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Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda brought in as replacements

Shashank Kishore11-Feb-2022India vice-captain KL Rahul and allrounder Axar Patel will miss the upcoming three T20Is against West Indies in Kolkata starting on February 16. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has recovered completely from Covid-19, and Deepak Hooda have been named as their replacements in India’s 18-member squad.Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain while fielding during the second ODI on Wednesday. The injury also prevented his participation in Friday’s final ODI. Axar is recovering from Covid-19 and is in his “final stage of rehabilitation”, as per a BCCI statement.Axar was the only member from India’s T20I squad who hadn’t joined India’s extended biosecure bubble in Ahmedabad – comprising members from both limited-overs squads – ahead of their departure to Kolkata on Saturday evening. Both Axar and Rahul will head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injuries.Gaikwad’s addition leaves India with three opening options alongside captain Rohit Sharma. They also have Ishan Kishan, who is the second wicketkeeper, and Venkatesh Iyer, the allrounder who has had much of his T20 success in recent times as an opener for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.Gaikwad is capped in the format, having featured in two T20Is on the tour of Sri Lanka last July. His exploits in IPL 2021 have accelerated his journey to India’s white-ball squads. He ended the previous season with a chart-topping 635 runs at an average of 45.35 and strike rate of 136.26.Having debuted in ODIs during the ongoing ODIs against West Indies, Hooda was in prolific form for Rajasthan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 competition, where he finished as the highest run-getter for the team. His 294 runs, including four half-centuries, came at a strike rate of 168. Hooda previously made it to India’s T20I squad for the home series against Sri Lanka in 2017. He was also part of India’s squad for the Nidahas series in Sri Lanka the following year.The Indian camp had faced issues due to Covid-19 ahead of the ODIs as well, when seven members, including four players – Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Gaikwad and reserve fast bowler Navdeep Saini – tested positive.Axar had missed India’s preceding ODI assignment too, in South Africa, reportedly for a stress-related injury.India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda.

Chasing 165, MS Dhoni left himself with a bit too much to do in the final overs as his team fell short by seven runs

Saurabh Somani02-Oct-20203:17

Agarkar: Good to see Garg and Abhishek apply themselves

Every so often in the IPL, talented young players seize the stage and bring notice of their incredible ability to a worldwide audience. Sunrisers Hyderabad had two such players bursting through in a seven-run win against Chennai Super Kings. Priyam Garg hit a sparkling half-century in just his second innings for the Sunrisers, while Abhishek Sharma also made his highest score for the franchise to drive them to a competitive 164 for 5.That nearly wasn’t enough in a dramatic finish as Super Kings mounted a furious late assault. The drama heightened with Bhuvnehswar Kumar going off clutching his thigh after one ball of his final over – the 19th of the innings – to have David Warner throwing the ball to the third youngster in the Sunrisers line-up. Abdul Samad had bowled only seven overs in his entire T20 career before this game and was in the XI primarily due to his batting, but ended up finishing his full quota. His final over went for 20 runs, but the Sunrisers bowlers, including Samad himself, had done enough before that to squeeze out a win. Super Kings finished on 157 for 5, for a third defeat in a row, which hasn’t happened to them since 2014.That they couldn’t get over the line despite coming so close was down largely to Garg and Sharma. Garg had walked in when Warner was caught by Faf du Plessis completing an in-and-out boundary catch at long-on. Next ball, Kane Williamson was run out in a mix-up which left the normally unflappable New Zealand captain fuming. But Garg, calmly shrugged that off to unleash some death-overs carnage in smashing 51* off 26. Sharma (31 off 24) had been the one to inject initial momentum when both players – barely out of their teens – had the task of dragging the Sunrisers to a good total with their top four of Jonny Bairstow, Warner, Manish Pandey and Williamson all dismissed in the first 11 overs. The two added 77 in just seven overs even as Super Kings’ fielding wilted, conceding dropped catches and overthrows aplenty. It was also the first half-century stand by players aged 20 or less in the history of the IPL.Sunrisers’ bowlers kept things tight – Rashid Khan bowling four overs for just 12 runs – and their initial good work went a long way in clinching victory even though the last four overs went for 70 runs.Sunrisers’ slow startBairstow was bowled by a banana inswinger from Deepak Chahar in the first over, while Warner never got out of second gear. Pandey, a sedate starter normally, came out swinging to keep the Sunrisers’ heads above water. But he fell when looking good, and the Warner-Williamson double-strike meant the team was 69 for 4 in 11 overs.Super Kings had made several changes to their XI. Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo were both fit and included, as was Shardul Thakur, while M Vijay, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Josh Hazlewood sat out. That combination gave them greater depth in batting as well as bowling. MS Dhoni used his seamers up front in rotation, with only two overs of spin in the first 11 overs.Garg, Sharma, take offGarg started his innings with nudges and flicks, easing himself in. Sharma, whose T20 strike rate of 150.25 is suggestive, was more adventurous early on. He took on Ravindra Jadeja, who had been held back while Warner was the crease, reverse swatting him to the point boundary and then slugging him over midwicket. He also was confident enough to drive Bravo over mid-off, having read his variations.Garg then took off, beginning in the 16th over, bowled by Thakur. First there was a steer to third man that resulted in three runs, the young guns pushing hard for two and drawing an overthrow, and he ended the over with a dismissive pull. The next over, by Sam Curran, saw Garg unleash three fours and a six, as Sunrisers put on a burst of speed to break the hold the Super Kings bowlers had till then.Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma put together a 77-run partnership•BCCI

