Ellyse Perry is not one to go overboard with celebrations and indulgences. She boasts of an enviable CV across sports – having played World Cups in football as well as cricket for Australia – and has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows the sport has to offer.But after her T20 best figures of 6 for 15 against Mumbai Indians in Delhi, the Royal Challengers Bangalore allrounder let her hair down a bit.”Last night I had a chocolate brownie with the girls and some ice cream,” Perry laughed in a media interaction on Wednesday. “I then went to my room, put my red light glasses and read a few chapters of a book and fell asleep.”But she was quick to put the performance in perspective – she had bowled only six overs in WPL 2024 before Tuesday and was wicketless. She started with a two-run over before picking up two wickets each in the last three overs to become only the second Australian after Rhiannon Dick to return six wickets in women’s T20s.Related

• How Minnu Mani overcame adversity to make her mark in the WPL

• WPL final: Of hope, inspiration and the prospect of a new champion

• The rise of captain Smriti Mandhana

• Mature Mandhana rides the WPL storm in two contrasting seasons

• Grace Harris doesn't want to be the big dog, just the best player she can be

“It’s easy to get really carried away when things go well,” Perry said. “But I feel like a lot of time you don’t have that much control over things panning well or not. You certainly work hard to put yourself in pretty good positions but there’s so many other factors that go into any game, and the outcome.”Especially as I have got older, I don’t really want to react either way – whether it’s a good night or a bad night. The sun comes up the next day. Fortunately, in this competition, there is always another opportunity to play games quickly. Whether it goes well or not, we are so lucky to be in the middle with these ridiculously big crowd who are so fanatical about it.”It’s a far-cry from what it was like when I first started playing some years ago. There wasn’t really anyone coming to our games, and certainly no interest in the sport like there is no. When it does go well it doesn’t feel like you have got too much control over it, other than the hard work you have put into it. It’s easy to kind of just enjoy it for the moment when it lasts and life goes on quickly after that.”Given the plethora of allrounders at Australia’s disposal, Perry has had a reduced bowling workload in recent times. In Australia’s tour of India at the turn of the year, she did not bowl at all in the white-ball games and sent down only four overs in the one-off Test. She then sent down 16 overs in the Test and four overs each in the ODIs and T20Is in the multi-format series at home against South Africa. But that does not change the way Perry trains ahead of a game.”I have played for a long period of time now, so I have got a bit of a handle on how I need to prepare. There is always opportunity before a match to bowl overs out in the middle while warming up. I do that keeping in mind that you are available if the opportunity presents itself to bowl in a game. [I have] been playing solidly for the last 18 months now, I don’t feel like I am short on cricket or overs. Whenever there is a chance to contribute to the team, it’s being ready for that.”Soon after the WPL ends, Perry will link up with Australia for their first women’s tour of Bangladesh. They play three ODIs and as many T20Is – all in Mirpur – in conditions where the Women’s T20 World Cup will be played later this year. Has Perry made a compelling case for her national captain Alyssa Healy to utilise her more with the ball in those competitions?Perry followed up her 6 for 15 with an important cameo•BCCI

“I don’t think there is a case for anything,” she said. “I have played a lot of cricket over a number of years. We have been pretty fortunate in the Australian team that we have a lot of options. Here we have got a lot of bowling options with RCB.”From my perspective, what I love doing as a player and something that keeps me motivated is to keep working on things and try to get better. I spent a lot of time last couple of years working on that. I feel like there’s been bits and pieces that have helped me feel confident that at times I can contribute when needed. At the same time it’s not a big deal either way. I just enjoy being part of a team where we are all working towards the same goal.”RCB started WPL 2023 with five losses but have made the playoffs in 2024. They will take on Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator on Friday in Delhi. Head coach Luke Williams was the new major addition for them this season while Smriti Mandhana has looked assured as the captain. What has been the reason for RCB’s change in fortunes?”There’s a really strong sense of calmness and people are enjoying themselves. Luke Williams has brought a lot to the group from that perspective,” Perry said. “He has been clear from the start along with the other coaches, just to give us all the confidence and clarity that our best cricket will be competitive enough in this competition. The team, as a whole, has had more time together. Last year we took a time to find our feet.”Smriti has led the group exceptionally well. Her personality is quite introverted. She is big on developing relationships with each player and really making sure that she knows we are supporting her, but also she’s been able to develop that relationship with us. That takes time but there is so much upside to that. The fact that we can take the field knowing each other and supporting each other has been great.”

