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Doing it once is hard enough, but to accelerate so crazily to get three double-hundreds after a sedate beginning is a perfect combination of skill, fitness and the right mental approach to ODI batting

Sidharth Monga13-Dec-20171:01

Rohit, the ODI superstar

It was for long the insurmountable peak for ODI batting, but one man might now have a template to score ODI double-centuries again and again. In Bengaluru, against Australia in 2013, Rohit Sharma reached 20 off 35th ball, 50 off the 71st, and the hundred in the 38th over of the innings. In Kolkata, against Sri Lanka in 2014, he was nearly caught for 4 off the 17th ball he faced, reached his 20th run off the 35th ball, but accelerated slightly earlier to bring up his century in the 32nd over of the innings. On a cold mid-week afternoon in Mohali this season, he was even slower to start, reaching 20 off 37 balls, 50 off 65 balls, and bringing up the hundred only in the 40th over.All three were ODI doubles. One time can be a charm, but to accelerate so crazily three times after having set up the innings and to make it look predictable is a perfect combination of skill, fitness and the right mental approach to ODI batting. You can be all amazed at how he manages to do it, but Rohit’s reaction to it is typically relaxed. “That’s my template, no?” he tends to ask. He remembers the innings clearly: reaching “50 off 70 balls”, bringing up the hundred “near the 40th over”, and then knowing that the bowlers can’t get him out unless he makes a mistake.”That is my style of play,” Rohit said. “You are set and seeing the ball nice and hard and you have understood what the bowlers are trying to do by then, and it’s all about trying to play with the field once you get past 100. It’s all about you not making a mistake and getting out. I am not saying it’s impossible or difficult, but it’s very unlikely the bowlers are going to get you out once you have scored a hundred.”So it was all about me not making a mistake and batting as long as possible. That’s what I did. There is no secret or formula to it. You just have to bat and not make any mistake. The ground is good, the pitch is nice and hard, so you can trust the bounce and play the shots.”Rohit was asked to expand on the mindset. “I started off very slow because I like analysing,” Rohit said. “I like to analyse the situation, conditions more than that because the conditions initially were not so easy and we wanted to play out those initial overs, and then see what we can do. In all the three double hundreds, it is a very similar pattern that you will see… started off slow, then picked up the pace and then in the end I accelerated.”That is only because unless you make a mistake, you are not going to get out because you are set and you are seeing the ball well. Bowlers are trying to get away with their plans because things are not going their way. So all those things, I count, I analyse and I talk to myself about it when I am batting. I feel after you get a hundred, batting will only get easier. You have been there, took out the toughest part of the game which is the initial phase with the two new balls. You have batted that, your team is in a good position and you also have wickets in hand, so all those put together, gives you freedom to play those shots. I exactly did that.”I am not someone like AB de Villiers, or Chris Gayle, or MS Dhoni for sure. I don’t have that much power. I have to use my brain to manipulate the field and I have to stick to my strength, which is to hitting through the line and playing with the field. Once you cross the three-figure mark, batting only gets easier. Unless you make a mistake, you will not get out. It can happen if you get a good ball, but eight out of 10 times you will not.”This might have sounded arrogant had it come from someone other than the affable Rohit. He does make it sound like the six-hitting in the last 10 overs is routine, easy even. “Nothing is easy in cricket,” Rohit said. “May be when you watch it on TV it looks easier, but it is not. Trust me, when you are out in the middle, you have to use your brain and you have to time the ball. Otherwise, it is not easy. I was trying to play with the field, playing a scoop shot, trying to hit over point. Those are my strengths. It is not always that you can clear the rope easily. So that is the advantage of having five fielders inside. You can play with the field and shot selection becomes very important.”How about selecting which of the doubles is closest to him then? They all are, and Rohit went on to talk of the circumstances that made it impossible to choose between them. “I cannot rate this because the others were as important as this one,” Rohit said. “Because the first one against Australia was a series-decider. The second one against Sri Lanka I was making a comeback after three months. I was injured before that and didn’t play any cricket. It was a world record so obviously that has to be right up there. This one also having had a loss in the first game, we wanted to come back as batting group. This is my first captaincy stint, and you know I as a batsman first and then as a captain I wanted to do well.”This one did have an extra icing on the top, coming as it did on his wedding anniversary and in the presence of his wife, whom he saluted with a little peck on his ring finger after reaching the double hundred. “You must have seen on visuals, she was more happy than me,” Rohit said. “She got a little emotional because it was the first double-hundred that she witnessed. It is not that I score double-hundreds every day. The way she came and told me was quite funny. But it was good to have her there and let her witness what I did today. I am very happy about that part. But more than that, winning the game… my first [successful] game as a captain… very happy with that.”

