A fan dreams of a clash between the two teams that have brought Pakistan much joy over the last week

Saad Shafqat20-Nov-2008

Welcome violence: Imran Nazir murders the Hyderabad attack in the ICL final © ICL
Memo to Moin Khan, manager of the Lahore Badshahs: “Congratulations. Your team has won the ICL tournament and made us proud. Now your captain has gone one better and challenged the Pakistan national side to a duel.” We’ve just had a few terrific few days: both the Pakistan international team and their alter ego, the Lahore Badshahs, have scored a series of resounding wins. What could be better for the Pakistani game, and for the fans, than watching these two outfits do battle against each other?Lately it’s been so slow around here that you could be excused for forgetting that Pakistan is a full-member ICC nation, which has played over 300 Tests and nearly 700 ODIs, won a World Cup, and added a few names to the pantheon. These days all anyone seems to notice is that Pakistan is an agitated land boiling with a Taliban insurgency, exploding at random, and sitting on the cultural and ideological fault line of conceivably everything.Pakistan haven’t played a Test in nearly a year, and prior to the series in Abu Dhabi hadn’t played any ODIs since July. With no sign of wood meeting leather, fans have instead occupied themselves with whatever cricketing scraps they could get their hands on – cricket board politics, firing and hiring the coach, the soap opera of the naughty-boy (Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akhtar, or Mohammad Yousuf – take your pick).Then, one recent Abu Dhabi evening, Kamran Akmal hit those two last-over sixes for victory in the first ODI against West Indies. As the balls crashed into the stands behind long-off and point, it felt like the welcome patter of rain after a hard and bitter drought. West Indies had had the upper hand throughout the match until that point. Akmal reversed the momentum with a turnaround so energetic that Pakistan rode to a 3-0 series sweep.Even the most unforgiving and sceptical followers were awestruck. I heard a female colleague, a trenchant critic who has never offered anything better than grudging praise, admire newcomer Khurram Manzoor as the great answer to Pakistan’s incurable opening problem. An octogenarian fan, who has seen it all and loathes hyperbole, opined that Pakistan were turning a historic corner in the evolution of its cricket ethos. A friend who had supposedly given up following cricket altogether sent a text message, all in capital letters, that Sohail Tanvir’s wicket-taking in-dipper to Chris Gayle in the second ODI was better than the best of Wasim Akram.Even if events in Abu Dhabi were not that earth-shattering, you could forgive the fans for feeling that way. After the sadness and disappointments of an extremely lean year, Pakistan came out keenly motivated and driving hard. The on-field body language, the most sensitive gauge to a team’s rhythm, was amazing. Batsmen looked opponents in the eye, bowlers snorted and charged, and fielders (most of them, anyway – this is Pakistan we’re talking about) flung themselves around. Even Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik, never known to see eye to eye, exhibited a surprising range of male-bonding rituals, including smiling, back-slapping, draping arms over shoulders, and generously patting hips.The national side was motivated by deprivation and disappointment, the Lahore Badshahs by half a million US dollars, and the loss in the last season’s final. It was noticeable that Inzamam-ul-Haq was bending his back in the field with an assiduousness that was perhaps not always seen in his playing days for Pakistan. Whatever works, said the fans, and cheered him and his team on. Lahore didn’t receive much coverage in the press, but their games had fans riveted. Some of their players, such as Imran Nazir and Saqlain Mushtaq, are beloved figures. There was also the chance to behold partnerships between Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamamul Haq, an exquisite pleasure we thought we had lost forever.As Kamran Akmal’s hits crashed into the stands behind long-off and point, it felt like the welcome patter of rain after a hard and bitter droughtLahore have approached ICL with an arrogance that comes from a non-negotiable belief that you can hold your own against any team in the world. Last season’s embarrassment, when they lost one of the finals in a bowl-out, only intensified their hunger. After a shaky start they peaked perfectly and entered the semi-finals at No. 2 on the points table. Sandwiched between the first and second ODIs in Abu Dhabi was the first match of ICL’s best-of-three final, in which Lahore comfortably chased 170 against Hyderabad.They were off-colour in the second match, but a stunning boundary catch from Justin Kemp had the unintended consequence of toughening their resolve immeasurably. Dean Jones called it the most awesome catch he had ever seen – check it out, it’s not an exaggeration – but it stung the Badshahs, and from merely motivated they became menacingly murderous. The decider, held the same evening as the third Abu Dhabi ODI, featured a 44-ball detonation from Imran Nazir that fetched him 111 out of the winning total of 160.Ultimately both Lahore and Pakistan were driven by revenge. The Badshahs wanted to scream in the PCB’s face that their players, who are banned from playing for Pakistan, were as good as any. Pakistan wanted revenge against the geo-political winds, and the nameless and faceless terrorists that have led to their cricketing desolation.How far the revenge motive was achieved, only time will tell. While it’s been a good few days, prospects for international cricket in Pakistan are still shaky at best. The fans are slowly retreating to once again hiding their faces and licking their wounds.So well done, Inzamam and Moin. Geo Super- our local sports channel – will televise it, the PCB will organise it (we’ll talk to them very, very nicely), Cricinfo will spread the word, and the fans will cheer and chatter for a long time. Lahore Badshahs versus Pakistan could really kick-start the mood.

Life can change completely in a year. And if you have lost form drastically during that year, and also turned 38, those changes could border on the irreversible

Cricinfo staff28-Oct-2008

Life can change completely in a year. And if you have lost form drastically during that year, and also turned 38, those changes could border on the irreversible. About 11 months ago, Anil Kumble walked out onto his beloved Feroz Shah Kotla, for the first time in his career as India’s captain. India would go on to beat Pakistan, Kumble would take a paltry seven wickets (seven wickets was loose change, then, for Kumble at Kotla) in the match, and a new chapter to Kumble’s career would start.A year on, what wouldn’t he give for seven wickets over the next five days? He has taken 17 in his last eight Tests. During the last Test he has seen Amit Mishra, his replacement, trouble Australia with old-school legspin while he had himself failed to create any impact in Bangalore. He has also seen Mahendra Singh Dhoni threaten to make a seamless transition from being a good one-day captain to a good Test captain. Kumble goes into the match knowing two different benchmarks have been set in Mohali. He will, he knows, be judged as a bowler and also as a captain.Suddenly a man who has achieved it all in his career, who had nothing left to prove, has it all to prove. More so because he is likely to replace a youngster who took a five-for in his only Test so far. What wouldn’t Kumble give to be a youngster again, and enjoy the long rope?If there is pressure, he didn’t show it at the pre-match press conference. “I have confidence in myself, the team has confidence in me, and I have confidence in my team to go out there and do the job for us,” Kumble said.Ironically, though, one thing hasn’t changed. During the lead-up to that Pakistan Test last year, Yuvraj Singh had been knocking on the door through his one-day performances, with four half-centuries in the five-ODI series preceding the Tests. But Kumble spoke the harsh truth then: “It’s tough on Yuvraj … He’ll probably have to wait a bit more to become a regular member of the Test squad.”

