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There was plenty of praise for India’s Mithali Raj after she became the highest run-getter in women’s ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2017Mithali Raj went past Charlotte Edwards to become the leading run-scorer in women’s ODIs.

Huge congrats to @M_Raj03 on becoming the leading run scorer in ODI cricket and first player to 6000 runs

— Charlotte Edwards (@Lottie2323) July 12, 2017

Congratulations, @M_Raj03! Becoming the highest run scorer in Women's ODIs is a huge achievement. Also, superb knock today!

— sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) 12 July 2017

A great moment for Indian Cricket, @M_Raj03 becomes the highest run scorer in Women's ODI Cricket History today. Champion Stuff!

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) 12 July 2017

Wonderful to hear that @M_Raj03 has become the all-time highest run-scorer in women's ODIs. Congratulations!

— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) 12 July 2017

The ultimate yardstick of a great player is to maintain excellence over a long period of time & that's what Mithali Raj has done.#WWC17

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) July 12, 2017

Congrats Mithali! Hard work n consistency leading you to become the highest run scorer in Women's ODI's.Well done@M_Raj03 #WWC17

— Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) July 12, 2017

A batswoman I have always admired has crossed yet another amazing landmark. Good luck with the rest of the World Cup @M_Raj03.

— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) July 12, 2017

Mithali Raj becomes the highest run scorer in Women's ODI Cricket History today. Super achievement ! @BCCI @M_Raj03

— ajinkyarahane88 (@ajinkyarahane88) 12 July 2017

Congratulations Mithali Raj for becoming the leading run-getter in ODIs. We are proud of you. @M_Raj03 @BCCIWomen

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) 12 July 2017

Great achievement for @M_Raj03 becoming the 1st female player to 6000 runs & highest ever run scorer. @BCCIWomen holding both records #WWC17

— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) 12 July 2017

Congrats @M_Raj03 on becoming the first woman to 6000 runs and the highest ODI run scorer. #runsforfun #WWC17

— Isa Guha (@isaguha) 12 July 2017

Seen the growth of @M_Raj03 from the age of 10 to becoming the 1st women cricketer 2 score 6000 ODI runs! Proud of u Mithali Keep it up

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) 12 July 2017

Congratulations @M_Raj03 on the remarkable feat of becoming the all-time highest run-scorer in women's ODIs. More power to you! #Girlpower

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) 12 July 2017

Congratulations Indian run-machine @M_Raj03!
Highest run getter in women's ODIs.
A true champion! #WomensWorldCup2017 #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/9d3K0yuvDI

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) 12 July 2017

Congratulations legend Mithali Raj @M_Raj03 on becoming the highest run scorer in Women ODIs.All time great. Wish the team the best#IndvAus

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 12, 2017

Congrats @M_Raj03 on becoming the leading run scorer in Women's ODI cricket. Phenomenal performer for India over many seasons. #WWC17

— Manoj Tiwary (@tiwarymanoj) July 12, 2017

Raj, whose ODI career began with a century on debut in 1999, said she was “privileged” to hold the record.

Privileged 2 have now become the all time leading run-scorer. Its been an incredible time scoring each & every run for @BCCIWomen #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/eVRjU8rdvP

— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) July 12, 2017

West Indies can call on some great memories at Edgbaston but they will start as underdogs against an England side on the up

George Dobell16-Aug-20172:14

‘Pink-ball cricket is not new to us’ – Holder

It was here at Edgbaston, in 1984, that England were exposed to West Indies at their best.Here where Andy Lloyd, a local favourite and England’s top-scorer in two of the three ODIs that preceded the series, saw his Test career ended less than an hour after it started as he was struck a horrible blow just above the right eye by a Malcolm Marshall delivery.Here where England, stunned by the ferocity of an attack that also included Michael Holding and Joel Garner, succumbed to defeat by an innings and 180 runs. The decisive first blow in the “blackwash” series that ended 5-0.Maybe Test cricket has featured better sides, more fearsome bowlers and a stronger top order – Gordon Greenidge, Des Haynes and Viv Richards in the top four pretty much amounted to bullying – but it is not immediately obvious when. The word “awesome” is overused, but it seems apt to describe West Indies. England felt their full force that summer.Times have changed. This West Indies side is placed at No. 8 in the Test rankings and has not won an away series against opposition apart from Bangladesh or Zimbabwe this century. They have won three away Tests (with the same caveat) in that period. They didn’t quality for the Champions Trophy and they almost certainly won’t qualify automatically for the World Cup. So much have expectations fallen that their captain, Jason Holder, described a year which has featured two defeats and one victory as “pretty decent.”Holder wasn’t dealt a handful of aces when he inherited the captaincy of this side. Gone are the days when West Indies had so many options they could leave out players of the class of Sylvester Clarke (who played 11 Tests), Ezra Moseley (who played two), Collis King (nine) or many, many more. All would be viewed as exceptional if they played today. All would be millionaires.Holder also inherited a poisonous relationship between board and players and a jaded relationship between players and supporters. All too often he has been left to answer questions about board policy or selection about which he had no input. All too often he has been asked to explain a decline which he, as much as anyone, wants to reverse. All too often he has been the one left to lead a team against impossible odds. And every time he has responded with patience, diplomacy and gentle courtesy and good humour.

