ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2016BJ Watling fell to Nathan Lyon soon after, as New Zealand slid to 214 for 6•Getty ImagesAfter completing a tough fifty on debut, Henry Nicholls was New Zealand’s seventh man to fall, four runs later•AFPTim Southee then came in and smacked five fours and three sixes in his 23-ball 48 that helped the hosts cross 300•Associated PressNathan Lyon and Marsh cleaned up the tail soon enough, though, helping Australia take the lead in the two-match series with an innings and 52-run victory•AFP

The country has turned its attention to a group of young boys who have taken the Under-19 World Cup by storm

Vishal Dikshit04-Feb-2016Cricket has not taken over Nepal completely yet. An impasse over their first democratic constitution is leading to political turmoil. The country is still recovering from the earthquake of less than a year ago. And when it comes to sports that take the focus away from these issues, it is mostly football that takes over.In Bangladesh, a group of 15 boys from Nepal are creating waves similar to the ones two years ago when the senior cricket team made it to the World T20 in Bangladesh. That team did not go past the first round to compete against the Full Member sides. This side, the Under-19s, however, has won its first two matches to make it to the knockouts.When other Under-19 teams were preparing for the qualifiers and Full Member sides were coming out of the World Cup, Nepal was ravaged by an earthquake last April. The Nepal Under-19 team had a tournament coming up in June – the ACC Premier League – featuring five other Asian teams even as the country struggled in the aftermath of the calamity.The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) managed to hold a 12-day camp in Kathmandu, but it was not going to be enough. They then requested the ICC and the BCCI to let them practise in India. Soon, Delhi became Nepal’s new base. They played on college grounds, travelled across the city, and played against local club cricketers to get up to speed.In June, they went to Malaysia for the Under-19 ACC Premier League and won four of their five matches, finishing behind only Afghanistan. Left-arm spinner Sushil Kandel took with 11 wickets at an economy rate of 1.68, easily the lowest in the tournament.In October, they headed to Malaysia again for the World Cup Qualifiers. Only one out of five teams could join the other 15 for the main event. Nepal emerged unbeatable. They routed Papua New Guinea for 48 runs, Uganda for 71, USA for 109, and restricted Ireland to 184. Clearly, bowling was their forte.”Our team has been together for five months for two-three tournaments,” coach Jagat Tamata says. “And our main factor is hard work. Every day we practise for six-seven hours, that’s why we are here today.”The team held another camp in Nepal before heading over to India again on December 30, this time to Dharamsala. And soon it was time to board a flight for Bangladesh, for the warm-up matches.Now, nearly 10 months after the earthquake, fans at home are gearing up to cheer for a group of teenagers who are the first in this World Cup to make it from the qualifiers to the quarter-finals. Several hours of load-shedding are not going to deter them. Generators have been arranged, movie halls have been booked to screen the matches, and school children will get together on a Friday morning to watch.”The first two matches weren’t live but now there is a big craze back home for the upcoming matches on TV,” vice-captain Aarif Sheikh says. “The fans are thinking, ‘How have they beaten New Zealand, how have they beaten Ireland?’ So all over the country, they are focusing on the big match.”At the Shere Bangla Stadium too, Nepali fans will throng the ground to match the local spectators, in decibel levels if not numbers. There will be massive flags, Nepal Cricket Fan Club T-shirts, and banners waving in support for the clash against Bangladesh. Plenty of young Nepali fans – most of whom study in Dhaka in different colleges – are planning to take the day off or exchange their interning shifts on Friday for what is probably the biggest cricket event for them since the World T20 participation.Happy times: the Nepal Under-19 players celebrate their win against New Zealand with a team selfie•International Cricket CouncilRam Thapa Chhetri, an MBBS intern who was at the Shere Bangla for the India match, says: “We are supporting our team everywhere. We are appearing in every venue.” When asked what his seniors thought of him giving cricket priority over work, he happily adds: “They are sitting there, two rows above me.”The Nepali college community in Bangladesh, who mostly study medicine and engineering, are between 3000 and 5000 strong, according to Chhetri. They connect using a Facebook page for days like these. They are helped by the team manager, Sudeep Sharma, in arranging for tickets, and they travelled to Fatullah, outside the city, to encourage their side in the wins against New Zealand and Ireland. They came in big numbers and took over the Grand Stand at Shere Bangla against India, cheered for every single run, and have big plans for Friday.”If we win the quarter-final and make it to the semi-final, then more Nepalis will come,” Chhetri says. “And we can win the final []. Nothing is impossible in cricket.”A lot of Nepali football fans also came to Dhaka recently for the Bangabandhu Gold Cup, organised by the Bangladesh Football Federation earlier in January, and decided to extend their stay in the euphoria after Nepal lifted the trophy.Subir Khadka is not among them. He works in Kathmandu and booked tickets for Dhaka after the U-19 team won two matches in a row. He got only a couple of days off and does not regret the fact that he cannot stay for the quarter-final.”This team needs more support,” he says. “The senior team has already made it big by playing the T20 World Cup. These boys were playing against India and I decided to come here only for this match.”Nepal have taken the World Cup by surprise. They are lucky Australia pulled out, says their coach, but they have put their hand up too. Legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane came up with a hat-trick, and other spinners closed the door on opposition teams one by one, but their batting needs to come together stronger to beat the hosts on Friday – which even some of the strong senior sides have found tough lately.”Our aim was to make it to the second round, anyhow, and we have achieved that,” Tamata says. “We assigned responsibilities to the players and they have worked very hard. Now we are challenging ourselves more. We won’t feel any pressure, we will face Full Members but we will keep things simple. It’s a golden opportunity for our boys. If you do well here, you will go to the senior side.”We need to improve in our batting. We got 238 against New Zealand but we were 10-15 runs short. Our target was to score 250 there.”The team has the skills and they go above and beyond physically. “Self-belief is very important. It’ a very inexperienced side. Only players like Aarif and Raju [Rijal] have some experience. The other guys are very new, they are working hard every day, skill-wise and mentally.”Normally we say to boys, enjoy yourself. That’s one of the first things. We tell them to not think about who the opposition is, just focus only on your game and play and watch the ball. Keep it simple.”Aarif says there is a “vast difference” in facing sides in a World Cup, be it in batting, fielding, pace bowling or body language. Tackling Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla Stadium on a Friday will show him and his team another side of cricket, which visitors sides have found hard to cope with lately. But if they can overcome that, cricket will take another big step back home.

