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He’s made 233 runs in three innings in the Quadrangular series, without being dismissed once. With the Asia Cup not far away, he couldn’t have timed this run of form any better

Shashank Kishore in Alur27-Aug-2018Chants of “Rahul Dravid (may victory be with Rahul Dravid)” echoed around Alur for every lap the India A (in this case India B coach) walked around the ground, for over 90 minutes after the match began. The 300-odd fans implored Dravid to wave in their direction, and when he did, it felt like victory to them. Once Dravid was done, the focus shifted to Manish Pandey, another Bengaluru boy. It remained that way for most parts of India B’s innings, and he didn’t disappoint them.With Pandey, the crowd took a little more liberty, often giving him instructions when he erred. They told him not to take risky singles when he tried to steal ones under the fielders’ nose at short cover, asked him to focus when he played the occasional loose shot, and begged him hit sixes towards the end of the innings. For the rest of the day, he was their hero.Pandey ignored all the chatter, not once looking in the crowd’s direction while he carefully reconstructed India B’s innings. But as he turned for the second run to bring up his seventh List A century, he immediately turned left, and waved his bat towards the fans, broke into a grin, raised both his arms, giving everyone enough time to snap away with their cameraphones. Pandey was happy, the fans were happy, and it was business as usual.On Monday, he picked up 56 singles and hit seven fours and three sixes. There were only two occasions when he faced more than three dot balls in a row. Two of his sixes sailed over deep midwicket, but the one that stood out was an inside-out hit over extra-cover off Mitchell Swepson, the legspinner. He brought up his century off just 97 deliveries, and then carried on to finish unbeaten on 117. This, in addition to unbeaten scores of 95 and 21, took his tournament tally to 233 runs without being dismissed. With India’s next ODI assignment – the Asia Cup – slated for September, Pandey couldn’t have timed his surge any better.It has also come at a time when his rivals for middle-order berths in India’s ODI squad are dealing with issues of form or fitness.Suresh Raina had a poor tour of England. Dinesh Karthik has battled poor form, albeit in the Tests. Kedar Jadhav is coming back from a four-month layoff spent recovering from a hamstring injury, and hasn’t hit form yet. Jadhav’s round-arm offspin gives him an extra dimension, but he hasn’t bowled an over yet in two Quadrangular games, possibly because he isn’t fully ready yet. Shreyas Iyer, who’s also playing the Quadrangular, has made scores of 4, 20 and 7 so far.All this could work to the advantage of the in-form Pandey.”Personally, I just think about batting. I’m looking at the middle order at the moment, trying to seal that position,” Pandey said. “This series was a proving ground to get some runs and get looked at for the Asia Cup. I want to enjoy myself, there is competition, but I want to focus on what I do best.”Pandey didn’t feature in the limited-overs series in England. Two T20Is in Ireland was the only cricket he played for three weeks on that tour. Pandey admits to have fallen into a rut of sorts during the time. “I wasn’t feeling good, so I took a three-week break after the UK tour,” he said. “I wanted to switch off, took time off the game, and then used the time to focus on a couple of niggles and get myself mentally fresh. That seems to have helped.”Before that, Pandey had endured a difficult IPL, moving from Kolkata Knight Riders to Sunrisers Hyderabad, for whom he scored 284 runs at a strike rate of 115.44. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, contextual numbers that take match situations and phases into account, his Smart Strike Rate of 100.71 was the second-worst this season among all batsmen who had faced a minimum of 120 balls.Pandey put this down to trying a little too hard at times, when he may have been better off batting with an uncluttered mind.”I think it’s never easy batting lower down the order with few overs remaining in T20s,” he said. “But you have to be ready for the chances because you wait for so long. The more games I play in that situation, it will help me prepare for tough situations. There are always learnings you try and take out of such situations. That’s what I also did.”In the IPL, I struggled, yes. I wasn’t reacting to situations like I normally do, maybe that’s also because I was batting lower down. At KKR, I had a set role in the top three. Batting elsewhere made it tougher for me, but I can’t offer excuses. I have to accept the reality as it is and try and work my game around these tough situations.”In limited-overs cricket, Pandey’s innings often follow a pattern – he can start slowly at times, but once set he’s as dangerous and unorthodox as they come, capable of flat-batting bowlers tennis-style, playing his trademark short-arm jabs off the front foot and glides behind point. Batting at No. 4 – as he has done for India A – suits him well, since it gives him time to settle in before needing to play the big shots.He had time to settle in when he made his maiden ODI ton in Sydney in 2016, but he’s not always had that luxury in the India side. He’s moved up and down the order, oscillating anywhere between No. 4 and No. 7 from one match to another. But that’s not entirely within his control. He’s just happy to be in form and in a good place mentally.”I’m in a better frame of mind now, sometimes a break does that to you,” Pandey said. “Runs made for India A count, and getting big runs here is a boost for me ahead of a big season. I have done it in the past as well, so there’s definitely no doubting my own ability. It’s about being in a good head-space and I think that’s what I’ve worked on doing.”When there is a lot of competition, every opportunity counts. I have worked out my game well, and I’m looking forward to continuing this form.”

