Disappointed with the collapse against Pakistan, Aaron Finch hopes Australian batsmen learn from their mistakes, make better decisions

Sidharth Monga at The Oval14-Jun-20192:59

Hussey: I’d play Zampa, can’t rely on Finch and Maxwell

One day, Australia look like they are back to being the monstrous world-beating side. David Warner and Steven Smith are back. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins are bowling together. Glenn Maxwell looks dangerous in the middle order. There is so much experience of success in that change room.Next day, it seems they are just an ordinary side. Warner is beating his own mark for the slowest fifty, achieved in the previous match. Usman Khawaja is backing away from a bouncer. They are struggling against spin once again. They are almost blown away by a one-dimensional bouncer plan. If you play out Cummins and Starc, they can seem toothless for long stretches. They don’t even have an allrounder in the squad right now.They have even found ways to put these two extremes together on the same day. In Taunton, against Pakistan, Warner went back to being the busy and not “timid” opener that he was before he was sent into exile. All of a sudden, Australia were looking extremely dangerous again, and then they wasted a start of 189 for 2 in the 29th over to be bowled out for 307 without even playing out the 50 overs.It once again came down to the use of Maxwell, who was promoted in this innings to No. 4 after it could have been argued he didn’t get enough time to make an impact in the tall chase against India. The feeling you got was, Australia were looking to dominate, and felt they had enough in case there should be a collapse. Maxwell came in, tried to hit through the line, was beaten by one that seamed and was bowled.

That was my decision to send him in, and I probably didn’t make the right call on how tough the wicket was to walk in and really up the anteFINCH ON SENDING MAXWELL IN AT NO. 4 AGAINST PAKISTAN

What followed was an ugly collapse that left captain Aaron Finch disappointed. “It was a little disappointing to leave a few out there,” Finch said in a remarkably honest assessment. “Because we saw on a ground that’s so hard to defend like Taunton, that once a team gets a run on it, it can be hard to stop regardless of who is playing. I think we just looking to go a little bit too hard too soon after the start that we had. I think that we probably forced it a little bit too much, and probably left it to somebody else. We thought that somebody else was going to do the job but, at the same time, we still got ourselves into a great position.”We got guys a little bit of time in the middle that allowed them to get the feel of the game and get a bit of a flow into the World Cup. Shaun Marsh had not played a game; he got to come in and get some time in the middle. It would have been great if he spent a bit more time there and took the game a bit deeper, but when you’re playing seven batters, it’s probably the risk versus reward. If that comes off, then do you get that huge total, but at the same time, I was probably just a little bit disappointed that we failed to learn throughout the innings.”There was times when it looked like every time we tried to hit it down the ground, a big shot down the ground in the air, it went straight up. A couple of guys still made that same mistake after a few guys before them had as well. So that was a bit disappointing.”This much is clear: Australia want to impose themselves; they believe they can impose themselves, but they are yet to arrive at an XI and at an understanding where they know what the best way to go about it is. They don’t quite have the strike ability of India in the middle overs, so it is understandable that they have to take the risk of going for that above-par total. At the same time, they need batsmen who can scale back out in the middle.Maxwell, meanwhile, continues to be their jack in the box. They want him to create the maximum impact whenever he goes out to bat. Admittedly, they got that timing wrong in Taunton. “Whether that’s from the 35th over, from the 20th over, that’s just game-by-game, and that was my decision to send him in, and I probably didn’t make the right call on how tough the wicket was to walk in and really up the ante,” Finch said. “So that was my bad mistake, especially after being out there for 20 overs. It was probably a wicket that we could have built for a little bit longer and tried to have maximum impact right at the end, rather than maximum impact for 25 overs.”In successive matches, Australia have gone too soft and too hard. They still have three wins in four games. One way of looking at it is they have been lucky that they have six points without being at their best. The other way, the way Australia are looking at it is: how good will they be when or if they get anywhere close to getting it right?

Well, game awareness. It’s the one thing a batsman needs to handle tough conditions and the KKR captain had plenty

Alagappan Muthu25-Apr-2019He was 3 off 10 balls. And already ten overs had gone. So how did he end up with 97 runs?! Well, game awareness. It’s the one thing every batsman needs to handle tough conditions.2:24

County cricket helped me improve my inswingers – Aaron

Dinesh Karthik saw Shreyas Gopal – a spinner, and so the weak link on this green pitch – and took him for 19 runs in the 11th over. That got him going.Then, he pulverised Jaydev Unadkat – who has only one weapon, the change of pace, and so is extremely predictable – for 35 in 14. And once he was in full flow, even Jofra Archer couldn’t stop him, although Karthik did tilt the battle his way by doing something most finishers have done this IPL: take guard deep in his crease. That way he was set up for anything from the yorker to the bouncer. That’s how he could flat-bat short balls for sixes over extra cover.A captain’s wicketThree catching chances and a run-a-ball 14. That was Andre Russell tonight. It was bad. And Steven Smith had a lot to do with it turning out that way. The moment Kolkata Knight Riders’ big-hitter came to the crease, he pressed into service his best wicket-taker on the night – Varun Aaron, his best match-winner – Archer, and his fastest bowler – Oshane Thomas. They bowled 71% of the deliveries faced by Russell in this game.Now, this was a massive gamble. Smith was willing to bowl out his best bowlers in an effort to take out KKR’s best batsman. And if Russell had weathered the onslaught, he could have feasted on the weaker bowlers. After all, Unadkat ended up bowling two of the last three overs of the innings.ESPNcricinfo LtdAaron in the greenIt’s been home disadvantage for KKR, playing much of this season on surfaces that have, largely, negated their spin-bowling strength. Things went to a whole other level on Thursday as Eden Gardens rolled out a very green surface with pace, bounce, carry and movement.Rajasthan Royals loved the look of it and Aaron even started with a maiden; he’s only ever bowled one of those before in his entire IPL career. Later on, he delivered a knockout knuckle ball, swinging it so far into Shubman Gill that he really had no reply.ESPNcricinfo LtdBoth Aaron and his partner – IPL debutant and express quick Thomas – bowled that hard, hit-the-deck length, rarely allowing the drive, and it had a clear effect. KKR’s batsmen were rushed by the speed at which the ball came at them and were disconcerted by the movement on offer.It was all reminiscent of the 2017 IPL, the first one after the Eden pitch was relaid, with fast bowlers picking up 65 wickets and spinners contributing a mere 25.Narine magicHis heart is in playing for West Indies, but his finger is not ready to take on the load of 50-over cricket. Here in the IPL, even a niggly Sunil Narine proves to be a handful.There were two things that made him so good against Royals. One, he hit an in-between length, not letting batsmen come forward and get to the pitch of the ball, or rock back to play the horizontal-bat shots. And two, his speed, which was in the 90kph range.That is probably why neither Ajinkya Rahane nor Smith could cope with the balls they got out to even though they only turned very slightly. Both men were playing down the wrong line but the zip off the track meant they had no time to adjust.In fact, in the second innings, the spinners became immensely effective, picking up 5 for 36 in eight overs (not including part-timer Nitish Rana) while seamers were walloped for 119 in 10.2.