“We’re fortunate to have an experienced seam attack in Jimmy and Broady. It might be that plans change if the ball goes soft, or the wicket is flat. But they have a huge amount of experience to call on”Joe Root

They are, arguably, a team in his image. With his height – his top of his head practically brushes the floodlights at Edgbaston – he does evoke memories of the tall fast bowlers of the past. But his pace is frustratingly below that of his forebears and his team, while talented, lack both the genius and experience of those that went before.For that and other reasons, his era of captaincy won’t be remembered like Clive Lloyd’s. But, one day, lovers of Caribbean cricket might come to look back with gratitude at the role he played in guiding the team through some of the choppiest waters in their history. It used to be argued that anyone could lead that side of 1984 to success; it might equally be argued that nobody can do the same with this one.Things are improving. The new CEO, Johnny Grave, has taken a bit of toxicity out of the environment. With a combination of the “amnesty” offered to players and the introduction of white-ball contracts in a few weeks’ time, some of the better known players will once again be made available for West Indies. How much difference that will make to the Test side remains unclear, but it should improve both their limited-overs performances and their reputation in the eyes of the team’s supporters.Does all this offer hope of a return to the great days of the past? Not really. That’s not realistic. But it offers hope of improvement. Because as the success of West Indies sides in the men and women’s World T20 and the U-19 World Cup remind us, there is still talent in the Caribbean. With better management, with better incentives, with better structures there is realistic hope of better times ahead.They are, as Holder admits, “huge underdogs” in this series. But they have a chance. If their seamers can harness the new, pink ball and if their batsmen – which is more of a worry – can withstand England’s attack, they can exploit an opposition that is talented but has holes in the XI. It should not be forgotten that England lost the last Test between these sides, albeit on a turning wicket in Barbados.”We have to make life as uncomfortable as possible for their senior players and put some pressure on the junior guys who are coming in,” Holder said. It sounds a decent plan.Both Holder and the team’s coach, Stuart Law, have mentioned their confidence in the bowlers’ ability to generate lateral movement with the old pink ball. If so, this could offer some advantage. England will be seeking reverse swing but, once the shine has worn off – by around 20 overs – and outside the twilight period, this could prove an attritional format of the game.Joe Root and Jason Holder pose with the Investec series trophy and the Wisden Trophy•Getty ImagesJoe Root feels that playing in such conditions is one of England’s strengths. And it is true that, in Stuart Broad and James Anderson, he has a pair of bowlers as well-equipped to bowl dry as any. An inexperienced West Indies batting line-up will be tested mentally as much as technically if the runs evaporate.”We’re very fortunate to have quite an experienced seam attack, especially in Jimmy and Broady,” Root said. “They have had a lot of success playing attritional cricket, whether it be in the sub-continent or out in the West Indies on those wickets that don’t necessarily offer a lot.”It might be that certain plans change if the ball does go soft, or the wicket is flat. But they have a huge amount of experience to call on.”The England line-up is also green. With three men in the top five boasting four caps and one half-century between them, there is a fragility that the likes of Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach can target. If they are going to have any hope of winning the Ashes, England really need at least two of Mark Stoneman, Dawid Malan and Tom Westley to use this series to find their feet in Test cricket.There might have been a temptation to omit Malan here. Had they done so, England could have included a second spinner in Mason Crane and perhaps substituted Toby Roland-Jones for Chris Woakes to rebalance the batting. But they were concerned that Woakes had not had enough cricket since returning from a significant injury and felt that Roland-Jones deserved another opportunity. They also believe there will be little assistance for spin bowlers.Root feels the secret of success in such conditions will be an ability to adapt. While the England team has, at times of late, seemed to only have a fifth gear, he will continue to instil a more controlled approach to ensure that, if the ball starts moving during the twilight period, they do not continue to bat as if the sun is blazing.”We’ve got to make sure that when the difficult periods crop up, we respond well and we respond quickly,” Root said. “Of course we want our team to be settled. You never want to go into a series with guys out of form or under pressure. But this is a great opportunity for players to cement their places.”It may also prove to be West Indies’ disadvantage that they come across England at a full-house Edgbaston. The novelty of the day-night scheduling has caught the public imagination and will mean that, for the first three days at least, England receive unstinting support. It will allow no room for complacency and might even make life a little intimidating for the opposition.A West Indies’ team intimidated at Edgbaston? It would have been unthinkable not so long ago. But times have changed and with England now led by a young, hungry man with points to prove and a reputation to establish, there is no doubt the hosts are the strong favourites for this series.