Williamson’s 228 runs were the most by a New Zealand batsman in a Test against Pakistan

Bharath Seervi07-Dec-20181984- The last time New Zealand won a Test series in Asia (excluding in Bangladesh). It came in Sri Lanka 34 years ago. Since then they have played 18 series in Asia against India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka without winning any of them. The only previous occasion when New Zealand defeated Pakistan in Asia was in 1969-70.2- Number of series defeats for Pakistan in UAE since they started playing their home games there. Both of them have come in about the last 15 months and both since their ace duo Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq retired. Before these defeats, they were unbeaten in nine Test series in UAE.4- Number of Tests lost by Pakistan in UAE since Misbah and Younis retired, in seven matches. They lost two to Sri Lanka and two to New Zealand this series. Before their retirement, Pakistan had lost only four Tests in UAE in 24 matches.

10- Number of times Pakistan have lost when chasing targets between 100 and 300 in the last ten years. In 18 such chases, they have won just four and lost ten of them. No other team has had that many unsuccessful chases. Pakistan’s average runs per wicket in chasing those targets just 20.61, the worst among all Test teams.7/127- William Somerville’s figures in the match – the third-best by a New Zealand spinner on Test debut. In the first Test of this series, at the same venue, Ajaz Patel picked 7 for 123 on debut.228- Runs for Kane Williamson in this Test, the most by a New Zealand captain in a Test against Pakistan. Williamson’s tally is also the third-best by a New Zealand captain in Asia.2.63- The scoring rate in this series, which is the second-lowest in any Test series of 2-plus matches in the last five years. The only series that had a lower run-rate was the Freedom Trophy in India (v South Africa) in 2015-16.5- Number of Man-of-the-Series awards for Yasir Shah, all coming since 2015 – the most for any player. R Ashwin is next with four such awards. All other Pakistan players combined have managed to win only four series awards in this period.29- Wickets for Yasir in the series at an average of 19.03. The next highest wicket-takers in the series were Hasan Ali and Ajaz Patel with 13 wickets each. Only one Pakistan bowler has picked more wickets in a three-match series – 30 wickets by Abdul Qadir in 1987-88. Yasir’s tally is also the most by a bowler in losing three-match series.

The two teams with the best domestic T20 competitions have made the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup. No surprises there

Melinda Farrell in Antigua24-Nov-2018And then there were two.After 22 matches in three countries, England and Australia are the last teams standing. This wouldn’t surprise anyone who looked at the rankings; Australia are the No. 1 team in the world. Neither would it surprise anyone who referred to the results at the most recent ICC tournament; England are the 50-over world champions.But the two finalists in the Women’s T20 World Cup – as the World T20 was renamed by the ICC on Friday – represent far more than form or even talent; they are a direct reflection of the investment made by their boards in women’s domestic cricket. The Women’s Big Bash League and the Kia Super League are the only high level women’s T20 competitions in the world. Should it surprise anyone that the two squads emerging largely from those competitions have the greatest depth or the experience to adapt and cope with high-pressure situations?Of course it shouldn’t.There’s always a chance of an upset in T20, probably more than any other format. A blistering innings, a searing spell, a match-turning moment of brilliance in the field. But this tournament has exposed the glaring gap that threatens to become a yawning chasm if other countries don’t commit to investing in domestic structures and competitions that develop and nurture female talent. It’s all well and good to have high-performance pathways and academies and a handful of central contracts, but it gives Cricket Australia – in particular – a significant advantage in having dozens of battle-hardened and semi-professional or professional players to call on. Players who can come into the squad having fought in regular league and knockout matches, with the added pressure of TV and radio broadcasts and commentators and fans ready to dissect every mistake and poor decision on the field.Throughout this tournament, England have been without two of their best players, Sarah Taylor and Katherine Brunt. Amy Jones, filling both the wicketkeeping and No. 3 batting position vacated by Taylor, stepped up admirably. In the semi-final against India, she showed both grit and the ability to learn from the innings played earlier and adapt to the difficult batting conditions. She was watchful and played most of her shots off the back foot, whereas India had paid the price for coming down the pitch and attacking.In Brunt’s absence, England’s left-arm spinners came to the fore; Sophie Ecclestone and the particularly impressive Kirstie Gordon taking wickets and bouncing back from any mistakes with a composure that, like Jones, was honed in the KSL.For Australia, a side bursting with experience and class, there have been few opportunities for the younger lot to strut their stuff but Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham have not been overwhelmed when opportunities have arisen.Consider the players from other teams who won’t appear in Saturday’s final: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee, Chamari Attapattu, Amy Satterthwaite and Suzie Bates, just to name a few. All of them have played in both the WBBL and the KSL. Good performances for their countries may have earned them a contract but they have all gained immeasurably from the experience.Even Kim Garth and Isobel Joyce have belied the amateur status of cricket in Ireland to land contracts in the WBBL, and the positive effect on Garth, in particular, has been significant.Still, there are financial constraints to overcome of course, but it is worth considering the long-term path taken by Australia. When CA first announced new contracts in 2013 they chose to cap the national contracts at an amount that allowed them to pay a small but significant retainer to state players. Since then, with each increase to the national contracts have come a similar rise in payments to domestic players, culminating in the recent memorandum of understanding that sees around 120 players able to make some kind of living from playing cricket. If the original idea was a little “Marxist”, it has evolved into a product that makes “capitalist” sense, and the women’s domestic competitions are a serious marketing asset that also gives the game depth and reach.The ECB has been playing catch-up, trying to match national contracts but still relying heavily on the academy pathway thanks to an unwieldy amateur county system. And yet, in just two years, the KSL has unearthed and developed the kind of talent to succeed on the world stage while providing an attractive broadcast product and drawing decent crowds and new fans. But even in England the future of domestic cricket is hazy at best: beyond the new hundred-ball competition nothing has yet been decided beyond next season. Success in the T20 World Cup final may help focus thoughts.Not every country will be able to sustain its own WBBL or KSL but there is scope for other boards to invest more, even if only a little. If the BCCI is disappointed with India’s exit from the T20 World Cup, what is there to stop it from instigating a Women’s IPL or improving its other domestic structures? Can other boards adopt the long-term “Marxist” approach taken by Australia and develop competitions that are small enough to maintain high standards and provide at least a nominal retainer?Other cash-strapped boards, such as West Indies or Ireland, would find this difficult and there are also disheartening instances of neglect, such as Pakistan’s players being deprived of their monthly retainers for more than six months.Too many countries have a small gold capstone sitting atop a hollow pyramid. This is their domestic structure. The recent FICA report into the state of the women’s international game was Nostradamus-like if you considered it a predictor of how this tournament would unfold.So as the setting Antiguan sun illuminates the battle for the final prize, as the players representing England and Australia repay the investment made in their professionalism, let us ponder the question.How much better could it be?