ESPNcricinfo picks five overseas players to watch out for as they prepare to make their IPL debuts

Alagappan Muthu08-Apr-2016Travis Head – Royal Challengers Bangalore, batting average 29.78, strike-rate 149.73A highly-rated wicketkeeper-batsman from South Australia, Travis Head hammered a century to help Adelaide Strikers beat Sydney Sixers in the 2015-16 Big Bash League, which prompted Adam Gilchrist to change his Twitter profile picture to one of Head leaping up and punching the air. So why would one of the greatest limited-overs glovesmen in history do such a thing? Because Head struck every single one of the 51 runs Adelaide Strikers needed off a mere 18 balls to claim an astounding victory, and along the way secured Gilchrist’s stamp of approval. Someone should ask Head which out of those he considers more special.Sam Billings – Delhi Daredevils, batting average 20.49, strike-rate 121.54Sam Billings played rugby at school and tennis at county level, is talented at squash, and plays racquets to hone his reflexes. His football skills were good enough to earn a trial for Tottenham. Billings, however, declined the offer because he was on an Under-14 South of England cricket tour of Barbados. The 24-year-old made his England debut in 2015, when the team courted a more adventurous outlook in limited-overs cricket. Billings proved that he fit in with 53 off 25 balls against Pakistan in Dubai, where he went on a scooping spree even against the pace of Wahab Riaz.Peter Handscomb – Rising Pune Supergiants, batting average 28.37, strike-rate 114.07When you win the approval of Ricky Ponting, you must be doing something right. The former Australia captain suggested Peter Handscomb, the Victoria wicketkeeper-batsman, should be fast-tracked into the Test arena after their dismal Ashes campaign in 2015. He usually opens the batting, has sound technique and is fond of using his feet against spin, a practice his father drilled into him when he was 12. Most of Handscomb’s success has come in the longer formats, but he does have a T20 century to his credit.Andrew Tye – Gujarat Lions, bowling average 22.22, economy rate 7.40″Find of the tournament,” was how former Australia T20 captain Aaron Finch described Andrew Tye on Twitter after he led Perth Scorchers to the BBL title in 2014-15. He doesn’t quite have outright pace, but he makes up for that with a skill most teams prize – bowling yorkers, again and again and again. Tye was a late bloomer – he was 26 by the time he made his List A debut for Western Australia – but his rise was such that he was playing international cricket three years later, in 2016. But the spotlight proved too harsh. In Australia’s home series against India, Tye was given the final over on debut with 16 runs to defend, and couldn’t pull it off.Adam Zampa – Rising Pune Supergiants, bowling average 25.15,economy rate 7.13Another Australian legspinner who walks to the crease and rolls his arm over. Unlike the greatest of them all, Zampa’s threat doesn’t come from turning the ball miles, or from his gamesmanship, but in how he uses his wrong ‘un and flipper. He claimed 12 wickets in the Big Bash League 2015-16, the most by a Melbourne Stars bowler. Stephen Fleming, the man who coached that team, heads Supergiants as well. Zampa, who led Australia’s spin attack in the World T20 with five wickets at an average of 13.80, has impressed the required people to get an IPL contract. Can he take on the masses now?

Elyse Villani did not have a consistent run with the bat heading into the Women’s World T20 2016 match against Sri Lanka but an uninhibited approach helped her turn things around

