All posts by h716a5.icu

Food and wine are smashed in our Twitter round-up

Alex Bowden24-Jun-2016Kevin Pietersen’s apparently moved on from coffee. He seems to have developed an interest in other liquids.

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Nothing says London’s getting taken down quite like a middle-aged man feeling faintly apprehensive about what he’s doing to himself after taking one sip of red wine.Perhaps his fears were justified though. What led to his look in the following photo? A Babycham? A spritzer?

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Never one to make a point once if he could instead make it a thousand times, here’s a tale of tailored depravity.

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It’s almost as if he’s seen his mate Chris Gayle build himself a reputation through conspicuously reporting his own “party” lifestyle and has decided to try and do something similar.Gayle doesn’t document himself falling by the wayside, however. It’s like Shaun Pollock says…

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It’s safe to say Danny Morrison doesn’t quit.

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Being Danny Morrison is a 24×7 occupation.So’s being Shane Warne.

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How’s Jimmy Neesham enjoying the UK?

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Nope. But we do have some tips on how you can feel like you’ve shortened your travel time.

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The truth is that driving slowly through deserted roadworks is as much a part of British life as drinking tea. How you getting on with that, by the way, Jimmy?

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Chris Gayle knows a trick to make himself feel at home, however. Simply go and eat in the place favoured by cricketers the world over.

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Looks like a good, balanced meal.Finally, let’s finish in traditional style with the latest Virat Kohli in-flight selfie.

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But ominous news – could that have been the last example we’ll see for a while?

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Not good enough. Get back in a plane, Virat. Your public has certain expectations of you now.

New Zealand opener Tom Latham talks about batting in India, being unlike his dad, and how he changed his one-day game around

Arun Venugopal02-Nov-2016When Tom Latham was first called up to play for New Zealand, in ODIs against Zimbabwe in 2012, the news came to him as a “massive surprise”. He had made a hundred for Canterbury but had otherwise played only a handful of List A games. Four years on, at the end of New Zealand’s tour of India this season, Latham was the side’s highest run-getter – 244 runs at a strike rate of nearly 90 – in the five-match one-day series.The son of “Rocking Rod” Latham, who is remembered for his attacking batting in the 1992 World Cup, has always been known for his more orthodox style of play.”I’d probably say I’m more of a traditionalist than a flamboyant [batsman],” Latham says. “I’m probably more technically correct than maybe he was, but it’s cool to look back and see what he did in the game and now see what I am doing.”He believes his father is more suited to T20 than him. “During the World Cup he played, in ’92, [Mark] Greatbatch started something off, I guess, and it is pretty cool to look back and see the way he played.”Latham was about 15 when he decided to commit to a future in cricket over rugby, after he made a New Zealand Under-19 side to tour England. He and his older brother Matt used to play rugby and cricket growing up, and being an All Black was a childhood dream, but the cricket call-up changed things. “I suppose when your name is put for New Zealand, that’s where the dream started,” he says. “So I decided to finish rugby and put all my time to cricket. I think that was a good decision.”Rod coached his sons’ teams when they were young, but Latham now relies on his father more for parental-type advice than for coaching. “Hess [Mike Hesson] and Craig McMillan here, and Bob Carter and Paul Wiseman back home are the coaches I have worked with growing up. They are the guys I talk to a lot about batting and have a lot of sessions [with] back home.”I suppose it’s nice to lean on his [Rod Latham’s] advice. When something is going wrong, because he has been at that level, been there done that, he knows the pressures of international cricket.”Unlike his father, who got his first chance at international cricket when he was nearly 30, Latham junior was only 19 when he won his first New Zealand cap. But an earlier start didn’t mean an easier one. Latham batted in every position from one to nine, and was the team’s reserve wicketkeeper, without ever being a certainty in the XI.

“Over the last two to three years, we have played some very good cricket and it’s an amazing culture we’ve got there. What Brendon and Kane have brought to this group is belief”

“It was nice to get that opportunity at an early age and have a taste for it early on and see the standard of where I needed to get there,” Latham says. “I suppose that was a unique situation [batting from one to nine]. I was sort of a utility guy; I wasn’t necessarily first choice in the team, but managed to fill a lot of spots, whether it was at the top of the order or in the middle or with the gloves.”The ride got smoother when he made his Test debut. New Zealand had been struggling to find a consistent opening combination and Latham gave them some relief with three 70-plus scores in his first five Test innings, in the West Indies in 2014. In each of those innings Latham batted for four hours or longer. Later that year he scored his maiden Test hundred, against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, and followed it up with another century in the next Test, in Sharjah.”When you miss out, that makes you hungry to get back in the side, and it’s only in the last couple of years that I have been a full member of the side,” he says. “It’s been really nice I got the opportunity to open, and I certainly feel that position suits my game a lot, and it’s been a good couple of years.”This period has also been marked by Latham’s increasing prowess overseas – four of his five Test hundreds have come outside New Zealand. On the difficult tour of India, not only did Latham do well in the ODIs, he was also easily New Zealand’s best batsman in the Tests. He occupied the crease for 18 hours, nearly six and a half more than the captain, Kane Williamson, second on the list, did.Latham can’t quite explain his success abroad, but says he formulates a game plan and sticks to it.”As soon as I go outside my game plan, that’s when things seem to go wrong. For me, especially at the Test level, it’s about sticking it out there and spending as much time at the crease [as possible].”So what is his game plan?”I don’t want let too much into my secret, but it’s having shots you want to score from certain bowlers.”Obviously, as you’ve seen here [in India] and in the UAE, I love playing the sweep shot. It’s one of my favourite shots and a shot that seems to work really well for me.”I wouldn’t say I’ve put a massive focus on it. It’s just a shot that comes naturally to me. I probably find playing that easier than going down the ground.”Latham places emphasis also on emotional equanimity, especially in conditions where there is either exaggerated swing or turn. The attritional nature of his game, he says, requires both physical and mental fitness. “It’s about sticking to your game plan and believing in that plan to work, [even if] you have faced 30 dots,” he says. “You have to keep calm. What happened the ball before doesn’t matter now. You’ve got to regroup and focus on the next ball. The more times you can do that then it means hopefully you can score a lot of runs.Four of Tom Latham’s five Test hundreds have come overseas•AFP”I’ve done a little bit of work growing up in certain camps and winter-training groups arranged by New Zealand Cricket, a bit of mental stuff.”He says the conditions in India were the toughest he has faced and that it’s difficult to replicate this sort of environment while training back at home.”If you look at the scores I got in the Test matches [three fifties without a hundred], maybe I did run out of steam a little bit. I don’t think you can train for that back home in conditions that are so different. It’s about staying hydrated and being as fit as possible.”When you want to win games of cricket, you need those big scores. I have been in that position a lot this tour, and hopefully whenever I am in that position next time, I can kick on. It’s about doing things for longer over here. If you can keep [the bowlers] out for as long as possible, they are human and they will bowl bad balls. I suppose that’s the biggest learning for me – trying to do things for a little bit longer.”But it’s not that Latham altered his technique to get runs in the ODIs. What he altered was his mindset, while playing county cricket for Kent earlier this year. “I wouldn’t say I have done a huge focus on one-day cricket. It’s been more just groove the technical thing. It’s more of a mindset change than a technical change,” he says. “I was lucky enough to go over and play county cricket this year and found it really good just playing day in and day out and not training too much.”You are itching to play all three formats. For me, that’s been a big thing coming over here and improving my strike rate early on. Not necessarily my strike rate, but just a little more intent at the crease. I feel like I’ve done that recently well.”New Zealand’s journey to the World Cup final last year played an important role as well in kindling Latham’s desire to be a regular in the ODI set-up. Though part of the World Cup squad, he didn’t get a game. But he wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

