Also, best figures on debut, and keeping records in three-Test series

Steven Lynch05-Jul-2016Mitch Marsh scored 32 and conceded 32 runs in the tri-series final in the West Indies. Is this the highest identical number in an ODI? asked Rory Sackville from Australia

Rather surprisingly perhaps, Mitchell Marsh’s performance for Australia against West Indies in the recent tri-series final in Bridgetown – he scored 32 then took 3 for 32 – isn’t close to the top of this particular list for one-day internationals. There are 26 higher such doubles, nine of them 50 or higher. The highest of all was by Khurram Khan of the UAE, with 78 and 2 for 78 against Bangladesh in Lahore in June 2008. The highest for Australia was by Kepler Wessels, who scored 50 against West Indies in Perth in 1983-84 then, bowling what someone once described as “nude seamers”, took 2 for 50. The only other one higher than Marsh’s double was Brett Lee’s 38 not out and 4 for 38 against West Indies in Adelaide in 2004-05. In that match Lee and Jason Gillespie added 73 for the tenth wicket – then shared six wickets as Australia won by 73 runs.Was Jason Roy’s 162 the highest score by an opener in ODIs? asked Qudrat Ullah Rahimi from Pakistan

Jason Roy’s 162 against Sri Lanka at The Oval last week was the highest score by an England opener in one-day internationals, beating Andrew Strauss’ 158 in the tie against India in Bangalore during the 2011 World Cup. Strauss occupies the next two places on England’s list, too, with 154 against Bangladesh at Edgbaston in 2010, and 152 against them at Trent Bridge in 2005 (England have only four of the 66 scores of 150-plus in ODIs). Overall, though, Roy is well down the list: there have been 31 higher scores by openers in one-day internationals, including all six of the format’s double-centuries. The biggest of all is Rohit Sharma’s 264, for India against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in November 2014.No, that’s not a tray for drinks•BCCIIn one of the recent ODIs between England and Sri Lanka, the umpire was wearing some contraption on his hand. What was it? asked Surendra Daya from South Africa

The thing you’re referring to was worn by the Australian umpire Bruce Oxenford on his left arm during the second match of the recent one-day series between England and Sri Lanka, at Edgbaston. It’s a plastic shield, designed to protect the umpire in the event of the ball being smashed back straight at him – he can try to parry the ball away with the shield. Oxenford wore it during a match in this year’s IPL, and also in one of the warm-up games for the World Twenty20 – but this was the first time it had been used in a full international match.Liam Plunkett took his 50th ODI wicket in the series against Sri Lanka, ten years after his debut. Is this the longest for anyone to achieve this feat? asked Durgesh Kulkarni from India

Liam Plunkett reached 50 wickets when he dismissed Kusal Perera in the third match of the recent series against Sri Lanka, in Bristol. It took him 37 matches, spread over more than 10½ years since his debut in December 2005. That’s the slowest in terms of time for England apart from Graeme Swann, who took about a month longer. Swann, though, went wicketless on his debut, against South Africa in Bloemfontein in January 2000, then didn’t play another ODI for more than seven years, taking 1 for 47 in his second game, against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in October 2007.
Overall 11 men took more time than Plunkett to reach 50 wickets in ODIs. Pakistan’s Saleem Malik, who needed 203 matches spread over almost 12 years, took the longest of all. Most of the players concerned were not frontline bowlers, although there is a rather surprising name just above Plunkett: Imran Khan, Pakistan’s World Cup-winning captain in 1992, took five days longer to make it to a half-century of wickets, finally doing so in March 1985 after making his debut in 1974. He got there in style, though, with 6 for 14 against India in Sharjah – and it should be borne in mind that far fewer ODIs were played back then.It took Imran Khan more than ten years to take 50 one-day wickets•Getty ImagesJonny Bairstow took 19 catches in the recent Test series against Sri Lanka. Was this a record for a three-Test series, or against Sri Lanka? asked Tushar Mukherjee from the United States

The only wicketkeeper to make more dismissals in a three-Test series than Jonny Bairstow’s 19 was, by coincidence, a Sri Lankan: Amal Silva made 22 (21 catches and a stumping) against India in 1985-86. The only other keeper to make 19 dismissals in a three-Test series is Australia’s Ian Healy, at home to Sri Lanka in 1995-96 (17 catches and two stumpings). Gil Langley (for Australia in the 1956 Ashes series) and Junior Murray (for West Indies in Australia in 1992-93) both made 19 dismissals in three Tests, but those were five-match series in which they did not play in two of the games. The previous England record for a three-Test series was 17 (one stumping) by Geraint Jones at home to Sri Lanka in 2006.Which bowlers have the best figures on debut in Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s? asked Subas Karki from Nepal

The best innings figures on debut in Tests remain 8 for 43, by the Australian medium-pacer Albert Trott against England in Adelaide in 1894-95. Trott also scored 110 runs in that match without being dismissed … but, remarkably, played only four more Tests – two of them for England! The best match figures by a debutant are 16 for 136, by legspinner Narendra Hirwani for India against West Indies in Madras (now Chennai) in 1987-88. He just shaded the Australian swing bowler Bob Massie’s equally remarkable first-up figures of 16 for 137, in the 1972 Ashes Test at Lord’s. The best bowling figures on one-day international debut are 6 for 16, by the South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada against Bangladesh in Mirpur in July 2015. The only other man to take a six-for on ODI debut is another fast bowler, Fidel Edwards, with 6 for 22 for West Indies v Zimbabwe in Harare in November 2003. And the best by someone in their first T20 international is 5 for 13, by the Bangladesh slow left-armer Elias Sunny against Ireland in Belfast in July 2012.Send in your questions using our feedback form.