Shashank Kishore in Delhi24-Mar-2016Pressure can either induce panic or bring about an uninhibited approach. For Elyse Villani, it was the latter. The end result was a blistering half-century against Sri Lanka Women, where she swept and pulled her way in Meg Lanning’s company to give Australia Women a win that rejuvenated them ahead of the bigger battles at the World T20.Villani’s performances would have brought relief to the Australia camp, given how their top order has failed in challenging conditions. They were 9 for 3 against South Africa’s pace, while New Zealand’s spin had them choked at 4 for 4 in their second game. The pitches in Nagpur aided the slower bowlers, no doubt, but the manner of Australia’s top-order implosion did the team no favours.Villani and Alyssa Healy, her opening partner, had tallied all of 11 runs in four innings coming into the game against Sri Lanka. Villani had scores of 4 and 0. Indecision resulted in her dismissal in the previous games. Against South Africa, she was late on the stroke and played on to Shabnim Ismal. Against New Zealand, she skipped down the pitch, only to chip the ball to mid-on. The reluctance to go through with the shot seemed somewhat dictated by the nature of the surfaces.She hadn’t played in the series against India, but her performances in the Women’s Big Bash League for Perth Scorchers – 326 runs in 15 innings – couldn’t cover up for her lack of form. One fifty in 10 innings since 2015 resulted in her getting an axe for the T20Is against India. But Grace Harris’s poor form meant Villani was back for the three-match T20I series in New Zealand in February.Scores of 3, 6 and 6 in the series once again cast question marks over her form, but an injury ruled Harris out of the World T20 and came as a blessing in disguise once again for Villani. The build-up was enough indication of the pressure on her going into Thursday’s game.Add to that the prospect of having to chase 124 against a largely spin-based attack she hadn’t faced before – this was, interestingly, the first T20I between both sides. There would have been a few flutters, which she did well to conceal while at the crease, but later admitted how tough it was personally to get going.Did her mode of dismissals seem to have a bearing on her game? It didn’t look like. There were, however, a few edges that flew off the bat, shots that didn’t go where she intended and balls she played and missed. Many of those could have resulted in her downfall, but the bottom line was she came through unbeaten, striking a half-century off 36 balls and sharing a 98-run partnership with her captain, Lanning.”It’s always disappointing when your training doesn’t always translate into performances, but I’m happy to get some runs tonight,” she said, wearing a serious look. You couldn’t judge from her body language if she was relieved. She paused, then went on. “I think in the past two games, I haven’t faced too many balls. Today, I wanted to give myself time and play to my strengths. Tried to play down the ground and stick to the sweep, and it worked.”She revealed there was a conscious effort from the batting group to cut down mistakes. One of those was to rule out playing predetermined strokes, which resulted in their undoing against New Zealand in Nagpur. “It was pretty obvious we were below par,” she said. “Every member was disappointed. We wanted to cut down the risks, at the same time back ourselves, basically a mix of freedom and smart cricket. Moving forward we are clear on what we want to do.”The serious tone and demeanour had one wondering what you could do to lighten the mood. Then she was asked about the pitch, and Villani’s eyes lit up, as if to suggest she was waiting to speak about the surfaces that have come under so much scrutiny. She laughed, paused, laughed again. “It’s easy to say this was the best pitch, since I got runs isn’t it?” she asked. “But honestly, this has been the best pitch to bat on in the tournament so far. We also learnt that sometimes you can’t always play like you do on Australian pitches, but this will give us the confidence.”History suggests Villani hasn’t always been consistent, even though her promise has never been in doubt. From Australia’s point of view, they would be hoping this is the start of a purple patch, for they will need returns on investment if they are to remain the dominating force they have been at the Women’s World T20.

Australia did not begin to win Tests in Asia until touring teams went to greater lengths to understand the region. The current team, humiliated once again in Colombo, has lapsed back into old mindsets under Cricket Australia’s watch