Bangladesh’s overseas struggles, South Africa’s biggest Test win ever, and other stats highlights from South Africa’s resounding performance in Bloemfontein

S Rajesh08-Oct-2017Bangladesh have taken huge strides as a Test team at home, but over these two Tests in South Africa, they showed they have a long way to go in overseas conditions. Their defeat in the second Test by an innings and 254 runs is their fourth-biggest innings defeat in Tests. The last time they lost by a bigger margin was way back in 2005, against England at Lord’s. For South Africa, this was their biggest Test win ever, surpassing their innings-and-229-run win against Sri Lanka in Cape Town in 2001.South Africa were barely tested with bat or ball in this match. They had four centurions, and scored 573 for the loss of just four wickets. They took 20 wickets conceding just 319 runs, an average of just 15.95 runs per wicket. The difference between Bangladesh’s bowling average (143.25) and batting average (15.95) is the sixth-largest in their Test history; the largest is also against South Africa, in Chittagong in 2003, when South Africa scored 470 for 2, and Bangladesh managed only 173 and 237. The last time the difference in the averages was larger than this was in May 2007, against India in Mirpur: a telling indicator of how poor Bangladesh were in this Test.

Only three times have Bangladesh lasted fewer deliveries when losing 20 wickets in a Test, and all those instances have come before 2006. More tellingly, each of them has occurred outside home, another rude reminder of how much they are lagging behind away from home.

Rabada’s specialSince his international debut in 2015, it was apparent to all that Kagiso Rabada was a special talent, and in the couple of years he has been around, he has largely fulfilled expectations. The Bloemfontein Test was a special one for him: he became the fifth-youngest in Test history to reach 100 Test wickets, and the joint third-fastest in terms of matches for South Africa, after Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn.Kagiso Rabada became the fifth-youngest bowler to take 100 Test wickets•ESPNcricinfo LtdHe also capped off the Test with a ten-for, finishing with outstanding figures of 10 for 63. Rabada was coming off slightly underwhelming performances in his last two series, in New Zealand and England (24 wickets at 31.92), but a weak Bangladesh batting line-up was no match for his pace and movement.After 22 Tests, Rabada has taken 102 wickets at an average of 22.71 and a strike rate of 39.8. As the table below shows, that compares well with some of the other top South African bowlers. Since the start of 2007, South Africa’s bowlers have taken 10 ten-wicket hauls in Tests, which have been shared among Steyn (five) Philander (two) and Rabada (three). In fact, the last three ten-fors by South African bowlers all belong to Rabada.

Also, only once has a South African bowler taken a ten-wicket haul conceding fewer runs than Rabada’s 63; Steyn took 11 for 60 against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 2013.

An unprecedented 5-0 success over their oldest enemy suggests England are in prime form a year out from the World Cup

George Dobell25-Jun-20182:20

Chris Woakes: Bowler, batsman, geography teacher?