Sunrisers clattered 64 runs in the last five overs, and 53 in the final four.Super Kings top-order batting woes persistThe changes in their XI had given the Super Kings greater batting depth on paper, but some excellent seam bowling up front meant the top order was tied down for large periods. Kumar bent one back in with banana swing to rattle Shane Watson’s stumps, having continuously tested the batsman with the incoming delivery. Rayudu was undone by a peach from T Natarajan, du Plessis was run out when he responded to a risky call, and Kedar Jadhav chipped Samad to cover.Jadeja, Dhoni and the late fightbackJadeja joined Dhoni in the ninth over, and for the first half of their partnership, the two couldn’t keep pace with the required rate. Till the end of the 16th over, both were scoring at less than a run a ball. Jadeja then started connecting sweetly, even as the Sunrisers fielding, which had been livewire till then, slipped up.Although Jadeja was out soon after his first IPL fifty, Super Kings had a man who could hit big in Sam Curran next. They needed 44 from the last two overs that Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed were slated to bowl. Kumar pulled up with what looked like a hamstring strain after just one ball, and Warner was forced to go to Ahmed for the rest of the over. He gave up 15 runs, which still left the Sunrisers with enough to defend in the final over. Warner chose Samad’s legspin ahead of Sharma’s left-arm variety for it, and though Samad began with five wides, he denied a winded Dhoni the opportunity to hit sixes, which sealed the contest.

They are facing the prospect of having to win five of their next seven games in order to have a chance of progressing to the knockouts