“It’s been really nice I got the opportunity to open, and I certainly feel that position suits my game a lot, and it’s been a good couple of years”

“We had a hell of a side out there. It was an amazing six weeks for us. When you are in your own tricky situations, you draw experiences from them and believe that things can be done. It’s very motivating to want to play 50-over cricket.”As a young keeper, Latham grew up idolising Adam Gilchrist and Brendon McCullum, and he says it was “surreal” when he first got to share the dressing room with McCullum. More recently, Latham has benefited from his interactions with Williamson and Hesson.”Over the last two to three years, it’s been a nice time for New Zealand cricket. We have played some very good cricket and it’s an amazing culture we’ve got there. There are no rules or anything like that – we are all adults. What Brendon and Kane, and all of those guys, have brought to this group is belief.”With Kane [the conversations are] probably more about batting, and Kane is quite hooked about batting. I suppose we’ve got a similar sort of mindset on things and just to share ideas and see what he’s working on. A lot of things have come in handy – I am not going to say what, but it’s just good to chat about cricket; it’s a game we all love and we are all trying to better.”When it’s pointed out that some of his shots, like the back-foot punch, bear likeness to Kumar Sangakkara’s, Latham smiles and says he has read people say as much on social media. “He’s another one I have looked up to. It’s about trying to take little things they do and have your own spring on things. I’d certainly love to sit down with him, if I ever get a chance, and just talk batting.”Latham says outside of cricket he’s a quiet person who loves to spend time outdoors, mostly playing golf. But he’d also like to be a role model for youngsters in the way former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw was for him. “He has been pretty inspirational for a lot of New Zealanders, winning two World Cups back to back, and what he has done as a player is pretty cool.”If I carry on playing for the Black Caps, hopefully I can inspire people and they can look up to me. And it goes for everyone. We are all trying to do our best for our country and the support we get is amazing. Hopefully that continues.”

India batsman KL Rahul on his skills, inspirations and aspirations

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2016India batsman KL Rahul says if he can play the big shots in the longer format, it will help him throw the spinners off and makes things easier for him and the batsmen that follow.1:10

‘Hitting sixes will help me in Tests as well’ – Rahul

‘Switching between formats is as simple as you make it’
He doesn’t change a lot when switching between different formats, Rahul says, as he likes to keep it simple.1:00

‘Switching between formats is as simple as you make it’ – Rahul

‘I try to work on my wicketkeeping’
Rahul says he likes to keep in touch with his wicketkeeping skills as he could be called upon to keep at any time, and he also works hard on his fitness so he can be ready for the added demands on his body should such a situation arise.0:53

‘I try to work on my wicketkeeping’ – Rahul

‘The guy who inspires you is sitting right next to you in the dressing room’
There is no need to look far for inspiration, Rahul says, having Virat Kohli as a team-mate.0:50

‘The guy who inspires you is sitting right next to you in the dressing room’ – Rahul

Lachlan Ferguson flew all the way from London to Hobart to watch his brother make his Test debut. What he saw caused him to rush to the exit in exasperation

Daniel Brettig in Hobart12-Nov-2016Let’s say you live in London. You get a call to say that your older brother Callum Ferguson, after years of trying and a pair of serious knee injuries, has been added to the Australian squad for a Test match for the very first time. You don’t know for sure if he’ll be playing, but you book a flight to the far side of the world anyway, just in case.You take the journey, around 20 hours in the air from London to Melbourne, followed by a short hop of around an hour from there to Hobart. On arrival, you find that your brother is actually going to play, making the trip worthwhile but also filling you with plenty of nerves.So you sit and watch things unfold alongside your father. You see your brother presented with a baggy green cap he has been chasing for well over a decade, handed over by his old Redbacks teammate Greg Blewett. You see the coin toss and the news that Australia are to be sent in to bat. You notice the green grass on the pitch, the lushness of the outfield, the dull light and sprinklings of rain. You’re reminded of the country you’ve just flown from.Your brother is set to bat at No. 6, so you don’t expect to be seeing him out there particularly soon. You settle in to watch the openers David Warner and Joe Burns trot out to the middle to start the innings. You see Vernon Philander at the top of his mark, looking calm but eager, in conditions tailored beautifully for his seam and swing.After the first five balls, you think Warner has handled things well enough, but then you see Philander spray his sixth delivery well wide of the stumps, out almost near the return crease. You’re half expecting the umpire to signal wide, but instead you see Warner’s arms outstretched instead, trying vainly to reach the ball and succeeding only in snicking a catch behind and gifting his wicket to Philander. You hear exclamations of surprise and annoyance around you.Next you watch Burns being sized up by Kyle Abbott, a seam bowler who had success against the Australians in the ODI series in South Africa. You know that Burns has just been recalled to the team after being dropped in Sri Lanka, and that his Gabba education should help on tough days for batting against pace. Then you see Abbott jag one back off the seam, much as he did to Aaron Finch in Port Elizabeth a few weeks ago, and see Burns struck on the pad in front, his bat not straight, his head falling over to the off side. You feel slightly nauseous as the umpire’s finger goes up – not all to do with the jetlag.David Warner chased at a wide one from Vernon Philander to start Australia’s collapse•Getty ImagesYou watch Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith scratch around for a while, letting numerous balls sail perilously close to the stumps either side of a brief rain delay. You start to think they might be getting through the worst of it, with just eight runs on the board, when you see Khawaja squared up by a Philander delivery that rears off the pitch and caught in the slips.Not far from where you’re sitting, Adam Voges walks out to the middle. This time last year, you followed the scores from a Test in Hobart against the West Indies, and saw Voges collar 269 not out against a benighted Caribbean side. Now you see Voges take guard, ready himself, then stand motionless at the crease after edging the most perfect of leg cutters from Philander. You don’t think there’s much more he could have done, but then you realise your brother will now be coming in to face a hat-trick ball, with the scoreboard reading 4 for 8.You’re tense and struggling to sit still as Philander rolls in for that ball, sending down a delivery on target that your brother gets enough bat on to keep out. The ball is seaming treacherously, and your brother lets one delivery go that passes more or less over the top of middle stump. The febrile environment in the middle is shown when Steven Smith and Philander collide during the middle of an LBW appeal, sending the bowler off the field for treatment.Watching Philander leave the field with South Africa’s physio, you think that might be a chance for the Australians to find some breathing room. But then your brother, facing his 12th ball, knocks one down into the gully where the substitute fielder Dane Vilas misfields. You sense the adrenaline coursing through your brother’s veins as he turns to try to force a second run, but you also see Vilas’ rapid recovery in chasing after the ball.In a moment that seems to take an age but is barely a couple of seconds, you see Vilas gather, turn and throw in one motion. You see your brother realise he’s suddenly in trouble and shape to dive for the crease. You see the ball fired in low and hard towards the stumps, hitting them as Quinton de Kock jumps up in exultation. You see your brother sprawled on the ground, short of his crease and out in the most maddening way possible. You see an Australian innings in utter chaos, and a team bereft of method or confidence to deal with the prevailing conditions.You’ve seen enough. You throw your hands in the air in total exasperation, stand up and rush past your dad, and walk out through the entrance to the Ricky Ponting Stand – a scene captured by television cameras. You cannot believe your journey around the world has ended in this awful scene, watching the total collapse of a team your brother was rushed into in an effort to fix problems that seem more systemic than personnel-based. You’re not alone.

