India return to the scene of their World Twenty20 triumph but will have to cope with the burden of being favourites

Dileep Premachandran in Centurion25-Sep-2009Just over two years ago, MS Dhoni led an unheralded and inexperienced sideto South Africa for an event the ICC considered a trial run. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan all stayed at home while the rest of the team followed up a full tour of England with participation in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup.Few knew what to expect from the event, but a gripping first-round match between India and Pakistan that ended in a tie was followed by six sixes in an over [Yuvraj Singh against England] and a magnificent final where Misbah-ul-Haq and Pakistan fell five runs short. Overnight, the Twenty20 version became the talk of the town, and it could be argued that it was the frenzied interest created by those two India-Pakistan games that paved the way for the Indian Premier League, the Champions League and one-off games like the Stanford Super Series.It wasn’t just the Twenty20 game’s stock that went through the roof after that fortnight in South Africa. Dhoni went from being a maverick with an unorthodox array of strokes to the man who could lead Indian cricket past new frontiers. He was the anointed one, the leader who could give Indian cricket a standing on the pitch that was commensurate with its power off it.After the roughest of baptisms in a seven-match series against Australia at home [they lost 4-2], Dhoni has grown into the job. Tough on his players without being a bully, calm without being comatose and keen on leading by example whenever possible, he and his team have put together two years of solid achievement. It’s perhaps no coincidence that Indian cricket’s lowest point during that period came in the Test series in Sri Lanka that Dhoni sat out.Younis Khan, who will walk out to toss with him on Saturday, is certainly an admirer. “He’s doing a fantastic job as captain,” he said on the eve of the game. “When I first saw him, he was young and energetic and given to the grand gestures. Now he’s much calmer, and a real gentleman too. His performances have also improved with time, and he has done really well, for his country and himself.”Progress in the one-day arena has been especially impressive, with series victories in Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and home successes against Pakistan and England. Since January 2008, India have won 30 [and lost 12] of 46 matches, and they go into the game against Pakistan ranked No.1 in the world. Australia have fallen off their perch, hammered home and away by South Africa, while Graeme Smith’s side have experienced a blip of their own, thrashed 4-0 in England last year. There isn’t one side fit to be compared to the Australians that won three World Cups on the bounce between 1999 and 2007, and the frequent changes in the No.1 ranking reflect that state of flux.For Dhoni, the current challenge is perhaps the most tricky of all. Back in 2007, he captained a team of rank outsiders. Now, he leads a team considered the best in the world. That brings with it a pressure of its own, and other sides like South Africa have been unable to cope with it in the past.He’s also without three proven match-winners in Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj and Zaheer. Tendulkar and Dravid lend experience and class to the batting order, though it’s doubtful whether Dhoni had their names inked in when he was planning for the future. Some of the young tyros that he reposed so much faith in have failed to grab their chances, and at one level, he might find it galling that the old guard could be the difference between success and failure.The same is true of the bowling as well, with so much resting on Ashish Nehra, who made his debut a decade ago, and Harbhajan Singh. Ishant Sharma and RP Singh continue to veer between the brilliant and the abysmal, and with Yuvraj’s left-arm spin also out of the equation, one of Dhoni’s biggest tasks will be to cobble together an effective 50-over bowling plan.Off-field distractions are no help. The run-up to the World Twenty20 in England was full of media reports of a rift within the team, a charge that infuriated Dhoni to such an extent that relations with the reporters on tour reached an all-time low. They have arrived in South Africa with the same siege mentality, but that hasn’t stopped global headlines about the alleged dossier that encourages players to walk down the Keith Miller-George Best route of boudoir indulgence.These should be the best of times for Indian cricket, with the team having a great mix of young talent and proven performers, but with the media in particular going from singing hosannas to showing signs of the Tall-Poppy Syndrome, it’s also Dhoni’s biggest test.Ultimately, no one remembers the bilateral series wins, or what you do in various triangular series. Teams will always be judged by their performances on the big stage. Hansie Cronje won 99 of his 138 matches as South African captain, while capturing only one trophy of note. Now, in the country where Cronje was once so adored, Dhoni must avoid a similar fate. Without the trophies that matter, No.1 rankings aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.

Lee was colossal; with the bat his experience and maturity really told and with the ball he was lethal

