Tag: Rohit Sharma

MI vs CSK | Rohit Sharma’s fighting century in vain as Chennai Super Kings win by 20 runs

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Opener Rohit Sharma’s valiant second Indian Premier League (IPL) century went in vain as a four-wicket haul from Matheesha Pathirana managed to restrict a power-packed Mumbai Indians (MI) line-up to 186/6 in their 20 overs and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) secured a 20-run win at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

With this win, CSK is at number three with four wins and two losses, giving them eight points. MI is at eighth spot, with two wins and four losses, giving them four points.

In the run chase of 207 runs, openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan started really well. Slowly building from boundary each in the first two overs, the duo targetted pacers Tushar Deshpande, Shardul Thakur and Mustafizur Rahman in next three overs.

While Tushar was hit for a four and six by the duo, 12 runs in total, Thakur was hit for 13 runs, including a six and four by Kishan. In the fifth over, Rohit hit Mustafizur for a four and six and Ishan also smashed a boundary to end the over at 53/0.

At the end of six overs of the powerplay, MI was at 63/0, with Rohit (42*) and Ishan (21*) unbeaten. Rohit hit Thakur for two fours to end the powerplay on a high.

However, Pathirana ended the quickfire first-wicket partnership at 70 runs, getting Ishan caught for 23 in 15 balls, with three fours and a six. Thakur took the catch at mid-wicket. MI was 70/1 in 7.1 overs.

Suryakumar Yadav walked in but was caught brilliantly by Mustafizur near the boundary on third-man position. MI was 70/2 in 7.3 overs.

After some fluent forties, Rohit finally completed his half-century in 30 balls, with seven fours and two sixes.

At the end of 10 overs, MI was 90/2, with Rohit (55*) joined by Tilak Varma (12*) unbeaten.

Smashing Ravindra Jadeja for a four and six, Rohit helped MI reach the 100-run mark in 10.2 overs. With a boundary from Tilak, the over yielded 18 runs.

Tilak and Rohit continued to fight it out for MI, bringing their 50-run stand in 30 balls. However, Pathirana ended the partnership, with Thakur taking the catch at mid-off. Tilak was gone at 31 in 20 balls, with five fours. MI was 130/3 in 13.5 overs.

Skipper Hardik Pandya could not survive for long either, as Jadeja caught him near deep mid-wicket for just two runs in six balls. MI was 134/4 in 15.3 overs.

Tim David tried to inject some life into the game with two sixes, however Mustafizur got him caught by Rachin. MI was 148/5 in 16.3 overs.

Pathirana continued to run through MI’s line-up, cleaning up Romario Shepherd’s stumps for just one run. MI is 157/6 in 17.3 overs.

MI could not finish the run chase, though Rohit got his second IPL ton in 61 balls. MI innings ended at 186/6 in 20 overs, with Rohit (105* in 63 balls, with 11 fours and five sixes) and Mohammed Nabi (4* in 7 balls) unbeaten.

Pathirana (4/28) was the pick of the bowlers for CSK. Tushar and Mustafizur secured a wicket each.

Earlier, Brilliant half-centuries by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube and a ‘Mahi Special’ hat-trick of sixes by MS Dhoni in the final over took Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to 206/4 in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday.

After being put to bat first by MI, CSK was off to a bad start as they lost Ajinkya Rahane early for just five runs off eight balls. Gerald Coetzee got the wicket and Hardik Pandya took a fine catch at mid-on. CSK was 8/1 in 1.4 overs.

Rachin Ravindra was joined by skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. The duo took a little time to settle in, but it was not too late until Gaikwad let his hands loose by smashing Coetzee for two fours and a six in the fifth over.

The sixth and final over of the powerplay by Akash Madhwal gave away 10 runs, including two fours. CSK was 48/1 after six overs, with Gaikwad (29*) and Rachin (12*) unbeaten.

Just when it seemed that Rachin was picking up speed and momentum, he was caught behind by Ishan Kishan on a Shreyas Gopal delivery for 21 in 16 balls, with two fours and a six. CSK was 60/2 in 7.5 overs.

Shivam Dube came in at number four, hoping to carry on with his explosive run of form and six-hitting.

The 10th over by Hardik leaked 15 runs, including three majestic fours by Shivam. CSK ended the first half of their innings at 80/2, with Gaikwad (36*) and Dube (15*) unbeaten.

Dube continued with his aggression, hitting Romario Shepherd for two fours. Gaikwad ended Akash Madhwal’s 12th over with a six to help the Men in Yellow touch 100-run mark.

Gaikwad reached his second IPL half-century in 33 balls, with three fours and four sixes.

The 14th over by Romario was what CSK needed as Dube hit two sixes over deep backward square leg and long-on and then powered a pull shot through mid-wicket for a four. After a single, Gaikwad produced a classy boundary in the backward point region, securing 22 runs from the over. The score reached 132 runs.

CSK continued hitting big in the next over as well, as two fours and a six-over deep point by Shivam took the team 17 runs ahead.

Dube reached his second IPL 2024 fifty in 28 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. Also, CSK reached the 150-run mark in 15.1 overs.

On the very next ball, though, skipper Pandya ended the 90-run partnership as Mohammed Nabi caught Gaikwad at long-on, ending his knock at 69 runs in 40 balls, with five fours and five sixes. CSK was 150/3 in 15.2 overs.

Daryl Mitchell joined Dube at the other end. The run flow was restricted considerably after Gaikwad’s dismissal. Mitchell’s struggling knock of 17 in 14 balls was ended by Pandya, who got him caught by Nabi near the boundary. CSK was 186/4 in 19.2 overs.

MS Dhoni walked in and made an immediate impact with three successive sixes, one over long-on, the other over long-off and the third over square leg. 200 was up for CSK in 19.5 overs.

Dhoni took a double on the final ball, CSK ended at 206/4, with Dhoni (20* in four balls) and Dube (66* in 38 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes) unbeaten.

Pandya (2/43) was the pick of the bowlers for MI. Gopal and Coetzee got a wicket each.

Brief Scores

Chennai Super Kings: 206/4 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 69, Shivam Dube 66*, Hardik Pandya 2/43) won against Mumbai Indians: 186/6 (Rohit Sharma 105*, Tilak Varma 31, Matheesha Pathirana 4/28).

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IND vs ENG 5th Test: Kuldeep-led Indian bowlers leave England in tailspin

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The fragility of England batters against high-quality spin was exposed once again before India showed them how to bat on a flat track by cruising to 135 for one at stumps on day one of the fifth and final Test here on Thursday. Opting to bat, England were all at sea against the mastery of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav whose fourth five-wicket haul in Tests allowed India to bowl out the visitors for 218 in their first innings shortly after tea. Playing his 100th Test, R Ashwin cleaned up the tail with four wickets while Ravindra Jadeja took one. Contrary to expectations, all 10 wickets went to the spinners at the scenic HPCA Stadium and the last seven batsmen fell while adding only 43 runs.

India came out to bat in bright sunshine and Rohit Sharma (52 batting off 83 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (57 off 58b) put the hosts in firm control with a 104-run stand. India reached 135 for one in 30 overs at close. Shubman Gill (26 off 39b) was batting alongside Rohit.

It was the highest opening stand of this series for India and was broken when Jaiswal got a bit carried away to be stumped off Shoaib Bashir after collecting back-to-back boundaries.

The southpaw’s pre-meditated charge down the ground came soon after he became only the second Indian to amass 700 runs in a series after the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who achieved the feat twice against the West Indies in 1971 and 1978-79.

The ball did not do much for the England pacers and spinners compared to their Indian counterparts. Jaiswal was watchful to start with and waited for the spinners to be in operation. He put Bashir to sword in his very first over by dispatching him for three sixes into the stands, two of them over extra cover.

The Indian skipper, at the other end, too played confidently. He made his intentions clear by pulling a 150kmph rising delivery off Mark Wood over fine leg for six in the fourth over of the innings.

