'That was out of this world!!!!!'

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Reactions to South Africa’s stunning chase of 372 against Australia at Kingsmead

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2016

Du Plessis impressed by Olivier's 'incredible effort'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

South Africa will have tougher tests to come, but they wanted to learn more about their support pace bowling and Duanne Olivier took his chance well

Firdose Moonda08-Oct-2017Duanne Olivier had one job: to do the same thing he did last summer.Except that he did it against an international batting line-up not a local one, with one of the most promising young bowlers on the global circuit at the other end, Kagiso Rabada, not his franchise partner Marchant de Lange, in front of a small but vociferous crowd, not an empty ground. So even though this one job was the same job as the one Olivier had always done, it had become a much harder job because it had been added to by expectation.Olivier was last season’s leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket with 52 scalps, some distance ahead of his nearest competitors, who had 34. It was widely understood that he was a wicket-taker but because the competition is not televised, very few people had actually seen what kind of a wicket-taker he was. Word around the game was that he had a decent short ball but also that he had the stamina to return for spell after spell and the ability to be effective with the older ball.But all of this was just talk. None of it had been seen at international level because Olivier had not had that much opportunity to show it.He debuted against a mentally shot Sri Lankan side that made for easy-pickings, was inconsistent in England in a series South Africa want to forget and was unspectacular in Potchefstroom last week when Morne Morkel set the tone. Here on his home turf, with all but one big name – Rabada – unavailable, he had his chance to prove what he is capable of and Faf du Plessis was particularly pleased with the outcome.”That’s what you want to see from young bowlers. You want to see improvement, that they can learn quickly at the highest level, because the guys that can learn, you can stick with them,” du Plessis said. “The way he bowled today was a fantastic effort. To bowl 10 overs on the trot of short-ball work takes incredible effort, so I have to take my hat off to him. He was our best bowler today.”Olivier’s spell started on the second evening when Bangladesh followed-on but he really got into his work on the third morning when, for the first time, he appeared to be bowling to a plan. South Africa had a short-leg in place and Olivier was told to pitch it short. His sixth ball climbed on Soumya Sarkar and carried to Aiden Markram under the helmet but he could not hold on. Later in the over, Olivier bounced Sarkar and then aimed at his ribs. In the next over, Sarkar prodded at one from Rabada and was caught at second slip.Then, Olivier turned it up. Men were sent out on the leg side waiting for the hook and Olivier ramped up the pace and the effort. Imrul Kayes almost gloved one as it sailed past his hips and Mominul Haque had one hurtle towards his face. Olivier set them up so Rabada could take them down. Mominul holed out to deep square leg off Rabada in the ninth over.Bangladesh’s captain Mushfiqur Rahim bore the brunt of Olivier’s aggression and there were many hearts in mouths when he was hit on the helmet and required treatment. Olivier, not shirking from his plan, delivered a short ball as soon as Mushfiqur was ready to go again.For all the work he put in, Olivier’s only reward was the strangling of Kayes down the leg side but in his 10-over spell he showed all the ingredients South Africans like to see in their quicks. He was fast and he was fiery and though there is still work to be done for him to challenge the currently-injured elites for a more regular place in the Test XI, du Plessis is now confident Olivier could get to that level.”You can’t compare any of our bowlers to KG’s skill, but what we needed from a bowling attack today, we needed to be ruthless and aggressive and try and make it uncomfortable for Bangladesh, and he led from that aspect. I’m very proud that he can make those improvements,” du Plessis said.”There is a difference in our top four seamers, they are world class, best-in-the-world kind of bowlers. So if you judge guys according to them, there would be a gap. For me it is important to see how we can make those guys get better for the time when they need to step up into the team. These guys that played the last two Test matches will be looked at for the future so it’s important for them to see that there is some work to do, but they have the quality.”That q-word (not quota, though there is that one too) is something of a talking point in South African cricket because there are serious concerns about their depth. To have learnt that they still have a lot of quality was an important goal in this series and du Plessis can now look forward to the rest of the summer with optimism.”We had really good targets leading into this series of what we wanted to achieve as a team and we achieved those goals hands down, so we’ll take confidence as we move into two big series,” he said. “We appreciate that India and Australia are going to be a lot tougher. Bangladesh didn’t have the firepower we thought they would have in these conditions. We won’t get too far ahead of ourselves in thinking we are the finished article.”