Andrew McGlashan selects the County Championship team of the season

Andrew McGlashan26-Sep-2005

Owais Shah ended as the leading run scorer in the country © Splod
Mike Hussey (Durham)
A run machine for his county – when he wasn’t away on international duty. It was to Durham’s advantage that Australia’s selectors are a stubborn bunch and refused to alter their Test squad: Hussey would have surely featured. He repeatedly gave Durham solid and occasionally stunning starts to their innings; once in, he often compiled a large score.Phil Jaques (Yorkshire)
Another prolific Australian who has yet to taste international cricket. He is a destructive left-hander who showed no mercy on the second division bowling attacks. His runs were of two-fold importance; they gave a threadbare bowling attack a chance to win matches, and ensured Yorkshire batted their way to high-scoring draws.Owais Shah (Middlesex)
John Emburey, the Middlesex coach, said Shah would have to “bat like Don Bradman” if he was to perform better than he did this summer. After seasons of failing to fulfil his obvious potential, he racked up 1728 runs this summer. He was the complete batsman; comfortable against pace, and quick on his feet to some quality spin bowlers. If he maintains his focus this winter then, despite the disappointment of missing the Pakistan tour, an international recall won’t be far away.David Hussey (Nottinghamshire)
Joined his brother, Mike, in plundering county attacks, and his 1293 runs helped Notts secure their first Championship title since 1987. An immensely powerful and destructive batsman, he also scored his runs at a good pace to give the Notts bowlers time to win matches. His safe hands at slip pouched 30 catches.

Ed Joyce was in prolific form and earned a place at the England Academy © Getty Images
Ed Joyce (Middlesex)
Completes a Middlesex duo in the top order and, like Shah, is off to the Academy this winter. Started the summer with a bang – passing 1000 runs in seven matches – and, although the big scores tailed off towards September, he still passed 1500 runs in the Championship. He has all the makings of an ideal Test No. 4 and has many of Graham Thorpe’s characteristics. He is strong square of the wicket and is comfortable against pace and spin.Dale Benkenstein (Durham)
An astute signing by Martyn Moxon, Benkenstein arrived on a Kolpak deal and, by the end of the summer, had become a favourite around Chester-le-Street. His experience glued the middle order together – a weak point for Durham in past seasons – and was an ideal stand-in captain when Mike Hussey and Paul Collingwood were on international duty. Throw in his useful medium-pace bowling and safe fielding and Durham certainly got value from him.Nic Pothas (Hampshire)
A mature head in a relatively young Hampshire team, Pothas was in excellent form with the bat and gloves throughout the summer. Over 900 runs at 51 helped to compensate for the below-par performance of other top order batsmen – and the missing Kevin Pietersen. His wicketkeeping developed against Shane Warne, and South Africa will be cursing another talented cricketer who got away from them.Mushtaq Ahmed (Sussex)
Still producing magic with the ball, he finished as the leading wicket taker in the country – and not for the first time. His consistency has reignited talk of an international recall this winter against England, andhas meant that Chris Adams always had confidence to throw him the ball in any situation. With Mushtaq bowling well, Sussex could never be written out of the Championship race.

Mushtaq Ahmed was the leading wicket taker and helped Sussex to third place in the Championship © Splod
Naved-ul-Hasan (Sussex)
A late arrival for Sussex after completing his international commitments, but a stunning success when he arrived. He sped past fifty Championship wickets in only nine matches – including a stunning display at Lord’s when he helped Sussex rout Middlesex in two days. His pacey away-swing posed constant problems for opposition batsmen, and he also showed the ability to produce reverse-swing with the older ball. However, the surprising aspect was his batting – he averaged 31 including a rapid 139 in that match at Lord’s.Alan Richardson (Middlesex)
A winter move from Warwickshire was just the tonic Richardson needed. Finishing as Middlesex’s leading wicket-taker by a considerable margin, he bowled like a man reborn. He quickly developed from a stock bowler into Ben Hutton’s main wicket-taking option, especially in the first half of the season.Mark Davies (Durham)
A stunning average 16 and strike-rate of 36 for Davies, who provided a constant threat whenever he was given a chance in the Championship. He was not initially selected when Steve Harmison was around but, for the second half of the season, it was he and Liam Plunkett who led the attack. available for selection. And, as the England selectors have shown in the winter tour squads, age is no factor, and the door is never shut.Robert Key, Jason Gallian, Mark Ramprakash, Owais Shah, Ed Joyce, Anthony McGrath, Chris Read, Chris Tremlett, Shaun Udal, Alan Richardson, Mark Davies