28-Sep-2016Tamim Iqbal made 20 before Mirwais Ashraf had him holing out to third man in the 11th over•Associated PressIn his next over, Ashraf had Soumya Sarkar skewing a catch to extra-cover for 20•Associated PressWhen Mahmudullah chopped on for 25, Bangladesh slipped to 111 for 3•Associated PressMushfiqur Rahim scored a brisk 38 before falling to the legspin of Rahmat Shah•Associated PressMohammad Nabi compounded Bangladesh’s woes by removing Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza. He would finish with figures of 10-3-16-2•Associated PressRashid Khan took care of the lower-middle order with his assortment of googlies and sliders…•Associated Press… but debutant Mosaddek Hossain slammed an unbeaten 45 and added 43 for the last wicket with Rubel Hossain to lift Bangladesh to 208•Raton Gomes/BCBShakib Al Hasan dented Afghanistan’s chase with a two-wicket over – the fourth of the innings – to leave the visitors at 14 for 2•Associated PressMohammad Shahzad and Hashmatullah Shahidi then steadily resurrected Afghanistan’s innings•Associated PressBut Mosaddek Hossain struck off his first ball in his ODI career to lift the hosts again•Raton Gomes/BCBCaptain Asghar Stanikzai and Mohammad Nabi then added a 107-run, fifth-wicket stand to shift the momentum firmly in Afghanistan’s favour•Associated PressThree quick wickets, including that of Nabi’s for 49, made Bangladesh believe again as Afghanistan slipped to 189 for 7 in the 45th over, with still 20 required•Associated PressWith two needed off the final over, Dawlat Zadran hit the winning runs to seal a thrilling win•Associated Press

In Chittagong the England wicketkeeper produced one of his best-ever shows with the gloves in extremely trying conditions. This, while breaking a major batting record

George Dobell26-Oct-2016Amid the drama of the tight finish, and the praise for Ben Stokes’ all-round performance, Jonny Bairstow’s achievements in Chittagong perhaps didn’t gain the plaudits they deserved.Not only did Bairstow produce arguably the most polished display of keeping in his Test career to date, but he set a new record for the most runs in a calendar year by a Test wicketkeeper.While it is true that modern schedules provide more games, and, therefore, greater opportunity to set such records, Bairstow surpassed the mark set by Andy Flower (1,045 runs in 16 innings, set in 2000) in his 18th innings. The previous highest aggregate of runs in a calendar year by an England wicketkeeper was 777 by Matt Prior in 2012. With a maximum of six more Tests to play this year, Bairstow now has Michael Vaughan’s record of the most Test runs in a calendar year (1,481 in 26 innings in 2002) by an England batsman within his sight. With 1,091, he is already the highest run-scorer in Test cricket this year, and the only man to reach 1,000.But, we have come to expect high standards of his batting. We have become accustomed to him rescuing England from poor starts, and accustomed to him scoring quickly. Only Joe Root, of the top 10 Test run-scorers this year, has scored at a faster rate than Bairstow’s 61.08 runs per 100 balls.It is his keeping that has remained the debating point.It was excellent in Chittagong. Excellent standing up to the spinners, anyway. While there were a couple of fumbles against the seamers – and one drop down the leg side – in the brutally hot and humid conditions, he put in a performance of which any keeper would be proud. Dealing with the unpredictable spin and bounce of the wicket expertly, he rated it “probably” his best Test yet with the gloves.You do not have to search far to see the source of the improvement. While England’s net session in Dhaka was winding down, with various team-mates playing football or heading for the shade, Bairstow opted for another half-hour of practise. With Steve Rhodes firing the balls at him, Bairstow continued to grow accustomed, not just to the movements required of a keeper in these conditions, but to concentrating in the heat and humidity. He confesses that, left to his own devices, he would prefer not to wear a helmet when keeping, but accepts the ECB’s insistence that he must.”It really is just a case of working hard,” he said. “I know how quickly things can change. I know how hard I have to work to keep improving.”It went well in Chittagong, but there might be two chances I put down in the next game. The challenge is heightened in the subcontinent, with the amount it can turn and how close we stand behind the stumps.Bairstow credited the time spent away from the team for helping him come back stronger•AFP”You’re in the game every single ball. Some balls turn and some balls skid on. If you’re not 100% on it and enjoying it, it’s going to get tougher and tougher.”Success tastes all the sweeter for Bairstow as he has endured plenty of tough times along the way. Being dropped after the 2013-14 Ashes clearly hurt greatly, and he admits the desire to prove his critics wrong has been a strong motivational force.”You go back, maybe two years, and there are people writing you off to never play Test cricket again,” he said. “There were a few mumbles floating around that I wasn’t good enough.”I was out of the side for about 18 months, and I’m delighted with how I’ve come back. I worked hard at Yorkshire during those months. It was kind of a good thing I went away. I learned about my keeping, worked on my batting, and I’ve come back stronger for that.”It is good to come back and prove a few people wrong with the way that I’ve been playing. It’s a pretty amazing feeling.”Having had that period out of international cricket, Bairstow is understandably keen to play every game he can. So, while he understands the talk of rest and rotation, he certainly won’t be volunteering for a break.”I want to play every game I can,” he said. “Having missed out for 18 months after the Ashes, gone away, worked on my game and earned my place back, I want to play as many games as you can for England in every single format going. It’s only natural. If I’m rested, so be it, but I’m pleased with the way I’m catching the ball and batting.”He is not complaining at the relative lack of attention given to his performance in Chittagong, either. Knowing that, all too often, keepers only attract comments when they struggle, he is wise enough to interpret the lack of coverage of his performance as a compliment.”If I’m going unnoticed and keeping well, that’s the best way forward me,” he said. “But I was very pleased to get some positive comments.”I hadn’t really thought about the record, but I’m absolutely delighted to now hold it. It’s great to be talked about in such great company.”These are early days in England’s toughest of tours. But it has been a quietly impressive start from Bairstow.

Many India fans have been tempted to ask, ‘What is so special about Ravindra Jadeja?’ In Mohali he gave a demonstration

