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The final day of the Test series lived up to its billing with India emerging victorious in a gripping contest to level the series and confound those who had doubted their depleted line-up

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya07-Aug-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
VVS Laxman anchored India’s chase on a tense final day•AFP

India emerged victorious to level the series on a gripping final day at the P Sara Oval. VVS Laxman battled the pressure as well as an injured back in a tense chase and, with support from Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina, countered the probing Suraj Randiv to reach his 16th century and seal a memorable win – India’s fourth-highest successful chase in Tests.India needed a recovery each time Laxman stepped out to bat this series, and he delivered once again: his most valuable innings coming in a situation that was the most challenging. The nerves of a tough chase were more evident in his partners, who offered chances and survived moments of edginess, as opposed to Laxman, whose solidity guided India home.Laxman seemed to have more time than the rest to play his shots, and he picked gaps in the spread-out fields with comfort during a constant search for singles and twos. The wrist worked its charm early in his innings with a couple of delightful drives off Ajantha Mendis on either side of the pitch, and he latched on anything short, pulling Lasith Malinga for two boundaries behind square. Randiv’s extra bounce was neutralised with a quick adaptation to varying lengths and the use of soft hands. Mendis’ googlies were read early, and Malinga’s slightly wayward line was dominated with flicks, glances and pulls, along with a safe negotiation of his intermittent yorkers.Laxman suffered back spasms shortly before he lost Tendulkar, and relied on Virender Sehwag as runner. As India approached the target, Laxman moved towards his century with sublime timing, easing the spinners through covers, and brought up the landmark with a tickle to fine leg.Randiv was the most threatening of Sri Lanka’s bowlers and assumed the role of lead spinner in just his second Test. He delivered the ball quick from a high angle and was potent on a track generating bounce. Randiv’s three wickets on the fourth day had put Sri Lanka ahead and they would have been on top had an initially patchy Tendulkar not been dropped at forward short leg. He attacked from round the wicket, targeted the rough and got the ball to spit from a middle-and-off line. India’s approach throughout the day had been positive and Tendulkar’s hunt for runs, though reflecting his determination to keep India on track, kept Randiv interested. Tendulkar closed the face often, used the paddle, made room to cut Randiv from the stumps and even stepped out of his crease. He inside-edged Randiv to one that spun in but Tillakaratne Dilshan failed to hold on to a straightforward chance, a moment Tendulkar shrugged off with a lovely off-drive next ball.The feature of the Tendulkar-Laxman partnership was the ease with which they took singles, 48 of them in a 109-run stand. The fielders at mid-on and mid-off were placed deep enough for the batsmen to steal a run, and Kumar Sangakkara also had a deep point, who was kept busy. The steady flow of fours tempered Sri Lanka’s plan of attack, and the vacant areas were exploited through a series of nudges, cuts and dabs. One such attempt, however, brought about Tendulkar’s downfall as he gloved a sweep to the wicketkeeper to give Randiv his maiden five-for. But a counter-attack by Raina in a stand that dealt mainly in boundaries crushed Sri Lanka’s hopes.Raina’s previous two Test innings had an assuredness unusual for a debutant but he batted more like one at the start of his knock today. Raina tried to attack from the outset, an approach that could have triggered another twist to a topsy-turvy Test. He edged a wide delivery from Malinga that scraped the hands of slip and charged down the track the next ball to swing and miss. Those lapses prompted more caution and he opted for aggression only when the field came in. Raina launched the spinners twice over mid-on, smashed Mendis down the ground and ended the game before the tea break by dispatching Chanaka Welegedara into the stands at midwicket.Laxman’s performances in both innings were crucial but the game was set up in two decisive phases by Sehwag. His blistering century set a tempo to the Indian first innings that enabled them to scale down a formidable Sri Lankan total in quick time. And his dismissals of the Sri Lankan openers, Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana, on the third day deprived the hosts of the strong start they needed to post an intimidating target. All this on a competitive pitch, which gave India’s bowlers enough assistance to grab 20 wickets despite the absence of their most experienced bowler and the unavailability of a first-choice seam attack.