Also, was the stand between Ben Stokes and Jack Leach the highest to win any match by one wicket?

Steven Lynch08-Oct-2019Who holds the record for the longest innings gap between Test hundreds? asked Krishna Reddy from India

This record is held by the New Zealand wicketkeeper Adam Parore, who had 92 innings – and 57 Tests – between Test centuries. He scored his first one in his 28th innings, in his 16th match – 100 not out against West Indies in Christchurch in 1994-95 – and had to wait till his 121st innings (73rd Test) to score another – 110 against Australia in Perth in 2001-02. These were Parore’s only two Test hundreds.Another wicketkeeper, South Africa’s Mark Boucher, scored his fourth Test century in his 95th innings in his 70th Test, and did not score another (his last one) till his 169th innings, in his 120th match.What’s the highest score by a batsman who also made a duck in the same Test? asked Jerry Hayes from England

The current record was set in October 2015, when Shoaib Malik scored 245 and 0 for Pakistan against England in Abu Dhabi. It was previously held by Ricky Ponting, with 242 and 0 against India in Adelaide in 2003-04, in a match Australia lost (Ponting’s innings was the highest individual score by someone who ended up on the losing side).Five other players have made a double-century and a duck in the same Test: Dudley Nourse followed 0 with 231 for South Africa against Australia in Johannesburg in 1935-36; Shakib Al Hasan made 217 and 0 for Bangladesh v New Zealand in Wellington in 2016-17; Imtiaz Ahmed 209 and 0 for Pakistan against New Zealand in Lahore in 1955-56; Viv Richards 208 and 0 for West Indies v Australia in Melbourne in 1984-85; and another West Indian, Seymour Nurse, 201 and 0 against Australia in Bridgetown in 1964-65.In all there have been 168 instances of a player making a century and a duck in the same Test.Was the stand between Ben Stokes and Jack Leach the highest to win any match by one wicket? asked Praful Mukherjee from India

That remarkable partnership of 76, which somehow won the third Ashes Test at Headingley in August, would have been a new Test record – if the mark hadn’t been broken earlier in 2019. In Durban in February, Kusal Perera (who made 153 not out) and No. 11 Vishwa Fernando (6 not out) put on 78 as Sri Lanka shocked South Africa to win by one wicket.That stand by Perera and Fernando was actually the biggest tenth-wicket partnership to win any first-class match, beating by one the 77 of Tom Leather and 44-year-old Ron Oxenham for an Australian touring team against Madras in 1935-36. The highest in Tests prior to 2019 was 57, by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mushtaq Ahmed for Pakistan against Australia in Karachi in 1994-95.Ben Stokes and Jack Leach’s last-wicket stand of 76 would have been a Test record had it not been broken earlier in the year by Kusal Perera and Vishwa Fernando’s 78•Getty ImagesDavid Miller took his 50th catch in T20Is last month. Is he the first fielder to reach this milestone? asked Tanmay Gupta from South Africa

South Africa’s David Miller reached the milestone of 50 catches in the field in T20Is when he caught Hardik Pandya in Bengaluru on September 22 (he’s also taken a catch and a stumping while keeping wicket). He’s actually the second fielder to reach 50: Shoaib Malik of Pakistan completed his half-century in his most recent match, against South Africa in Centurion in February 2019.Three women have taken more catches in the field in T20Is: England’s Jenny Gunn has 58, while her England team-mate Lydia Greenway and New Zealand’s Suzie Bates both have 54.Who has been out lbw most often in Tests? asked Jim Radcliffe from England

Not entirely surprisingly, the man who had the most Test innings is the one who was lbw most often: Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed leg before wicket in 63 of his 329 Test innings (33 of which were not out). Next on the list is Shivnarine Chanderpaul, with 55, then the Essex and England pair of Alastair Cook (54) and Graham Gooch (50).Probably a better measurement is the percentage of lbw dismissals. Given a minimum of 25 completed innings, the current Zimbabwean batsman Craig Ervine leads the way here: 11 of his 28 Test dismissals (39.29%) have been lbw. The West Indian wicketkeeper Junior Murray comes next with 39.02% (16 of 41), then Hannan Sarkar (36.36%), Maninder Singh (34.62%), and Bob Woolmer, JP Duminy and Ed Cowan (all 34.38%).At the other end of the scale, in the “Golden Age” years leading up to the First World War the Australian Joe Darling had 60 Test innings without ever being out lbw, while his contemporary Clem Hill was leg-before just once in his 89 innings.Use our
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Sanju Samson, the young Kerala keeper-batsman, talks about how his perspective on the game has changed and how that has brought about big scores for him