Daniel Brettig in Colombo17-Aug-20164:02

Brettig: 3-0 worse than defeats in India, UAE

In 1969, when choosing the Australian touring team for India, the selectors omitted a young Greg Chappell to the surprise of many. When pressed for a reason why, the selection chairman Sir Donald Bradman is said to have replied: “We don’t want him going to India and getting sick.”Though Bill Lawry’s team went on to win a fractious and tightly contested series, Bradman’s comment endured as a summation of Australian attitudes to Asia for years afterwards. It was the place you went to to get sick, to have your batting average halved by wily spinners and trigger-happy umpires, and to have your back broken by pitches designed to break fast bowlers’ hearts. Tim May, the former Test spin bowler, penned a satirical book called Mayhem, that focused on digestive misadventures as the hallmark of trips to the subcontinent.It was not until a more enlightened generation of players made visits, led with perseverance and forbearance by Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh in turn, that this attitude began to change. Asia went from being a place to be endured to a challenge to be enjoyed, and a land to be embraced. Others helped too – notably the writer Mike Coward’s unstinting efforts to encourage Australian understanding of the region, and to find beauty in the disparate brands of cricket played here.Coward’s last Test tour was to India in 2008, coinciding with the start of the barren run that has only got worse over time. The trip ended in a 2-0 defeat over four Tests, followed by another 2-0 loss in two matches in 2010. A 1-0 victory in Sri Lanka on Michael Clarke’s first Test tour as captain looks increasingly like an outlier, followed as it has been by the 4-0 drubbing in India in 2013, a 2-0 caning by Pakistan in the UAE, and now the ignominy of a 3-0 sweep by Sri Lanka, the team that Australia have historically known better how to beat than anyone else. The ledger over eight years now reads 18 Tests for one win, and the last nine lost in a row. The gains of the preceding generation or two have been utterly and irrevocably lost.Whether watching the Australians slide from 100 for 1 to 160 all out or listening to the captain Steven Smith’s befuddled comments after his first series defeat, the incomprehension of the tour party was clear. This team has now spent comfortably more than a month in Sri Lanka, but they are no wiser as to how to succeed in this part of the world than they were on arrival. Not so much in terms of rhetoric, plans or intentions, but critically in terms of putting the best ideas into action when faced by hot days, dry wickets and doughty opponents.Why is this so? Certainly prevailing conditions in Australia do not give players much of an opportunity to show themselves capable against spin bowling, or capable of delivering it for that matter. The coach Darren Lehmann has pined for a return to the former contrasts between pitches in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. The team performance manager Pat Howard has tried to aid the players by having spin wickets installed at the National Cricket Centre, and Australia A and national performance squads have spent considerable time in India over the past 12 months.Equally, the IPL experience has not added much to the knowledge base of Australian players despite the fact they have now spent nine editions of the tournament traipsing across India and playing at most of the nation’s major grounds. Truly spinning pitches are an IPL rarity, while batsmen and bowlers do not hone skills of patience and judgment in the most truncated format. This has led to a fundamental disconnect between Australian displays in the IPL and those seen in Asian Test matches: never in history have Australian cricketers spent more time playing cricket in Asia, yet never have they looked less equipped to deal with conditions presented in Asian Tests.Another factor that has arisen in recent times, harking back to the days of barren subcontinental trips without much hope or expectation of victory. This is the perceived preparation of pitches in Asia with the express purpose of aiding the home team. A guided tour of the SSC pitch in Colombo for the touring press by the selection chairman Rod Marsh was indeed a throwback to days of greater distrust between tourists and hosts, accompanied as it was by predictions of an early finish.There is a sense, too, about this team that success at home is what really matters. For all the well-intentioned homilies about the best teams winning away and the need to be more adaptable – Smith has spoken often of it as the buzzword for his captaincy – no jobs would appear to be under threat based on results in Asian Tests. After all, Lehmann has just been reappointed until the 2019 Ashes series. While Smith was able to notch a first Asian Test hundred in the first innings of this match, his deputy David Warner has now gone 12 away Tests without reaching three figures. That statistic will only come to affect his standing and bank balance if he experiences a similar dry spell in Australia, broadcast around the country on Channel Nine.David Warner has now gone 12 away Tests without reaching three figures•AFPAn attitude of impatience with this part of the world has also been evident in the dealings of Howard and the team manager Gavin Dovey, two appointments from the more hermetically sealed world of rugby. While undoubtedly professional, businesslike and efficient, these men have struggled at times to bridge the gap in understanding between the highly regimented, budgeted and corporatised world of Cricket Australia and the far more ad hoc ways of the cricketing subcontinent. Both are committed to getting things “just right” for the national team. But it is arguable that in Asia, “just right” simply isn’t possible, whether in terms of training facilities, travel arrangements or match schedules.As it was, the SSC pitch held together much better than any member of the visiting team thought, even as they were comprehensively out-batted and out-bowled on it. That fact served only to heighten focus upon the performance of the Australian players themselves, as a pair of horrendous batting collapses delivered Sri Lanka victory on a plate, even when the home captain Angelo Mathews declined to declare overnight on what turned out to be a more than match-winning lead.The recurring nature of so many Australian dismissals, from Smith being bowled trying to cut off the stumps for a second time in the series to Adam Voges being pinned lbw by a Herath slider, left the distinct impression that the match and series had been decided as much between the ears as between wickets. From the moment the tourists failed to take advantage of Sri Lanka’s swift dismissal for 117 on the opening day of the series this was no longer a contest between the world’s No. 1 ranked side and a modest No. 7. Instead, it was Australia against Asian climes, complete with all the attendant mental baggage that now comes with that billing.Each batsman wore a slightly dazed look on his face that earlier touring teams will be familiar with. Their mystified, frustrated countenance betrayed a desire to get home to more comfortable conditions and speedier pitches, just as their forebears once felt. Next time Australia come to Asia, for Tests against India next year, they are likely to form a more radically selected squad. But regardless of the personnel involved, attitude and understanding will be the most important qualities of all.”To lose patience is to lose the battle” is a proverb the former Test legspinner and later selector Jim Higgs adopted after seeing the sign on a wall in India in 1979. This Australian side must find a way to grasp how matches are won and lost in Asia. The first step to finding it will be to accept the challenge as Border, Taylor and Waugh once did, rather than echoing the skeptical sentiment of Bradman.

Stats highlights from the third day at Edgbaston, when England recovered after conceding a first-innings lead of 103

S Rajesh05-Aug-201637 Attempts without a first-wicket century stand for England in their second innings, before the unbeaten 120-run stand between Alastair Cook and Alex Hales at Edgbaston. The last century stand for the opening wicket in the second innings was in March 2013, when Cook and Nick Compton added 231 against New Zealand in Dunedin. Since then, in 37 attempts, England’s average opening stand in second innings was 22.75, poorer than all teams except Zimbabwe and India in this period.24 Innings since England last had a century stand for the first wicket, when Cook and Moeen Ali added 116 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi last year. It is also the first century stand in 18 partnerships between Cook and Hales.136 Overs that Pakistan’s first innings lasted, their second longest in their last 15 Tests in England. The last time they batted longer was at Headingley on the 2006 tour, when they scored 538 in 141.4 overs.14 Instance of both the England openers passing 50 in a Test innings against Pakistan. The last such instance was almost exactly a decade ago, in August 2006, when Andrew Strauss and Marcus Trescothick both passed 50 in England’s second innings of the Headingley Test.9 Instances of Pakistan taking a first-innings lead of 100 or more against England in England, before today’s effort: five times when batting first, and four times when batting second. In these nine Tests, Pakistan have won four and drawn four, while one was forfeited, at The Oval in 2006.14 Fifty-plus scores for Misbah-ul-Haq after the age of 40, the third best in Test history. He is within one such score of equalling Patsy Hendren’s 15, while Jack Hobbs is the all-time leader with 19 fifty-plus scores in Tests after turning 40.3 Century opening stands in Tests in 2016, of which this unbeaten 120-run between Cook and Hales is the highest. The average opening stand in Tests this year is 28.44, the lowest in any calendar year since 1963.5 Instances of Younis Khan scoring between 25 and 31 in his last six Test innings. His scores during this period are: 31, 25, 33, 28, 1, 31.2/358 Yasir Shah’s bowling figures since his ten-wicket haul in the first Test at Lord’s.