With 68 wickets at the ridiculous average of 8.53, the Bihar left-arm spinner has gone past Bishan Singh Bedi’s 44-year-old mark of 64 wickets in a season

Sreshth Shah09-Jan-2019When the 32-year-old Ashutosh Aman decided to switch from Services to Bihar at the start of the 2018-19 domestic season, he had little idea that he’d end up in the record books by the end of it. Against Manipur this week, he went past fellow left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi’s tally of most Ranji Trophy wickets in a single season, when he trapped Manipur’s Sagatpam Singh lbw for his 65th wicket.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn 1974-75, Bedi took his 64 wickets at the ludicrous average of 8.53. Aman’s numbers this season are even more extraordinary – after day three of Bihar’s match against Manipur in Patna, he has 68 wickets at an average of .An employee of the Indian Air Force, Aman says he didn’t even know of the record in sight up until a week or so ago, but was delighted to have gone past the “legendary” Bedi.”When I had around 50 wickets, that’s when my team-mates told me that there’s a record that’s there to be broken,” Aman tells ESPNcricinfo. “That’s when I pushed myself. I told myself that since I’ve come so close, then if I put some extra effort, then I could perhaps break the record.”Hailing from Bihar’s Gaya, Aman started playing cricket as a teenager for his district. And within three years, he had made his way to Delhi in a bid to further his cricketing ambitions. He joined the Indian Air Force’s accounts department under their sports-quota scheme, and began playing for Services.”I used to earlier play in Gaya itself, from the age of 14, but there was no Ranji Trophy in Bihar back then, so at 17 I joined the Air Force,” Aman says. “After that, whatever cricket I’ve played and learnt is under the Air Force’s aegis. But the competition was high in Services, so I wasn’t getting the opportunity to play Ranji cricket there. My dream was to play days (first-class) cricket, and that’s why I made the switch.”I have a job at the Air Force, so there I wasn’t getting much opportunities with Services, and therefore I came to Bihar since I live in Gaya anyway. I did well in the districts, so then they called me for the one-dayers. I had the best economy in Vijay Hazare Trophy (2.10 in eight games) so then they asked me to play Ranji Trophy. Then I did a camp with Subroto Banerjee, our coach. He liked me, so together with our captain Pragyan Ojha – who is another left-arm spinner like me – they chose me.”

Ashutosh Aman that's what you call a flying start! Brilliant spell. Congratulations. pic.twitter.com/6UX5PztL4w

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) January 10, 2019

Aman mentions Ojha’s influence often, and says the former India spinner has helped him become a more tactically aware bowler.”Pragyan Ojha is a simple and reachable man,” Aman says. “He’s an India player, such a big name, so we remained slightly shy. But he’s a professional, talks to everyone daily, and now we’ve come together very well. He said, (your deliveries should have some life and bounce in them),” and after that my focus has been on that. So he said “even if the ball isn’t turning, your bounce should hurry the batsmen up.””I prefer varying my pace because I’m not a big turner of the ball. My arm ball comes inwards, so I flight and vary my pace by seeding doubt in the batsman. My focus has always remained on bowling accurate deliveries.”Aman’s record-breaking feats have come in the Ranji Trophy’s Plate Division, which includes seven first-time teams. Aman says he can only bowl at the opponents he comes up against, but admits that the quality of opposition may not be as good as it might be in the top tier.