Central Districts coach Dermot Reeve’s fumes that Auckland’s Ravi Bopara had tampered with the ball to get it to reverse swing

Cricinfo staff22-Dec-2009 Ravi Bopara’s match-winning performance for Auckland against Central Districts in the New Zealand Cricket one-day competition in Palmerston North has been marred by CD coach Dermot Reeve’s claim that the England import tampered with the ball.Reeve, himself a former England cricketer, said he witnessed Bopara picking at the seam in order to get the ball to reverse-swing during CD’s failed run-chase. Bopara, who had earlier scored a century, claimed 1 for 51 in 10 overs of medium-pace.”I would take an oath and swear on my children’s lives, that I saw Ravi Bopara using his nails on the ball to help it swing,” Reeve told the .Bopara’s coach Paul Strang denied the claim. “It was a windy day, the ball does funny things,” Strang said. “None of these concerns have been addressed to me. I think it might be sour grapes from one end.”Reeve was not happy with Strang’s denial. “What Strang is saying is ridiculous. A windy day? I know 100% the ball was tampered with,” Reeve said. “I had the binoculars on him and I saw his nails on the ball on several occasions.”When I spoke to the umpires, they said ‘unless we actually see somebody putting their nails in or doing something to the ball, how can we prove it’? Unless an umpire has got the b**** to stop Bopara in his run-up and just say ‘give me the ball right then’, he’ll see a raised quarter seam, causing reverse swing.”Reeve did not find support from his side’s captain Jamie How, who said he did not notice anything out of the ordinary when he was batting and that any swing he encountered was “part of the game”.This is the second time Reeve has been in the news in recent times, after having accused Auckland and Northern Districts of collusion in order to contrive a result in their controversial Plunket Shield encounter earlier this month.

James Pattinson summoned a frightening spell that cut deep into New Zealand’s batting and helped bring about the end of Brendon McCullum’s storied international career

The Report by Daniel Brettig21-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Pattinson’s pace cut deep through New Zealand’s top order•Getty ImagesAs much as this series has packed into two Test matches, one element missing was high pace. James Pattinson changed all that on the third evening at Hagley Oval, summoning a frightening spell that cut deep into New Zealand’s batting and helped bring about the end of Brendon McCullum’s storied international career.On a day when Neil Wagner’s persistent short-ball attack had already been rewarded with a flurry of wickets after lunch, as New Zealand restricted Australia’s first-innings lead, Pattinson showed how speed can transcend conditions. His hostility and reverse swing left the hosts 14 runs in deficit with only six wickets remaining ahead of day four.Always a rhythm bowler, Pattinson had not quite found his form on day one and also bowled the fateful no-ball that cost Australia McCullum’s wicket. This time his pace and seam position were very much in sync, accounting for Martin Guptill, Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls before boring in at McCullum.While he did not take the wicket, Pattinson gave McCullum plenty to think about and on 25, the batsman slogged at Josh Hazlewood and was wonderfully caught by David Warner at midwicket. He and Steven Smith shook the departing McCullum’s hand but both know that victory and the world No. 1 Test ranking is now within reach.Adam Voges and the nightwatchman Nathan Lyon had played serenely in the early part of the day, but Voges’ departure to the pull short, after the fashion of Joe Burns and Smith, heralded the loss of quick wickets. In all, Australia’s last six wickets tallied only 67.Wagner’s energy and commitment to banging the ball into the pitch was not sophisticated, but over time it worked wonders on a surface given to the occasional bout of variable pace. His celebrations grew in exuberance at each wicket, as Australia’s advantage was limited.For Voges, it was another instance of applying the sturdy, calculated approach that has brought him runs at a scarcely believable rate in recent times. Momentarily his Test batting average again cleared 100, the only man to occupy that rarified air above Sir Donald Bradman.There had been more ambitious hopes for New Zealand when play began, following up on last evening’s dual dismissals. Wagner resumed with a similar line of attack, peppering Voges and Lyon with short stuff.Partly through determination and good technique, partly due to the docile character of the pitch, the batsmen were able to stand up to this examination, as Lyon repeatedly covered the bounce and dead-batted it near his feet.Runs flowed a little more freely after those early overs, though neither batsman played with extravagance. Voges offered a neat cut shot here, a checked drive there, while Lyon worked the ball around with the earnest intent of a man who would like to bat further up the order more often.Trent Boult had one concerted lbw appeal and review against Voges, but video evidence had the ball not swinging back enough to hit the stumps. It was telling that McCullum was reduced to bowling himself with the nightwatchman at the crease, and the Hagley Oval crowd raised a cheer when he beat Lyon’s outside edge.At the other end, Williamson would tempt Lyon into following a ball angled across him, and McCullum swooped nicely for the catch. Mitchell Marsh had a 21-ball sighter before the interval, and had the potential to lift the scoring rate dramatically when play resumed.Instead it was Voges who tried to push things along, and departed when Latham timed his leap to catch a flat pull shot at midwicket. Marsh also tried to take on Wagner, and likewise arrowed a catch to the inner field on the leg side.Pattinson broke the sequence with a sliced drive to point, before Peter Nevill’s attempted upper cut settled into BJ Watling’s gloves. Josh Hazlewood offered a simple catch to McCullum at slip to hand Wagner his sixth wicket, a deserved analysis.It was immediately apparent that Pattinson was bowling with good pace and a hint of movement, and the ball was still new when he found Guptill’s outside edge. Latham and Kane Williamson endured for a while, and Australia briefly pondered a review when Jackson Bird hit the No. 3 on the back pad.Smith brought Pattinson back and he soon had Latham’s wicket when some extra bounce resulted in a glove down the leg side. Nicholls was tightened up by a disciplined line and some pronounced reverse swing, before Pattinson angled one wider and was rewarded with a waft, an edge and a catch for Smith.McCullum’s arrival was warmly received, and for a while he seemed to be building something. He eschewed the extravagance of day one, instead mixing defence with calculated attack, but Pattinson did not give him a moment’s peace as Smith allowed the spell to stretch into a seventh over.There was one raucous lbw appeal denied, and one catch turned down after replays showed the ball had gone from bat to ground to boot – shades of Marsh’s ODI dismissal in Hamilton. Eventually Pattinson was spelled, and when McCullum hoisted Hazlewood over the midwicket fence New Zealand still dreamed.Next ball, however, Warner swooped, ending a glittering career and putting the prize of top spot well and truly within Australia’s sights.

