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The 2011-12 Australian summer begins on Sunday with a one-day match between Queensland and Victoria, before the opening Sheffield Shield round starts on Tuesday. ESPNcricinfo looks at some of the young men to keep an eye on this season

Brydon Coverdale07-Oct-2011New South Wales
Patrick Cummins
At 18, Cummins is one of the most exciting prospects in Australia, and is set to make his international debut in the limited-overs games in South Africa later this month. Despite having taken only nine first-class wickets, Cummins’ pace excited Australia’s selectors so much that they gave him a central contract this year. But he missed the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe due to a back strain and the key question surrounding Cummins this summer is how his young body will handle a full season of first-class cricket. If he gets through without a problem, a baggy green won’t be far away.Nic Maddinson
As if New South Wales don’t have enough top-class openers, they discovered another one last summer. Maddinson, now 19, scored a century opening the batting in his first-class debut and added a second hundred later in the season. It was enough to earn him Australia A selection and he made 63 in one of his two one-day innings on the tour of Zimbabwe, before a calf strain ruled him out of the first-class matches. A classical left-hander with a cool head, Maddinson has every chance of following his flatmate Usman Khawaja into Australia’s Test team in the future.Queensland
Ben Cutting
Two years ago, Cutting topped the Sheffield Shield wicket list with 46 victims at 23.91 and he could have pushed for international selection during the following year but for an ankle injury that was so serious it required surgery. He managed only one Sheffield Shield game last summer but has been named in Queensland’s squad for their opening matches this season. A seamer who gets good bounce from the pitch, Cutting, 24, will be keen to cut back into Australia’s pace-bowling queue with a strong season for the Bulls.Joe Burns
At 21, Burns is – along with the more established Chris Lynn – the future of Queensland’s middle order. A right-hand batsman whose talent was identified early, it took until the tail-end of last summer for Burns to force his way into the state team. When he did, he showed his hunger with an unbeaten 140 in his first game, the third-highest score on debut by a Queensland player. Another half-century followed in his third match and he finished the season averaging 70.25. In the Queensland side from the start of this summer, Burns could progress in leaps and bounds.South Australia
Theo Doropoulos
As the only import in a South Australia squad that the new coach Darren Berry wanted to be based mostly on local talent, Doropoulos has been given a golden opportunity. During his four seasons with Western Australia, Doropoulos, a batting allrounder, was considered not to have made the most of his natural talents. He moved to Melbourne last season and won the Jack Ryder Medal as the best player in grade cricket, and will relish the chance to score runs on the friendly Adelaide Oval. At 26, he cannot afford to waste such a second chance.Kane Richardson
It’s a new era for South Australia’s fast bowlers, with Shaun Tait now a Twenty20-only player and Ben Edmondson, Rob Cassell, Chris Duval and Tim Lang also gone from last year’s contract list. Young fast men will be given plenty of chances and Richardson, 20, will be one of the first on the list. A right-armer who gets the ball to swing in, Richardson collected five wickets in his first-class debut towards the end of last summer and could challenge Peter George to be the Redbacks’ main strike bowler this season.Tasmania
James Faulkner is fit to start the season after missing the Australia A series due to glandular fever•Getty ImagesJames Faulkner
A left-arm pace-bowling allrounder, Faulkner took giant strides last season and not only finished up fourth on the Sheffield Shield wicket tally with 36 at 17.72, he also won the Ricky Ponting Medal as Tasmania’s best player for the season. Faulkner, 21, was picked for the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe but didn’t travel due to glandular fever. He has recovered and was named in Tasmania’s squads for the opening matches of this season and with John Hastings out for the summer, an ODI call-up is a possibility if he can extend his strong first-class form to the one-day arena.Tom Triffitt
Tim Paine’s broken finger means that Triffitt, 20, will be the starting wicketkeeper for Tasmania in the early matches this season. Described by the state captain George Bailey as “a natural gloveman”, Triffitt was part of Australia’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad last year and made a vital 50 in the semi-final. His challenge this summer is to bring his batting skills to first-class cricket.Victoria
Jayde Herrick
A heavily-tattooed fast bowler who shaves his head before every match, Herrick was this time last year making a dollar by driving heavy machinery in a quarry. At 26, he now has a Victoria contract and has impressed the captain Cameron White with his work during the off-season, after making his state debut last summer. “It’s his first pre-sason having full-time coaching and he’s improved out of sight,” White said this week. “He’s set for a big season.”Glenn Maxwell
A powerful batsman who hovered on the fringes of Victoria’s side for several seasons, Maxwell certainly grabbed his opportunity last summer. In his second first-class match, he scored 103 not out and 63, having earlier in the season blasted a 19-ball half-century – an Australian domestic record – in a one-day match against Tasmania. Also a useful offspinner, Maxwell, 22, has a chance to make himself a permanent member of Victoria’s side in both formats this season.Western Australia
Nathan Coulter-Nile
A tall fast bowler who picked up 21 Sheffield Shield wickets at 22.04 last summer after injuries affected the start of his season, Coulter-Nile is regarded by the Western Australia coach Mickey Arthur as “the one player in this group who will definitely go on and play higher”. At 23, he has started to find his feet at interstate level and is expected to be a key man in the Warriors’ attack this season.Marcus Harris
Finding the right opening combination had been a problem for Western Australia over the past few seasons, so the Warriors were excited when Harris grabbed his chance last summer. In his third Sheffield Shield game, Harris became the youngest Australian to score a first-class 150, when he made 157 against Queensland at the WACA. That effort broke a 115-year-old record set by Clem Hill, and confirmed Harris, who is now 19, as an important part of Western Australia’s future. A short left-hander, Harris will be aiming to forge a strong opening bond with Wes Robinson in the longer format.