Markram makes future look bright amid present gloom

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Against a top-class attack, in a tough situation, the young opener showed there will be someone for South Africa to fall back on once their old pros move on

Firdose Moonda in Durban04-Mar-20182:47

Holding: Markram will get better and better

“It’s not all lost,” AB de Villiers said after South Africa were bowled out for 162 in their first innings, and he was right. While the game was gone on day two and energy had been sucked out of them on day three, Aiden Markram salvaged something out of day four, something that has offered a glimpse into a future that does not fall off a cliff when de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla retire.His second-innings century shone shards of sunlight on South Africa’s chase, which started with an air of inevitably that 417 was impossible, crashed towards the realms of embarrassment at 49 for 4, and then stuttered and sparked into life, even threatening a fairy-tale end.There were moments when it seemed Markram might just pull it off, moments when he was leaning into his drive or guiding the ball late, moments when was playing against the turn, moments when he managed to tame the wild child in Quinton de Kock and channel his focus into a forming a big partnership… moments of magic.Watching from his home in Johannesburg, Ali Bacher, the last captain to lead South Africa to a series win over Australia at home, was so excited. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he offered an analysis: “A South African cricketing star has been born. The two best batting techniques in South African cricket that I have seen came from Barry Richards and Jacques Kallis. Aiden’s batting technique is as good as theirs. His hundred today is one of the best I have seen from a South African batsman. It was scored under extreme pressure and against an Australian bowling attack which is one of the best I have seen in world cricket for many years. His temperament under constant Aussie pressure was excellent.”Put technique aside for a moment and let’s zone in on the pressure, because there was plenty. From his end, Markram watched Dean Elgar defeated by pace and unable to withdraw his bat in time to avoid the edge, Hashim Amla get rapped on the pads by Josh Hazlewood – the sixth time this bowler has accounted for him in Tests – and AB de Villiers run out after advancing halfway down the pitch before seeing Markram was not interested (and then he had to hear about it too).Australia spent the morning session reminding Markram “of what he had done and trying to get him off his game”, which, Tim Paine admitted, “didn’t work”. Markram actually enjoyed parts of it because it “keeps me in the game”, something that had been missing from his game over the one-day series against India, when he was given the captaincy just two caps into his career.”It [captaining against India] was quite a tricky stage for me because I was trying to establish myself in the side and along with that trying to lead a strong side against a very strong Indian side. It was very challenging for me,” Markram said. “I found myself, in terms of batting, not all that much in the moment. I felt very rushed and a lot like a blur. For what reason I am not so sure, I haven’t worked it out just yet. Captaincy did have a bit to do with it.”But now he has shown real leadership, with an innings of stature. Comparisons to Graeme Smith, who is well respected for his abilities in the second-innings, will abound, not least because Markram, despite the results against India, is still captaincy material. And unlike Smith’s batting style, Markram’s is pleasing on the eye. “His technique is outstanding. He gets his head over the ball and plays straight,” Bacher said. “When they bowl short, he gets up high on his toes and he doesn’t square cut, he drives the ball off the back foot through the covers. He is the complete batsman.”