His second maximum came off spinner Tom Hartley in the cow corner region.

However, India’s march to command started in the second session when they reduced the visitors to 194 for eight at tea as Kuldeep engineered a middle-order collapse that saw England lose three wickets for no run.

All of a sudden England found themselves reeling at 175 for six from three down on the same score.

England lost six wickets in the middle session for 94 runs.

Kuldeep could have got rid of Zak Crawley (79 off 108) on the second ball after lunch break but India opted against DRS for a catch.

But the 29-year-old spinner did not have to wait long thereafter as he got one to turn massively from the imaginary fifth stump to shatter the England opener’s leg-stump. Both the inward drift and the sharp turn led to Crawley’s dismissal.

Jonny Bairstow (29 off 19b), who is also playing his 100th Test, showed plenty of intent in his innings but could not last long. Like the other batters, he could not read Kuldeep from his hands and got a faint outside edge off a googly.

He went for a review but ended up wasting it, exactly what Joe Root (26) and Ben Stokes (0) did on the same score of 175. Jadeja trapped Root in front with a straighter one after beating the English batter’s outside edge on the previous ball.

Stokes was the fifth victim of Kuldeep who had the opposition skipper plumb in front with a googly. Kuldeep ended up bowling 15 overs straight on either side of the lunch and afternoon session.

Ashwin sent back Hartley and Wood in quick session to join the spinners’ party. In the morning, Crawley made a classy unbeaten half-century after surviving an extended opening spell from the Indian pacers before Kuldeep struck twice to leave the visitors at 100 for two at lunch.

On expected lines, the skillful duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj made the ball talk but Ben Duckett (27 off 58) and Crawley were able to see off the first 14 overs of fast bowling after being beaten multiple times.

Crawley, who has been England’s stand-out batter in this series, was meticulous with his shot selection and played some delightful cover drives off pacers on way to his half-century.

Siraj ended up bowling eight overs in the morning session and Bumrah seven with both conceding 24 runs.

Kuldeep came to bowl in the 18th over and struck instantly.

Despite being hit for two fours off his first five balls, Kuldeep was not afraid to flight the ball and was rewarded when Duckett’s mistimed hit was pouched by Gill, who took a spectacular catch running backwards from cover. Like Duckett, Crawley too was beaten by the pacers in the first hour of play but he picked the right balls to flaunt his cover drives.

He reached his fourth half-century of the series with a boundary down the ground but that remained the only bright spot for England this day.

Scoreboard

England 1st Innings: Zak Crawley b Kuldeep Yadav 79 Ben Duckett c Shubman Gill b Kuldeep Yadav 27 Ollie Pope st Jurel b Kuldeep Yadav 11 Joe Root lbw b Jadeja 26 Jonny Bairstow c Jurel b Kuldeep Yadav 29 Ben Stokes lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 0 Ben Foakes b Ashwin 24 Tom Hartley c Padikkal b Ashwin 6 Mark Wood c Sharma b Ashwin 0 Shoaib Bashir not out 11 James Anderson c Padikkal b Ashwin 0 Extras: (B-2, LB-1, NB-2) 5

Total: (All out in 57.4 overs) 218

Fall of wickets: 1-64, 2-100, 3-137, 4-175, 5-175, 6-175, 7-183, 8-183, 9-218, 10-218

Indian bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 13-2-51-0, Mohammed Siraj 8-1-24-0, Ravichandran Ashwin 11.4-1-51-4, Kuldeep Yadav 15-1-72-5, Ravindra Jadeja 10-2-17-1.

England wins toss

India’s captain Rohit Sharma and his England’s counterpart Ben Stokes (R) shake hands during the toss before the start of the fifth Test cricket match between India and England at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on March 7, 2024.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma and his England’s counterpart Ben Stokes (R) shake hands during the toss before the start of the fifth Test cricket match between India and England at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on March 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
AFP

Proud moment for Ashwin, family and nation: Rohit

Skipper Rohit also said during the toss, “We would have batted first as well. We have done really well so far in this series and an opportunity to finish on a high. There should be a better bounce on this pitch than in the games before in this series. Good pitch to bat on and I don’t think it will deteriorate that much. Ash has been a real stalwart of Indian cricket. Such a proud moment for him, his nation and his family. We will be rooting for him to do the magic. Bumrah is back, and Akash Deep misses out.

Devdutt Padikkal makes his debut as Patidar got injured last evening.”

England (Playing XI):

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes(c), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes(w), Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood, James Anderson

India (Playing XI):

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.

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Not an epic choke, just a bad day in the office, say sports psychologists

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The murmurs around India’s inability to land the knockout punch in a global event have grown since the ill-fated November 19 night but did the team, which looked invincible heading into the World Cup final, actually crack under pressure or was it just a bad day in the office? Fears of a billion plus came true as Australia stitched together a perfect game to deny a rampant India who had not put a foot wrong during their stormy march to the final.

After 10 wins in a row, India’s unstoppable run came to a crashing halt in yet another trophy clash. Since winning the Champions Trophy in 2013, India have lost five ICC finals and three semifinals.

Considering India’s dominance heading into the final, the dejected look on faces of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after the six-wicket defeat was understandable.

The two greats of the game perhaps knew deep down that they might not get another shot at the crowning glory.

The dust has not yet settled but India’s repeated failures on the world stage does warrant the question: did they choke or was it just an off day in an otherwise near perfect campaign? Speaking to PTI, sports psychologist Gayatri Vartak, who works with elite Indian athletes, felt it was not a case of buckling under pressure and Australia were just tactically superior on the day.

“I don’t think there was any pure evidence of the team cracking mentally. I don’t think they choked or could not perform under pressure.

“All of them came into the tournament positively and had great build up to the final. As a player your reference point (over your mindset) becomes your last game and not what happened in a final three years ago. The last game was the semifinal which they won,” said Vartak.

Diya Jain, a sports psychologist at Fortis Hospital, said the big match pressure can take a toll on elite athletes but India’s performance should be celebrated.

“Any team can have a bad day, it’s important to accept it and learn from it. Australia had a plan and they stuck to it, believed in themselves and were zoned-in. The pressure of big matches can take a toll, and mental preparation is key.

“That said, this is not the time for analysis, it’s time to celebrate. Being a World Cup finalist and winning 10 matches on the trot is a remarkable feat,” said Jain.

Life of an Indian cricketer makes winning a tad harder

India’s larger than life cricketers often talk about shutting the “outside noise” to focus on the job at hand.

Having said that, it is only human to get distracted when they are reminded of winning the coveted trophy in their fleeting public appearances at airports, hotels and stadiums, which is something they experienced over the course of the World Cup at home even with the “head phones” plugged at all times.

Virat Kohli is seen during the presentation ceremony after his team’s defeat in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia in Ahmedabad on November 19, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

On the other hand, the feisty bunch of Australian cricketers, who excel at the art of winning, are not treated as demigods back home. The fans undoubtedly make Indian cricket special and provide unconditional support to the players but their non-stop attention does add to the pressure.

Matthew Hayden, a member of the all-conquering Australian team and someone who is well versed with Indian cricket, spoke about the added pressure created by fans ahead of the World Test Championship final in June, another high-stake contest that India lost.

“It’s certainly not a question of skill. So, it has to be a question of just the opportunity and the mindset going in. I mean, cricket is life here, it is the DNA of sport and has no other competitors.

“In Australia I could walk down the street and largely be unrecognised, here in India it’s very insular and there’s a lot of pressure,” Hayden had told PTI back then.

Vartak too agrees with Hayden that performing amid a constant frenzy does make winning a tad harder.

“For athletes, the Indian fan acts as a big fuel, they come from an emotional space, they can be very critical but they are also very, very supportive.

“I don’t think it is specific to India but fan behaviour tells us that typically they tend to worship their athletes (which is not the case with cricketers in Australia).