Mishra could be the Yuvraj this year, minus the public consolatory message. He will definitely have to make way for Kumble, as made clear on Monday by Gary Kirsten. But Mishra could still play because of the toe injury that Harbhajan Singh picked towards the end of the Mohali Test. Harbhajan bowled only three-odd overs in the nets in the past couple of days but Kumble said net practice was not an indicator of a player’s fitness. “People try to assess if a person is fit or not, based on the number of deliveries he has bowled in the nets,” he said. “I don’t think – [given] the amount of cricket we play – it is important if someone bowls at the nets. He still has a bit of discomfort. He is a key part of our success. We will give him the maximum [possible] time to see if he is 100% or not.”It could also boil down to whether India want to push Harbhajan even if he is not 100%, because he brings with him a psychological edge over the Aussies, especially when playing at home. Otherwise India would go with two legspinners for the first time Mohali 2006, when Piyush Chawla made his debut alongside Kumble.Kumble’s predicament remains just a sub-plot, a fascinating one at that, to the bigger story: that India go into Kotla with their best chance to push Australia to the other end of a dead rubber. Normally it’s Australia trying to deny other teams a consolation win in the last Test of the series, but India stand more than a realistic chance of closing the series over the next week. And they have most of the aspects of their cricket going for them: the openers have got them off to quick starts, the under-pressure middle order had held its own, and the fast bowlers have completely outclassed their Australian counterparts.The focus, in that light, falls back on Kumble and his fellow spinner. Therein lies the irony. Throughout his career, and in the first half of his captaincy, Kumble has been the unobtrusive trier who comes and does his job without fuss. He wouldn’t like it that, towards the end of his career, he is the man being talked about the most.

Spinner, jester, all-round “Marmite personality”, Graeme Swann talks about how his wings were unclipped and he returned from the county wilderness

John Stern27-Oct-2009Graeme Swann moves his face close to the page, like a short-sighted pensioner, the better to examine the picture. After a few seconds he sits upright again, his features dominated by a toothy grin and a look of wonderment. The photograph (from the last issue of TWC) is of the moment England won the 2009 Ashes: Hussey, caught Cook, bowled Swann.It is a chilly Friday afternoon at Lord’s in early September. England are 0-3 down in the one-day series against Australia and have just completed a lengthy training session in which Swann was berated by the coach, Andy Flower, for a cock-up in a fielding drill. That sunny Sunday at The Oval in late August seems a lifetime ago but Swann is more than happy to transport himself back there.”I’ve watched the footage and it feels like I’m watching someone else do it,” he says. “I have certain memories of it, almost slow-motion, but it just feels a bit surreal. I could never have imagined that anything – certainly in sport – could make you feel as good about yourself.”Swann is resentful that the Ashes triumph, in his eyes, remains uncelebrated, in contrast to 2005. Four days after the Oval finale England were in Ireland for a 50-over game, three days later they
were in Manchester for a Twenty20 against Australia. It is not open-top bus parades he is after, just time to enjoy the win and reflect on it with family and friends. Since The Oval he has been
home in Nottingham only once, fleetingly, on his way to Manchester for the Twenty20. “This last week has felt as flat as anything, having this seven-match drudge around the country playing these one-dayers. It’s a huge comedown from that incredible high.”He cites “external pressure”, from the media, not to celebrate too hard. The suggestion that this was because 2005 went over the top is met with scorn. “I truly believe in life that you shouldn’t live on an even keel. For me that is an absolute joke of a way to live. You have to really experience the highs and take the lows when they come along. 2005 didn’t go over the top. The celebrations were right for that time, marking the end of almost two decades of annihilation by Australia, playing a new aggressive brand of cricket, unearthing new heroes. How can it be over the top to celebrate properly? If this country wins the football World Cup next year, it will be pandemonium and we’ll
have 11 knighthoods. That’s the way it should be.”

Swanny says

On struggling at Cardiff I bowled like a drain. I had a cut on my hand and I tried putting Super Glue on the wound. I didn’t have the grip or anything like the control and by the time I ripped the whole thing off it was too late.
On the Ashes finale I was convinced it was going to take a day and half to bowl them out, so I hadn’t contemplated winning it on the Sunday. I didn’t want Harmy to get the final wicket, which I know is selfish, but I wanted to get Mike Hussey out as I’d battled with him all day.
On Andy Flower He’s a brilliant coach because he’s very loyal and very honest. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s exactly how I expected him to be, from playing against him. I got the feeling he’d do anything he can to win. He was one of the best chirpers or one of the worst depending on your view!
On captaincy ambitions I’d make a good captain. I did it when I was younger and was fairly uncompromising. But I didn’t have the man-management skills. I think I got sacked as Midlands Under-15s captain for not letting the lad from Lincoln have a bowl. Turning around and saying “he’s rubbish” isn’t the sort of thing you expect from a schoolboy. I think Mick Newell let me do it for a pre-season game for Notts in South Africa and then changed his mind before the toss and let someone else – probably the YTS boy – do it instead. I think I’m thought of as too much of a clown, certainly at international level, to ever have a go. I read the game better than anyone I’ve ever played with; whenever I’m out there I always captain in my head anyway. But it’ll take a brave decision to make me captain and there’d probably be a mutiny from the rest of the boys.
On being a disciplined pro I really don’t want to set a bad example. If I’m at the cinema and fancy some pick-n-mix, I feel really weird, as though people are watching, so I’ll get the missus to buy it and I’ll just stand there whistling with a bottle of water. Andy Flower always says that as an England cricketer you should ask yourself: “Is this a good decision? Is this decision helping me as a player, helping the England cricket team?” Is me coming out of this bar, with a big cigar and party hat on, going to help this England cricket team? No, so you don’t do it. Is lying in the hotel room feeling a bit peckish and raiding the mini-bar for a Snickers going to help the England cricket team? No, so don’t do it. It’s a good discipline as I’m inherently lazy.