The Preview by Liam Brickhill04-Jun-2019

Big Picture

Seven matches in, India’s World Cup is about to begin. They will meet a South Africa side already two bruising games into their own campaign, and already reeling from defeat and injury. Knocked flat by England in the opener, they were left chasing Bangladesh’s dust on Sunday. Until Tuesday, no Indian squad member addressed the press while Faf du Plessis has spent more time in pressers than he has in the middle.It’s not that India haven’t found ways to fill the hours. Virat Kohli has been to London, to visit the Queen (no news on whether he frightened a little mouse under her chair) while the squad has even kicked back with a game of paintball between training sessions, and Sunday was a rest day.ALSO READ – Injured Dale Steyn out of World CupSouth Africa, meanwhile, have already had a batsman concussed, a bowler limp off with a tweaked hamstring, twice conceded 300-plus totals and twice failed to chase them down. And now possibly the biggest blow of all: Dale Steyn has been ruled out of the tournament. The India match will be their third in six days, and there has been barely any time for respite, never mind to formulate a Plan B (or C, or D).”Time to panic,” Jonty Rhodes tweeted as Bangladesh motored to their highest-ever ODI total on Sunday. If that was a time to panic then, comrades, now is the time to push the big, red button on this Chernobyl-style meltdown. If you’re a South African fan, this might be the time to look away. The numbers in this preview are going to make for gruesome viewing.South Africa – sans Steyn and Ngidi – will arrive at the Hampshire Bowl, a ground where 734 runs were scored just over three weeks ago ,with the task of taming a batting line-up that is, on reputation, second only to England in its destructive capacities. Virat Kohli is the best one-day batsman of the age, while Rohit Sharma is the only man ever to score three one-day double hundreds. Between them, they have scored more ODI hundreds (63) than the entire South African squad (61).And then there’s Shikhar Dhawan, who carries an average of 64.69 at ICC tournaments into this game. And even if South Africa can get past those three and into the middle order, MS Dhoni – Indian cricket’s paterfamilias himself – awaits there.ALSO READ: Gibson channels spirit of Anthony Joshua as South Africa on the ropesA strong Indian batting line-up is hardly news, but India are also here with what is arguably their best bowling attack in generations – and possibly their best ever in ODIs. Certainly, India’s current bowling attack has been their best between World Cups, going back as far as the 1999 tournament, which was the last one to be held in England. The present attack has picked up eight wickets, on average, per innings: the best for an Indian bowling attack between World Cups. They have also picked up a wicket once every 34 balls, again the best for an Indian bowling unit between World Cups.They will also be fresh. India will begin their campaign a week after the start of the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over tournament following the Lodha Commission’s recommendation which requires a 15-day window between the last IPL match and the first international fixture, and which the ICC have agreed to honour.While India are unburdened by anything other than, perhaps, expectation, South Africa are facing the prospect of having to win five of their next seven games in order to have a chance of progressing to the (historically, dreaded) knockouts. If it seams or swings, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will get them. If it spins, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will. If it’s flat, Kohli and co. will bat them out of the game. South Africa have nowhere to hide.Bangladesh’s win at The Oval on Sunday wasn’t a shock. In their current state, a South African victory in Southampton would be.

Form guide

South Africa: LLWWWIndia: LLLWWKL Rahul cuts during his century•AFP

In the spotlight

He bowled the only maiden of the innings as Bangladesh amassed their highest ever ODI total on Sunday, broke through a stubborn. 60-run opening stand, and returned with another vital breakthrough in the 43rd over, with Bangladesh poised, snapping a World Cup record partnership by getting rid of a set Mushfiqur Rahim for 78. Before he leaked leaked 22 runs from his last two overs – albeit in the midst of Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain’s 66-run rampage – his figures were 8-1-30-2. Plan A is long gone
for South Africa and without Ngidi and Steyn, Andile Phehlukwayo‘s ability to step up, wrest control and win crucial moments with both ball and bat will be key.KL Rahul has probably leapfrogged into the No. 4 position, having originally been something of a third back-up opener. His century against Bangladesh helped him to push Vijay Shankar aside and stake a claim for the position, and in both warm-ups he has been into the fray relatively early. Whatever his recent struggles in Test cricket might have been, Rahul expresses himself much more freely in limited-overs cricket. He’s got stars on either side of him in the batting order, but now he’s also got a chance to shine himself.

Team news

Steyn and Ngidi are out, but Hashim Amla did have a net the day before the game, and will play if fit. Beuran Hendricks, Steyn’s replacement, will only arrive on the morning of the match, so he’s not an option, and South Africa will instead have to decide whether to play two allrounders, two spinners, or an extra batsman. One way of squeezing both Amla and Aiden Markram in could be to play Markram at No. 5 – a position he has recent experience in in domestic franchise cricket.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt0, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Aiden Markram, 6 David Miller, 7 JP Duminy, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Chris Morris, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir”Kedar Jadhav is back to full fitness,” declared Kohli on the eve of the game, and he will likely fit snugly into India’s lower-middle order. The other questions for India will be around whether to part the wristspinners or play them together, as well as who the third seamer position will go to. The top order, meanwhile, looks settled, with Rahul the strongest contender for No. 4 with form on his side.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 KL Rahul, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja/Yuzvendra Chahal, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Mohammed Shami, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Jasprit BumrahVirat Kohli gestures to his team-mates while training•AFP

Pitch and conditions

The pitch spent most of the day before the game under covers, but it appeared to have had a close shave, with a brown – rather than green – tinge to it afterwards. That probably means that, as usual, this will be a high-scoring game. Indeed, in the last five matches played here, the average first innings total is 311, and the average winning first innings score 336. Including the aforementioned high-scorer between England and Pakistan here, the team setting a total has won three of the last five games at the Hampshire Bowl. There was rain around the day before the game, and while the forecast is a little better on match day, inclement weather could still play a role.

