ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the third day of the Colombo Test

Andrew Fernando in Colombo27-Nov-2012The fendAngelo Mathews warned his partner not to play the hook shot with three men on the leg-side fence, and then ignored his own advice•AFPTharanga Paranavitana showcased a skill more befitting a rugby back than a Test batsman to earn himself four bonus runs in the second over of the day, as he completed a quick single after dropping the ball into the off side. Jeetan Patel at cover swooped in and felt he had a chance of running Paranavitana out, but his throw to the bowler’s end was wild, and threatened the running batsman instead of the stumps. Paranavitana reached behind him and fended the ball away, much like a rugby fullback would when trying to shake off the last defender, and the ball ricocheted off his gloves and went even further away from the fielder who was already struggling to back up the throw. Paranavitana was not deemed to be handling the ball or obstructing the field as the batsman is allowed to use his hands in self-preservation in that context.The near-miss(es)Angelo Mathews could also have got himself and his partner out with the same shot in the third over of the morning, when he straight drove Trent Boult aerially. Boult at first felt he had a chance to take the catch, but he was too slow to react. If he had got a finger on the ball he might have effected a dismissal as the ball went on to hit the off stump with Paranavitana out of his crease. Even the umpire had a near miss as force of the shot uprooted the stump, which cartwheeled not far from him.The catchMartin Guptill has had a woeful tour of Sri Lanka so far with the bat, but his stunning reflexes and sure hands haven’t left him, which was seen in his stellar catch to dismiss Mathews at second slip. Mathews lunged at a fullish wide delivery from Southee, and the resulting outside edge flew fast and low, but Guptill leaped almost instantly to his right and plucked the ball one-handed. It was a take that would have been impressive at gully or backward point, but to move so far, so quickly at slip almost defied belief.The self-ignored adviceEarly in the day Ross Taylor put three men on the leg-side fence despite the cautious progress of Sri Lanka’s overnight pair, but Mathews spotted the men in the deep and grew wise to the trap. Almost immediately he called out to his partner at the non-striker’s end, urging him not to play the pull. But sure enough, Tim Southee pitched one short next ball, and what should Mathews do but play the pull himself. He had controlled the shot well, but it was “do as I say, not as I do” from Sri Lanka’s probable future captain.The copy catSuraj Randiv has had a mediocre series with the ball, but with Sri Lanka in danger of being dismissed before reaching the follow-on target, he seemingly impersonated the man he was batting with. Thilan Samaraweera had also been an offspinner in domestic cricket, and had turned himself into an obdurate batsman in his career’s second incarnation. Having taken only one wicket in the first innings, Randiv made 34 from 102 deliveries and contributed in the discipline he wasn’t picked for.

Evenly-matched teams, a condensed format and interesting weather in England – we are in for an intriguing Champions Trophy. Will it be able to rebuild the fan’s faith in the sport?

Krish Sripada, India01-Jun-2013The voracious appetite of cricket fans has been tested quite a bit in the last couple of years. The pinnacle of Test performances, the mace, has changed quite a few hands. A World Cup was won for the first time by a team playing the final in its home ground. A few seasons of IPL have flown dazzlingly past us, much like fire crackers that create the illusion of stars, only to fade away much too early to be noticed. The cricket lover is befuddled by the palette of cricketing news that is presented to him every morning. While he expects scores, stats and records being broken and legends being made, all he finds is suspended umpires, jailed players and suspect officials. The grandstands have taken a back seat, pun intended.Even as Bayern Munich vanquishes its ghosts, and Rafael Nadal prepares to do something never done before in the world of tennis, cricket lovers are wistfully looking at the Champions Trophy. The tournament has always been the under-performing brother to the 50-over World Cup. It is a tournament that pretends to be something big, only to fizzle away as the show goes on. It is a tournament whose very existence is questionable. It doesn’t serve much purpose, apart from irking the Associates which don’t get to participate, and consuming a few days in a busy cricketer’s life. So many stars have got on a plane again barely days after the IPL – colours altered, motivations rediscovered, enmities rekindled. Can this tournament do enough to drown the chaos that surrounds us in the form of news, bits and pieces, scraps of wheels coming off, mud slung and surprises thrown, almost at will, every day?It could, if only because this promises to be of the more open limited-overs events in recent years. A few teams, including the world champions of the ODI format, are in transition. The host nation, perpetually gives the impression that cricket in coloured clothing isn’t their thing. The men from Australia will have a small urn at the back of the mind, not the big trophy. The Caribbean bunch, led by a new captain, and the dust storm called Pakistan, that nearly lost a series to Ireland recently, will be unpredictable and dangerous as ever. The weather in England will add to the intrigue. The chill is in the air, the ball will swing, and a few hands are already weary after long seasons.South Africa looks like the team to beat, with Dale Steyn in red-hot form and their captain AB de Villiers beginning to treat short-format cricket like a picnic in the backyard. For once, they will have an emotion stronger than the normal dread they carry into big tournaments. That emotion is the attachment to their coach, Gary Kirsten, in his last assignment. India gave him quite a memorable goodbye with arguably the biggest prize in international cricket. Can the Saffers do something similar? Two groups of four countries each, in a league shootout for semifinal berths: this is the no-nonsense format the full-fledged ODI World Cup will never give us. With the chances of one-sided contests greatly reduced, it might well be two weeks of spirited cricket.What cricket needs is a good tournament. A few good days of hard fought cricket, hopefully clean and cheerfully tight. What the fans need is a few days of distraction, sadly speaking, from what cricket has offered in the last two weeks. Let the redemption begin.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line