Alagappan Muthu in Mohali28-Nov-20162:55

Ganguly: Jadeja should see himself as more than a No. 8

Ravindra Jadeja as relatable a cricketer as there has ever been. Skills wise.His left-arm spin has the mystery of a novel with the ending on the front cover, and his batting is hidden under a secret flap in the coaching manual so no professional will ever find it. Jadeja could have been you or me. It may well be this thought that spurs the critics. “What is so special about this fellow that he is playing for India?”Jadeja punched Chris Woakes, England’s fastest bowler, through cover for his first boundary in Mohali on Monday. Think about what happens when we play that shot against our buddies trundling in at 50kph.Still, the fact that he is paid to play the sport at the highest level demands a bit more scrutiny than those doing it to avoid homework. And for a man who has three first-class triple-centuries, the kind of shot-a-ball batting he has indulged in all his career has been jarring. In those moments, he was worse than you or me. We wouldn’t waste opportunities like that.In India’s first innings in Mohali, Jadeja faced the most balls he has ever done in a Test innings. He top-scored for India for the first time ever. He fell 10 short of a hundred his team-mates would have so cherished, coming down the track to try to smack a wide delivery from Adil Rashid over long-on, only to be caught on the boundary.”The shot that I got out to, that is my shot,” Jadeja said. “I always hit that ball for six, I have confidence in myself. But the ball came off the wicket slowly, so the impact wasn’t powerful. I am not disappointed that I got out to that shot.”Two months ago, Virat Kohli delayed his declaration in the second innings against New Zealand in Kanpur so Jadeja would get a fifty. India’s captain insisted his allrounder perform the Rajputana sword dance and only then walk off the field. On Monday, the celebration was prefaced with a look to the heavens and a clenching of his fist and it ended with the bat coming up towards his face in a . The first part of this routine was for himself. The flamboyance and gratitude was for his friends.This wasn’t like Lord’s in 2014 when Jadeja had come out with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Here, India had been coasting, then they lost three wickets for eight runs. Considering they had to bat last, they needed to score as many runs as they could now.That meant Jadeja had to behave like a proper batsman. He had to see off the good balls. He even had to tackle the second new ball. He was at the crease for 60 overs, weathering bouncers, standing up to reverse swing, putting on the Test’s biggest partnership with R Ashwin and giving India an invaluable lead. It was international cricket’s glimpse into the Jadeja that his domestic team Saurashtra have always known.The stance is simple. There is no premeditated movement. He allows himself a tucking of the right shoulder under his chin and then he is ready. In this innings, unlike previous times when he has looked appropriate to his position of No. 8, he played the ball late and trusted that if he lasted long enough he would get the runs his side needed.”I don’t look at myself as a batsman [at Test level],” Jadeja said. “But I am a batsman. I have made runs in domestic cricket, in first-class cricket. If you take away my Test performances, I average 53 in first-class cricket. It is not my first innings where I have made 90.”Agreed, this was my longest Test innings but I know that I can play. It is just that I was trying to give myself time, was not in a rush. I realised it was coming slowly off the pitch, there wasn’t much turn. So if I settled down, I knew that after 60-70 balls, I could up my scoring rate.”Having realised that, England went to Plan B and tried drying up the runs with a 7-2 off-side field. There was a gully, two short covers and a mid-off in a straight line pointing to the sightscreen behind Jadeja. All of them turned in unison to watch a spanking on-drive for four. He found a tiny gap off a cut shot, between gully and point; then produced an encore of the on-drive and finally wrapped the over up with a down-the-track whack through vacant midwicket. The ICC Code of Conduct doesn’t allow a batsman to walk up and laugh in the opposition’s face. Trust Jadeja to find the loophole.”They were bowling very boring lines, outside off, outside off, outside off,” he said. “There was a lot of time, no shortage of time. But I thought I could disturb the bowler, get outside off and hit through the leg side where there were just two fielders. Luckily in that over, I got four boundaries.”It was a little bit of fun after ages and ages of restraint, indulged only after India had pulled ahead of England by 80 runs. That is how he thinks: team first. He can bowl endlessly if asked. He fields like few Indians ever have. He’s learning to bat better. Wonder what would happen if he is tasked to make sure Mohali has a full house for Test matches.Jadeja could have been you or me. His idea of a romantic date is a candlelit dinner in Paris. We’ve had those same fantasies. He has a lot of experience with colourful advice coming to him from all sides when he bowls. Same as us in gully cricket. We can bowl a good-length ball too. Just that he can bowl it for overs at a time. We can dance down and hit over the top too. He does it knowing the vilification that awaits a mistake. We can be Jadeja, if only we can put in the years and years of hard work he has.

Ankit Bawne is a domestic veteran at 23: talented, consistent across formats, and hardened by early setbacks. Having enjoyed another fruitful Ranji Trophy season, he is confident an India call-up isn’t far away