This is not so much the Swann interview as the Swann lecture. He is in his element, holding court as an England player of substance. “I wanted to be famous as a kid. I wanted people to recognise me. When I was a kid I wanted the opposition to know who I was and say, ‘Oh no, Graeme Swann’s playing’.”He had recently filmed an episode of and the word is that he was sounded out as a possible team captain when his career is over. One can easily imagine him doing that and other television gigs. He has the breezy self-confidence of Matt Dawson, the England rugby player turned TV celebrity and QoS skipper. He is perhaps a more mainstream version of Matthew Hoggard, whose quirky intelligence was initially endearing but then started to grate.Swann also has a hinterland: he is a music obsessive and has his own band, Dr Comfort and the Lurid Revelations. He has more than 16,000 followers on Twitter, the internet’s latest social
networking craze, another ideal platform for his student-union wit and waspish humour. He reads the papers, an experience he describes as “cathartic” after a bad day on the field. And as one might expect from the son of a teacher, he has an open mind, a willingness to absorb new ideas and experiences, unlike some of his more pre-programmed team-mates.He is now 30 and his irrepressible personality has matured, like a decent red wine, into something palatable and refined. On the England Under-19 tour of South Africa in 1997-98 Swann wound up the team manager, Phil Neale, to such an extent that the two wrestled on the floor of the dressing room. “Phil probably wanted to knock my head off,” says Swann. Neale, now the England senior team’s operations manager, says: “He was quite annoying then but is much better now.””I’m one of those people you need a break from after a while,” Swann adds. “I was a cocky little upstart who no doubt deserved a good kicking.” He delights in Andrew Strauss’s jokey assessment of
him as a “buffoon”, partly because he thinks Strauss’s choice word exposes the England captain as a walking Wodehousian stereotype. “I’ve got to make sure I’m toeing the line between being a healthy,
positive character and a pain in the arse.”Swann’s father Ray, a Geordie teacher who relocated from the north-east to Towcester in Northamptonshire, was a fine league cricketer in his day and renowned as an uncompromising opponent. He also played for Northumberland, Bedfordshire and Northants 2nds. “The most competitive man I’ve ever seen” is Graeme’s description. “I remember the first time I beat him at golf, when I was about 16 or 17, he didn’t speak to me for three weeks.”When I was a kid I saw how seriously my dad took his cricket and how competitive he was. He went out of his way to teach me and my brother [Alec, who opened the batting for Northants, Lancashire and England Under-19], to throw balls to us, teach us proper technique and also that if you’re going to do something, you do it right. As a result I felt I was miles ahead of other kids of my age.”Graeme was playing men’s cricket for Northampton Saints in his early teens. He echoes the thoughts of Ian Chappell [TWC, August] that he and his brother Greg were better served by playing men’s
cricket from an early age whereas their other brother Trevor played only in his own age group. “It made me a far better cricketer,” says Swann. “When I went into first-class cricket I’d been playing men’s cricket for the best part of a decade.”Initially he was an opening batsman. His attempts at spin bowling went to pot in his mid-teens as he endured his growth spurt. Then, as the hormones settled down, his bowling radar righted itself and he
emerged from adolescence as a bowling allrounder. On the England Under-19 trip to South Africa he was the third spinner behind Chris Schofield, the Surrey and former Lancashire leggie, and Jonathan
Powell, an Essex offspinner who would also play for England A but is now a carpenter in Romford. Powell hurt his back and Schofield was cowed by strong, confident South African batting and unforgiving conditions. In the two four-day “Tests” Swann bowled 85 overs, while Schofield, who two years later would have an England central contract, bowled only 37. “It suited me down to the ground. I always want to have the ball in my hand. I can’t understand how batsmen can just field. I don’t care what people say about how important fielding is. It’s just rubbish, I hate fielding. Compared to batting and bowling it’s the third, very distant, cousin.”

“I don’t care what people say about how important fielding is. It’s just rubbish, I hate fielding. Compared to batting and bowling it’s the third, very distant, cousin.”

Two winters on, Swann was back in South Africa on a senior tour, part of the new wave hand-picked by Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher as they surveyed the wreckage of England’s home defeat by New Zealand and a rock-bottom world ranking.The county game was discredited and there was a desire, almost a desperation, for new, young stars. Swann had been selected in the squad – though not the final XI – for the final Test of the 1999 summer, a match that ended in defeat and Hussain being booed by the Oval crowd. “That was weird,” remembers Swann. “It wasn’t really a team, just a collection of individuals, before Nasser grabbed hold of it and really shook it up. It was bizarre. I’d only met half the team before and
you weren’t introduced to anyone, so you just sat in the corner.”When I look back it was laughable that I got picked to go to South Africa. I’d had one good one-day game on telly, 30 off 10 balls against Essex or something. I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t mature enough emotionally or physically and skill-wise I was nowhere near good enough.” The 20-year-old Swann played two first-class games and a one-dayer in South Africa and earned censure for being late for a team bus. He returned without enhancing his reputation and would not play for the national team again until the winter of 2007.His career at Northants had begun to stagnate. He was not enamoured of the unforgiving, boot-camp style of Kepler Wessels, the coach who joined in 2004. described Swann as a “free spirit not always on the same wavelength as Wessels”.Swann concedes that his “Marmite personality” is not to everyone’s tastes. It will either “fit into the system or drive people up the wall, and I just didn’t fit into Northamptonshire”. Kent wooed him but he chose Nottinghamshire because the coach, Mick Newell, told him he was “the sort of personality they wanted in the dressing room”. “It was like having my wings unclipped,” Swann says. “I’ve seldom had a bad day at Notts because it’s good, fun cricket. It’s a brand of cricket that’s a bit maverick and we’ve had some success, winning the County Championship in 2005.”But the move to Nottingham did not suddenly signal an upturn in his England prospects. “I’d accepted that and was happy with my life. I was loving Nottingham but then England came round again and it’s thanks to Peter Moores, who I believe got me back in.”Laff-a-minute: Swann clowns around with good mate and Twitter target Tim Bresnan•Getty Images”He got back in because he’d learnt his trade and was spinning it hard,” says Moores, the England coach from 2007 until January this year. “Spinners are a bit like keepers, they mature later than others. He has the personality to create a theatre of pressure around batsmen. He was a breath of fresh air in the dressing room. He has always been full on and you need that, you need characters to lighten the mood.” Within a year Swann had gone from bit-part one-day spinner to England’s No.1 Test spinner, a function of Monty Panesar’s water-treading but also his own ability to grasp the moment. He was unfazed by making his Test debut in India, has since opened the bowling against West Indies at Lord’s last May (“the funniest thing in the world”) and has taken the winning wickets in both England’s Ashes Test wins.His joie de vivre combines with a fatalism that produces apparent immunity against pressure. Before the triumphant Oval Test he had taken six wickets at 68 in the Ashes. As a finger spinner whose stats are never likely to have a wow factor, he knows that his place in the side is insecure. “I’m not stupid, I know it could all be over tomorrow, but I don’t think like that. Anybody who does is shooting himself in the foot. If I have a couple of bad games, the press will be on my back as that’s their job. I chose to be a spin bowler who bats down the order, so that’s what I’ve got to go with. If I keep performing, then I’ll keep playing; if I don’t, I won’t. I believe there’s a degree of fate and destiny. You do your best to be as good as you can be, but don’t tell me that luck doesn’t play a big part.”He has developed an alliance with Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner who is England’s spin coach. No surprise, except that this is as much about personal philosophy – and, bizarrely,
batting – as spin bowling. “Mushy has been brilliant for me because our views on life are very similar. His comes from a different place, from his faith: that you will do well if God wills it. He recognises that my strength is being a happy bloke and someone who can provide others with energy; that’s part of my use to the team. He says to me, ‘I love it when you have a smile on your face. You and me, Mr Swanny, we enjoy our cricket and we must always have a smile on our face.” Mushtaq has also become Swann’s batting coach, encouraging a freedom of expression (Moores compares his batting to Shane Warne’s) that has largely been successful in his short Test career.Swann has much to look forward to. He is England’s No.1 spinner, he has a personality made for TV and now fame and achievements to go with it. And he is getting married at the end of January, following an early October stag-do at the Stuttgart beer festival, a chance to do some of that proper Ashes celebrating that he feels so strongly about.

