impressive in the way he continued his innings on the second morning, where others, like Kevin Pietersen, were out early. Injuries also played a part in Petersen’s tour. A food niggle kept him out of the first warm-up and a hamstring strain out of the last one and problems in playing across the line returned at Lord’s, where he was out cheaply in both innings.JP Duminy
He made a case for himself to leapfrog Jacques Rudolph in the queue should South Africa want to field a batsmen less in future. Duminy’s maturity was obvious as he batted with the lower order at Headingley and Lord’s, showing patience and aptitude that many thought he had lost after he broke onto the scene against Australia in 2008. His 72-run partnership with Philander in the first innings at Lord’s proved to be more significant than initially thought, given the margin of victory at the end. Duminy is an energetic outfielder and offers a few overs, which make an attractive option for future South African sides.AB de Villiers did not quite sparkle in his new role•Getty Images6AB de Villiers
Thrown into a double role – of batting in the middle order and keeping wicket – at the start of the tour meant it was always going to be an experimental tour for de Villiers. In four innings his top score was 47 and his usually fast-paced belligerent batting style was shelved away. As a wicketkeeper, he averages significantly less with the bat, 30.33, than he does when not burdened with the task – 48.85. His glovework was solid, although he initially struggled with keeping to the legspinner at the Oval but he made few errors.Imran Tahir

Another series has ended without Tahir having officially “arrived,” on the international stage. This time he had more suitable surfaces to work with, particularly at Lord’s, but there was still not a lot of turn on offer. Tahir made a crucial breakthrough in the second innings at The Oval, where he removed Matt Prior, wrapped the tail in the first innings at Headingley and created the opening at Lord’s when he bowled Jonny Bairstow. He may be remembered most for his run out of Graeme Swann, an effort which involved throwing the ball at the stumps, rather than simply breaking them. Still guilty of using too many variations and giving away too many runs, Tahir has plenty to work on before South Africa’s next tour.5Jacques Rudolph
The one forgettable member of the South African squad, Rudolph did not have the same impact as the rest of the team. His only innings of substance was the 68 he scored at Headingley, when he opened the batting in place of the injured Petersen. Rudolph looked uncomfortable against the short ball and offspin – he was Pietersen’s victim twice at Headingley and he only faced two balls from him. If South Africa have one concern after this series, it will be the No.6 position, which Rudolph has so far failed to make his own.

Offspinner reveals how he battled various fears in the last year to stay strong

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Aug-2012On Friday afternoon, as soon as Essex finished a convincing victory against Kent in their Championship match, Harbhajan Singh dashed from Canterbury to the outskirts of London to pay obeisance at a Gurudwara. It was an important day.August 1, 2011 was the last time Harbhajan had played for India. He had left the England tour mid-way due to a stomach injury. He was two matches away from becoming only the ninth Indian cricketer to play 100 Tests. But a combination of injuries, dip in form and the lack of faith from the selection panel left him stranded on 98 Tests. He missed the home series against West Indies, the away tour of Australia, the Asia Cup and recently the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. In between he lead Mumbai Indians to their maiden Champions League Twenty20 title and replaced Sachin Tendulkar as the captain for the fifth season of the IPL. Yet deep down, Harbhajan was worried if he might ever make a come back.So today, even before he stepped into the ground, when he received the message about his recall into the Indian squad for the World Twenty20, Harbhajan was caught unawares. Luckily he was distracted by the cricket and played a match-winning hand with three wickets. It was the first time Harbhajan had taken four wickets in a match after the tour of the Caribbean last year.”It is special. It is good to be back in the team. It is another opportunity to do well. I have played for so many years but that has all gone. I need to start fresh. I am very excited to be part of the team,” Harbhajan said, walking late evening on the streets of Chelmsford city to get his dinner. The news was still sinking in, but the sense of hurt and disappointment caused by the year-long hiatus had taken its toll somewhat even on a steely fighter like Harbhajan.He admitted it was a “very hard and tough year” sitting out, and agreed with the view by his former captain Rahul Dravid, who had said that a comeback was tougher than making a debut. “Nobody would like to be outside the team but as Rahul [Dravid] mentioned it is difficult to make comebacks than playing first time for India. It is much more difficult for a guy like me who has played for 12 years, had a very successful career and then suddenly you are out of the team. Then you have to work even harder and you have to compete with yourself to do even better. Having already set some standards through your various performances you are competing with yourself. You have to step one further now. For that you have to work even more harder, remain even more focused and start again from the scratch.”There was indeed some desperation when everything he tried did not translate into good things on the field. “You work even harder but nothing clicked – I tried everything but either I was getting injured or I was not getting the rewards,” Harbhajan said.The lesson, Harbhajan pointed out, he learned during his time out was “nothing can be taken for granted.” Philosophical, yet true. “Even your failure and your success cannot be taken for granted. When you are going through a good patch you tend to ignore certain things. It could be your sleeping habits, it could be waking up at 6 am and going for a jog, it could be a gym session. You think you know you have to do all things. But when you come out of the team, you get injured, you are not doing that well and then you realise these are the things I am missing,” he said. So getting stronger, both mentally and physically, were the twin goals that would allow him to be in a good position once he was recalled.But the injuries posed as the main stumbling blocks. “It took me about three months to recover from the stomach injury. Later I led Mumbai Indians to the title in the Champions League Twenty20 but suddenly I was hit by the shin injury,” he said. The shin pain did not allow him to even run for five minutes at a stretch and kept him out for another three months. “My focus completely shifted towards these frequent injuries. I wondered why this was happening.” He was desperate. He wanted to come back.