Plays of the day from the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-May-2013The flick
Chennai Super Kings had already had two fruitful overs before Ishant Sharma delivered the fifth. Murali Vijay’s trio of consecutive sixes heralded his side’s charge in earnest and, of the legside strokes, the third was the prettiest. Having savagely pulled Ishant into the stands, then heaved him over midwicket next ball, Vijay relied on timing to carry the third over the ropes. Ishant strayed onto the pads again, though this time slightly fuller, and instead of swinging hard, as he had done previously, Vijay brought his bat down in a languid arc, connecting the ball with his bat’s sweet spot and launching it into the distance with a flick of the wrists.The drop
Suresh Raina had already begun strongly, having put a fifty-run stand alongside Michael Hussey, but in the 12th over, he offered a chance that would turn out to be a crucial moment in the match. Amit Mishra pitched one slightly shorter and, although the length was right for the cut shot that Raina played, the ball was too close to his body. He hit it at shin-height to Karan Sharma at point. Karan got his hands to the ball but couldn’t hold on, and Raina would hit 73 from the next 34 balls, to take the match away from Sunrisers Hyderabad.The red herring

The highest first innings total in five previous matches in Hyderabad this season had been 130 and, after the first over of the match, there was little to suggest this match would end the streak of low-scorers at the venue. Dale Steyn steamed in to deliver Sunrisers’ best over of the innings and his tight, swinging length deliveries did not concede a single run as Michael Hussey failed to beat the infield. That was as good as it got for the hosts in the entire game though, as the bowlers’ discipline deteriorated dramatically, with even Steyn finishing poorly in the final overs.The fielding position
It was difficult to fault MS Dhoni’s captaincy as Super Kings strode towards a playoff berth, but his field placement for Parthiv Patel, as R Ashwin bowled to him inside the Powerplay, was innovative to the point of being experimental. Dhoni essentially doubled down at mid-on, placing two men no more than a couple of metres away from each other there. What was more remarkable was Suresh Raina’s stance, as the straighter of the two fielders. Instead of walking in with the rest of the field, Raina turned side-on looking towards point and crouched slightly, ready to tear after the ball if Patel struck Ashwin down the ground.