ESPNcricinfo rounds up the highlights from the latest matches in the NatWest T20 Blast

Will Macpherson17-Jul-2017The Championship success of Simon Harmer and Kyle Abbott, and the concurrently touring South Africans, means that Kolpak has rarely been a hotter topic. There’s one outstanding T20 cricketer, perhaps because he has been here a little longer and prefers the white ball to red (he will not play Championship next year), who flies a touch under the radar: Colin Ingram.With centuries on consecutive Sundays, Ingram provided a reminder of why he is the best white-ball batsman in the county game. First there was a 46-ball effort against Sussex to trump Luke Wright, then his T20-best 114 from 55 balls in the last-ball win over Essex.Don’t forget that in the Royal London Cup this season he also made three centuries and averaged over 70. Glamorgan have themselves a gem; perhaps the IPL, where he has played just three games, and as long ago as 2011, will come calling once more.He might be 31, and he might describe himself as “a journeyman,” but he admitted upon signing a new Glamorgan contract earlier this season: “I’d like to get out there and experience what’s on the world stage.”

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Noise is the answer for the Blast The Blast is on notice. We know that in 2020, it will not be the premier T20 competition in the land. With funding, resources and exposure largely shifting to the as-yet-nameless Dream Competition, the Blast will have to find its place and relevance in the world.It is worth looking at Old Trafford on Friday, where the Roses match drew the largest Blast attendance outside London. Before rain intervened to ruin a match in the balance, the Roses crowd was everything the Blast should aspire to be.Such was the raucousness of the Roses match that conversation on comms turned to how it was much like a football crowd: loud, packed, partisan and boisterous. The Blast, of course, is not always – or even often – like this, and it is worth noting that another derby, Sussex and Hampshire’s El Classicoast (excellently monikered but perhaps not well marketed?) drew a disappointing crowd at little Hove two nights earlier.But a noisy, partisan response to the action should be the direction of travel for the Blast, just as tranquillity best suits the Championship. The new Dream Competition, like the very family-friendly crowds of the BBL, will hone in on attracting kids and new fans. Meanwhile the Blast already has supporters, and teams with history: it must play on this, pack fans in, charge their glasses, voice those loyalties and get the party started.Perhaps, just perhaps, the two competitions can then co-exist harmoniously.

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Middlesex still can’t get it rightIt seems curious, given their star-studded side and big name new coach in Daniel Vettori, that Middlesex have won just one game (and they made a mess of that one, too) and that the youngsters seem to be doing some heavy lifting. In the loss to Somerset on Sunday, Nos 3-6 all got in, then got out, with Eoin Morgan the worst offender, making 33 from 31, leaving the potentially destructive Ryan Higgins in a no-hope position.One of those youngsters is the rather innocuous looking Nathan Sowter. His curious low leggies, all spindly variations, have proved expensive (8.73/over), but they get a wicket every 15 balls too. This was in evidence when he took 3 for 43 against Somerset.Daniel Vettori has been a fan since long before he joined Middlesex, and tried to sign him for Brisbane Heat this year. Sowter is Sydney-born, but turned the offer down because it would have rendered him ineligible for Middlesex.

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Tabraiz Shamsi: so very NorthantsNorthamptonshire have a way of doing things in T20, and it works. We know that by now. They look deep into the stats, then go low-key, high value and routinely pluck rabbits from hats. Moneyball, if that’s what you want to call it.So when Seekkuge Prasanna found himself back in the Sri Lankan fold, they turned to the South African left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for three games. One of them was rained off, but Prasanna returned with a niggle, so Shamsi stayed for a third match of a highly-successful spell, anyway. Another left-field pick has gone right.Having gone wicketless in the opening defeat to Derbyshire, Shamsi took 2 for 20 as Durham were strangled, then 2 for 24 to restrict Warwickshire to 156, a total Northants chased down off the final ball.Shamsi’s figures of 11-0-68-4 tell a tale and, judging by the joyous way in which he farewelled his new club on Twitter, he evidently made plenty of friends and fans. He leaves with Northants in fine shape (in the table, if not physically). Don’t be surprised if he returns.