Strategy punts

• Quinton de Kock is clearly very important
  to South Africa’s fortunes with the bat. Eleven of his 14 hundreds have come in wins for South Africa, and four of them have been against India, against whom he averages 96.40 (the only team against which he has achieved a better ODI average is Bangladesh). Aakash Chopra
  reckons a full length, outside off, could do for de Kock but If he gets away against the seamers, India could look to deploy Chahal early against him: in the 17 balls he has received from Chahal in ODIs, de Kock has been dismissed twice, averaging 5 at a strike rate of just 52.9 head-to-head.

• South Africa might not find much joy against Bumrah or the spinners, but they could well look to go after Bhuvneshwar Kumar – if he plays. In four innings in which he’s faced Bhuvneshwar, Markram has struck at 114.6, while du Plessis has really taken him on, with a strike rate of 130.8 and an average of 85 over six innings. Amla has scored a little more slowly at 72.4, but over an extended time of 12 innings, he’s averaged 97. De Kock, meanwhile, has scored 144 runs off 140 balls he has faced from Bhuvneshwar in ODIs, and never been dismissed by him.
• India could spin to win. South Africa’s batting looks particularly vulnerable to spin. With the exception of du Plessis, who hasn’t been dismissed by him yet, none of the other South Africa batsmen average more than 15 against Kuldeep, who has taken a wicket every 18 deliveries against South Africa, his best against any opposition in ODIs. The other half of the Indian spin duo, Chahal has been no less threatening either. Du Plessis has again managed to survive, but India will consider restricting his strike rate to 54.5 as job done. Phehlukwayo is the only other batsman in the South Africa squad who has a decent record against Chahal.

Stats and Trivia

• This will be Jasprit Bumrah’s 50th ODI. No bowler has taken more wickets than Bumrah (44) at the death since his ODI debut.
• In his first World Cup as captain, it is worth reflecting on Kohli’s journey to this point. In ODIs since 2015 World Cup, no player has scored more runs (4,306) than Kohli. Among players to have played a minimum of 10 innings since 2015 World Cup, Kohli’s average of 78.3 is the best. Kohli has also scored 19 hundreds in this time, more than anyone else. He needs one more win to complete 50 in ODIs for India as captain.
• Since 2012, however, India have beaten South Africa five times out of five at ICC events: at the World T20s in 2012 and 2014, at the 2013 and 2017 Champions Trophies, and at the World Cup in 2015.
• South Africa have played in four World Cup semi-finals, losing all of them. But in four World Cup matches against India, they have won three times – including in 2011, when India were hosting.

Quotes

“It’s a bit of an advantage I would say, in terms of understanding how the games have gone and what the conditions have to offer.”

“If Dale hadn’t gone to the IPL, who knows how it could have been today.”

Offspinner placed on PSL’s watch list, but can continue bowling in the tournament unless reported a second time

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-20181:35

WATCH – Sunil Narine’s bowling action reported in PSL

Sunil Narine has once again been reported for a suspect bowling action, this time during the Pakistan Super League game between Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators on March 14. This means he has been placed on the PSL’s watch list, but can continue to play the tournament unless reported again. The PCB will pass on the match officials’ report on Narine’s action to Cricket West Indies (CWI).”Mr Narine has now been placed on the warning list and may continue to be selected to play and bowl for his team in the PSL,” the PCB said in a statement. “As the PSL follows the ICC regulations on illegal bowling actions, if a player is reported [again] while on the warning list, the player shall be suspended from bowling for the remainder of the PSL tournament.”The match officials report on Mr Narine’s bowling action will be sent to the West Indies Cricket Board and he will have to go through the process that is followed by the West Indies Cricket Board, for suspected illegal bowling actions.”A history of Sunil Narine’s action•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The West Indies offspinner has had his action reported several times in the past. During the Champions League T20 in 2014, he was reported twice in two matches and missed the final. He pulled out of West Indies’ World Cup 2015 squad to give himself time to work on his bowling action following that, returned during the IPL, and was reported once again during that tournament. After testing, his offbreaks were banned, but later in the tournament he was given a “final warning” by the BCCI and struck off the watch list.He returned to international duty in November 2015, only to be reported once again during his first series back – limited-overs games against Sri Lanka. He was suspended from bowling – even while the No. 1 bowler in the ICC rankings for ODIs and T20Is – at the end of November, and missed the 2016 World T20 as well to work on his action. He was cleared to bowl again ahead of IPL 2016.Narine was one of only two players retained by his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of this season, which begins on April 7, and questions remain over whether this will affect his participation in the tournament. It is unlikely to affect it, unless he is called for a second time in the PSL, or CWI runs tests that find his action to be illegal.