Australia’s marks out of ten after their 3-0 defeat in the Tests in Sri Lanka

Daniel Brettig18-Aug-20169Mitchell Starc (24 wickets at 15.16)Until Rangana Herath’s final day burst of wickets to complete a 3-0 sweep, Starc was the series’ leading wicket taker by a distance, a remarkable effort in the prevailing conditions. This series was confirmation of his arrival as a mature yet still fiercely-fast Test bowler, now pain-free after ankle and foot surgeries. His evolution has been undoubtedly helped by the presence of Allan Donald on this tour, particularly in reversing the ball from over the wicket in addition to his favoured line from around the stumps. The only member of the touring party to significantly enhance his reputation, even if his batting dropped off alongside the rest of the tail.8Shaun Marsh (153 runs at 76.50)An excellent first-innings century upon returning to the team in the third Test and a decent opening stand with David Warner in the second innings too. Unfortunately Marsh was unable to confound his reputation as the architect of some great one-off innings by dint of his omission until the series had been decided. Nevertheless, Marsh has shored up his spot for the tour of India next year, regardless of what happens in the Tests at home.6Josh Hazlewood (7 wickets at 32.71)Nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary, Hazlewood at least did his job, which was more than could be said for many team-mates. He bowled economically, and took advantage of the only real seam movement available for the series by taking wickets at Pallekele. Offered next to nothing with the bat, but it’s not what he’s in the team for.Steve O’Keefe (3 wickets at 24.66)Was shaping as Australia’s most dangerous spin-bowling option for the series before a hamstring strain sentenced him to an early trip home. If O’Keefe was crestfallen by that moment of misfortune, he at least channeled it into a long, stubborn stay at the crease alongside Peter Nevill to try stave off defeat at Pallekele – his best Test innings. Less edifying was a police report for abusing pub security and refusing to leave the venue on a night out after he returned home.5Mitchell Marsh (163 runs at 27.16 and 2 wickets at 59.00)A series of starts with the bat and some handy spells with the ball offered more evidence – admittedly of the fleeing kind – that Marsh is going to evolve into a cricketer of substance. Annoyed to be foxed by a Lakshan Sandakan googly and bowled at Pallekele, Marsh played the left-arm wristspinner better from that point, though also falling victim to Rangana Herath’s wiles. Still defends with hard hands early in his innings, but progress is being made.Steven Smith ran at Rangana Herath, only to be stumped by Dinesh Chandimal, in Pallekele•Associated Press4Steven Smith (247 runs at 41.16)Played two of the three most substantial Australian innings of the series, but also played the worst shot to get out – a harebrained charge down the wicket at Herath in Pallekele that was both unnecessary at that time and ultimately damaging to Australia’s chances for the whole series. As captain of a team so thoroughly humiliated, Smith maintained his dignity, but did not seem anymore capable of mastering conditions or situations than the men he led. Tactically sound, he could perhaps have bowled more, and certainly caught better.Nathan Lyon (16 wickets at 31.93)Better figures than he returned in the UAE in 2014 are misleading – Lyon needed to assert himself on this tour and was unable to do so. Partly this was because his “spin up” method is best suited to Australia, and partly because sheer unrelenting accuracy eluded him when it was needed. But there was also the sense, evident before, that as a quiet and diffident character, Lyon is happiest as part of a bowling ensemble rather than as the spearhead. At a time when the moment needed seizing, he could not do so.David Warner (163 runs at 27.16)A hard-driving 68 in the final innings of the series shows what Warner could have offered on this tour, had he been able to get through his first few balls at Pallekele. Instead a pair of low scores underlined his lack of match preparation coming into the tour, and thereafter his obvious talent was not accompanied by any sense of permanence at the batting crease. It is now four overseas series since Warner last made a hundred away from home. More is needed from Smith’s lieutenant.Jon Holland (5 wickets at 54.80)So surprised was Holland at his call-up to replace O’Keefe that he had to renew his passport in 24 hours before flying to Sri Lanka. Once he joined the side, Holland struggled to adapt to the method best suited to the pitches, where side spin and skid are more important than overspin and bounce. Even so, Holland improved in Colombo, and in the first innings bowled beautifully. However he was let down in the field and by ill fortune, meaning he had precious few wickets to show for his work. Lacking the confidence those wickets mayhem brought, he then struggled on day four. Should not be ruled out of India.3Adam Voges (118 runs at 19.66)In the words of Tex Perkins, . Voges arrived in Sri Lanka with a Test average of 95.5 and the confident expectation of making runs after playing on a series of slow, low tracks in England with Middlesex. However he managed to get himself out in varying ways across the first two Tests, culminating in a rash of reverse sweeps in Galle. Colombo ended with a textbook lbw dismissal by Herath, the same method by which he very nearly fell to his first ball of the series. Voges’ Test record remains handsome, but he has receded from the Bradman platform to that of a mere Pollock. The selectors must now work out how long they want to keep him on board, and sound out Voges as to his own intentions.Joe Burns (34 runs at 8.50)Like Voges, Burns was out in a variety of ways across the first two Tests, before finding himself dropped for the Colombo Test. He looked at times to be out of his depth, but in the second innings at Pallekele established a decent platform only to cop Sandakan’s best ball of the series. Should the selectors choose to pick a team tailored even further to India than this one was to Sri Lanka, Burns may find himself surplus to requirements, bit it would be harsh to leave him out at home given his successes last summer.Peter Nevill perhaps needs a promotion to build partnerships with other batsmen•AFPPeter Nevill (51 runs at 8.50 and 11 dismissals)One dogged innings at Pallekele, one sneaky smart stumping at the SSC and very little else. Nevill is an admirable cricketer, all hard work and diligence, but he was unable to build scores in Sri Lanka and his keeping showed signs of deterioration as the series went on. Among the biggest issues for Nevill and the selectors is that his busy, correct batting technique looks more batsman-like than his gloveman’s commission at No. 7 – he bats higher up the order for NSW. At the very least a shift above Mitchell Marsh may be needed to allow Nevill the chance to form partnerships with other batsmen.2Moises Henriques (8 runs at 4.00)A puzzling selection for the tour and even more so for the third Test, Henriques took an opportunity that could have been used to let Burns or Khawaja redeem themselves just as Kaushal Silva would go on to do. Henriques is a good tourist, a fine fielder and a mature young man, but his first-class record simply did not warrant inclusion to bat No. 5 in a Test match, and a pair of low scores served only to underline the point.Usman Khawaja (55 runs at 13.75)Before this tour Khawaja inked a new bat contract with Kookaburra, signifying his rise in standing and financial status after a wondrous 2015-16 season. What followed in Sri Lanka was a rapid fall, as four cheap exits and worrying patterns of dismissal had him dropped for the third Test. Perhaps most troubling in all this is the fact that Khawaja was actually one of the more experienced batsmen on tour in respect to Asian conditions – he had toured Sri Lanka in 2011 and then gone to India two years later. A return to the top three in Australia is likely, but he has some serious thinking to do before India next year, if the selectors decide to choose him, that is.