“I just want to go and enjoy the game because I felt during the time out I had forgotten to enjoy the game.”Harbhajan Singh

“I played Ranji Trophy games but did not get too many wickets. I lead Punjab well in the shorter formats. But that was not just enough,” he said. He had just two wickets in his bag from the three Ranji matches that he played. Harbhajan was not entirely sure if he had lost his mojo. “I did not feel I had gone wrong drastically. That I had lost everything I had: the control on the ball, the way it spun. Those things were happening, but not the way I wanted it to be.”The fear of another injury had gripped him. But then he started speaking to successful people from all walks of life and their underlying message was to just enjoy his trade. “I just want to go and enjoy the game because I felt during the time out I had forgotten to enjoy the game. Even in the IPL I was under pressure which came out of my own expectations. I was feeling like: I need to lead the side well, I need to perform well to comeback into the side. So that probably affected my chances.”The plan to come to England had a meaning. He wanted to enjoy the game, which had gone missing. The IPL was the final leg of the Indian domestic season and Harbhajan had managed just six wickets in 17 matches without bowling his full quota of overs in as many as eight outings. He then decided to play for an English county and had offers from Essex and Somerset. He understood the challenge was bigger because the domestic batsmen in England are far more conservative in their strokeplay. Also the pitches do not turn much. But he knew he could make a difference. “I am enjoying over here and playing competitive cricket and looking much better than what I was both mentally and physically and bowling lot of overs whenever I get opportunity and the sun is out. I definitely want Essex to finish stronger.”It was a similar scenario in 2007 when Harbhajan had helped his former county Surrey get promoted that season. Back then the selectors had left out Harbhajan from the England tour. But his strong performances at Surrey had earned him a national berth a few months later for the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa, which India won. He remains equally confident this time, too: that Essex would move from Division Two to Division One and India could stake a strong claim to the World Twenty20 crown in Sri Lanka.

Who will win the Champions Trophy? How will the top players fare? Ricky Ponting answers

05-Nov-2012Who do you expect to be the star players at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy?
The South African team, at the moment, are right up there. Amla is probably the best batsman in both Test and ODI forms. He’s played well in English conditions in the last few months and could have a massive tournament. Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina – although English conditions might not suit the Indian players – are hugely talented and could have a massive impact. Sangakkara is just getting better and better with each year that goes by. The last few years he’s been outstanding, and has done well in English conditions in the past. Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott stand out for England. Trott is just so consistent at what he does, and Bell, when he’s playing well particularly at the top, could be looking to bat through and make big hundreds.And the Australians?
Shane Watson’s going well now and, along with Michael Clarke, will be the two guys leading the way batting wise for Australia. And our young quicks should have a good time if they get favourable conditions – Pattinson, Starc and Cummins – they could play a huge part, all those guys are bowling close to 150kph and swinging the ball, so will be very dangerous. I’ve never seen a more exciting group of young fast bowlers in Australia since I’ve been playing. When you add in Siddle and Hilfenhaus, it’s a great attack. There’s another kid playing in the Champions League at the moment for New South Wales, Josh Hazlewood, who’s a very good bowler. The talent and stocks are very, very good. A couple are still finding their feet at the international level, but next summer and beyond, you’ll see these guys performing as very good bowlers.How do you rate Australia’s chances at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy?
They’ve got as good a chance as any team, no doubt about it. I know they were very disappointed with results and their form in the UK recently, but England played very well and we were coming off a break from the off season. Come next summer, the boys will be ready to go. I’d single out Australia, South Africa, England, and New Zealand as being the main contenders, considering the conditions. New Zealand always seem to find a way to make the quarters and semis in big tournaments. England face Australia in Group A at Edgbaston. A good chance to gain the upper hand before the Ashes, perhaps?
I don’t think either team will be focusing on the Ashes – when you’re in the Champions Trophy, they’ll be focused on that. You can guarantee both teams will be out there to play the way they always play – with great rivalry and great respect for each other.Do you expect England and Australia to progress from Group A as opposed to New Zealand and Sri Lanka?
Tough pool, that one. England should know the conditions like the back of their hand, so yes, Australia and England should be the two favourites to progress, but in ODIs you just never know. New Zealand always find a way to progress!Who do you think will progress from Group B, among India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies?
South Africa and India.Did you enjoy playing cricket in England?
I loved every opportunity to play in UK. It’s the one tour – whether it’s Ashes or not – that all young Australians want to be a part of. The history, the grounds… even little things like travelling around on the coach for a few weeks or months at a time is a great way to see the place and also to learn a lot about team-mates and friends whilst you’re away. Hands down, England is my favourite place in the world to tour and play cricket.What about the three Champions Trophy grounds – The Oval, Edgbaston and Cardiff?
I’ve got lots of good and bad memories of playing at The Oval – we’ve won, we’ve lost and drawn when we’ve needed to win, but it’s such a great place to play. Great ground, very good wicket to bat on, very fast outfield and a just a great vibe of playing in London.Edgbaston is probably the ground I’ve played the least at in England – last time round in the Champions Trophy in 2004, England beat us in the semi-final.I’ve not got too many fond memories of playing in Cardiff. We should have won the 2009 Ashes Test and we lost the ODI game against England comfortably, and lost to Bangladesh there too a few years before that. The ground is totally different to when I started playing in the UK, but when we played the games there in 2009, it was fantastic and had great crowds there.And could it be a big year for you personally, in 2013?
I’m not looking forward too far yet. I’ve got a few Tests left to play in 2012 first, and that’s what I’m focused on. Hopefully, I can continue to do enough to help Australia climb back up that tree to world No. 1.You enjoyed a short but successful spell at Somerset. Can you envisage another spell in county cricket in England at some stage?
Never say never. I really enjoyed my brief stint at Somerset. I arrived at the club and things weren’t going to plan. They hadn’t won a game in a long time. I got there and we managed to string a few wins together. I’m a cricket lover and cricket tragic, and to get a feel for what county guys do day in day out was a lot of fun. It’s a great club full of great people.