“His hundred today is one of the best I have seen from a South African batsman. It was scored under extreme pressure and against an Australian bowling attack which is one of the best I have seen in world cricket for many years”Former South Africa captain Ali Bacher on Aiden Markram

Which is what South Africa will need not only if they are to compete in this series, against this attack, but also as they go forward, when the big guns really do go. The senior batsmen are all under pressure after letting the side down in this Test, and in important matches over the last year or so their form has become a topic of much discussion. The new concern is whether the younger players are ready to take over; murmurs around the local traps was that they were nowhere near.Talk to those who keep a close eye on the first-class competition and a sense of gloom seeps through their words. Despite the consistency of players like Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Rassie van der Dussen, Pieter Malan, Rudi Second and Zubayr Hamza, there is a pessimism that franchise players can’t make the step up to the international game these days.Coach Ottis Gibson has added to the feeling by questioning the strength of the domestic game after the T20 series against India.”The gulf between domestic cricket and international cricket is still quite a wide one,” he said. But Markram, who has come through the ranks and spent seasons in the provincial set-up before earning a franchise contract, is proof that the gulf can be breached, even now, even when standards seems to have dropped.So “all” is not lost, even if this match almost certainly is. South Africa can take one massive victory out of it because their most-talented newcomer has passed his hardest test. Markram’s first two Test hundreds against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe were tasters, taken off attacks that a player of his quality would be upset not to have scored heavily against. His 94 against India in Centurion was proof there is was something there and this hundred has showed South Africa what that something is. All is not lost and Aiden Markram has definitely been found.

Kohli matches Gavaskar, Tendulkar and Dravid

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Stats highlights from the third day of the fourth Test between India and England in Mumbai, where Kohli completed 500 runs in the series.

Shiva Jayaraman10-Dec-20161 Number of India captains before Virat Kohli to make 500 or more runs in a Test series. Sunil Gavaskar did it twice: 732 runs at 91.50 against West Indies in 1978-79 and 500 at 62.50 against England in 1981-82.2 Number of India captains to make 1000 or more Test runs in a year before Kohli. Sachin Tendulkar made 1000 runs in 1997 and Rahul Dravid scored 1095 runs in 2006.89 Innings taken by Kohli to hit 15 Test hundreds. Among nine India batsmen to make at least as many centuries, only Gavaskar’s 77 innings were fewer than Kohli’s. Tendulkar also scored his 15th hundred in his 89th innings.

Fewest inns by India batsmen for 15 Test hundreds
Batsman Inns
Sunil Gavaskar 77
Sachin Tendulkar 89
Virat Kohli 89
Virender Sehwag 97
Mohammad Azharuddin 106
Rahul Dravid 119
Dilip Vengsarkar 151
Sourav Ganguly 160
VVS Laxman 181

2011 The last time an India batsman got 1000 or more runs in a year. Dravid made 1145 at an average of 57.25. Overall, this is the 23rd instance of an India batsman getting 1000 or more runs in a year.4 Number of India batsmen before Kohli to score 500 or more runs in a Test series more than once. Kohli had made 692 runs in Australia in 2014-15. Gavaskar, incredibly, had six such series. Gundappa Vishwanath, Mohinder Amarnath and Dravid had two such series each.95 Runs scored by Kohli off spinners in this innings. Only three runs of those came off a false shot. Kohli has been exceptional against spinners in this series scoring 328 against them at an average of 109.33. In comparison, other batsmen from either side to have batted in the top-seven in this series collectively average 36.17 against spinners.ESPNcricinfo Ltd89 Innings taken by Kohli to complete 4000 runs in Test cricket. He is the sixth fastest India batsman after Virender Sehwag (79 innings), Gavaskar (81), Dravid (84), Tendulkar (86) and Mohammad Azharuddin (88). Overall, he is the 14th India batsman to achieve the landmark. Click here for a list of quickest batsmen to 4000 Test runs.2002 The last time before M Vijay an India opener got a Test hundred at the Wankhede Stadium. Virender Sehwag had made 147 in the first innings against West Indies in 2002. Overall, Vijay’s 136 was just the seventh hundred by an India opener in 25 Tests at this venue. The other five hundreds were all by Gavaskar.