Not so long ago, in 1994-95, the balance of power between England and Australia – in one-day cricket at least – was such that Australia decided to add an A side to a tournament between the two nations and Zimbabwe, just to ensure a bit of competition. And, sure enough, the final of that Benson & Hedges World Series was played between Australia and Australia A after England managed to lose crucial matches to both Zimbabwe and Australia A.So let nobody take the result of the Royal London Series lightly. Australia are the current World Cup holders and this was their best-available side. Their strength in depth is always enviable and, even in this series, they showed they had another fast bowler, in Billy Stanlake, who could enjoy a long career at this level. To have beaten them 5-0 – the first time England have managed such a feat – is worthy of respect. The fact that it follows a 4-1 victory in Australia, and that England have won 10 of the last 11 ODIs between the nations (and 12 from 14), underlines the new balance of power. There’s nothing wrong in savouring this success.There were several encouraging features of this success from an England perspective. There was the fact that four different batsmen – Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales and Jos Buttler – made at least one century during the series; there was the fact the top four wicket-takers – Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali, Liam Plunkett and David Willey – were England players; and that, having set a world-record score batting first in Nottingham they achieved the second-highest chase in their ODI history in Durham a couple of days later.The batting line-up stretches over the horizon and the bowling, even without Chris Woakes (their top-ranked ODI bowler) and Ben Stokes fared better than might have been expected. England know their best 12 or 13 – it seems unlikely that, barring injury, anyone from the outside can force themselves in now – and they are rated the No. 1 ODI team by the ICC. Perhaps not since 1992 have they been better placed ahead of a World Cup year.The manner of some of these victories – hard-fought and scrappy – and the fact they lost to Scotland barely two weeks ago, should stop England becoming too giddy. They required Willey, batting at No. 8, to see them to victory at The Oval and Jake Ball, surviving a maiden over at No. 11, to help them over the line in Manchester. There were moments, not least as Australia passed 300 in Cardiff, that the limitations of England’s attack were apparent and times, such as when England subsided to 114 for 8 in Manchester or 163 for 6 at The Oval, when we were reminded they still have the odd batting collapse in them. One of those at the wrong moment can quickly derail a World Cup campaign.Jos Buttler is engulfed after his unbeaten 110 sealed victory•AFPAnd that is a nagging worry. For with so much invested in this pursuit of the 2019 World Cup – and English cricket has been building to it for more than three years now – there is an apparently unavoidable fragility to their plans that is bound to leave them mercy to an element of chance. There is also the concern that, with so much expected and required of this England side, their fearlessness could fade away when the spotlight is at its brightest.It would be unfair to suggest they have simply gone all-in on red – they are far better than chancers – but there is discomfort in knowing that such a huge part of the strategy for England cricket over the last few years could be reliant on the toss of a coin or the foibles of the English weather.Still, it’s better to be pace-setters than no-hopers, as England were going into the 2015 World Cup. And it says something for the competition in the side that even Joe Root’s place is now in question and, were it not for the fear of destabilising the team, Eoin Morgan’s might be, too. Stokes will certainly return to the side when fit – Hales remains the most vulnerable – while Woakes was, perhaps, the more-missed of the two against Australia.Root remains as the insurance policy should England find themselves playing a game in bowler-friendly conditions and, while Buttler looks every inch a captain in waiting, removing Morgan now would be to repeat the mistakes of many previous campaigns: a bit of stability doesn’t do any harm. Besides, Morgan’s statistics from the recent series – when he struck the quickest half-century in England’s ODI history – aren’t so bad: a batting average of 37.75 and a strike-rate of 126.89; higher than everyone involved except Bairstow.No doubt Australia will be stronger by the time the World Cup starts. At least some of their faster bowlers should have returned; surely Steve Smith and David Warner, too. But Morgan made an interesting point after the match in Manchester. Reflecting on England’s experiences going into the 2015 World Cup, he recalled “a generation of England players that had never won a game in Australia”. While his memory was slightly faulty – England had actually lost seven of their previous eight ODIs against Australia in Australia before the group encounter (another defeat) in Melbourne – the point still holds: “there was a big mountain to climb” in terms of belief. The default position of Australia players would appear to be dauntless self-confidence but recent drubbings must have eroded that a little.So Australia are in transition and South Africa are reeling from the loss of several top players. We know that Pakistan – the most recent winners of a global 50-over trophy – can never be discounted, but perhaps it is India who offer the most obvious threat to England’s dreams. Which means the ODI series between the teams in July should be intriguing.

The World Cup holders will look to roll out their reinvigorated game in T20, but could be weakened by a couple of key absences

Ankur Dhawan09-Nov-2018

Squad list

Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Kirstie Gordon, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones (wk), Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Linsey Smith, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danielle Wyatt

World T20 pedigree

Despite winning the inaugural WWT20, England have flirted with the dreaded c-word by consistently stumbling at the finish line in subsequent tournaments. Australia proved to be their tormentor on three occasions, as they lost two finals – by four runs and six wickets – and then the semi-final of the 2016 edition by five runs. That last defeat in the Delhi heat hurt, largely because they weren’t outplayed but were let down by their own fitness levels, in what should have been a comfortable run chase. But it presented England a mirror and they did not shy away from it.In addition to fitness, winning crunch moments had been a nagging issue, and a tangible manifestation of their improvement in that regard was the two-wicket win over South Africa in the World Cup semi-final last year. Since then they have won eight of their 13 T20I matches. One of those victories came on the back of smashing 250, the highest T20I score in women’s cricket, against South Africa in a tri-series involving New Zealand. England went on to win the tournament, beating a strong New Zealand side comfortably in the final.On the face of it, all looks dandy for a progressively improving England but the loss of frontline allrounder Katherine Brunt due to injury could prove to be a major blow, particularly as they were already missing wicketkeeper-batsman Sarah Taylor, who was not included because long-standing anxiety issues.Mark Robinson, coach of England women, addresses the huddle•Getty Images

Recent T20I form

A win rate of 60% in 2018 hides more than it reveals given that England have played just ten T20Is this year. Both were tri-nations series, the first one involving India and Australia in India and the next one at home against South Africa and New Zealand. A source of solace would be the fact that they have had a run-in with all major teams and were runners-up against Australia and India, before going a step further by beating New Zealand in the final of the subsequent tri-series.