If Lou Vincent and Mark Richardson prospered yesterday by swatting deliveries to midwicket and square leg constantly, Scott Styris followed a different drummer

Samanth Subramanian07-Jul-2005If Lou Vincent and Mark Richardson prospered yesterday by swatting deliveries to midwicket and square leg constantly, Scott Styris followed a different drummer. Only the results – a century, and the highest score of his career, and yet more pressure on India – were startlingly similar.Of Vincent’s 106 runs, 52 came to midwicket and square leg, while Richardson made 54 of his 145 in the same region – percentages of 49 and 37 respectively. Styris, however, made 50 of his 119 in the V between long-off and long-on – 42 percent of his runs.

Styris played balls by constantly getting behind the line rather than alongside or far across it. That enabled him to play strokes down the ground. It also enabled him to play Anil Kumble, by far the best Indian bowler on the day, and in the Test.On the second day, Kumble bowled an astounding 159 out of 186 deliveries on a good length – a percentage of 85.4. Little was offered that was either too full to drive through the covers or too short to cut or pull. Accordingly, Styris did neither; he just tapped it back past Kumble, and the rest, and started to run. As the scoreline testifies, it paid rich dividends.

Mathew Varghese looks at the performance of India’s first-change bowlers over the years

Mathew Varghese14-Aug-2007

India’s first series win in England in 21 years came largely on the back of a team performance, with Man of the Series, Zaheer Khan being first among equals. While the spotlight fell on Zaheer, fellow left-armer RP Singh also impressed in his role as the third fast bowler in the attack – and it’s no coincidence that his performance in that role had a direct bearing on the overall result.Coming in as first-change RP Singh picked up ten wickets in the first two Tests, including a five-for in England’s second innings at Lord’s. In fact, he didn’t bowl first-change during his unimpressive match-haul of 2 for 122 in the final Test at The Oval, as captain Rahul Dravid brought him on only after Anil Kumble replaced one of the opening bowlers.RP Singh’s success as first-change bowler underlined a statistical truth – that India perform better away from home when the two strike bowlers have a good support act.

The first three bowlers listed in the table helped seal rare series victories away from home. Syed Abid Ali may have only picked up six wickets – five as first-change – in India’s first away series triumph, but an economy rate below 2 per over indicated that he tied up the runs at one end. Ali’s role, though, was more about backing up the three spinners – Erapalli Prasanna, Bapu Nadkarni and Bishan Bedi, rather than new-ball bowlers.Chetan Sharma was India’s hero in their emphatic 1986 series victory in England.
Sharma missed the second of the three Tests at Headingley, but his tally of 16
wickets at Lord’s and Birmingham was more than the 12
that the opening bowlers – Kapil Dev and Roger Binny – could manage.
Sharma bagged a five-for each in the two Tests, and a ten-wicket match haul in the drawn Test at Birmingham – the only one by an Indian bowler in England.RP Singh’s performance must also be judged by the batsmen he dismissed. He accounted for England’s key batsmen – Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan – in nearly half their stints at the crease, dismissing Pietersen thrice and Vaughan twice.RP Singh’s five-for at Lord’s may have come in a draw, but the manner in which he ran through England’s middle-order definitely must have given a boost to the team ahead of Trent Bridge. In the second Test, Pietersen was the target man for RP Singh. He trapped him in front of the stumps in both innings, bowling around the wicket. The second dismissal was reminiscent of Wasim Akram – the ball pitched well outside the off stump but then it sharply jagged back in. Pietersen, who’d shaped to leave it, was plumb in front and didn’t even wait for the umpire’s decision.The performance of these three bowlers is in sharp contrast to India’s traditionally frail first-change bowling, the third seamer invariably failing to support the opening bowlers duo.
The following table compares India’s opening and first-change fast bowlers over the years. One clarification though: our records consider Sourav Ganguly as a pace bowler.

India’s recent tour of South Africa is a good example of where the new-ball
bowlers – Sreesanth and Zaheer – bowled well in tandem, taking 31
wickets at 25.48 in the three-Test series. However, VRV Singh, India’s
first-change bowler in the first two Tests, managed only three wickets
in the 44.1 overs he bowled. He averaged 66.33 per wicket but, more
significantly, conceded 4.5 runs per over in contrast to the 3.4 given by
the opening bowlers. In fact, in the deciding Test of the series at Cape Town, Dravid brought on Kumble ahead of fast bowler Munaf Patel in both innings. India went on the lose the match and the series.Over ten years ago, Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad formed a potent
attack, especially on the tours of England and South Africa. However,
their efforts were sidelined by support seamers unable to sustain the
pressure on the opposition.