Mushfiqur Rahim will remain under observation for another 48 hours after no fracture was found in the x-ray he had before play on the third day of the first Test in Wellington

Mohammad Isam14-Jan-2017Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim will remain under observation for another 48 hours after no fracture was found in the x-ray he had before play on the third day of the first Test in Wellington.Mushfiqur was taken to hospital after he hurt his right thumb and left index finger while batting on the second day, when he made 159. According to BCB media manager Rabeed Imam, the team physio Dean Conway had said Mushfiqur did not have any “obvious” fracture, but because he still was in pain his movement would remain restricted.”He will bat in the second innings if the need arises,” said Rabeed, who did not confirm whether Mushfiqur would keep wickets. In Mushfiqur’s absence, Imrul Kayes has taken over the gloves and took two catches on the second day.The hand injury is Mushfiqur’s second injury on the tour of New Zealand. He had suffered a hamstring injury during the first ODI in Christchurch and missed two ODIs and three T20Is that followed.

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has agreed to be a mentor for the Peshawar Zalmi franchise, according to its owner Javed Afridi

PTI23-Dec-2015Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has agreed to be a mentor for the Peshawar Zalmi franchise, according to its owner Javed Afridi.”Imran Khan has become the mentor of our team,” Javed told , “We are overjoyed with this development as he represents the best of Pakistan cricket and we will benefit immensely from his guidance and advice.”We want the Pakistan Super League to benefit from the legacy and vision of Imran the cricketer.”The tournament is scheduled to begin on February 4, when Peshawar will be captained by Shahid Afridi.Imran’s involvement in cricket has been quite minimum since he retired in 1992, following Pakistan’s victory at the World Cup. He has since become a prominent politician in Pakistan, which might put a limitation on the time he can spend with the team.Imran has not had much experience in the T20 format either, but Javed brushed those details aside and instead focused on how a presence like Imran’s could impact the youngsters in his team.”Even if he has not played T20 cricket it doesn’t matter what is important is his insight and views on cricket and how it should be played,” Javed said.

Nick Compton produced the perfect response to his critics with a century for Somerset on the opening day of their Championship match against Durham

06-Jun-2013
ScorecardNick Compton found some much-needed form with his second Championship hundred of the season•Getty Images

Nick Compton produced the perfect response to his critics with a century for Somerset on the opening day of their Championship match against Durham. Instructed by the England coach, Andy Flower, to go away and get back into some form on the county circuit, the 29-year-old opener hit 139 not out, including 15 fours and a six, to lead his side to a total of 336 for 5 in perfect batting conditions and enhance his claims to a place in the Ashes.Marcus Trescothick and Arul Suppiah both contributed 36, while Dean Elgar (33) and James Hildreth (32) also got out when apparently well set. Graham Onions was the pick of the Durham attack with two for 43 off 18 overs.But it was Compton’s day. After a sketchy start that saw him score only 23 from 87 balls before lunch, he blossomed in the afternoon session to reach a four-hour hundred off 203 balls. He was given one life on 53 when Paul Collingwood dropped a sharp catch at slip off the bowling of young offspinner Ryan Buckley.By then the shackles seemed to have been removed. Compton brought up his half-century off 129 balls with a four and a straight six off successive balls from Buckley and began to look as though he was enjoying his batting again. The second fifty was far more fluent, occupying 74 deliveries. A misfield by Mark Stoneman at mid-off brought Compton his 12th four and the coveted three figures, greeted with a hug from partner Hildreth and warm applause from Somerset supporters.They had good cause to be grateful as none of the other top order batsmen could match Compton’s powers of concentration. Trescothick had breezed to 36 when driving at a very wide ball from Onions and edging a catch to second slip.It was 82 for 1 at lunch and 50 more had been added when the accurate Onions struck again, bowling Suppiah middle and leg stump. Tea was taken at 212 for 3 and straight after the interval Elgar had a wild slog at Will Smith to surrender his wicket, also clean bowled. When Hildreth also moved sweetly into the thirties only to fall lbw playing a across a full ball from Buckley, Somerset were in danger of failing to capitalise on what seemed almost ideal batting conditions.Alex Barrow looked confident enough in moving to 25 before falling victim to the second new ball as his stumps were rearranged by Mark Wood to make it 307 for 5. Peter Trego kept Compton company until the close, but Durham could feel they had stuck to their task well in the soaring temperatures.