The captain and coach

Part of the sweeping changes that followed England’s WWT20 exit in 2016 was the appointment of Heather Knight as the captain in place of the long-serving Charlotte Edwards. Given that Knight has already led them to a World Cup title at home leaves little doubt about her captaincy credentials but her batting in the shortest format of the game has never been as prolific as in the longer formats. She averages 16.65, with a strike rate of 112.68, both of which require bolstering; but can also provide a bowling option with her offspin.Mark Robinson took charge of England in 2015 and designed the blueprint to iron out the flaws that thwarted their chances at the 2016 WWT20. As well as instigating a change of captain, he encouraged senior players to step up a level, while introducing several talented youngsters to the set-up. Under him, England have become fitter, more resilient and better equipped at handling pressure than earlier teams, who were competitive but would often stumble at crucial junctures.Natalie Sciver leans into a drive•Associated Press

Best players

Danielle Wyatt has the best strike rate among England’s top-four (127.10) and she has shown good form in the warm-up match against India where she struck a fifty. If she can provide impetus during the Powerplay, the accumulators Tammy Beaumont, Nat Sciver and Knight, who all go at under 115 can play around her normally. Beaumont has also shown that she can shift gears and assume the role of the enforcer, as she did against South Africa in Taunton, where she struck 116 off 52 balls to set the tone for England’s record-breaking 250 for 3. Pace-bowler Anya Shrubsole‘s role becomes even more important in the absence of Brunt.

Where will they finish?

Despite two notable absentees, England should have enough class to sail through to the semi-finals from a group featuring hosts West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Asia Cup holders Bangladesh. After that, it comes down to handling those crunch moments once again.

After misfielding on his first touch in international cricket, India’s latest allrounder did not look back and grabbed his first opportunity as if it was his last