Dileep Premachandran in Hyderabad23-Oct-2009When Brett Lee came to the crease in the 12th over, the scoreboard showed 83 for 6. Anything less than 150 was unlikely to test a power-packed Trinidad & Tobago line-up. But just how were New South Wales going to get that far?The answer lay with the baggy green, which jealous cynics suggest comes free with the Blues cap. How many times have you seen Australia dig themselves out of a hole, and win matches that they ought to have lost? Remember Andrew Symonds against Pakistan at the Wanderers in 2003? Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel against England at the same World Cup? Where other fancied teams fold like cheap napkins, these blokes revel in the odds being stacked against them. Australia may be a more genteel place now, but the Ned Kelly-bushranger spirit that Peter Carey wrote about so eloquently is alive and well.Just a day ago, the Cape Cobras shelled catches and missed run-out chances galore in imitation of their national side in crunch games. NSW, by contrast, were perfect, taking stupendous catches – Lee and Moises Henriques – and scampering around to cut off what looked to be certain boundaries. Thanks to Lee and Steven Smith, who played his part with 33 and 2 for 32, they had a score to defend, and with the bowlers giving little away, dreams of Caribbean glory quickly faded.Lee was colossal. Injuries may have reduced him to bit-part status in the Ashes but when he’s fit and bowling with such pace and accuracy, there’s no better limited-overs bowler. Even in a 50-over competition, his economy-rate of 3.76 would have been stupendous. The eight wickets at 9.87 were almost a bonus. Not content with making a mess of William Perkins’ stumps, he took a sharp reflex catch to send back Lendl Simmons, and it was the chance he held at long-on as Kieron Pollard took to Nathan Hauritz that signalled the end of T&T’s wonderful adventure.But it was with the bat that his experience and maturity really told. With five overs left, NSW had just 103 on the board. Simmons had done a sterling job for his captain in the Umar Gul role right through the tournament, but when he came back for a second over, Lee went on the rampage. A six over square leg was followed by one over long-on, and then he stepped back and lashed one through cover.Navin Stewart was then smacked over long-on for six, and though Smith fell to the reverse sweep, Lee clouted Sherwin Ganga over midwicket for another six. Within three overs, the run-kitty had swelled by 38. And in an eventful final over that saw Hauritz run out after Lee ducked under a bouncer from Ravi Rampaul, he thumped another six over long-on. By the time he carved the final ball into the hands of deep backward point to end the innings, T&T needed eight an over. In a final, that was never going to be easy.”He [Lee] showed his true colours as an international today,” said Daren Ganga later. “He came in with the team in a spot of bother and he applied himself. Then, with the new ball, he took crucial wickets. He was the outstanding performer, but they have a really good team spirit. It’s hard when you lose wickets early, especially in a final. It puts the remaining batsmen under pressure, and we didn’t handle it well tonight.”

This has taken it to another level. To see the young guys flourish alongside experienced players like Brett, Stuey Clark and myself has been really rewarding.Simon Katich on NSW’s title victory

Lee tried to deflect attention from his own exploits, complimenting the bench strength and the young players who had stepped up to the mark so nervelessly. “For the youth in our side … what this is going to do for their confidence,” he said. “Any time you score runs while batting first, it boosts your confidence. They’re a good side, but also very unpredictable. With runs on the board, we could go for the jugular.”With Smith having made runs, Simon Katich felt that he’d have the confidence to handle the new ball as well. When Adrian Barath drove and cut fours, and then lofted one over long-on for six, it appeared that the gamble might have failed, but a thin under-edge later, T&T were two down.”We made mistakes tactically in that first game against Trinidad,” said Katich. “We learnt from those. There’s so much belief in the squad. Even when we were down and out, no one gave up.”
Even when Pollard tried to ensure that lightning would strike twice, New South Wales held their nerve, and their catches. “That was the gutsiest ball we’ve ever seen,” said Katich, of the one that Hauritz tossed up to Pollard. “To bowl that right after being hit some 150m into the stands for six…”Two years ago, when he led the side to Pura Cup glory, Katich called it one of the proudest moments of his career. “This has taken it to another level,” he said. “To see the young guys flourish alongside experienced players like Brett, Stuey Clark and myself has been really rewarding.”As he walked away from the press conference, Lee, who ended it with a [thank you] was heard joking that he needed plenty of [cold water]. This after he’d already poured a gallon of it on T&T’s Cinderella dream.

West Indies haven’t had Shivnarine Chanderpaul as their middle-order rock at the WACA, but they’ve had two very good imitations in Narsingh Deonarine and Brendan Nash