“With that in mind, the fan following of cricket is so high here and it is a religion for all of us. I would agree that it is harder for an Indian cricketer (to be insulated from pressure),” said Vartak.

Not fair to compare this Indian team with teams of the past

The series of knockout defeats over the last 10 years tells a compelling story but Vartak also believes that it is not fair to compare Indian teams of the past with the current lot.

“I am sure the composition of the Indian team was different over those games in the last 10 years. There is a tendency to talk about mental block when there is a defeat but when the team is winning no one talks about the mindset. It is a little unfair on the cricketers.

Captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid are seen after their team’s defeat in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia in Ahmedabad on November 19, 2023.

Captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid are seen after their team’s defeat in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia in Ahmedabad on November 19, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

“Technically you can also fail at times and that was the case with India yesterday. Australia were the superior team technically and tactically, but it doesn’t become a mental issue.

“They did very well under pressure through the tournament and even won a knockout game. It was a just a bad day I would say,” she added.

‘India were just unfortunate’

Former chief selector MSK Prasad, whose tenure saw India falling short in the 2017 Champions Trophy and 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal, acknowledged that the team has been losing knockout games consistently but it is not down to crumbling under pressure.

“The result last night was really unfortunate. I know India have not performed in finals consistently (over last decade) but this team was head and shoulders above others in the tournament. It is their sheer hard luck that they could not go all the way.

“Credit must be given to Australia. They played excellent cricket and I feel India were 40-50 runs short. Then the evening dew made it much easier for the Aussie batters,” said Prasad.



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From Bhadohi to Roseau, India’s latest opening sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal hums a happy tune

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Yashasvi Jaiswal wasn’t born when Titanic was released.

James Cameron’s classic remains one of the most loved films of our time, 26 years after it reached cinemas and garnered a record 14 Oscar nominations. One of Titanic’s highlights was the song, My Heart Will Go On. Sung by Celine Dion, it was the theme song of the film and is one of the largest-selling singles of all time.

It is Jaiswal’s favourite song (that it was picturised on his favourite actress Kate Winslet is an added attraction). Listening to the song makes him happy.

He is particularly fond of the song’s opening lines — Every night in my dreams/ I see you, I feel you. He often hums those lines.

He must have done it quite a few times when he watched, from a distance, the bright lights at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on a night of an IPL match or an international game. As he listened to the noise from the stadium, he would imagine, one day, the fans there would be cheering for him.

Rajasthan Royals batter Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates his century during the IPL 2023 match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians.
| Photo Credit:
File photo

That dream came true in spectacular style a couple of months ago as he smashed 124 off just 62 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians. That was his first hundred in the IPL, something he must have been looking forward to ever since he was picked by the Royals for Rs. 2.4 crore, 12 times his base price.

He was just 17 then, and the onset of the coronavirus was just a few weeks away. Because of the pandemic, the 2020 edition of the IPL was staged in the UAE.

Ahead of the tournament, Jaiswal sounded understandably excited as he spoke to this correspondent over phone from Dubai. “Being part of the IPL is an amazing feeling,” he said. “I have already learnt how different the senior level is from the junior.”

His transition to senior cricket was smooth enough. He had made a double hundred for Mumbai against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament in 2019 at Bengaluru. His 154-ball 203 made him, at 17 years and 292 days, the world’s youngest-ever double-centurion in List A cricket, in which only six other Indians had scored a double hundred before him. He had broken a record that stood for 44 years, and by three years (the previous record belonged to South African Alan Barrow).

Yashasvi Jaiswal after scoring 203 against Jharkhand in the Vijaya Hazare Trophy match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal after scoring 203 against Jharkhand in the Vijaya Hazare Trophy match.
| Photo Credit:
File photo: SUDHAKARA JAIN

A few days ago, Jaiswal had an opportunity to take an even more significant record off another South African. In the Dominican capital of Roseau, he was looking good enough for a double hundred when Alzarri Joseph produced a thin outside edge.

Jaiswal was thus caught behind for 171. On a slow track where patience and technique were always going to reward a batter handsomely, especially against a West Indies attack that looked as different as possible from the intimidating ones of the 1980s and 90s, he could have broken Jacques Rudolph’s record as the youngest to score a Test double hundred on debut. The South African was 21 years 355 days when he made an unbeaten 222 against Bangladesh at Chattogram in 2003 (It may be noted that he had played in the ‘unofficial’ Test at Centurion in 2001 following the ball-tampering and excessive appealing incident).

Jaiswal may not have broken Rudolph’s record, but he broke several, nevertheless, as he became the 17th Indian to score a hundred on Test debut. Perhaps the most significant among his records is that it is the longest innings by an Indian on Test debut. He batted for 501 minutes and faced 387 balls.

That shows his determination and temperament. It also shows that he is suited for the rigours of Test match cricket (even in these exciting times of Bazball). And remember, he is a young man who likes to get on with his act and is blessed with an array of shots and supreme self-confidence (he holds the record for the fastest IPL fifty – off 13 balls).

RR’s Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates scoring the fastest IPL fifty runs during the IPL 2023 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.

RR’s Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates scoring the fastest IPL fifty runs during the IPL 2023 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.
| Photo Credit:
File photo: K.R. DEEPAK

The fact that he adapted himself adequately in his very first innings – which also fetched him the Player-of-the-Match award – augurs well for the future of India’s Test cricket. And it certainly won’t hurt having a quality left-hander at the top of the order as well.

Jaiswal’s style resembles that of probably India’s finest left-hander – Sourav Ganguly. Little wonder he is called Baby Ganguly.

Unlike Ganguly, who was born into a rich family in Kolkata, life hadn’t been easy for Jaiswal. When he was 12, he left his village in Bhadohi (Uttar Pradesh) for Mumbai, where he had to sleep in a tent and sell snacks to make some money. He had to get up early to train before the more privileged boys arrived and he would spend the night shadow practising.

Mumbai’s tradition of blooding them young saw him play for the senior side and he turned heads with his sensational show in the Vijay Hazare tournament in 2019. The following year, he was the leading scorer and the Player-of-the-Tournament at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa.

India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot during the ICC Under-19 World Cup Final between India and Bangladesh.

India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot during the ICC Under-19 World Cup Final between India and Bangladesh.
| Photo Credit:
File photo

Runs have continued to flow from his bat, in every format. He had three consecutive hundreds in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy, made 497 runs at an average of 99.40 in the Duleep Trophy last year, and scored a double hundred and a hundred for Rest of India in the Irani Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh earlier this year. He took that form into the IPL, in which he smashed 625 runs at an average of 48.07 and a strike rate of 163.61.

Now it was up to the national selectors. They did the right thing: they picked a player when he was in top form. Then the team management in the West Indies did the right thing too: they found the opener’s slot for him, moving Shubman Gill to one drop.

Now, Jaiswal had to do the right thing, too. He did, didn’t he?

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Ashwin: ‘I would have loved to play in the final as I played a part in us getting there’

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The decision to exclude R. Ashwin was one of the main talking points during India’s World Test Championship Final against Australia. In a chat, the top-ranked Test bowler opened up about missing out on a spot at The Oval, his journey and more on the sidelines of the TNPL.

You are the No. 1-ranked bowler in the world, but do you feel you are being judged on something apart from your primary skillset?


It’s a hard question to answer because we are standing right after the WTC Final. I would have loved to play because I have played a part in us getting there. Even in the last final I got four wickets and bowled really well.

Ever since 2018-19, my bowling overseas has been fantastic and I have managed to win games for the team. I am looking at it from a captain or coach’s point of view and I am just talking in hindsight, in their defence. So the last time when we were in England, it was 2-2 with a drawn Test and they would have felt 4 pacers and 1 spinner is the combination in England. That is what they might have thought going into the final.

The problem is for a spinner to come into play, it must be the fourth innings. The fourth innings is a very crucial facet and for us to be able to put that amount of runs so the spinner can come into play, it’s completely a mindset thing.