Interview by Varun Shetty24-Oct-2019More than seven years after his List A debut, Sanju Samson made his first century in 50-overs cricket earlier this month and turned it into a double . He has now returned to the India squad after a long wait.In this interview, he opens up on the crucial break that made it possible, the near-impossible task of replacing someone like MS Dhoni, and the question everyone has been asking him for a while now: why doesn’t he make these big scores more often?In 2018, you didn’t have a century in any format. What do you feel about your year so far?
Before the start of the season, I had close to two-three months of rest. I didn’t play any competitive games. I’ve really used the time to good effect. When you continuously play cricket for a long time, you tend to keep going with the motions. Having two to three months really helped me realise why I started playing cricket. The fun part [had been] lost. It was focusing more on the result and where I have to reach and what I have to do. Those three months have given me a more clear picture of why I started playing. I’ve started enjoying my cricket. I’ve started loving batting. Before, I used to bat for long because I had to bat. Now, I love to bat. The love towards my game has changed and automatically I think the results show. The more you enjoy something, the more it gives you back. That’s what has changed and I’m really enjoying this season.Did you work on your cricket during that break?
(Chuckles) The only thing I know is to play cricket and work on my fitness. So I just gave time for that. Fitness was the most important thing. If you keep playing, you can only maintain your fitness. But if you get a break you can take it to the next level. The first month I worked mostly on my fitness and later on my skills.

“As a wicketkeeper I’ve been shuffled around a lot. I get selected to the IPL team or India A or even Kerala, and sometimes the management says I have to field”

Did you feel you had to do a bit extra, considering you had failed a fitness test last year?
Absolutely. It does play on your mind. Just before that fitness test, I was my fittest ever, actually! I was working hard. But it happened just after the IPL and I had a small niggle in my knee, so I didn’t train for one week. I went and did the fitness test directly, without training or even running in the ground. I thought I was at my fittest and I could easily do it, but it didn’t happen. It was unlucky but I’ve been working hard and I’m confident about it.You’ve raised your level now?
Definitely, not only my running, but I’ve also gained on my muscle work. I have a bit more muscle and have bulked up for the season.ALSO READ: Sanju Samson makes Vijay Hazare Trophy history with unbeaten 212So that explains the double-hundred?
(Laughs) Definitely, yes. Batting for the whole 45-50 overs and running hard between the wickets – I was batting with Sachin Baby and he made me run a lot of doubles and triples. I also had to keep for 50 overs.After that innings was the biggest challenge of my life. People were seeing that after 20 overs [of keeping], I had a headache. They were saying, you can stop and another keeper can come in. But I wanted to challenge myself. It took two to three days to recover after that.What clicked for you on that day?
Things have been really clicking for the last one or two months. The way I’ve been batting in the India A series, the 91 I scored off 48 balls; the start of the tournament [Vijay Hazare] also I was batting well. I scored 60-odd against Karnataka and unfortunately got run out at the bowler’s end. Things were going really well. I could feel something special was coming. I didn’t feel like it would be a 200, but I knew something big was coming.The results in cricket keep varying. If you’re batting well, if you play six or seven innings, you’re only allowed to succeed once or twice. But when you succeed, you have to make it big. I thought the whole tournament I’d been playing well and I was happy that I was able to convert. I think I played normally that day. I never went after the bowlers or smashed the ball. I just looked at the ball and reacted and things came on nicely that day.What were some of the conversations you had during that innings?
I was in the zone, so you just keep quiet and enjoy it. Lot of fun happening in the middle – I was the happiest when I was playing that innings. I was laughing a lot and I got my first hundred. I was spending some time in the 90s and I got over it after hitting a six to complete my first List-A hundred. That was all very special. Even after I’d got 50, I told myself that if I get a hundred today then I can get a double. The way I was playing in that tournament, I knew that if I complete a hundred, I have to make it something special.A lot of people must ask you how come it’s taken so long to get that hundred. Was it a relief to get that out of the way?
Yeah, seriously, it was. If you’re not good enough and you’re not scoring that hundred, then you can say that you will improve. But I have been playing some really good innings and getting out in the 90s or 89 not out and all that. I knew it would come. If you’re desperate about it, it won’t come. Everything in my life has happened at the right time, so I just have to keep on preparing and if it has to happen, it will happen. I was happy to wait this long – and when it happened, it was a double.”Now, the boundary- and six-hitting comes more naturally to me. I practise that a bit more. I like to go after the bowlers and the shots”•AFPWere there times in the past when you felt frustrated?
I have come a long way. I debuted at 18 or 19 for India and in that time, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs. I’ve seen success early in my life and failures as well. So I’m mature enough and experienced enough to understand that things will happen. Everyone was saying, “You’ve not got a hundred, you’ve not got a hundred.” But what I said to myself was, “Sanju, everything has happened so nicely. You’ve scored two IPL hundreds.” I’ve scored hundreds in a 20-over game, so it’s not a big thing to score one in a 50-over match at that level. I’ve scored against the best bowlers in the world. If I get desperate and say to myself that I need to score more centuries in domestic cricket, it will bring unwanted pressure on me. I just go out there and enjoy myself. That’s what you need to get results.After two-three years at this level, did you feel the expectations were too much?
I was fortunate enough to play with people like Rahul Dravid at the age of 19 and have him as a coach at India A. And meeting lots of people, like Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Joe Buttler – I talk a lot with them about the game.The main thing is that you need to understand what you’re aiming at. I’m a wicketkeeper-batsman and the Indian team has the most successful captain and keeper in the world. So MS Dhoni was someone I had to replace if I wanted to play for India. It was not going to happen. You have to be realistic about what you’re aiming for. At that point I knew I had a lot of time to prepare myself. You need to be prepared to make yourself worthy to play in the Indian jersey. I was lucky to get four or five years in the domestic season, in the IPL or in the India A set-up. Everything doesn’t happen quickly.For someone who was drilled to hit along the ground and described as a calm player by your early coaches, you’re quite an aggressive batsman these days. How did that happen?
It’s a very funny thing. My father never allowed me to hit the ball in the air when I was young [in Delhi, where Samson grew up] and then I started hitting sixes when I came to Kerala. I can’t tell you how it happened, really. I love hitting the ball and it just happens. Nowadays if you ask me whether I like a perfect defensive shot or a six, then definitely I would go for a six. That’s how the game has changed for me. Now, the boundary- and six-hitting comes more naturally to me. I practise that a bit more. I like to go after the bowlers and the shots.