Arun Venugopal11-Dec-2016Ankit Bawne has had an intriguing career. He made his first-class debut at 15, in 2007-08, and established himself as a regular in the Maharashtra side in three years. Since 2010-11, he has never averaged less than 45 in a Ranji Trophy season. Six days shy of turning 24, Bawne is already some sort of veteran: he has played 68 first-class matches and scored 4663 runs at an average of 52.98, including 15 hundreds. A List A average of 43.08 from 43 games suggests he is not a one-format player.Despite his numbers, Bawne has never been part of India A or IPL squads. He doesn’t deny feeling disappointed but offers a practical alternative to sulking. “There is just one goal – to play for India. Till that time, I have to keep fighting,” he tells ESPNcricinfo at the end of Maharashtra’s Group B match against Assam in Chennai. “I look at it positively because in cricket there is no point in being negative; you only get demotivated.”Five years ago Bawne could have easily become demotivated after making headlines for the wrong reasons. He was removed from the India under-19 squad ahead of a quadrangular tournament in Visakhapatnam after the date of birth in his passport was found to not match the one in his birth certificate and the BCCI’s records. As it didn’t meet the cut-off date for the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, Bawne, who was originally named captain for the quadrangular tournament, was omitted. Unmukt Chand took over the captaincy and went on to win the World Cup, even as Bawne lamented that the agent who had arranged for his passport had mixed up the dates.Bawne does not think the episode hindered his future selections, but admits the controversy was a test of his mental toughness, especially with the odd taunt tossed at him on the field. “You have to endure such stuff. In cricket, there are no easy days,” he says. “The support of my family, the team coach and Ajay [Shirke] sir, our president [of the Maharashtra Cricket Association], was crucial. But, you have to be tough and remain steadfast in your goals. The character I showed at that time has led to where I am now.”The Under-19 was a shortcut for me to the national side, but the ultimate dream is to play for the senior team. I don’t think [my performances are overshadowed by the controversy] because Ranji Trophy is not an under-19 tournament. The selectors have played enough cricket to know that Ranji Trophy performances count as far as selection for Test cricket is concerned. Many players obviously get a chance by virtue of the IPL, but I am not a part of the IPL, so Ranji Trophy is everything to me.”Many quality players in domestic cricket have rued the chance for lesser talents to attract selectors’ attentions with a few good IPL performances. Bawne too says not playing in the IPL is a setback because of the recall value it brings.”It is a little tough at the Ranji Trophy level compared to the IPL; this time there are no [league] matches being broadcast in contrast to the IPL where every match is shown live. (the game spans three hours and there are 14 matches. Even if someone plays two good shots, he gets noticed).”Bawne, however, understands there are many routes to the Indian dressing room, and that batsmen better than him have taken the harder route and succeeded. He derives comfort from how long the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane had to grind it out in domestic cricket before breaking into the national side. A chat with Virender Sehwag further strengthened his belief that the rigours of the Ranji Trophy would ultimately prove rewarding.”Pujara and Rahane got their chances after scoring about 5000 runs in first-class cricket,” Bawne says. “When you play 60-70 first-class matches and then play Test cricket, you see how these players dominate in international cricket.”During the last season, when we were playing against Haryana, I asked Virender Sehwag sir how I could make the step up to the next level. He told me I was playing well and I will get my chances. It wasn’t like I would be completely ignored.”Bawne knows he has to score at least 700-800 runs every season – his personal target hovers around the 1000-run mark – to be on the selectors’ radar. He is Maharashtra’s leading run-getter this season with 687 runs at an average of 57.25, but will not get any more opportunities to inch towards 1000 runs with his team failing to make the knockouts.The accomplishment of a maiden double-hundred, though, has given him plenty of satisfaction. His 258 came in the course of the second-highest partnership in first-class history in the company of captain Swapnil Gugale in Delhi.”Whatever I have set out to achieve – to score big runs, to remain consistent and average around 50 – I have done that. I wanted to score a double-hundred this time,” he says. “I bat at No.5-6, so I mostly have to score runs with the bowlers for company. Luckily against Mumbai, since Kedar Jadhav was away for the New Zealand [ODI] series, I got to bat at No.4. It was a good wicket and there was a quality opposition in the form of Delhi, so I couldn’t let go of that chance.”Bawne also sees a role-model in India’s limited-overs captain MS Dhoni. In 2014-15, when Bawne hit a dead-end in his limited-overs batting, he decided to re-invent his game. Bawne says he picked up cues from watching Dhoni on TV and applied the knowledge during practice. The results were instant as Bawne scored two hundreds and an unbeaten 78 from four innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.”I have been inspired by how he [Dhoni] makes runs in the one-dayers, especially with the lower order, and how he plays percentage cricket,” he says. “I didn’t want to be a one-dimensional player and wanted to average around 45-50 in one-dayers. I was trying to clear the ropes, and focusing on my release shots as well.”Closer home, Bawne has found inspiration in Jadhav, whose recent successes in international cricket, he feels, have provided him and his team-mates a template to follow.”When six-seven players from Mumbai or Delhi used to make it to the Indian team, it became easier for the others to stay under the radar and keep performing,” he says. “I got to know what the path was after seven-eight years of hard-work. Had there been an India player in the side, you would have learnt it in two years.”Now we know the path to succeed – Kedar has scored 1000 runs and progressed. When I talk to Kedar, he says it’s a big deal to have 5000-odd runs at my age and keeps telling me to stick it out.”That would be good advice, especially with the chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad, taking notice of Bawne’s performances. “His records have been good, but this year he has been very consistent,” Prasad tells ESPNcricinfo. “My colleagues have watched him bat this season and I have seen him bat last year. He is a good player.”Bawne feels he is currently in the best form of his life. “This year I am feeling very comfortable,” he says. “I am not trying to take risks and I don’t feel nervous at all.”

A trimmer, fitter Pragyan Ojha talks about the hurt of being left out and the “one chance” that could turn things around

Arun Venugopal15-Mar-2017Pragyan Ojha has stood at nearly six feet for a number of years, but appears taller during the Bengal-Mumbai game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Whether he is bowling, fielding or simply returning to the top of his run-up, Ojha looks a few inches taller than usual. When you meet him after the game – Ojha (3-28) has engineered a 96-run thrashing of Mumbai along with Abhimanyu Easwaran (127) – you realise it’s no string theory. Ojha is a lot slimmer than he used to be, and hence appears taller.Unless you have been present at Bengal’s games this season, chances are you have seen little of him, with the exception of two East Zone matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, that were broadcast live. In the three-and-a-half years since his most recent international game, Ojha’s television appearances have largely been confined to the IPL. But, even those became sporadic since he was banned from bowling in December 2014.But, over the last seven or eight months, Ojha, 30, has quietly gone about putting his body through the wringer. According to Ojha, he hasn’t lost weight, but instead slashed the fat-percentage. And, while his training methods have largely remained unchanged, he now abides by a stricter diet regimen. Ojha has cut back on sugar and carbohydrates, and tries to eat the “right kind of food at the right time.”His reasoning is simple: if he has to make a comeback to the national side, he has to work doubly hard.”The first thing [you see] when you look at the Indian team is everybody there is pushing hard,” he says. “So, to do anything right on the field, I have to be fit. It’s as simple as that. As we know, we don’t get younger. So, the fitness level has to be up.”A leaner, fitter Ojha wasn’t automatically a more successful version. With 10 wickets from six matches at an average of nearly 40, Ojha had a below-par Ranji Trophy season. He has, however, done better in the shorter formats, finishing with seven wickets across four matches in the inter-state T20 tournament and the Syed Mushtaq Ali inter-zonal competition. In the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy, Ojha was also Bengal’s second-highest wicket-taker in the league phase with nine wickets from six games at an average of 23.55 and an economy rate of 4.51.’When you have so many great players in the team, you try to match them’•PTI But, IPL franchises continued to ignore him at the auction. Since Ojha’s last Test match ended on November 16, 2013, Ravindra Jadeja has emerged as one of India’s most influential match-winners. During the period, Jadeja has picked up 102 of his 129 Test wickets from 23 games. On the other hand, Ojha has had to change his action and clock enough overs to ensure he got a hang of it. Moreover, the reality check that he was no longer in the thick of things was harsh. However, hope has followed hurt.”Yeah, initially it used to hurt me, but now that has become the biggest motivation for me,” he says. “Obviously when you have played at that level and won games for the country, you know you can do it again, and that is the motivation I have and I am trying to work on that.”I didn’t get picked for the IPL this season, but the fact was that all the teams were packed. So, there is no point thinking about things that are not in your control. I came here and spoke to [Bengal coach] Sairaj Bahutule. He said: ‘Give your best in Vijay Hazare. [If the] team does well, you do well, and things will change.’ That’s my biggest motivation. I believe if I keep taking wickets then at some point of time, there might be a chance and I am just looking for that one chance.”Every senior player Ojha has spoken to has had one simple advice to offer: keep fit and bowl a lot. With his remodelled action, Ojha says, he bounds into the crease a lot straighter.”Previously I was going diagonal. That’s the only difference,” he says. “And, I have got a slight pause in my action [just before delivery] where I see the batsman. Nowadays the batsmen are so good, they step out and hit […] especially in the shorter formats. So you have to have that fraction of a second. That’s what I am working on.”Ojha is also hopeful of landing a county deal later this year. He says he had to pass up an opportunity to play for Middlesex last year as it clashed with the Duleep Trophy. “If I get a chance I will definitely look to play,” he says. “Previously when I played for Surrey, I learnt a lot. You get to bowl a lot as a professional and the whole team depends on you. So, that is a challenge and you grow as a cricketer.”