Brydon Coverdale at the WACA19-Dec-2009West Indies haven’t had Shivnarine Chanderpaul
as their middle-order rock at the WACA, but they’ve had two very good imitations. Cricket in the Caribbean isn’t flush with cash but Narsingh Deonarine
and Brendan Nash
have put an enormous price on their wickets, and the team could enjoy healthy dividends if their diligence continues.The long, hot Perth day eventually got to both batsmen and they departed in the final session. By then they had given their side hope in a chase of 359, although late wickets put Australia back on top. Patience and discipline are vital qualities in Test cricket and it’s no surprise that West Indies, who barring Chanderpaul haven’t always had those traits in the past decade, have won only three of their past 41 Tests.Nor is it remarkable that in a region that has produced dashing superstars like Viv Richards and Brian Lara (though they were brilliantly adaptable and could defend for their lives), a younger generation preferred to entertain. Stroke-players such as Xavier Marshall, Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Smith have rolled through the Test line-up, providing much sparkle but little substance.Now there are batsmen coming through who are aiming to emulate Chanderpaul, and the team is better for it. Much like Chanderpaul, Deonarine and Nash are small-statured left-handers whose first priority is to not get out and if runs come along the way, then that’s good. It was precisely the attitude the team needed when they came together on the fourth day at the WACA.At that stage the visitors required 291 to win, with seven wickets in hand and time was of no consequence. It was so irrelevant to Nash that for 70 minutes he didn’t score a run, remaining on 48. It didn’t bother him. He once batted through a whole session for Queensland and scored two runs.Deonarine played in a similar fashion, although he was more willing to attack and memorably brought up his half-century with a six straight back over the head of the bowler Nathan Hauritz. He would have gone through the whole series without playing a Test but for the finger injury that Chanderpaul suffered in Adelaide.He slotted into Chanderpaul’s No. 4 position with ease, batting 100 minutes for 18 in the first innings as he aimed to shore up one end, before he lasted 202 minutes for 82 in the second innings. The similarity was even more striking as Deonarine wore anti-glare strips under his eyes – the same patches that Chanderpaul has made a trademark.Deonarine was ten years old when his Guyanese countryman Chanderpaul made his Test debut in Georgetown. Eleven years later, Deonarine made his Test debut under Chanderpaul’s captaincy. With his performances, he has given himself a chance of keeping his Test spot even when his idol returns.”Since I was a little boy growing up I was always looking at Shiv and always he was my role model,” Deonarine said. “The way he’s going about doing his business, a very determined guy. I tried to model myself in his way, going out there, be determined, spend time at the crease. He taught me a lot and advised me a lot, so in the end it’s worked out.”Today, neither Nash nor Deonarine could make it through to stumps but their 128-run stand, forged over more than three hours in 35-degree heat, gave their team a chance. Deonarine missed a straight ball and saw it crash off his pads and onto the stumps; Nash’s tired brain told him to leave the new ball that swung in to knock his off stump.But it’s worth remembering that early in his career, Chanderpaul was often criticised for getting tired and not batting long enough. Things can change.Last year in the Caribbean, he was at the crease for nearly 26 hours in the three Tests against Australia, including more than 18 hours straight without being dismissed. If Deonarine and Nash can perfect their Chanderpaul imitations and become long-term investments, breaking through the West Indies’ middle order will truly become a test.

A timeline of a controversy leading up to Lalit Modi’s suspension

Cricinfo staff25-Apr-2010March 7: BCCI cancels IPL franchise tender process after objections over stiff financial clauses. Asks for fresh bids.March 21: New bids opened; Sahara wins Pune, Rendezvous group gets Kochi for $333.33 million. Shashi Tharoor, an MP from Kerala and junior foreign minister in the Congress government, plays mentoring role.Interim: Reports suggest Rendezvous’ surprise bid has upset bigger players. Tharoor reportedly meets Congress leaders, asks them to ensure pressure eases on Kochi owners and says he has no personal material stake in franchise.April 9: Media reports say IPL raises questions over Kochi’s shareholding pattern, asks Rendezvous to clarify its ownership structure.April 10: Kochi owners meet Modi in Bangalore, sign formal agreement to be part of IPL, and disclose ownership structure.April 11: Modi reveals Kochi’s shareholding pattern on Twitter. Says one shareholder is Sunanda Pushkar, whom Tharoor says he “knows well”.April 12: Kochi complains to BCCI over Modi’s revelations. BCCI chief Shashank Manohar criticises Modi, who defends himself by saying no breach of propriety.April 12-13: Tharoor issues statement denying personal stake in Kochi and alleges Modi wants the franchise moved out.April 14: In his first public statement since the controversy broke, Modi says he disclosed Kochi’s shareholding pattern because of the general confusion over the details.April 14: The controversy grows when Kochi CEO alleges Modi offered them $50 million to “quit the game and get out” after their successful bid.April 15: Income Tax officials visit BCCI headquarters in Mumbai and conduct an eight-hour operation in the IPL office and Modi’s residence to inquire into funding for the IPL.April 18: Tharoor resigns as minister, a result of conflict-of-interest allegations in his mentoring Kochi. Pushkar, Tharoor’s close friend, gives up her 4.7% “sweat equity” stake in the franchise.April 19: India’s finance minister says all aspects of the IPL are under scrutiny. The statement comes amid allegations of financial impropriety against Modi.April 20: An IPL governing council meeting is convened by BCCI secretary N Srinivasan for April 26 to decide Modi’s fate. Modi calls meeting invalid and says he won’t attend, BCCI disagrees.April 21: There are raids by I-T officials at offices of MSM and WSG, who hold the IPL broadcast rights. They also visit offices of the Punjab, Kolkata and Deccan franchises. Modi is questioned about a multi-million dollar contract for the league’s broadcasting rights.April 23: Former BCCI chief AC Muthiah files petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Indian board’s rules that permit BCCI and IPL administrators to own league teams. Srinivasan, the board secretary, also owns the Chennai franchise.April 24: Top BCCI officials skip the IPL Awards in Mumbai. All indications are they will attempt to oust Modi at the meeting.April 25: Modi agrees to attend governing council meeting and releases an agenda that includes a request for all complaints to be supported by documents.April 26: The BCCI serves a suspension notice to Lalit Modi upon the conclusion of the IPL final, following several allegations of financial misconduct over the past fortnight.