Plays of the day from the first ODI between India and England in Pune

Alan Gardner15-Jan-2017The review
One less-explored conspiracy theory about MS Dhoni giving up the India limited-overs captaincy is that he didn’t want to deal with the hassle of DRS. India accepted the system for England’s tour, beginning with the Tests, and that made this the first bilateral ODI series in the country to feature reviews. Only one per innings is on offer in this format but Jason Roy was glad for it after being given out lbw by umpire CK Nandan when he had 18 to his name; while the ball was shown to have struck him in line with leg stump, Hawk-Eye projected that it would have missed by a good margin.The review II
Dhoni went on to demonstrate he was plenty au fait with the technology when Eoin Morgan was given not out by Nandan on 28. Dhoni had collected what he recognised was a thin edge off Hardik Pandya’s bowling, Morgan trying to run the ball off the face, and threw the ball up in celebration only to see the umpire unmoved. Pandya had also begun to celebrate and, as Virat Kohli rushed in to consult with his players, Dhoni immediately signalled for the review. Kohli did not hesitate in taking his predecessor’s direction and moments later Nandan was overturning another decision.The direct hit
England had got off to a useful start, mainly thanks to Roy’s aggression. His opening partner, Alex Hales, was content to take his time – but he took a little too much when responding to a call for a second run in the seventh over. Roy had turned the ball towards deep square leg and was intent on coming back for two but Hales stopped momentarily at the striker’s end. That gave Jasprit Bumrah, who had sprinted up from fine leg, the tiniest window through which to defenestrate Hales, who realised the danger but could not beat a direct hit (though a full-length dive might have helped). The stumps were obscured from both sides, by Kohli and umpire Nandan, but the zing bails helped confirm that Hales only had his bat the line, not over.The drop that didn’t matter
Bumrah fared less well delivering the ball over 22 yards and he sent down three high no-balls, the last of which might have cost him the wicket of Ben Stokes – if it had been caught. Swinging for the fences during the death overs, Stokes got a big top edge that flew towards Hardik Pandya coming in from long-off. Pandya left the catch to Kohli running back, which was a much harder take and he dropped it over his head, with Pandya unable to take the rebound either. But the umpire’s outstretched hand told them the effort was for nothing. Bumrah was able to continue bowling, though, as none of the no-balls was considered dangerous by the umpires.The six
England cleared the ropes 11 times in their innings but none had quite the same stamp of authority as Kohli’s first. India were 15 for 1 in the opening Powerplay and Kohli had faced three legitimate deliveries when he skipped out to David Willey and hammered a cross-batted stroke several rows back into the stands at wide long-on. The report of the bat told you how clean the hit was and the noise immediately rose by several decibels as the ball was swallowed by a sea of blue.The six II
Having reached his hundred (with a six), Kohli pulled out an even more extraordinary shot. Chris Woakes might have thought his back-of-a-length slower ball would be difficult to hit – and most batsmen might have settled for a paddled single. Kohli is not most batsmen, however, and he simply drew himself up and extended the arms through a lofted drive over long-on. Never mind playing the shot, it was difficult even to conceive.The silence
KL Rahul had struck one impressive back-foot force off Willey but he was undone in the same over that Kohli had turned the volume up. Stepping out to drive down the ground, he left enough of a gap between bat and pad for Willey to bring the ball in with the angle from round the wicket and flatten middle stump. The stadium fell silent as Willey, who had gone four ODIs without taking a wicket, celebrated his second in as many overs.

At another time, India might have been pushed into a corner after going for shots and losing 6 for 141 but insurance in the form of the lower order and a strong bowling attack could remedy the batting slump

Sidharth Monga in Pallekele12-Aug-20172:22

Dasgupta: Indian batsmen missed out on converting bright starts

“I was saying jokingly that if you bat like a king, you should also get out like a king, you should not be dismissed like a soldier. If you have made runs aggressively, then you will get out that way too. That’s how it is. I know I am an aggressive batsman, so I would rather get out that way than getting out in the slips and being defensive because that is not my natural game.”Those are Shikhar Dhawan’s words at the end of a first day in Pallekele where India won the toss and went from 188 for 0 to 329 for 6 at stumps. Not only did the wickets fall, the scoring rate came down too. However, there were no patterns and build-ups to these wickets, the sort you see in Test cricket. One thing common to five of those wickets was that they fell playing shots. KL Rahul trying to clear mid-on on 85, Dhawan sweeping after scoring a fine hundred, Cheteshwar Pujara looking to late-cut a left-arm wristpinner against the turn, Ajinkya Rahane playing across the line and against the spin of a left-arm orthodox delivery that went straight on, and Virat Kohli driving the wristspinner away from the body.Like kings, in other words. That should be true of Dhawan, who bats like that (“when I was failing, I was caught in a defensive mindset; now I express myself”), but can’t and shouldn’t be true of all. Especially when the rest of the batting line-up relies on taking risk out of batting. When Sri Lanka kept sweeping the ball in Colombo, with two batsmen scoring hundreds when following-on, Kohli praised their batting but also called the sweep a “high-risk” shot.You can understand Dhawan and Rahul getting out the way they did because they were looking to dominate, but the shots that the next three played were not the best given the situation and given how they were not into fluent innings. Especially Rahane, who struggled to pick which way Lakshan Sandakan was turning the ball. Dhawan did say that picking Sandakan was difficult – as tends to be the case with left-arm wristspinners.”The chinaman bowler is very nice,” Dhawan said. “He was turning the ball; one odd ball was turning a lot. It’s hard to pick his googly also. Specially once we got out, the way he came back and bowled, it was nice for them. Left-arm bowler [Malinda Pushpakumara] is also good and he took wickets today; he has been bowling consistently on the right spot for them.”Dhawan, though, found a way to pick the wrong’un. He realised the ones that turned the other way were considerably slower. Rahane couldn’t, but he didn’t stop playing his shots. Kohli picked the wrong’un, but seemed to be driving with hard hands through his innings. His wicket shot came against a bowler whose 28 balls he had faced for just 12 runs. Pujara for a change picked the wrong length to cut. There is a case for all three of them to have shown more restraint because, as Dhawan said, these were not unplayable deliveries; in fact they looked harmless.”We were playing our shots and got out, it was not as if we were getting out because of the wicket or anything,” Dhawan said. “We were just playing our shots and got out. After that, the Sri Lankan bowlers bowled well and pulled the match a little bit on their side but we got a decent score and still got good batsmen to go and score more runs tomorrow.”There is a great lesson in there to just keep hanging in when things aren’t going your way; this is exactly how India came back on various occasions against England after losing the toss on flat Indian pitches. However, the last few of Dhawan’s words are instructive. India still have Wriddhiman Saha. The lower order has hardly ever failed India when they have found themselves in a soup of late. Perhaps Sri Lanka’s batting form gives Dhawan extra confidence.”That happens,” Dhawan said of the reversal. “It’s not that it has happened for the first time. We got a good start and still feel at the end of the day, 329 is a good score. Those who are batting now are capable of scoring big runs, and it’s a wicket where it is not spinning but it doesn’t have bounce, so it’s not easy to score runs out there and even outfield is not that quick. When Sri Lanka come out to bat, we are going to make sure that we squeeze them hard and not give away easy runs.”At another time, against another Sri Lanka Test side, India might have done enough in these last two sessions to lose a Test. Batting first on a flat pitch that is dry underneath, you really don’t want to score runs in the second innings. However, with the lower order that they have, with a superior bowling attack at their disposal, and with not having to bat last in all likelihood, India might just be able to afford a day with so many batting errors.