He’s been down so long everyone thought he was out, but the Delhi fast bowler has made yet another comeback, and on current form could stake claim to being among the best in India

Nagraj Gollapudi30-May-2009Ashish Nehra is a proud man. “I bowled my full quota of overs for all the IPL games this year,” he says in his trademark rapid manner. (He actually bowled one short: 51 overs in 13 games).That Nehra, who along with Dirk Nannes formed a lethal strike force for Delhi Daredevils, bowled the most overs is not as surprising as the fact that he did so without breaking down – despite the workload and the constant travelling over the month-long tournament, and his well-known susceptibility to injury.Nehra’s rollercoaster India career, before he played his last international game during the 2005 Zimbabwe tour, is well documented. Back then, as now, what was not in doubt was his fast-bowling pedigree: if fit, he was – and still could be – one of India’s best fast bowlers. The issue was injury.After the 2003 World Cup, he had his first ankle surgery. Before he had recovered fully from it, he suffered a back injury, but played nevertheless. Midway into the 2005 series in Zimbabwe he came back home with the back injury. In 2006 he had another surgery after he tore a ligament when he twisted his ankle in the nets. Between then and early 2007, when he underwent yet another ankle surgery, he tried playing domestic cricket, to no great result.Four scars cut across Nehra’s ankles. Was he ever terrified that he would never walk up to the bowling mark again?”There was this period between 2006 and 2007 when I panicked. I was recovering from one injury before being pulled down by another. I would think, five months gone, six months gone, I’m still not playing, while everybody else was playing. If you don’t play for six months, people forget. Those three years after 2005 Zimbabwe was really frustrating.”Vijay Dahiya, Nehra’s former team-mate, and currently Delhi coach, says it was not the case that Nehra was stubborn about his injuries, but that, like any other player, he thought they would vanish. “His injuries came at the wrong time and stayed for a while,” says Dahiya. Skills-wise, he says, Nehra could match today’s best fast bowlers. “He was never dropped from any team due to lack of performance.”It is a point others have made as well. “Zaheer [Khan] said to me, ‘Nobody ever doubted your bowling. If there is a big injury, which is really giving you problems, sort it out first. Don’t be greedy to play for India without getting out of the injury completely,'” Nehra says.Nehra claims he understands more about his body now than in the past. “Earlier I would play even if the injury was bad. But now I don’t play if something is bothering me. Now I would fix it before coming back. I made my injuries chronic, and that’s why I got dropped for two years.””Maybe I’m jumping the gun. I’m very hopeful he will be back in the Indian team within six months,” says Dahiya. Having been one of the best bowlers in a high-profile tournament like the IPL has boosted Nehra’s hopes. “I’m still waiting for my chance. If they want to give me a chance, it has to be this season,” he says.Nehra in the IPL Among fast bowlers who’ve bowled at least 150 balls in the IPL, Ashish Nehra has the second-best economy-rate: his 6.78 is next only to Lasith Malinga’s 6.30. Last year, with the same criteria, 12 bowlers had done better than him. (Nehra took 12 wickets at 29, at an ER of 7.76 last year.) He was especially effective against right-handers in this IPL, dismissing them 15 times at an average of 14.86 and an economy-rate of 6.25. Against left-handers he averaged 30.75 at an ER of 8.02. He took nine wickets in the first six overs (average 20.66, ER 6.64), and 10 in the last six (average 14.50, ER 7.25, which is very good, considering the average ER in the last six is around 9) His spell of 4-1-6-1 is the most economical innings figures by a bowler who bowled at least 12 balls in a match. It’s tied with Fidel Edwards’ 4-0-6-0 against Kolkata.Stats: S RajeshTo support Nehra’s revival, Dahiya points to the example of Zaheer, who successfully scripted his comeback after being left out of the side for 12 months three years ago. “He [Nehra] is younger than Zaheer, and Zaheer was out for a while but came back as a completely different bowler. We have seen earlier what Ashish is capable of and now he have seen it again in the IPL. A fit Ashish is one of the best fast bowlers in India,” Dahiya says.The optimism may not be unjustified. Nehra walked into both editions of the IPL, having recovered from different injuries, and did well – reasonably so in 2008, superbly this year. In 2008 it was after 18 months of recuperating from his last ankle surgery. This year he joined the Delhi squad just after he recovered from a side strain that he picked up during the Ranji one-dayers, where he took a hat-trick in his last game, against Punjab.Pats on the back from legends like Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock, mentors at the two teams he has played in in the IPL, have strengthened Nehra’s resolve. “Last year I played with Shaun Pollock, and I was lucky once again this year to be with someone like McGrath. He was a nice helping hand. He would tell me what I did right and where I went wrong, regardless of whether I had gone for 10 runs or 40 runs in the four overs.”Virender Sehwag, the Delhi captain, is among those who kept faith in Nehra. Both have known each other for long; they used to ride Sehwag’s scooter together to morning nets. It was only fitting that Nehra was bagged by Delhi during the IPL transfer window earlier this year. Mumbai were looking for a batsman and Shikhar Dhawan was swapped for Nehra. “They [the Delhi Daredevils think tank] said, ‘You are our main bowler and you to bowl at death.’ Their confidence encouraged me to do better,” Nehra says.I ask if marriage has brought a change of fortune. Nehra laughs. “It is nothing like that. I got married on April 2, a week later left for IPL. Everybody is asking the question – but it hasn’t been the reason behind the success in IPL.”If there is one thing he is sure about, it is his own role and his utility to the team. Asked what sort of advantage he could provide the Indian bowling if picked, Nehra puts forth a convincing resume: “I see myself as a bowler at any point of time in the game. In ODIs and Twenty20s the captain doesn’t need to make any compromises. I can bowl with the new ball, one-change, in the middle overs, or at the death. I have done all the jobs for India and proved I can do a good job. I know I can do well.”