Nobody knows quite what to expect from Australia’s new split-innings domestic one-day format – including the players

Brydon Coverdale06-Oct-2010It’s always hard for a new captain to juggle the requirements of one-day cricket, calculating bowling changes, deciding on powerplays and setting restricted fields. But Australia’s new domestic limited-overs format turns all six state leaders into first-time captains. is different, and is learning on the run.The Ryobi One-Day Cup kicks off at the Gabba on Wednesday, when Queensland host Tasmania. There are a range of new rules, but the key changes are that each side bats for 45 overs in blocks of 20 and 25; teams can use 12 players; bowlers may bowl 12 overs; powerplays are abolished; and there is one competition point available for a “first-innings” lead.Even basic cricket principles such as whether teams will prefer to bat first need to be reassessed. Stuart Clark, the acting captain of New South Wales, said it would be a learning process for all concerned.”There is an idea that it might be better to chase first, given that no one really knows what a good score is or how you should go about the game,” Clark said. “But conversely, if you get some runs on the board there could be a lot of pressure as well.”The removal of powerplays takes one tactical decision out of the captain’s hands, but instead there are set periods of field restrictions. Importantly, no more than four fielders can ever be outside the circle, down from the figure of five in regular 50-over cricket, which poses an extra challenge for bowlers.”I think it will be a little bit hard for spinners, with only the four fielders out but they’re going to have to make adjustments to their game and work out the best way of being successful,” Clark said. “Teams will come out and attack different sorts of bowlers, try and be defensive against other types and captains are going to have to set unusual fields at times to try and protect the runs from blowing out.”Tasmania last year sailed to the Ford Ranger Cup title by using two spinners, Jason Krejza and Xavier Doherty, and often opened with one of the slow men. The Tigers captain George Bailey said they would still aim to play the two tweakers, which had worked in practice split-innings fixtures.The new rules

Teams bat 45 overs in stages of 20 overs and 25 overs

Ten wickets per team across the whole match, nor for each stage

Each team’s second batting stage resumes exactly where their first ended

Bowlers may bowl up to 12 overs each

Twelve players per side; teams can bat any 11 and field any 11

Maximum of two bouncers per over

A new ball from each and at the start of the innings

No powerplays

Fielding restrictions: Overs 1-5 = 2 fielders outside the circle; 6-20 = 4 outside; 21-25 = 2 outside, 26-45 = 4 outside

One competition point awarded to team that leads after 20 overs each; a further four points awarded for a win

“We’ve had some good success with our two spinners in trial games, still being able to bowl really successfully,” Bailey said. “It provides a challenge not having the extra bloke out, in terms of boundaries, but it also means there’s an extra bloke in the infield to take catches and create wickets as well. Good bowlers will work it out pretty quickly.”Although Tasmania are the defending champions, Bailey knows that no side will enter this season with an advantage in the one-day competition. He believes one of the major changes will be that the mid-innings break might allow a team to change their tactics halfway through, depending on how their first 20 overs have gone.”You get a lot of options, which is pretty exciting,” Bailey said. “You’ll see games change and ebb and flow a little bit more mid-game. Also having that split innings, the break allows you to regroup as a team and chat about how your plans are going.”The halfway mark also provides a notable incentive, as whichever team finishes with more runs after their first 20 overs will win one point, retained even if they go on to lose the game. An extra four points are then awarded for the outright victory, so teams will need to be careful not to get into too much trouble chasing the first point.”There’s one point up for grabs at the 20-over mark, so that’s 10 points across the season,” Victoria’s captain, Cameron White, said. “That could be something that teams will play differently, but it could be pretty important, I think.”Team selection will also provide a fascinating insight into a side’s tactics, with 12 men allowed to take part in the match, though only 11 may bat. And because bowlers can send down 12 overs each and teams can therefore get by using only four bowlers, sides are more likely to choose specialist batsmen and bowlers rather than “handy” allrounders.”The genuine bits-and-pieces allrounder is probably dead now,” the Tasmania batsman Ed Cowan said. “But the guy that can bowl you eight or nine or ten overs and bat in your top seven is invaluable still, because it means you can play an extra batter.”Whether any or all of the changes add to the game’s appeal remains to be seen. Even Cricket Australia are unsure of what the future holds for one-day cricket. But for the next five months, this is the one-day format of choice on Australia’s domestic scene. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess.”Everyone knows that one-day cricket has been in decline for many years now,” Clark said. “Whether the problems is as bad as [they say] it is, we don’t really know. But Cricket Australia are taking a step forward to try and change it. At the end of the year it will either be a real success or maybe we’ll have to go back to the drawing board.”