Pakistan women’s top batsmen Bismah Maroof, Nain Abidi and Javeria Khan talk friendship, records, and social media addictions

Interview by Annesha Ghosh02-Jul-2017You are the top scorers for your country, and have shouldered the responsibility of propping up the Pakistan top and middle order for close to a decade now. What has it been like playing alongside each other for this long?
Bismah Maroof: We started out roughly around the same time and, for the bulk of our career, we’ve played together. In a way, we’ve grown up together in this team. There’s a sense of reliability that has developed between us over the years. Most of the partnerships we’ve individually been part of have been among the three of us. We enjoy each other’s company a lot, so that helps us bear up against difficult phases, on the pitch and outside of cricket.Javeria Khan: One advantage of batting with Bismah or Nain is we run between the wickets quite well.Nain Abidi: The understanding we share off the field as friends, perhaps, reflects in the middle. When we are batting with one another, the greater part of communication is non-verbal, apart from, of course, when responding to a call while running ( [We mostly communicate through eye contact]. With all these years of playing together behind us, we’ve developed a camaraderie that helps us read each other well and calm one another down when things may not be going our way.Abidi on Javeria: “Javeria is one of the more aggressive batters of our team. When you have her at the other end, you don’t feel much pressure, because the pace of her game is brisk”•Getty ImagesEach of you holds one of the top three scores in women’s ODIs for Pakistan. Talk us through those personal bests, starting with Nain’s 101 not out, which was the first ODI century by a Pakistan women’s cricketer.
Abidi: I remember making a lot of 90-something scores in the club games I was playing in 2012. I would get a lot of criticism for not being able to convert those knocks into a hundred. Batting at one-down, I got a good opportunity against Ireland in Dublin that year. But when I entered the “nervous nineties”, I got to know why they call it so ( [Man, I’ve got to get that century]. Hopefully, it will happen soon.Have you ever looked up to someone as a cricketing inspiration?
Javeria: AB de Villiers. I’ve admired his batting and fielding skills since his debut. The range of shots he has can boggle anyone’s mind.Abidi: As a kid, I used to be really restless; not only did I have a monkey mind, but I would also behave like one (). I would feel this compulsive need to jump around, be engaged in some activity or the other. Thankfully for me and those around me, I was into sport from school and through my college days. So maybe because of the hyperactive tendencies, I always liked the way Jonty Rhodes would throw himself around on the field, take those spectacular diving catches.Maroof: Ever since I first watched him play, at ten, it’s been Saeed Anwar. The cover drives he would hit, the back-foot drives, the aggression… all of that appealed to me immensely. That he, too, used to be a left-hander, was, perhaps, the icing on the cake.Javeria on Maroof: “Bismah’s one of the most hard-working, sincere and positive girls around. I have wanted to emulate the way she leads the team with the bat”•Getty ImagesYou’ve spent the greater part of your career under Sana Mir’s captaincy. How much of an influence has she been is shaping you as players?
Maroof: I was quite young when I debuted [at 15]. As a teenager, I hardly had any practical knowledge of the world or the team, but Sana, who was already one of the senior members in the side by then, helped me get along with my team-mates and understand the dynamics of international cricket. With time, our bond grew, and today, I feel fortunate to say she’s one of my closest friends in the team and outside of cricket. No matter what the problem – personal or professional – I can discuss it with her, at any hour of the day. As for her leadership, even before I took over as the T20I captain in 2016, she would groom me, explaining how important it is for a leader to be open to ideas from team-mates. That’s one lesson I try and bear in mind always.Abidi: In 2012, I lost my father and it had become really difficult for me to come out of that grief. Besides, there were back-to-back national camps taking place during that time and the 2013 World Cup selection was also due in a few months. Given that everything was happening so quickly, I couldn’t cope with the stress and went into depression. I had retreated into a shell. I’d hardly speak to my team-mates. There was very little enjoyment left for me in the game. I had almost made my mind up about taking an indefinite break from cricket. But Sana was the only person who made me rethink my decision. She would tell me, not once, but many times: “Why would you want to take a break? You don’t need it. You know that.” That was her way of pushing me out of my comfort zone. She has played a huge role in my being able to tackle my depression. And if you’re wondering if I took the break, I’m glad I didn’t. Thanks to her.Javeria: When I was suspended for a reported action in 2010, Sana Mir was the one who suggested I play as a batter. Before that, I used to bat at No. 8 or No. 9 and didn’t have much confidence in myself as a batter. I saw myself only as an offspinner. Her decision to promote me up the order and then encourage me to open the batting revived my career.Javeria (left) and Maroof put on an 87-run partnership against Bangladesh in Karachi, 2015•AFP/Getty ImagesWith close to ten to 11 years of international cricket and at least 75 ODI innings each under your belt, you are now senior members of the side. Who are the youngsters in the Pakistan system who you have an eye on for the future?
Javeria: Ayesha Zafar, our opener, and Muneeba [Ali] Siddiqi, although she’s not part of the [World Cup] squad. Both of them are batters and have good cricketing sense. During our regular net sessions, Ayesha would be the first one to enter the nets and the last one to exit. I haven’t seen many youngsters who invest as much time discussing cricket as she does.Maroof: Ayesha has an aggressive mindset. Very few female cricketers in the national ranks have that kind of an attitude. She has a lot of attacking shots in her repertoire that can help her be successful in the years to come.We also have some promising medium-pace bowlers like Waheeda Akhtar, who’s yet to make her debut, and Kainat [Imtiaz] and Diana [Baig], who are relatively inexperienced on the international stage but have the potential and hunger to perform.Abidi: Until a couple of years ago, we were struggling to find the right combination between the senior and juniors. But among the young girls who have come in, I think Ayesha shows a lot of promise. Nashra Sandhu, the left-arm spinner, who was our leading wicket-taker in the qualifiers, also has a sound tactical understanding of the game. Diana is a good fielder and, on her day, she can get you wickets up front.Javeria on Abidi: “Nain is very passionate and confident about her game. Off the field, too, she has a strong personality, and she interacts with and encourages the juniors”•Getty ImagesCan you describe each other in a few sentences?