“The results in cricket keep varying. If you’re batting well, you’re only allowed to succeed once or twice. But when you succeed, you have to make it big”

But sometimes that will come in the way of, say, a hundred, right?
Yeah, it will. The joy of playing allows me to play like that, I think. In this type of style, failures will happen. I’ll fail a lot. But you’ve to accept that that’s your game plan. When you succeed, you’ve to make it big.But I’ve developed another style also. If you ask me to rotate the singles or stay at the crease and create partnerships, I can do that. I think I have two types of game. If there is nothing to achieve or there is no set time, then I go with my natural style. It’s very important to have two styles.How did you raise the level of your batting?
I’ve worked hard with my Rajasthan Royals coach, Zubin Bharucha. Spending five or six years with him, I think he has known a lot about my game. Lots of people have helped me. I can’t name everyone. Everyone has given me something. I believe the best coach you have is yourself. I have sat back and understood what this generation or what this Indian team is going through. And if I stand there one day, how will I respond to a situation. I’m watching TV, seeing what the team is going through and thinking about how I would apply my game.ALSO READ:Sanju Samson let off with warning by KCA, father asked to stay awayYou had many off-field distractions last year, like issues with the Kerala Cricket Association. Did that affect your mindset?
There have been lots and lots of issues, but there’s no point in going back and talking about them. Lots of things happened, good and bad, and I’m happy that they happened and made me who I am. If only good things had happened and if everyone was on my side, I would be much softer than who I am. Now I’m ready to face any situation.As a wicketkeeper, how hard is to get to that [Dhoni] level and what have you done?
As a wicketkeeper I’ve been shuffled around a lot. I get selected to the IPL team or India A or even Kerala and sometimes the management says I have to field [instead of keeping]. And I think: are you serious? (laughs) Because everyone wants me to keep and be picked for the Indian team as a wicketkeeper. But I don’t want to impose myself. I’m happy to field for the team. In the IPL, they felt I’m a much better fielder than I am a keeper because I move around and take good catches. I said, okay. I can’t really tell them I have an Indian selection [pending]. So whatever the team demands, I’ll do it. I think I’m a really good fielder too, so if they want to play me as a batsman, I can do that. I can move around quickly in the field. If they want me to keep, I can keep too. I’ve been keeping regularly for my state side in one-day cricket for the last three to four years.You once said that you felt your batting concentration was going down in red-ball cricket because of the keeping. Has that improved?
That has changed. If you are an automatic keeper, that doesn’t happen. But, as I said, if I play as a batsman, mentally, it is a bit challenging. But now I’ve coped with it and know how to deal with it.

Scenes from an alternate universe where Dale Steyn is playing Tests, and charging in to bowl at Virat Kohli

Alagappan Muthu29-Sep-2019He looked so tiny. Until he started running in. Then he was a blur. And so was the ball. Eventually he made his way down to the boundary and suddenly he was larger than life. So close to the crowd and me that the only sensible thing to do was that old third grade trick. “Tell him to tell her to tell him to tell her to tell that guy in the green shirt that I love him”.Dale Steyn was right there, within throwing distance of a piece of paper with the words, ‘Will you be my bowling hero?’ and yes or no check boxes. The message tree technique wasn’t quite as foolproof as I thought. One ill-timed glass of champagne had been enough for it to crash and burn. He was probably too busy to notice anyway.But maybe now he has a little more time on his hands. Isn’t it ironic that the greatest fast bowler of our generation had to retire just when things are starting to get awesome? Helpful pitches. Insane new talents. Riveting head-to-heads. We’ve already been spoiled rotten but to think we could have had Dale Steyn v Virat Kohli to follow Jofra Archer v Steven Smith… Come on, Dale-aaa. Ambati Rayudu un-retired. Couldn’t you? I want to see you at the top of your mark again, and the batsman trying so very hard to look everywhere but in your eyes.Everyone has their own reasons to be swept away by genius. And Steyn, in 14 years of playing Test cricket, offered us a free for all. The wickets (439). The skill (an outswinger nicked from the gods). The aura (even the great Michael Holding rates him one of the best ever). The wit (Rohit Sharma: Come to India, we’ll show you. Steyn: Shut up, I have more runs than you. Rohit: X-over-mouth emoji. Us eavesdropping: jaw-drop emoji) But for me, the thrill of Steyn was in the anticipation.

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India v South Africa is available in the US on Hotstar and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the three Tests.