To look inwards and say, ‘okay, somebody is judging me is foolishness’. I think I am not at the stage of my career to think what others are thinking of me. I know what I am capable of. If I am not good at something, I will be my first best critic. And I will work on it and I am not someone who will sit on my laurels. I have never been made that way. So to think of who’s judging me is immaterial.

Isn’t it tough to deal with it considering that you are operating at your peak?


For me, it’s not a setback. It’s just a stumbling block, I will move on because I have gone through that. When somebody knocks you down for the first time, you have a knee-jerk reaction. I think you should be knocked down once in a while along your life so that you are used to it and will know how to bounce back. That’s what life is. Whether you are at your peak or not, it is still a set back. The fact that you need to learn how to deal with it is very important.

Sunil Gavaskar has asked whether the ‘horses for courses’ rule applies only to the bowlers… 


This is a true story and I don’t talk from something made up. One day, I was seeing the India-Sri Lanka game and India’s bowling was in tatters. My favourite was Sachin Tendulkar, and whatever runs he used to make we used to leak those runs with the ball. I used to think one day, I must be a bowler. Can’t I be better than the bowlers that are there currently? This is a very childish way to think but that is how I thought and that is why I started bowling off-spin. This is where it began.

However, tomorrow when I hang up my boots, the first thing I will regret is having been such a fine batter, I should have never become a bowler. This is something, a perception I have constantly tried to fight but there are different yardsticks for bowlers and batters. And there are different ways of treatment. I understand for the batter it is a one-ball game and they require the opportunity.

I had this conversation with a stalwart of the game who once said it is because you can see a bowler struggling in a Test match for over 40 overs. But my argument is you are seeing a batsman struggle in the match and nets and the requirement of a batter doesn’t change. It is still a one-ball game. I am not saying the batter shouldn’t play. He should play and similarly, the bowler must also play. They should be treated equally because I think at the end of the day, you’re earning your stripes and I definitely believed through the ups and downs of my career, I have kept turning in and earned my stripes.

Some people will get 10 matches, some people will get 15, some people will get 20. The day I wore the Indian colours I knew I will get only two. So I was prepared for it. It’s not that it is some unfair treatment meted upon me. The only reason for my improvement or where I stand in how I play my cricket right now is that I have accepted that I will get only two Test matches.

I don’t want to go back home and say boss, ‘he got 15 and I got two’. I don’t want to do that because all I can control is who I am and what I can do.

How tough it is to keep going knowing a sword is always hanging over your head?


I am a lot more chilled than I used to be. A lot more relaxed in my life than I ever have been. Sitting here today, I realise how much of a toll it had taken on me mentally to the point where I was traumatised. But I am very glad to have come through that and discovered a new me.

A lot of people marketed me and positioned me that I am an overthinker. A person who will get 15-20 matches on the go doesn’t have to be mentally overthinking.

A person who knows that they will get only two games will be traumatised and will be overthinking because it’s my job. It’s my journey. So this is what suits me.

If somebody is going to tell me, you’re going to play 15 matches, You will be looked after, you will be this, you are responsible for players, you are in the leadership role, I won’t be overthinking. Why would I?

It’s unfair to actually say somebody’s an overthinker because that person’s journey is his own. And nobody has a right or business to do that.

Has it worked against you?


It was created to work against me, right? And as I said, there have been statements that people have made all along when leadership is a question that’s come my way, there have been people who are been out there telling, my name is not the first name of the sheet when India tour abroad.

Whether that name is first on the sheet or not is something I can’t control. If I earned it, it’s got to be there and that’s my belief. As I said, I have no complaints, I have no time to sit back and throw punches or regret or anything. I have no regrets about anyone.

The moment, the final finished I put out a tweet because I realised one thing is that I need closure. The moment I get the closure I can move on. There is no time to hang around. I have understood life a lot better now.

The more I see it, the kind of trauma toll it takes on my family is incredible. My father has a heart problem and other issues. Every single game, every single day, something happens, he will call me. He is stressed. It’s very easy for me to go out and play because it is still in my control. For my father, it is not and he goes through double of what I do. So looking at this in hindsight, everybody on the outside is irrelevant.

Can you elaborate on this? What do you mean when you say you want closure?


You need to be able to get up and move on. What I am trying to say is I have learned to live life a lot better than I used to. Sometimes I look back and think I have taken too much stress but maybe if I didn’t, I might have not been playing cricket for so long. But looking at it, it’s taken away my personality it’s taken away my character. It’s taken away, how I have lived life

Whenever I came back from a tour, I used to go to my academy to bowl because I know I have to keep up my skills. I have never taken a holiday. When I look back, the two years leading Kings XI Punjab and then the Covid years and my struggles, it’s been the greatest learning of my life. When I went there as captain, I was this intense person because that was my journey. After I tried to get work done by a lot of other people, I realise my journey need not be necessarily somebody else’s journey. It completely relaxed me and flattened me out.

I have got no sympathy for my journey. It’s very easy for me to go back and say, okay, this didn’t happen for me or something happened for him. I don’t give myself one second of sympathy. That’s why I put that tweet because I wanted closure. I hated the fact that people are giving me sympathy, I just couldn’t take it anymore.

In this social media age, you don’t play and sometimes you are bigger than if you had played the game, right? People are talking, if he had played we would have won. I am not sure if I had played, we would have won. I would have given my best and I definitely think I gave myself the best opportunity to succeed there. I also think I earned my stripes. That’s all I can do. But the moment it got done, I just wanted to move on and focus on the TNPL for Dindigul Dragons.

Was it comforting that some of the great cricketers came out in support of you?


I am 36 years old and honestly, what triggers you what gives you happiness, it changes. Yeah, every time, I get a text message from some of the former senior cricketers, I always get excited and immediately respond. That’s because of how I have seen them as a youngster. I felt happy they thought I was good enough to play. But the fact of the matter is, I couldn’t get an opportunity or the world title. I knew I was going to be left out 48 hours before. So for me, my entire goal was to make sure I can contribute to the guys and help us win a title because I played a part in it (getting to the final).

The perception is you are so intense and focused. Do you feel you could have enjoyed a bit more outside of the game?


Enjoy it a little bit more? I would have then been sitting at home and not played 92 Tests. I have made peace with the fact about what I have done in life and what’s happened to me in my life. I am completely aware of what I have done and what I have lost in my life because of what I had to do.

Do you tap into other cricketers for any help on the cricketing front or for a frank conversation?


It is a deep topic. This is an era where everybody is a colleague. Once upon a time when cricket was played, all your teammates were friends. Now, they’re colleagues. There’s a big difference because here people are there to advance themselves and to stride ahead of another person sitting to your right or left. So nobody’s got the time to say, ‘okay, boss what are you up to’?

In fact, I believe cricket gets better when you share it. It gets better when you when you understand another person’s technique and another person’s journey. But it doesn’t happen anywhere close to how much it must happen. Nobody will come for your help. It’s an isolated journey. Of course, you can reach any professional you want to, tap into some coach, you can pay and go, practice, try to feed of them and all that. But sometimes we forget that cricket is a very self-taught sport.

During the second Covid wave, your father was admitted to the hospital and so was your wife and you were in the IPL bubble and not able to reach any of them. You didn’t know what was happening. How much of that had a effect on you?


I don’t know. I mean, looking back at it I don’t know if that had an impact, but generally, I was not in a great state physically and mentally. After the 2018 England tour, I didn’t play in the 2019 World Cup, I was not even in contention. I was not in a good state. So when I came out of it, I told myself not, it’s not worth it. At one point in time, I wanted to be a three-format player. I always believed I had great leadership qualities in me. And always believed that I could be a good leader because it’s not about leading on the field. It’s leading men.