Abidi: Bismah has a cool head on her shoulder. She is technically gifted, very graceful, and can light up the dressing room with her smile. She’s been the backbone of our batting for years now and the patience she shows in bailing us out of tough times is a trait I admire in her greatly as person as well as a fellow cricketer.Javeria is one of the more aggressive batters of our team. When you have her at the other end, you don’t feel much pressure, because the pace of her game is brisk. She’s free-spirited and keeps the mood in the dressing room light.Maroof: They are the naughtiest members in the side and are the life of the Pakistan team. Any banter, prank or laughter that keeps the dressing room buzzing is likely to come from these two ladies. Besides, they are very supportive of the youngsters in the side and ensure there’s no communication gap between the seniors and juniors.Javeria: Bismah’s one of the most hard-working, sincere and positive girls around. When I started playing for Pakistan as a batter, I looked up to her and have, ever since, wanted to emulate the way she leads the team with the bat. She’s my best friend, and even without my asking her, I know she’ll be there for me in times of need.Nain is very passionate and confident about her game. Off the field, too, she has a strong personality, and she interacts with and encourages the juniors.Maroof on Sana Mir (right): “She’s one of my closest friends in the team and outside of cricket. No matter what the problem – personal or professional – I can discuss it with her, at any hour of the day”•Getty ImagesWho is the most difficult bowler you’ve faced in your international career so far?
Maroof: England’s [Katherine] Brunt, [Anya] Shrubsole and Australia’s [Ellyse] Perry. But if I’m to pick one, I’d say Shrubsole, because the kind of swing she gets in home conditions makes her almost unplayable at times.Abidi: I like Brunt’s aggression. She has good variations up her sleeve and can swing the ball at will. New Zealand’s [Holly] Huddleston is another bowler who can be tricky to deal with.Is there anybody in the Pakistan squad who is addicted to social media?
Maroof: I should be looking no further than the person seated right next to me (). Nain, by some distance, is the most diligent Twitter and Instagram user in our team.Abidi: (favourites ability [You’ve ruined the garden so many times, left the plants in tatters, now go and showcase your ability on the field.”]Maroof: Maybe, a doctor. [father] and others in the family wanted one of us kids to go into medicine. Had cricket not happened to me, I may have been that kid.Javeria: I had left CA for cricket, so I would have probably ended up as a chartered accountant.Getty ImagesFollowing the victory of the Pakistan men’s team over India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, a couple of videos of your celebrating the winning moments did the rounds on social media. What does the India-Pakistan rivalry in women’s cricket mean to you?
Javeria: It’s just another match for us, to be honest. Whichever side wins, they won’t get more points for the victory, nor will an extra point be deducted for a loss. It’s as simple as that.Abidi: The hype around this clash, though less in our case than in the men’s case, is created mostly by the fans and the media. It’s a great thing for the game, but we don’t take any added pressure. On social media, people say things like, “Lose to whoever you please, but never to them”. I’m sure it’s more or less the similar kind of pep talk the Indian side receives too (). At times, such comments can come across as funny because as professional cricketers, the effort we put in all year long, the preparations we do ahead of a World Cup, are not exclusive to the fixture against India. We play them with as much aggression and intent as we do against other opponents.Is there any player in the Indian team you are wary of ahead of the match?
Abidi: Mithali Raj can be one of the most difficult players to dismiss. She’s the fulcrum of India’s batting.Maroof: If you go by experience, Mithali would definitely be my pick too. But [Smriti] Mandhana has been in good form and looks quite solid and calm.Javeria: I would say Harmanpreet Kaur, because the brand of cricket she plays makes her a player to reckon with.If you could choose one bowler to hit for a six off the final ball of a knockout match, who would it be?
Maroof: I would like to hit a quality fast bowler, so it helps my confidence too. I’ll choose Perry.Javeria: I would like to have a go at Shamilia Connell [of West Indies]. In the World T20 last year, I was ruled out of the tournament after a bouncer from her fractured my thumb, so it may not be a bad thing to score those six runs off her. All in the spirit of the game, though.Abidi: [India’s left-arm spinner] Ekta Bisht. [We have a competitive thing going between us]. She’s got my wicket a couple of times and I’ve scored runs off her on a few occasions. I enjoy the competition between us because it’s pretty even and fun.

With 24 ODIs scheduled against Full Members from 2020-22 as part of the ODI League for 2023 World Cup qualification, Netherlands have the chance to stake a claim for more than just sufficient opportunities

Peter Della Penna09-Dec-2017″The Netherlands cricket team has played three matches in nine months. I reckon I’ve got another 20 years in me at this rate.” About a year ago, that was the tongue-in-cheek tweet of exasperation from Dutch captain Peter Borren on the state of affairs in Associate cricket.Coming off a World T20 experience in India, in which they ran Bangladesh down to the wire only to fall short by eight runs, followed by a washout with Oman and a six-over victory sprint over Ireland, Netherlands cricket had been mostly inert over the rest of the calendar year. A four-day match against Afghanistan at the Hague in July was over in two days. Two weeks later, they played two one-dayers against Nepal. That was the sum total of their cricket fixture list.Fast forward 363 days from that tweet, Borren was wiping tears out of his eyes. A win followed by a Papua New Guinea loss meant Netherlands were winners of the WCL Championship. The reward: 24 ODIs against Full Members from 2020-22 as part of the ODI League for 2023 World Cup qualification. Netherlands have only played 23 ODIs against Full Members since their maiden ODI against New Zealand at the 1996 World Cup.Almost all those ODIs have been at World Cups, where the majority of those matches have been heavy beatings. Such results trigger the argument of ‘should Associates be allowed to play at World Cups?’ and ‘how will they improve if they don’t get to play at World Cups and, more importantly, if they don’t get to play Full Members in between World Cups?’