Peshawar finally break the one-run playoff jinx

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Peshawar had been consigned to one-run losses in the last two seasons in the playoffs. This year, they managed to get over the line by some fortune. By one run, of course

Danyal Rasool in Lahore21-Mar-2018Two years ago, Peshawar Zalmi needed just eight runs to seal victory in the playoff game against Quetta Gladiators. In a frenzied finish, Quetta’s Aizaz Cheema conceded just six, condemning Peshawar to a one-run defeat.Last year, Peshawar needed seven to secure safe passage to the final. In another dramatic climax, Mohammad Nawaz restricted Quetta to just five, culminating in last three balls being wickets and consigning Peshawar to yet another one-run loss.This year, it was Peshawar doing the defending, with the game having gone to the final over. The task for the bowler Liam Dawson wasn’t nearly as challenging; he had a full 25 runs to play with. The first five balls were smashed for 22 runs, and with three runs needed off the last ball, Dawson managed to get his side over the line by some fortune. By one run, of course.Those six balls swept everyone at the Gaddafi Stadium off their feet, in thrall to the prospect of a victory so utterly improbable it barely registered as it unfolded in front of everyone’s eyes. Given the predictability of chasing 25 off the last over, no matter who the bowler or batsman is, can never be a part of any side’s plans. It isn’t the last over that deserves to be picked apart for its strategic failings, but what came in the few overs before it as a contest that Quetta had a vice-like grip over.Ten overs earlier, Quetta seemed to be cruising to victory. Sarfraz Ahmed and Nawaz, both promoted up the order in the absence of Shane Watson and Kevin Pietersen, were rising admirably to the occasion. After the loss of two early wickets, the pair accumulated runs efficientlywithout ever needing to take risks, and before long, the partnership had stretched to 63 runs off 45 balls. The required rate was around 7.50, eight wickets were still in hand and Quetta’s best batsman, Rilee Rossouw, was yet to come.But Nawaz came down the pitch to attack Sameen Gul, looking to launch him down the ground. The ball climbed higher than Nawaz had probably predicted, and he ended up top-edging a catch to third man. He would have been disappointed, but to add insult to injury, his captain at the other end gave him a proper earful as he trudged back to the dugout.Taking strike the very next ball, Sarfraz danced down the track, also failing to deal with Gul’s bouncer, and skied it for a comfortable catch. Both batsmen, moments earlier unbeaten on 35 each, were immediately consigned to watching briefs for the rest of the game.It was that passage of play that a visibly disappointed Moin Khan, head coach of Quetta, singled out in his press conference. “You have to take into account the needs of the team when deciding how to go about your shot-making,” he said. “So when you’re going for unnecessary shots, shots that aren’t required, then you’ll find yourself in the sort of situation we found ourselves in.”Directly addressing the two set batsmen departing off successive balls, Moin said: “I think you should be responsible and smart enough. Both guys were set. When a good partnership is built and one guy plays an unnecessary shot and gets out, the guy batting with him naturally begins to feel the pressure a bit too. The bowler bowled Sarfraz a bouncer the very next delivery, and he couldn’t cope in the moment. I admit we’ve made mistakes, and when wickets fall, the game changes. Around the ninth over when we had wickets in hand it was beginning to look like the game was one-sided in our favour.”The two wickets had a massive influence on Quetta’s momentum in the overs that followed. Rossouw, who had established a fearsome reputation in the UAE, scratched around for an 8 off 14 balls before holing out. Thisara Perera, who by then was considered Quetta’s final hope, had only arrived that afternoon, and the fatigue showed. He was caught at long-on for 12, and Mahmudullah could never find the shots to keep up with the asking rate.”We were waiting for the final Dawson over, we knew we’d have an opportunity there,” Moin said. “But in the middle overs before that, we were never even close to the asking rate; we went at about five an over. If we had even done slightly better than that, it’s possible we would have won this game with a few balls to spare because we knew there could be some big runs in the Dawson over.”Asked how he felt after the result, Moin was curt without being insincere. “Hurt,” he said. Peshawar, of course, would simply argue they had – finally – wrenched the medicine bottle out of Quetta’s hands, and shoved it down their protesting throats.