Shane Warne is back on the cricket field and back demonstrating his mastery

Alex Malcolm20-Dec-2011The 29,241 who made the journey to the Gabba to see the 42-year-old Shane Warne in action had an experience they will not soon forget. Much like those who saw Sir Donald Bradman play after the Second World War, it will be something they can tell their grandchildren about.But for those “less” fortunate, those who had to settle for watching him on television, they were treated to an experience money cannot buy.Part of Shane Warne’s agreement to play for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League was underpinned by a deal with television rights holders Fox Sports. Warne would wear a microphone throughout every match and commentate as he played. It is not a new concept. He has done this before in charity matches and exhibition games, as well as for training master-classes and memorabilia DVD’s.But tonight it was different. This was a competitive match, the most competitive and intense of the Big Bash so far. And what Warne delivered was truly spectacular.Art lovers have pondered what it would be like to listen to Michelangelo talk as he painted the Sistine Chapel, and what tennis fans would give to have Roger Federer talk them through a service game against Rafael Nadal. Cricket fans got their equivalent tonight as Warne describe how he was going to bowl, and why he was bowling to that plan, before executing it in real time, in a competitive environment.He had three old mates in his ear throughout. Former teammates Brendan Julian, Allan Border and Andrew Symonds were commentating with him but for the most part they left Warne to do his thing.Warne’s first over was accompanied by self-deprecation, anxiety and then relief that he landed the first delivery where he intended it. He felt his way through it, keen not to make any bold predictions or plans in case the execution was awry. Brisbane batsmen Brendan McCullum and Peter Forrest were kind to him, taking just four off the over, a luxury they could afford at 2 for 70 after eight overs.Warne’s second began with an assertion. “I reckon McCullum might attack me here. This would be the over. He’s had a look, now he’ll go. I’ll toss high and wide first ball.” Warne said. Sure enough, on cue, McCullum did exactly as Warne predicted, he charged at the first one. Warne’s pre-planned response was executed perfectly. McCullum was beaten in flight, reached out and swiped a lofted drive, it ballooned high, and landed safely between cover and backward point.The crowd rose as one as it went up. So did the commentators and undoubtedly the viewers at home, only for McCullum’s miscue to escape to the waiting hands of a Melbourne Stars fieldsman.Warne smirked. The commentators were aghast at the fact that the plan nearly worked. The glint in Warne’s eye suggested, like a champion chess player, he knew he had McCullum’s measure. He was one-step ahead.A Forrest single brought McCullum back on strike. “Right,” Warne said. “I reckon he’s trying to go inside out [over cover] but given what just happened he may try to sweep this, so I’ll slide this through him a bit quicker.”McCullum shaped to sweep, Warne slipped it through quicker behind his front pad. The ball pitched, turned, and hit middle. McCullum was bowled around his legs. We’ve seen Warne do it before. It was reminiscent of how he removed Kevin Pietersen in Adelaide on a dramatic last day in 2006. But the magic of this was that Warne predicted it and executed it perfectly.For anyone who has ever bowled a ball in their life, to watch what Warne did would have left them breathless in amazement.What followed was a bonus, but it was equally as special. Warne spoke of Dan Christian’s preference to hit beyond long on and mid-wicket, so Warne brought both men up, “just to let him know there’s no one out there”. His confidence was so great he had slip placed in permanently.Christian did get him. It was only one of three mistakes Warne made in 24 balls. The margins were so negligible that only Warne’s admissions revealed his errors.Third ball of his third over: Warne to Christian. “I think to Dan I’m going to take a risk here. A bit slower.” Christian jumped down and hit him back over his head into the stands.”The delivery wasn’t too bad but the skill was pretty good. He got away with that mate.” Julian said to Warne.”Yeah just didn’t get it wide enough. Good shot, good striker.” Warne admonished himself for the mistake.”I’m going again. Slower again. Let’s see if he can do two.” Warne’s gambling instincts were on full display. He tossed the next very high, with lovely shape and drift. Christian defended. “Nice shape on that one.” Julian said.”Yeah that was where the first one should have been. Muppet, Shane.” Warne turned, smiled. “Slow again.” He said with that glint in his eye.Christian pressed forward, then went back, tried to work to leg, defended short on the leg-side. His partner Andrew Robinson, worried about two consecutive dots, charged down for the run. He was sent back. Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade nipped out, gathered, and ran Robinson out with a direct hit at the non-strikers end.It was not Warne’s wicket, but it might have well have been. Normal service resumed. The king was back on top.Last ball of the over. “Are you going to be aggressive here and try and get him out?” Julian inquired.”I’m going to try and get him LB here,” Warne replied. “They’ve just lost a wicket so he might try and play a little bit safer and try and get a one or a two. So I’ll try and get one fast and straight.”Warne approached with purpose, skipped one through to Christian who went back and kept it out. Warne had a giggle. “Didn’t do what I meant to, but it was not a bad over.”Warne’s last over was an encore. As if only to confirm whose show it really was. He showed his customary cheek as he bowled to Nick Buchanan, son of Warne’s former Test coach John Buchanan. “I should probably bowl a big bumper to big Buchy to say ‘say hello to your dad’,” Warne said with a wry smile and that typically sharp tongue. Buchanan senior is obviously not on Warne’s Christmas card list.Michael Neser came on-strike two balls later. “Bear [Cameron White], apparently he slog- sweeps, this guy? Yeah? There you go. I did my homework and looked at the computer.” Another cheeky comment from Warne, laced with sarcasm. He was in command now.He even had the audacity to stop mid-approach to admonish Allan Border, his first ever Test captain, Australia’s longest serving skipper at that, for speaking during his run-up.Warne is the undisputed king of Australian cricket. His presence attracts crowds and interest wherever he goes. Fox Sports record viewership through the early part of this tournament can be largely attributed to Warne, justifying the money spent on securing his services.His performance at the Gabba was truly special. Ironically, an experience money cannot buy.