Sreshth Shah at Eden Gardens05-Nov-2018Krunal Pandya’s first touch in international cricket was disastrous. Moments after making his debut, he was chasing a Shai Hope drive to the boundary off the evening’s second delivery.Krunal had covered the ground in a flash by sprinting towards the boundary. But just as he slid across the ground to parry the ball back, it inadvertently slipped through his fingers and touched the boundary rope. A despondent Krunal was left with retrieveing the ball from beyond the boundary.Starting your India career with an error is not the best of starts. But that first mistake would also be his last in a dream debut that saw India clinch a five-wicket win against West Indies in the series opener.Introduced in the eighth over by captain Rohit Sharma, Krunal conceded ten off his first over. He could not quite gauge the turn offered by the pitch, and after two consecutive wides down the leg side, Krunal had been deposited by Kieron Pollard over long-off. Team-mates in the IPL, Pollard would have faced Krunal countless times over the past three years in the Mumbai Indians nets, and it looked like the West Indian allrounder had a one-up over his Indian counterpart after the first-over bout. But in his second over, a composed Krunal quickly made amends.The first ball of his second over rapped Pollard on the pads, a tight lbw shout turned down. But the next delivery, a quicker one that skidded through, was smacked right down long-on’s throat once the fielder was positioned straighter after that previous six. Krunal had earned his maiden international wicket, and he did not hesitate to blow kisses towards Pollard as he trodded his way back to the pavillion at 47 for 4.”He’s (Pollard) like a brother to me,” Krunal told after the match. “And to get him as the first international wicket is a special thing for me because I’ve been very close to him. During the game itself, I was teasing him that I got his wicket. The kisses at the end was my love for Pollard after getting him out.”Krunal did not add to his wickets tally from there but he also did not concede any more boundaries after that, finishing with 1 for 15 off his four overs, going for only five runs off his final 18 deliveries.Krunal Pandya blows a kiss to Kieron Pollard after getting his wicket•Associated PressIt must have helped that Krunal was being captained by his leader at Mumbai Indians. In the IPL, Rohit had utilised Krunal’s skills brilliantly in the middle overs, using the left-arm spinner’s accuracy to plug the flow of runs. In Kolkata, it was much of the same, as he let the debutant place his fielders just as he wished and backed him without adding any pressure.”I have played a lot under Rohit, under 40-50 games of IPL under him,” Krunal said. “The best part about playing under him is he allows you to express yourself, whether you’re bowling or batting. He keeps things simple and he just says that whate​​ver you want, I’ll give you. Whether fielding or batting also, he never gives you pressure.”Rohit may not have exerted any pressure on him, but the scoreboard surely did when Krunal walked in to bat in the chase. India were at 83 for 5 after 15 overs, with 27 runs to get, and Krunal joined Dinesh Karthik amidst stunned silence after Manish Pandey’s dismissal. Another wicket and India’s weak tail would have been exposed.But Krunal has been in such situations before. For Mumbai Indians, he has played the role of the finisher fairly well in the past. Remember his Man-of-the-Match performance in the IPL 2017 final? India needed a similar innings from Krunal and, of course, he delivered.With another finisher in Karthik at the other end, Krunal quickly soaked in all the pressure built up by dot balls. He took a single off his first, ran a hard double off his second, and by the time he had faced the third ball, Krunal was batting like this was his 50th international match and not his first. The experience of playing over 50 T20s overall was showing. When Fabian Allen floated one up, maybe tempting the batsman to slog, Krunal quickly shuffled across the line and executed a reverse paddle towards the third-man boundary for four. India needed a comfortable 16 off 24 now.In the next over, Krunal dabbed one fine off left-arm spinner Kharry Pierre to beat short-third man, and with 10 runs to go when the 18th over began, he nonchalantly flicked Keemo Paul off his pads to the deep-midwicket boundary. He got the winning runs in style, driving over cover and jogging back for the second, to seal the chase with 13 balls left. He finished with 21 off just nine balls – the best strike rate (233.33) among all batsmen on the evening.When asked whether he felt any nerves before going in to bat at No. 7, Krunal said, “Not at all, no butterflies at all to be honest. I told myself that I have prepared before this tournament and I have been waiting for this opportunity. Then why should I take pressure at that particular moment? So I was completely enjoying myself when I was there. I was just thinking about how I started playing and that this is my moment, so I can’t let go from here.”Hardik Pandya gets a kiss from brother Krunal after taking Mumbai Indians home•BCCIThis is what Krunal had worked towards for the past three years. He had seen his younger brother Hardik catapult his way into the India team, and he himself had to wait. Hardik, currently out with a back injury, told his brother to play “fearless cricket”, and Krunal displayed exactly that with both ball and bat. Some say that Krunal is fighting for Hardik’s spot as the allrounder in the India team, but the brothers don’t see it that way.”We don’t compete with each other,” Krunal said after the match. “Hardik is a completely different category, he’s a fast-bowling allrounder and I’m a spinning allrounder. So I doubt we need to compete. I’d love to play with him, rather than competing with him. I’ve mentioned before also, whenever he does well, I feel so happy. And whenever I do well, he feels so happy. There is no rivalry. We are so worried about each other [when the other is in action].”Before this series he was teasing me that, ‘Keep my name, go and perform’. I told him, ‘Okay, just make sure I don’t overtake you’. It was all banter, that’s how my relationship is with Hardik. Just before the game when I was with him before joining the team, he told me, ‘Just go out there and play fearless cricket, what you’ve been doing’. That’s the only advice – apart from that I guess Hardik can’t give anything.”It hardly looked like it was Krunal’s first international match. He looked like a man who was always in control. Perhaps, it was the long wait since his breakthrough IPL season that moulded him for this moment, perhaps it was the advantage of having a brother who has been here before, or perhaps, it was Krunal’s attitude of making it count in his first match itself.”Honestly, I have been waiting for my opportunities,” he said. “I was preparing myself before the tournament – whether playing IPL or domestic cricket – but my ultimate goal was to play for India from childhood.”But lately I was desperately waiting for my opportunity. And I told myself, I don’t need two-three games, I just need one game, because that’s how I prepared myself. I like whenever there is a pressure situation, because I work hard for that situation, not for the easy one. So whenever I get those kind of situations, I feel, ‘Okay, here I can be a hero’. So whenever I see this kind of situation, I love it.”With Rohit leading him for the next two games in Lucknow and Chennai, don’t be surprised if Krunal’s all-round performances make him a regular member of India’s T20 set-up soon, and perhaps, even a candidate for the 50-over World Cup squad next year.

According to ESPNCricinfo’s Luck Index, Yusuf Pathan’s dropped catch off Mayank Agarwal gave Kings XI Punjab an advantage of eight runs