Youth at the forefront of Jharkhand's rise

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Having flirted with inconsistency for a long time, the senior team has started to reap the rewards brought about by improved infrastructure and a streamlined feeder system

Akshay Gopalakrishnan in Thumba18-Dec-2016Over the last four seasons, Jharkhand have been consistently inconsistent. The quarter-finalists of 2012-13 were relegated to Group C in the following season. They finished fourth in 2014-15 before earning a promotion with their second-place finish last year. Now, they are the toppers in a group comprising traditional power houses Delhi and Karnataka. Having set themselves up to climb the summit – they’ve never been there before – the side is keen to prove the old adage of ‘two steps forward and three steps back’ doesn’t come back to haunt them.With a quarter-final berth sealed even before their final league game against Odisha in Thumba, Jharkhand had an opportunity to build on their gains. They could have opted to experiment, but they were ruthless in their demolition, winning by an innings to set up a quarter-final clash with Haryana.The reasons for their irregularities over the years are manifold, ranging from inexperience to lack of opportunities. But having invested in youth, their patience is slowly bearing fruit. That they haven’t been afraid to leave out experienced seniors like Shiv Gautam, Samar Quadri and Rameez Nemat is indication of their change in focus.Four members of their core this year – Ishan Kishan, Kaushal Singh, Virat Singh and Ashish Kumar – made their debuts two seasons ago. While Kishan – earmarked in Indian cricket as one for the future – has scored over 600 runs, Ashish, their pace spearhead, has taken 31 wickets. More importantly, he’s delivered in the absence of Varun Aaron, the designated captain, who has been out for most parts of the season.What stands out about their resurgence has been their brand of cricket; a defensive mindset has given way to a more flamboyant approach. It has resulted in them pushing harder to secure outright wins and not just settle for a lead. The turning point, according to Saurabh Tiwary, the stand-in captain, was an interaction MS Dhoni had with the team during a pre-season camp.”He speaks from the heart,” Tiwary told ESPNcricinfo. “One of the things he said was, when a spinner is bowling, we should be trying to score at least three-four runs every over. Previously, we used to bat an entire day and score 220-230. But look at our scores this season: we have scored over 300 in a day. So there has been a shift in our mindset that has resulted in us pushing for wins. Whatever he said were the basics, but that’s exactly what many don’t understand.”The results are there for everyone to see. In 2014-15, Jharkhand had just two outright wins. The season before that, they were winless. But they have picked up a total of nine wins in the last two seasons – five this time, along with Karnataka, being the most by a team across all groups.Jharkhand have made a conscious decision to shift from a defensive to a more flamboyant approach this season•KCA/Ranjith Peralam”The key has been not just in individuals identifying their roles and playing them well, but as importantly, in finishing what they set out to do,” explains Shahbaz Nadeem, their talismanic left-arm spinner and senior member. “Knowing why you are in the team and in what situation your skills come into play as a fast bowler or a spinner is very important, and we have done that well this time. My role as a senior is to communicate to all the bowlers and help them plan dismissals.”Nadeem and Tiwary have been two of the most consistent performers for Jharkhand. In four seasons prior to this one, they topped Jharkhand’s bowling