“Sometimes there’s a season written in a person’s forehead, when whatever they do turns out to be positive. I hope it continues this way for me.”Ashutosh Aman

“I’ve played Elite cricket (one-dayers for Services) too, and that’s definitely tougher than Plate Division,” he says. “In Elite cricket, we need to work harder to take wickets there. Honestly, there’s some truth to the difference in levels between Elite and Plate. In Elite cricket, batsmen are of a higher caliber, so you need to adjust and bowl accordingly. Fitness levels and batting techniques are also higher, so there’s definitely a difference. But what to do? The decision to group teams this way wasn’t my choice.”Despite being thrust so suddenly into the limelight, Aman isn’t looking too far ahead. He calls himself “a simple man'” who just wants to continue enjoying the sport. But he hopes he can get more white-ball opportunities, including a shot at the IPL.

ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index estimates a closer game had Rohit Sharma’s catch been taken in the second over of the chase

ESPNcricinfo Stats team05-Jun-2019 South Africa fluff an important chanceHaving put up a below-par total, albeit on a tough pitch, South Africa needed to grab all the chances that came their way if they entertained any thoughts of avoiding their third straight loss in this World Cup. And opportunity did come knocking early on in India’s innings. Rohit Sharma, who played a pivotal role for India in their chase, gloved a ball from Kagiso Rabada in the second over only for the South Africa captain to make a hash of the chance.Given the tricky batting conditions and the intensity that the South Africa’s pace bowlers maintained throughout the innings, an early wobble in India’s innings could have made the chase much trickier than it already was. ESPNCricinfo’s Luck Index estimates that Rohit Sharma’s reprieve cost South Africa 23 runs. This is arrived at by simulating India’s innings assuming Rohit was dismissed on that ball and reallocating the balls he played to the batsmen left to follow. Luck Index reckons that the other India batsman would’ve scored 23 fewer runs from the 141 balls Rohit faced after getting dropped.India could’ve still scored the additional 23 runs given that South Africa’s main seamers had finished their quota and Tabraiz Shamsi had one over left to bowl, but 23 off 15 would have made the contest a lot closer than it already was.ESPNcricinfo Ltd Bumrah’s bowling effort marginally better than Chahal’s It was clear that Rohit played the decisive role for India in this match. ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats backs this by putting a number to it: according to Smart Stats, Rohit made 24.61% contribution to India’s win in this match – the highest by India player in the game. Interestingly though Jasprit Bumrah pips Yuzvendra Chahal as the second-biggest contributor to India’s cause in this match.Conventional cricket scorecard wisdom would tell us that Chahal’s 4 for 51 are considered superior bowling figures than Bumrah’s 2 for 35. But Smart Stats gives credit to a bowler for dismissing batsmen of higher quality depending on the match situation in which they were dismissed. For example, a bowler would get higher impact points for dismissing Quinton de Kock early in his innings than dismissing Andile Phehlukwayo. Similary, a bowler’s economy will earn him higher (or lower) impact points based on the pressure under which he bowled, and the overs he bowled. A bowler returning economical figures in the Powerplay when the fielding restrictions are in place will get a higher impact value than another bowler returning similar figures in the middle overs when the opposition is already under strife.Bumrah took the wickets of Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock early in the Powerplay. Smart Stats values these two wickets at 2.94. Chahal’s four wickets included the important wicket of du Plessis and his wickets are valued at 4.97. However, what tilts the scales in Bumrah’s favour are the five overs he bowled upfront in the Powerplay. Bumrah gave away just 13 runs from those overs bowling to South Africa’s top-order batsmen. Overall, Bumrah went for just 35 runs in the match from his ten overs, two of which were, again, bowled under pressure at death, albeit to lower-order batsmen. Chahal, on the other hand, gave away 51 runs in a match that saw runs being scored at 4.7 an over.ESPNcricinfo LtdBumrah’s conventional economy of 3.5 translates to a Smart Economy of 2.45 which adds to the impact points that his wickets have earned him. While Chahal’s Smart Economy of 5.65 brings down the overall impact of his four wickets. These impact points when converted to individual contributions expressed as percentages, put Bumrah’s 22.34% slightly ahead of Chahal’s 22.03%.