Stats highlights from the third day’s play of the Antigua where West Indies were asked to follow-on

Bharath Seervi24-Jul-20162006 The last time West Indies were asked to follow-on in a home Test, before this match – also by India in St Lucia. India have effected three of West Indies’ last four follow-ons. England is the only other team to ask West Indies to follow-on thrice at their own backyard.323 India’s lead at the end of the first innings, which is the fourth-highest first-innings lead in West Indies and second-highest by India. India had a lead of 373 runs when they asked the hosts to follow-on in the St Lucia Test of 2006. Overall, this is India’s fourth-highest lead in an away Test while batting first.1 Instances of two India fast bowlers taking four or more wickets in a Test innings in West Indies. Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav took four wickets each in the first innings which makes it the first such instance for India in the Caribbean. Overall, this was the ninth such instance for India in Tests outside Asia.0 Number of India fast bowlers who completed 50 Test wickets in fewer matches than Mohammed Shami, who took 13 Tests to reach there. Venkatesh Prasad also took 13 Tests to do the same. Overall, seven India bowlers have reached 50 Test wickets in fewer matches than Shami – all being spinners.6 Number of dismissals effected by Wriddhiman Saha in the first innings, the most by any wicketkeeper in an innings in West Indies. For India, Syed Kirmani and MS Dhoni are the only other wicketkeepers to effect six dismissals in a Test ininngs.74 Runs scored by Kraigg Brathwaite in the first innings. It’s the first time in seven innings that a West Indies opener has scored 50 or more in a home Test. The last such score was also by Brathwaite when he made 116 against England in Grenada in 2015.29.02 West Indies’ average partnership for the seventh and eighth wicket in Tests since 2015 – the second-best among all teams. West Indies’ only 50-plus stand in the Antigua Test came for the eighth wicket (69 runs) between Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder.1983 The only time before this Test where West Indies’ No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 have veen dismissed for less than 20 runs in a Test innings against India at home. West Indies in that innings, though, had scored 550 runs as both their openers and No. 7 and 8 all made centuries.2008 The last time West Indies’ No. 7, 8 and 9 all scored 20 or more runs in a Test innings, before this – against Australia in Jamaica. In West Indies’ first innings here in Antigua, 47.73% of the runs were scored by their No. 7, 8 and 9.Mohammed Shami became the joint-quickest India fast bowler to take 50 Test wickets•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With remorseless accuracy and an ability to find swing and cut, Ken Higgs might have won more than 15 Test caps for England