Back when I had an arm that didn’t turn into soggy rice pudding every time I bowled, I’d go out to the backyard, little brother in tow, to mimic/mutilate his action, his celebrations, his stare, and, on a good day, his vein. There was one time when I rode this high for weeks: the 2009 Australian summer when South Africa went over with Steyn as the ICC’s Test Player of the Year, won and then invited them back home for the re-match. That series got done in January and the return bout was only in February and I dragged lil bro out every single evening until eventually he threw his bat into the bushes, picked up a stray rock, drew three squiggly lines on the wall and yelled, “What the eff do you need me for?! Hitting that is all you care about.”I felt a semblance of this rush taking hold again as this India v South Africa series approached. Steyn had broken down again at the World Cup and, until the announcement, everything was lining up to make his comeback perfect. We were all hopped up on quality fast bowling thanks to Archer, Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins and more. And as fun as it was watching the pretenders, I couldn’t wait until it was time for the king to reclaim his throne.It was destiny that it was India, too. This rivalry, though never cutthroat, has been endlessly compelling because it plays out in conditions that are almost always bowler-friendly. And while even the prospect of walking onto those sun-roasted turners at Visakhapatnam, Pune and Ranchi has to be exhausting for most seamers, it seemed the most natural backdrop for a man who has never needed any help from any pitch.All it ever took to turn Dale Steyn on was putting a cricket ball in his hand.Now just close your eyes and imagine the first day of this series. India two down early (Che’s still at the crease, obviously) and runs out into the sunshine. That bat is just gleaming in his hands, hungry for runs, and he soothes it by practicing a couple of punchy straight drives. Bam! Four! Bam! Four again!And over by the pitch, is impatiently waiting, his body in proper fighting order. It feels like the one that helped him play 85 of the 111 matches that South Africa played since his Test debut in December 2004 all the way up to that day in Perth when he walked away clutching his shoulder. The crowd has gone quiet. The tension keeps building. Eventually that bat starts tapping on the ground and those feet start pounding the turf.Kohli v Steyn. One of the best now v One of the best ever. And it doesn’t even need actual cricket to be gripping.Would’ve been nice though. Especially considering the other subplot. It took shape in the West Indies earlier this year. The birth of a new outswing demon. Jasprit Bumrah says he always had it, that he just needed time to polish it so that it fit at international level. Well it does. There’s a brow-beaten off stump somewhere in Antigua that is non-living proof of that. How cool would it have been to watch him square off against Steyn? Stupid frail human physiology. You’ve robbed us of not one but two absolute superstars. Sigh. At least we still have Kagiso Rabada, the bowling armada.So where was I? Ah yes. Constructing an elaborate alternate universe where Steyn is still playing Test cricket. Come back, Dale-a. I miss you so much I started making weird memes and posting them on reputable cricket websites.Come back, Dale Steyn•ESPNcricinfo LtdSee.#PostYourSteynMeme #BringHimBack

Mithali Raj looks back on the highs and lows of her T20I career, and talks up the young players who will take India forward in the format

Annesha Ghosh03-Sep-2019When did you first consider retiring from T20Is?Retiring after the home series against England [in Guwahati in March] is something I had already decided during the New Zealand tour. So accordingly, I had kept the coach, WV Raman, and the chief selector (Hemlata Kala) in the loop during the tour. When I was having a chat with the coach [in New Zealand], I realised he was planning for the next T20 World Cup (in February-March 2020), and I didn’t see myself playing that World Cup. So it fully made sense for me to keep the coach in the loop about my plan, and that is when I shared my plan with them.Precisely at that point of time [in February-March], there were also articles doing the rounds about my retirement. So it was already out in the media. So as things stand today, it wasn’t a decision I took all of a sudden, driven by emotions or impulse, because I’m still an active member of the one-day side and the captain. This decision to quit this format [T20Is] was made a long time ago and both the coach and the selector were aware.

The highlight of my career would always be opening the innings for India. It will be at the top because that’s a kind of feeling only a player can understand, as to what it really is to open an innings for her country.