The gameplan was to bat once and bat big, and with some sensible, yet often exciting, batting, India took a long stride towards that

Sidharth Monga in Chittagong18-May-2007

Rahul Dravid’s attacking half-century quickly put Bangladesh on the defensive after their first-ball strike © AFP
Effective. Considering the flat wicket, easy. Importantly, counterattacking. And, given that the plan was to bat once and bat big, India’s batting on day one of this series was just what was required. Blending sensible strokes with a willingness to dig deep to overcome whatever few hurdles they were faced with, India’s batsmen gave the team a strong foundation on which to build a winning total.Of course, the plans were rudely pushed aside with the very first ball of the day, with Wasim Jaffer’s dismissal requiring Rahul Dravid to walk out, yet again, in the opening over of a Test. And just when one expected a slow, steady recovery, Dravid provided a twist by going on the attack. The wicket was flat, the bowlers, though spirited, were not persistent or disciplined enough and he dealt with it in an appropriate manner. Also, he had at the other end Dinesh Karthik, opening a Test innings only for the second time, and needed to take the lead.Was it planned? “Things like [losing] a wicket in the first ball do not happen usually,” Karthik said pithily after the day’s play. “We didn’t plan it, we just played instinctively.” Yet it was a bold approach, given that India had gone into the match with only five specialist batsmenIt took Dravid three overs to assess the situation and, when Shahadat Hossain offered one full and outside the off stump in the fourth over, he leant in and drove it through the covers for four. The next over he showed his trust in the bounce of the wicket when he essayed an aerial cut off Mashrafe Mortaza, which just about cleared a leaping backward point. He followed that up with an array of punches, drives, and flicks, but the crucial point was that no shot looked risky.Happily, and not entirely unexpectedly, Dravid’s approach caught up with Karthik too and they scored fluently enough to bring up the 100-run partnership in the 21st over. This is the fourth time [a record] Dravid has featured in a second-wicket 100-run partnership after walking in at 0 for 1.Too often over the last couple of years, India have squandered a quick start by shutting shop once a couple of quick wickets have fallen, forgetting that scoring runs is the main purpose of batting. Such a scenario seemed to be on the cards again when Dravid and Karthik fell within eight runs of each other and the score stood at 132 for 3. Mortaza and Hossain were bowling well and seemed to be benefiting from the overcast conditions. But, after grinding the fast bowlers out of the attack, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly too cut loose.They were helped by the spinners, Bangladesh’s strength, being off their game today. They bowled too many short ones to Tendulkar, who accepted with delight. Ganguly, cautious against the short-pitched bowling of Hossain, didn’t mind the short ones from the spinners. Once set, he twice conjured a sight that has become rare and much missed: stepping out to a spinner and lofting him for a six.It’s easy to dismiss the partnership in light of the quality of the attack but there was a gameplan to follow, the odd ball was keeping low and wickets at that point of time would have forced India to fall back on to a Plan B. Under those conditions, Tendulkar and Ganguly paced their innings almost perfectly.The plan for Bangladesh would have been to get quick wickets and choke the batsmen. They had the opportunity twice but each time failed to test India’s weakness. It was not easy to bowl on this unresponsive wicket and under the hot, humid conditions; that could have played a role in what looked like a tactical error to take Mortaza and Shahadat off when they were looking good in the middle session.India’s plan tomorrow will be to see off the early morning freshness and then go on to bat Bangladesh out of the game. They will have to contend with Mortaza again, and the bowler had no doubts as to where the match stood. Asked whether Bangladesh had lost their chance, his reply was quick: “No. We have time tomorrow morning. If we can take a few quick wickets tomorrow, it could be different.”Indeed it could. Considering only Mahendra Singh Dhoni stands between this partnership and the long Indian tail, Tendulkar and Ganguly’s job is only half done.