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In Leicester, of all places, anything is possibleThe sides leading the two Blast groups have a different look about them. We should not be surprised by Hampshire’s ascension in the South. Having reached six straight Finals Days before missing out last year, they have a formidable T20 record, and have hardened up this year.The retention of Shahid Afridi was curious, but Abbott and Rilee Rossouw bulk them up, Reece Topley is finally fit and Mason Crane is actually playing. They might just have Liam Dawson back from England soon, too. T20 nous, in James Vince, Michael Carberry and George Bailey, teems through the batting.Also three from three, and atop the North Group, are the altogether more surprising Leicestershire. Theirs is, crucially, is a settled side (they have used just 11 players so far), with a well-travelled top order and a varied bowling attack.Clint McKay, a canny appointment as captain, took the club’s best T20 figures (5 for 11) as Worcestershire were swatted aside. In that game, Colin Ackermann made his second major unbeaten contribution in a chase (47 following 62 against Lancashire). Ackermann failed with the bat against Warwickshire on Sunday; never mind, he then took three for 21 to help defend 147.They are nothing if not resourceful, and they know better than anyone, in the city where Leicester won the Premier League barely a year ago, that anything is possible.

The Bangladesh opener, who has hit a major dip in form, has turned to the former national team coach for help

Mohammad Isam30-Jul-2019Tamim Iqbal should focus on being more patient after negotiating the tough initial periods, according to Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach between 2007 and 2011 who is credited in Bangladesh cricket circles for having helped the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Muhsfiqur Rahim and Tamim become quality international batsmen.Tamim, the mainstay at the top of the Bangladesh batting circles, has endured a dip in form in recent times. At the 2019 World Cup, he averaged just 29.37, and has been dismissed for 0 and 19 in the two ODIs in Sri Lanka. Tamim has also been bowled out six times in a row now, making it eight for the year.Tamim had said after Bangladesh’s first three matches in the World Cup that he was feeling the pressure, especially after having a lean run at the 2015 World Cup, where he scored just 154 runs in six innings. Most recently, he has usually started well, but then failed to kick on.Tamim recently got in touch with Siddons, currently head coach at South Australia, for help.”From what I have seen of him in the Sri Lanka series, Tamim looks comfortable until he gets out,” Siddons told ESPNcricinfo. “He got a great yorker in the first game (from Lasith Malinga) and then the shot he got out to in the second game, he just didn’t need to play. He is trying to force balls that he doesn’t need to. He is ticking the score along okay. He probably is getting a bit impatient.

I would probably straighten up his front foot a little, but he looks like the great player that he isJamie Siddons on Tamim Iqbal

“Teams are bowling well to him and limiting his boundaries. He needs to be a little bit more patient to let the game unfold a bit more. He should look to bat 50 overs, not try to score all the runs in the first 20.”Siddons hasn’t spotted a major deficiency in Tamim’s batting, but did say a slight technical tweak might help. “Tamim is technically fine. I would probably straighten up his front foot a little, but he looks like the great player that he is,” Siddons said. “He has made some amazing innings for Bangladesh. He will keep doing the same. I watched nearly every ball from the Sri Lanka series because he sent me the footage to see what I thought…”He needed to get through the first ten overs, and there would have been less movement in the ball. He would have been able to build an innings. He would then be able to play outside his off stump to good-length balls. Most bowlers bowled short to him in the World Cup too.”Siddons feels that Tamim is putting too much pressure on himself, the high expectations from himself weighing him down.”I think the expectations about Tamim, Shakib and Mushfiq is that they are the dominant players in the team. His expectations would have been just as high as the public,” Siddons said. “From my point of view, Tamim is as disappointed as anyone. I just think it is coincidental that he has had couple of bad World Cups.”But opening the batting is a tough position to bat in. The ball is moving around more than it does in the middle order. It is a tough position to hold down, and he has done it so well for a long time for Bangladesh. I just think he has had a bit of bad luck with a few play-ons and couple of good balls. All of a sudden your World Cup is in a bit of a spiral.”Tamim has endured such dips in form in the past, and has successfully bounced back each time. He will need a spot of luck to go his way, but more than that, he needs to be patient. Bangladesh need their premier opener to be back at his best, after all.