Did you discuss your retirement with any team-mates before making the announcement today?When I make a decision, it is solely and wholly mine. Once I make up my mind, I don’t discuss much, or with anyone. When I made this decision in New Zealand, the only person I discussed this with was my dad. He had said I should not be retiring on foreign soil, which is why I had made up my mind that England would be my last series.ALSO READ: Mithali Raj’s top T20I hitsIt was just a matter of when I would have made the decision known to the BCCI and make it public. I knew all through that this announcement is something I wanted to come up with after the England home series because at that point there was no confirmation around the scheduling of the South Africa series.What comes to your mind today as you look back at the closing phase of your T20I career, which also includes the controversy that broke out in the wake of the India’s T20 World Cup exit last November?A dear friend told me, “There’s nothing you can get holding on to the past.” So I don’t have any bitterness at this juncture thinking about the controversy. Yes, it did project the sport in a bad light for those few months, but I don’t have any negativity about the controversy or any not-so-good things that I may have gone through in my T20I career.What about the good things?I would roll back the clock to 2016, when we defeated Australia in Australia. It was the first time we achieved that feat. Leading the Indian team on that tour is something I cherish. That was the point when things started to roll for the Indian team, and a lot of good players have come up after that. That series win gave us a lot of confidence as a team. All of a sudden, we realised we do have the potential to be a better T20I side than what had been before that.That was a turning point in the journey of Indian women’s cricket. I look at it as a big stride forward for the Indian team. Since that tour, the team has really improved series by series and we have had more players getting opportunities in overseas T20 leagues, starting with Smriti [Mandhana] and Harman (Harmanpreet Kaur).Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana pose for the cameras in Jaipur•PTI Would you be available for selection in the BCCI’s domestic inter-state T20 tournament and the next edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge?At some level, yes. The other leagues [such as the WBBL and the KSL] have been up and running for four-five years, so they are on a better platform, so in the Women’s IPL – or whatever form the Women’s T20 Challenge takes up next year – we need established players to keep the tournament in a good space, given the last edition [where Raj captained Velocity to the final] has garnered a lot of attention. People are now keen to have a women’s IPL, and it’s something that will help our domestic players in a big way, so I will be available for that.Who are the young talents you think have a good chance of making up the core of the T20I side over the next few years?It all depends on the role that the young players are given. In my opinion, it doesn’t only depend on the players’ individual performances. Over a period of time, you have to give them opportunities in a given role, and if they do well, they should be picked because it will help the team perform as a cohesive unit and perform better.We have had players who have done well individually, but in a format that’s evolving so fast, you need those individual performances to fit into the larger needs of the team. Of course, you have Smriti, Harmanpreet, Jemimah [Rodrigues], and there’s Deepti [Sharma], who, I read, has done really well in the KSL. That performance should give that girl a confidence boost because she’s one player who’s immensely important for the one-day side, and I believe in the future she will play a very important role in the T20 side.Since the start of 2018, there has been a lot of debate – and uncertainty – around the best candidate for Smriti Mandhana’s opening partner. Among those that T20I captain Harmanpreet has tried, who do you think is best suited for the role?It depends on what team they select. They tried out [Priya] Punia in New Zealand, and then in the home series [against England] they tried out Harleen [Deol]. In the Asia Cup, Pooja [Vastrakar] also opened for us.Jemimah’s got a lot of runs at No. 3 in T20Is. I am not sure about promoting her to the opener’s slot because someone else then will have to fill Jemimah’s No. 3 spot. So I would not disturb her at this juncture to push her to the opening slot. But Shafali [Verma, who Raj captained at the Women’s T20 Challenge] is a good prospect.Mithali Raj taps the ball late behind square•ICCWhat sets Shafali apart from the players you mentioned earlier?Shafali is a really good prospect we have got after a long time who is so fearless. If moulded well, guided well, and given a good platform by the coach, the captain and the team, she will be a good option. She needs that guidance because she is still very young, only 15-16 [years old] and her first big experience was the Women’s T20 Challenge. Besides, she is a wicketkeeper-bat, so it’s again a question of how they can utilise the talents of a young girl.You started out young yourself and were part of the side that played India’s first T20I. What are your most memorable knocks from your T20I career?The match in Sydney against Australia… It was in 2008. We were in no position to win [from the outset] because we were not that good a T20I side, but we ended up losing by only two runs. I got some 50-odd runs in the middle order [51 not-out, at No. 4, in only her second T20I], and that is one match I would rate highly because even though we lost the game, it made me realise that despite our limitations as a T20I team, we can always take a match closer in the format, and probably eventually win. I also remember that Jhulan [Goswami] was leading us in that game and there is a picture of us walking back.What kind of a future do you picture for the Indian T20I side which is now without you and Jhulan, two of the country’s most experienced cricketers?It had to happen someday, didn’t it? Jhulan retired [from T20Is] last year, it’s my turn now because nobody can play on forever. Everyone has to call it a day some day or the other, and the team will move forward because it has to move forward.The way the current crop of players are performing, I’m sure they will do very well in the upcoming series and also in the T20 World Cup. Most of the players in the T20I side are mature adults. Most of them have 25-plus games under their their belt, and the BCCI will be organising a few series to ensure others to get that many games under their belt before the World Cup, so they have that maturity to deal with situations you require at top-level international cricket.Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami talk during a training session•Getty ImagesIs there anything you particularly enjoyed about batting in T20Is?The highlight of my career would always be opening the innings for India. It will be at the top because that’s a kind of feeling only a player can understand, as to what it really is to open an innings for her country. Apart from that, the runs I scored in Bangladesh [including three fifties on that tour] during the 2014 T20 World Cup.Is there any advice you would like to give to the inexperienced players in the T20I side?Look, we all must understand that the current players have a lot of challenges because the way the ICC is promoting the T20Is and one-dayers, especially the World Cup platform, everyone’s eyes will be glued to both the Indian teams – no matter the format. So it’s very important that the players remain calm, and just focus on what they are supposed to do, especially on their preparation. Preparation is everything. That’s one aspect they shouldn’t compromise on.I believe our Indian T20I side has what it takes to perform well in the T20 World Cup because Smriti and Harman have played two-three seasons in the WBBL and they are the most experienced players in this side. They will be heading into the World Cup with a lot of experience and they should be able to share that experience with the other players, especially the youngsters, and I see that helping that team. As an Indian, I will be rooting for our team, and I want them to do well. At the end of the day, you want the sport to grow, you want more girls in our country to play cricket, take up the sport, and there’s no platform better than the World Cup to inspire a generation.If it were possible to turn back time, would you have done anything differently in your T20I career?If I would have done anything differently, the outcome would have been different (smiles). As a player, I don’t know if I would have got any different kind of knowledge had I done things differently, but I am happy the way things have turned out. Whether it is good or bad it doesn’t matter as long as it helped me move forward.