He was expected to play last week in Chittagong before missing out, but now James Tredwell is savouring his chance at Test level

Andrew Miller in Dhaka20-Mar-2010James Tredwell’s tour of Bangladesh hasn’t exactly followed the anticipated script, but he’s happy enough with the outcome so far. In Chittagong he claimed eight wickets in England’s three-day warm-up, only to be overlooked for a Test debut as the think-tank opted to go in with three seamers. Today, however, he had his chance to show his full worth to the selectors, at precisely the moment England needed his fuss-free approach.A first-day return of 2 for 85 in 29 overs represented a satisfactory opening gambit in Test cricket for Tredwell, even though the field to which he was bowling in his initial overs was something more akin to the closing stages of a Twenty20 international. With Tamim Iqbal shooting from the hip with extraordinary success, Tredwell at one stage had no fewer than five men back on the boundary – hardly the sort of set-up he’d have envisaged in his planning on the eve of the match.”I heard [I’d been selected] after training yesterday and it was a very proud moment for me,” said Tredwell. “I did think I was in with a decent chance in the last game but that wasn’t to be, but fortunately I got the nod this time. Personally I was reasonably happy with my performance. I bowled a few release balls in the middle of my spell, but other than that the ball came out nicely and I caused a few problems.”Tredwell is what you might class as an unobtrusive character. He toured New Zealand in early 2008 and was summoned to join the senior squad in South Africa before Christmas, but didn’t manage to make his debut in any form of the game. That duck was finally broken in Mirpur earlier this month, when he went wicketless in his full ten-over spell in the second ODI, before holding firm with the bat in the closing stages of the match while Eoin Morgan belted England to a thrilling two-wicket win. But his reward for that resilience was a return to the margins once again for the series finale in Chittagong.This time, however, he had a far more significant role, and no part of it was more crucial than his maiden international wicket, which brought to an end a masterful innings of 85 from 71 balls from Bangladesh’s opener, Tamim Iqbal. “He’s a decent player, isn’t he?” said Tredwell. “He strikes the ball very clean and with no fear. He can damage bowling attacks, that’s for sure.”Tamim had certainly damaged Tredwell’s spin partner, Graeme Swann, clobbering him for three fours and a six from consecutive balls, before succumbing to a loose sweep that appeared to have been top-edged, via the forearm, to Matt Prior behind the stumps. “It was a very proud moment,” said Tredwell. “To play [Test cricket] was a proud feeling, but to have an impact on the game was even prouder, and that dawned on me as the ball looped up.”Tredwell later added the scalp of the captain Shakib Al Hasan for 49, to bring to an end a satisfactory day’s work, and at 330 for 8, he believed that England had just shaded the day’s honours, having overcome that dicey period right at the start of the game. “That’s cricket nowadays,” he said. “More and more batters can take the game away from you, but we also knew that if we stuck to our guns, and picked up a couple of wickets here and there, we’d be right into them, and it advances the game really.According to Tredwell, the Mirpur surface already appeared to be offering more to the spinners than Chittagong. “We’ll take eight-down,” he said. “The wicket seems docile like Chittagong, so it’s going to be tough to get 20 wickets, but there are a few cracks and platelets [developing] on the wicket, so it does seem to be deteriorating. Hopefully we shall see, but the next day will tell us more. To get eight on the first day is a decent effort.”In terms of his personal progress, Tredwell was just happy to have finally made the grade as a Test cricketer, after several seasons of determined performances at Kent that seemed to have gone unnoticed as England concentrated their spin-bowling efforts first on Monty Panesar, and later on Swann and Adil Rashid. But with the Ashes tour looming at the end of the year, and no more overseas Tests between now and then, Tredwell was optimistic of keeping his name in the frame for the next seven months.”They have brought two offspinners here so there’s a decent chance they’ll take them over there,” he said. “I’m just trying to put my name in the hat, take my opportunity and make the most of it. You always have that thought or fear that it won’t happen, but when you’ve got a goal you try and stick to it, and work towards it, and it feels really good to have got a go now.”Whatever happens, at least Tredwell has moved away from quiz question territory, after claiming a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Mushfiqur Rahim in his only contribution as a substitute fielder in the Chittagong Test. “That was an alright catch,” he said. “I was only on the field for one ball, so it’s nice to spend the whole day out there. I’ve got four more now, and hopefully a few more in the future.”

VVS Laxman’s style of forcing the opposition to retreat is perhaps not as in your face as MS Dhoni’s, but it’s as effective

N Hunter16-Feb-2010MS Dhoni is right. No. 5 is the perfect position for VVS Laxman. It’s where India need his abundant experience, a position that links the top order to the inexperienced middle and lower ranks. It’s a position of responsibility, meant for a secure man like Laxman, who has worked hard to come to terms with his role in the team.As soon as Laxman was declared fit for the second Test, the question was where to fit him in the batting order? His desire to bat at one drop is well known. That, coupled with his aggressive batting, which has dominated even the best Australian attacks, may have been reason enough to slot Laxman at No. 3 in Rahul Dravid’s absence, especially if one of the openers fell early. But India needed an experienced hand, along with MS Dhoni, in the middle order. And so Laxman stayed at No. 5.The series and the No. 1 ranking were at stake when Laxman walked on to Eden Gardens on Monday evening. He survived that testing period, another one on Tuesday morning and finished unbeaten with a fabulous century, his fourth at his favourite venue. Laxman became the first batsman to pass 1000 runs at Eden Gardens, and only the second Indian after Sunil Gavaskar to do so at any venue.Artists rarely stray away from their strengths; they only improvise with a subtlety that can be missed in a blink. South Africa were caught unawares as Laxman, in the company of Dhoni, took the game away from them with the smile never leaving his face.South Africa had regretted not sticking to their plans on the second day but at Eden Gardens, Laxman’s home away from home, he knows his scoring areas so accurately that no bowler surprised him. He did fend some short deliveries in clumsy fashion and was beaten by furious outswingers from Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. But that embarrassed smile was only an act, which masks the inner steel that Laxman seldom expresses.Two balls before the second drinks break, JP Duminy bowled an innocuous short ball outside off stump. Laxman raised his bat high, suggesting he might cut the ball hard. Instead, he merely guided it to the fielder at point. His decision not to take advantage of such a loose ball even astonished AB de Villiers behind the stumps and both men exchanged smiles. The next ball, a wee bit fuller, was converted into a full toss as Laxman planted his left foot forward, lunged and caressed it between cover and mid off for four.It needs a special gift to play the strokes Laxman does. He can dazzle with an array of them but his art is rooted in simplicity. Laxman had scored at least a half-century in his last seven Tests in Kolkata. He had not scored a century since his support act to Gautam Gambhir’s match-saving century in Napier. The expectations of Laxman are heavy due to the success of other batsmen higher in the order.When Laxman arrives at the crease, he is required either to give finishing touches to a strong batting performance or form a rearguard with the tail. The first role has little glamour, the second is extremely demanding. And Laxman is one of the few who play only Test cricket so each match is a challenge for him.That he has been successful in meeting these demands is down to, in his own words, his adeptness at playing the situation. The 2009 series against Sri Lanka is a good example: in Ahmedabad, India were battling to save the Test, so Laxman had to stay put – he made 51 off 160 balls. In Kanpur and Mumbai, where Virender Sehwag had led India to record first-innings scores, he needed to score quicker and made 63 and 62. “You have to just adapt to the situation, play according to the situation, and play the role that the team gives you,” he had told Cricinfo’s recently.Today, he said he could have converted some of those starts into bigger scores. “I was a little bit disappointed that I was not able to convert my 50s and 60s into hundreds but on the positive side I am able to consistently perform for the team,” Laxman said.He was able to adapt to today’s situation easily because he was batting with Dhoni. Dhoni’s unorthodox method of scoring is in contrast to Laxman’s picturesque handiwork but they complemented each other, forcing Graeme Smith to set defensive and well spread fields. “You can see the body language of the bowlers whenever Dhoni gets in. They are very defensive when they bowl or the way they move,” Laxman.Laxman’s style of forcing the opposition to retreat is perhaps not as in your face as Dhoni’s, but it’s as effective.