Stats highlights from the first day’s action at The Oval

S Rajesh21-Aug-2013

• Shane Watson’s 176 is his third Test century, and easily the highest – his previous-best was 126 against India in Mohali in 2010. Since that Test match and before today, Watson had gone past 50 ten times in 46 innings, without once going on to a century: his highest during this period had been 95.
• The century by Watson was the first by an Australian No.3 batsman in nearly two years: the previous hundred was Shaun Marsh’s 141 against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in September 2011. In 48 innings since then and before this match, Australia’s No.3 batsmen had averaged 23.17, with a highest of 87. They were the only team whose No.3 hadn’t scored a hundred during this period.
• The last time an Australian No.3 batsman scored 150 or more in an overseas Test was at Cardiff in 2009, when Ricky Ponting made 150. In all there have been 20 instances of Australian No.3s scoring 150 or more overseas, of which Ponting and Don Bradman have contributed five each. Among those 20 instances is Jason Gillespie’s unbeaten 201 against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2006.
• In just this one innings, Watson scored 34% of the total runs he had scored in 17 previous Test innings in England: in those 17 tries, Watson had managed 520 runs at an average of 30.58, with a highest of 68.
• The on-side was clearly Watson’s preferred scoring area in this innings: 115 of his 176 runs came in that region, and 91 of those in the arc between midwicket and the sightscreen. Fifteen of his 25 fours came on the on-side. The bowler who suffered the most at his hands was debutant left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan, who leaked 35 runs off 25 balls to Watson, and overall went for 53 in eight overs.
• Stuart Broad has been Michael Clarke’s nemesis in this series, but this time Clarke fell to James Anderson, another bowler who has had plenty of success against him in the past. Anderson dismissed Clarke for the eighth time, sneaking past Broad, Ishant Sharma and Dale Steyn, who have each dismissed him seven times. Broad still has the slightly better average against Clarke, though: his seven dismissals have cost him 163 runs (average 23.28). Anderson averages 27.50 runs per dismissal against Clarke.
• The 145-run stand between Watson and Steven Smith is the sixth century stand for Australia in this series, and the third-highest. Watson also added 107 for the second wicket with Chris Rogers, which makes this the first instance of two century stands in the same innings for Australia in this series. England have also had six century partnerships in this series.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the final Champions Trophy Group match

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Nagraj Gollapudi at The Oval17-Jun-2013The surreptitious bowledWhen a bowler delivers a beauty, the whole team often lets the batsman know, but when James Faulkner seamed one off leg stump, to beat Angelo Mathews outside edge in the 37th over, no one was wise to the fact that the ball had clipped off stump. Faulkner turned around to appeal, perhaps for an lbw, and Matthew Wade dove to collect the ball on the bounce, and it was only when Mathews began his trek to the dressing room did the fielding side spot the dislodged bails and begin to celebrate.The (almost) copycat celebrationLasith Malinga might not quite match Usain Bolt for flair and hype, but he’s not far off in the cricket world, and he took a leaf from the other speedster’s book when he dismissed Glenn Maxwell in his first over. Maxwell had hit him for four the previous ball, but Malinga dug in a yorker and when the death rattle came, sunk to his knees and did a Sri Lankanised version of Usain’s “bow and arrow” pose, only pointing towards the Australia dressing room.The releaseXavier Doherty had tied down Sri Lanka well in the middle overs even bowling a maiden in the 29 overs. Sri Lanka’s run rate was still less than four, never threatening to cross the four-run mark. Mahela Jayawardene, the most versatile Sri Lankan batsman, read the situation well and decided to take few calculated chances. He knew that Maxwell was flighting the ball and it was tempting to take him on. He had seen the fine leg was wide and the third man was inside the circle. In Maxwell’s second over Jaywardene attempted a good reverse sweep but was only denied a certain boundary by Clint McKay’s acrobatic dive. In Maxwell’s following over, Jayawardene swatted powerfully to beat Doherty at fine leg and then went for the reverse sweep, this time successfully beating the fielder to step on the accelerator. It was the turning point of the match as Jayawardene had released the pressure valve held tightly by Australia till then.The ill-fated pirouetteLasith Malinga had bowled several full tosses on leg stump in his first spell, and Australia continued to either pick him off to fine leg or run leg byes, if they could not get bat to it. When he struck George Bailey on the knee-roll in the ninth over, the batsman began his run slowly, revolving at the crease to get into position for his run, but having not spotted Nuwan Kulasekara at short fine leg, his turn cost him his wicket. Adam Voges began sprinting down the track as soon as the ball hit Bailey, but by the time Bailey began to replicate that urgency, the Kulasekara had already wound up the throw. A direct hit found Bailey well short, and had Michael Clarke clutching his hair in the dressing room.The catchAt 192 for 9, Australia seemed not to have a hope, but No.10 Clint McKay and No. 11 Xavier Doherty resisted Sri Lanka, and what’s more, progressed securely toward the target of 254. They had put on 41 and had only 22 more to get when Tillakaratne Dilshan was given his fourth over from the Pavilion End, and as he has done twice already in the last eighteen months, took a super catch to seal a nailbiter. McKay played early at a slower one and struck it firmly to Dilshan’s left, and the bowler changed directions in an instant and stuck his arm out to complete the catch. Having won the match, Dilshan threw the ball in the air and sprinted ecstatically from the bowling crease to deep point, with his team in pursuit.