Sri Lanka’s captain Mahela Jayawardene has said that his left-arm spinner Rangana Herath has taken over the mantle of Sri Lanka’s No. 1 bowler following his six-wicket haul against England on the second day of the first Test at Galle

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Galle27-Mar-2012Sri Lanka’s captain Mahela Jayawardene has said that his left-arm spinner Rangana Herath has taken over the mantle of Sri Lanka’s No. 1 bowler following his six-wicket haul against England on the second day of the first Test at Galle.”Ever since Murali retired Rangana has been our No. 1 spinner and he has now taken the mantle of being the No. 1 bowler as well,” said Jayawardene in praise of his largely unsung spinner whose bowling effort has placed Sri Lanka with a chance to force victory.Herath took 6 for 74 to bowl England out for 193 and give his team a handy 125-run first innings lead which they had stretched to 209 by the close with five second innings wickets in hand.”Rangana has played alongside Murali for quite some time. For eight years he has always been an understudy. When Murali is bowling from the other end you don’t get much notice but Rangana showed that he’s got the experience now and he’s got the responsibility to lead a young attack,” Jayawardene said.”He is doing it brilliantly and all the other bowlers are responding really well. In the post-Murali era what we need to do is try and develop a unit which will pick up 20 wickets. That’s what we are trying to achieve.”Herath said that he saw England playing against Pakistan and struggle against the off-spin of Saeed Ajmal and the left-arm spin of Abdur Rehman. “I realised that you need something on the wicket for the spinners to perform like they did today where 12 wickets went to them.”Herath, who made his Test debut at this venue against Australia 13 years ago, praised Muralithan for offering regular assistance to spinners like himself, Suraj Randiv and Ajantha Mendis which has helped them develop their game. It was his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests.

There may be few big-name stars in the side, but every time the team needed someone to deliver, they found a player to do the job

Firdose Moonda26-Oct-2012A superior performance in the field saw the Lions cull the last of the IPL teams, the so-called kings of the twenty-over cricket, from the Champions League. Delhi Daredevils made things tough for themselves by leaving out Mahela Jayawardene, batting Irfan Pathan up the order and sending in Ajit Agarkar too low down. But those are three factors.Dropping three catches, misfielding with regularity and having an opposition who held on to almost everything that came their way are more pronounced reasons to lose. And that’s how Daredevils maintained their record of never winning a semi-final. The word almost is there because the Lions put down Kevin Pietersen on 43. At the time, it was a potential match turner but the catch Thami Tsolekile took to dismiss Pietersen seven runs later ended up being the real pivot point.It showed what the Lions are all about – team work. Where one errs, others will compensate and Man of the Match Neil McKenzie said as much when he admitted he would have given the award to the bowling unit as a whole.In reality it could have gone to the whole squad, because a victory achieved in this way can only be credited to everyone involved and not a specific person. When early wickets fell, Gulam Bodi and McKenzie were on hand to rescue them. In other matches, Quinton de Kock has stepped up or Jean Symes has hit the winning runs.Bodi has been a constant though, although came under criticism for his sluggish innings in the Lions’ victory over Mumbai Indians. Then, he saw out a Lasith Malinga maiden while the required-rate climbed. He later explained it as being part of the team’s strategy to apply damage-control against Malinga.Aaron Phangiso has been among the best bowlers in the tournament, but the rest of the Lions line-up has played their part as well•Getty ImagesEver since, he has been among the batsmen of the tournament. Even though he has a preference for on-side shots, Bodi has managed to score more runs than anyone else in the competition and at far better strike-rate than in the first match.He has been the anchor in the absence of form for Alviro Petersen and an aggressor alongside Neil McKenzie, who by his own admission likes to take some time to get in. Although de Kock may become a star attraction in the mould of some of the big names, the Lions don’t have that one person on whom expectation rests on. They have to do the job together.With Dirk Nannes and Sohail Tanvir in the bowling attack, there is some celebrity factor. But they do not just swan in and flaunt about, Petersen has credited them with mentoring some of the younger bowlers. That showed tonight. Chris Morris was pacy and used the steep bounce to ensure Daredevil’s batsmen were never comfortable against him. Aaron Phangiso’s reputation has only enhanced as he joined Azhar Mahmood as the second highest-wicket taker of the tournament and will have the chance to surpass him in the final.For Daredevils, though, the journey ends here, in a fashion that will only further increase the questions swirling around the IPL teams’ under-performance in this event. The most noticeable issue facing them in the build-ups is that they are at an immediate disadvantage because they do not play as unit as often the domestic teams of other countries. All four of them identified it as a concern but said they are used to gelling quickly and will hope to do so again, even though it may prove more challenging in foreign conditions.Three of the four only got that right towards the end of their campaign. Initially, they seemed to struggle on the bouncy pitches and when the likes of Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders had adjusted, it was too late.Daredevils did not have that worry. Their potent pace attack was right at home in South Africa (where one of them, Morne Morkel, is from) but they were the team the schedule was most unkind to. Two of their four group stages matches were washed out. While there were five matches that did not have a result, Daredevils were the only team involved in two of them and the only one whose weather affected games did not have a single ball bowled.That meant that Daredevils did not play competitive cricket for a stretch of eight days. After featuring on the opening day, they were due to have their next match six days later against Auckland but the rain meant it was more than a week before they played again.David Warner, though, did not play at all. He was benched so that Mahela Jayawardene could open with Virender Sehwag. But the Sri Lankan captain opted to sit out when “horses for courses,” were required and he thought that Daredevils would benefit from an explosive start.That he did not think Sehwag could do that alone was justified by his actions off the first ball Sehwag faced. Sehwag did not score a run but Warner made good his selection and managed a quick 21. Besides Pietersen, the rest of the batting just could not get it together but may have had less to do had they held on in the field.