The challenge for Tim Paine’s team will be to pick themselves up after another scarring defeat

Daniel Brettig at Headingley25-Aug-2019Was it the final wasted review, leaving Nathan Lyon to appeal to Joel Wilson without technological oversight? Was it the missed run-out earlier the same over, Lyon dropping the ball when Jack Leach was well short? Was it the dropped catch at third man by Marcus Harris, difficult as it was? Was it the concession of 76 runs in 10 overs to the last pair, having spent all series concentrating on keeping things tight and not letting the game run away?Was it the boundary-saving fields reflexively set for Ben Stokes and the shortish bowling that allowed him to free his arms? Was it the glaring lack of full balls at the stumps of Leach, even though Stuart Broad had just been dismissed by that very same delivery back when the game was yet to be turned on its head? Was it the mad hour with the second new ball that allowed Stokes and Jonny Bairstow to get England going in the morning? Was it the first wasted review on the third evening? Or was it, maybe, leading by 359 instead of 400?ALSO READ: One of ‘top two moments I’ve ever had on field’ – StokesIn truth, it was all of these things. Australia, as they had so infamously done at this ground in 1981, had the Ashes on a platter for so much of the past three days, never more so than when Leach joined Stokes with 73 runs still to get. They will be haunted by it, perhaps forever, and will never again venture to England without the risk of seeing copious footage of Stokes, Leach and their own mistakes on broadcast feeds, big screens and social media.Headingley 1981 took a long time for Australian cricket to get over. They lost the next two Tests, the Ashes, and did not win again in England until 1989. The years in between were hurtful, divided ones, and the scar of Headingley, 500-1 and all, was symbolic of much else bubbling underneath. If there is a lesson about unity in that, particularly around leadership given the complicated triangle between Kim Hughes, Rod, Marsh and Dennis Lillee, there is also the knowledge that momentum of the kind raised by Stokes can sometimes be unstoppable.Of all the many moments leading up to final defeat, few will remain as indelible as Lyon dropping Pat Cummins’ throw when Leach was beaten pointless in a near replay of the earlier run out that had taken out Jos Buttler. For all Stokes’ strengths and how much they will be lauded, he has a tendency to be on the right end of run outs – of 17 he has been a part of, 14 have seen his partner dismissed.Leach should have been a 15th, and a photo captured how, with him still metres short of his crease, Tim Paine and David Warner were running towards Lyon to celebrate a one-run victory, only the second in Test match history. But the same image also shows what Paine and Warner could not see, and Lyon had just realised. The ball had burst through his hands, trailing harmlessly away behind him as Leach scrambled back. There, more clearly than any other instant, was the Test match. The day on which Lyon overtook Lillee on Australia’s list of wicket-takers will be one he does not ever wish to relive.And yet, and yet. Two balls later, Australia still one run ahead, and Lyon used change of pace and line to fool Stokes as he went for a slog-sweep to end the bout. Pitching in line and beating the bat, it hit Stokes in front, and ball-tracking showed it to be going on to strike the stumps squarely. But Australia had wasted their final review moments earlier on a speculative shout from Cummins against Leach. In a way it was not surprising that the umpire Joel Wilson, having been the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons at Edgbaston, chose to give Stokes the benefit of whatever doubt he may have had.

Ben was playing out of his skin. He managed to do things that you normally wouldn’t and you’ve got to give him credit. I didn’t love today but I love watching him play for that reason

Of course, it should never have been this close, and in his post-mortem Paine tried to explain his side of things. Why, for instance, had the field been spread far and wide for Stokes, ultimately neither taking a catch on the boundary rope nor preventing the twos that allowed him to farm the strike successfully in order to face 45 balls to Leach’s 17.”If we didn’t it probably would have finished a lot earlier, the way he was hitting them, to be honest,” Paine said. “It’s one of those things. It is a really difficult period of time to captain. I don’t think anyone has done it perfectly. I certainly didn’t. I don’t claim to have. But when guy is going like that, you bring the field up he’s hitting them for four or six anyway. What I probably would like to have done is more talk to the bowlers about their mindset.”At times when the field gets spread they go a bit defensive. I still want our bowlers to be running in thinking about getting them out regardless of the field. But again, that’s Test cricket. Ben Stokes was playing out of his skin. He managed to do things that you normally wouldn’t and you’ve got to give him credit. I didn’t love today but I love watching him play for that reason. He puts you under pressure, and he takes the game on. He looks like he plays the game the way you’d like to play and it takes a huge amount of courage to play like he did today.”Why, too, had Paine gone for the review against Leach, leaving his men exposed to Wilson’s decision when Lyon pinned Stokes in front? “I’ve got every review wrong so I’m going to give up and give it to someone else,” Paine quipped. “Patty Cummins said ‘I think it might have pitched in line but I think he hit it’. And I said ‘well, he definitely didn’t hit it’, but I was worried where it pitched. Then it was just a spur of the moment [decision] … have a dabble at it. But, yeah, I got it wrong.”Test matches have a tendency to accumulate events in ways that leave plenty of room for reflection. Had England lost, it would have been Joe Root facing criticism for allowing Warner and Marnus Labuschagne get away against wayward bowling from Stokes and Chris Woakes in the hour after tea on day one. As it was, Paine had to answer queries on why Australia had not been able to close the game off completely from England after bowling them out for 67. Labuschagne put two excellent innings together, but no one else did.Marcus Harris shelled a chance at third man off Ben Stokes•Getty Images”We haven’t batted at our best, there is no doubt about that,” Paine said. “But I will say I was actually really proud of the way we batted on day one. That was bloody hard work. The ball was moving around a lot, it was dark, the lights were on. I thought our guys applied themselves really well. Then I thought England probably had the best batting conditions and we bowled superbly. I wouldn’t say our batting was poor by any stretch of the imagination in the second innings but what we continually did was just leave the door ajar.”We could have batted them right out of the game and when you keep giving a team with high quality players a sniff, whether it’s a Jofra [Archer] with the ball or Stokes with the bat or Root with the bat, they’re going to make you pay. That was the only message we’ve said about batting, that we probably missed a slight opportunity to bat them right out of the game and get 450 in front. But that can happen. Sometimes you need a bit of luck.”The boys are trying their best and as I said we feel like we’ve been in a position to win every Test. We’re doing a lot right, we just need to do it for a little bit longer.”Finding that “little bit longer” with Headingley seared into every Australian memory is going to be a colossal task. The coach Justin Langer has been part of teams that lost dramatic games in Barbados to Brian Lara in 1999, in Cape Town to South Africa in 2011, and in Hobart to New Zealand the same year. Each time Australia won the next Test in which they played, and never were they able to enjoy the return to fitness of the best batsman in the world Steven Smith, as they will here.To a degree, the trials of the past 18 months, ball tampering and culture, will help provide a reminder that this is a game to be enjoyed, and that being extras in perhaps the greatest and most dramatic Test match yet played is something to rejoice in after the pain fades away. But no matter how much there may be solace in how great a day this was for Test cricket, the Australians, Paine and Lyon most of all, will need to find a way to take the questions out of their minds.Otherwise they will be like the American golfer Doug Sanders who, having missed a short putt to beat Jack Nicklaus and win the 1970 Open Championship at St Andrews, never won a major tournament. Asked whether it preyed on his mind years later, he replied: “No, sometimes I don’t think about it for five minutes.”