He’d played two first-class when he made his Test debut and his action was extraordinary. Paul Adams certainly made an impression

Andrew McGlashan06-Jan-2010The game had never seen the like before. Certainly England’s batsmen didn’t have a clue what to make of it. No one even knew how to describe his extraordinary action. He became known as the ‘frog in a blender’. The world had met Paul Adams.Here was an 18-year-old chinaman bowler who had played a single first-class game, but was now making the elite of England’s batting look foolish. The scene was the final warm-up match before the 1995-96 Test series, England’s first tour of South Africa since readmission, and the tourists were feeling reasonably confident. Then, after toiling for a day-and-a-half in the field, Adams left them bamboozled.By the end of the second day he had already bagged Alec Stewart with a perfect googly, Graham Thorpe, and Graeme Hick with a low full-toss. He finished with four in the first innings and went one better in the next with 5 for 116.”I was involved with the academy at the start of the season and then got involved with Western Province B squad,” Adams told Cricinfo. “I played one game then got into the A side – it was a televised game – and I looked up on the scoreboard to see the SAA squad had my name in it.”I was in awe,” he added. “Seeing these guys, especially when we arrived at the hotel and they were all there. One moment I was playing club cricket, and had posters of them on my walls, and then I was bowling to them.”I was quite nervous when I started. On the second evening I was given the ball and just thought I’ve got to do what I’d always done. I didn’t know whether this would be a one-off or if I would get another chance. I just bowled and did my stuff. Things just happened.”It had been an extraordinary few weeks for Adams, who marked his first-class debut for Western Province with a five-wicket haul, and his performance in Kimberley began a campaign to get him included in the Test side for the opening match at Centurion Park. He didn’t make it for the start of the series, but South Africa’s inability to bowl England out in almost two days in Johannesburg altered the picture, and Adams made his debut in the fourth Test at Port Elizabeth”The talked started – ‘play Adams, play Adams’ – in all the papers,” he said. “Then there was that drawn Test at the Wanderers when Mike Atherton batted for 10 hours and they were calling for something different. They took a gamble and threw me in and I had an okay game. It all happened so quickly, the start of the season was in October and by December I was playing for South Africa. It was whirlwind time.”However, his most crucial role in the series didn’t come with the ball. When he walked to the crease during the final Test at Cape Town, South Africa were 171 for 9 and had seemingly thrown away the advantage of skittling England for 153. Little over an hour later it had all changed as Adams and Dave Richardson added 73 vital runs.

It happened so quickly, overthrows and byes, and I’m not quite sure they knew what was happeningPaul Adams recalls his vital stand with Dave Richardson at Newlands

“When I walked out we were about even, we had just knocked off the England total,” Adams recalled. “Dave was on about 20 at that stage so we just got together and I said I’d just try and hang in there. The new ball had just been taken so there were a few quicks running at me and Devon [Malcolm] tried to knock my head off.”There was an overthrow and Devon speared a couple of deliveries into the footmarks which went for byes. Suddenly it was all going our way. Dave farmed the strike a bit and the lead was growing. He ended on about 70-odd [Richardson actually made 54 not out] and the crowd was going mad so I was just enjoying it. Dave told me to keep going and I played a few shots like I normally did, and it came off.”England were rattled and by the time Peter Martin had Adams caught at slip the momentum was all with the home side. “It happened so quickly, overthrows and byes, and I’m not quite sure they knew what was happening,” Adams said. “England were three or four-down before the lead was gone. It just shows not to take lower-order batting for granted, anything can happen.”Shaun Pollock, who had made his debut in the opening Test, was the star of the second innings with the first five-wicket haul of his career, while Adams claimed the scalps of Robin Smith and Mike Watkinson. Shortly after tea on the third day, Gary Kirsten cut Hick to the cover boundary to seal the series.”I probably realised a little later on what it meant,” Adams said. “At the time I was just soaked up in the atmosphere, but it took a while to learn how big it was and what it meant for South Africa. It’s one of those you look back and on go ‘jeez’, that was great to be part of.”

The inexperience of the batting line-up was always likely to be Pakistan’s major problem and on a cloudy day at Lord’s they came unstuck