The mixed success of teams in the last two years and the fickle nature of the format make it almost impossible to predict results ahead of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan17-Sep-2012There is an element of unpredictability surrounding this World Twenty20. Since the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, despite an increase in the number of T20 matches, there has been no pattern of dominance emerging. India, who won the first tournament, failed to reach the semi-final stage of the subsequent two tournaments while Australia, the top team in Tests and ODIs for much of the 2000s, have struggled to conquer the T20 format. Ironically, Pakistan, notorious for their inconsistency, have been the best side in the tournament’s brief history, making two finals (winning in 2009) and the semi-final in 2010. The presence of top T20 stars like Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, who have performed superbly in various T20 leagues, also makes West Indies a highly potent force.South Africa, who have flattered to deceive on more than one occasion in global tournaments, have the best win-loss ratio among top teams since the World Twenty20 in 2010. In this period, they have won 11 and lost just four matches (win-loss ratio 2.75). This is a significant improvement over their record in T20 matches till the end of the World T20 2010 (w/l ratio 1.58). After faltering for years at the final hurdle, England finally won a major trophy when they beat Australia in the final in 2010. Since then, however, their record has not been impressive (w/l ratio of 1.00). While India and Sri Lanka have more or less performed similarly in both periods, Pakistan’s level has dropped after a great start. In 36 matches played till 2010 (end of the World T20), they won 24 and lost just 11 (w/l ratio of 2.18). However, between 2010 and 2012, their win-loss ratio has dropped to just 0.90. Perhaps the worst run in recent games has been that of Australia. After the World T20 2010, when they finished runners-up, their win-loss ratio has dropped to just 0.50, the worst among all top teams in the same period.*

Record of top teams in Twenty20 internationals (exclude Bangladesh and Zimbabwe)*

Team2010-2012 (matches, wins/losses)2010-2012 (w-l ratio)Till 2010 (matches, wins/losses)Till 2010 (w-l ratio)South Africa16, 11/42.7531, 19/121.58England16, 10/52.0032, 15/151.00New Zealand15, 9/61.5038, 16/190.84Sri Lanka10, 6/41.5031, 18/131.38India11, 6/51.2025, 12/111.09Pakistan22, 10/110.9036, 24/112.18West Indies12, 5/70.7126, 11/130.84Australia16, 5/100.5036, 21/131.61Not surprisingly, South Africa, who have the best win-loss ratio in recent T20 matches (since the 2010 World T20), also have a high average difference and run-rate difference (difference between batting and bowling averages and run-rates). By virtue of fielding a quality bowling attack and playing in bowler-friendly conditions, England have a very good bowling average and economy rate. The hosts, Sri Lanka, who have won three and lost two of their five home matches in the period, have a low batting average and run-rate but have been excellent on the bowling front. While India have the highest average difference (5.27), Australia have the lowest (-2.74). In terms of the run-rate difference, Pakistan and Australia lie at the bottom of the table with figures of -0.06 and -0.04.*

Batting/bowling stats of teams since the World Twenty20 2010 *

TeamBat avg/run rateBowl avg/econ rateavg diffrun rate diffSouth Africa26.69/8.0022.27/7.514.420.49England23.16/7.2920.37/6.892.790.40Sri Lanka19.53/6.9317.28/6.652.250.28West Indies22.16/7.4121.15/7.271.010.14India28.96/7.6623.69/7.575.270.09New Zealand25.07/8.0225.49/8.05-0.42-0.03Australia19.72/7.4422.46/7.48-2.74-0.04Pakistan18.17/6.8317.47/6.890.70-0.06In matches played in Sri Lanka since the 2010 World T20, the average and run-rate in the first six-over period have fallen drastically. In the period till the end of the 2010 tournament, the average and run-rate in the first six-over phase were 29.14 and 8.50. Since then, the corresponding numbers have fallen to 21.50 and 7.16. The boundary-run percentage, however, has marginally increased in the last two years. The story is the same in the middle overs (7-14); the run-rate and average have fallen but the boundary-run percentage has increased by almost 8%. However, in the last-six over phase, the run-rate has gone up in the matches played in the last two years. In the same period, the boundary-run percentage is also far higher (50.32) than the corresponding number in the period till the end of the 2010 World T20 (38.48).