However, when that journey (leading KingsXI Punjab) came to an end, I figured I needed to work on my intra-personal skills. It wasn’t the greatest, but I had to go through that journey to understand it. Because, how intense I am as a cricketer is necessarily somebody else’s journey.

You have been part of different Indian teams over the past decade. What is the best memory you have of those?


I have forgotten everything. Before when I used to go to sleep, maybe five-six years ago, I used to think of some great moments, getting a great wicket, great ball whatever it is. I can’t remember anything now.

Is it because of too much cricket?


Maybe not. It’s just your journey. Maybe because of things that are far more important. If tomorrow, one of my players from Dindigul Dragons goes into IPL, maybe that will be a memory. That’ll stick with me. My memories don’t stick with me anymore. I mean, for a while, for about two-three days that Bangladesh Test, where we played in Mirpur stuck with me. If you go to sleep, sometimes you feel okay good. But it doesn’t happen now.

They always say spinners evolve with age. Where is the 36-year-old Ashwin right now?


I am very proud of what I have done in my life not just because of the wickets or runs but how consistently I have been able to reinvent myself. One thing that plagues cricketers or anybody as they grow old is insecurity: you want to hold on to something so tight that you eventually end up breaking your own neck.

When I came back from Bangladesh, I told my wife that the Australia series could become my last. I used to have some knee issues and I told her I was going to change my action because when I was landing, my knee was buckling a bit. To change my action would have been a ridiculous thing considering I was doing well in the last few years. But I decided to go back to my action that used to bowl with in 2013-14.

I practised for three to four days in Nagpur and I went into the Test without having played a game with that action at all. On the first day, I didn’t even feel like a bowler for three to four overs but I was able to get on with it because of the awareness I have.

I think that is probably one of the best series I have had and the best bowling performance for me in the last four to five years. I feel so proud of having done that at 36. Looking back, if I can change my action and put my career at stake, I don’t think there can be a greater challenge in life.

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India’s Test losses: a result of stereotypes and the quest for balance

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A harsh summer, scorching at 30 degrees by English standards, may be sweeping across the British Isles but India failed to turn on the heat in the recently concluded World Test Championship final at London’s Oval. The tepid performance and Australia’s resultant 209-run triumph again dished out an Indian tale of being ‘so near and yet so far’ from a coveted piece of ICC silverware.

The defeatist tropes were at play yet again ranging from the insensitive ‘tigers at home, lambs abroad’ dirge on social-media to genuine queries about team-composition, decision-making and batting meltdowns. England, even in summer, can be an amalgam of warm sun, low-slung clouds, hint of rain and perhaps those odd streaks of a nip in the air. Still as a combine they cannot be reasons to bench wily spinner R. Ashwin but the team-management precisely did that, banking on a four-man seam attack and reposing faith in Ravindra Jadeja as the primary slow bowler while playing overseas.

Ashwin missed

The post-mortems have come thick and fast: Ashwin was missed, the batters didn’t contribute even if Ajinkya Rahane was exceptional in the first dig, the seamers weren’t exactly on fire and may be the turnaround from IPL was too short. All these are valid points even if we do make the concession that except in the final stretch, India has been the consistent unit across two WTC cycles, finishing runners-up in both.

Rahane was the only Indian batter to stand tall at The Oval. 
| Photo Credit:
AP

However, there are other issues that simmer under the surface and perhaps remain in the backburner. Why does India at times get its playing eleven wrong when travelling abroad? It is obviously due to this quest for balance, a concept that is both utopian and utilitarian within the cricketing prism. M.S. Dhoni always wanted a seam-bowling all-rounder in Tests, someone who could bowl some overs and equally score handy runs down the order.

It meant that players ranging from Stuart Binny then to Hardik Pandya now, were all tried. The former prospered briefly before fading away while the latter now seems more inclined towards white-ball cricket and perhaps wary about his back while hurtling into bowl. In the absence of this element, team-managements have either leant on the wicketkeeper-batter like Rishabh Pant to accordingly adjust the batting and bowling arms or prop up Shardul Thakur into the all-rounder gambit or hope that the tail as a whole would wag. At times it could happen but more often than not it doesn’t.

Editorial | The second-best: on India and the World Test Championship final 

And we again get back to this intangible called balance and a grim reality stares us in our face. Remember the previous generation of players? Well, there were batters, who could actually bowl. Sachin Tendulkar with his bouquet of skills – dibbly-dobblers, spin – off and leg; Sourav Ganguly – gentle seam; Virender Sehwag – off-spin, the list is longer if you get into the ODIs and T20s and factor in Yuvraj Singh, may be a Suresh Raina and a few others. What this does is that even with a beefed up batting unit and a four-man attack, India had enough players, who could turn their arm over, either to get the over-rate in track or even to prise out wickets. All these players mentioned above were fierce competitors and they were not exactly doing a holding job and hence those excessive emotions on display when they snapped up wickets. Remember, even the West Indies during those supreme days had the great Vivian Richards bowling off-spin while the four speedsters rested a bit.

Cut to the present, India’s top- and middle-order only bats, there is no itch or perhaps the skill to bowl. Kohli, a wrong-footed seamer, hasn’t bowled for long. Others seem keen on holding the willow or pouching catches within the close-in cordon and when this happens, there is unhealthy pressure on the main bowlers and then this quest for balance (read it as having a bowling-allrounder) pops up again and it then slips into stereotypes – okay it is England/Australia/ New Zealand or South Africa so let it be four seamers and one spinner! Long back, Anil Kumble had to sit on the sidelines and watch Harbhajan Singh ply his wares, now it seems it is Ashwin’s turn.

No incentive

May be this reluctance to bowl or burnish dormant bowling skills within the current Indian ranks could be attributed to a coaching structure that has throw-down specialists. At nets, there is no incentive for the batters to bowl at their bowling counterparts because the throw-down specialists would do the job. But truth be told, Tendulkar gleaned phenomenal joy in bowling an outswinger and hoodwinking Javagal Srinath or float up a googly and surprise Kumble. Yes these were nets sessions but there were layers to it.

And just as this search for balance at times means the squad’s centre of gravity dangerously tilts towards the turf and terrible defeats are suffered, another drawback has been doing the rounds without getting its share of mind-space. The old cliche was that India is the land of spin and equally its batters were resplendent against the slow art. It is not that the current practitioners of batting cannot play spin but in their emphasis on countering fierce speed merchants and perhaps in their leaning on that old battle cry of offering fire against fire, the desire to dish out some chess against spinners, of countering the twirly men with a mix of defence and attack, has been on the wane.

It is not that Indian batters have never failed against spin. Greg Matthews, Tauseef Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Ajantha Mendis and Graeme Swann, to name a few, have had their moments of success. But largely when we talk opposition spinners, there are enough batters who have taken the very best to the cleaners. Navjot Sidhu used to hoist spinners into the upper stands at will and many of his acclaimed colleagues, were equally adept at both defending against spin and striking all over the park. But currently, the dancing-down-the-pitch-and-lofting-the-spinner mode seems on the decline.

Skipper Rohit Sharma fell on the sweep against Nathan Lyon at the Oval. Sweep – conventional, slog and reverse – has its merits and readers of a certain vintage may recall Graham Gooch sweeping India out of the 1987 World Cup semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium. Still, the sweep has its risks like any across-the-line shot would entail. Even while failing against James Anderson during the 2014 tour of England, Kohli was busy finessing the slog-sweep, a ploy he wanted to use against spinner Moeen Ali. The sweep need not be avoided but a certain discretion is essential.

A pre-determined approach against the slow-art doesn’t always pay but a certain presumption and equally a sense of diffidence have marred India’s batting against spin in recent times, especially in the longer format. Perhaps it is macho to survive and quell pace but spin may not evoke such sentiments. Spin occupies a large chunk of middle overs in Tests, especially in the Indian subcontinent and even at venues like Sydney or the Oval abroad. And spin has to be countered if Tests are to last the distance.