Kyle Abbott was originally part of the squad only to gain experience. Then Jacques Kallis got injured, and Abbott ended up taking 7 for 29 on debut

Firdose Moonda in Centurion23-Feb-2013Lance Klusener, Kyle Abbott’s coach at the Dolphins, called him the night before his Test debut. As is Klusener’s habit, he did not do much talking.Instead it was Abbott who was wittering away and Klusener was responding in monosyllables, as he often does. “He was saying, ‘Ok, ok, hmmm, ah, ok,’ and then he ended the conversation with, ‘Just keep it tight,'” Abbott told a packed press-conference at the end of the second day in Centurion. He did so much more and he knew it, which is why he ended the anecdote with a toothy grin to meet his audience’s giggles.As the first Dolphins player to represent the country since Imraan Khan played a solitary match in 2009, Abbott has put Kwa-Zulu Natal back on the cricketing map. He combined an accurate line just outside off stump with the ability to make the ball rear up from a good length to take 7 for 29 and become South Africa’s second-most successful debutant.The only South African to have performed better on his maiden Test appearance was Klusener, who took 8 for 64 against India. The former allrounder may have more to say on the phone tonight, but even if he keeps his comments to a minimum, there is little doubt Klusener will be proud.He was the first person Abbott credited for the spike in his form over the last season, which took him to the top of the first-class wicket charts. “Lance has been unbelievable, I mean, what a guy,” Abbott said. “He is not the kind of person to change too much technically but he has really helped me on the mental side of things and with being slightly more aggressive. He has given me the push I needed.”Abbott was a not a spitting Cobra – few rookies would be – but he showed his intent with the ball through discipline. Apart from his first delivery – a half volley on Azhar Ali’s pads that was dispatched through midwicket – he rarely offered anything loose and only conceded one more four.He was dangerous because he played on Pakistan’s insecurities. Abbott’s ability to extract extra bounce ensured the batsmen were always in two minds. They were obviously anticipating short-pitched bowling and stayed on the back foot. When they realised Abbott was not targeting that length, they could not get forward quickly enough to play him and edged deliveries instead.A performance like that required certain maturity, often gained with time spent on the domestic circuit. Abbott has done that. Since missing out on the chance to represent SA Schools in 2004, because of a knee injury, he hovered around the provincial set-up and got his break four seasons later in 2008-09.A regular at the Dolphins since 2010, Abbott was always thought to have potential. Even though he is not a tearaway quick and the speedgun remains around the 130 kph mark, he is skillful when he bowls, and as Vernon Philander has proved, that can be more than enough.The last five days played out in dreamlike haze for him. Everything, from receiving his call-up to being included in the starting XI, has been a surprise and Abbott is enjoying every moment of it. His eyes lit up when he was asked about how he heard he would be part of the Test squad and words tumbled out.”Andrew Hudson [convenor of selectors] phoned at me at 7 o’clock on Tuesday morning. I didn’t have his number so I couldn’t see who was calling and I was still asleep,” Abbott said. “When I heard the phone ring, I just put it on silent and rolled over and carried on sleeping. When I woke up and listened to the message, I thought I had better call back.”Abbott is the latest on a long list of players, which includes Philander, Rory Kleinveldt, Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar, who have been new to the squad in the last 14 months. The unit is used to welcoming fresh talent and Graeme Smith said they do all they can to make them feel welcome.Abbott was greeted with the same warmth, although he was made aware he was only around to gain experience. He was comfortable with that. “It was just special being around these guys and seeing how the No. 1 team in the world prepares and does their thing,” he said.On Thursday afternoon, hours before the Centurion Test, Jacques Kallis decided to go for his first optional training session in years. “I was in the nets bowling and Gary came and stopped me and said Kallis has pulled up so I might be in,” Abbott said. “I was thinking ‘no way, he is a stalwart, he will make it fine.’ Kallis went for a scan and I carried on. Then Gary came to me later in the afternoon and said I was in.”Abbot’s mind began racing. The call-up had come much sooner than expected. “It’s always in the back of your mind, playing Test cricket, but I didn’t think it would come like this,” he said. “Friedel de Wet [who played for South Africa against England in 2009-10 when Dale Steyn was injured] told me to always give 100% and expect nothing in return.” That’s what Abbot believed until Thursday afternoon.Everything changed. He was going to play a Test and the thought overwhelmed him. The feeling lasted longer because South Africa chose to bat and Abbott was not needed for the entire first day. “I haven’t got any sleep over the last two days,” he said. “This press conference is the first time my hands aren’t sweating and my stomach is not a knot.”Abbott was nervous about everything he did. When he stood up to bat, he had a mishap similar to Faf du Plessis on debut in Adelaide. Du Plessis’ shoelace had come undone and he almost fell down the stairs. Abbott fell through the gap in the chair as he got up to walk to the crease. “I’ve got a huge graze down my leg,” he said.The impression he gave was of a serious and calm person, who compiled runs sedately. “He didn’t show any nerves with bat in hand,” AB de Villiers said. And he definitely showed none with the ball.Abbott came on in the 18th over, with Pakistan going fairly steadily. Dale Steyn, Philander and Kleinveldt had tied things up and Abbott was required to do what Klusener had instructed him to. Instead, he took wickets. And wickets. And wickets. Until he had collected seven, the same number as Marchant de Lange on debut.”It was all about building pressure the whole day,” Abbott said. “The other seamers bowled just as well. It could have been anyone’s day out there and I was lucky it was me.” That was not mere bashfulness; Abbott had made a point.Steyn and Philander’s role was obvious because of the absence of Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis, and even Kleinveldt bowled well though his figures did him no justice. In his first spell, Kleinveldt was undoubtedly the standout bowler. Abbott outdid everyone, and Smith managed him as only an experienced leader could do. “Graeme kept asking ‘Are you done?’ and the word ‘no’ just kept coming out of my mouth,” he said. Adrenaline and determination combined as Abbott bowled himself into a small part of history.He has a souvenir to show for it. As Abbott left the field, Steyn presented him with the match ball. “Dale was awesome,” Abbott said, for the first time showing a bit of hero-worship. “He stood next to me for most of that spell and just told me to keep doing it.” If he does, South Africa can be guaranteed another stellar quick in their ranks. For now, Abbott’s performance has created more competition for places, which can only be healthy as South Africa build their legacy.