Nagraj Gollapudi at Lord's14-Jul-2010It is cloudy. There is swing. Australia are the opponents. You are making your debut at Lord’s. The emotions, the thoughts, the nerves, the expectations: all these factors would’ve crossed the minds of Azhar Ali and Umar Amin as they stirred themselves up before walking on to the billiards-table flat green turf on debut.Like lambs to be slaughtered they were slotted in at No. 3 and 4 – two spots usually reserved for the best batsmen in the team. But let’s forget the logic behind the decision because Pakistan cricket has never believed in that notion. In the weeks leading up to the Test series the Pakistan management stressed that they were ready to turn a new page and would be focused on grooming young talent even if it the plan seemed too risky. In keeping with that policy, both Azhar and Amin had received strong backing from Waqar Younis and Shahid Afridi.Today, it did not take long for Azhar to walk in as a fraught temperament accounted for Imran Farhat’s. Azhar, not a natural top-order batsman, had climbed through the ranks with his impressive performances in domestic cricket. He started with a steady pulse. It was not a bad ploy considering the ball was only six overs old and Ben Hilfenhaus was constantly breathing down the batsmen’s neck with testing swing and seam bowling from the Pavilion End.Azhar did well to read both Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger without rushing into his shots. He preferred to wait patiently before negotiating everything that was thrown at him with soft hands. When Hilfenhaus gave him width he quickly pushed it past point for his first boundary. Two balls later, the Australian pitched it full and the ball moved out late, taking the outside edge which fell a few yards in front of the slip cordon. Azhar punched his thigh pad a few times in disgust. Immediately Salman Butt whispered some wisdom into his ears . It helped the newcomer to settle down quickly. Bollinger tested him with a short ball that climbed into the ribs but Azhar played with short hands to fetch an easy four to fine leg.But he would learn immediately why Australian bowling attacks keep asking tougher questions than MI5 interrogators. Hilfenhaus sensed Azhar was reaching out for his shot. Lunch was an over away. Not a bad time for a teaser then. So the last ball of the penultimate over, Hilfenhaus moved one away which grazed Azhar’s edge and a promising start was cut short.In comparison Amin’s exit was quick as he was beaten by a sharp delivery from Mitchell Johnson that pitched on a length, straightened a touch and still managed to graze the bat on its way into the hands of Tim Paine. Tough luck and Australia didn’t need to work hard to get rid of the next three batsmen. The Akmal brothers – Umar and Kamran – displayed shoddy technique to exit but more alarming was Afridi’s shockingly frail temperament, unfitting for a Test captain.Even if Afridi was playing his first Test in four years he is not an ideal example for youngsters to follow. His suicidal approach eventually reeks of irresponsibility. It is this casual attitude of the seniors that has compounded Pakistan’s batting worries over the years. Unfortunately for the youngsters like Azhar and Amin, and even Umar Akmal, the Pakistan batting doesn’t have any senior figures to look up to or learn from. The men who could have led by example, the two Ys, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, are nursing bitterness towards the PCB, who dumped them unceremoniously after Pakistan lost every match in Australia earlier this year.Outside the famous stands around Lord’s players who achieved illustrious feats at the venue are displayed prominently. Among the names is Yousuf for recording the highest score (202) by a Pakistan batsman at the ground. He is absent from the present squad following his abrupt decision to retire from international cricket in March after the PCB banned him for an indefinite period for the debacle in Australia where he was captain. Younis Khan, their highest run-getter this decade behind Yousuf, is absent as well with the PCB and the player unwilling to relent from the stand-off as a result of the indefinite ban. Pakistan will continue to feel the pinch in the duo’s absence.Last time they toured England they lost the series, but at least Younis, Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq formed a backbone. If the Pakistan administration and selectors are indeed serious about developing youngsters they will need to develop their confidence first. For that a long rope is necessary. Azhar and Amin were preferred over the more experienced pair of Shoaib Malik and Yasir Hameed in this Test. The youngsters might work harder the next time to protect their wicket to ward off competition, but they need a helping hand from responsible seniors. Brilliant spells late in the day from their skilled and gifted fast bowlers kept Pakistan’s hopes alive at Lord’s. But it is the batsmen who will need to bounce back to take them past the finishing line. Not just in this Test, but for the rest of the summer.

Backing up, calling right, rotating the strike, stealing singles, and avoiding run-outs: running between wickets is a skill in its own right

Aakash Chopra15-Jul-2010When Herschelle Gibbs dropped a catch off Steve Waugh in the 1999 World Cup Super Sixes match, it felt like he had dropped the cup. In fact, Waugh apparently said as much to Gibbs. The slip-up cost South Africa the game, but it was another error that sealed their fate. A horrible mix-up between Lance Klusener and Allan Donald, while attempting the run to win the semi-final, led to Australia’s entry into the final.Running between the wickets has been a part of cricket since the game’s inception. Yet, for a long time it was considered a mediocre player’s way of getting the scoreboard to tick along, for good batsmen found the fence easily. Not enough importance was given to this aspect of the game till the shorter version made its presence felt. Unlike five-day cricket, in the limited-overs game captains don’t employ attacking fields throughout the day, so taking singles to rotate strike is almost mandatory to keep the scoreboard moving. So much so that a number of one-day specialists built their games around taking singles: Michael Bevan, Ajay Jadeja, Robin Singh, to name a few. These were extremely fit men, who took sadistic pleasure in testing the fitness levels of the opposition.I first learned about the importance of this facet of the game by watching Dean Jones. There may have been others before him who were really good at it, but to my young, impressionable mind, it was Jones who revolutionised running between the wickets. For me, he ticked all the boxes one must to be an efficient runner. That’s when I realised that running between the wickets is as much an art as it is a skill.Backing up
Contrary to popular belief, running between the wickets starts at the non-striker’s end. Of course, the striker knows best how hard and how far from the fielder he has hit the ball, and being in motion already, he finds it easy to make a move. While the striker knows, the non-striker assumes, and tries to make up for the lack of information by taking a start to gain momentum.The ideal time for the non-striker to start moving is after the bowler lands his back foot in his bowling stride. After which he should back up only to the point from where he can return easily if required. The bat should always be held in the hand closest to the bowler.Calling
As a kid, I was taught that the striker must call when he has hit the ball in front of the stumps. Everything hit behind the stumps was considered the non-striker’s call; the reason being, the non-striker has a good view of a ball hit behind the stumps.Unfortunately, this is as wrong as it can possibly get. It’s natural for the batsman to look in the direction of the shot he has played, and hence he is in a better position to know the angles. So, even if the ball goes behind the striker, it’s his call. The non-striker rarely has accurate information. From his vantage point, he can never be certain if the ball is going slightly to the left or right of the fielder or straight to him. The striker knows how much power he put behind the shot, the angles involved, and the realistic chance of rotating strike.But there are moments when the striker can’t see the ball at all: when the ball goes to the wicketkeeper and he fumbles, or when the ball hits the striker’s pads and he isn’t sure where it went. That’s when the non-striker must chip in. Also, the non-striker has the right to say no.Virender Sehwag is the ideal non-striker in this scenario. He’s always looking for cheeky singles. He believes that if the keeper has to dive to the side, it’s an opportunity to cross over, since the keeper will need time to get up, remove his gloves and throw.

Speed is overrated in running between the wickets. It’s more about your awareness and judgement with regards to the power with which you hit the ball and the ability of the fielder