June is the month for the men in charge of cricket teams to throw the towel in

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Jun-2017The vacancy
Having this month elbowed Graham Ford out of his job, SLC are on their tenth head coach in seven years. As Nic Pothas’ position is only temporary, the board may soon begin searching for a more permanent appointment. The Briefing has taken the liberty of drawing up an advertisement, which the board is welcome to use:ESPNcricinfo LtdThe power move
One month after Ramachandra Guha resigned from the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators, lambasting the “superstar culture” within the organisation, Anil Kumble has parted ways with the national team, thanks in part to disagreements with Virat Kohli.Kumble, though a superstar himself, was not in this instance as monumental a figure as the present India captain.If the BCCI want a coach who is not just a player patsy, they might need to hire someone who has an even bigger name than the men within the team. The question is: is the cricket world ready for Coach Kardashian?The pitch problems
England had issues with their pitches in the past six weeks. Having been blown away on a Lord’s greentop by South Africa in the approach to the Champions Trophy, they were stunned on a used Cardiff surface by Pakistan, in the semi-final. On both occasions the state of the pitch came into focus. Eoin Morgan criticised the Lord’s pitch directly, and after Cardiff, said the surface was “too much of a jump” for a team that had played their most recent match at bouncier Edgbaston.England were the tournament favourites, and looked just about unbeatable until they were waylaid by the Cardiff clay. The whole situation calls for an Andy Flower-era 2013-14 Ashes cookbook-type fix, whereby the team can specify exactly how many blades of grass should remain on the surface, how much sun, in nanoseconds, the pitch should get before the game, and the optimal body-fat percentage of the groundsman who sits in the heavy roller that packs down the soil.AB de Villiers: unhappy camper•Getty ImagesThe zombie
For the last few months, one of the best players in the world, and maybe the greatest batsman of his generation, has plodded around cricket fields a little dead in the eyes. AB de Villiers hasn’t played a Test since January 2016 and, at only 33, is now talking about trimming his cricket commitments with a view to retiring in 2019.Maybe it’s South Africa’s Kolpaxodus, or perhaps he is just bored of dominating the best attacks the planet has to offer. Whatever the case, international cricket needs to have him in it, and the cricket world might do well to find out whatever it is that will cheer de Villiers up.The shock Champions Trophy triumph
The 2017 Champions Trophy gave the cricket world a surprise that brought unspeakable joy to tens of millions: the Google Doodle stick-cricket game.Now Google has a long history of producing great doodles unexpectedly, but even by those standards, this was a stirring achievement. Many were left elated by their new high scores, though in parts of the world, others have also been saddened at the number of work hours lost.The riposte
The Women’s World Cup has broken new ground with its visibility and popularity this year, and hopes are high the tournament can inspire a new generation of cricketers. It might also have brought an end to a long-time bugbear of women cricketers around the world – the query about which male cricketer is their favourite. Before the tournament began, India captain Mithali Raj dispatched the question like a long hop to the boundary, when she responded: “Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer? Do you ask them who their favourite female cricketer is?””Congratulations, chaps. You’re now going to be ignored and belittled in a whole new way!”•Peter Della PennaThe young sensation
Hasan Ali and Ben Stokes may have lit up the Champions Trophy, but the best performance of the month might have come in St Lucia, where Rashid Khan claimed 7 for 18 in what was frankly a ridiculous spell of legspin bowling. Two wickets came from his first two balls, and by the time he completed his fourth over, he already had a five-for. With Afghanistan’s schedule about to become a lot busier over the next few years, Rashid could have the honour of becoming the first player from his nation to be accused of putting IPL commitments over national duty.The new cousins
Ireland and Afghanistan have been granted Test status this month, which is an affirmation of their readiness for the rigours of cricket’s toughest format.Are Afghanistan and Ireland ready, however, for the paternalistic manner in which they are about to be covered by the global cricket media? Are they prepared for hand-wringing editorials about whether Test cricket is besmirched by their presence in it, every time they suffer a collapse? Are they ready to be treated like weird relatives by the established cricket nations, who will make excuses not to tour them, and invite them over only sparingly?Over the past four decades, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh all went through stages of being treated like cricket’s nuisance, rather than embraced and uplifted for the wider benefit of the sport.Welcome, Ireland and Afghanistan, to a whole new world of dysfunction. Get through the hard years, put in your time, and with a little luck, you will be able to be condescending towards Nepal, Scotland or Netherlands someday.

Bob Willis’ passing was mourned around the cricketing world and beyond, with everyone having a story to share from their time with him

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2019Legendary England pace bowler Bob Willis’ passing at the age of 70 had the cricketing world in mourning.

Incredibly sad to hear the news about Bob Willis. He was a true great, generous in sharing his knowledge about the game and a lovely man. RIP Bob x pic.twitter.com/HYJbLlQJRZ

— James Anderson (@jimmy9) December 4, 2019

Gutted to hear the news of Bob Willis passing. A lovely person with a great humour who was so proud of England cricket. Legend.pic.twitter.com/g4AQcnRK4n

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) December 4, 2019

Willis’ magnum opus, his 8 for 43 in the 1981 Headingley Test, was recalled with great fondness.

Such sad news regarding the legend Bob Willis
An icon of the game I love,growing up as an 11 year old watching big Bob running down the hill 8/43 at the home of cricket Headingley
I’ll miss you Bob
A glass of red will be raised tonight

— Darren Gough (@DGoughie) December 4, 2019

Rivals and mates alike joined in in paying tribute.