Watching two young Indian batsmen bat out a whole day was heart-warming. Shame on those who thought otherwise

Atul Bhogle04-Mar-2013Choice of game
With the Test starting on a Saturday, it was a golden opportunity to watch the first two days without giving the office a miss. Having watched the Aussies crumble against Indian seam and spin on the first day, I was eager to find out if the Indian batting could build upon the good work done by the bowlers.Key performer
It was Cheteshwar Pujara’s show. He played the role of the sheet anchor to perfection, thwarting the twin threats of James Pattinson and Peter Siddle in the first session and opening up beautifully in the third session to make it India’s day. Vijay, him of the six-hitting reputation in the IPL, played the perfect foil, curbing his natural instincts to play as per the team’s requirements.One thing I’d have changed
I would have liked to see the Aussie spinners challenge the batsmen more. Though Xavier Doherty, like Ravindra Jadeja on day one, was extracting good turn and bounce from the pavilion end, neither him nor Glenn Maxwell seemed to have a stock ball they could rely on. It was cannon fodder for the Indian batsmen. Nathan Lyon, with a bit more Test experience, would have been a far better choice in the circumstances.The missed silence
The two teams lined up at the start of play to observe a two-minute silence in memory of the victims of the recent bomb blast in Hyderabad. However, the announcement was not clearly audible in few of the stands. It led to the bizarre spectacle of half the stadium and the two teams standing silently while the other half went on cheering. Noble intentions thus came to a nought, all due to a faulty public address system.Interplay I enjoyed
Pattinson was steaming in with intent in the first hour and caused some nervous moments to both Vijay and Pujara. There were a couple of plays and misses and Vijay was lucky to get away with an edge early on. Pattinson’s pace was fantastic to watch from behind his arm.Filling the gaps
The Indian reserves were doing their fielding drills during the lunch break. Shikhar Dhawan looked fittest of the lot and took some very acrobatic catches that were cheered by the crowd.VVS Laxman came out during the tea break again and was welcomed with a cheer that reverberated through the stands. He would have approved of the way Pujara and Vijay batted today.Shot of the day
Pujara had shown against New Zealand that he was a compulsive hooker. However, having been dismissed hooking in Bangalore, he had shelved it completely. The shot came out today in the last session, and what a moment he chose to bring it on! The new ball was taken and it was the last chance Australia had of salvaging something from the day’s play. Pujara’s response was a cracking hook off a bouncer from Pattinson – it soared over fine leg and brought up his 150. The day couldn’t have gone more wrong for Australia.Crowd meter
The Hyderabad crowd deserves a special note of appreciation for coming out in full force and braving the hot sun to cheer India. The western stands were the loudest and when they triggered the Mexican wave, it went round the stadium in seven seconds flat. At one moment there were two waves doing the rounds, something I have never seen. The spectators were also very appreciative of the Aussie fielding efforts, which was a welcome break from the trend in Indian grounds – the likes of Chennai and Eden Gardens excluded.Food
We had learnt our lesson yesterday and had a (very) heavy breakfast before coming into the ground, so as to not be dependent on the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s whims and fancies when it came to catering arrangements. Sure enough, there was no packed rice box available today and the crowd had to be content with six-inch pizzas being sold at exorbitant prices. At least there were more water dispensers, which was a bit of a relief.Tests v limited-overs
I feel watching a Test is always a more rewarding experience for the spectator. It has a certain ebb and flow that is harder to find in limited-overs cricket, and is certainly nonexistent in Twenty20s. The likes of the IPL also have so much noise and sundry entertainment going on that it is hard to focus on the cricket, which in itself is not always interesting.Each hour in a day’s play in a Test might not generate non-stop action, but as they say, good things happen to those who wait – which is exactly what happened today.The fans were out in full force despite the blazing heat•BCCIUnreasonable demand of the day
Pujara and Vijay were biding their time in the first session, which meant only 49 runs were scored. The crowd, eager to watch Sachin Tendulkar bat, started a “We want Sachin” chant and joined in with the Australians for each appeal, even cheering for an “Out” when a run-out decision was referred to the third umpire.The demand didn’t subside even in the last session, which was a pity. Surely an almost Dravid-VVS like partnership deserved a better reaction? When Pujara brought up his 150 with the aforementioned hook, an elderly gentleman, peeved by the crowd’s demand for Tendulkar, retorted: “Do you dare to ask for Sachin even now?”Marks out of 10
10. As an Indian fan, I was chuffed. The sight of two youngsters batting out the day was very heart-warming.