Plays of the day from game two of the Asia Cup, between Bangladesh and India in Dambulla

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla16-Jun-2010Bangladesh in a tearing hurry
India’s fast bowlers were perhaps expecting to be eased back into top-flight cricket and the tournament against the lightweight Bangladesh side. They were in for a shock as Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes came out punching. Kayes cracked three fours off Zaheer’s first over, and Tamim cut and flicked Praveen for plenty, which meant Bangladesh were 35 for 0 in 2.4 overs.Shakib is bamboozled
Harbhajan Singh usually enjoys bowling in Sri Lanka, as 47 wickets and an economy-rate of 3.93 indicate. Today was no different; the highlight of his spell being the delivery that tricked Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan. A flighted ball, Shakib moved forward and played for the spin, but the ball fizzed straight on through the bat-pad gap to knock back the stumps.Sehwag the destroyer
Seeing Virender Sehwag derail the opposition with his batting is a common sight, but seeing him spin out the opposition is a rare occurrence. He ran through the tail today, nipping out three wickets in four deliveries, the grin on his face getting wider with each scalp. Sehwag finished with 4 for 6; in 17 deliveries he had taken as many wickets as he had in the past 17 months.Bad floodlights stop play
Lasith Malinga had already complained about the quality of the lights at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium in the opening match, and there was more floodlight-related trouble today. Two of them didn’t work for a while due to a generator outage, causing India’s chase to be interrupted midway through the 10th over. The players took their dinner, during which the problem was sorted.A decision after much deliberation
After Virat Kohli was beaten by the turn, wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim quickly took off the bails just as Kohli was dragging his foot back into the crease. It took plenty of replays to determine whether Kohli had made his ground or if he had been caught on the crease. As the third umpire Ranmore Martinesz deliberated, a section of the crowd started to scream “Out, out”, promptly countered by chants of “Not out” from another set of fans. The matter was resolved when Martinesz sent Kohli on his way.

The selection of Michael Beer makes little sense, for he is neither a local with vast experience of the WACA, nor the best spinner in the country

Brydon Coverdale10-Dec-2010There was more than a whiff of desperation in Australia’s selection of Michael Beer for the Perth Test. And although the suggestion that Shane Warne should come out of retirement is fanciful, Warne’s fingerprints are all over the strange choice of Beer, whom he recommended in his column on Wednesday, and who, like Warne, also learnt his game in grade cricket with the Melbourne club, St Kilda.If Beer plays, he’ll be the tenth Australian Test spinner since the retirement of Warne. Chances are Beer will be capped, shipped off the production line and lapped up by England batsmen still thirsty for more runs. Or maybe he’ll be put on ice before Perth, which would be a far more sensible option.Three weeks ago, the only beer anyone would have expected to see in Australia’s dressing rooms was the cases of bitter provided by the sponsors on the final day. Nathan Hauritz was the Test incumbent, Steve O’Keefe and Steven Smith were playing for Australia A, and Xavier Doherty was still to enter the picture.Now, Doherty has been tried and discarded, Hauritz has been wrongly ignored despite strong state form, and the left-arm orthodox O’Keefe, despite bowling well against England for Australia A and being a good lower-order batsman, has fallen out of the mix. Had Warne not suggested Beer, would he even have been considered?Which raises the question, how much does Warne know about Beer? In his column, Warne wrote that “maybe you get a local guy who knows the Perth conditions”, yet as Beer’s St Kilda roots suggest, he is about as local to Western Australia as Warne.Beer moved to Perth less than a year ago and has played only three first-class games at the WACA, where the sea breeze can help or hinder spinners with equal measure. In his most recent match there, Beer took match figures of 3 for 139 against New South Wales, whose rejected Australian spinner, Hauritz, collected 7 for 104.Maybe the selectors have seen something special from Beer, like when Peter Taylor was plucked from obscurity 24 years ago and bowled Australia to victory in an Ashes Test at the SCG. But is this the same “something special” they have seen in Beau Casson, Cameron White, Jason Krejza, Doherty and others over the past three years?When they are choosing a spinner, the selectors seem not to ask who is the best slow bowler in the country, but rather “who haven’t we tried yet?” O’Keefe, Cameron Boyce, Jon Holland, Aaron O’Brien and Cullen Bailey should probably keep their phones handy over the next few months. Perhaps they simply wanted someone to keep the pressure on Smith, who is also in the 12-man squad and is certain to play at the WACA.Smith must be in the XI because Marcus North has been dropped, and no other batsman was picked. Brad Haddin has been in strong enough form to move up to No. 6 with Smith as an all-round option at No. 7. It’s a brave selection, and Smith should add some spark to the side – in the field and with the bat, while being a serviceable bowling option.North’s up-and-down form meant he had to go; a No. 6 who cannot be relied upon in tough circumstances is no man for an Ashes campaign. Callum Ferguson can consider himself unlucky to have been overlooked having scored 131 in the Sheffield Shield on the day the squad was announced, his second hundred in three games this summer.The inclusion of Smith leaves the selectors to choose between a four-man pace attack, or three fast bowlers with Beer as a second spinner. And for all Smith’s flaws as a bowler, it makes no sense to play both him and Beer at the WACA. Ben Hilfenhaus, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson, who can slide back in as a fourth fast man used in short, sharp spells, is the way to go.Doug Bollinger’s fitness is an issue, as well as his poor form at Adelaide Oval, and like Doherty and North, his axing was justified. The easiest decision was to bring in Phillip Hughes to replace the injured Simon Katich, despite Hughes being found out against the short ball in England last year, and making scores of 4 and 0 for against South Australia in the recently concluded match at the SCG.He may not be in career-best form, but nor are any of the other openers in state cricket. Choosing anyone but Hughes would have sent another message of desperation, and one such whiff was enough in this squad.