Batsman’s longest ton quietens doubters, though ultimately resolves little

George Dobell in Hamilton01-Dec-2019The punch of the air and broad smile told the story: Joe Root needed this century.He had certainly been made to work hard for it. No hundred had taken him longer – 259 balls – and at one stage, he went more than 30 overs without a boundary. More than that, though, it had been eight months since his previous Test century. In the time since, his membership of the ‘big four’ had lapsed and questions about his future as captain had started to crop up with increasing and uncomfortable persistence.ALSO READ: Return to form ‘just round the corner’ insists RootLet’s be clear: had Root been dismissed for a pair in this match, he would still have led England in South Africa. If there were a viable alternative that might not be the case, but there isn’t. Not really. And he retains the confidence of his team.Joe Root drives through the covers•AFP / Getty ImagesBut there had been a creeping suspicion that the cost of retaining Root as captain was compromising his ability to perform his day job: scoring runs. And England, a team who have not scored 400 this year (and did so only once in 2018), cannot afford their best batsman to endure such a fallow spell. They are going to end a year without a Test series victory for the first time this century, after all (the last time they did so was in 1999)If you had any doubt about the importance of Root’s runs to England consider these statistics. Before this match, England had won 13 – and lost none – of the 16 matches in which Root has scored a century. And in a side in which only five men have scored a Test century – one of them bats at No. 9 and another at No. 11 – his contributions are magnified.So England needed this innings from Root. And this innings from Rory Burns. Not just to give them an outside chance to square this series against New Zealand, but to show they could adapt to conditions where patience and discipline are as important qualities as flair and aggression. To show they were making progress.But most of all they needed it to give Root some breathing space. This hundred, albeit one made on a docile surface, will quieten – at least for a while – the voices calling for change and, probably more importantly, quieten the doubts within Root’s own head. It was his first century in his team’s first innings since August 2017 while the partnership between Root and Burns (177) was England’s highest since Alastair Cook was in the side in September 2018. Clearly in some discomfort at times – he received treatment on his long-standing back injury at various intervals – it was, in its way, a brave and determined innings, too. Root is, once again, a captain leading from the front.Joe Root celebrates reaching his century•Getty ImagesThis innings was, in many ways, a model of denial. It was a reminder of the adage that batting is as much about the shots you don’t play as those you do. So the drive was, largely, put away – he has scored only 14 of his 114 to date in front of square on the off side, with his only boundary in the area taking him into the 90s – and, in waiting for the ball to come to him, picked off 69 runs from his legs and hips between fine leg to midwicket. 75 of his runs have come behind square on either side of the wicket and he hasn’t given a chance. It was probably fitting the century was achieved with an under-edge which scudded to the boundary. This wasn’t anywhere near his prettiest innings, but it has been important.Might it be compared to Andrew Strauss’ career-saving century at Napier in 2008? Michael Vaughan was still captain but Strauss was highly regarded for his character as much as his cricket. He was struggling to command a place in the side though and, when he came into bat on a pair in the second innings, there was a sense that he was out of chances. And we all know what he went on to achieve.Maybe there is nothing as dramatic at stake here. This innings doesn’t resolve anything, after all. It hasn’t even given England the upper hand in the game. But it has kept them in it and it has boosted Root’s authority as player and leader. It may yet prove to be a fresh start, too. In a game played as much in the mind as on the pitch, it will certainly help him travel to South Africa without some of the excess baggage that might have accompanied him.Regardless, England will struggle to win this game. Rain that curtailed the day by 16.2 overs may also have denied England of any realistic chances they may have had. With the pace of run-scoring so slow – a reflection of the pitch more than England’s caution – they cannot expect to reach parity until lunch at the earliest. And there’s some work ahead to achieve even that.That means they will have to bat on into the final session of day four, at least, to be able to consider the sort of declaration that could pressure on New Zealand. And, bearing in mind they took only nine wickets in the whole of the first Test, they will be asking a lot of themselves to claim 10 within three or so sessions. There is the prospect of more poor weather, too, though maybe the hints of irregular bounce that crept into play late in the day will prove some encouragement.Most of all, though, England will be encouraged by Root’s return to productivity. It doesn’t solve all their problems, by any means, but it does represent a significant step in the right direction.

This summer looks set to be a massive one for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has even admitted as much.

The Spaniard’s side might still be able to do something truly remarkable in the Champions League, but with Liverpool now 11 points ahead in the Premier League, any chance of domestic glory looks all but gone.

It’s been a bruising campaign for the Gunners in that regard, as endless injuries and underwhelming form have seen them miss out on the chance to take advantage of Manchester City’s incredible collapse.

Fortunately, it appears as if the North Londoners are determined not to let the same thing happen next year by going big in the summer transfer market, and while Nico Williams has long been linked with the club, recent reports have now touted an even better player for a move to the Emirates.

Arsenal transfer news

Even before Arteta commented on the magnitude of the summer ahead, it looked almost certain that Arsenal would be in the market for a new centre-forward, as recent weeks have seen two names constantly linked with the club: Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former will supposedly be available for around the £58m mark and has amassed a tally of 55 goal involvements in 44 games for Sporting CP this season, while the latter could cost up to £67m and has amassed a haul of 25 goal involvements in 39 games for RB Leipzig.

However, it looks like the club don’t just want a new centre-forward, as alongside Williams, there has been another superstar winger recently touted for a move to N5: Rafael Leão.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are keen on signing AC Milan’s Portuguese game-changer.

The report has revealed that the Gunners have made the dynamic attacker one of their top priorities for the upcoming window as they seek a ‘star signing’.

However, Milan are understandably reluctant to let their star man leave easily, so the North Londoners would have to pay his mammoth release clause, which reportedly exceeds €100m, or £86m.

It would be an incredibly costly and potentially complicated transfer, but given Leão’s ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a better signing than Williams.

How Leão compares to Williams

So, if Arsenal can only sign one left-winger this summer, how does Leão stack up against Williams?

Well, when it comes down to their pure output, the Portuguese superstar comes out on top.

For example, in 43 appearances this season, totalling 2997 minutes, the “unstoppable” Milan star, as dubbed by journalist Zach Lowy, has scored ten goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.26 games, or every 157.73 minutes.

Appearances

43

39

Minutes

2997′

2689′

Goals

10

9

Assists

9

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

0.41

Minutes per Goal Involvement

157.73′

172′

In contrast, the Athletic Bilbao dynamo has scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 39 appearances, totalling 2752 minutes.

That means the Spaniard is currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.43 games, or every 172 minutes, which isn’t bad but doesn’t stack up to the competition.

Moreover, when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers, it’s another win for the Almada-born monster.

For example, he comes out ahead in practically every relevant metric, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive and key passes, crosses and passes into the penalty area, goal-creating actions, shots and shots on target, passes into the final third and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.60

0.35

Non-Penalty G+As

0.58

0.43

Progressive Passes

3.74

3.17

Progressive Carries

4.95

5.34

Shots

2.57

2.45

Shots on Target

1.04

0.87

Passing Accuracy

75.0%

70.3%

Key Passes

2.48

1.88

Passes into the Final Third

1.58

1.06

Passes into the Penalty Area

2.16

1.35

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.45

0.38

Shot-Creating Actions

4.77

5.05

Goal-Creating Actions

0.63

0.58

Ultimately, signing either Leão or Williams would make Arsenal a far more dangerous proposition next season, but if they have to pick one, Arteta and Co should sign the Milan star, as he’s simply the better player.

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Aston Villa suffered a 3-1 defeat away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday evening.