With some of their big names stumbling this season, Kings XI Punjab were rarely serious contenders for a playoff place

Vishal Dikshit19-May-2013

Where they finished

Just like last season, Kings XI Punjab finished sixth with 16 points and for the third season in a row they were left agonisingly close to a place in the qualifiers. Had they won one more match and ended with 18 points, they too would have been in contention for a place in the playoffs along with Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Traditionally they are poor starters but this season they began with a commanding win. However, they lost their next two matches and followed it with some more inconsistent performances.

What went right

The overseas players. From the first match, in which Ryan Harris and Azhar Mahmood helped the other bowlers restrict Pune Warriors to 99, to the last, it was the overseas players who first kept them in the top half of the points table, then kept their hopes alive till their penultimate match and then gave them a 50-run win in their last match against the mighty Mumbai Indians in Dharamsala.Their top three run-scorers, their highest wicket-taker, their 38-year-old allrounder – all foreign players. Ryan Harris did his bit too with an economy of six runs per over from three matches before injuring his heel.What also worked very well for Kings XI was their pace attack, comprising mainly of Indian bowlers. Sixty-three out of the 77 wickets their bowlers took were through the pacers, a whopping 81.81%. Praveen Kumar’s swing fetched him 12 wickets – mostly disturbing the top order, Parvinder Awana struck 15 times in 14 matches – a first or second change bowler breaking partnerships in the middle overs, Mahmood also took 15 with his precise line and length, complementing Kumar with seam options. When changes were made in the pace attack, Sandeep Sharma took eight wickets in four matches, Manpreet Gony took seven and Harmeet Singh chipped in with five wickets in three.

What went wrong

Opening partnerships. Whether Mandeep Singh opened with Adam Gilchrist, Shaun Marsh or Luke Pomersbach, the highest he could manage with any of them was 45 with Gilchrist. Their highest opening stand, of 60, was between Gilchrist and Marsh in their penultimate match which came a little too late. An out-of-form captain and an average opening stand of 16.50 at a run-rate of 6.68 means Kings XI will have to buy some specialist openers in next year’s auction as Gilchrist won’t be there, whether they want him or not.Kings XI had their problems batting first. They often lost a flurry of wickets in the slog overs and out of the eight matches in which they batted first, they lost eight wickets or more five times – including two all-outs. To add to that, they crossed 150 only thrice in those eight matches, winning all three.

Best player

While Mahmood put his heart and soul into his performances, making 196 runs with two fifties and picking 15 wickets (joint highest wicket-taker for Kings XI), the player who changed their batting fortunes along with Marsh was David Miller. After missing their first three games, Miller grabbed everyone’s attention with an unbeaten 41-ball 80 to chase 186 in the last over against Pune Warriors. Hungry for more, he helped them chase a modest 121 in the next game and struck another fifty a match after that, but his five sixes weren’t enough as they fell short by four runs. In their next match, against Chennai Super Kings, he made sure he finished the chase again with a 25-ball fifty before pulling of perhaps the innings of the season, a belligerent 38-ball hundred against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He finished as the highest run-scorer for Kings XI, and his father’s advice of .”if it’s in the arc, it’s out of the park,” was one of the memorable lines of the IPL.

Worst player

Since Gilchrist’s performances were waning in the last couple of years, the nucleus of the Kings XI squad was made of other Australian batsmen David Hussey, a T20 veteran, and Marsh. But Hussey, unlike his brother, failed to make a mark this season and was unable to win them a single match. On the field, he was more entertaining during the short stints when he was miked up – providing jokes and insights – than with bat and ball. No fifties, 235 runs at a strike-rate of 112.55 and 11 overs for 91 runs without a wicket sum up a sorry season for a man on whom Kings XI splashed out $1.4million.

Find of the season

He played only four games but they were enough for him to make a mark. Just turned 20, Sandeep Sharma‘s figures of 3 for 21 against Sunrisers Hyderabad added to his achievements at the Under-19 level and the Ranji Trophy. Against Delhi Daredevils, he produced 3 for 23, this time including a maiden, and in their last match picked two more to finish the season on a winning note.

Moment to remember

After having a difficult season with the bat, Gilchrist signed-off in style with a first-ball wicket of Harbhajan Singh in the last match – his first wicket in representative cricket – and what followed was a medley of IPL celebrations. As soon as Gurkeerat Singh took the catch, Gilchrist mimicked Chris Gayle and Harbhajan doing the Gangnam step, followed by Kieron Pollard’s style of celebration. In the post-match presentation, he said he missed out on Darren Sammy’s rock the baby step, but the celebrations didn’t seem to lack any enthusiasm.