Now, four opponents have a mandate to tour the Netherlands, not for a 24-hour stopover on the way home to play a one-off match, but for three ODIs apiece with World Cup qualifying at stake

Outside of the appearances at major tournaments such as the Champions Trophy and the World Cup, Netherlands have only played four bilateral ODIs against Full Members: two at home to Sri Lanka in 2006, a neutral-site win over Bangladesh in Glasgow in 2010 and a one-off in Amstelveen against South Africa in 2013.None of those matches would have been possible unless squeezed around their opponent’s primary touring itinerary to the United Kingdom. Now, four opponents have a mandate to tour the Netherlands, not for a 24-hour stopover on the way home to play a one-off match, but for three ODIs apiece with World Cup qualifying at stake.So how did the Netherlands do it? Captain Peter Borren touched on a few factors during his post-match presentation interviews this week in Dubai: consistency of performance, improved squad depth and the ability to win tight games.Of all the teams in the competition, Netherlands entered the final round having used just 17 players, the fewest of any team in the WCL Championship. Ryan ten Doeschate became the 18th – he wasn’t needed to bat or bowl – in Wednesday’s title-clinching win over Namibia. Wicketkeeper Scott Edwards was capped on Friday to become the 19th player. By comparison, sixth-placed UAE used 37 players in the competition.The Netherlands squad saw some major changes from the first match to the 14th. Mudassar Bukhari, who was Netherlands’ leading wicket-taker in List A matches with 145, announced his retirement in September 2016. Ahsan Malik, whose variations helped him take a five-for in the 2014 World T20 against South Africa, has seen his career tail off since his bowling action came under ICC scrutiny at the ICC World T20 Qualifier in the summer of 2015.Allrounder Michael Swart retired in early 2016 after being left out of the squad for the World Twenty20. Michael Rippon, who was their leading wicket-taker heading into the final round, was unavailable against Namibia with increasing opportunities with Otago in the New Zealand domestic setup. Paul van Meekeren, one of the best pace bowlers in Associate cricket, was also held out of the final round with a back injury.Yet Netherlands kept ticking along. Vivian Kingma, a promising prospect since his Under-19 days, claimed ten wickets across the final two rounds against Kenya and Namibia. Roelof van der Merwe has held the middle order and the spin attack together since joining in 2015. Ben Cooper has stepped up at No. 3, after the position was vacated by his brother Tom Cooper. Ten Doeschate contributed with a breezy 65 not out in Friday’s win over Namibia.Peter Della PennaThe close wins highlighted the composure that other teams lacked. Against UAE in Abu Dhabi in January 2016, Netherlands sparked a sensational collapse to eke out a six-run win. In both matches against Hong Kong at Mong Kok this past February, Netherlands pulled out wins by five runs and 13 runs from improbable situations. Without those victories, it may have been Hong Kong on their way to the 13-team ODI League.In Netherlands’ immediate future is the World Cup Qualifier next March where Scotland, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea have also secured a place to compete against Full Members Afghanistan, Ireland, West Indies and Zimbabwe.Of the three other qualifiers, Scotland have the best shot at pushing for one of the two available World Cup berths. They’ve already registered victories over Sri Lanka in a Champions Trophy warm-up and Zimbabwe in Edinburgh this year. They have a balanced bowling attack that has improved with the emergence of Chris Sole. Captain Kyle Coetzer has struck three centuries and three fifties in 12 List A matches this year, excluding a century in the win against Sri Lanka.Hong Kong’s batting strength is underpinned by captain Babar Hayat, who has hit five fifties in seven List A innings this year as well as an unbeaten double-century in the I-Cup last week against PNG. Anshuman Rath produced centuries against Netherlands and PNG while the spin attack is led by Nadeem Ahmed.After four rounds, PNG were in first place on 12 points and enjoying a six-match win streak. But their tailspin over the final three rounds has been dramatic, with a merry-go-round of coaches in the second-half of 2017 being the chaotic backdrop to the on-field disarray. Having overseen things superbly since early 2014, Dipak Patel was suddenly axed in June. Jason Gillespie was announced with fanfare as his replacement, only to stick around for just one series before Joe Dawes took over as interim coach and oversaw four straight ODI losses in Dubai to Scotland and Hong Kong plus an innings defeat to Hong Kong in the I-Cup. Having lost six of their last eight ODIs, their chances of righting the ship in Zimbabwe are slim.Of the teams relegated to Division Two seeking a second crack at reaching the World Cup Qualifier, UAE have been adversely impacted by the retirement of Khurram Khan after the 2015 World Cup. Muhammad Usman and Rameez Shahzad have given Shaiman Anwar able batting support, but have lacked consistency. Though they will be the only team at Division Two with ODI status, it’s plausible UAE will lose it by virtue of finishing outside the top two.Peter Della PennaNepal’s batting looks thin, having largely failed to develop batsmen around the veteran batting trio of Paras Khadka, Gyanendra Malla and Sharad Vesawkar. Kenya have struggled against higher-class Associates, but have dominated teams below them, and may be a favorite to win Division Two. Namibia may also have favorable odds by virtue of being the tournament host, a historically significant advantage in WCL events.The two outsiders should also pose a strong threat. Since making a splash with T20 wins over Afghanistan and Ireland between the 2015 World T20 qualifiers and the main event in India in 2016, Oman have quietly been climbing the 50-over ladder from Division Five in May 2016 to February’s Division Two. A strong combination of spinners along with the left-arm fast bowling of Bilal Khan can take them even further.Canada, desperate to regain the ODI status they lost in 2014, have been spearheaded by captain Nitish Kumar.The only other question that remains is over the future of the WCL Championship. Other Associates will hope that the reward Netherlands earned by winning the tournament is not just a one-time deal. Ideally, it’s not something Netherlands should have to sacrifice come 2023 either. Who is to say the 13-team ODI League could not expand by one more team.For now, this tournament caps a remarkable tale of redemption for Netherlands. Borren will be 37 by the time the 13-team ODI League gets underway. In spite of his tongue-in-cheek prediction of playing 20 more years, he is far closer to the autumn. But his leadership over the past two years has planted the seeds for a spring in full bloom for the next generation of Netherlands cricket.