A V.V.S. Laxman in the Hyderabad nets had to face Arshad Ayub, Venkatapathy Raju and Kanwaljit Singh. He could hone his wristy approach against spin and it came in handy against Shane Warne. Current batters don’t get such luxuries, caught up as they are with national duties and IPL jaunts. And in T20s, they are coping against spinners bowling flat, preferring a rare dot ball over an essential wicket. There is a weakness now, not due to technical flaws, but largely stemming from an attitude that obsesses over rival pace bowlers while amnesia masks the need to factor in spin.

Transition phase

As India gets into another transition phase in the forthcoming WTC cycle, these areas – be it the search for balance or even the approach against rival spinners – would be as crucial as lasting the first hour against fresh medium-pacers and stepping in with a squad that will be adaptable to all five days. Food for thought as the Indian players get a well-deserved break even if some like Ashwin would be busy playing the Tamil Nadu Premier League and some others may turn out in the Duleep Trophy.

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Dream went up in smoke, but MI emerged stronger

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Keerthana Shankar

Mumbai Indians has the legacy of being the most successful franchise in the Indian Premier League, the biggest T20 league in the world.

The recipe to such effective campaigns had been diligent scouting to pick uncapped players and calculated buys which added immense value to the roster. However, after a dominant run in the preceding two years, MI stumbled in the 2021 season, narrowly missing out on a playoffs spot because of an inferior net run rate compared to Kolkata Knight Riders.

Madhwal turned out to be the surprise packet of the bowling unit

Madhwal
turned out to be the surprise packet of the bowling unit
| Photo Credit:
B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

When the mega auction came calling in 2022, MI’s carefully curated strategy split at the seams. The franchise had to choose among its stalwarts, retaining Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Kieron Pollard. This meant it had to let go off a few members of its core squad such as Hardik and Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock, Trent Boult and Ishan Kishan, though the last-named was bought back later for a whopping ₹15.25 crore. A greatly diminished purse resulted in a poor show for the remainder of the auction.

Rock bottom

The 2022 season saw MI hit rock bottom when it went home with the wooden spoon. In spite of such a disappointing campaign, there was a silver lining — the discovery of Tilak Varma, a young middle-order batter who scored 397 runs (14 matches) and emerged the star in the absence of Suryakumar.

MI had a few tough calls to make during the auction preceding IPL 2023 and it did so with renewed vigour. Once again it splurged, this time on Cameron Green, buying him for a colossal ₹17.25 crore. With 452 runs and six wickets (16 games) to his credit, the Australian all-rounder justified the move and proved a suitable replacement for the retired Pollard.

Green justified his price tag with all-round performances
| Photo Credit:
B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Despite the 2022 debacle, MI fans awaited the 16th season with much enthusiasm as they were promised the mouth-watering combination of Bumrah and Jofra Archer. The two have been among the best pacers of their generation and to see them bowl in tandem would have been a sight to behold. However, injuries have plagued the former since mid-2022 and though the latter did make a comeback, he was but a shadow of his former self. This not only threw MI’s bowling unit into disarray, but also the balance of the side.

Not surprisingly, MI’s performance in the first two games was nothing short of shoddy. In the opening match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis effortlessly guided their side home with 22 balls to spare. Similarly, Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane starred for long-standing rival Chennai Super Kings as it easily breached Fort Wankhede. Skipper Rohit turned up in the third game with a classy half-century, taking MI to victory against Delhi Capitals.

The biggest disappointment of the season till the fourth match, against KKR, was Suryakumar’s form. The swashbuckling batter, ranked first in ICC’s T20I rankings, was struggling to connect the ball and was even out for a golden duck while scoring only 16 runs in three games.

Tipping point

For MI, the tipping point was Suryakumar’s return to form. Despite Venkatesh Iyer’s scintillating ton, Mumbai finally flaunted its batting muscle to cruise to victory in just 17.4 overs. The outfit registered its third straight win by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad, courtesy a consummate bowling performance. Green was at the forefront with bat and ball.

The next two games — against Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans — did not end in jubilation for MI. On both occasions, Rohit’s bowlers leaked too many runs and the batters couldn’t save the side despite a valiant effort during chases.

However, in the next game versus Rajasthan Royals where Yashasvi Jaiswal took the attack to the cleaners, the MI batters clinically gunned down a mammoth target of 213. MI charted a similar course against Kings in the return fixture.

Yet, when the team met CSK in the latter’s home ground, MI once again faltered. With only four games left in the league phase, MI had to rally its troops to earn a berth in the business end. The next two matches saw MI simply blow away RCB and GT. The momentum shifted against Lucknow Super Giants where the batters narrowly missed out on taking the team over the line. Now MI’s playoffs chances did not rely only on a victory in its last game but also on the results of other fixtures.

But Green stamped his authority with a fantastic century in pursuit of 200 posted by SRH. When RCB lost its last league game to Shubman Gill’s brilliance on a rain-addled day, MI had achieved its first target. At the halfway stage, MI had won only three out of seven games. Seven more contests later, it had qualified for the playoffs in what was one of the most competitive editions ever.

MI met LSG at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in the Eliminator. Despite losing all its three previous encounters against Super Giants, this one turned out to be a walk in the park for Mumbai. Akash Madhwal demolished the Lucknow outfit, returning stupendous figures of five for five.

The next challenge was against the defending champion, Gujarat Titans, which MI had bested twice in three games before. What ensued was a breathtaking and majestic display by Gill who exposed the inconsistent bowling attack. It was ironic that Gill, whose century knocked out RCB, eliminated MI too!

MI was in cruise mode in the first half of the chase but lost its way to fall short by a distance. Once a torch-bearer for the side, Hardik Pandya became MI’s nemesis as his men extinguished the hopes of the five-time champion.

Never write off

However, MI showed time and time again why it has been a formidable side by displaying grit, resilience and determination. From lagging at the bottom to marching up the table, MI proved that it can never be written off. There have been lessons to learn from a season of contrasts.

The batters established a record for the most 200-plus totals (six times) by a team in a single edition while the bowlers conceded the most 200-plus totals (six again!) in a season. With a dynamic and deep batting line-up, if MI gives a better shape to its bowling unit, a sixth title may not be too far away.

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IPL 2023: MI vs SRH | Green, Rohit keep Mumbai hopes alive for a spot in play-offs

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Cameron Green’s magnificent maiden century (100 not out) and Rohit Sharma’s half century powered Mumbai Indians to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last league match of the IPL in Mumbai on May 21.

Mumbai knocked off the target of 201 with 12 balls and eight wickets to spare to accumulate 16 points from 14 matches. But their fate will be decided after the match in Bengaluru — which is experiencing rain — between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans later in the day.

If the contest between RCB and GT is washed out, Mumbai will make it to the final four, but if the hosts win, they will qualify on the basis of better Net Run Rate. MI currently have NRR of -0.044 as against +0.180 of RCB.

With an inferior NRR, MI had the improbable task of scoring 201 in 11.4 overs or 70 balls if they had to get past RCB on the table.

 

 

Green smacked eight fours and eight sixes during his unbeaten 100 which came off just 47 balls. He added 53 runs with Suryakumar Yadav (25 not out) for the unbroken third wicket to take MI over the line.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar drew the first blood when he dismissed Ishan Kishan (14) in the third over. Rohit got a lifeline in the fifth over when Sanvir Singh dropped a difficult catch at midwicket off Nitish Kumar Reddy.

But Green provided the impetus, as his four boundaries and a couple of sixes took MI to 60/1 after the powerplay.

While Green brought up his fifty off only 20 balls, in the ninth over, Rohit was off to a modest start, hitting his first six only on the 22nd ball that he faced.

Mumbai Indians Cameron Green in action during the Indian Premier League 2023 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mumbai on May 21, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
AP

The MI skipper completed his second fifty of this IPL, off 31 balls, and his second-wicket stand with Green took the total past the 100-run mark. Soon after this, Rohit got another reprieve when Sanvir spilled a regulation catch at cover off Kartik Tyagi.