‘I don’t think like a cricketer when I am at home. I just go home as a normal boy and enjoy my life’

For now, Ojha feels he is better for the experience of being one of the senior players in the Bengal side, which has made the knockouts of the Vijay Hazare.”If you see, we have got some great cricketers in Bengal. We have got Manoj [Tiwary], Wriddhi [Wriddhiman Saha], [Ashoke] Dinda and [Mohammad] Shami,” he says. “When you have so many good players in the team, you look to do well and you try to compete with each other. When everybody is giving their best, you also try to match them and the best performances come out. “Sairaj Bahutule has a lot of inputs, not only as a former spinner but also as a coach. Keeping the team together is the most important thing. When it is a team game, everybody should work towards one goal because you have different minds. He is doing it superbly.”Ojha also says he doesn’t agonise over an international comeback. “Right now, I am just thinking about working hard and just going out there and bowling the best I can,” he says.”I am blessed with a good family – my parents and my wife really don’t discuss cricket at home, and to a certain extent, I don’t think like a cricketer when I am at home. It’s the biggest plus point that my family doesn’t ask me questions about my cricket or anything. I just go home as a normal boy and just enjoy my life.”

Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between New Zealand and South Africa played at Hamilton’s Seddon Park

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton01-Mar-2017The landmark – but of a different kindQuinton de Kock was one innings away from setting a South Africa record. Instead, he gave himself a different landmark. He came into the game with five consecutive 50-plus scores in ODIs and a sixth would have been the best by a South Africa batsman (although Kepler Wessels scored one representing Australia). Instead, the run ended in abrupt fashion. Trying to open the face against his first ball from Jeetan Patel, he provided a thin nick for the wicketkeeper. It was his first golden duck in international cricket and only the second of his career in any cricket at professional level.The lost grip that didn’t cost muchMartin Guptill’s comeback was talked up in terms of his batting (more on that later) but he is also a terrific fielder. He almost showed it in 20th over when JP Duminy flicked a ball in the air towards midwicket. Guptill flung himself low to his right, clutched the ball but in the process of landing it bounced out. It was not overly costly for New Zealand as Duminy again struggled for fluency and dragged on against Tim Southee for 25.The batting adjustmentIt really shouldn’t surprise when AB de Villiers brings something brilliant out of his locker. However, the shot he played in the 49th over was stunning for the awareness it showed. He was keen to exploit third man being inside the circle and was prepared to reverse ramp or scoop anything full from Trent Boult, but the bowler also realised this and dropped the ball in short. But that didn’t stop de Villiers. Instead, he stood tall, flicked the bat around and got the ball away by playing a reverse scoop between the keeper and short third man from a standing position.The returnGuptill has batted twice this year due to his dodgy hamstrings. He scored 112 for Auckland and 61 for New Zealand. He has been able to net during his rehab but, still, a month without being in the middle, coming back against South Africa, would surely test him. Well, he slotted back in seamlessly and was racking up sixes as early as the fourth over when he cracked a blistering pull off Wayne Parnell which landed on the grass banks at deep midwicket.And the reprieveGuptill was racing along on 62 off 49 balls when he was given lbw to Dwaine Pretorius. It was a crunch moment of the game, with an uncertain clutch of allrounders to come for New Zealand. Guptill pondered for a moment then called for the review. He was spot on. Guptill was out of his crease, the ball had struck him above the pad flap and would comfortably have carried over leg stump.

Aakash Chopra analyses the Delhi Daredevils batting order, and offers insight into some of the more curious events during their game against Kolkata Knight Riders

Aakash Chopra17-Apr-20172:05

Hogg: Delhi lost it with their batting

Why is Sanju Samson opening?
Sanju Samson batted at No. 3 in Pune and got a century. Since then, he’s opened and looked brilliant. Form is gold in T20, and therefore, there is merit in promoting Samson to the top. Daredevils, in the past, have been guilty of not acknowledging the importance of form. They have been happy to select the team and decide the batting order. That’s why the move to open with Samson must be lauded.This year, the standout feature of Samson’s batting has been his timing. He’s one of the few batsmen with almost no trigger movement; that’s why he’s rarely off-balance. But, it must also be noticed that while Samson starts with a bang, he slows down radically soon after. In Pune, the first 19 balls produced 35 runs, and the following 19 fetched him only 13. Against Kolkata Knight Riders, he scored 27 runs off his first 12 balls, but slowed down after the introduction of spin, managing only 12 off the next 13 balls.Why isn’t Rishabh Pant batting higher?
Even before Samson hit his straps, Rishabh Pant had made his presence felt. He is one of the brightest talents in Indian cricket, having shown both the range of strokes and the ability to stay unfazed under pressure. While Samson merited a promotion, Pant is demanding to get a bigger share of the 120 balls. He has batted at Nos. 5, 4, 5 and 5. It’s frustrating to observe that his ability to hit big shots is working against him.Pant versus Narine
As Sunil Narine bowled his first ball to Pant, the field placement had Gambhir written all over it. He had a slip and a silly point in place. Gambhir is one of the few captains in the IPL who genuinely believes that taking wickets is the best way to stop runs, and that everyone is equally vulnerable at the start of an innings. While this tactic was worth applauding, it was equally heartening to see Pant’s response to the first two deliveries from Narine. Most young batsmen, especially when playing Narine for the first time, plant their front foot down the pitch. But Pant nonchalantly went on the back foot and played him through the leg side, as if he had grown up playing cricket with Narine and had read his variation from the hand.Rishabh Pant is in terrific form, but doesn’t bat up the order•AFPWhy is Mathews batting ahead of Morris?
Daredevils’ batting order has raised a few eyebrows. It’s quite apparent that they are desperately trying to bring Karun Nair into form. While there’s some rationale in keeping faith in Nair, it was surprising to see Angelo Mathews walking ahead of Chris Morris. If it wasn’t for Pant’s 38 off 16 balls, Daredevils wouldn’t have managed even 150.Were Morris and Cummins held back too late?At one stage Knight Riders were 21 for 3, and that’s when you expect the bowling unit to exert more pressure and look for wickets. While Zaheer Khan did hunt for a wicket for a while, he went on the defensive in the middle overs. He seemed concerned about getting through Mohammaed Shami’s overs and, with both Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan set, Amit Mishra’s overs as well. The fielders he had in the circle were on the edge and weren’t trying to stop singles, which allowed the partnership to grow.The 13th and 14th overs were bowled by Mathews and Zaheer, though Morris and Cummins had three and two left respectively. One could understand Zaheer wanting to save Morris for overs 15, 17 and 19, and Cummins for the 16th and 18th. But Pandey and Yusuf were aware of that too. They scored 26 in those two overs, bridging the gap between runs required and balls remaining.