Stats across the innings in Sri Lanka (Till World T20 2010/Since World T20 2010) *

Period of inningsAverageRun-rateBoundary %Overs 1-629.14/21.508.50/7.1663.23/66.04Overs 7-1428.56/22.687.14/6.2342.88/50.50Overs 15-2014.76/13.848.10/8.3038.48/50.32Since the 2010 World T20, the batting stats have been dominated by Martin Guptill. Guptill has scored four half-centuries (average 48.70) at an excellent strike rate of 140.75. Pakistan have played the most T20 matches in the period, with Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal topping their run charts. JP Duminy, who has played quite a few vital knocks in the middle order for South Africa, averages nearly 45. Brendon McCullum, the highest run-getter in Twenty20 matches, recently scored another half-century in New Zealand’s one-run win against India. Not only has McCullum maintained a very good average (40.80), he has also scored his runs at a fast clip (strike rate 144.80). Both David Warner and Shane Watson have scored quick runs at the top of the order, with Watson boasting of a strike rate of close to 150. Gayle, who was in outstanding form in the last two seasons of the IPL, is definitely one of the most dangerous batsmen in the T20 format.

Top run-getters in Twenty20 matches since World T20 2010 (min 300 runs)

BatsmanMatchesRunsAverageSR100/50Martin Guptill1348748.70140.750/4Mohammad Hafeez1942622.42109.510/2JP Duminy1440344.77120.290/2Umar Akmal2240021.05114.610/1David Warner1637623.50124.090/3Brendon McCullum1036240.22144.800/3Shane Watson1235629.66149.570/4A clear indicator of Pakistan’s bowling quality is the fact that they have four of the top seven wicket-takers (since the 2010 World T20). Saeed Ajmal, who has been in stunning form in Tests and ODIs, has carried his form into the shortest format too. In 22 matches, he has picked up 29 wickets at an exceptional average (15.62) and economy rate (5.82). The list is dominated by spinners, with Johan Botha and Hafeez coming in behind Ajmal. Shahid Afridi, who had a major impact in Pakistan’s 2009 World T20 triumph, also has 17 wickets at a superb economy rate (6.03). Undoubtedly, spinners will have a huge role to play in Sri Lanka. In nine matches involving the top teams in the country, spinners have picked up 44 wickets at an average of 20.59 and economy rate of 6.51. In comparison, pace bowlers, who have picked up 71 wickets, have higher values of average and economy rate (22.73 and 7.85 respectively).

Top wicket-takers in Twenty20 matches since World T20 2010 (min 15 wickets)

BowlerMatchesWicketsAverageEconomy rate4+ WISaeed Ajmal222915.625.821Johan Botha161918.216.360Mohammad Hafeez191817.505.791Graeme Swann161819.336.100Nathan McCullum141715.356.521Shahid Afridi171720.886.031Umar Gul171627.127.840England, who lost their first game against India in the 2007 World T20, have gone on to win each of the three matches played between the two sides since the game in Durban. Australia and West Indies, grouped together in Group B, have been evenly matched in head-to-head contests (Australia lead 4-3). While Gayle led West Indies to a comfortable win in the World T20 game at The Oval in 2009, Australia came out winners in the 2010 World T20 match. Interestingly, South Africa and Sri Lanka (Group C) are yet to face each other in a Twenty20 international.

Stats highlights from India’s nine-wicket win in Ahmedabad

S Rajesh19-Nov-2012File photo: Matt Prior fell just one run short of the highest Test score by an England wicketkeeper in India (ESPNcricinfo is not carrying live pictures due to curbs on media)•PA Photos India have a 21-4 win-loss record in their last 39 Tests at home, going back eight years. England, meanwhile, have a 2-12 record in Asia (excluding Bangladesh) in 23 Tests since December 2001. England would have lost the match much earlier had it not been for the Cook’s knock, and his partnership with Matt Prior. Cook’s marathon effort in England’s second innings lasted all of 556 minutes, which is just seven short of the longest knock by an England batsman in India. The 563-minute innings was also by a left-hand opener: Graeme Fowler defied India’s bowlers for that long in Chennai in 1985, in a match England won by nine wickets. Cook’s effort is the sixth-longest by an overseas batsman in India (in terms of minutes), but the five longer efforts were all in the first innings of a team. Cook’s effort is thus the longest by an overseas batsman in the second innings in India, 12 minutes more than Andy Flower’s unbeaten 232 in Nagpur 12 years ago; among all second-innings efforts in India, only VVS Laxman’s 281, which took him 631 minutes, lasted longer. Cook’s 176 is also the highest by an England batsman in India in a follow-on effort, going past Ken Barrington’s 172 in 1961. Among all follow-on innings in India, it’s the fifth-highest, and the second-best by an overseas batsman. Matt Prior’s 91 fell just one run short of the record score by an England wicketkeeper in a Test in India: Dick Spooner score 92 in Kolkata in 1951-52. England, New Zealand and South Africa are the three countries whose wicketkeepers haven’t yet scored a Test hundred in India. The 157-run stand between Cook and Prior is England’s second-highest for the sixth wicket in India, next only to the 171 runs that Ian Botham and Bob Taylor added in Mumbai in 1980. England’s second innings lasted 154.3 overs, their third-best when batting a second time in a Test in India. The last time they batted longer was more than 50 years ago, in Kanpur in 1961. Pragyan Ojha’s match figures of 9 for 165 are his best in a Test, and the first time he’s taken more than seven. In 13 home Tests, Ojha has taken 72 wickets at an average of 26.54.