ScorecardHammad Shahid takes a diving catch at deep square leg, one of four grabs he made during the game•Peter Della Penna

Fahad Babar and Timil Patel continued their exceptional tournament runs with bat and ball respectively, as USA recorded a comfortable eight-wicket win against Suriname in Indianapolis’ World Sports Park. The victory clinched them a top-two spot and a ticket to Ireland and Scotland for this summer’s World T20 Qualifier.USA won the toss and sent Suriname in hoping for a quick result, but Suriname hung tough to bat out all 20 overs ending on 106. Thanks to contributions from Muneshwar Patandin (10), Wasim Akram (21) and Gavin Singh (18), Suriname reached 71 for 2 in the 12th over before the wheels started to unravel thanks to the intervention of Timil, who took 4 for 13 and now has a tournament-leading 12 wickets from five games.The collapse was initially sparked by Karan Ganesh, who tempted Gavin Singh into a mistimed flick toward Adil Bhatti at deep midwicket on the final ball of the 12th for the third Suriname wicket. With a 35-run stand between Singh and Boodram now broken, captain Muhammad Ghous brought Timil on for the start of the 13th and he struck with his third ball as Boodram charged down the pitch and was beaten in flight to be bowled for 20. In Timil’s next over, Shazam Ramjohn mistimed a pull and a top edge was taken by Steven Taylor 15 yards behind the stumps to make it 82 for 5.While Timil eventually claimed Man-of-the-Match honors, the play of the day came in the 16th over courtesy of fast bowler Hammad Shahid. Sauid Drepaul tried to slog sweep left-arm spinner Danial Ahmed over the leg side but produced a swirling top edge. Shahid ran 30 yards from long leg to pull off a diving one-handed catch at deep square leg.”When the ball went up in the air, the wind was blowing pretty hard,” Shahid told ESPNcricinfo after the game. “I was trying to get under the ball but the ball kept pulling away from me because the wind was going against me so I had to put in the dive at the end because I don’t think I would’ve made it if I didn’t put in the dive. It just clicked and came in my hands. I was kind of surprised I got there because it’s pretty far for me. I haven’t taken a good catch like that in a while so it felt good and to take it at a big level for USA was amazing.”Shahid, who earlier claimed a catch at midwicket in the fourth over of the day to give Ghous a wicket, then claimed two far simpler catches at long-on off Timil’s bowling in the 19th over. Adil Bhatti bowled the final over of the innings and was responsible for the last Suriname wicket when he chased down the final delivery in his follow through before underhanding the ball into the stumps from five yards away.Babar and Taylor opened the chase with a 61-run stand before Taylor was out for 33 to start the 12th, getting dismissed in near identical fashion to Thursday’s match against Bermuda as he checked a drive straight back to seamer Muneshwar Patandin. Mrunal Patel added another 32 with Babar before he was out for 14 inside edging a flick through his pads with the ball just trickling into the stumps. Nicholas Standford joined Babar for the final 14 needed to win and finished 10 not out.Though USA only reached the target with 10 balls to spare, they took a relaxed approach to the chase and were never in danger of falling short. Babar hit two of the five fours in USA’s innings, including a booming sweep off Gavin Singh in the fourth over to spur him onto an unbeaten 43. Babar remains the tournament’s leading scorer with 209 runs and has only been dismissed once in Indianapolis.