Gautam Gambhir talks about how the IPL has changed over the years, how KKR’s key players have performed this season, and what keeps him motivated

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi10-May-2017Another good IPL for you personally as well as for the team?
Yes, you can say that. But personal things do not matter. We still have to qualify for the playoffs. Yes, it is always good to contribute, but the most important thing is where we finish on the points table. That is more important to me than how many runs I score.It was not an easy beginning. It is tough when you lose a player like Andre Russell. It is very difficult to replace someone with his abilities, especially with the kind of the firepower he used to provide at No. 7 – bowling at 140-plus was always an advantage – and he is an unbelievable fielder. Still, we should be pretty happy with where we are at the moment. Having said that, in two recent matches we got outplayed by two individual performances. It was not teams, but David Warner and then Rahul Tripathi who outplayed us in successive matches.Your strike rate so far this season is your highest in any season since 2012. Has there been a conscious effort to push it up?
Strike rates depend on the surfaces you play on. The surface we used to play on at home was different to now. In the previous seasons, we played seven matches on a surface that was slow and low. Playing on a low surface is always difficult for anyone to play their strokes. You need to be more of a grafter. But now since the surface has changed and the ball comes on much quicker, you can play through line.It also depends on your mindset: what you are looking to do, how you are looking to approach each season. I have always thought that it is important for me to be positive because, as I said, since we do not have someone like Russell to finish off matches, I have to be really proactive up front in the first six overs. So, yes, there was a conscious effort on my part.What kind of role did you assign yourself: play the anchor or the aggressor?
You ought to start by feeling positive, especially in those first six overs, when you can cash in a lot. And after that, depending on how your partner is batting and what kind of form he is in and what total you are chasing or planning to set as a target, you decide who bats through and who plays the aggressor. At one stage Robin [Uthappa] fortunately had been hitting the ball really well and taking a lot of pressure off me. So I could be the aggressor in the first six and then maybe try and bat till the 15th over to try and set a platform for the lower middle order to take over. So your partner helps you decide what kind of role you want to perform.

“In previous seasons, we played seven matches on a surface that was slow and low. But now since our home surface has changed and the ball comes on much quicker, you can play through line”

Do you know you are also the second-most* successful IPL captain in terms of win percentage, only behind Rohit Sharma (among those who have captained in at least 60 matches)?
Doesn’t matter. It is all about how many titles we win. [But] it is good, because I have always believed that it’s the team that helps me be successful. Yes, you can try and give them the best environment, you can try and give them a lot of security as well, by not chopping and changing too much. But it does make me happy, because I am not too much of a stats man.So no one told you about that stat?
Honestly, no. I don’t even know what my strike rate is this IPL. You are the first one to point that out.When you sit at the auction table, don’t the stats matter?
For me they don’t. I genuinely do not even see the stats. It is just about the ability of the individual, what he brings to the table is all that matters. Three years back, Russell’s stats were absolutely shocking. But we always thought he could be one of the most dangerous T20 players or could be the best allrounder in the world. At that stage, had I seen his stats, he could have gone unsold. I can’t expect Russell, who is batting at No. 8, to have an average of 30-35 in T20s. I would rather have him get a ten-ball 30-odd, and give me four overs with the ball.Perhaps that might explain your open-mindedness as captain, and willingness to experiment with strategy. For example, opening with Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn.
When we decided to play Chris Lynn this year, we thought we needed to get the best out of him, and the best way was to make him open. Yes, there was this thought that why do we fix something which is not broken. Me and Robin have done really well as an opening pair, but I always thought it is not about the individual. It is about where you can get the best out of an individual.Lynn had to bat in the top order so Robin had to go down. What Lynny did in the first two games was unbelievable. We don’t have that much firepower with Russell not being there, so we wanted to go really hard up front.It was unfortunate that Lynny got injured. We wanted to continue the same momentum. Obviously it was difficult to go as hard as Lynny was going. Sunil batting at No. 8 or 9 wasn’t giving us anything, especially as he was not able to face many deliveries. So if we could promote him and he could give us whatever little bit of momentum in the first six overs, that could help Robin as well – coming at No. 3, he could take his time. It helps me take my time as well, rather than both of us going hard straightaway. I could settle down in the first two or three overs while Sunil plays the aggressor.”People keep asking me about Narine’s mystery, but I have always felt that mystery is something which will only stay for a couple of seasons. You’ve got to have that quality to be consistent”•BCCIDid you tell Robin?
Obviously. There is nothing wrong. I’ve batted at No. 3 or 4 for the team. It is not about where individuals want to bat. It is about where the team wants you to bat. Individuals should not be having any choices. You are playing a team sport, so the team comes first. We thought that we could get the best out of Sunil by opening the batting with him. There are times when it backfired, when he did not get that many runs, but overall I am pretty happy with what he has delivered.With such a strategy, isn’t there a danger of becoming predictable, as oppositions know what Narine is there to do?
That’s fine as well. Bowlers will always be under pressure, because Sunil has nothing to lose. When the bowler is under pressure, he will end up bowling defensively rather than looking to take wickets. It can be an advantage for us. And the thing is, if you lose Sunil early, you don’t lose too much. If you lose someone like me or Robin, then it is a big loss. If Sunil can give us 20 or 30 quick runs and we end up losing him, we haven’t lost too much.You bought three fast bowlers at the auction, possibly because of the re-laid Eden Gardens pitch, which supports bounce and seam movement. Your top three wicket-takers this season so far are fast bowlers. So has your strategy proved to be correct?
We realised last year that our fast-bowling attack was becoming too one-dimensional. There was Morne [Morkel and Jason Holder. Umesh [Yadav] got injured. So there was not enough pace in our attack. Sometimes having pace is an advantage because someone bowling 145-150kph can be a wicket-taking option. We thought we needed variety as well. So Nathan Coulter-Nile and Trent Boult could provide that variety. The surface was a factor. Spin used to be more dominant in the previous seasons; now it has more carry. Yes, you prepare your team according to the home conditions, so it was a strategic decision.How much of a difference has Coulter-Nile made?
He is a pretty quiet guy. Take his very first match, which he was playing after a year, coming out of a stress fracture. It was at four o’clock and Delhi was absolutely boiling. To win the Man-of-the-Match award shows his character and mental toughness. The way he bowled at Eden when we got RCB out for 49 – it was the game-changing spell for me. He got Virat [Kohli] and AB [de Villiers]. Bowling at 148-149kph was unbelievable. When you see someone bowling at pace, it gives the confidence that we can rattle opposition. Really happy that we have someone like him. He is one of the best white-ball bowlers I have seen. He is someone who can swing it up front and bowls yorkers consistently at the death.