There was no need to speculate during Jaques’ display and he swung the day for Australia. Watching new players succeed is not dull, but the sceptics have a point. The more Australia change the more they stay the same

Peter English in Hobart16-Nov-2007

Michael Hussey repeated his performance at the Gabba here in Hobart today © Getty Images
Complaints over the past week have centred on the predictability of Test cricket and the dominance of Australia. More evidence to support the argument came on the first day in Hobart when Sri Lanka missed crucial chances, Dilhara Fernando performed poorly while a better bowler was 12th man, Phil Jaques’ century propelled the home team to an enviable position and the Michael Hussey phenomenon powered on. Despite the repetition of events from Brisbane, the play was compelling.After his job-interview behaviour at the Gabba, where he won approval for his gritty maiden century, Jaques was free to express himself. As an artist he is an unrefined bush painter like the late Pro Hart, but his lack of natural beauty does not devalue the impression. The bottom-hand style won over Steve Waugh, who described Jaques as the “prototype for young players” before he had played a Test. If Waugh is right the future will be muscular.The present is growing stronger by the Jaques innings and his second hundred in nine days was more brutal than the first. The Sri Lankans restricted his cut shot, placing a man deep behind point, but he was successful thrashing along the ground, over the cordon or past the sweeper. Attacking his strength did not work for Trevor Bayliss, who was Jaques’ New South Wales coach until he left for Sri Lanka.Pulling was another successful shot for Jaques and he was given plenty of opportunities to polish it on a true surface. Unafraid to be hit on the body, which he was a handful of times, he unfurled cross-bat shots that were usually concealed at the Gabba. It was a display as bright as the day and gave Australian supporters more reasons to be cheerful about life without Justin Langer.Like last week, Jaques waited patiently for his first run, taking 24 minutes and 18 balls, but he was quickly operating at the speed he is used to at New South Wales. He forced the fast bowlers down the ground and altered his tempo with quick singles from defensive shots. Those risky but successful runs added further to Sri Lanka’s woes as they failed with direct hits during the couple of occasions Jaques was short of his ground in the first session. Once again the lapses were punished, and he accepted another well-taken single to reach 150.Lasith Malinga started strongly, adding an early fear element that was missing when he was 12th man in the previous game, and Farveez Maharoof was effective at times without getting the wickets needed to secure his future. The faith the Sri Lankan camp places in Fernando appears to have been misplaced with his inability to hold a steady line and length.Fernando, who has been keeping quiet about an ankle injury, did claim the first wicket, benefiting from Matthew Hayden’s lack of feet movement, but his day was summed up when he tumbled to save a ball on the boundary off Jaques and it went through him for four. Releasing five runs an over compounded his problems and he is running out of days to justify his internal rating on this tour.Jaques earned back-to-back centuries with a push to midwicket for two off Fernando and this time he delivered the kiss to his helmet badge that was missing last week. However, Hussey was there to give another strong hug and increase the feelings of déjà vu.Last week Jaques was exhausted by the time he reached the milestone and charged unsuccessfully at Muttiah Muralitharan. Today he stayed in control after his celebration and added another fifty before holing out to deep mid-on. Hussey refused such charity in his unbeaten 101 and if he can reach 160 without being dismissed his average will be an unbelievable 90.There was no need to speculate during Jaques’ display and he swung the day for Australia. Watching new players succeed is not dull, but the sceptics have a point. The more Australia change the more they stay the same.

Australia’s array of power-hitters gives them the edge. By Peter English

Peter English05-Sep-2007

After having lifted the Champions Trophy and the World Cup over the past 12 months, Australia are aiming for an unprecedented clean sweep of the limited-overs silverware.No team is feared like Ricky Ponting’s and only Glenn McGrath (retirement) and Shaun Tait (elbow injury) are missing from the triumphant Caribbean squad. Brett Lee adds more firepower after recovering from ankle surgery while Ben Hilfenhaus, the Tasmania swing bowler, is the new baby who will benefit from the experience of his first senior overseas tour.The players enjoy the Twenty20 format, but most warn of the dangers of taking it too seriously. A potential lapse in Australia’s usually unbreakable mental spirit is one of the few things offering their rivals hope.Home truths

The Test and one-day regulars have played only a handful of these matches – Australia have three wins and two losses in Twenty20 – but the state representatives have been part of the two-week domestic competition over the past two years. After early scepticism when the game was born in England, Australia raced to join in and quickly organised the first international, which they won against New Zealand.Strengths

Power hitting is the major weapon, but the real problem for opposing teams is the depth of Australia’s batting. Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden intimidate in any game, Ricky Ponting struck a 55-ball 98 not out in that game against New Zealand, showing he could be even more brutal when he thought only of free swinging; and Michael Clarke can find gaps with ease.Then come the big hitters: Andrew Symonds and Michael Hussey average a six every second ODI, while Shane Watson’s 145 World Cup runs came at the staggering strike-rate of 170. Over 20 overs at least one of these men will fire, and with useful contributions an out-of-reach target can be arranged in half an innings. The two Brads, Hodge and Haddin, will provide capable back-up, and the bowlers will be ready to exact revenge for the severe treatment they will receive when they bowl. Nathan Bracken has become a key man in the absence of McGrath and his swing and across-the-seam variations make him one bankable ingredient.