A near-unstoppable force combined with an almost-immovable object at Chepauk

Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai16-Dec-20194:52

Star Sports Match Point: Hope-Hetmyer chemistry impresses Bishop

A near-unstoppable force combined with an almost-immovable object at Chepauk as West Indies overhauled India’s 287, ruthlessly exposing a depleted attack. Shimron Hetmyer was that unstoppable force, smashing a 106-ball 139, while Shai Hope held on limpet-like, making an unbeaten 102 off 151 balls.Their 218-run stand had West Indies marry power with smarts, something that had cost them in the 50-over World Cup earlier this year.When Hetmyer joined Hope, the wicketkeeper-opener was on 2 off 17 balls. He wasn’t struggling, though. Hope looked unhurried and he always prefers batting in his own bubble. Hetmyer knows that, and he went on a boundary-hitting spree at the other end to ensure the asking rate was within West Indies’ grasp.Hetmyer set to work by slashing Mohammed Shami over slip in the sixth over and, three balls later, he top-edged a hook over the keeper’s head for four. It didn’t always look pretty, but it did ease the burden on Hope. Hetmyer’s job was to keep taking risks and Hope’s was to take the chase deep.ALSO READ: Hope, Hetmyer hit tons as West Indies go 0-1 upHetmyer then lined up left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav and slog-swept him against the turn over the midwicket boundary. By the time he raised a run-a-ball fifty, Hope was on 33 off 68 balls.Having put the full balls away, Hetmyer forced India’s bowlers into bowling short at him. He jumped back in the crease and swatted left-arm fingerspinner Ravindra Jadeja for back-to-back sixes over the wide long-on boundary. Hetmyer usually likes swinging the ball in the arc between midwicket and square leg, even in the CPL, but on Sunday night, he adjusted to the sluggish pitch and hoarded 76 of his 139 runs in the “V”.

“We’ve played with each other for quite a while now. I know his game and he knows mine. Most of the time, I’m the aggressor and he’s the person who sticks around.”Hetmyer on his partnership with Hope