Trying to catch one of his final innings in the game became a matter of urgency, of getting to say a proper goodbye

Daniel Brettig27-Jul-2013From the moment of his international retirement in Perth last year, I’d always planned to see Ricky Ponting bat in the flesh one final time. I wasn’t sure where or when this would be, but it would certainly happen, either for Tasmania, Hobart Hurricanes or Surrey: plenty of matches remained. A BBL date in Sydney took place with Ponting absent injured, cutting out one chance. A Sheffield Shield final elapsed without the opportunity to visit in person as it clashed with an India Test, dashing another. Slowly, the window was narrowed.Early on in my visit to England for the Ashes, Ponting announced that he would draw his career to a close before the start of the next Australian season, adding further urgency to the commitment. Not to worry, I thought, there were ample games to go. But the demands of the Ashes precluded a visit to see him play for Surrey, including his last first-class innings of an unbeaten 169, and as the Caribbean Premier League ticked near, the chance of being there for that final glimpse diminished.But all the while I had in mind two T20 fixtures at Lord’s and The Oval in the last week of July, as I’m sure many others did. In the circumstances, it seemed like the right way to bid Ponting farewell. He was not taking part in the Ashes, sure, and at that moment most members of the Australian team he had represented for 16 years would not be in London but in Sussex, slogging through a tour match and trying to conjure some inspiration for the next three Tests against England.So at the height of the English summer, in front of packed crowds, Ponting would sign off with a flourish and a last volley of strokes. He would walk to the wicket accompanied by rich applause, and perhaps the odd bit of well-lagered abuse from those wishing to revisit the verbal barbs of 2005 or 2009. A marking of the guard, a glance around the field, and a resumption of that familiar crouch at the batting crease would follow.One last time I would see bowlers strain that little extra amount to find a way past Ponting’s bat. A redoubled effort in the presence of batting greatness, a chance to tell the grandchildren that they had got the man out, even if at the age of 38, in a racy format far removed from the five-day game where he made his name. One last time fielders would tense for opportunities, perhaps at slip from an early nick, perhaps later on at midwicket or mid-on from a slightly miscued pull shot. And the fielders in the ring would think themselves a chance of sneaking a run-out, per Pratt, per Flintoff.Whatever chances Ponting would offer, he would also provide a reminder of what made him so rare a batting talent. Maybe it would be with straight drives off the front foot, of the kind he delighted in scorching past the ankles of a fast bowler. Perhaps it would be with the squarer punches off the back, played with a level of certainty and consistency that few batsmen of any era have managed. Almost certainly it would feature a few rasping pull shots, of the kind that for so long turned the bouncer, a pace bowler’s most common intimidatory resource, into the friendliest ball Ponting could possibly receive.

Before and after the match, it would have been possible to glimpse the drive that made Ponting such an exemplar of how to pursue victories. His nets and warm-ups would be precise and demanding, never once mailed in from an absent mind

When it came time for Surrey to take the field, Ponting would then offer one final masterclass in the versatility, agility and unstinting alertness of perhaps the finest all-round fielder Australia has produced. Impassable on both sides, with a knack for hitting the stumps and an even better one for catching almost everything that went near him, it was in the field that Ponting never once lost his best touch, even if the sharpness of his batting began to trail off in later years. Rod Marsh was known to exclaim “just look at him” during a Shield match last summer, when comparing Ponting with those Australian cricketers destined to follow but never better him.Before and after the match, it would have been possible to glimpse the drive that made Ponting such an exemplar of how to pursue victories. His nets and warm-ups would be precise and demanding, never once mailed in from an absent mind. No one has played in more victorious Test matches than Ponting, and as the game drifts further towards a T20-lined future, no one is likely to pass him. His desire to win always outstripped his desire for personal gain. It is one of many qualities so evident in Ponting that Australian cricket is in dire need of rediscovering.As the Surrey allrounder Gareth Batty observed recently in the of Ponting’s last day as a first-class cricketer: “Many players would have been happy to have done what Ricky did in his final innings, regardless of the result of the game. But he still came into the changing room after the game pretty downbeat that we never got an opportunity to win. He genuinely meant it, too. In my opinion, he’s the best Australian batsman of his generation, one of the top two or three in the world at that time, yet still his sole focus was: ‘We need to win a game of cricket. That’s the only thing that matters.’ When you see that will to win from a player, it’s phenomenal.”That downbeat expression would be visible from the Oval balcony on the night I came to see him. A groin strain ruled him out of this match against Kent, as it had the visit to Lord’s and Middlesex the previous night. All those final memories of Ponting had to be remembered from other days, not cherished on this one. As the evening crept on, it dawned on me that Ponting’s final innings in England took place eight days ago, at The Oval. He made 3 for Surrey in a loss to Hampshire. I wasn’t there, and nor were many who had hoped to see him bat one last time. Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