Such a sad time for cricket fans all around the world. Rest In Peace Bob.

You shall be remembered forever for what you have done on the pitch! #BobWillis pic.twitter.com/kpv5BsCyyL

— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) December 4, 2019

Just saw the news on Bob Willis and very sad indeed. Had the pleasure of working with him for @SkyCricket and off air I just loved listening to his great stories on how they played the game back in the day. RIP Great man#onceabearalwaysabear

— Allan Donald (@AllanDonald33) December 4, 2019

Waking to the sad news of the passing of the great Bob Willis. Red wine and story time Smithy’s will never be forgotten Bob. Wonderful man to work with and one champion of a bowler. RIP #BobWillis Thoughts with Lauren and the family..

— Simon Doull (@Sdoull) December 4, 2019

View this post on Instagram

Such sad news. Bob was an English legend, inspired a generation of fast bowlers around the world & was a good bloke. RIP mate #bobwillis #RIPBob #englandcricket #FBC

A post shared by Glenn McGrath (@glennmcgrath11) on Dec 4, 2019 at 1:29pm PST

“A remarkable human being.” Bob, you were truly one of the greats of this beautiful game. R.I.P. #BobWillis pic.twitter.com/Or6WE1qxa8

— Brian Lara (@BrianLara) December 5, 2019

One of the great characters of the game with a wicked sense of humour. He was Mr Verdict. God bless his soul #RIPBobWillis pic.twitter.com/p1dkLK0lpR

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) December 5, 2019

Had the absolute pleasure of spending time with Bob Willis over the years. A lovely man.
A very sad day. Deepest sympathies to all his family and friends.
RIP.

— Jason Gillespie (@dizzy259) December 4, 2019

Bloody sad day to hear of the passing of Bob Willis! My heart goes out to his family and Team mates! #headingley81 @BeefyBotham

— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano) December 4, 2019

And it wasn’t just cricketers, nor just sportspersons. Everyone had a Bob Willis memory to share.

Oh no, not Bob Willis… what joy he gave, and what a marvellous man. That 8 for 43. Used to lunch with him occasionally to talk cricket, Wagner and Bob Dylan, his three great passions.

— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) December 4, 2019

RIP Bob Willis never imagined when I was growing up watching him destroy the Aussies in 1981 that many years later he’d teach me how to play bridge in a Spanish golf clubhouse after torrential rain had cancelled our round! Absolute gent and thoughts with his family

— Matt Le Tissier (@mattletiss7) December 4, 2019

Everton manager Sean Dyche has made a special appearance in indie band Blossoms' music video.

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Dyche features in music videoEverton boss a fan of Indie band BlossomsToffees on three-game winning streak WHAT HAPPENED?

Stockport-based indie rock band Blossoms are set to release a new music track on May 1 where the Everton manager will make a special appearance. The band released a teaser of their latest track on X on Monday, and Dyche was spotted in the video.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Toffees manager is known to be a fan of the British rock band as he recently expressed his admiration for the group while speaking on The Overlap podcast. He said, "I was with the lads from the Blossoms recently who are just great, there are so many."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR EVERTON?

The Merseyside club are on a three-game winning streak in the league which includes a remarkable victory over rivals Liverpool. They will be next seen in action against Luton Town on Friday away from home.

ESPNcricinfo runs an analytical eye over the key moments of the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians

Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Apr-20192:05

Failed to capitalise on our good start – Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The Ishan Kishan run-out: explainedIn the 13th over of Mumbai Indians’ innings, Ishan Kishan set off for a non-existent single after pushing Rashid Khan into the off side, and seemed to have no chance of escaping being run out when Vijay Shankar, scrambling to his left from backward point, picked up the ball and flicked it towards the keeper’s end. Jonny Bairstow, however, seemed to give Kishan a lease of life when he accidentally bumped into the stumps while trying to get around them and collect the throw near the popping crease. Both bails fell off at that point, and Kishan threw himself towards the crease.Bairstow collected the ball and disturbed the wicket once more even as Kishan’s dive took him past the crease. Which happened earlier, and how exactly was the third umpire to adjudicate, given both bails had already fallen off?If the bails have come off the wicket, the fielder still has the option of uprooting a stump, “providing that the ball is held in the hand or hands so used, or in the hand of the arm so used,” according to Law 29.1, which concerns when exactly the wicket is “put down”.While collecting the ball and dragging his arm back to disturb the wicket, Bairstow ensured he did so with enough force to pull one of the stumps entirely out of the ground. At the point when this happened, Kishan was still a few inches short of making his crease, leaving the third umpire a fairly straightforward decision to make.3:01