Weaknesses
The bowling is not so much a weakness as an unknown. In the lead-up to the tournament the fast men travelled to the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane in an attempt to devise strategies for the carnage they would see in South Africa. However, plans the length of the alphabet will be needed to cope with the avalanche of batsmen with freedom to pummel.Lee’s speed can be match-winning or -losing, Stuart Clark is desperate to show his limited-overs output can be as immaculate as his Test work, and Mitchell Johnson and Watson are still trying to prove they belong as bowlers.Slow bowling would appear to be a casualty of the condensed game, but it has achieved some success on the domestic scene and Australia have Brad Hogg, Symonds and Clarke to call on.Player to watch
experienced his first international slump at the World Cup, leaving the Caribbean with only 87 runs – and is ready to rectify the situation if his team-mates allow him the batting time. In the past two years he has improved on the one-day international finishing role made famous by Michael Bevan and is able to turn what is shaping up as a mediocre total into an unassailable one with clean striking and clever running.Dark horse
is the only unknown player in the squad after impressing with 60 Pura Cup wickets for Tasmania last season. A swing bowler, he operates around 140kph and is a severe threat. One-day and Twenty20 international debuts came in 2006-07, but he missed the World Cup squad and was a late addition to this outfit after Tait’s injury failed to heal.

Ian Chappell’s take
There’s bad news for the rest of the cricket world – Ponting has announced that Australia are taking the Twenty20 World Championships seriously and are heading to South Africa with the intention of winning the tournament.Australia have the best balanced side as well as the side best placed to handle any situation as it occurs. The fact that the bulk of the team are in the Test side emphasises the point that a good cricketer should be able to adapt to any format of the game.They have powerful hitters in Hayden and Gilchrist at the top of the order, and then they have Symonds and Watson in the middle. Gilchrist, Hayden and Ponting are well equipped to take advantage of the field restrictions in the first six overs. The bowling has plenty of variety with the pace of Lee, the steadiness of Clark and Bracken, and the wrist-spin of Hogg. In the field they have run-out specialists in Ponting, Symonds and Clarke, and plenty of fast young legs and strong arms to patrol the outfield. In other words, Australia is a team made of complete cricketers – exactly what you would expect from a strong, international side.I expect Australia to reach the final, and with their record in all forms of the game in the last decade, I’d be surprised if they lost. However, sooner or later it’s going to happen – a Ponting-led side is going to falter in a major limited-overs competition. Rating: 8/10

The lack of urgency from Australia’s batsmen might be an unfamiliar sight, but it is also a sign that they are now willing to subjugate themselves to the circumstances