ESPNcricinfo Stats Team08-Apr-2019In a game of T20 cricket, every small error makes a big difference.Kings XI Punjab’s successful chase off the penultimate delivery against Sunrisers Hyderabad after having quite a few key luck factors go their way proves that. ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index estimates how Kings XI got lucky and that led to their victory.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe most important Luck Event in Kings XI’s innings turned out to be the dropped catch of Mayank Agarwal in the 16th over by Yusuf Pathan. According to Luck Index, the drop had an impact of eight runs for Kings XI. Mayank was on 40 off 36 before the drop and after the drop, he scored 15 off seven balls.The batsmen to follow were David Miller, Sarfaraz Khan and Mandeep Singh. Luck Index takes into account the quality of batsmen, their form and the overs remaining of each opposition bowler, and then estimates the impact of the luck event. In this case, it estimated that had Agarwal gotten out, those seven balls would have been faced by others and they would have scored eight runs fewer than his. Thus, Pathan’s drop – a straightforward chance – basically cost Sunrisers the match in the end.Other key luck events were two misfields in the final over. Just 11 runs were needed. On the first ball, Deepak Hooda’s misfield allowed the batsmen to take two runs. And in the end, when two were needed of two, David Warner’s fumble at long-on once again allowed two runs.

Week 3 had stars old and new showing up, Super Overs, and genius captaincy.

Varun Shetty23-Sep-2019Super Ricky shows up, Allen’s stock rises furtherAfter an up-and-down show last week, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots needed to get points on the board and captain Carlos Brathwaite was at the forefront. He took two wickets as Trinbago Knight Riders made 216 on the back of a Lendl Simmons 90, then made a 30-ball 64 after coming in at 80 for 4 and helped them tie the game as birthday boy Jimmy Neesham followed up a 31-run first over by failing to defend 19 in the last.In the Super Over, he starred in both halves – making 17 not out and then warding off protests from his team-mates, the management, and pretty much half the dugout to take the ball and concede only five against Kieron Pollard, the man who took the T20I captaincy from him recently.Some physical contact ensued between Knight Riders’ Ali Khan and Patriots’ Evin Lewis during the Super Over, causing a bust up as the batsman wasn’t pleased. Both of them were fined.Fabian Allen continued to show off his new and improved batting dimension, putting in a breathtaking performance from No. 7 after Patriots fell to 82 for 6 against Jamaica Tallawahs. Allen made an unbeaten 27-ball 62 as Patriots finished with 176 and killed the momentum Tallawahs have long sought in this edition of the CPL.Perfect Malik and his perfect teamTallawahs were at the receiving end again when Guyana Amazon Warriors captain Shoaib Malik had the perfect game: his 37-ball 67 took them to 218, his bold strategy of starting the innings with eight straight overs of spin paid off against a powerful line-up, and he even added two catches and a run-out as they capped off an 81-run win.Malik went one better on Sunday, even getting his bowling into the picture. As one of three spinners alongside Chris Green and Imran Tahir, he conceded only 10 in his four overs, and took the wicket of Barbados Tridents captain Jason Holder. The trio took a combined 7 for 46 in 13.3 overs as Amazon Warriors made it six in six to seal a playoff spot with four games to go.Bowler of the weekIt could have been either one of Green and Tahir, but the offspinner snuck in a career-best four-for in the last match of the week to sneak ahead of the veteran. Green has gradually become a player of interest to many franchises over the last year or so – his specialist ability bowling in Powerplays and at the death still a rare combination in T20 cricket all these years later.Green took five wickets from three games at an economy of 6.00 this past week. Trailing closely behind on a concentrated list of bowlers with four wickets in that period were Holder with an economy of 5.63 and Tahir with an economy of 5.37.Batsman of the weekIt was a pity what happened around Glenn Phillips during his magnificent 87 against Patriots. Having singlehandedly kept them in the chase – no, really, he made 87 of the 123 they had when he was dismissed – he missed out on both a hundred and an entry into the newly-founded Order of Exceptional Individual Innings. His 40 against Amazon Warriors was an impressive stay too, and joint top score in the Tallawahs innings.