If Sri Lanka win both their remaining matches, they are guaranteed a semi-final place. But first, Sri Lanka must sort their muddle in the middle order

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Jun-2013The Oval holds a special place in Sri Lanka’s cricket history. Still considered barely-better than Test minnows after their World Cup win in 1996, they were granted a one-off Test in England in 1998, and secured what remains their finest-ever away win.A 16-wicket haul for Muttiah Muralitharan heralded the brightest years of his blinding career, and Sanath Jayasuriya played perhaps his best Test innings – a first innings 213 which set up the victory.
Jayasuriya was one of two survivors from that team, when Sri Lanka played their most recent match at The Oval – an ODI in 2011.Then, Jayasuriya cut his final ball in international cricket to point and began a batting collapse that saw the side succumb to 121 all out, and lose by 108 runs. Meek batting surrenders have since become a worrying feature for Sri Lanka, particularly in ODIs. Since that match, Sri Lanka have been dismissed for less than 200 in 11 matches – over a fifth of their completed ODI count, and their record overall has suffered as a result. Their win-loss ratio of 0.76 in the last three years is significantly worse than the 0.98 ratio they had carved out before their poor run.Their last innings in Cardiff before the tournament had also been a woeful capitulation and in their last match against New Zealand, Sri Lanka finished with a total that was at least 100 short of what might have been an acceptable total on that pitch. Led by a ferocious Lasith Malinga, the bowlers almost salvaged victory, but as in so many recent matches, batting has been the prime cause for Sri Lanka’s downfall.”The whole batting unit – when it comes to the top seven especially – needs to take responsibility,” Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said. “We can’t really expect the bowlers to score runs for us. If we actually get to 240 or 250, the bowlers will actually do the job for us. More often than not they have done that.”Sri Lanka’s batting misadventures have not been brought on by sustained failures from the top order, but instead by the inability of the men that follow to rebuild on the occasions the top four do not prosper. The team had a mixed ODI run in 2012, but Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan were the heaviest scorers in the year, and maintained averages in excess of 40. It has often been said of recent Sri Lanka sides that they possessed a “soft underbelly”, and Nos. 5, 6 and 7 in their batting order are unlikely to inspire much fear among England’s bowlers.Sangakkara, Sri Lanka’s best batsman against the moving ball, was predictably the most successful at countering New Zealand’s seam bowlers in Cardiff, but despite the team fielding recognised batsmen down to No. 8, he could not find sustained support. The Oval pitch has so far had more bounce than the tracks in Cardiff and Birmingham, and Stuart Broad and James Anderson both enjoyed bowling to Sri Lanka on their last tour of England. The weather is expected to be conducive to swing as well, and if losses are sustained against the new ball, the middle order must respond powerfully if Sri Lanka are to have a future in the competition.Sri Lanka’s own pace attack is capable of exploiting helpful conditions, and with Malinga having hit form, the toss shapes as an important one. Either Shaminda Eranga or Nuwan Kulasekara will share the new ball with Malinga, the former in particular has proved penetrative when the ball has swung.”I always say Malinga is our premier bowler, but we’ve got a few others, as well,” Mathews said. “We don’t really bank on one bowler. We have the likes of Kulasekara, Eranga and Thisara Perera, so we’ve got those seam options. But I think Malinga is standing out, and he is one of those players who knows exactly what he has to do in these conditions. And also he helps the other bowlers quite a lot, which is very important”Having fought their way to an abysmal run rate in the nailbiter against New Zealand, anything less than a win against England will make Sri Lanka’s progression into the semi-finals almost impossible. But conversely, the no-result in Australia’s match against New Zealand has meant that if Sri Lanka win both their remaining matches, they are guaranteed a semi-final place. But first, Sri Lanka must sort their muddle in the middle. Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne and Mathews himself have got by on the promise of impressive isolated innings so far, but it is time they added fortitude and consistency to Sri Lanka’s batting as well.