Centurions Suzie Bates and Maddy Green talk about their record-breaking scores, how they went about their knocks, and how the conditions helped them

Vishal Dikshit08-Jun-2018491 is a massive score, such days don’t come often. What was the real reason you think was behind this extraordinary performance?Bates: It’s hard to say. The wicket we played on was a really good cricket wicket and the outfield was lightning fast, so that definitely helps. I think the Irish team was without some of their key players and bowlers, and I don’t know how many of them have bowled against players who consistently hit the ball hard. Look, we did play some really good cricket, to score 491 is pretty unbelievable no matter who it’s against. I think just the way the girls got going, the way young girls are coming into the side, and they train to play like that because they want to be a part of Twenty20 cricket and the Big Bash and so they work on their shots and they know it’s a power game now.Green: It was nice to contribute to the team and obviously set a world-record total so it was really pleasing to get a few runs.You seem to be in terrific form. You were the Player of the Match in the IPL exhibition match in Mumbai, you’ve scored two centuries for Hampshire recently, and now your 10th ODI century.Bates: I guess I have had a nice little run, you’ve got to maximise it while it lasts.It must be the first time in Dublin for most of the team members, if not all. How easy was it to adapt and how different are the conditions from back homeBates: Well, after today I’ll take this ground with me everywhere. But here the sun’s been out, the YMCA wicket is a very good batting wicket and has a fast outfield.Green: We’ve actually been really lucky in terms of the weather here, it’s been quite sunny and warm. So quite similar to a New Zealand summer in terms of weather and I think there was a really fast outfield and the pitch is a little bit slower than what we play on back home and we’ve had a few days here to get used to the conditions. It’s a great ground and we’ve enjoyed playing here and I won’t say it’s too dissimilar. Maybe just a fraction slower which is quite nice for us.Was the plan to go after the bowling as soon as you opted to bat?Bates: After batting in the Twenty20 on this wicket, I knew there was going to be a chance of a high score. When we won the toss, we had no doubt about batting first, but never would have thought we would score that amount of runs and go about it the way we did as a batting line-up. It’s just one of those days where you just enjoy it and make the most of the opportunity and then after that Maddy Green pulled it on and Amelia Kerr as well, so kind of unbelievable that we got the world record so just going to enjoy that.You both went after the young legspinner Cara Murray – was that a plan?Green: We both wanted to be aggressive against spin and we both played a really positive style of cricket and sometimes luck goes your way and today I felt for both Suzie and me, it did. And I’m sure the legspinner is going to come back another day and bowl better at us. But today we just played really positive cricket and it’s the most pleasing thing that it happened to come off for both of us today.Suzie Bates and Maddy Green get together•Sportsfile/SebdalySuzie, did your century remind you of the 168 you scored in the 2009 World Cup in Sydney in another record total?Bates: I guess when you’re young, you’re kind of in the moment and you’re not really aware of records or you haven’t got big scores so you’re just kind of in the moment. Today, it got a little bit tough once I got to the hundred, of how hard to go and I was swinging but couldn’t time the ball. So, I was trying to keep my shape but look you know what your highest scores are but at the end of the day, I was just trying to get as many runs as I could for the team and also be aware that we wanted to get as many of our batters out in the middle while we can on this tour.You also overtook Debbie Hockley as the leading scorer for New Zealand. What does it all mean to you?Bates: It’s hard to say. Out in the middle, when they announced it, you kind of just take a moment and think it’s pretty cool. At the moment, you just play and give it the best you can on any day and you want the team to win and when you break a record, it does remind me of a few people, in particular Mike Shrimpton who always wanted me to get better and break records even though it wasn’t potentially something I thought about. It helps when you’re out in the middle to have those little goals. It was a special moment but most importantly just a really special day for the White Ferns to break that highest score ever and to just play some really exciting cricket.Maddy has not batted at No. 3 in the past, probably because of the depth and the allrounders you have had. What was it like to bat up the order and score a century straightaway?Green: I’ve been batting in the lower order a lot in the last five years that I’ve been with the team. It was nice to get an opportunity at No. 3 today and I just made the most of that. It was great batting with Suzie and learning from her and all her experience. So I really enjoyed it. We’ve obviously got some fantastic top-order batters in our side and Haidee [Tiffen] and Matt Bell, our batting coach, have been looking to give people various opportunities and Katey Martin doesn’t join the team until the England part of the tour. So, fortunately, I was given a chance at the top of the order and looked to make the most of that.Bates: Actually, for the White Ferns in the past, historically, when you’re going into a big series – say a World Cup – we’ve got our top order firing but perhaps our middle order hasn’t had many opportunities and then in the pressure games when the top order fails we’ve had to call on the ones with little cricket. The support staff and the coach Haidee Tiffen are trying to get us as prepared as we can for the England and South Africa series. Amy Satterthwaite obviously has been brilliant for us recently so to get Maddy an almost a guaranteed bat at No. 3, otherwise she bats at 5 she doesn’t get to face many balls, we just wanted to have some confidence going and we want to do that with as much of the top order as we can. And Sophie Devine is still to come into the team and we want to give everyone runs under their bat.The best knock of your life?Green: Yes, it’s definitely up there. You don’t often score a hundred for your country so to do that for the first time, it was my favourite knock of my life so far.Nathan Stirk / StringerSuzie, you have a new opening partner in Jess Watkin who has scored two quickfire half-centuries in her first two matches. What was it like to bat with her and what do you make of her?Bates: She’s one of the most talented cricketers that we’ve had come through. She can play 360 degrees of the ground, she reverse sweeps, she hits the ball hard, she hits the ball on the off side and the leg side, and she’s been someone that we’ve kept our eye on for a while. She can bowl offspin as well, she hasn’t had a ball yet but she’s a very good off-spin bowler. And the thing with Jess is that we’ve talked to her about her fitness and at the international level she’s worked hard on that. She wants to be a part of the team and she’s definitely got the skill level, that’s for sure.Maddy, what was on your mind when Watkin got out and you went out to bat?Green: I thought it was easy to get caught up and try and keep up the momentum and I wanted to go out there and focus on doing my process as well. I just wanted to bat with Suzie and try and bat as long as I can and it just seemed to come off the middle. It was really nice.And then you took charge once Bates got out. You played the senior’s roleGreen: I’ve been around for a little while now and Amelia came in after Suzie got out. Amelia has got a fantastic cricket brain on her head but at that point I had been in for a little while so I just took the reins and just built a partnership and it was fantastic batting with Amelia, she’s a fantastic talent and it was really, really great to see her get a few runs today as well.You made your international debut six years ago and before this match, your highest ODI score was 46. How much does this knock help your career?Green: I think massively. I made the team when I was 19 and for me, it’s always been a hurdle to try and get to that 50-mark. So to go past that and get a hundred is really good. Hopefully, this can do a lot of good for my confidence and even when I go back down the order, when Katey Martin comes back into the side, even then it’s sort of taking all the learning that I can from both players’ innings from future and past innings as well and try to apply that. Every time you go out there, you learn something new or you put something in the memory bank which hopefully helps me going forward. So hopefully I can take some of the key things from today that I’ve done well and largely being just focused on my processes and doing what I’m doing and not get too caught up in trying to bat like Suzie Bates.What does this kind of a team performance mean before the England tour?Bates: It’s going to be a completely different challenge and coming up against the world champions and a really good side in South Africa. Performance-wise today and the way we went about it, it’s given us good confidence but we’re still aware that it’s going to be tough gig in England and we just hope that we can play this brand of cricket and be really confident in our game because we’ve shown we’ve got a massive among of skill level in that batting order.