and batting charts thrice. This year, Nadeem has again been their highest wicket-taker while Tiwary has taken the backseat only to Kishan and Ishank Jaggi.Jharkhand’s first outright win came in their season opener, against Maharashtra. In the next match, they conceded the first-innings lead to Karnataka but have since displayed remarkable consistency, beating Rajasthan, taking the first-innings lead against Vidarbha and Delhi, crushing Saurashtra by an innings, beating Assam by five wickets and then thrashing Odisha inside three days.Part of that consistency has been due to the importance given to fitness. Players have been given weekly fitness targets that have been monitored throughout the season. The results of some of that were discernible in the match against Odisha where Jharkhand impressed with their running between the wickets and fielding.That isn’t to say everything is perfect. There is still room for improvement, with Tiwary, who the team has monitored closely, being a case-in point. He limped off on the second day with cramps after scoring a half-century, albeit in sapping conditions. “We are only 40 percent there,” coach Rajiv Kumar explains. “Sometimes, when a good partnership is going, you need that one brilliant run-out. But creating that opportunity can happen only if you are fit.”Jharkhand let go of their defensive approach after spending time with MS Dhoni during pre-season•PTI Jharkhand also benefitted from comprehensive preparation that started with camps as early as in June last year. That apart, the players also took part in the Buchi Babu, before travelling to Bengal and then again playing a few matches in Ranchi. “In the past, 70 percent of the boys had no cricket before the Ranji season,” Rajiv says. “Things are different now.”As happy as they are with the immediate results, the association doesn’t want to sit back and rest on their improvements. Identifying the need to have a feeder system, JSCA president Amitabh Chaudhary said, was the first step towards improvement.If youngsters like Kishan have shone, it is because of a significant shift to a structured Under-14 and Under-16 system. More tournaments have been introduced and turf wickets have been installed across districts. To select a team for the Vijay Merchant Trophy, India’s premier U-16 tournament, there is now a districts league, and a detailed league-cum-final knockout inter-district tournament. Besides, the state has been split into four divisions that take part in a divisional league and the process is repeated for all levels from U-19 to seniors.”It takes a heavy toll in terms of finances and the collective energies of the associations, but it’s worth it,” Chaudhary says of the expansion plans. “And the best thing is with such an elaborate and comprehensive system in place, nobody can act funny with the selection process. The system is insulated.”Ten years ago, there would be a total of 50 matches. Today, we have over 50 tournaments. We’ve tried to cover even the remote corners of the state. There is a place called Torpa in the Khunti district, adjoining Ranchi. If you go there during mid-day, you will find it absolutely desolate. Guys from such areas are coming in and playing.”Of course, there is always room for improvement. And, as it is, we never believe in any sensational steps taken and anything with the intent of making a splash. We have been trying to put some systems in place and it’s taken some time. But we’ve had the satisfaction of seeing the systems finally falling in place and bearing fruit.”While getting to the knockouts is seen as a victory in itself, the team management has impressed on the need to dream big. Of that, there has been plenty of evidence during the course of the season. Now, for them to build on the improvements.