Five players who failed to live up to their billing in IPL 2013

Rohan Sharma27-May-2013Kumar SangakkaraSunrisers Hyderabad
9 matches, 120 runs with strike rate of 88.23
Sangakkara started off as the captain of the newly formed Sunrisers Hyderabad, yet before the midway mark of the tournament, he was left behind when his returns proved to be rather poor. In his first three IPL seasons, he scored more than 300 runs every season, before shifting allegiances to Deccan Chargers, where he scored 558 runs in two seasons. He was ultimately done away as captain by the team management in favour of Cameron White, former Australia T20 captain. Darren Sammy took his place as the fourth foreign player in the side and both players proved to have the Midas touch towards the tail-end of the tournament, when Sunrisers beat Kolkata Knight Riders to jump into the final four.Mahela JayawardeneDelhi Daredevils
15 matches, 331 runs at strike rate of 105.75
In the opening match of the tournament, with Delhi Daredevils losing wickets like it was going out of style, Jayawardene scripted a characteristic rescue, scoring 66 off 52 balls, an innings filled with gentle flicks and dabs, and which helped keep Daredevils in the hunt as they posted 128 against Knight Riders. This however, would prove to be one of the few notable performances of the season for Jayawardene, as Daredevils slipped further and further down the rankings, while their big guns didn’t fire. His status as a foreign player also hurt team balance when the runs began to subside. If it wasn’t for the captaincy, he would almost certainly have been dropped from the squad entirely.David HusseyKings XI Punjab
12 matches, 235 runs at strike rate of 112.44
David Hussey would have almost certainly wished some of his brother’s luck could have rubbed off on him this year. David has been a key performer for Kings XI over the past few seasons, scoring over 300 runs in 2008 and 2012 and, once again, much was expected from the T20 stalwart, especially when Adam Gilchrist proved to be a fading force earlier on in the tournament. But when the going got tough, David was unable to capitalise on starts – his highest score being 41 against Rajasthan Royals. His faltering performances hurt the team, especially during a time when they were still tinkering with the order, and were missing the services of Shaun Marsh due to injury.Yuvraj SinghPune Warriors
13 matches, 238 runs at strike rate of 125.26
It can be said that Yuvraj Singh’s heroics during the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007, fast-tracked the demand for the IPL. Therefore, it’s only fair that his performances are viewed with keen interest. However, this IPL season has been another forgettable year for the batsman. Yuvraj has yet to play a definitive IPL innings, and throughout this edition wasted good starts with poor shots. Pune Warriors never really settled on a position for him, and he was seen more as a floater, who would come in when quick runs were required. One thing to note is that he wasn’t selected as captain, despite the lottery which saw Aaron Finch, Ross Taylor and Angelo Mathews getting a chance to lead. He was unable to provide much with the ball either, an attribute that went a long way in helping India secure their first World Cup title in 28 years.Morne MorkelDelhi Daredevils
10 matches, 7 wickets at economy rate of 8.37
When Daredevils lost their first few games this season, captain Mahela Jayawardene cited the lack of available personnel as a major factor. The personnel he mentioned included the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Jesse Ryder and Morne Morkel, who all enjoyed considerable success in the previous edition. Morkel himself ended up as leading wicket-taker last season, with 25 scalps at an average of 18.12 and an economy of 7.19. This year however, he was a shadow of himself, as he proved hardly penetrative with the new ball, and couldn’t fire in his ‘Garner-esque’ yorkers at the death.Honourable mentionsAngelo Mathews (PWI) – 11 matches, 172 runs at a strike rate of 123.74
Virender Sehwag (DD) – 13 matches, 295 runs at a strike rate of 126.60
Irfan Pathan (DD) – 15 matches, 142 runs at a strike rate of 93.42, 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.44
Manoj Tiwary (KKR) – 10 matches, 146 runs at a strike rate of 104.28
Adam Gilchrist (KXIP) – 13 matches, 294 runs at a strike rate of 128.38
M Vijay (CSK) – 15 matches, 312 runs at a strike rate of 109.09

Sixes, records, dance moves, wickets, hilarious appeals – Chris Gayle didn’t give the home crowd any time to catch their breath

Ashish Paul24-Apr-2013Choice of game
A few months back I had picked up a copy of Yuvraj Singh’s new book, . By the time I was through, I had made up my mind to watch this match. I wanted to see Yuvraj on action, for the real fighter he was on the field and in life. I was keeping my fingers crossed, since he’d missed a few games earlier in the season. But my anxiety turned to excitement when I heard Yuvraj’s name announced in the playing eleven in the stadium.Team supported
RCB was my default favorite to for this game. They were my home team, they were playing well this season, and were close to the top of the table. Before the game during all the office banter, people were convinced about an RCB win. However, I was hoping for a close contest. But at the stadium, watching Gayle cut loose, all those thoughts disappeared. It was a rousing assault from Gayle, loudly cheered by every RCB fan including me.Entertainment
Watching IPL games in Bangalore is a fabulous experience. The stadium is located right in the heart of the city. My friend and I shut our laptops and work well before noon, hopped on to the Metro train headed for the stadium, and relished a quick pub lunch before taking our seats. We were charged up, and the stadium atmosphere was electrifying. LED video walls, music, cheer girls, DJ, drums – the stage was all set for the Gayle party. The weather was good too – overcast with a gentle breeze that cooled off an otherwise hot summer afternoon.Key performer
The fastest century in senior cricket – need I say more. It was a Gayle game from start to finish. He single-handedly crushed the Pune Warriors. Even the rain gods seemed to shy away after an early interruption, as Gayle took charge of raining sixes all around the ground. He took guard outside his crease, and swung his bat destructively, sending ball after ball into the stands. No one seems to have any clue on how to stop him. And as if the batting wasn’t enough entertainment, he had the crowd in splits later with some hilarious appeals, dance moves and a couple of wickets.One thing you’d have changed about the match
If I were to change one aspect of the game, it would have been Yuvraj’s dismissal. I would have liked it if he’d played a big hand, even though the result seemed a foregone conclusion after the Gayle show.Wow moment
It was the last over of the game when Gayle got the ball. It seemed Ali Murtaza, who had taken some stick earlier in the day, would have a chance to go after Gayle, but our man had different ideas. Gayle performed his trademark Gangnam-style moves when he got Murtaza stumped. Later, he went down on his knees and pleaded for Ishwar Pandey’s wicket, and was almost hit by a low-flying bird after his last delivery. You just couldn’t take the spotlight off him on this day.Close encounter
AB de Villiers was the spectators’ man. Whenever he fielded close to the boundary line he waved to the crowd. We greeted those waves with huge cheers. He almost started a Mexican wave which the DJ had been trying hard to initiate right through the game, but it never materialized.Shot of the day
It was Gayle lifting Ashok Dinda out of the park off a free-hit. Dinda sent down a full toss, Gayle stood still to club it straight, and the ball travelled high up over the roof and out of the stadium.Crowd meter
The home fans erupted in joy after boundary hit, especially off Gayle’s bat. Gayle never allowed the spectators to settle down. He would lift every other delivery to the boundary, forcing the fans to jump onto their feet and cheer. I could see some people getting tired of jumping and cheering; by the end of his innings, they were just clapping without getting up from their seats.Hardship factor
I would expect a cash-rich tournament like the IPL to make the ticketing process more convenient. I purchased the tickets for the match online but had to visit a redemption store to collect the ticket. I had to wait for close to half an hour since the redemption outlet was also a food counter. Wouldn’t it be so much more convenient if bar-coded tickets were issued online itself?Fancy dress index
I was amused to see some people dressed like astronauts. I believe they are part of some kind of in-stadium promotion. The spectators were more than happy to click photographs with these guys, and I too got a snap with one of them during the innings break.Marks out of 10
All in all, the game was a thrilling experience. Once Gayle started the party everything else just fell in place. The excitement, the crowd, the music, everything added to the Gayle effect. I would give this a perfect 10, as I was privileged to have witnessed one of the greatest T20 innings.