Agarkar: Joseph produced a massive performance when Mumbai needed it

Did Mumbai adapt to Hyderabad’s big boundaries?The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is one of the larger grounds in the IPL, and six-hitting, as a result, is a trickier prospect here than at most other grounds. Since the start of the 2017 season, a six has been hit once every 22.12 balls here, as against once every 17.35 across the other IPL grounds. Of the eight major IPL venues, Hyderabad has been the second-most difficult ground to hit sixes in, behind the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, where the balls-per-sixes ratio is 27.81.Teams that come to Jaipur or Hyderabad (or Mohali, another unusually large ground), therefore, have to change their game a little. Did Mumbai manage to adapt? On the face of it, no. Both their openers, Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock, fell to catches on the boundary, off shots that weren’t perfectly middled but might have cleared the rope elsewhere. Hardik Pandya also found deep midwicket with a flat slog-sweep. The ball came to Vijay Shankar at a comfortable catching height here, but at one of the smaller grounds he may have had to complete one of those difficult leaping catches on the edge of the boundary.Kieron Pollard hit four sixes in his unbeaten 46 off 26 balls, but one of those sixes was a catching chance that Mohammad Nabi, running to his right from deep square leg, parried over the boundary.Jonny Bairstow knocks the stump out of the ground to dismiss Ishan Kishan•BCCIBairstow vs legspin, chapter fivePiyush Chawla, Shreyas Gopal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Lamichhane, and now Rahul Chahar. In every innings he’s played in so far this season, Jonny Bairstow has been out to a legspinner. Mumbai must have known of this trend when they brought on their legspinner in the fourth over of Sunrisers’ chase, and Bairstow promptly fell to the first ball he faced from Chahar.Bairstow vs legspin hasn’t been a one-sided struggle, though. Aside from the dismissals, he’s not fared too badly this season, scoring 93 off 51 balls against that style of bowling, at a strike rate of 182.35.Even his dismissal today was a little unfortunate. Bairstow picked the googly out of Chahar’s hand, and went for the slog-sweep, but the ball didn’t turn. Instead, it went on straight with extra bounce, like a topspinner, and the outside edge ballooned to short third man.ESPNcricinfo LtdSunrisers’ perennial middle-order issues continue”Top-heavy” is a tag that’s followed Sunrisers Hyderabad around pretty much since the team’s inception, and little has changed this season. Warner and Bairstow are by far IPL 2019’s most productive opening pair, and until today that had masked the frailties that remain in the middle order.Today, however, neither opener got to 20, and when both were dismissed in the space of four balls, Sunrisers were 33 for 2, needing 104 off 91 balls. Fairly gettable, you’d think, even on a slightly tricky surface.But no one from Nos. 3 to 7 really got going, and between them they eventually only made 52 off 73 balls. The two middle-order batsmen who spent most time at the crease were Manish Pandey (16 off 21) and Deepak Hooda (20 off 21), and neither was able to get going, and between them they only managed to find the boundary once.The form of those two batsmen is a huge concern for Sunrisers at the moment. Pandey has faced 43 balls so far this season, and Hooda 35. Neither has hit a six yet. The next-worst batsman on that list is Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Prayas Ray Barman, who has faced 24 balls so far without hitting a six.

Which of these young players who have impressed in this IPL season will be playing for India by the 2019 World Cup?

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2017Several young players who have not played ODI cricket for India have caught the eye during this IPL season. Some have been consistent throughout, while others have produced moments of brilliance. Some are new names, while others have been impressing in the IPL for a few seasons now. But which of these players will kick on and become part of the Indian XI for the next World Cup. Swipe right for those you think will and left for those you think will not go beyond the IPL.

He has broken records on his home ground, and his last innings at Trent Bridge was 147, but it may not be enough for Hales to keep his place