How Pujara and Rahane repelled Lyon

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Both batsmen fell cheaply in the first innings in Bengaluru but after some minor technical adjustments they put on the only wicketless session of the series so far and helped India draw level in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Ranchi15-Mar-20170:54

Kohli applauds quick-thinking Pujara, Rahane

Opposite the practice area at the JSCA International Stadium is a staircase leading up to one of the stands. Ascending one level gives you a terrific view of the nets, with an elevated, square-on view of the batsmen. Imagine standing atop a watch tower at cover point.It is a view you hardly see on TV and the one restricted to the cheaper seats in most stadiums because from here it is near impossible to judge the line of the ball and the extent of swing, seam or turn accurately. But it gives you such insights into a batsman’s technique.India’s net sessions on the two days leading up to the third Test against Australia offered an excellent opportunity to watch Ajinkya Rahane’s footwork against the spinners. Cat-like, nimble, fully forward or fully back. As has mostly been the case since he lowered his stance – a move that contributed to his twin hundreds in the Delhi Test against South Africa in 2015. His head was right on top of the ball when he stretched forward to defend.When Cheteshwar Pujara batted against seam, it was possible to observe how his hands never once strayed even six inches in front of his body when he defended the ball. He grips his bat in an unusual manner, his top hand turned so far around the handle that the back of his hand – rather than his knuckles as is the norm – faces the bowler. While this can hamper his freedom while driving, it ensures he plays closer to his body, and later than most batsmen on the planet. His defensive bat is a cushion that invariably drops the ball by his feet.Just over a week ago, these skills played their part in steering India through what has so far been the only wicketless session of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Through the course of their 118-run fifth-wicket partnership, Rahane and Pujara turned the Bengaluru Test around, slowly, calmly, with growing authority.The partnership also showcased two batsmen coming to grips with a bowler who had caused them and their team all kinds of problems the last time they had faced him. Nathan Lyon had dismissed both Pujara and Rahane while taking eight wickets in the first innings, and while there were moments of discomfort in the second innings too – Pujara was dropped on 4 – both men grew increasingly at ease, eventually keeping Lyon out for a combined 131 wicketless balls.On Wednesday, the eve of the Ranchi Test, India captain Virat Kohli revealed the technical adjustments the two batsmen had made to overcome Lyon.”I saw Pujara opening up his stance, which was an apt adjustment for him to give himself more space to play the ball,” Kohli said. “Ajinkya, again, getting inside the line of the ball and not playing through the covers. I think those are the small adjustments. KL [Rahul, who made fifties in both innings] is batting well anyway but I think those two guys stepped up their game and found a way to score runs on a difficult wicket.”And as I mentioned, that was the difference between winning a game and probably not winning it because there could have been only two results, the draw wasn’t there on the cards anyway. Such minor things can make massive differences in the game. We saw that and credit to those two guys to get runs on that sort of wicket.”Armed with Kohli’s insights, it was rewarding to re-watch Pujara’s 92 and Rahane’s 52 in Bengaluru.A slightly open stance helped Cheteshwar Pujara handle Nathan Lyon and his extra bounce•Associated PressRahane had been stumped in the first innings, while looking to step out and drive Lyon inside-out. It is a shot he plays well, but on this occasion, looking for non-existent turn, he had simply swished at thin air. In the second innings, he changed his guard: his back toe was in line with off stump rather than between middle and off. This brought him closer to the line of the ball, and ensured he was playing with the spin more often than not.It also made the sweep an easier option: from his original guard, he would have had to plant his front leg a fair way across to get his pad outside the line of off stump, thereby cramping him up and minimising the arc into which he could hit the ball. From his new off-stump guard, he did not have to stretch as far across to get close to the ball get his front pad outside the line of off stump. He could be better balanced and sweep the same delivery square or fine, depending on the field.The sweeps played their part in forcing Lyon to bowl wider, returning to Rahane the scoring option he had initially denied himself – the push or drive into the covers. At one point, the ease with which Rahane was handling him made Lyon switch to bowling around the wicket. This, for India, represented a small victory over a bowler who had tasted so much success bowling into the footmarks outside the right-handers’ off stump.A ball that spat out of these footmarks had led to Pujara’s first-innings dismissal, caught bat-pad. In his stance, Pujara’s feet had been aligned to point straight down the pitch, but a front-and-across trigger movement then left him closed-off and cramped up when the ball turned and bounced more than expected.By opening his stance, Pujara gave himself a better chance of negotiating Lyon’s extra bounce out of the rough. There were at least two occasions when this adjustment proved useful. Coupled with his usual ability to play the ball late and close to his body, the offbreaks that jumped at him now hit the part of the glove facing the bowler rather than that facing the fielders at short leg or leg gully.Being chest-on also made it easier for Pujara to play the pull should Lyon drop the ball marginally short. From the five times he played the shot, he collected three singles, a boundary and inside-edged a ball that kept low onto his pads.It wasn’t all plain sailing, of course. The slightly open stance may well have been a factor in Pujara, twice, playing inside the line of the ball and therefore outside-edging Lyon. It is possible that due to the change in his alignment, Pujara’s bat came down at an angle – from wide slip towards mid-on – on both occasions leaving him vulnerable. Had Smith snaffled up the slip catch he offered, Pujara’s open stance may well have come in for criticism rather than praise. Every little technical adjustment solves one problem while potentially creating another.On a difficult pitch, bowlers were always likely to create chances, no matter how ingenious a batsman’s plans might be. Smith, a beneficiary of multiple dropped catches while scoring a second-innings hundred in the Pune Test, knew this well. He had compiled the technical masterclass of the first Test, by playing for Ravindra Jadeja’s straighter one, minimising the risk of bowled and lbw, and not worrying about getting beaten on the outside edge.Pujara and Rahane had matched him with their own masterclass in Bengaluru. With spin likely to remain the dominant theme of the series, who will follow them up in Ranchi?