The Indian team’s manager on the historic 1992-93 tour to South Africa looks back at his encountre with the most iconic leader of the late 20th century

Amrit Mathur06-Dec-2013Before the Indian team left for their historic tour of South Africa in 1992-93, the board president, Madhavrao Scindia, gave me, the team manager, only one instruction: the first thing the team should do is call on Nelson Mandela.This directive put that tour in perspective. From a cricketing standpoint the tour was a journey into the unknown. Practically nothing was known about South African cricket, about its grounds, conditions, pitches or players. It was, however, apparent that there was a political context to the trip, and the Indian team’s visit was a significant policy statement. In those days, South Africa was out of bounds for Indians. Our passports used to be stamped “not valid for South Africa and Israel”. The Indian government did not recognise the FW de Klerk regime because of its apartheid policies, and India had no official presence there in the form of an embassy or diplomatic personnel.The early 1990s, though, had been a period of profound change. The South African cricket board had “united” and was headed by African National Congress (ANC) leader Krish Mackerdhuj and driven by Ali Bacher, whose vision was to use cricket as an instrument of reconciliation, inclusion and peace. India was the first cricket team invited to end South Africa’s years of international sporting isolation.When we reached Durban, the Indian team was given a rousing welcome. The players rode from the airport to the hotel in open-top cars and attended a civic reception. When I met Bacher, I promptly put our request to him about the team meeting Mandela.An appointment was soon granted and a visibly excited team set out to meet the great man one afternoon in Johannesburg. But we had one major concern: what would be an appropriate gift to present to him? The team wondered if it would be proper to give him a BCCI tie, a team shirt, an Indian handicraft, or a silk scarf. After much debate, the “safest” option was chosen: a cricket bat signed by the team.The author, second from left, with Mandela and Ali Bacher during the Wanderers Test•ESPNcricinfo LtdAs the team manager, I had my own worries. On occasions such as this on tours, it is the manager’s responsibility to say a few words on behalf of the BCCI and the squad. At any other time it would have been a routine affair; you utter the usual polite words and the matter is done. But this was no ordinary occasion. It was my responsibility to say the right things to the world’s most iconic leader.I worked hard on my speech, making sure it included Gandhi, world peace and close ties between India and South Africa, memorised it and rehearsed it several times.Then it was time. The Indian cricket contingent was led into Mandela’s office after passing through several layers of security. We stood around in a hall waiting for him to arrive. He walked in, a half-smile on his face, serene and gracious, radiating warmth and goodness, charm and humility. There was no hurry in his handshakes, no sign of a world leader with the weight of the world on his shoulders. We were speechless with awe, thrilled at being in his presence.Handshakes done and introductions made, it was time to say my bit. Everyone gathered in a semi-circle. I took a deep breath, said a silent prayer and recited my practised piece adequately, without stuttering or stammering. Once it ended, there was an awkward silence. We waited for Mandela to speak but it seemed he was waiting for something. A little later an aide rushed in with a piece of paper containing points for his speech. He referred to them and spoke eloquently, his words simple and encouraging. He accepted the signed bat and said he appreciated the thoughtful gesture. Later, Krish told me the bat was displayed prominently on the mantelpiece in his office.During the Wanderers Test, we were delighted when, one afternoon, Mandela turned up to watch the match. Cricket and rugby had been seen as the white man’s sports in apartheid South Africa. To have the Indians over as the first cricket team was a big step, and Mandela’s presence at the Wanderers wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by any South African. I sat with him during his visit, answering questions about the state of the game and the players on the field. Being in his company was a privilege.Mandela thought sport had the power to change the world, and perhaps, in a tiny way, the Indian team had made a difference when it made that tour. Mandela had a gift of making things around you look better brighter and better. Part of it could be attributed to the awe we felt in his presence and for what he stood for, but much of it was because of the truth in his very long and eventful life.One of my most treasured possessions is a photograph with him, signed: “To Emrit, Nelson Mandela.”