Sambit Bal at the Adelaide Oval26-Jan-2008
“Australia embraced abstinence today. It could be taken as a sign of vulnerability; but surely it is also an acceptance of changing times.” © Getty Images
Tests at Adelaide have a habit of sneaking in a twist, so the epitaph for this match must wait. Meanwhile, Saturday was a day of stalemate. Runs were hard to come by, wickets even harder; but it was old-fashioned Test cricket – slow, grinding and contemplative, and no less absorbing for it.Australia do not need to win this Test and, with the burden of the winning streak lifted, they can even afford a draw. The lack of urgency from their batsmen might be an unfamiliar sight, but it is also a sign that they are now willing to subjugate themselves to the circumstances.A number of factors are responsible for the pace of the day today. To start with, India were resourceful and thoughtful. After a listless first hour, they huddled together at the drinks break and found purpose. On the other hand, a few of Australia’s batsmen were coming out of a slump and a number of them had been dismissed driving against the swinging ball. It is also possible that, after their stunning loss at Perth, they have found a new respect for their opponents. Nor would it have been lost on them that, at this very venue, they had the paid the price for a series of injudicious strokes against the same opponents four years ago.The pitch was sluggish, some balls kept low, and India bowled a run-denying line — a couple of feet outside the off stump — for substantial periods. In an earlier day, Australians might have made a dash for it, perhaps even succeeded. But they didn’t need to take the risk, and ended up scoring under three runs an over, an unthinkable rate on a home pitch. But it was pragmatic. The Gavaskar-Border trophy is already won, but who can blame them for wanting to secure the series?Matthew Hayden was the most dominant batsman of the day but he didn’t dominate in the Matthew Hayden way. There was a charge and miss against Irfan Pathan early on, a lofted one over the head of mid-off and a stand and deliver blast through the off-side late in his innings but otherwise he was measured, even circumspect.Though Hayden’s stroke-making is often savage, there is a monk-like calmness about him as he stands at the crease, eyes wide open and head held still, his attention riveted to the immediate task. Today he even added abstinence to the package. India bowled a touch wide to him to deny him his favourite scoring stroke, the booming drive down the ground, and Hayden was prepared to wait till a ball was close enough to him to force it through the offside.The power wasn’t missing – in fact one sweep off Harbhajan Singh was hit so hard that the fielder at the square-leg boundary had to dive even though the ball was only a couple of metres away from him – but it was a day when the big shots were employed with utmost deliberation.The Australians had obviously given thought to neutralising the swing and Phil Jaques, who had been caught thrice behind the wicket, came up with his own method, by taking guard on off and middle. This allowed him to leave everything outside his pads and the cut shot, his favourite, didn’t come out till the ball was sufficiently short and wide. At Perth, the middle order had been exposed early twice; at Adelaide, Ricky Ponting didn’t need to come to bat till the 53rd over.Ponting’s approach was keenly awaited. Not only were Australia chasing a huge total, he was soon facing both his tormentors, Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh. He got off the mark with a nervy, hurried and awkward pull against Anil Kumble that could very well have landed in a fielder’s lap but proceeded to play with rare caution. Harbhajan was treated with respect and Sharma was kept out. Irfan Pathan induced a couple of edges but Ponting continued to graft, building his innings in singles and twos. So far, it has been an innings of humility, as has been the Australian performance on a whole in this Test. It shouldn’t be taken as a sign of vulnerability; but surely it is an acceptance of changing times.

New Zealand’s No. 4 looks ahead to his first Test at the home of cricket

Ross Taylor14-May-2008
‘I’m the only one in the top four with a Test hundred and it’s a brilliant opportunity for me to kickstart a new era for New Zealand cricket’ © Getty Images
Talk about pressure. At the MCC welcome lunch for the New Zealand team on Tuesday, Geoffrey Boycott cast an eye my way and announced, “Lad, don’t be playing those Twenty20 shots, you’re in my fantasy team”. Suddenly, it was not just a Test match at Lord’s that was playing on my mind.Being in England does that to you. I may have been one of the first players to experience the Indian Premier League, but here I’m just one of the Test cricketers who has arrived at Lord’s wanting to achieve the ultimate honours-board recognition.We have an inexperienced team and many of our guys are playing at Lord’s for the first time tomorrow. For Aaron Redmond and Daniel Flynn, their Tests debuts are on the most intimidating stage of all. It’s not the pitch, the atmosphere or the opposition players. Rather, there is a mystique that only a cricketer could understand. I imagine it’s like how it is for a budding actor making it to Holly (or Bolly) wood, or a wannabe model making it to the catwalks of Milan.Every serious cricketer’s dream is to play at Lord’s, despite the nerves that might accompany it. Thankfully for me, the famous walk from the dressing room, down the stairs, through the long room and the gate, onto the hallowed turf is something I have experienced already, when I was the New Zealand Young Cricketer to Lord’s in 2002. Now I only have to deal with the MCC members in their red-and-yellow ties.I felt the Lord’s buzz back then that Daniel, Aaron and the other guys playing their first game here tomorrow will feel. For my part, I’m relishing the challenge of playing my first Test at Lord’s.Every player thinks about making it onto the honours board in the away-team dressing room. Brendon McCullum almost made it on the 2004 tour (he made 96). Mark Richardson (2004) and Matt Horne (1999) both made it with a ton, and I’d love to emulate them. The achievement that stands out for me is that of Dion Nash, one of our current selectors, who features twice from the same game, when he got a five-for in both innings in 1994.I’ve been elevated to the No.4 position after just five Test matches. With our team having changed a lot recently, especially with the retirements from Test cricket of Stephen Fleming and Scott Styris, I’m now in the spot traditionally reserved for the team’s premier batsman. As I see it, I’m the only one in the top four with a Test hundred and it’s a brilliant opportunity for me to help kickstart a new era for New Zealand cricket.It’s not the pitch, the atmosphere or the opposition; rather, there is a mystic that only a cricketer could understand. I imagine it’s like a budding actor making it to Holly (or Bolly) wood or a wannabe model making it to the catwalks of MilanRoss Taylor on the lure of playing at Lord’sAs I write this I’m thinking about what it will be like, warming up on the Nursery Ground with loads of fans watching. One thing I know for sure is that the Beige Brigade will be there. As players, we have the utmost respect for what they have created. I’d encourage any Kiwi fan in England reading this to come in beige. That stuff spurs us on.This will be the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of so far on tour, yet a full house at Lord’s will be dwarfed by the 45,000-plus who watched my team, the Bangalore Royal Challengers, in the IPL. That was something else. I thought I’d be lucky to get one game and I ended up playing four of the five games I was available for. I’ll never have Rahul Dravid’s iconic status in India but I’m really excited about hopefully becoming part of the cricketing revolution that the IPL is driving.It will take time, though. One thing I did notice is that the fans in India enjoyed the IPL primarily for the quality of the cricket. I think it is probably too early to start comparing the IPL to the Premier League football in England. As a player for the Royal Challengers in a tournament in its infancy, I still need to prove myself to the fans in Bangalore. Just as in Manchester, as players we have to realise that we don’t have a right to fans’ support; we have to earn it. I’d love to be back in the IPL next year. Guess I’d better make some runs at Lord’s this week.