However, a sensational catch from Reddy had Mayank Dagar celebrating Rohit’s wicket wildly in the 14th over. Rohit’s 56 came off 37 balls (8x4s, 1x6s), having added 128 off 65 balls with Green.

 

Earlier, Unheralded Uttarakhand pacer Akash Madhwal nailed his yorkers consistently at the death as Mumbai Indians restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 200 for 5 in their final IPL encounter, here on Sunday.

With one eye on Bengaluru weather where RCB is taking on Gujarat Titans, Madhwal’s four-wicket haul ensured that SRH ended with at least 15 short of what could be considered a par-score on a flat Wankhede track.

This was after a century opening stand between seasoned opener Mayank Agarwal (83 off 45 balls) and rookie Vivrant Sharma (69 off 47 balls) threatened to take the game away, in the IPL here on Sunday.

The pair of Agarwal and Vivrant put on the best opening stand for SRH this season, reaching 53/0 after the powerplay without taking any undue risks, and eventually putting on 140 for the seventh century stand of this IPL.

Courtesy Madhwal’s 4 for 37, which included two lethal block-hole deliveries to clean up in-form Heinrich Klaasen (18) and Harry Brook (0), SRH managed only 26 in last three overs.

For a bowling unit that has allowed contests to drift away, here at the Wankhede Stadium on several occasions, MI made regular inroads to keep SRH within reach.

However, the task is an improbable one for MI as they will have to score 201 in just 11.4 overs, or in 70 balls, to overtake Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Net Run Rate.

Playing in his third game this season and for the first time as an opener, the left-handed Vivrant gave a fine example of himself with strokes on both the sides of the wickets.

Vivrant struck seven fours and a six to bring up his maiden IPL half-century in the 10th over, as SRH cruised in the first half of the contest unscathed and unperturbed by MI’s bowlers.

Agarwal too ended his drought, hitting a six and a four off Jason Behrendorff in the 13th over to bring up his first fifty of this season, and celebrated with a gesture that batters usually do upon reaching the three-figure mark – taking off the helmet and arms stretched wide.

On a benign pitch with extreme hot and humid conditions, there was also not much that the Mumbai bowlers could do, on what also has been batting-friendly surface here.

With no movement or turn off the surface, the MI bowlers had to contend with bowling disciplined line and lengths, and to their credit, they never really allowed the SRH openers to get away.

The first breakthrough came in the 14th over when Madhwal had Vivrat caught at deep mid-wicket, with his 69 off 47 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes) being the highest score since the first IPL for any Indian player in a debut innings.

Madhwal continued to use the short ball well and in the 17th over, he had Agarwal caught behind for 83, which came off 46 balls including eight fours and four sixes.

Scoreboard

Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings: Vivrant Sharma c sub (Ramandeep Singh) b Madhwal 69 Mayank Agarwal c Kishan b Madhwal 83 Heinrich Klaasen b Madhwal 18 Glenn Phillips c Kartikeya b Jordan 1 Aiden Markram not out 13 Harry Brook b Madhwal 0 Sanvir Singh not out 4 Extras (LB-5, NB-1, W-6) 12

Total (For Five Wickets In 20 Overs) 200

Fall of Wickets: 1-140, 2-174, 3-177, 4-186, 5-186.

Mumbai Indians bowling: Jason Behrendorff 3-0-36-0, Cameron Green 1-0-2-0, Chris Jordan 4-0-42-1, Akash Madhwal 4-0-37-4, Piyush Chawla 4-0-39-0, Kumar Kartikeya 4-0-39-0.

Mumbai Indians Innings: Ishan Kishan c Brook b Kumar 14 Rohit Sharma c Reddy b Dagar 56 Cameron Green not out 100 Suryakumar Yadav not out 25 Extras (LB-1, NB-4, W-1) 6

Total (For Two Wickets in 18 Overs) 201

Fall of Wickets: 1-20, 2-148.

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-26-1, Nitish Reddy 3-0-35-0, Mayank Dagar 4-0-37-1, Kartik Tyagi 2.5-0-41-0, Umran Malik 3-0-41-0, Vivrant Sharma 1-0-19-0, Aiden Markram 0.1-0-1-0.



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Ind vs Aus second ODI | Star performance from Australia’s two Mitchells as India suffers 10-wicket defeat

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Australian pace ace Mitchell Starc’s devastating bowling (5/53) and openers Mitchell Marsh (66 not out) and Travis Head’s (51 not out) smashing unbeaten 121-run opening partnership helped the visitors thrash India by 10 wickets to level the three-match ODI series 1-1 in Visakhapatnam on March 19, 2023.

The Australians, set a lowly 118-run target to win the match, completed the job with 234 balls to spare, making it India’s worst-ever defeat in the 50-over format in terms of number of deliveries.

After recording their fourth-lowest total at home and overall third lowest against Australia in ODIs, Indian bowlers were in for an uphill task. They, however, couldn’t do much on a pitch assisting seam and swing bowling, where Starc and Co. had earlier looked virtually unplayable.

Questions will be asked about India’s preparations for the ODI World Cup, to be held in the country later this year, following the morale-shattering loss.

But for now, it was all about how quickly Marsh and Head could end India’s misery on Sunday.

 

Marsh turned out to be the lead aggressor, smashing six boundaries and as many maximums off just 36 balls, while Head wasn’t too far behind, scoring his 51 off just 30 deliveries with 10 boundaries to complete India’s misery.

This was Australia’s second 10-wicket win over India in ODIs.

If Starc and Co. picked up the frailties in India’s batting line-up on seaming wickets quite fast, Marsh continued from where he had left off in the first ODI at Mumbai, bringing up his second consecutive fifty of the series.

The ultra-aggressive approach from Marsh and Head saw Australia race to 66 in the first six overs bowled by Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj. The Indian quicks failed to find similar assistance from the surface and conditions that had earlier gladdened the Australian bowlers’ hearts.

The fate of the series will now be decided in the third ODI, to be played in Chennai on March 22.

It was Starc laid who laid the platform for the morale-boosting win by destroying India’s batting. The tall left-arm bowler once again turned out to be tormentor-in-chief as his five-wicket haul blew away India in just 26 overs.

Starc, who had three wickets in the previous game, took 5/53 in eight overs — including four in his first spell — as India found themselves in hot waters as soon as the match started.

With nip off the surface providing a lot of help, Starc bowled ideal back-of-the-length deliveries with a couple angled across the right-handers and a few which came in after pitching.

While the decisive damage was done by Starc, Sean Abbott (3/23) and Nathan Ellis (2/13) then bowled hard lengths to run through the lower-middle order in what turned out to be a disastrous day for the hosts.

Virat Kohli did hold one end up for a while with a 35-ball 31 and Axar Patel scored an entertaining unbeaten 29 studded with two sixes off Starc.

Their innings were the only bright spots for India with their batting exposed once again by swing and pace.

Australia pace spearhead Starc claimed four wickets in his opening spell of 6-1-31-4, removing Shubman Gill (0), Rohit Sharma (13), Suryakumar Yadav (0) and KL Rahul (9) to leave India in tatters, and their extended batting line-up consisting of Ravindra Jadeja (16) and Patel could not trouble the scorers much.

On what appeared to be a flight deck here, for the second time in the series, India were off to a poor start with Starc causing the maximum damage inside the first five overs, finding swing but no seam movement with overcast conditions and strong wind blowing across throughout the first innings.

After getting Shubman Gill (0) caught at point in the first over, he ended Kohli and Sharma’s rebuilding act in the fifth over.

Sharma flashed hard but was caught at first slip by Smith, who grabbed the moving ball in more than one attempt, and Starc struck again on the next delivery, trapping Yadav leg-before for a second consecutive first-ball duck in this series.