This World Cup has already been an unprecedented experience for New Zealand. It is not about to calm down as they face Australia at Eden Park

Andrew McGlashan in Auckland27-Feb-20153:40

‘Playing Australia doesn’t change anything’ – McCullum

This World Cup has already been an unprecedented experience for the New Zealand side. It is not about to calm down as they face Australia at Eden Park in what is expected to be the biggest crowd for a cricket match in the country for more than 30 years.The record attendance in New Zealand is 42,000, for the 1982 match between the same two sides, and that will not be broken on Saturday with Eden Park’s current capacity set at 40,000. Still, with the sharply tiered stands that now surrounded the stadium set to be packed, it is likely to be an atmosphere rarely felt by the home side.That game in 1982 was a victory for New Zealand despite a century by Greg Chappell and also marked the debut of Martin Crowe, who will be inducted into the ICC’s hall of fame during the interval on Saturday. A repeat result this time will maintain the frenzy of excitement that has enveloped the New Zealand campaign.The team has had time to soak up the mood since thrashing England in Wellington in front of a crowd in excess of 30,000. The side split up for a few days to take advantage of the week’s break, but the hype has not died down. When the squad went to an event in the Auckland city centre there was a throng of fans wanting autographs and selfies.Embracing the mood of the nation has been a key part of New Zealand’s outlook during this tournament, and this match was a specific focus from very early in the planning stages as the team’s on-field results started to raise the level of expectation.”We knew that was going to be the case, especially if we started the tournament well,” Brendon McCullum said of the focus on his team. “We tried to factor that into our plans a long time ago, for the whole squad, not just those on the field but the back-room staff as well.”We’ve seen the way the public has reacted, the guys have loved it. Full houses are great and people driving past with flags hanging out of their cars. We’ve encouraged everyone to enjoy the tournament and lap up the chance to go out and about rather than a burden.”That was the beauty of preparation we had coming in. We were able to deeply ingrain that mentality among the group. The anticipation for this game is big but I feel the guys are in a good place because of the work we have done. I don’t think we will be overawed.”New Zealand’s stability and confidence was reinforced as they named an unchanged XI for the fourth match in a row. McCullum, though, was also keen to stress that there is no more, or less, riding on this match than the three previous outings in the group stage.”The points that are on offer tomorrow are no different to those against Sri Lanka, Scotland or England,” he said. “It is a big game, will be a great atmosphere and one the guys will remember for long time, but the points are still the same.”New Zealand’s approach in the middle has been one of all-out – but calculated – aggression whether with the ball or bat. McCullum has been central to that, from driving his first ball of the tournament for four to slaying England last weekend and hurling himself around the field.The outstanding performance against England, coupled with the implosion of Eoin Morgan’s team, means New Zealand have not yet been pushed in the tournament but that will not be a signal for them to alter the mindset for their toughest assignment so far.”We have a blueprint which has worked very well for us and it’s how we do that in front of 40-odd thousand people,” McCullum said. “If we can do that I’ll be pretty pleased, win or lose. Obviously we want to win but we can only control the cards in our hand. If we do that we’ll be pretty happy.”One of the areas where McCullum values having “control” is with the fielding. Their display against England was breathtaking and McCullum called it “the best I’ve seen from a New Zealand team.””Everyone wants to score runs and everyone wants to take wickets, but it’s not how the game works. Fielding you can control,” he said. “Fielding for us is non-negotiable. It’s a sign of attitude and shows how desperate we are as a team.”The team may be desperate to achieve success, but they are equally aware of it not becoming so overbearing that they forget to enjoy the magnitude of what they are undertaking. “We are living the dream,” McCullum said, “playing a World Cup at home and tomorrow will be a great event – 40-odd thousand people and playing against Australia, it doesn’t get any better.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Titular absoluto da lateral-direita do Grêmio, Leonardo Gomes é uma das armas do Tricolor para tentar reverter a vantagem do Palmeiras e colocar o time gaúcho na semifinal da Libertadores da América.

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Concentrado para mais um duelo importante, o atleta pede que a equipe tenha atenção aos ‘detalhes’ que podem definir um mata-mata.