David Hopps07-Sep-2016Ken Higgs, observed an admirer, was a wonderful fast-medium bowler with great stamina, an instantly recognisable curved run and an arse that crossed two postcodes. He played in 15 Tests for England, and, especially in Lancashire, many will profess he should have played more. With his passing, at 79, one of the Red Rose county’s cricketing legends has been lost.Higgs was a heart-of-oak bowler, who took pride in his remorseless accuracy and his ability to find swing and cut when conditions offered the slightest encouragement. Few bowlers of his pace – early 80s perhaps – have jarred the bat with such regularity.His England record was a fine one: 71 wickets in 15 Tests at 20.74 each and with an economy rate of only 2.14 runs an over. Better economy for England than Brian Statham, Lancashire’s prince of parsimony, and at Old Trafford there was no higher accolade than that.Born in Kidsgrove, in Staffordshire, on January 14, 1937, he lived there throughout his Lancashire career. He did not drive and would commute daily to Old Trafford by bus and train. This was an era in which all but a few high-profile batsmen habitually walked for a dismissal if they had edged the ball. Higgs was incensed one day at Old Trafford when David Steele stood his ground after the bowler believed he had found the edge. They were due to return to Staffordshire on the same train from Manchester Piccadilly after the match, but Higgs was resentful enough to catch the next one.He had suggested no particular aptitude for cricket as a schoolboy. He was more taken by football and as a centre half attracted the attention of Port Vale junior sides and was selected for an FA youth tour of Germany in the winter of 1953-54. But military service intervened and gradually his interests shifted to cricket, encouraged in part by watching his brother, Roy, play in the Staffordshire League. When his military service was over, it was not long before he broke into Staffordshire’s Minor Counties side. The Lancashire coach, Stan Worthington, a former Derbyshire and England allrounder, recommended him to the county, suggesting that he “might develop into another Alec Bedser”.Higgs quickly proved himself to be Statham’s most faithful new-ball partner at Lancashire after making his debut against Hampshire in 1958, taking seven wickets in the second innings. He took 67 wickets that year and 113 in his second, the first of five years in which he was to take more than 100 first-class wickets in a summer. He was not averse to a scathing quip or two if he felt that luck was against him.These were difficult times for Lancashire. They were runners-up to Yorkshire in 1960 but finished no higher than 11th for the next seven seasons. Job insecurity did not help Higgs’ cricket and there was some talk of his release, until a dramatic recovery of form that led to an England Test debut alongside Statham against South Africa in 1965. It was to be Statham’s last Test, but Lancashire’s pace attack now briefly served country as well as county.Higgs was summoned for the 1965-66 Ashes tour but illness and injury prevented him following up a useful first outing in Brisbane. A subsequent tour to New Zealand brought more fortune, with 17 wickets in three Tests.His best series came against a powerful West Indies in 1966, when his 24 wickets were not only the most by an England bowler but were heavy with top-order wickets: Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai and Basil Butcher to the fore. His 6 for 91 in a drawn Test at Lord’s remained his best Test figures. “A grand effort,” , they had intended to pose for the photo with a pint of beer – their chosen reward for thirsty work – only to be informed that it did not set the right tone.Higgs retired after the 1969 season, at 32, with 1033 first-class wickets at 22.90, his departure influenced to some degree by the belief that Lancashire were not paying him his due compared to Farokh Engineer and Clive Lloyd, two of the overseas players who brought a much needed shot in the arm to the county game in the late 1960s. Suitably, for family fallouts, the Old Trafford flags flew at half mast on news of his death, nearly half a century later.He played two seasons for Rishton in the Lancashire League, but county cricket retained a pull for him and he was persuaded to make a return by Leicestershire’s chief executive, Mike Turner, and made such a success of it that he took his first-class tally past 1500. He took 4 for 10, including a hat-trick, in the 1974 Benson & Hedges Cup final, and a few years later scored 98 batting a No. 11, during what remains a club record partnership of 228 with Ray Illingworth. As ever, Higgs’ sweep shot, which he doted upon for his entire career, was to the fore.Illingworth, whose captaincy was to transform Leicestershire after he cut his ties with Yorkshire, wrote later: “He was just the type we needed – as strong as a bull, and he never turned it in. He was a bit temperamental at times, because he needed to blow up about twice a season, and then you had to handle him a bit diplomatically, but he has a big heart, and was always willing to put everything into the game with you.”After his retirement Higgs became Leicestershire’s bowling coach, but after four years in retirement, a spate of injuries pressed him into an emergency return against Yorkshire in 1986. Conditions were perfect for swing and seam, and possessed of a statelier heft than ever, he came on second change and returned 5 for 22 in 11 overs at the age of 49, passing the outside edge at will. He was proud of the coaching clinic he had just enacted. “I knew he’d do that to us,” bemoaned Yorkshire’s wicketkeeper, David Bairstow.Higgs’ partner for much of that spell was a player at the extreme opposite end of his career. Phil DeFreitas, then aged 20 and in the second season of his first-class career, took four of the remaining five Yorkshire wickets to enhance a reputation that would later that year earn him his first England call-up for Mike Gatting’s tour of Australia. DeFreitas was one of many who praised Higgs’ mentoring abilities upon hearing of his death. “He taught me so much about the game,” he said.Higgs could be a gruff soul, not much given to small talk, and he was no fan of authority, especially when it came with limited knowledge. But former team-mates often spoke warmly of his willingness to offer advice and guidance, and of his strong, uncomplicated team ethic. He just got on with his job, operating around 80mph, but getting enough life from the pitch to jar a batsman’s hands and make batting a demanding task. After his retirement he ran a guest house in Blackpool, where further wisdom was offered over the fried breakfasts.