Turning and sliding
Everyone knows that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but lots of batsmen don’t follow the rule when turning for a second or third run. Surprisingly Jonty Rhodes was among these players. Instead of touching down and turning on the spot, he would go around in a small arc at the end. But then he had the speed to make up for it.If you’re not as quick as him, you’re better off making a tight turn. And while turning for the second or third run, keep an eye on the ball and make sure you switch the bat from one hand to the other to do this effectively if you need to. A matter of seconds can be the difference between a good run and a run-out. Turning blind costs you those micro-seconds.Jones impressed me with the way he ran only as much as he absolutely needed to. He would hold the bat high on the handle so as to use its length to the optimum, and while turning he would stay low and stretch fully. While staying low helped him generate the necessary thrust to turn quickly and gain momentum again, stretching the arms and the body allowed him to run at least one step fewer.Everyone knows you should always slide the bat into the crease, but it’s important to remember to slide either the face or the edge of the bat. Earlier, coaches believed it was best to use only the edge, but considering the bat sometimes gets stuck that way, the approach has changed. Another benefit of having the bat face the ground is that when you dive to make the crease, the bat stays grounded. If you try diving in with the back of the bat facing down, the curve of the blade sometimes leaves vital inches of the bat in the air.Also, one must not forget the importance of staying off the business area of the pitch at all times. The only exception to this rule is when you have to come in the way of a throw to avoid getting run-out.Judgement, rapport, strategy
Speed is overrated in running between wickets. Yes, you need to be quick to get to the other end but a good sprinter may not necessarily be a good runner between wickets. It’s more about your awareness and judgement with regard to the power with which you have hit the ball, and to the ability of the fielder.But it always starts with the intent. Both Gautam Gambhir and Viru are good examples here – though, while you have to give them full marks for intent, their judgement can be questioned at times. The person who rarely gets it wrong in judging is Sachin Tendulkar. Invariably he knows how many runs are available right from the moment he hits the ball. You rarely see him huffing and puffing or diving to make his ground.In many instances there are only one-and-a-half or two-and-a-half runs available. That’s when good runners put pressure on the fielder. MS Dhoni is excellent at this. He’s extremely quick between the wickets and uses that speed to steal an extra run whenever possible.Since, calling is based on judgement, the moment it isn’t spot-on, you’re in a spot. At times the striker takes the non-striker’s running skills into account before calling for a run, which invariably leads to disaster.Misunderstandings also occur often, especially in loud and noisy stadia. It’s almost impossible to hear each other through the din, so one reacts on instinct and based on faith in one’s partner. This is where knowing the other person well helps. No wonder Gauti and Viru are good friends off the field too.Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag back each other when it comes to taking calls between the wickets•AFPGood runners either know or decide in advance the path each will be taking while running. Ideally the striker should run down the off-side channel and the non-striker on the leg side, but it changes if the bowler goes around the stumps or if a left-hander bowls over the stumps to a right-hand batsman or vice versa. In such cases it’s the non-striker who gives way to the striker and runs further away from the stumps.Dealing with a substitute runner is also a challenge. The rule here is that it’s always the striker’s call and the substitute must not assume anything but only react to the call and respond appropriately. Problems happen when the substitute starts calling from square leg and the non-striker doesn’t know where to look.Running as a weapon
Stealing a single right under the nose of a fielder, especially a good one, is a kick. At times you stretch the envelope too much, test a good fielder, punt and fall short. Sehwag, though a good runner, is often guilty of running himself out, even in Test matches.Both he and I took a lot of pride in running the Australians tired in the 2003-04 series. We hadn’t decided beforehand that taking singles would be the strategy to ruffle them. Viru is always eager to get on and off strike, and for me, singles were a lifeline against disciplined bowling.It started when we ran a single in the first Test in Brisbane. The fielder at gully threw a lobbed ball to the man at point. Since the ball hadn’t reached the keeper, it wasn’t dead. We sensed an opportunity and ran.There’s nothing a bowler hates more than leaking singles. He doesn’t mind getting hit for fours because he knows he bowled a bad ball, but going for runs on good balls irks him big time. Also, if the strike is rotated, it means he has to bowl to a different batsman each time, which means he can’t plan a dismissal.You need to be a little cheeky too. I remember Ajay Jadeja once running when the striker was caught at slip off a no-ball. The fielder threw the ball in the air to celebrate without realising it was a no-ball. Jadeja was more aware and stole a single.With the margin of victory getting smaller in the shorter formats, and captains opting for defensive field positions in Test cricket, running between the wickets has become ever so crucial.

England have won their last two bilateral series against South Africa, but most of the other stats suggest Graeme Smith and Co should win this one

S Rajesh05-Mar-2011South Africa go in to Sunday’s match against England as overwhelming favourites, which is as it should be given the form of the two teams in the tournament. However, Graeme Smith and Co will be wary of the fact that England have given them problems in bilateral ODI series in the recent past, winning the last two: 4-0 in 2008, and 2-1 in 2009-10. Thanks to those results, England are one of only three sides to have won more games than they’ve lost against South Africa since 2000; Australia and Sri Lanka are the others.Those are some stats that will cheer England, but they don’t have much else going their way – they’ve been poor with the ball, struggling to contain even the Associate teams, and their recent World Cup record against South Africa isn’t so good either. After beating them twice in 1992 – including the semi-final – England have lost in 1996 (78 runs), 1999 (122 runs) and 2007 (nine wickets). Five of England’s current top-order batsmen were in that side which was bundled out for 154 by South Africa’s fast bowlers in Barbados in 2007. Andrew Strauss (46), Paul Collingwood (30) and Ravi Bopara (27 not out) offered some resistance, but Graeme Smith (89 not out from 58 balls) and AB de Villiers (42 from 35) blazed past that target in less than 20 overs.England have also lost both times in the subcontinent – South Africa beat them in the 1996 World Cup in Rawalpindi and in the 1998 Champions Trophy in Dhaka – but Sunday’s game will be the first between the two teams in India.

South Africa’s batsmen have had it all their way in two matches so far, averaging 6.18 runs per over. Most of their top batsmen have excellent records in India, but some of them haven’t done so well against England. Jacques Kallis, in particular, has a disappointing record against them, averaging less than 33 in 37 innings, with only one century. Similarly de Villiers hasn’t done too well in his 14 matches, but the recent form of all these players has been quite terrific, which is what will give the team the most confidence.

Among England’s batsmen, Kevin Pietersen has been the stand-out name with an outstanding record against South Africa, and in India. His recent record doesn’t inspire as much confidence, though, despite a couple of promising innings in the World Cup so far: in his last 25 innings since the beginning of 2009, he averages 23.96, with only two half-centuries. Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Bell and Collingwood have all done much better. (Click here for the records of all England batsmen since January 2009.)

Like South Africa’s top batsman, their top bowler has also performed quite poorly against England: in eight ODIs against them, Dale Steyn has taken a mere four wickets, averaging 88.25 runs per wicket, and 6.41 runs per over. It’s easily his poorest display against any team.If South Africa’s best fast bowler has struggled against England, then England’s top fast man has found the going extremely tough in India. James Anderson concedes more than 57 runs per wicket in India, and has only managed two scalps in his last eight innings in the country. Graeme Swann has been more successful at taking wickets, and he’ll probably again be a key member of the England bowling attack on Sunday.The venue for this day game is the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, a venue which has hosted only five such matches in the past. One of them was the World Cup game between New Zealand and Kenya, in which Kenya were bundled out for 69. The last day game before that match was way back in 1994.Since 2000, Chennai have only hosted six completed ODIs, which means there isn’t much data to look at trends. In those six games, four have been won by the team chasing, with teams averaging 5.35 runs per over when batting first, and 5.89 in the second innings. There isn’t a whole lot to choose between the performances of fast bowlers and spinners either, in those games: spin has averaged 31.31 at an economy rate of 5.17, and fast bowlers have managed an average of 29.17 at an economy rate of 5.53.