Despite a lack of wickets at the World Cup, South Africa’s giant opening bowler isn’t concerned and is happy to let the spinners take the limelight

Firdose Moonda in Nagpur09-Mar-2011Morne Morkel can’t help but stand out. He towers above almost anyone he stands next to, which means that if he is in a group, he is often the first person to be spotted. Being an international cricketer doesn’t help either. He’s one of few giraffe-sized players on the current circuit, which makes him completely recognisable almost anywhere he goes.A few seconds in his company and you will realise that he is no show-pony and doesn’t really know what to do with all the attention being directed his way. It’s an odd sort of demeanour for a fast-bowler, the type of player that usually enjoys playing a leading role in the game and becomes centre stage whenever they take a wicket. Success can be hard to come by, especially on some of the pitches at this World Cup, which make the exuberance of a bowler so much more expressive.Morkel is not a man for big moves though – there’s no flapping of arms, no massive air-punching, no outrageous send-offs. He is mild mannered which is why he is quite happy to be spending some time out of the spotlight in the current World Cup.South Africa’s seam bowlers have almost faded into supporting roles in the tournament, with the spinners coming to the forefront. Imran Tahir, Robin Peterson and Johan Botha have taken 18 wickets between them, with Tahir accounting for 11, compared to the seven that Morkel and Dale Steyn have earned. Tahir and Peterson alone have shared 16 scalps, more than double that of the quicks.”It’s like a reverse role for us,” Morkel said. “We must now support the spinners, just like when they do a holding job for us on a green wicket, now we have to do that and create pressure and they have been the ones taking the wickets.”Morne Morkel has had to work had for his wickets as South Africa’s take their chance to shine•Getty ImagesMany thought it would be another generation, at least, before a South African fast bowler would ever say something like that but they will not be unhappy that’s it come sooner. It’s not that the South African quicks have not done well in the subcontinent, with the likes of Fanie de Villiers and more recently Steyn reaping rewards here; it’s that South Africa didn’t have anyone else to do the wicket-taking before.Now, with a slew of capable spinners, the seamers are being made to work harder to get among the scalps. Morkel said that the ability to reverse swing the ball is crucial. “The quicker we can get that going, the better for us.”While Steyn’s swing is his selling point, Morkel’s relies on bounce and, as a result, he hasn’t had an easy time of things. “I am not a great swing bowler,” he said, admitting that he didn’t expect to pluck wickets at the same rate he does in South Africa. “A couple of months ago, I was getting wickets but I am not now. Bowling is a cycle and I don’t want all the credit. My day will come.”It’s that one-step-at-a-time kind of attitude that makes Morkel the kind of modest character who is sometimes happy to be behind the scenes. It also means that when he falls, he doesn’t have that far to go because he never places himself on a pedestal, so it hurts far less. Sunday’s defeat to England is one such example.”It was one bad game and it’s not the end of the world,” he said with a shrug, even though his was the wicket that was last to fall in that match. “It’s a new day, a new week and the mood in the camp is fantastic. We want to get momentum going our way again.”

This was a mighty batting performance by the mightiest batting line-up in the tournament but India have a few crinkles to iron out