Every dot ball and every six matters that much more in such a condensed format

Barny Read in Abu Dhabi17-Nov-2019For most, the Abu Dhabi T10 is a learning exercise. It is a young tournament, with a format still learning how to walk. There are some, such as three-year veterans Eoin Morgan and Darren Sammy, who can draw on T10 muscle memory but, largely, the teams are learning on the job.It makes for intriguing viewing, especially seeing how the eight captains go about maneuvering their sides through blink-of-an-eye cricket.Some things are a given: win the toss and put them in, bowl into Abu Dhabi’s slow pitch and make batsmen hit to the bigger boundaries square of the wicket. But many other aspects are brand new.Karnataka Tuskers captain Hashim Amla put it like this after his debut: “By and large the game just goes on… the decisions are made for you.”It’s easy to see what he means, the three-game match-days moving at such a pace that they can appear to drift by without your full knowledge, each fixture blending into the other upon reflection at the close.It requires a captain’s full attention, such is the significance of every ball as T10’s fine margins are heightened by the large gains of every dot ball, every six and every wicket.”Every ball is an event, which I really like. It can swing around so quickly,” Delhi Bulls coach Stephen Fleming said. “You’ve really got to be as accurate as you can for those 60 deliveries and small mistakes are going to count.”One man fully embracing the challenge of captaincy is England international Dawid Malan. “It’s good fun, I absolutely love it,” he said. “I love the challenge of trying to be one step ahead, of thinking ahead. It’s just about staying level and being as consistent as you can.”Malan, who leads the Qalandars, knows that “bowlers win you games, batsmen set you up” and so do his counterparts, with the importance of your performance in the field so vital in professional cricket’s most condensed format.”I try and speak to [the bowlers] and [tell them] just bowl your best ball,” Team Abu Dhabi’s Moeen Ali said. “I try and just make things clear for the bowlers, something I’ve been doing at Worcester and it works quite nicely.”Northern Warriors captain Sammy agrees, saying that T10 is “not a game you think too much” about until you’ve got the ball in your hand.”I think when you’re in the field, as a bowling unit, that’s when the thinking really comes in because if you have five or six specialist batters, they’re supposed to bat 60 balls for you,” he said.”For us, I won’t dwell on [the result] too much. If we had two or three days in between games, then you could sit down and discuss. We need to be positive and think of the next game.”It raises an interesting point as to how teams analyse performances while learning the sport as they go, as well as instilling a team ethos and camaraderie in such a short period of time.The games come thick and fast during a 29-match, 10-day tournament and with players flying in just days out from the first ball – and even halfway through in the case of those involved in the recently concluded Afghanistan vs West Indies series – it isn’t easy to create a team environment that breeds unique brands of cricket.For Fleming, it is a common concern in franchise cricket that, like everything else in T10, is brought into sharper focus due to its compressed nature.”It’s a franchise question every time: ‘What do you try and achieve in a short space of time?’ And you can waste a lot of time trying to get an environment that is tight.”The former New Zealand captain has quickly become aware of how important a player’s instincts and skills are when in the middle. “You pick players from the start that you think will gell, so there’s an aspect of that in the draft, and then it’s about backing your skills.”There’s not a lot you can do to get a lot of gain out of it. Two weeks is just not enough time so it’s really a skill-based competition and creating an environment where the players feel they can be as good as they can be or why you bought them so that’s a lot to concentrate on.”

England’s leading wicket-taker may have played his last away Test – but pension him off at your peril

Andrew Miller09-Jan-2020This is surely not quite the end of James Anderson’s indefatigable, incredible international career. If he’s still got the hunger to push for yet another comeback (and he certainly gave that impression in tweeting that he expected to be back from his rib injury in “weeks”) then he demonstrated beyond all doubt at Cape Town that he’s still got the form.But nevertheless, Anderson’s departure from England’s tour of South Africa might yet prove to be the final send-off for a significant and much-debated subset of a truly great Test career. Is this the last hurrah for his overseas Test record – one of the great injustices of public perception?For Anderson had already signalled his intention to skip the tour of Sri Lanka in the spring – a trip for which he may not now be fit, but where the spin-dominant conditions had left him with a walk-on role in last year’s 3-0 series win. And as for that ultimate unsated ambition, the next tour of Australia (no country for old men at the best of times), that does not come around until 2021-22. He will be into his 40th year by then, and no matter how willing his spirit may be, it would be quite some indictment of England’s bowling resources if he was called upon to lead the line for a fifth Ashes tour.ALSO READ: Anderson ruled out of SA tour with rib injuryAnd so, could this be it? If so, it was quite a way to go – becoming, at the age of 37 years and 159 days, the oldest England seamer to claim a five-wicket haul since Freddie Brown in 1951 (and Brown, a habitual legspinner, had only been bowling seam-up that day to exploit the damp Melbourne conditions). Not only did Anderson prove, for the umpteenth time, that he could do it overseas, he did so at an age when most self-respecting quick bowlers are eyeing up a comfy chair in the commentary box in exchange for a few “in my day” anecdotes.But instead of the easy option of a well-deserved retirement, Anderson has now hoovered up 216 wickets at 32.05 in 67 Tests outside of England, which is more than John Snow (202) or Angus Fraser (177) managed in the whole of their own fine careers, and just a few scalps shy of a slew of the men alongside whom he honed his craft – Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough, Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff.One could still argue that the most outstanding aspect of that haul comes in its sheer longevity, but it is significantly better than average by any standards. Moreover, in the last decade of overseas action, dating back to the victorious Ashes tour of 2010-11 – where Anderson’s 24 wickets in five Tests included four-wicket hauls in the first innings of each of England’s three innings wins – that average dips to 28.31, and at an economy rate of 2.63 that confirms the respect with which his spells have been negotiated.