“I genuinely do not even see the stats when picking a squad. Three years back, Russell’s stats were absolutely shocking. But we always thought he could be one of the most dangerous T20 players”

Chris Woakes has been Knight Riders’ leading wicket-taker so far this season. How do you assess his performance in his first IPL season?
Colin de Grandhomme is our batting allrounder. Chris Woakes is more of a bowling allrounder. If you want to replace someone like Russell, you need two people to actually replace him. Woakesy, it is a little unfair on him because he has batted at No. 8, where he has not got too many balls to face. He is a good batsman who needs to take his time. He comes in when there are hardly two or three overs left.But he has bowled really well. It is always tough to bowl first-change, especially in the Powerplay, when you are bowling the fourth or fifth over, when batsmen are willing to take you on. Opening the bowling is still a little easier than bowling first-change in the Powerplay. And it is his first IPL as well. The way he has handled the pressure, bowling those tough overs initially and then at death, he has been very good.In the past, Narine was the go-to bowler. But this season he has endured possibly his worst IPL, in terms of average and strike rate. Yet you have persisted with him.
You need to keep in mind the conditions at all venues. Earlier there were two places where it used to spin: Chennai and Kolkata. This year, apart from Imran Tahir, who is a wristspinner, not a lot of spinners have got too many wickets.Stephen Fleming, coach of Tahir’s team (Rising Pune Supergiant), said that teams had failed to read the conditions well in the initial phase of this IPL. Do you agree?
Look at the surfaces as well. The conditions at Chennai and Eden, especially in the second innings, it used to turn. But this year, on most surfaces the ball has not spun at all. But even if Narine has not got too many wickets, some of the spells he has bowled have been game-changers for us. Bowling four overs for 16 or 20. The oppositions, I feel, have decided not to give him a wicket. They want to just play out his overs and then attack from the other end. So you have to give it to him, the kind of consistency he has shown over the years, which has been unbelievable.He has planted doubt in batsmen’s minds over the years.
Exactly. That is what he has done. People keep asking me about his mystery and stuff, but I have always felt that mystery is something which will only stay for a couple of seasons. You’ve got to have that quality to be consistent and to be able to carry on for so many seasons. That is what he has shown – he is a quality bowler.”I don’t know how to play a switch hit. I have never attempted it even in the nets. I have never reverse-swept either. My game is too conventional”•AFPDespite the consistency the Knight Riders have displayed, there have been instances, as you pointed out, when individuals like Warner or Tripathi have trumped your plans. How do you guard against that in the rest of the tournament?
This is the only format in which an individual can take the game away from you. That is expected. But you’ve got to be careful. Things can get out of your hand and at the same time you can wrest control back very quickly in T20. You can get the momentum back with two or three good overs.I still remember against RCB we were 70-odd for 1 after six overs. And we were all out for 131. When I got out after six overs I was expecting us to get 180-190 easily. We were bowled out in the 20th over. So things can change very quickly. What happens is, batsmen are always looking to score runs, they are always looking to be aggressive, so there is always an opportunity for a bowler to strike.People say that T20 is a batsman’s format, but I am a very strong believer that it is a bowler’s format as well. A bowler knows he has 24 deliveries and that there is an opportunity every ball to strike. Twenty-four deliveries, 24 opportunities. Because if you ask me as a batsman, my mindset is: I’m always looking to score runs, I’m always looking to strike hard, I’m always giving an opportunity to the bowler to get me out. It is not like I am looking to be subdued and rotate strike. Very few times does that happen.Is there a big change you have seen in ten years of IPL?
One big change, in fact, has been in the field placements. People have become far more innovative. In 2008 it was very conventional. We never had fields like three points and a deep cover and a long-off. There always used to be a short third man, a backward point and a cover – a more conventional field. There was a time when teams placed four fielders on the off side and the rest on the leg side.There is a range of different strokes as well. I don’t remember in the first two or three years batsmen playing so many switch hits. Okay, people used to whack the ball out of the ground, but that was done the conventional way, not the unorthodox way. Look now: people lapping, reverse-lapping, scooping, switch-hitting. With different strokes, there have been different innovations and different field placements, which has made it very exciting. But it has also made it tough for the batsmen.I feel getting runs in the first three years of the IPL was far easier than it is now. The reason is, bowlers have become smarter, have different game plans and have different field placements. They come round the wicket, bowl wide yorkers, have different variations, bowl different slower balls, the knuckleball.