Turuwar Kohli has quietly gone about being one of India’s key players at the Under-19 World Cup

George Binoy in Kuala Lumpur24-Feb-2008

If it was time to choose India’s stand-out performances at the Under-19 World Cup so far, Virat Kohli’s aggressive hundred against West Indies and Pradeep Sangwan’s swing bowling, which produced a five-wicket haul, would top the list. Perhaps even some Tanmay Srivastava’s super-calm knocks at No. 3. Think twice and Turuwar Kohli would be a deserved addition. His consistent scores as opener haven’t been the most riveting but his steady accumulation of runs has made him the highest run-scorer in the tournament.Turuwar’s consistency cannot be understated. He hasn’t had a bad match – making 40 against Papua New Guinea, 54 in the run-chase against South Africa, 50 versus West Indies, and 63 not out to eliminate England from the competition. He builds his innings patiently, taking his time to settle, and plays majority of his shots along the ground. As a result of his watchful approach, India have not lost two early wickets in the tournament even though Turuwar’s opening partner, Shreevats Goswami, is yet to hit his stride.What makes his performances more remarkable is that he did not open in the practice matches. He didn’t bat against England and made 34 batting at No. 7 against New Zealand. It was because Tamil Nadu batsman Abhinav Mukund scored 13 and 0 while opening in the warm-ups that Turuwar gained a promotion. In fact, this was the first time that Turuwar was opening in matches of significance. He bats at No. 3 for Punjab U-19s, a side he has represented for two years, and is usually a middle-order batsman. However, Turuwar shrugged off the magnitude of opening on such a large stage without much prior experience.”It’s [opening] similar to playing at No. 3, seeing off the new ball is the main aim,” Turuwar said. “I try to stick to the basics and I have patience.”He’s been a picture of calmness in the World Cup, anchoring the innings and providing a solid platform for Srivastava and the power-hitters like Virat and Saurav Tiwary. Turuwar, however, said that he was only playing according to the demands of the situation because India haven’t had a large target to chase yet. His careful style comes naturally but he says he can force the pace if necessary.”I don’t always play like this [cautiously], I have several gears,” Turuwar said. “If needed, I can play attacking cricket. This [against England] was a low-scoring game so there was no need to hit big strokes. You have to adapt to the situation, if it needs you to play shots you have to play strokes. I have played rash shots in the earlier games and I learnt from
my mistakes.”Turuwar, who is from Jalandhar, is from a sporting family: his father, Sushil, played water polo for India and was a bronze medalist at the Asian Games. His family also owns a sports goods factory ‘Beat All Sports’ which ensured that Turuwar did not have to go too far to have access to high-quality cricket gear during his formative years. He started playing cricket at the age of 10 and joined an academy at Burlton Park, which has also produced cricketers such as Harbhajan Singh and Vikram Rathore, at the age of 14. However, Turuwar said that his approach to cricket between 14 and 16 wasn’t serious and it was a paid tour to England with Mumbai’s Worli Cricket Club that made him change his outlook to the game. He’s a relatively new addition to India’s Under-19 squad and so far he’s proved to be extremely valuable.