Recommended for retention

David Miller, Shaun Marsh

Pakistani supporters outnumbering Irish fans at a game in Dublin – Whodathunk

Gary Murphy27-May-2013Choice of game

We don’t get many chances to see top-level cricket in Ireland so this weekend game was a must-see. After the first match ended as a tie, I felt this match could turn out to be another classic.Team supported
I am a die-hard Irish fan and fervently hoped to see our boys achieve their first home win against a Full Member side. I was also looking forward to watching some of the world-class Pakistani players such as Kamran Akmal and Mohammed Hafeez in action.Key performers
Ed Joyce played one of the most serene innings seen at this venue, with Kevin O’Brien providing a strong push at the end of the innings. The Ireland seamers soon set to work on disassembling the visitors’ top order but the man that mattered most was Kamran Akmal who paced his innings to perfection and brought Pakistan back into the game.One thing I’d have changed
As fantastic as Akmal and Wahab Riaz’s assault was, a historic Irish victory would have been preferable to watch. Towards the end it seemed that we could have been treated to another last-ball finish but it wasn’t to happen.Face-off I relished
The match-up I most relished was Kevin O’Brien taking on the Pakistan attack. O’Brien’s power-hitting is one of the great sights of the Irish game and for a while at least he put on great show, with a series of punishing sweep shots entertaining the crowd. However, he perished after attempting one big shot too many. It was good while it lasted.Wow moment
With the required rate climbing Abdur Rehman attempted to smash Alex Cusack through the covers, but O’Brien had other ideas, diving to his right and scooping the ball inches from the turf after it had gone already past him. It was a stunning catch and the crowd acknowledged it.Shot of the day
Joyce was quickly running out of partners, and time to reach his century towards the end of the Ireland innings, so he decided to just get it over with quickly. He skipped down the wicket and seemed to simply flick the ball off his legs but it flew over cow corner, bringing up his first ODI century for Ireland, to go with his hundred for England. The crowd knew the importance of the innings and showed it with long applause.Close encounters
Nasir Jamshed had to endure a series of sarcastic cheers after some truly awful misfields on the square leg boundary and didn’t seem to take kindly to it. Later, Niall O’Brien shared a few jokes with the spectators, including an offer for an intimate dinner later on.Crowd meter
This was the definition of a partisan crowd, with Pakistani supporters outnumbering the Irish. The crowd was in great spirits though, with both sets of fans clearly just wanting a good day’s cricket. The visiting supporters brought a vibrancy and colour not usually seen at matches in Ireland. They made great noises and created an unforgettable atmosphere, with Hindi-pop blaring out over the speaker system, the smells of chicken biryani wafting through the stands and the Dublin sun making a long overdue arrival to the summer. A little bit of Clontarf was transported to Karachi for the day.Fancy dress index
The crowd was a sea of green for the day with Irish jerseys, Pakistani tops and other shades of green in between. The best I spotted was a young Pakistani supporter who’d turned an Ireland t-shirt into the opposition version with some clever application of tin-foil, paper and plenty of sticky tape.Entertainment
The music was a bit hit or miss but the crowd danced to it anyway. Cricket Ireland brought in a Jumbotron for the game and it definitely provided an improvement to the old scoreboard. The lunch interval brought a hundred young kids out onto the playing surface for some games of Kwik cricket. The pace and enthusiasm they played with made it hard to look away. Other than that the entertainment had to come from the cricket, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.Overall
A day that lived up to everything in its billing. A vibrant crowd, some great weather and a fantastic game of cricket. This was a perfect advertisement for everything good about Irish cricket and it will have gotten many more fans after today. Irish cricket will only hope we get more days like this in the future to show what we can do on the field.Marks out of ten
I’ll go with an 8. Two marks were lost only because of the result which made the ending bittersweet after a near-perfect day of cricket. A pulsating crowd, hard-fought cricket and a very satisfying series; welcome to cricket in Ireland.

Plays of the day from the second day of the Chester-le-Street Test

George Dobell and Brydon Coverdale at Chester-le-Street10-Aug-2013Wise calls of the day
Twice Alastair Cook was pressed by his bowlers to ask for lbw reviews that they were convinced were out. Twice Cook declined to give in to them – wisely. On the first occasion, Shane Watson lunged forward to defend off Stuart Broad, and the bowler seemed certain the ball had flicked the pad on the way through to the bat. Replays showed it was a perfect forward defence with no hint of pad. Smiles went through the England cordon when the big screen revealed Broad’s misjudgement. Later, Jonathan Trott rapped Chris Rogers on the pads with his part-time medium offerings and wanted a review. You didn’t have to be a trained lip-reader to understand Trott’s words to Cook: “Definitely pitched in line.” Replays showed the ball had pitched well outside leg.Decision of the day
It says much about umpire Tony Hill’s decision-making in this series that he was at the centre of yet more DRS intrigue. Here Hill gave Rogers out to a catch behind the wicket off the bowling of Broad when the batsman was on 20 only for Rogers to utilise a review. That review showed that Rogers had not hit the ball but suggested that the ball would have hit the stumps in the margin of ‘umpire’s call’. As a result England celebrated, thinking that the ‘umpire’s call’ verdict covered any appeal off the delivery and not specifically the decision about the catch. But Aleem Dar, the other on-field umpire, stepped in to clarify that Rogers should be given not out as Hill’s original decision had not applied to an lbw appeal. It was a circuitous route to making the correct decision.Drop of the day
Maybe it was fitting that Rogers should bring up his half-century with an edge to slip that was dropped and ran away for a single. Rogers’ innings, much like Cook’s the day before, had been torturous. But despite playing and missing often, Roger continued to battle and provided just the contribution Australia required to keep them in the game. The edge, off the bowling of the deserving Broad, was dropped by Graeme Swann, diving low to his right and coming close to taking an outstanding catch at second slip. But, had Swann left the ball, it may well have carried to Cook at first slip and would have reduced Australia to 89 for 5.Tune of the day
It was always likely that Watson would be haunted by memories of his first visit to Durham and Lumley Castle, in particular. In 2005, Watson was so perturbed by what he took to be a ghost in the room of his hotel in the castle that he asked to move rooms. He also reportedly spent one night sleeping on the floor of Brett Lee’s room. The England supporters will never let him forget it so, when Watson came out to bat, Billy Cooper, the Barmy Army trumpeter, played the theme from the film .Miss of the day

As Tim Bresnan tormented Watson with the moving ball, a weird subplot almost threatened to take the biggest star, DRS, off the back pages. Watson had wafted at a ball he was only going to edge and, amid the excitement, oohs and aahs, he tried to pretend it was business as usual and walked down the wicket to do some gardening. Then Matt Prior rolled the ball at the stumps, with Watson still out of his ground as it rolled past. Prior then talked to umpire Hill, perhaps asking if the ball had hit the stumps, would it have been out. Watson wandered slowly back into his ground.