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha wants individuals to take responsibility for themselves but will make a forceful point when he needs to

Mohammad Isam31-Oct-2016How does the morning after a big Test win look for you?
The reaction is more than what I expected, and not just in Bangladesh, but from the world over. It is beginning to sink in what a big achievement it is.How Bangladeshi do you feel right now?
I am very proud of the players, the board and fans. I think they waited a long time for this, after the Test status. I can see what it means for them as well. I am proud to be part of it.How difficult was it to translate the ODI success into the Test arena, particularly after the gap of 14 months?
The challenge wasn’t much ability-wise. It was about mentally preparing for Test cricket. We had to believe ourselves that we can compete and trust the game plan. The biggest challenge was not to be afraid of losing, and think about winning. We all believed that if we are not afraid to lose, we can achieve bigger things. All credit to the boys again, to believe in that as a group. If you notice lately, the team is not afraid to try things hoping for a better result.What are the major changes between your first Test series – West Indies 2014 – and this Test series?
One day I was watching those matches as they were showing reruns on TV, and I was surprised how much we have changed in every area of the game. Unfortunately I saw Shafiul [Islam] running away from the ball. I don’t mean to use him as an example, but this just sums up their change in attitude, and how they are no longer afraid of anything. Their demeanour has changed. Now they prepare and play to win. People have short memories, so if you watch those videos you can see how far they have come.How did the belief come about?
Belief comes with results. It is harder at the start but one success brings another success. If someone’s there to challenge the way you are doing things, you will always get better. If you’re happy to stay where you were, you will never achieve things. Your success can’t only be quantified by winning, there’s a lot of other things.How much hands-on coaching do you have to do in the Bangladesh team?
This group is still learning. They have a long way to go. Otherwise we would have had more success. I hope that after this win they will have better memories, if they get into such winning positions in the future, to do it on their own. They can find the ways on their own in the middle. There’s a lot of idea-sharing and making sure we create the environment in which they get challenged.When was the first time the idea of playing on these wickets came up in your planning? Who came up with the plan?
It was everyone’s idea. The players have to believe and come up with the plans as well. They have to change their ways of training and mental ability to handle situations, because the players are under pressure, not us. They also came up with those plans, not only us. Once the players start to believe, and embrace the idea, the job is much easier because they will do it.But is there a way to explain what goes on during a batting collapse?
I think it has a lot to do with what goes on between their ears. We don’t see it coming. In this series it was a challenge for everyone because of the pitches. Once that comes into your head, you are in a difficult place. All the training and experience you have goes out of the window once you press that panic button.The other challenge is that when you haven’t won many Tests and you are nearing one [victory], so many ideas come into you. So many people talk to you. We are not bulletproof. It takes a long time, many occasions you face such a situation, and then you come on top. I say, “your computer is full of ideas”, so you find your own solution rather than listening to someone else.You think that game in Bangalore can now be forgotten?
If you try to forget, you lose the sight of what you’re trying to achieve. You must not forget that game. The players have to learn from it. If they forget, they are losing sight of what they have in front of them.What goes through your mind when you see Shakib or Mahmudullah playing the kind of shots they played to get out in the first and second Tests?
They are human beings. They can make mistakes. The quicker they learn, the better for their careers.Hathurusingha wants Mehedi Hasan to enjoy his success but is aware of the challenges ahead for him•Getty ImagesHow much do they learn actually, especially the senior players?
What is the important thing in that situation? If you define that, you can find your own answer.How do you deal with these things when you see a senior player doing such a thing?
The best way to deal with this is for them to realise it. I am always open for them to come and ask me. That’s where the learning starts. Not if I start chasing after them and shouting at them.Are you getting what you want from the players?
I got a lot of support from the players who are open for ideas. I got lot of support from the board members, which is all you want. You don’t need everyone to like you. In that way, you’re pleasing people. The more people criticise you, it means you are challenging what is happening. Results on top of that give you a positive sign.Do you realise that you have challenged many things in Bangladesh cricket?
I know. My career has been like that. I have never been afraid of standing up for what is right. Whether I lose or not, it is all about not being afraid of trying things.When you see young guys like Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Mehedi Hasan, who have started so well in their international careers, what message do you have for them?
It is a bigger challenge in the subcontinent because this game is more than just a game. It is a huge burden of expectation on a young man to suddenly come from nowhere to stardom. The best thing you need is good people around you to keep your feet on the ground, and to support you and give you proper advice.I had a chat with Mehedi after the game. I told him the first thing you do is celebrate the success with the team-mates. He is a good kid, so he understood the message I was giving him. I hope they will handle it well.How do you look forward to the big challenge of a number of Tests next year being played abroad?
I don’t see it that way. Every day is a challenge, so it is regardless of whether we are playing abroad. We need to come up with a plan that we can believe in. I am happy with executing the plan, regardless of the result.Do you think there can be a way to keep Test specialists like Mominul Haque and Taijul Islam in touch with international cricket?
Yes. A-team tours. If I have failed to highlight that [lack of A-team tours], I don’t think I am doing my job.Everyone is talking about the teatime talk and how Tamim Iqbal was taking charge of the field after the tea break.
The best thing I can tell you is that the big players stood up. I was disappointed and upset that we were nearly wasting another opportunity we had in our hands. I had a chat with the boys. I challenged them to stand up. I told them that this opportunity will never come again. I am glad that a few people stood up and decided to do something different.What does Hathurusingha do when he gets angry?
I think I have kicked only two things in the two and a half years (). I am just joking. I can’t get angry as a head coach. I have to be the filter between the players and the ideas. At the same time we have to get the message across.Are you going through the best phase of your coaching career?
I always expect to do better in the future. I am enjoying the job.What makes you more proud – the result or their overall improvement?
The improvement. How they take ownership of their success and failure makes me more proud.