Hampshire hold a big advantage at the end of day two at Headingley

Myles Hodgson at Headingley17-May-2012
ScorecardSimon Katich progressed to 196 before being dismissed by Adil Rashid•PA Photos

Sunshine may not be regarded as a common currency at Headingley but it remains an influential factor in conditions when in residence and, during another weather-interrupted day’s play, it was Hampshire that profited most from its absence.At their own admission, they enjoyed the better of the conditions on the opening day and settled down to bat with the sun on their backs after overcoming an early collapse. But it was an entirely different proposition for both sides once rain relented by early afternoon of the second day with consistent cloud cover providing new challenges for all concerned.Already in a strong position on 352 for 5 when play resumed, Hampshire did their best to make hard work of passing 400 and claiming maximum batting points, losing three wickets in eight overs to ensure an unnecessary scramble to reach their target and were dismissed for 427. Yorkshire found equal difficulty in handling the conditions and lost three early wickets before finding a measure of stability through an unbroken 68-run stand between Phil Jaques and Gary Ballance.The sudden change from boundaries to regular dismissals was begun by a lack of concentration from Michael Bates, who had brought up his maiden championship hundred two overs earlier but was slow to switch on when he was called for a quick single by Simon Katich.Australian batsman Katich had pushed Steve Patterson, Yorkshire’s whole-hearted seamer, back down the ground and set off for an easy single, but Bates was slow to react and finished several feet out of his ground by the time Andrew Gale threw from deep mid-on to wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy, ending a Hampshire record-equalling 170-run sixth wicket stand against Yorkshire.From a position of relative comfort, that breakthrough changed the impetus quickly with Yorkshire turning to the legspin of Adil Rashid and earning immediate success. Now in his sixth season as a county player and two years since he was last considered as a legspinning allrounder of international class, Rashid has not developed as quickly as either Yorkshire or England would have liked.Out-bowled by the offspin of Joe Root during the opening day, Rashid still provided the occasional delivery that almost begged to be hit yet improved considerably on his first day efforts. He will have been proud of the ball that ended Katich’s six-hour innings four short of a double century, beating him in the flight as he attempted to sweep and inducing a leading edge to mid-on.His other two wickets were the result of Hampshire, who only reached maximum batting points with seven deliveries of the 110 overs remaining, attempting to score quick runs from their lower order. Yet figures of 3 for 86 represent a considerable improvement after claiming only five wickets in his five previous matches.Yorkshire’s reply could not have had much worse a start with Adam Lyth, desperate for runs after struggling throughout last season, falling lbw to Kabir Ali shouldering arms to the fifth ball of the innings. Root chose defensive defiance as a strategy and edged to slip after taking 63 minutes to score eight runs.Gale, a key figure in Bates’ run out earlier in the day, suffered the same fate with Jacques pushing to cover and setting off for a single, only for Michael Carberry to pounce superbly and throw down the stumps with the Yorkshire captain short of his ground. At 32 for 2, it may not have been the best judgement of a single, but it should not detract from Carberry’s athleticism to engineer the breakthrough, which was celebrated by a football-style celebration as his team-mates mobbed him.Jaques and Ballance, whose 203-run partnership at Bristol enabled Yorkshire to chase down 400 at Bristol last week, halted the slide, but with 178 runs still needed to avoid the follow-on, they will hope for bright sunshine when play starts on the third morning.