Sambit Bal at the Shere Bangla Stadium19-Feb-2011The crowd and the stage was befitting of a World Cup opener – and, when the home batsmen sparkled briefly at the beginning of the chase, the atmosphere too – but gradually the inevitable outcome of a gigantic chase homed in, batsmen abandoned the chase and the crowd resigned themselves to cheering the occasional boundary. The streets outside the ground weren’t as charged as the night before but the partying continued in Dhaka. It isn’t merely about the home team here: the World Cup is the real thing.For the Indians, it went to script. A large total was mounted; so large, in fact, that it didn’t stretch their bowlers at all. But the most interesting part of the plot was the unveiling of a new Virender Sehwag, restrained, patient, canny, and hungry. There were glimpses of this during the warm-up games, and he made good his pre-tournament promise to bat long. This was the longest he has ever batted in a one-day match, and inevitably it yielded his highest score. The 200 came tantalisingly close but Sehwag never looked over-anxious to get there. Was it because he didn’t think it appropriate to take Sachin Tendulkar’s record after having run him out?Overall, it was a mighty batting performance by the mightiest batting line-up in this World Cup. The Bangladesh bowling was unthreatening but by no means was the pitch a belter. It was a typical Bangladesh pitch, low and slow. So slow that the real threat to the batsmen came from the risk of indecision. Bangladesh turned to spin after four overs, and the ball took so long to arrive that Virender Sehwag could have sung a song before playing it. Runs had to be manoeuvred, not bludgeoned. The Indians did it expertly, skillfully.The wagon wheels tell the story (check out our brilliant new one). India picked up 152 of their 370 runs in front of the wicket on the onside. The arc between the bowler and mid-on is among the most difficult scoring areas but, on a pitch where the batsmen were forced to generate their own pace, Indian batsmen drove off the back-foot consummately. Sehwag, of course, hit a few straight down the ground with a flat bat.Uncertain of his place in the XI before the World Cup began, Virat Kohli has cemented his place at the number four with an exquisite hundred on debut. By all accounts he is India’s most improved batsman in recent years. Sehwag joined the chorus of teammates to speak about his maturity. Recalling that he had thrown away his wicket in the Champions Trophy match against Pakistan in South Africa, Sehwag pointed out that Kohli has scored six hundreds in the ODIs since then. His batting today was perfectly tempered, full of grace and timing and of cover-driving reminiscent of Rahul Dravid.Sreesanth had only the theatrics going for him in a wayward performance•AFPBangladesh’s decision to bowl was not inexplicable, and Shakib Al Hasan defended it stoutly but did betray diffidence. Two factors would have weighed on Shakib. The dew that tends to set in in the final stages of the match is potentially crippling for his spin-based bowling attack. And historically, most of their wins against top nations, including their two World Cup upsets, have come bowling first. In fact, that’s how unfancied team usually sneak a win: they capitalise on opposition batsmen either underestimating their bowlers or just batting badly.Bangladesh have a fair chance of making it to the quarter-finals in this World Cup. But to get there, they would need to believe that they are genuine contenders. They have a largely defensive bowling attack, and they must trust it to defend in these conditions. A team choosing to bowl first expects wickets off its bowlers, and there wasn’t a sniff of a wicket-taking ball throughout the Indian innings today. The most sustained cheer from the crowd came when Virat Kohli under-edged a pull to his thigh and winced in pain. As if to keep the spirits going, they replayed the ball four times in quick succession on the giant screen, and the cheers grew louder. But for the most part, the crowd was left to feel the pain inflicted by Indian batsmen.Abdur Razzak bowled a couple of good overs at the start and Shakib has developed a fast offside yorker that works at the death but Bangladesh had no option but to wheel away once the Indians got going. Rubel Hossain alone produced some spunk with clever use of the bouncer that Sehwag, and later Kohli, found difficult to put away. He went for only six an over despite bowling in all the Powerplays and at the death.India can be relieved to have done the business expected of them but the bowling will remain a worry. They chose Sreesanth ahead of Ashish Nehra, who had been wayward, and Sreesanth delivered two spells full of sins: too full, too short, too wide, too far down the leg, and predictably a no-ball. Since playing four specialist bowlers is fundamental to their strategy, and they have nowhere else to look for a fast-bowling option, they might soon need to consider two specialist spinners.On a turning pitch in Bangalore against England, that may not be the worst option.

A look at every 100th Test down the years: No. 1100 to No. 1900 includes Inzamam’s triple-century, Nasser’s farewell, and a Cape Town Test played in May