“People say that T20 is a batsman’s format, but I am a very strong believer that it is a bowler’s format as well. As a batsman, I’m always looking to score runs, I’m always giving an opportunity to the bowler to get me out”

Batsmen have also started treating the first four or five overs as if they are playing at the death.
Exactly. When I joined KKR the first year [2011], our game plan was to get 40-45 in the first six overs, try and get to 100 by 15 overs with wickets in hand and then go hard in the final five. I still remember when Jacques [Kallis] was there as opener. We used to say, in our conditions, let us score at seven an over till the 15th over and then try and get 50 in the final five overs and get to 160, which we always thought, with our bowling attack in home conditions, would be a good score. Now, sometimes 200 is not a good score. People have become far more fearless, far more innovative. This is what IPL has done.All this means more headaches for a captain. What do you when Warner switch-hits Narine repeatedly?
Yes, he kept switch-hitting. Bowlers do not expect batsmen to switch-hit consistently. The only thing you can do is try and set a different field. If I want to bowl a good delivery I would looking at the conventional shot, not the unorthodox shot. And when someone like Warner is playing an unorthodox shot, you try and work with your field placements. Sometimes you just have to stand and applaud a batsman.You don’t play the switch hit. Why not?
I don’t know how to play a switch hit. I have never attempted it even in the nets. I have never reverse-swept either. My game is too conventional. That is how I was brought up. I don’t even sweep that much.Growing up, I was told by my coaches that the sweep is the last option you have against spin. If you can try and use your feet, if you can use the depth of your crease, you don’t need to sweep. But now I have realised it is always good to have another shot in your armoury. If I have to, I might do it in T20 when you have to slog-sweep and lap, but these strokes do not come to me naturally. I would never try and do it in 50-over cricket, unless it is a compulsion. I would hate doing it in first-class cricket.At 35, your drive is as strong as it was when you played for India for the first time. What keeps that passion strong?
I love winning. Winning for me is everything. Winning makes me happy, makes me satisfied, makes me be at peace. I just want to win, irrespective of what platform I play. Nothing else keeps me hungry. Nothing else makes me work hard.*After the loss to Kings XI on May 9, Gambhir is now the third-most successful IPL captain, below Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. This interview was conducted before that game.

Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy have been rather underwhelming on the tour of New Zealand

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton22-Mar-20170:53

The search for form in South Africa’s top order

If batting problems are the subject under discussion in this series, New Zealand are the side worse off. They have a misfiring opener in Tom Latham and are without their most experienced player, Ross Taylor. But South Africa are not without issues. Despite the coming of age of Dean Elgar, the nuggety approach of Temba Bavuma and the sensation that is Quinton de Kock, they have three senior players – Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy – who desperately need runs.”All batting units at international level will have one player struggling for form but that’s okay because you can’t just be relying on that one player,” South Africa coach Russell Domingo said. “That’s why it’s a batting unit and that’s why it’s a team – the team has got to try and help that player get out of those slumps. We’ve got maybe two or three players who are feeling that pressure at the moment. That’s a little bit of a concern. It’s always easier to just have one but when you’ve got two or three who are maybe searching for a bit of form, a bit of runs, it does become more challenging.”

Stephen Cook

Scores on this tour (Tests only): 3, 0, 3, 11
Innings since last hundred: 7
Hundreds this season: 2Stephen Cook’s judgment around the off stump has been suspect•AFPThere is no getting around the fact that Stephen Cook does not score pretty runs, but now he has added ugly dismissals to his CV as well. He has been the first man out on all four occasions in this series and to the same kind of delivery – the outswinger. He has both left the wrong ball (first innings in Dunedin) and gone fishing after it (both innings in Wellington). And though he would have survived had he reviewed the caught behind in the second innings of the first Test, one can’t help but wonder for how long?Cook looks increasingly edgy at the crease, perhaps even worse than he did in Australia, where his first four innings yielded 75 runs. He could be banking on the knowledge that he came through that rough patch and scored a century in the second innings of the day-night Test in Adelaide and topped that up with another at home against Sri Lanka. Judging by how he hit the nets on Wednesday, when only fielding drills were compulsory, Cook seemed to know he couldn’t rely on those statistics for too long.”He hits more balls than anyone else in the world so he is going to be here even if no-one is allowed to be here,” Domingo said.Cook might not lose his spot just yet considering the only reserve batsman in the squad is Theunis de Bruyn, who usually plays in the middle order. Quinton de Kock moving up seems unlikely as well, given his responsibility as wicketkeeper. And as far as future prospects go, Aiden Markram, the 22-year-old opener with an average of 41.38 from 28 first-class matches, may need a little more time to mature.

Hashim Amla

Scores on this tour (Tests only): 1, 24, 21, 38*
Innings since last hundred: 4
Hundreds this season: 1Hashim Amla has looked better as the tour has gone on, but he doesn’t have that big score yet•Getty ImagesIt might be sacrilege to even suggest Hashim Amla is losing his touch but an unusually lean season says something needs addressing. He has struggled with footwork (first innings in Dunedin, when he was bowled through a bat-pad gap) and concentration (soft dismissals in the second innings in Dunedin and first in Wellington) issues, which could be the consequence of limited-overs cricket affecting his Test match play.Amla gave up captaincy last January, in the same match that he scored a double-ton. Another century two games later hinted that he had been freed up, but a lean tour of Australia and struggles against Sri Lanka – broken briefly by a hundred in his 100th Test – brought the doubts back. Amla has looked better as the New Zealand series has gone on, and given his sterling record in England, where South Africa play next, they will not even consider going without him.

JP Duminy

Scores on this tour (only Tests): 1, 39, 16, 15*
Innings since last hundred: 4
Hundreds this season: 2JP Duminy has been getting out to both the short and the full balls•AFPJP Duminy began as a Test player with immense promise but somewhere along, he has turned into one that frustrates the fans. After 44 matches, he still averages under 35 and his six hundreds are spaced out through significant periods of under-performance.Duminy has had a poor tour of New Zealand, across formats. In the Tests, he was bounced out on the pull (first innings Dunedin), pinned in front playing all around an inswinger (second innings Dunedin), caught off a half-volley (second innings Wellington) and he has no excuses.Since AB de Villiers’ absence, Duminy has been promoted to No. 4 and he had early success, scoring a cathartic century against Australia in Perth. He revealed he had considered retirement last summer but was persuaded to stay on by then-selector Ashwell Prince, and Faf du Plessis has not stopped praising his game since. Duminy went on to score a century against Sri Lanka too but has not been unable to build on those innings. Although, his bowling adds to his value, it will not be enough to keep him in the side if his low scores continue. If de Bruyn is to come into the XI, Duminy is the likeliest man to make way.Two days ago, Duminy opted out of the IPL so he could have a little more time to work on his game, a sign of commitment to the national cause”He has made that decision based purely on freshening up from the mental aspect side of things but also family commitments. I suppose in the long run it is in the best interests of JP Duminy and also South African cricket,” Domingo said.Unless the results start to show soon, Duminy may end his career as a nearly-man and South Africa will have to look elsewhere.