The left-arm pacer continued making inroads into the Indian batting line-up, striking once again in the ninth over to trap KL Rahul (9) leg-before.

The batsman, after consultation with Kohli went upstairs, but DRS confirmed the field umpire’s call and India were left reeling at 48/4 inside nine overs.

There was no respite for India with Australia right-arm pacer Abbott producing an outside edge off the first ball in the 10th over, and Smith took a stunning one-handed diving catch on his right to make Hardik Pandya’s (1) trip to the middle a very short one.

Kohli and Jadeja did stop the procession for a while with their 22-run sixth-wicket stand, but the introduction of Nathan Ellis brought more gains for Australia.

The right-arm fast bowler, playing only his fourth ODI, got the key wicket of Kohli, pinning him in front of the wickets for a 35-ball 31 with four hits to the fence.

Jadeja was caught behind off Ellis and the Indian tailender didn’t last long as Starc bowled an unplayable delivery to Mohammed Siraj to clip the off-bail.

Scoreboard

India Innings: Rohit Sharma c Steven Smith b Starc 13 Shubman Gill c Labuschagne b Starc 0 Virat Kohli lbw b Nathan Ellis 31 Suryakumar Yadav lbw b Starc 0 KL Rahul lbw b Starc 9 Hardik Pandya c Steven Smith b Abbott 1 Ravindra Jadeja c Alex Carey b Nathan Ellis 16 Axar Patel not out 29 Kuldeep Yadav c Head b Abbott 4 Mohammed Shami c Alex Carey b Abbott 0 Mohammed Siraj b Starc 0 Extras: (LB-2, W-11, NB-1) 14

Total: (10 wkts, 26 Overs) 117

Fall of Wickets: 1-3, 2-32, 3-32, 4-48, 5-49, 6-71, 7-91, 8-103, 9-103, 10-117.

Australia bowling: Mitchell Starc 8-1-53-5, Cameron Green 5-0-20-0, Sean Abbott 6-0-23-3, Nathan Ellis 5-0-13-2, Adam Zampa 2-0-6-0.

Australia innings: Travis Head not out 51 Mitchell Marsh not out 66 Extras: (W-4) 4

Total: (For no loss in 11 overs) 121

India bowling: Mohammed Shami 3-0-29-0, Mohammed Siraj 3-0-37-0, Axar Patel 3-0-25-0, Hardik Pandya 1-0-18-0, Kuldeep Yadav 1-0-12-0.



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Ind vs Aus Test series | India eye summit clash, Australia seek revenge

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Rohit Sharma, a bonafide white-ball legend, will face his biggest test as India’s red-ball captain against a determined Australian side which would be hungry for revenge when the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Test series starts here Thursday.

Also Read |An India-Australia series is about cricket, there’s no baggage 

It is a series that promises a lot of twists and turns, engrossing sub-plots and probably career-defining performances.

It’s such a high-profile rubber that non-performance could lead to end of career for some after this series.

During the hey days of Channel 9, former Australia captain Bill Lawry would often use the term “It’s all happening at the MCG” during exciting games. Trust this four-Test series to throw up more surprises than one can possibly envisage.

Big questions

The series, a cricket connoisseurs’ delight, will throw up several topics of discussion as the caravan moves from one destination to the other.

Will captain Rohit Sharma curb his instinct to pull Pat Cummins if the Australian captain keeps a long leg and digs one short?

Will Virat Kohli use the sweep shot more often against Ashton Agar and Nathan Lyon as the batting stalwart looks to turn around his ordinary showing against slow bowlers in recent times?

Can Suryakumar Yadav’s ‘three-dimensional’ strokeplay earn him Rahul Dravid’s faith ahead of Shubman Gill, the man touted to lead India’s batting when the transition phase kicks-in in another 18 to 24 months?

Will Axar Patel’s under-cutters be more effective than Kuldeep Yadav’s trickeries of bringing the ball back into right handers?

Bigger than Ashes?

The back-to-back series defeats in their own den (2018-19 and 2020-21) have hurt Cummins and his players and they certainly have revenge on its mind, even though it will be easier said than done on a pitch that promises appreciable turn from first day itself.

The quality of India versus Australia Test matches since the epic 2001 series has, at times, been better than the Ashes. The journey of this batch of Australian cricketers won’t be complete if they don’t emulate the exploits of the Matthew Haydens, Justin Langers, Glenn McGraths or the Adam Gilchrists of 2004.

Steve Smith put it aptly, saying a series win in India will be bigger than the Ashes.

WTC final in sight

For Rohit, who has unfortunately missed all the Test matches or series against bigger teams either due to injuries (hamstring vs South Africa and split webbing vs Bangladesh in 2022) or illness (Covid-19 vs England in the one-off game), he would like to emulate his predecessor Kohli in leading the team to another World Test Championship final.

For that to happen, India will need a clear two-match victory margin and Rohit’s biggest weapon of execution will be his quartet of spinners, out of which three are supposed to play. Not to forget, his batters need to rise up to Nathan Lyon’s challenge. The hosts haven’t been up to scratch when they play slow bowlers on rank turners.

Test of Rohit’s captaincy

Those who have followed the developments in Indian cricket, know that Rohit was initially reluctant to take up red-ball captaincy and is yet to face any major opposition as leader in the format.

This is the series which will actually chart his legacy as a leader.

No one knows how he must have felt when the BCCI removed him from T20I captaincy after the World Cup defeat in Australia last year. But knowing Rohit, he will never say a word publicly though he would definitely have been hurt.

The decisions he takes during the series will go a long way in defining his leadership qualities in testing times.

Pant missing

He will miss Rishabh Pant, his biggest game-changer, and how the team adjusts to the keeper-batter’s absence will be the most important aspect during the series.

Kona Bharat’s ability as a keeper is impressive but despite a triple hundred at the Ranji level, one isn’t quite sure about his capabilities as a batter while facing high-quality Test match bowling.

Bharat was troubled a lot by a fifth-string Delhi bowling attack on a tacky Kotla track in Delhi. He huffed and puffed to 80, but the way he struggled against the fast off-breaks of Hrithik Shokeen, offers a preview of what could be in store for the 29-year-old against someone like Nathan Lyon.

Ishan Kishan, with his left-handed flair, was closer to Pant in terms of batting skill-set but can Rohit or coach Rahul Dravid take the risk if he misses a stumping or a low catch when the ball starts turning square on the third evening or fourth afternoon?

People would be sceptical as he hasn’t kept wickets in red-ball cricket.

To be some sort of a maverick, Rohit perhaps needed to drop K.L. Rahul straightaway, but sending him for the media conference two days before the Test was a statement that his deputy’s place is non-negotiable despite a string of horrendous performances.

Which effectively means that either Suryakumar or Gill, two potential match winners, will have to sit out.

Spin selection

But the biggest decision for Rohit would be to choose between Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, although the Gujarat man looks favourite to get the nod.

There is a theory that India might play four spinners and Ravichandran Ashwin could be handed the new ball.

But on a pitch that is bone dry on both sides, reverse swing might come into play and both Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj can make that old ball deviate in the opposite direction.

Australia team selection

For Australia, it seems, Ashton Agar with better lower-order batting abilities, will get the nod as Lyon’s spin partner ahead of Mitchell Swepson, as Scott Boland prepared to share the new ball with his skipper.

The Australian team is loaded with left handers and four of them — David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Alex Carey — are almost certain to play. The two right handers will be Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.

But in Cameron Green’s absence, the choice for an additional batter will be between the right-handed Peter Handscombe and southpaw Matt Renshaw.

For bookmakers, the series would be nightmare as odds can swing wildly in a matter of a few deliveries.

Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk).

Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey (wk), Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscombe, Nathan Lyon, Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Lance Morris, Mitchell Swepson, Todd Murphy, Josh Hazlewood (unavailable), Cameron Green (unavailable), Mitchell Starc (from 2nd Test).

Match starts at 9:30 a.m. on February 9.

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