George Dobell11-Jul-20180:36

WATCH – The moment Hales injured his side

By the time Alex Hales left the pitch at Trent Bridge a couple of weeks ago, he could have been forgiven for thinking he had made his point.He had, after all, just made 147 from 92 balls. And, in doing so, he had helped his side to a second-successive world-record ODI score in completed games on this ground. In the previous one, in 2016, he had smashed 171 from 122 balls. He averages 88.20 in six ODIs at the ground with a strike-rate of 138.24. You might think his position was assured.But it’s not. For with Ben Stokes back to fitness and Joe Root recalled having been dropped from the T20 side, something has to give. And that something, it seems, is likely to be Hales.Who else could it be? Jonny Bairstow has made four centuries in his eight most recent ODI innings; Jason Roy has made two centuries (and an 82) in his four most recent ODI innings; Root averages a fraction under 50 in this format and is seen as essential should England encounter a tricky batting surface and Eoin Morgan is both the captain and the highest run-scorer in England’s ODI history. And Jos Buttler, well he’s Jos Buttler. He might well be on his way to establishing himself as the best limited-overs batsman England have ever had.The management have decided they like the security of playing the extra bowler – with Stokes and Root you could argue they have a seventh bowler – so despite Hales’ record, despite him playing one of his most mature innings as recently as Friday (he made a classy, unbeaten 58 to see England to victory in Cardiff), despite this match being played on his home ground, he looks the most vulnerable. Even with Stokes, at this stage of his recovery from injury, unlikely to be required to bowl more than six or seven overs.This strength in depth is, of course, an asset. It provides reinforcements should injury strike and ensures there can be no complacency in the camp.But it also brings with it some potential issues. For with the standards required to retain a place in the side now so high, it might leave everyone in the squad peering over their shoulder. And once that starts, it can threaten both the stability of the side and the selflessness with which they have played of late.Morgan’s recent record, for example, is comfortably the least impressive of the batsmen. But while it would be fairly typical of England’s previous World Cup campaigns to abandon a long-held plan in the run-up to a tournament, you would think that lessons have been learned and nobody is seriously suggesting one of the architects of England’s revival should be dropped. England could do without a situation where a couple of poor games results in a player’s position coming under scrutiny but, once you leave a man like Hales out, it seems inevitable.Perhaps this is making a negative out of a positive. Certainly Root, who was omitted from England’s T20 side in Bristol on Sunday, suggested so when reflecting on that situation and it’s true that, right now, there are no obvious cracks in the settled, positive environment around this team.To see the squad laughing and cheering together as Stokes did a more than passable Jordan Pickford impression and save three successive penalties in the pre-training football, was to see what gives every impression of being a settled, united squad. The next few months may require some careful management, though.”Being left out is a great motivator to make sure you’re doing everything you can,” Root said. “It is always difficult being left out and you never like that as a player.”But it demonstrates the competition we have for places. It’s part and parcel of having a really strong squad. And, ahead of a World Cup, that’s what you want. You want guys outside pushing as hard as possible and forcing those difficult decisions. It shows where we have come in the last three or four years in this format. It can’t be a bad thing.”It is equally not a bad thing that England are likely to face an almighty test of their newly-acquired reputation in ODI cricket over the next week or so, too. The long-term aim remains the World Cup and the next few days will provide a pretty good gauge for both these sides of where they are and what they need to improve. There are no guarantees, of course, and readers in Pakistan and Australia may disagree, but whoever beats these sides next year is likely to be very close to winning the tournament.The absence of Chris Woakes remains painful for England. It’s not just his bowling – though he is probably England’s best death bowler – but the security he provides with the bat at No. 8. David Willey, while dangerous when the ball swings, has a bit to prove once it does not. Tellingly, he has only once delivered 10 overs in an ODI in the last couple of years and, on that occasion, England lost against Scotland.Equally, England’s spinners are likely to be tested more in this series than they were by a spinaphobic – no, you probably won’t find that word in a dictionary – Australia and the entire batting line-up is likely to be confronted by more skill and more variation. It looks, in short, like being a high-quality encounter between two sides on top of their games. There’s no World Cup on offer but we might well have a better idea of who is likely to lift it in a year’s time after the next week.

Nair is not the first batsman to have gone through selection mismanagement in recent times, but his handling by the team management, in particular, has been baffling