Andrew McGlashan27-Jun-2011 No. 1100: England v West Indies, 1988, Old Trafford
By the end of the 1980s, England-West Indies battles were still as one-sided as they had been for the whole decade. Draws were taken as markers of huge success by England. This Test, though, was one of the ritual hammerings. The hosts also went through four captains in the series: this match was John Emburey’s second in charge. The highest score by an England batsman was David Gower’s 34 in a second innings of 93 all out. Malcolm Marshall took 7 for 22; he was well supported by a young Curtly Ambrose. “The 6ft 7in, 24-year-old Leeward Islander, although unknown to most English followers, was not without local knowledge, having taken more than 100 wickets the previous year in the Central Lancashire League,” said. England would get to see a lot more of Ambrose over the following decade, and leave with many painful memories. No. 1200: South Africa v India, 1992-93, Durban
This was one of the most significant Tests in the game’s long history: South Africa’s first home match in 23 years, after they were readmitted into the international fold. Rain over the final three days meant a contest never really developed, but it was about more than the game. Omar Henry became the first non-white to play for South Africa, and Kepler Wessels became the first player to make Test hundreds for two countries. Jimmy Cook, one of the finest batsmen of the apartheid era, fell first ball of the Test on his debut. The match also included a huge technological milestone for the sport, with the TV umpire introduced for line decisions. Sachin Tendulkar, already established as one of the game’s biggest names, was the first batsman dismissed by TV evidence. “After a slight pause, Cyril Mitchley, the square-leg umpire, signalled to Karl Liebenberg, the umpire in the pavilion, by shaping a TV screen with his fingers,” was how reported the moment. “Thirty seconds later Liebenberg lit the green light to signify that Tendulkar was out.” No. 1300: England v West Indies, 1995, Edgbaston
The series was level at 1-1 following England’s famous victory at Lord’s, and it was believed instructions had been sent out to Warwickshire to prepare a pitch that would help both seamers and spinners. What they got was 22 yards bare at either end but covered in lush, green grass where the tall West Indian quicks liked to pitch the ball. The first delivery of the game, from Curtly Ambrose, ballooned over Mike Atherton for four byes. Atherton didn’t survive the first over, and England crumbled for 147. Against bowlers of lesser pace, West Indies built a strong lead. England’s second innings was even worse than their first; the dressing room resembled a casualty department – Alec Stewart, Jason Gallian and Richard Illingworth suffered broken fingers. Robin Smith’s twin 40s were two of his gutsiest innings, but West Indies won by an innings and 64 runs. No. 1400: South Africa v Pakistan, 1997-98, Johannesburg
One of the many developments in Test cricket has been the rise of lower-order batting, and this Test was a prime example. Both sides were bailed out of trouble before rain wiped out much of the final two days. South Africa were 166 for 8 when Mark Boucher, in his second Test, and Pat Symcox joined to add 195 for the ninth wicket – a record partnership that stands to this day; Symcox reached his only Test hundred. In reply, Pakistan also faced problems and slipped to 112 for 5 before the recovered thanks to Azhar Mahmood, who scored 136. It was his second hundred in four Tests against South Africa and he would add another in the next game, in Durban. However, after that he didn’t pass 41 for the rest of his Test career. With two innings completed by the end of the third day, the match was set up for an interesting finish, but Highveld rain blew in to end those hopes.No. 1500: England v West Indies, 2000, Edgbaston
By the turn of the millennium West Indies’ aura was well and truly diminishing, but they began this series with a convincing victory, before the balance of power started to shift significantly towards England. It was still the early days of the Nasser Hussain-Duncan Fletcher partnership and this defeat suggested much work remained to be done. It was that familiar foe Courtney Walsh who did a lot of damage, with eight wickets in the match, but Curtly Ambrose bowled far better than the one scalp he took suggested. They were well supported by Franklyn Rose and Reon King, and Jimmy Adams’ painstaking 98 extended West Indies’ lead. However, this was to be their last victory against England until Jamaica in 2009. It took 16 years for the next 500 Tests, after the first thousand, compared to 24 for the previous 500. The rate would only increase. No. 1600: Pakistan v New Zealand, 2002, Lahore
A huge win for Pakistan, by an innings and324 runs, and it remains New Zealand’s heaviest defeat in Test cricket. The result was set up by Inzamam-ul-Haq’s career-best 329, which led Pakistan to a huge 643, before the visitors were simply blown away. Shoaib Akhtar claimed 6 for 11 – five bowled and one lbw – as New Zealand managed just 73. “Akhtar was always fast, but it is this new-found accuracy which makes him such a dangerous customer, the one who well and truly inspires chill in the hearts of batsmen,” said a match report. Second time around was a little better for New Zealand – Shoaib couldn’t bowl due to a swollen ankle. Though there was never any hope they would survive, Danish Kaneria had to work hard to collect 5 for 110. That, though, was as far as the series would go. Hours before the second Test was due to start in Karachi, a car bomb exploded in front of the New Zealand team hotel killing 14 people. The players only narrowly escaped, and were soon on a plane home.Test No. 1700: Nasser Hussain brought up his century with the winning runs in his final Test•Stu Forster/Getty Images No. 1700: England v New Zealand, 2004, Lord’s
This was the beginning of England’s “magnificent seven” summer, where they won every Test against New Zealand and West Indies. They had to work hard to earn the first of those victories, which wasn’t sealed until the final afternoon, when Nasser Hussain signed off his Test career with an unbeaten 103, hitting the winning runs and then retiring. As one career ended in fine style, another started: Andrew Strauss marked his Test debut with a first-innings hundred. He was on the way to a match double before Hussain ran him out for 83. However, New Zealand played their part in the match. Mark Richardson produced one of his finest performances, with scores of 93 and 101, while Chris Cairns lit up Lord’s with 82 off 47 balls on the second morning. But England’s bowlers chipped away, led by Steve Harmison, fresh from his heroics in the West Indies, who took eight wickets for the match. No. 1800: South Africa v New Zealand, 2005-06, Cape Town
A back-breaking Test for the bowlers, which brought 1226 runs for 21 wickets. Yet for the first day it was very much an even contest, and New Zealand were 279 for 7 when Stephen Fleming was joined by James Franklin. Fleming was already past his hundred and over the next 71 overs the two would add what was at the time the second-highest eighth-wicket stand, worth 256. Fleming finished with 262, and Franklin a career-best 122. The runs continued to flow when it was South Africa’s turn. Hashim Amla registered his maiden Test hundred and Ashwell Prince also reached three figures. Daniel Vettori clocked up a marathon 63 overs, and by the time South Africa were finally bowled out, interest had long since dried up.No. 1900: New Zealand v West Indies, 2008-09, Napier
There were enough individual performances of note to keep this match alive until the final afternoon, when it finally petered out into a draw. The headline act came from Chris Gayle, who made 197 in West Indies’ second innings when they were flirting with trouble, and although he struck seven sixes, it was also an innings of rare restraint, taking 396 balls. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Tim McIntosh traded first-innings hundreds, but the bowlers also made a mark. Iain O’Brien took a career-best 6 for 75, as did Fidel Edwards with 7 for 87. The series was drawn 0-0.