ESPNcricinfo’s picks for the best eleven performers at the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifer in the UAE

Peter Della Penna01-Dec-2013Tony Ura (Papua New Guinea)
336 runs at 37.33Papua New Guinea came desperately close to securing a spot in the top six, and Ura was a big reason why. His two best scores were against the two toughest teams in Group B. He hit a 100 in an emphatic win over the Netherlands and 56 in a frustrating loss to Afghanistan. He was the second-highest scorer in the tournament, and had the most runs of any opening batsman. Although not physically imposing, his timing is crisp and he tied for the most sixes at the event with 14. He’s only 24-years-old so PNG have plenty of years to build around him.Paul Stirling (Ireland)
292 runs at 36.50, 11 wickets at 11.00One of only two players to remain from last year’s Tournament XI, Stirling continues to evolve from being just a devastating hitter at the top of the order to an allrounder who makes a handy contribution with the ball. Kenya’s Steve Tikolo, Nepal’s Paras Khadka and Stirling were the only players to be in the top 20 for both runs and wickets. He was named Man of the Match twice. The first time was against Namibia for making 52 in 36 balls, and the second against Hong Kong for scoring 77 off 46 and taking 4 for 10 in four overs. He arguably should have had a third award for his belligerent 76 off 43 balls against Afghanistan in the final, but Trent Johnston won out in a sentimental vote seeing as it was his last T20 match for Ireland. Stirling has a growing reputation for saving his best when it matters most for Ireland and this tournament was no exception.Matt Machan (Scotland)
364 runs at 45.50After starting 1-3 in Group B, Scotland were very nearly eliminated from contention for the top six before the play-offs began but they bounced back in a big way only to fall just short of a spot in Bangladesh. Machan was a big reason his team stayed in contention until the bitter end against the Netherlands. He scored four half-centuries, tied with teammate Calum MacLeod for most in the tournament, including one in each game against the Netherlands. He was the leading tournament run-scorer and set a new event record, breaking Paul Stirling’s total of 357 runs from a year ago.Wesley Barresi (Netherlands)
264 runs at 33.00The Dutch wicketkeeper started poorly with back-to-back ducks against Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea before making modest contributions with the bat during the rest of the group stage, but his team may not have secured a spot in Bangladesh were it not for his fearless 75 not out against Scotland in the play-offs. The Netherlands looked shell-shocked after failing to chase the UAE’s 117, but Barresi put the team on his back a day later to knock off Scotland’s 147. He had the second-most dismissals behind the stumps in the tournament with 10.Paras Khadka (Nepal)
232 runs at 29.00, 11 wickets at 18.18Along with Stirling, Khadka is a mainstay from the 2012 Tournament XI. With more than half of Nepal’s games being broadcast either online or on television at this tournament, many cricket fans outside of Kathmandu will have gotten their first glimpse of why this man means so much to his country. His raw stats don’t tell the full story as his numbers are not as glamorous compared to others in the list, not to mention those outside of the XI. After a first-day win over Denmark, Khadka stayed to the end with 54 not out as Nepal chased Kenya’s 182. The performance validated Nepal’s ambitions of finishing in the top six, though they might not have progressed to Bangladesh without his Man-of-the-Match performance against Hong Kong, when he anchored the chase of 143 with a cool 46 in 39 balls.Khurram Khan (UAE)
255 runs at 36.42, 9 wickets at 19.00Khurram Khan steered the host country into the main draw in Bangladesh with his all-round exploits. At 42, Khan has showed no signs of slowing down, and was his team’s leading scorer at the event, finishing ninth overall. A Man-of-the-Match performance with 2 for 18 and 67 not out against Hong Kong ensured UAE would finish in the top three of Group A and get two cracks at securing a spot in Bangladesh. They would only need one though after thwarting the Netherlands in defense of 117.Samiullah Shenwari (Afghanistan)
85 runs at 17.00, 16 wickets at 8.25Shenwari can easily get lost in the plethora of bowling options available to captain Mohammad Nabi, and he wasn’t even handed the ball in two of Afghanistan’s nine games, but he outshone the rest of his teammates over the previous 16 days to be named Player of the Tournament. The legspinning allrounder nabbed three Man-of-the-Match awards during the event, the most by any player, for his performances in wins over Papua New Guinea, Kenya and in the semifinal against Nepal. His 5 for 13 against Kenya was one of only four five-wicket hauls in the tournament, but Shenwari was a much more consistent threat than the other three who pulled it off, and he wound up tied for third overall in the tournament wickets’ column with 16.Despite being on the wrong side of 40, Munir Dar impressed with the ball•Graham Crouch/IDI/GettyMunir Dar (Hong Kong)
17 wickets at 13.05In a team full of young guns, Dar is the wily old fox still hanging around to impart not just wisdom, but plenty of skill as well. The left-arm spinner took 17 wickets, which was second overall, and the most of any slow bowler at the tournament. Twice he took 4 for 17, against the USA and Canada, but his most important contribution came in the play-offs against Papua New Guinea. With qualification into the World Twenty20 at stake, he chipped in with a vital 22 in the first innings before taking 3 for 26 and effecting a run out in a 29-run win to book a place for Hong Kong in Bangladesh.Mudassar Bukhari (Netherlands)
16 wickets at 15.31The medium pacer had to shoulder a bigger load at this tournament without Timm van der Gugten, but he more than handled it. Bukhari finished with 16 wickets overall, tied for third in the tournament with Shenwari. He was named Man of the Match twice, first in a win over Nepal with figures of 3 for 15, and later against Kenya with a return of 3 for 14. There has been much turnover in his team’s bowling options over the past few years, but he has remained a constant and useful presence.Max Sorensen (Ireland)
14 wickets at 10.64Sorensen is a fast bowler chiseled out of granite and he possessed the requisite intimidation factor both with physique and pace to keep opposing batsmen in check. He finished with 14 wickets, which only puts him tied for eighth, but part of that is down to the fact that Ireland had a group game washed out and also played two less games by virtue of booking a place straight into the semifinals after an undefeated run in Group A. A more telling stat was his average of 10.64, which put him behind only Shenwari and Ahsan Malik for bowlers in the top 20 wickets’ list. His lethal spell of 4 for 15 against UAE in the semifinal meant Ireland’s 147 was too steep a target.Ahsan Malik (Netherlands)
21 wickets at 10.00Malik and Sorensen were the only two bowlers in the tournament to bowl and take a wicket in every one of their team’s games. Malik took 12 in seven group games, but was just as prolific in the playoffs, taking eight in the final three matches of the tournament. His value was not just a knack for taking wickets but also in his ability to keep batsmen off balance. He was difficult to get away and his 5.67 economy rate was the second best of any pace bowler in the top 20 wickets list at the tournament.