On Groundhog Day for England and New Zealand, gloom descended on the Kiwis despite their previous form

David Hopps in Cardiff16-Jun-2013It was, as the Welsh might say, a evening in Cardiff, dank and miserable, and much of its misery was reserved for New Zealand. If the match had been abandoned, New Zealand would have qualified for the semi-finals, but the rain relented in the nick of time for England and, as the floodlights lit up a blanket of grey cloud, gloom slowly descended upon the side in black.New Zealand must now hope for a narrow win for Australia against Sri Lanka at The Oval to sneak into the last four on net run rate. Sri Lanka merely need to win; Australia would need to win comprehensively. But New Zealand’s ability to get within 10 runs of England’s 169, despite being 50 for 4 midway through their 24 overs, means they cannot yet be discounted.”We’ve obviously got to watch tomorrow’s game and see what unfolds,” their captain, Brendon McCullum, said. “Whatever unfolds from here is going to require some luck and, if we get the opportunity, great, but if we don’t we know we passed an opportunity up.” He then steeled himself to utter the hardest words for a New Zealand captain to say: he wished Australia all the best.This was Groundhog Day: the 15th time New Zealand and England had crossed swords in 2013. The contest has been keen throughout in all formats. These two sides must have felt they knew everything about each other there was to know: their respective idiosyncrasies, strengths and weaknesses and fashion sense. New Zealand even won the three-match ODI series which preceded this tournament but in the match that really mattered they did not quite have enough to give.At least there would no mutterings about ball tampering on a dank and cheerless evening like this. England could not have got the ball to reverse if they had run over it with a tractor, ripped chunks out of it with a hacksaw and smeared it in Pont Gar cheese. And why bother when they could respond to an invitingly mucky night with some conventional English seam and swing?”I thought they bowled brilliantly at the start, swung the ball and with good pace,” McCullum said. “But for us to get so close could be valuable if it comes down to run rate.”Their best chance of a get-out for New Zealand came in the 20th over of their innings. Five balls before the match became legitimate, and Duckworth Lewis would come into effect in the event of rain, Corey Anderson, who was only summoned as an emergency replacement on Saturday, lay on the ground clutching his leg after slipping in a running mix-up with Kane Williamson.

New Zealand were in danger of being eliminated and there was one-upmanship going on about whose TV was the biggest.

As his calf was strapped, there was drizzle in the air and rumours of heavier rain in the Bristol Channel. Fifty spectators dressed as yellow bananas in the Main Stand, and by then shining through the gloom like a searchlight, began to peel themselves back up again in protection against the drizzle. A downpour then would have meant one point each and taken New Zealand through. Jeers came from the crowd as minutes ticked by. But the downpour never quite came.Even then New Zealand weren’t quite spent. Tim Bresnan conceded 19 from his next over and for New Zealand suddenly the requirement was 36 from three overs. The tension was nearly enough to send Mrs Bresnan into labour. As it is, England stay in the tournament for at least another three days and there will be cricket obsessives in Yorkshire who will believe that it is her duty to cling on for all she is worth.Then Williamson, whose 67 from 54 balls had kept New Zealand in the match, was caught at cover by James Anderson, but the bowler, Stuart Broad, was perilously close to a no-ball. After several replays, the third umpire, Steve Davis, gave Broad the wicket, but a man with a 52-inch plasma telly texted ESPNcricinfo to say that Broad had overstepped. Another man then texted to say his TV was 55 inches and he was not quite so sure. New Zealand were in danger of being eliminated and there was one-upmanship going on about whose TV was the biggest.”It was a close decision but I don’t have a problem with it,” McCullum said. Many other captains would have taken the chance to hide behind an easy excuse. Not for the first time in his captaincy of New Zealand, McCullum revealed himself to be impressively even-handed, endlessly competitive yet when the contest is over willing more often than not to take the rough with the smooth.There again you have to be philosophical when your older brother has seven catching opportunities in 24 overs, accepts four and drops three of them. “The ball kept following him around,” Brendon said, fraternally. “He’s a brilliant fielder. I think he is still probably in credit in terms of his fielding ability.” But both brothers will have needed no reminding that Nathan dropped Alastair Cook three times, the third of them an absolute clanger at backward point when an easy chance rebounded off his chest.It seems he did not find Cardiff the easiest seeing ground, which is worrying both for McCullum and Glamorgan as he has just signed up to play for the county in the Friends Life t20. He might be checking the long-term weather forecast, and the small print in his contract.