USWNT midfielder Rose Lavelle makes long-awaited return to pitch for Gotham FC

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The USWNT veteran made her first appearance for club or country in six months after returning from injury

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  • Lavelle returns to the field for Gotham after six-month layoff
  • USWNT midfielder underwent ankle surgery in December
  • lose to KC Current 2-1
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    U.S. women's national team midfielder Rose Lavelle played her first match in six months, as NJ/NY Gotham FC lost 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Current on Saturday. It marked her return to the pitch following a lengthy injury layoff.

    Lavelle, who underwent ankle surgery in December, played her first minutes since appearing in an international friendly on Dec. 3, 2024.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    "It was the first time I had to get surgery, which is a blessing, but I definitely was a little naïve to what that entailed," Lavelle said after Saturday's match. "So, it was definitely a lot harder than I anticipated."

    The 30-year-old added that her recovery timeline was what she expected, and that she's glad to be back on the pitch.

    "I'm healthy," Lavelle said. "I feel good, I feel really strong. I think it's more just it will be a little bit for my ankle to be at 100%, but the rest of me is feeling good."

    Five minutes into her return to the pitch, Lavelle nearly found the back of the net off a shot from just outside the penalty area, with it going just wide. The lone goal of the day was credited as an own-goal from the Current's Vanessa DiBernardo, but Lavelle was around the ball when it was forced into the net.

    "I think the profile of Rose Lavelle is probably the most rare to find when it's a player that can basically do everything at such a high level," Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amoros said. "And then on top of that she does the special things on the ball that create – why we all watch he sport.

    "Obviously, you want to see goals, but those actions that she produces and how she understands the game is something very different to everyone else and that's what makes her special."

  • WHAT LAVELLE ADDED

    Speaking about her six-month absence, the USWNT veteran added: "Any time you spend time away from the game I always find some silver lining in it. I think I've found a lot of silver lining during this time away. I think [some] of that is learning how to be a good teammate when I can't be on the field with them, staying present, still having a voice and helping people where I can. Being out for so long really forced me to do that 10-fold."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR LAVELLE?

    The return to the pitch on Friday when they take on Utah Royals.

Nico Williams talks begin! Athletic Club offer big pay rise to star winger in bid to fight off Real Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal interest

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Athletic Club have opened renewal talks with Nico Williams, offering big pay rise to keep him amid interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

  • Athletic Club offer major salary increase to Williams
  • €60m release clause draws big clubs
  • Arsenal, Real Madrid & Barca interested
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    After a strong showing with Spain in the Nations League, Williams has become one of the most talked-about names in the transfer market. Big clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern are keeping close tabs on him.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Williams has grown into a vital part of both Athletic Club and the Spanish national team. The 22-year-old scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 2024-25 in the wake of playing a key role in Spain's Euro 2024 success. His performances have turned heads across Europe and with a relatively modest release clause, he is within reach for top clubs.

    However, according to , Los Leones are not giving up easily. Talks to renew his contract have officially begun, with the club offering a significant salary hike reported to be around €10 million (£8m/$11m) per season.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    The Spanish wingers' release clause is only slightly above €60m (£50m/$69m), making him one of the most affordable top-tier wingers in Europe for elite clubs.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAMS?

    Talks between player and club set to continue now that he’s done with national team duty. The club’s immediate plan is to get a deal done during his summer break, before Premier League and La Liga giants push harder with formal offers.

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