Seam-bowling allrounder Shivam Dube then bowled cutters into the middle of the deck, but Hetmyer still read those variations and meted out a similar treatment to him. Hetmyer needed just 35 balls to move from fifty to hundred – his fifth in 41 ODIs.Hope, meanwhile, had just passed fifty and was striking at 55 or thereabouts. Once Hetmyer reached the landmark, he went into an even higher gear and launched Jadeja onto the roof of the old Anna pavilion.Shami’s third spell with the old ball was India’s last roll of the dice, but Hetmyer threw him off his lengths. When Shami bowled a slower bouncer, Hetmyer got on top of it and muscled it over midwicket for six. Then, when Shami went too full and outside off, Hetmyer leaned back and imperiously laced it between extra cover and long-off.Three balls later, Hetmyer had holed out, but by then West Indies needed only 59 off 68 balls. Hope then found his next gear and secured the chase in fuss-free fashion.”We just keep it simple because we’ve played with each other for quite a while now,” Hetmyer said of his partnership with Hope at the post-match press conference. “So, I know his game and he knows mine. So, basically when we’re batting together, most of the time, I’m the aggressor and he’s the person who sticks around and bats around.”And if he gets the boundary ball, he puts it away. For [me], it’s always nice batting with someone like him because he’s going to make sure you get the strike as much as possible and it’s easier to execute.”Hetmyer’s 133 is the fifth-highest score in a chase against India in India. Hetmyer had impressed on the previous trip to India last year too, but this looked to be a coming-of-age innings.In the T20I decider in Mumbai, Hetmyer was dismissed, off a full toss, while going for a third straight six. At that point, Kieron Pollard was also going big for West Indies, but Hetmyer ended up tossing his wicket away. In Chennai, he assessed the situation, the track and his partner better, guiding West Indies to the doorstep of victory.Opposite ways – a lively Hetmyer and a more staid Hope symbolise their 200-plus stand in one image•BCCIHetmyer is already known as a batting leader in West Indian cricket circles. In CPL 2019, he had been appointed director of batting of a Guyana Amazon Warriors line-up that included the likes of Shoaib Malik and Nicholas Pooran.”I came to know this is my highest score in international cricket, so this would be the best one,” Hetmyer said of his innings in the ODI series opener against India. “It’s always nice chasing a score than a setting one. Chasing a score and taking the team home is a much, much better feeling. Sad that I didn’t finish the game, but it’s a work in progress for me.”As for Hope, he chalked up his second successive unbeaten century, having also played a crucial hand in the third ODI against Afghanistan in Lucknow last month.Before the trip to India – for series against Afghanistan and India – West Indies had last won an ODI series in 2014. After having swept Afghanistan 3-0, Pollard’s men are now eyeing another ODI series victory.

Tamim Iqbal picks the best performance he saw in the 2010s

As told to Mohammad Isam20-Dec-2019

by Tamim Iqbal

Mustafizur Rahman
5 for 50 v India, first ODI, Mirpur, 2015
I had never faced him in the nets and had no idea what he was all about, so when I saw Mustafizur rip through India in his ODI debut, it was a special surprise. And not just for me. The world took notice of this Bangladeshi phenomenon.Mustafizur was bowling against arguably one of the best batting line-ups in the world, which raised the value of his performance. He didn’t have a great first spell, but when he was brought back later, he beat Rohit Sharma with his cutter. We all got together to celebrate his maiden ODI wicket, and then it just got better and better. He had Ajinkya Rahane brilliantly caught at cover by Nasir Hossain, again with that slower cutter that hung back on the pitch.He also dismissed Suresh Raina and R Ashwin before picking up his five-for with another slower ball that Ravindra Jadeja miscued to long-on. Some of us who had never seen him bowl before got really excited.Mustafizur’s performance didn’t just help him announce himself on the world stage. He had helped Bangladesh win against India.In the next game, he followed it up with a six-wicket haul, which confirmed the sort of bowler he was going to be in the future. But it was his first five-for, on ODI debut, which will remain my most special performance of the decade.More in the decade in review, 2010-19

Celtic failed to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership when they were beaten 1-0 by St. Johnstone away from home on Sunday.

The Hoops had the chance to move 16 points clear at the top of the division after their city rivals Rangers had been beaten 2-0 on Saturday by Hibernian, but failed to pick up a singe point of their own a day later.

Celtic had 26 shots on goal, nine of which were on target, and did not do enough to beat Andrew Fisher, who saved all nine of those efforts on target, between the sticks for the Saints.

The likes of Nicolas Kuhn, who was substituted at half-time in the match, Daizen Maeda, and Jota all ended the game without helping the team to find the back of the net.

It was an off-colour performance from Jota on the left wing as he played 76 minutes without scoring a goal or creating a ‘big chance’ for his teammates, although he did register a shot on target and two key passes.

Why Jota has been a great signing for Celtic

The Hoops swooped to sign the Portuguese forward on a permanent deal from Rennes in the recent January transfer window for a reported fee of £8m, 18 months on from his £25m move from Parkhead to Al Ittihad.

His performance against St. Johnstone was not reflective of his form since making that return to Glasgow from France at the start of the year, though, as he has been a great signing for Brendan Rodgers so far.

The 26-year-old talent has scored four goals, created three ‘big chances’, and assisted two goals in six starts and three substitute appearances in the Premiership since his £8m switch, which shows that he has been incredibly productive in the final third for the Scottish giants.

As you can see in the table above, his statistics also place him very highly among his positional peers in the Premiership, as he has been one of the most frequent scorers and creators in the division per 90.

These statistics also show that he is well on his way to replicating the kind of form that earned him his £25m move to Saudi Arabia in 2023 in the first place.

As you can see in the graphic above, Jota consistently provided a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Premiership during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns under Ange Postecoglou earlier in his Celtic career.

Whilst the Hoops managed to bring the former Benfica man back to the club in January, the Bhoys did lose a talent last summer who could have become Jota 2.0 at Parkhead in Rocco Vata.

Why Rocco Vata deserved more chances at Celtic

The Irish youngster came up through the academy system at Parkhead and only made six appearances in the first-team before he left the club at the end of his contract last summer to sign for Watford.

After four appearances in the Premiership under Postecoglou in the 2022/23 campaign, Vata was not given many chances to impress at senior level by Rodgers last season.