After being tripped up in the first Test against Pakistan, maybe it is time for South Africa to allow Imran Tahir the chance to partner with Robin Peterson

Firdose Moonda in Abu Dhabi18-Oct-2013Not more than an hour after South Africa crashed to their first Test defeat away from home in three years, the team was back at the drawing board, working on ways to avoid another. While some of the squad were licking their wounds, Imran Tahir was bowling on the practice pitch.Hashim Amla, who faced 26.1 overs of spin in the match from Saeed Ajmal and Zulfiqur Babar, was standing where the umpire would be. Adi Birrel, the South African assistant coach, was keeping while Russell Domingo was at square leg. They were all watching very carefully, perhaps looking for a sign that Tahir was generating enough turn to play in the second Test.But they did not need to be out there to know that. A mere glance at the scorecard should be enough. South Africa’s spin department needs propping up after Robin Peterson – who, along with Pakistan keeper Adnan Akmal, was fined 50% of his match fee after the game for a bit of pushing that occurred when Akmal tried to pick up a bail while Peterson was batting – and JP Duminy conceded at 3.89 runs to the over, more than any of their seamers and more than the overall Pakistan run-rate, and only took two wickets, both of them belonging to Duminy.Peterson, whose 28.5 overs cost 125 runs, was particularly problematic as he struggled to find a consistent line and bowled too many full tosses. Neither posed much of a threat to batsmen who were confident against spin, both in terms of footwork and and in their use of the sweep shot. What South Africa need is someone who can do more – be it hold up an end to allow the seamers to attack or make incisions themselves – and that makes Tahir’s inclusion a no-brainer.His former franchise coach at Titans, Richard Pybus, called his ability to take wickets an asset which makes him a “match-winner”, but warned that he needs to be managed carefully if picked. For a start, Pybus is concerned that Tahir has not played regularly in the lead-up to the series. His last first-class match was in February and he did not play any county cricket – a rarity for Tahir – this year. He has played a handful of limited-overs matches, for South Africa in Twenty20s in Sri Lanka and for Lions at the Champions League T20.”Guys like Imran need to bowl and bowl,” Pybus told ESPNcricinfo. “He needs to bowl all year round. He can’t get by on a minimum of bowling. He needs to be tougher on himself with regards to how much he must bowl competitively to be ready.”And when he does bowl, he needs to be given clear instructions not to get carried away. “He needs solid game plans and he needs to bowl to the team plan, knowing his role and exactly what is needed at each stage of the game. It’s not just about waiting to clean up the tail, he needs to control the game for the skipper when he is needed to. He can do it, but he needs to adhere to it. Martin van Jaarsveld and Pierre Joubert [both former captains] at Titans were very firm with him and it helped him to keep his game plan and focus.”Tahir showed signs of the recklessness that can come from not being under orders when he bowled in the practice match in Sharjah. His first spell was an assortment of unnecessary variation, dotted with half-volleys and bereft of a plan. He returned for a more disciplined second spell, bowling a consistent length and frequently using the googly as well. Although he did not get any wickets, he did beat the bat on several occasions. Should he be able to replicate that, he could provide South Africa with a viable spin option for the second Test.The coaching staff’s actions suggest Tahir will play but Graeme Smith hinted at minimal change, although he admitted there was a concern in the spin department. “If I said no, it would be lie,” Smith said, but then moved quickly to quell thoughts of South Africa making drastic adjustments to an XI that has only lost once in the last 16 Tests.”People have bad games and we need to work on the people and the personnel and give them the best opportunity to do well. My focus as a leader is to work with those guys that have taken a bit of a knock in confidence. Tactically we need to decide what’s the best option. It’s a must-win game. We need to look at how we set up bowlers to take 20 wickets.”Pybus, although he would like to see the “frontliner get it right” mentioned something else which could be a solution Smith will be interested in hearing. “At Titans, Imran used to get 10 wicket hauls to win the game for us,” Pybus said. “He and Paul Harris together were a sight to behold. They loved bowling together and were good for each other.”Harris was South Africa’s holding spinner for four years before Tahir was picked, and when the team reverted to a containing man, Peterson filled the role. It seemed to be the thinking was that if Harris worked well in conjunction with Tahir, there may be reason to think Peterson could do the same.It would allow Peterson to go back to the job of keeping an end tight – which he has proved he can do – and leave the attacking to Tahir. “Robbie needs to master his control,” Pybus said. “There are no margins in Test cricket, six inches either side of a length is a lot of space for good players of spin. He has a great temperament and is aggressive. He just needs his control sorted out.”The only decision South Africa would then have to make is who to leave out. Pakistan play two specialist spinners alongside only two quicks but its unlikely South Africa will want to leave any of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander or Morne Morkel out. The obvious would be shorten the batting line-up slightly by benching Faf du Plessis, who has struggled in recent Tests.Should South Africa take that route, it would be the first time since they became World No. 1 that they are deviating from the Kirsten-inspired seven-batsmen strategy and it may be a way for them to move on. Already, the impact of “guru Gary’s” absence has been cited as a factor for the defeat.Both India and South Africa have lost matches in the immediate aftermath of Kirsten’s departure but this result should not be read as a blight on Russell Domingo, neither should be seen as a parallel to England’s fortunes here in early 2012. This was simply a case of being outplayed, perhaps through some under-preparation and even under-estimation of the opposition.What South Africa may be interested to know is that England also went into the first Test in the UAE with one spinner: Graeme Swann, and three seamers. They dropped Chris Tremlett in favour of Monty Panesar for the next two Tests. Despite losing them both, Panesar ended up as the leading wicket-taker for England with 14 scalps at 21.57 and two five-fors. If signs are anything to go by, that’s one South Africa will look to.