Marks out of 10 for India’s players – and their coach – after their 4-1 defeat to England

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Sep-20189Virat KohliHaving bossed series as a batsman in Australia and South Africa, the big question was, could Kohli do the same in England? Could he boss James Anderson? By scoring 593 runs in five Tests, Kohli proved he can conquer nerves, pitches, lengths, lines, sledges, ego and, yes, Anderson as well. Their duel at Edgbaston, where Kohli was out twice, but for getting dropped twice by Dawid Malan, was straight out of a Hitchcock movie. The suspense hung in the air even after the ball left Kohli’s bat. But he shrugged it off and only looked even more determined not to give his wicket away.The only weaknesses Kohli showed was in picking his XIs and looking short of ideas when cornered by the Sam Curran-led England lower order.8.5Ishant SharmaWith 18 wickets in the series, Ishant finished second behind only Anderson. With control, accuracy and better lengths, he had one of the best tours in his decade-long career and performed the role of the bowling captain admirably. Ishant claimed Alastair Cook’s wicket thrice and was a general menace to left-handers from round the wicket. His probing lines outside the off stump also kept the right-handers quiet and the pressure up.Jasprit BumrahIndia sorely missed Bumrah in the first two Tests, which he had to sit out recovering from a freak thumb injury. But on his return at Trent Bridge, he polished off England’s lower order with a high-quality five-for and paved the way for India’s only victory in the series. Bowling long spells at high speeds, and from angles that batsmen like Joe Root and Jos Buttler found hard to cope with, Bumrah created panic and pressure in just his second Test series after a successful maiden tour of South Africa in January.Jasprit Bumrah cleans up Jonny Bairstow•Getty Images6.5Cheteshwar PujaraUnfairly dropped for the first Test, laughed out of the ground at Lord’s after a comical run-out in his first innings of the series and bounced out at Trent Bridge playing a shot his dad had once asked him to never play (the hook), Pujara’s inner steel was tested severely on this tour. He responded with a gritty 72 in the second innings at Trent Bridge and then a classy century in Southampton where he ran out of partners.Mohammed ShamiHe was unlucky to not get the number of wickets he deserved. Even though he bowled mostly with an old-ish Dukes, he kept beating the edges repeatedly, never wavering with his speed, intensity or the attacking lines. There is one area he needs to improve though: focus with the bat. His impulsive slogs were not only foolish, but hurt the team’s chances of building a bigger total.6KL RahulBowled five times in the series – the most on either side. Stunned by the nip-backer more than once. Defeated by grubbers. Rahul had a torrid summer with the bat in the first four Tests. Then he arrived at The Oval and decided he was going to defend himself by attacking. He didn’t slog though. His runs came via stylish drives, cuts, lofts and pulls. With each crisp shot, the confidence streamed back and Rahul ended as the second-highest run-getter for India. He also took a record 14 catches in the series – many of them in the slips.Rishabh Pant clears the ropes one-handed•Getty ImagesRishabh PantGot first runs in Test cricket with a six. Reached maiden Test century with a six. With Dinesh Karthik failing with the bat in the first two Tests, the think-tank made the bold move to include the 20-year-old left-hander who primarily made headlines in the IPL with his explosive batting. Although he wasn’t the safest behind the stumps, he did become the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a century in England by showing bundles of confidence.Ravindra JadejaPicked as the second spinner and allrounder, he only got into the XI in the final Test of the series after R Ashwin was injured. But once picked, Jadeja made a telling statement, scoring an unbeaten 86, that carried India from 160 for 6 to within 40 runs of England’s first innings total of 332, and picking up seven wickets in the match. He might still be disappointed at not making better use of a dry pitch.5.5Hardik PandyaHe knocked England out at Trent Bridge with five wickets in six overs. But that was the only time he could contribute to the team’s cause. When conditions weren’t helpful to swing the ball, his bowling lacked any kind of threat and his only fifty of the tour came at a time when India had plenty of runs on the board and were waiting to declare. He was eventually dropped for the last Test.5Ajinkya RahaneLooked pretty, settled and balanced. But flattered to deceive. Rahane, India’s vice-captain, was the side’s best overseas batsman not so long ago. But he has not scored a century since August 2017 – in 19 innings. In this series, Rahane’s shot selection was poor and he paid the price. Supposed to be one of the “pillars” of the Indian middle order, according to head coach Ravi Shastri, he was anything but solid and finished with only two fifties from 10 innings.Ajinkya Rahane watches his edge fall short of Alastair Cook•Getty ImagesR AshwinHe captured the first headline of the series, putting England on the backfoot at Edgbaston, and also showed a cool head with the bat. But as the series wore on, he struggled to make an impact. He picked up a niggle during the third Test and then failed to exploit a spinner-friendly pitch in the fourth, especially on the third afternoon when his team desperately needed wickets. India lost the series and Ashwin lost his confidence and spot in the XI with an aggravated injury.Hanuma VihariAfter a very nervous first day as a Test batsman, Vihari settled down to score an important half-century in partnership with Jadeja and kept India in the game at The Oval. He also found himself on a hat-trick, making good use of the rough with his part-time offspin. Picked controversially ahead of Karun Nair, Vihari exhibited grit and technique in tough conditions against an in-form pace attack.4Shikhar DhawanA crowd puller. Wait, not with the bat. Dhawan was energetic moving his feet to the but with the bat, they remained static. The hands were too hard. The bat kept flashing. And the runs never came. During the fourth Test in Southampton, Dhawan was offered a shoe by a fan to autograph. He dodged it using comic gestures, but with the kind of weak series he has had, don’t rule out the possibility of Dhawan getting the selectors’ boot.2M VijayHe had the most runs when India came to England in 2014. But Vijay had been struggling with form and technique since the South African tour. He is most solid when he leaves a lot of balls. But England learnt from previous experience and didn’t give him that option very often, removing him for a duck twice in four innings.R Ashwin is ecstatic after dismissing Ben Stokes•AFPDinesh KarthikAt the end of the third day, India needed 84 runs to win the Edgbaston Test. Karthik had played well overnight in a 32-run partnership with Kohli. But he lasted exactly six balls the next morning. He was bowled twice in the series and promptly lost the team management’s confidence after two Tests.Umesh YadavIn the first innings of the only Test he played, at Edgbaston, Umesh bowled a lot to England’s top order with a control percentage in the late 80s, but got only seven overs in the second innings, picking a couple of lower-order wickets. Once Bumrah was fit, Umesh became the net bowler.Kuldeep YadavHe captured attention and headlines with his unorthodox bowling style during the T20 and ODI series in England. India thought they had an ace up their sleeve in Kuldeep, but unfortunately for the left-arm wristspinner, he got to play his only Test of the series on a seamer’s paradise. After going wicketless, he was sent back home to play for India A.And last but not the least… Ravi Shastri9For backing his team regardless of how bad a hole they might have dug themselves into.6For actual coaching. This tour Shastri wanted to see how far India had come from South Africa. But the batting which failed India there did the same in England. Shastri looked after each and every training session in the three months in England, never once skipping. But he needs to start fine tuning things and make players perform better before the plans start disintegrating. He also needs to have a bigger say in team selections in case he does not do it already.