The stats indicate that conditions in New Zealand have got difficult for fast bowlers

Shiva Jayaraman17-Jan-2014India are ranked No. 1 in the ICC ODI rankings while New Zealand are ranked No. 8. However, the contests between the two teams have not been as skewed as the recent gap in their rankings indicates. With a win-loss ratio of 0.58 against the hosts, India are only better than Sri Lanka – excluding Zimbabwe and Bangladesh – when playing New Zealand in away ODIs.Their last tour in 2008-09 was India’s first bilateral series-win in ODIs in New Zealand. Before that series, India’s record in New Zealand was dismal: they had managed to win only seven of the 24 ODIs they had played against the hosts – a win-loss ratio of 0.43. Even Zimbabwe had done better, winning four of their 12 matches ODIs for a win-loss ratio of 0.50. Only Bangladesh had fared worse than India in ODIs in New Zealand before that tour.However, given how indifferent New Zealand’s ODI record has been playing at home in the recent times, India stand a good chance of winning their second-consecutive bilateral series in New Zealand. Since 2011, New Zealand have lost 10 of the 19 ODIs they have played at home and won only eight, three of which have come against Zimbabwe. Among leading ODI teams, only Zimbabwe have had worse stats – in terms of the win-loss ratio – playing at home during this period.New Zealand owe their ordinary home record in ODIs largely to their inconsistent batting line-up. In 16 ODIs against teams other than Zimbabwe since 2011, New Zealand’s top-order batsmen have hit 20 fifty-plus scores, including four centuries, but have averaged only 31.11, which is lower than the top-order averages of the teams they played against during this period. Among their top-order batsmen who have batted at least five innings, only Brendon McCullum averages above 40.

The fact that New Zealand batsmen have been dismissed for cheap scores frequently has meant that they have not been able to string together substantial partnerships too often. The number of fifty-plus partnerships that New Zealand have had in home matches is the least by any team in home matches since 2011. In terms of the percentage of such partnerships, only West Indies have fared worse than them.

Though their India counterparts have not shown any such weaknesses overall, their recent performance in the ODI series in South Africa suggests that they tend to struggle against quality pace attacks in pace-friendly conditions. That has been the case in New Zealand too. Overall, Indian batsmen have such found conditions particularly tough: India’s top-order batsmen average 28.09 – the least among countries where they have played at least 20 ODIs. However, their last ODI series here was their best in New Zealand in terms of their batting averages. India’s top order averaged 62.72 with two hundreds and eight fifties in that series,significantly better than their previous best tour of New Zealand, in 1993-94, when they averaged 38.45.

However, the Indian batsmen’s improved showing in their last series had as much to do with the tracks in New Zealand as they had to with the quality of batsmen that played in the series. Conditions – helped by the shorter boundaries – have become tough in general for fast bowlers here in the last ten years. The seamers average 35.48 in ODIs in New Zealand since 2004, their second-worst in any country after their average of 35.50 in India during this period. Their overall economy of 5.33 playing in New Zealand is only better than their economies in India (5.48) and Pakistan (5.38). In contrast, in the ten-year period before 2004, New Zealand had the most helpful conditions for fast bowlers. They averaged 29.20 in ODIs played in the country, and had an economy of 4.49. Even after discounting for the high scoring rates in limited-overs cricket in the last ten years, numbers indicate that New Zealand has gone from being the most helpful conditions for fast bowlers, to one of the most difficult conditions for them to bowl in.

New Zealand’s transition into a country that has become batsmen-friendly in limited-overs cricket is also reflected in how India’s fast bowlers have fared in New Zealand over the years. Overall, numbers seem to indicate that India’s pacers haven’t done too badly in New Zealand. Before their last series here in 2008-09, India’s fast bowlers had taken 103 wickets from 24 matches against the hosts at an average of 29.73 and an economy of 4.31. These stats changed drastically in the 2008-09 series, when India’s fast bowlers could manage 11 wickets at 50.72 and at an economy of 6.73.

From the current India squad only three regular batsmen – MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma – have played international cricket in New Zealand. If the numbers are any thing to go by, India’s batsmen may not find the conditions too different from back home, and their bowlers may find them too similar.