South Africa’s win-loss record isn’t so hot in Port Elizabeth, and their batsmen have generally struggled here

S Rajesh19-Feb-2014South Africa’s most recent memory of playing a Test in Port Elizabeth is a pleasant one: in January 2013, they played New Zealand and put together an utterly dominant performance. Batting first, South Africa declared at 525 for 8, with centuries for Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar. When it was New Zealand’s turn to bat, Dale Steyn switched on his most hostile self and took 5 for 17 as New Zealand were bundled out in quick time for 121. In the second innings, they fought harder, but could only manage a different combination of the same digits – 211. The result was a hammering by an innings and 193 runs, South Africa’s fifth-most comprehensive Test victory (among innings wins).The most recent memory is favourable, but many of the others are not. St George’s Park is South Africa’s least successful home venue: overall, their win-loss record here is 9-11; since their readmission to Test cricket, it’s 5-4, and in the last ten years, it’s 1-3. Before that comprehensive win against New Zealand, South Africa had lost their last three Tests here, against West Indies, Pakistan, and England.Australia have a 3-2 win-loss record here, but they’ve played only once at this ground since 1992. In what turned out to be a highly memorable Test, Australia overturned a first-innings deficit of 101 and went on to chase down a fourth-innings target of 270, with Mark Waugh scoring 116, winning by two wickets.

The pitch at St George’s Park is traditionally reckoned to be slow, but it hasn’t helped the home batsmen score too many runs. In 14 innings between them, AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith haven’t once gone past 60. De Villiers has three fifties in seven innings, but hasn’t gone on to bigger deeds – his last three knocks here have been 59, 60 and 61. Smith has two fifties in seven tries, but a high of 55. Before Amla’s 110 against New Zealand last year, he had scored 58 in four innings at this venue. And the clincher is that even Jacques Kallis, in 19 Test innings here, never scored a century – his highest was 91. Among all the home venues where he played more than one Test, this was the only ground where he didn’t score a century, even though he had six fifties.

The bowlers have generally had a better time. Steyn has 16 wickets from three Tests and an average of under 25, though in his first two Tests here he only had eight wickets at 41.75. Vernon Philander hasn’t played a Test here, but took 6 for 51 in his last first-class match here, against Warriors in 2010.

Despite the relatively slow nature of pitches here, fast bowlers have still been pretty successful, averaging 28.32 runs per wicket in the last four Port Elizabeth Tests, since 2004. During the same period, spinners have averaged 31.86.Going further back, South Africa’s fast bowlers have done well here. Allan Donald took 40 wickets at 18.20, Shaun Pollock’s 37 wickets cost him 20.27 each, while Waqar Younis, Curtly Ambrose, Jason Gillespie and Javagal Srinath had plenty of success in the only Tests they played here.Among the spinners, Paul Adams and Danish Kaneria, wristspinners both, have taken the most wickets, while Shane Warne took 5 for 82 in the only Test he played.

In three of the last four Tests here, teams batting first have scored more than 330 in their first innings. The second and third innings here seems to be more difficult for batsmen, with the average runs per wicket dipping into the 20s, both in the last four Tests, and since 1992. (Click here for the innings-wise scores in Port Elizabeth since 1992.) Three of the last four Tests here have also been won by the team which lost the toss, which could be an interesting one for the two captains when they walk out on Thursday.