The teenage sensation made two appearances, one in the Premiership and one in the SFA Cup, and played 29 minutes of football in the first-team, scoring against Buckie Thistle in his 26 minutes of cup action.

Vata, who was valued at £43k by Transfermarkt at the end of his Celtic career, scored 12 goals in 15 Lowland League matches in the 2023/24 campaign and scored in his only appearance that lasted more than three minutes for the first-team, but that was not enough to earn him any more outings for Rodgers.

The Ireland international took his chances, limited as they were, when they came and excelled as a goalscorer at youth level, yet still did not get more than three minutes of Premiership football in the entire season, leading to his move to Watford last summer.

Rocco Vata's soaring market value

At the time of writing (07/04/2025), Vata is currently valued at £854k by Transfermarkt and this means that his value has soared by a whopping 1,886% in the 2024/25 campaign from the £43k he was rated at by the end of his time in Glasgow.

His market value has skyrocketed as a result of his exposure to regular first-team football with Watford in the English Championship, as the Hornets have been willing to offer him the senior minutes that his promise at Celtic suggested that he deserved.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

The 19-year-old talent has racked up 31 first-team appearances and 1,282 minutes of action in all competitions so far this season, including 27 outings in the Championship, after his 29 minutes of football for the Hoops this term.

Vata, whose screamer against Premier League side Fulham in the FA Cup is shown above, has shown that he has what it takes to play regular football at senior level, and that he can contribute at the top end of the pitch.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed that the Irish whiz, who has been playing on the left wing of late for Watford, had an “exciting” future ahead of him during his time at Parkhead, and his potential is finally starting to shine through.

As you can see in the table above, Vata has been directly involved in six goals in ten starts in the second tier for Watford so far this season, which shows that he is well on the path to delivering goals and assists on a regular basis.

His return of 23 goals in 34 matches for Celtic’s B team showed that he had the potential to be a Jota-esque figure on the wing, by finding the back of the net on a regular basis, whilst he has now added creativity to his performances with the Hornets.

The Hoops, therefore, messed up when they failed to keep him at Parkhead last summer because they lost a player who could have developed into their next version of Jota on the wing, with the quality that he displayed at youth level in Glasgow and at Watford this season.

Not Engels: Rodgers has already found Celtic's new McGregor in teen star

Celtic may already have their next Callum McGregor and it is not Arne Engels.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 5, 2025

Celtic could have had their own homegrown star, whose value is now soaring at an exceptional rate, but they will now have to watch from afar as his career develops in England.

Celtic have an exciting end to the season on the horizon and are reported to have made contact in their pursuit of a prodigious gem who could be available this summer.

Brendan Rodgers looks to further cement his Celtic legacy

Brendan Rodgers has taken Celtic up a notch this campaign and could end the season with a domestic clean sweep should circumstances align over the next few weeks.

The Bhoys face St Johnstone at Hampden this weekend in the Scottish Cup semi-final. They also have the opportunity to win the Scottish Premiership title away to Dundee United next Saturday.

With that said, plenty of anticipation surrounding potential additions at Parkhead is beginning to circulate. Unlike previous years, Champions League league phase football isn’t guaranteed, which has placed an extra emphasis on getting recruitment right ahead of the final qualifying round.

Per reports, Celtic are keen on bringing in Stoke City winger Million Manhoef. However, his £10 million price tag may complicate proceedings amid further interest in his services from Sheffield United, Burnley, Club Brugge and Genk.

Celtic lost gem for nothing, now he's worth more than Engels, Maeda & Kuhn

Celtic once lost an “amazing” talent for nothing, now he is worth millions more than some of their best players.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 17, 2025

On the more experienced end of the scale, Danny Ings is another potential Hoops target that may be available under freedom of contract once his deal at West Ham United expires.

Recently, Celtic have earned a reputation for being able to splash cash on premium assets; nevertheless, there is always room for a bargain in a transfer environment that can often throw up value for money despite changing perceptions of the market.

Speaking of which, the Bhoys have now made contact over a summer target who is also attracting interest from the footballing elite.

Celtic make contact over deal for Crystal Palace star Jesse Derry

According to TBR, Celtic have been ‘in touch’ with Crystal Palace star Jesse Derry’s representatives over cutting a deal to take him to Parkhead, joining a lengthy list of suitors including some of Europe’s biggest names.

Manchester City and Aston Villa have discussed signing the England youth international. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt, PSG, Porto, AS Monaco, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Rangers have also made their voices heard.

Celtic had been first linked with Derry in the last few days, and it is becoming clear that he doesn’t see his future at Crystal Palace after refusing to sign a professional contract at the Premier League outfit.

Capable of playing anywhere across the front three, the 17-year-old will be available for minimal compensation, which is a tactic both sides of the Glasgow divide have used on several occasions over the years to secure talent from the English top-flight.

Although the Bhoys will likely need to put forward a convincing offer for Derry to consider abandoning a rich pool of options, you get the impression there would be first-team opportunities for the youngster in due time.