Trevor Penney, former Sri Lanka assistant coach, is one of the first men Duncan Fletcher is likely to bring on board as fielding coach

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2011Trevor Penney, the former Sri Lanka assistant coach, is one of the first men India’s new coach Duncan Fletcher is likely to bring on board. A BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo Penney was likely to be appointed as India’s fielding coach. Penney, 42, worked in a similar capacity, albeit in a part-time role, with Fletcher for England in 2005 before moving to Sri Lanka to be Tom Moody’s assistant.India have been without a fielding coach since Robin Singh was relieved from the post two years ago. Mike Young, who till recently was Australia’s fielding coach, worked with India as a consultant for about a month in late 2009, but there were no permanent appointments made.If appointed, Penney is likely to join the squad from the West Indies tour, which begins on June 4.An excellent fielder during his 17-year playing career with English county Warwickshire, Penney remained fit enough to be named among England’s substitute fielders for the 2005 Ashes, when he was 37 years old. He sparked controversy by coming onto the field repeatedly for England’s fast bowlers.When Moody decided to move to Western Australia after his Sri Lanka stint, Penney joined him there and later worked as Moody’s deputy at IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab. Interestingly, Penney was named as one of the candidates for the post of Sri Lanka coach after Sri Lanka Cricket decided not to renew Trevor Bayliss’ contract after the 2011 World Cup.

Sreesanth, the Indian fast bowler,has said it is important for fast bowlers to maintain their focus in the wake of early success and fame

Cricinfo staff21-May-2010Sreesanth, the Indian fast bowler, has said it is important for pace bowlers to maintain their focus in the wake of early success and fame. Speaking to Harsha Bhogle on Cricinfo’s audio show , Sreesanth said it was difficult for India’s fast bowlers to make the transition from domestic to international cricket, especially when playing overseas, and added that fear of injury and the urge to play on a long-term basis could be reasons for many promising young seamers to cut down on their pace after the first few games.”Focus is surely important, but again everyone lives their own personal life as well. As long as he knows the thin line between foolishness and bravery, that is very important,” Sreesanth said. “If you have a mentor or someone is looking up for you, with so much of money and entertainment involved, if there is one coach or family member, who actually keeps an eye on the player and if the player is ready to listen to them, you are alright. If you are talented and hardworking, nothing should bother you.”India have used 12 fast bowlers in the 68 ODIs they have played since the start of 2008. When asked if immense pressure to perform was the reason behind many struggling to keep their places in the side, Sreesanth said: “Honestly, you need to be performing rather than complaining. There is stress and there is pressure, especially when you play in Indian conditions. It’s actually tough to get on and start performing. It’s a challenge for a fast bowler, especially in the Powerplay of a one-day game, but you must endure those stressful moments.”Maybe the bowlers are planning to play in the long term, maybe 10 to 15 years instead of doing the job that is given to you,” Sreesanth said of the reason behind bowlers dropping in pace. “Maybe it’s the fear of injury. It’s always better to give your best every single day. I think that may be the reason – trying to conserve your energy for the next game than giving your best today.”Sreesanth made his debut against England in March 2006 and starting off his international career in home conditions, he said, made his transition to the highest level easier than for others. “If you’re playing in the subcontinent it’s a little easier because you’ve actually played at the Ranji Trophy level,” he said. “To cope with the international standards of batsmen, especially with most of them who don’t play in the domestic circuit, it’s tough for youngsters to come in and do their job. It takes a lot of patience and hard work to make a strong impact in the international circuit straight from the domestic circuit.”I’ve been lucky. I remember the first series we played was against England in India. I was lucky enough to bowl on an Indian track and then go abroad.”A balance between both strength and skill is an important ingredient for bowling fast along with accuracy, Sreesanth said. “Gym is very important, strength is surely important. But if you forget your skill…..you’ve got to work on your wrists, on your bowling and spot-bowling. What we forget after playing for our country is the spot-bowling which we grew up with in the countryside.”Sreesanth’s eight-wicket haul in the Johannesburg Test in 2006, which helped India win their first Test in South Africa, is considered to be among his best performances. But he rated his 5 for 75 against Sri Lanka in his comeback Test in Kanpur last year as his best outing.”I’ll rate that performance surely, as it is the only Test we have ever won there,” he said of his spell at the Wanderers. “But I think the comeback match against Sri Lanka in Kanpur – that was the best I bowled. I was under a lot of stress and pressure, and I never thought I’ll play for India again. Upon getting a chance in Kanpur, on those flattest of tracks, I could get the ball to reverse…I rate that as my best spell.”