‘Jogo de Libertadores, mata-mata, é questão de detalhe. Será preciso concentrar bastante nos 90 minutos para não tomar gols e fazer o resultado necessário’, disse ao Correio do Povo.

Questionado pela imprensa se a ausência de Felipe Melo, expulso no jogo de ida, poderia beneficiar o Grêmio de alguma maneira, o atleta declarou que, mesmo desfalcado, o elenco do Verdão possuí boas peças e não vai sentir tanto a baixa no meio-campo.

‘O jogador que vai entrar terá muita qualidade. A questão do jogo em si não muda nada porque a equipe do Palmeiras é muito forte’, concluiu.

يسعى نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، إلى التسجيل في مباراة الغد المرتقبة ضد إيفرتون في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة الفريقين في الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإنجليزي، ظهر يوم السبت.

ويستطيع محمد صلاح تحقيق عدة أرقام مميزة حال تسجيله في مباراة الغد المرتقبة بين فريقي ليفربول وإيفرتون.

وإذا سجل محمد صلاح هدفًا، سيصل إلى هدفه رقم 200 في مسيرته رفقة الأندية في بطولات الدوري المختلفة.

كان محمد صلاح قد سجل 144 هدفًا في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي (مع ليفربول وتشيلسي)، و35 هدفًا في الدوري الإيطالي (مع فيورنتينا وروما)، و9 أهداف في الدوري السويسري (مع بازل)، إلى جانب 11 هدفًا في الدوري المصري (مع المقاولون العرب).

اقرأ أيضًا.. ليفربول يعلن تغيير موعد مباراة فولهام في الدوري الإنجليزي

كذلك سيصبح محمد صلاح الثاني في قائمة لاعبي ليفربول الأكثر تسجيلًا في مباريات ديربي ميرسيسايد، حيث سيصل إلى هدفه رقم 6، بالتساوي مع روبي فاولر وديفوك أوريجي، حيث يتصدر دانييل ستوريدج بـ9 أهداف.

وسيرتفع رصيد أهداف محمد صلاح على ملعب “الأنفيلد”، حال تسجيله غدًا، إلى 104 هدف، وسيصبح سادس أكثر اللاعبين تسجيلًا للأهداف في ذلك الملعب، مع السير كيني دالجليش وستيفن جيرارد.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na próxima segunda-feira, a Chapecoense terá um desafio gigantesco na Arena Condá. Diante do São Paulo, o Verdão do Oeste entra em campo com a necessidade da vitória para respirar na luta contra o rebaixamento.

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Porém, se a falta de resultados dentro de campo não fosse o bastante, a Chape terá que lidar com o tabu de Ney Franco contra o Tricolor Paulista. Desde a sua saída do time do Morumbi, todas as vezes que ele reencontrou seu ex-time saiu de campo derrotado.

A primeira aconteceu em 2013, quando Ney era técnico do Vitória. Triunfo do Tricolor por 3 a 2. Na temporada seguinte, o comandante trabalhava no Flamengo e foi superado no Maracanã por 2 a 0. De volta ao rubro-negro baiano, Ney Franco reencontrou o São Paulo novamente em 2014 e perdeu por 2 a 1.

As duas últimas frustrações do comandante em jogos contra o Tricolor do Morumbi aconteceram em 2015. Na época, o Coritiba foi a vítima ao perder na capital paulista por 3 a 1 e no Couto Pereira por 2 a 1.

Duelos

São Paulo 3 x 2 Vitória
Flamengo 0 x 2 São Paulo
São Paulo 2 x 1 Vitória
São Paulo 3 x 1 Coritiba
Coritiba 1 x 2 São Paulo

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Red Steel completed a thumping nine-wicket win over Antigua Hawksbills at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Sunday thanks to Kevin O’Brien’s unbeaten 90 off 49 balls.

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kevin O’Brien made 90* off 49 balls and was part of a CPL record partnership with Ross Taylor•LatinContent/Getty Images