Also, fastest to 100 Test caps, England’s Gabba record, Tendulkar’s dry run, and most Test team-mates

Steven Lynch26-Nov-2013Is Rohit Sharma the only man to hit a double-century and two hundreds in successive internationals? asked Kersi Meher-Homji from Australia
Rohit Sharma hit 209 in a one-day international against Australia in Bangalore earlier this month, and followed that against West Indies with 177 (in Kolkata) and 111 not out (in Mumbai) in his first two Tests. Rather surprisingly, perhaps, he’s the 11th player to score three hundreds in three successive international innings, one of them being a double: two of those – Garry Sobers and Graham Gooch – actually started with a triple-century. But pride of place on this list goes to the elegant Pakistani Zaheer Abbas, who scored centuries in five successive international innings against India in 1982-83: 215 in a Test in Lahore, 118 in an ODI in Multan, 186 in a Test in Karachi, 105 in an ODI in Lahore, and 168 in a Test in Faisalabad. So there’s a target for Rohit to tilt at! The brilliant West Indian Everton Weekes also scored five centuries in successive innings (the Test record) but none of them was a double. Your question actually talked about matches, not innings, and by that criterion the leader is Don Bradman, who scored hundreds in six successive matches, all Tests against England, in 1936-37 and 1938: his run started with 270 and 212 in consecutive matches in the first of those Ashes series. Bradman’s run was ended when he was injured and unable to bat at The Oval in 1938. He reached three figures in the first two Tests of the next series, in Australia in 1946-47, so actually scored centuries in eight consecutive matches in which he batted.Barring injury, both Michael Clarke and Alastair Cook will play their 100th Test at the WACA in this Ashes series. Has it ever happened before that both captains have shared the same milestone in a match? asked Mark Long from England
It has never previously happened that both captains have played their 100th Test match in the same game. The first time two players won their 100th caps in the same match was at Old Trafford in 2000, when Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart – who had both previously captained England – played against West Indies (Stewart marked the occasion by scoring 105). And in the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand in April 2006, three players all reached a century of caps – Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock for the hosts, and the touring captain Stephen Fleming. Appropriately enough, that match was played in Centurion.Kevin Pietersen won his 100th Test cap at Brisbane. Is he the quickest to reach 100 caps from debut? asked Andy Desborough from England
Kevin Pietersen made his Test debut in July 2005, against Australia at Lord’s, so took eight years and four months to reach a century of caps. The only man to get to 100 quicker is Andrew Strauss, who made his debut – also at Lord’s but against New Zealand – in May 2004, and played his 100th (and last) Test against South Africa at Lord’s in August 2012. Strauss reached 100 caps just over a month quicker than Pietersen. So KP missed out on Strauss’ record – but nonetheless it is likely to go very soon. As noted above, Alastair Cook will in all probability win his 100th cap in Perth in a couple of weeks’ time – and he made his Test debut against India in Nagpur in March 2006. Cook, who has missed only one match since his debut, will therefore become the first to complete a century of Tests in less than eight years.How often have England won a Test in Brisbane? asked Gary Clifford from England
Brisbane has not proved a happy hunting ground for England, certainly not in recent times. And this year was no exception, after a promising start! England have only won only five of their 21 Tests in Brisbane, including the first one ever played in the city, at the old Exhibition Ground in 1928-29. England’s subsequent Tests there have all been at the Woolloongabba ground, where they won in 1932-33, 1936-37, 1978-79 and 1986-87. Australia have won 11 at the Gabba, and there have been five draws.Sachin Tendulkar didn’t score a century in his last 23 Tests (39 innings). Has any other great batsman (Test average above 50) had a worse run that this? asked Victoria Baptiste from St Vincent
I think the only batsman (by your qualification) to have endured a longer “dry run” is Allan Border, who didn’t score a century between his 96th Test, against Pakistan in Faisalabad in September 1988 (when he made 113 not out), and his 133rd match, against Sri Lanka in Colombo in September in 1992, when he made 106. That was 36 Tests and 60 innings over four years. But Border still finished his Test career with a batting average of 50.56.Did Sachin Tendulkar finish up having played with more team-mates than anyone else in Tests? asked Abhishek Moura from Mumbai
Sachin Tendulkar went into retirement having played alongside 110 different team-mates for India in his 24-year career. He is one of five players to reach a century in this respect, the others being Shivnarine Chanderpaul (currently 100), Wally Hammond (106), Frank Woolley (111)… and the overall leader Graham Gooch, who played with 113 different team-mates during his own long England career. Tendulkar played alongside Rahul Dravid in 146 matches, which is a record (next is Mark Boucher/Jacques Kallis on 137). Tendulkar does hold the record for one-day internationals, though: he played alongside 123 team-mates. Dravid is next with 115.