Sidharth Monga30-Sep-2018Manoj Prabhakar was a brave, street-smart cricketer, whose spirit of rebellion Indian cricket could have well done without. Those who played with him tell you he carried a deep-rooted resentment for the system ever since Kapil Dev called up Madan Lal from the England leagues to replace the injured Chetan Sharma in the Headingley Test on the 1986 tour of England. As a member of the squad already, Prabhakar believed he had earned the right to play the Test when Chetan got injured. But the India captain had other ideas.Ajinkya Rahane in recent times has gone through similar mismanagement. He and Rohit Sharma went through the whole Australia tour of 2011-12 giving throwdowns to each other in a corner even as India stumbled from one defeat to another. In the year that followed, Rohit played himself out of the Test side through poor form on the tour to Sri Lanka. Two players retired; Cheteshwar Pujara took one place, and out of nowhere came Yuvraj Singh to usurp Rahane in the queue. He didn’t get a chance either in first-class cricket, to score the runs needed for selection, or in the Test XI. So much so that when Yuvraj was finally dropped, India picked Ravindra Jadeja, a bowler, ahead of Rahane.There wasn’t much in the name of a support system to help these players out. They had to fend for themselves. You hope there is someone talking to Karun Nair right now, explaining to him why he is not part of the Test squad against West Indies and what the future holds for him. By all accounts – Nair told as much – the team management did not do so when they kept him out of the XI for six straight Tests.At some level, Nair seems to be caught in the crossfire between the selectors and the team management. One thing was clear from the South Africa tour earlier this year: the team management rated Rohit Sharma ahead of even Ajinkya Rahane, leave alone Nair. The selectors gave them Nair as the reserve batsman in England. The team management responded by refusing to play Nair even when the situation and conditions called for the reinforcing of the batting.Even when the team management gave in and finally played an extra batsman, it was not Nair. A bolter, Hanuma Vihari, made his way into the squad through first-class runs, something Nair could not have done sitting on the bench on a long tour where India didn’t play a single first-class game outside the Tests. Nair spent close to two months with the India squad impressing Shankar Basu, the trainer, with his fitness.The handling of Nair drove Sunil Gavaskar to anger during the England tour. “I know he has not been your favourite player. You don’t want to pick him,” was one of the instructive things Gavaskar said after India picked Vihari for the Oval Test, “you” being the team management. Vihari, of course, scored a half-century at The Oval, and has now got a chance to book his place for the Australia tour. India don’t have the services of the injured allrounder Hardik Pandya for the home series against West Indies, which means a sixth batsman is likely to play, and these are home runs against a much lower-ranked opponent. These are runs that ensured Rohit played ahead of Rahane in South Africa. These are runs Nair would have thought he should have had a chance to score. And this is being said with no ill will towards Vihari, who was at the right place in the right time and grabbed his opportunity.As usual, the selectors refuse to comment. This particular selection process has been especially curious. The selectors met in Delhi three days before the actual announcement of the squad but the BCCI said the meeting had nothing to do with this selection even though the secretary had called for a selection meeting that day. The announcement was made through a release that omitted to mention when the selectors actually met, or if they did actually meet.Yet the selectors need to be given that slim benefit of doubt. They possibly realise that if Nair is going to warm the bench during this series – which, let’s face it, seems to be his fate – he may as well score runs in domestic cricket. Except that the only domestic cricket on at that time will be of the shorter variety. There is still time for Nair, though. There is inspiration for him in his state team-mate Mayank Agarwal, who has scored so many runs again and again that it has been impossible to look away. Do that, and who knows Nair might see the selectors fight for him again when they have room for 17 men on the Australia tour.

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One man who seems to have lost backers in the selection committee is Shikhar Dhawan. In Tests, he is that peculiar cricketer who seems fortunate to be there, and at the same time unfortunate when he is eventually left out. That’s possibly because he makes his comebacks through limited-overs runs or injuries to others, then scores massively at home, and fails to score those runs in difficult conditions away from home. However, he also seems unfortunate when dropped because you can see he is putting in all the effort to try to succeed. He fights himself, he fights his natural game, he does all that with a smile, and still something or the other gets the better of him.Shikhar Dhawan blows a kiss to the crowd•Getty ImagesAnd so Dhawan is out again, yet again having failed to complete an away series: before England, he has been dropped midway in South Africa, Australia and also on the last tour of England. Yet it is possible to say Dhawan is unlucky to miss out. As the numbers of other top-order batsmen will tell you, the conditions in England were really tough for the openers. Dhawan showed the will to guts it out, consistently asking the bowlers to bowl good balls to get him out. After the first four Tests – the live Tests – Dhawan was easily the best of the five openers that played that series.It was at The Oval that the openers finally managed to score centuries, Alastair Cook for England and KL Rahul for India. This Test featured the best batting conditions of the series, and bowlers at their most tired in a dead rubber. It is quite possible Dhawan might have secured his place had he scored runs here, but he got two really good balls to get out. It is also imaginable that Dhawan could have done well in Australia where the sideways movement is less pronounced and much shorter lived, but there won’t be too many crying for Dhawan because he has had a lot of opportunities and doesn’t have the difficult runs to show for it.There is a sense of finality to this blow from the selectors. The message is clear: we know you can score two centuries in two sessions in these two Tests against West Indies but that’s no good if you don’t get even fifties in England or Australia or South Africa. There also seems no way back for Dhawan now; during the West Indies Tests, there is no other first-class cricket going on in India. When the first-class domestic cricket will begin, Dhawan will be busy with the limited-overs internationals. The only way back for this Australia tour seems a combination of ODI runs and failures for the new openers but the selectors seem to be in no mood to budge.