Despite the quality on show for PSG, it was the Villans who took the lead, and what a goal it was. Marcus Rashford played a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Youri Tielemans, who fired a cross to the back post where Morgan Rogers was waiting to tap home.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore

The home side hit back just moments before the halftime whistle. The electric Desire Doue was the goalscorer, cutting inside onto his right foot and curling his shot into the top right corner, past Emiliano Martinez.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave PSG the lead in the 49th minute with a goal that put his side in the box seat.

It was a remarkable effort, carrying the ball from just inside the Villa half into the penalty box, before rolling it onto his left foot and firing home high into the back of the net. Nuno Mendes sealed the win in the second minute of stoppage time, selling Martinez a dummy and rifling his effort home into a near-empty net.

It was a tough night at the office for Unai Emery’s side, who came up against some high-quality attackers. Matty Cash was one player who struggled to cope at times.

Matty Cash's performance in numbers vs PSG

It is never easy as a defender when you are coming directly up against Doue, Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele. Poland international Cash certainly struggled at times at right-back and had little respite from the Les Parisiens attackers.

Indeed, those attackers in a PSG shirt were relentless and really had Cash tied up in knots at times. The Villans number 2 picked up a yellow card for a cynical foul in the 17th minute to stop a counter-attack.

Minutes

45

45

Pass accuracy

50%

69%

Key passes

0

1

Tackles + interceptions

3

3

Duels won

3/8

2/5

Possession lost

9x

5x

Fouls committed

4

0

This made it tough at times for him to engage, given that he was at risk of committing a foul and receiving a second yellow card.

In fact, the stats from the game reflect just how tough of a night it was for Cash. As per Sofascore, the 27-year-old won just three of eight attempted ground duels and committed four fouls. Impressively, he did manage to win all three of his attempted tackles.

It was certainly a tough evening and it was perhaps unsurprising to see he was substituted at half time for Axel Disasi.

He will surely be hoping the second leg at Villa Park is a little more forgiving. However, he was not the only Villa player who struggled at the Parc des Princes.

Aston Villa's other underperformer

As much as Villa had to do defensively on Wednesday night, it meant their attackers did not get much joy going forward, aside from Rogers’ goal. One of the players who suffered that fate was homegrown hero Jacob Ramsey.

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The boyhood Villa star did not necessarily play badly against the French giants but did not have much joy going forward. He also had his work cut out defensively, having to track Achraf Hakimi, who mauraded forward a lot throughout the game.

Indeed, Ramsey’s stats from the game show just how tough it was for him. The Villa number 41 had 29 touches of the ball, completing 61% of his passes and losing the ball ten times. He won three from four duels but failed to win his only attempted tackle.

Touches

29

Pass accuracy

61%

Passes completed

11/18

Ground duels won

3/4

Number of times ball lost

10

Dribbles completed

1/1

Tackles won

0/1

The 23-year-old received a 5/0 post-match rating for his performance from Goal journalist Richie Mills. He described Ramsey as “quite quiet” throughout the game and explained that “much of his work involved trying to track back” and defend against Hakimi.

It will be interesting to see if Ramsey keeps his place in the starting lineup in the next seven days. Villa have the already-relegated Southampton away from home over the weekend before the return leg against PSG next Tuesday.

Emery has several options at his disposal. PSG Lonaee Marco Asensio replaced Ramsey on the hour mark at the Parc des Princes, and Ollie Watkins also missed out on a starting spot.

Perhaps Emery will turn to one of those if he decides to look for more directness in the attack, thus rotating Ramsey out of the side for a huge clash next week.

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Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero is attracting major interest from Atlético Madrid ahead of the looming summer transfer window, and it has now been revealed what their manager, Diego Simeone, has communicated to the Argentine in recent contacts.

Tottenham star Cristian Romero wanted by La Liga heavyweights

The centre-back, who was signed by ex-Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici on an initial loan which turned into a £42.5 million permanent deal from Atalanta four years ago, has gone on to impress during his time in north London.

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Making 115 appearances for the Lilywhites across all competitions since joining in 2021, Romero also formed a stellar partnership with Micky van de Ven at the heart of an Ange Postecoglou high-line defence which managed to secure Europa League qualification last season.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Chelsea (away)

April 3rd

Southampton (home)

April 6th

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

The World Cup-winning defender hasn’t been able to contribute enough in 2024/2025 due to injuries, though, which have caused him to miss 25 games in total this season.

Tottenham’s league position reflects this, with Postecoglou’s side sitting 14th in the Premier League table after suffering 15 league defeats. The north Londoners have even been forced to deploy teenager Archie Gray as a makeshift centre-back for large periods, with Romero and van de Ven’s absences giving Postecoglou a major headache throughout the campaign.

This has, of course, had a major effect on their overall form. Romero, who’s captained the side on occasion, is seen as a real leader in the squad and one of Postecoglou’s star senior men – so he would be a really sore miss if the 26-year-old were to push for an exit this summer.

“The way our defensive side of the game has come together, the one constant and the rock in that [much-changed defensive unit] has been Romero, with the way he’s taken on that responsibility of guiding those other guys around him so that they look assured,” said Postecoglou last season (via BBC).

“I think they feel security having him beside them.”

It is reliably believed that Atlético are expressing a serious interest in Romero (Sky Sports), while a report from GiveMeSport last week claimed that their cross-town rivals Real Madrid have also held internal talks over a move for the ex-Serie A star.

Romero is very much a wanted man in Spain, and particularly by Simeone.

Diego Simeone's private message to Tottenham star Cristian Romero

According to South American journalist Uriel Lugt, taking to X, Simeone has “already contacted” Romero, where he presented the defender something in a private message.

During these behind-the-scenes talks, Atlético’s head coach explained the club’s sporting project, and it appears to be tempting the Spurs ace, as Romero is now “willing” to make the move to Europe this summer.

However, that being said, Daniel Levy won’t make it easy for the Wanda Metropolitano side, as the Tottenham chairman is set to demand a “high price”.

This follows other reports that Tottenham are now open to selling Romero, so his exit is becoming more and more of a possibility as we slowly approach the end of this season.