Irishman Kevin O’Brien became the latest batsman to mete out a healthy dose of punishment to the Antigua Hawksbills as his unbeaten 90 off 49 balls ensured a thumping nine-wicket win for the Red Steel at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Sunday in Antigua. O’Brien teamed with Ross Taylor (51 not out) to produce the highest partnership in Caribbean Premier League history, an unbroken 145-run stand for the second-wicket to comfortably break the previous record set by Raymon Reifer and Shoaib Malik in 2013 when they added 102 in tandem for the Barbados Tridents against Jamaica Tallawahs.O’Brien and Taylor came together in the second over with the score 7 for 1 chasing the Hawksbills’ 151 for 8 after Kennar Lewis yanked the gentle offspin of Rahkeem Cornwall to Ben Laughlin at deep midwicket for 2. It was the last bit of joy for the Hawksbills on the day as Taylor joined O’Brien at the crease and the pair spent the rest of the hot afternoon forcing the Antigua fielders to chase leather.No one was spared from the onslaught but spinners bore the brunt of it from O’Brien. The Red Steel batsman had Bradd Hogg in his crosshairs from Hogg’s first delivery when O’Brien stepped out of his crease to smash a six over extra cover to start the eighth over. O’Brien clubbed the gentle seam of Laughlin for a four and six to the same region in the 12th before bringing up his 50 off 29 balls with a single to square leg.With the seamers not making any impact, Hawksbills captain Marlon Samuels tried going back to his tweakers but it made no difference to O’Brien. He continued using his feet to the slow bowlers, skipping down the track to launch Cornwell over the bowler’s head for back-to-back sixes in the 14th. He came down the track once more to crunch Hogg over midwicket in the 16th for his seventh six before showing finesse to go with his power by executing a delicate cut past point off Hogg for his fifth four.Taylor faced just three fewer deliveries than his partner, but unselfishly focused most of his innings turning the strike back over to the red hot O’Brien. He brought up his half-century in 44 balls by gliding a single to third man in the 17th and an O’Brien two through cover leveled the scores by the end of the over. Antigua’s uninspiring performance in the field came to a conclusion when a sharp turning delivery from Hogg beat the keeper Devon Thomas to produce a bye for the winning run with 17 balls to spare.The easygoing chase was set up by a solid performance in the field after Red Steel captain Dwayne Bravo won the toss and sent the Hawksbills in to bat. With the exception of a 66-run stand for the fourth wicket between Thomas and David Hussey, the Hawksbills struggled to piece together solid partnerships. Neither batsman made the most of their respective starts with Hussey slogging Sulieman Benn to O’Brien at long off for 30 before Thomas backed away to Kevon Cooper and edged an attempted drive to Pooran for 38 two balls into the 18th to make it 119 for 5.The loss of both set batsmen robbed the Hawksbills of their best chance for a strong finishing kick. Bravo kept the pressure on by taking two wickets in the 19th over, getting Carlos Brathwaite to top edge a slower ball to fine leg before Sheldon Cottrell was out in front of another slower ball and ballooned a chance that Bravo claimed for himself. The Hawksbills troubles with change of pace deliveries continued through the end of the innings when a Cooper slower ball fooled Cornwall to give Cooper match-best figures of 3 for 34 and set up a target that was well within reach of Taylor and O’Brien.

Sunil Narine believes the caution a batsman takes against his variations allows him the freedom to get set into a spell

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2014West Indies offspinner Sunil Narine believes the caution a batsman takes against his variations allows him the freedom to get set into a spell.”I only have three [different] balls.” he said. “Just to keep the batsmen thinking. Once you have the batsmen thinking they tend to look at you a little more and in the extra time they look at me, my overs tend to finish.”Narine had to sit out during the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand as he couldn’t make the training camp on time due to the IPL, but his return would help the hosts offer a sterner challenge to New Zealand in during the two Twenty20s. Narine has 12 wickets from five matches against the visitors.”The key component is probably to be as relaxed as possible because it’s a very intense game and batsmen are always coming at you. So the minute you get too hyper you tend to do what you’re not accustomed to. So just stay as relaxed as possible and maintain the skill level that you have.”Sunil Narine is hopeful of regaining the No.1 ranking for bowlers in T20 from team-mate Samuel Badree•AFPNarine’s spin partner Samuel Badree leads the T20 bowlers’ rankings and has claimed 21 wickets in 12 matches over the past 12 months, five more than Narine’s tally in the same period.”I think it’s a good, friendly rivalry. I think Badree has been doing very well over the past couple of months. I think he’s been doing a good job so that’s why he’s No.1. So hopefully I can do as good as him and hopefully pass him this series.”Krishmar Santokie has also become a useful addition to West Indies’ attack and had kept out the experienced Ravi Rampaul during the World T20. The left-arm seamer’s ability to dent the opposition’s top order has been a vital asset.”I think Santokie has been a very excellent bowler. The couple of games he has played for West Indies, he has been getting early breakthroughs for us and that makes it a lot easier in the middle and at the end. So I think Santokie starting up and getting early wickets does a lot for West Indies.”