This surface, on which India took the last six New Zealand wickets for 81 runs, was much more to Harbhajan’s liking than the unresponsive one in Motera

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2010He picked up the last four wickets and more than played his part in a superb Indian bowling performance on the second morning. At the end of the day’s play, Harbhajan Singh was in good spirits. He may have been Man of the Match for his hundred in Ahmedabad, but the conditions for bowlers at the Motera for the second Test in succession had driven him to distraction. This surface, on which India took the last six New Zealand wickets for 81 runs, was much more to his liking.”This is a good wicket for Test cricket,” he said. “There is good bounce for fast bowlers, even for spinners. If you bowl slower in the air, there is bounce and so far, it has played pretty well. I hope it will continue to play even better for the bowlers as the days go on. On the third and fourth days, it might spin, it might not. But definitely, there is bounce.”Harbhajan had been the subject of criticism in recent times, with some pointing to a 40-plus average and a strike-rate in excess of 100 for the calendar year. When asked why India were so reluctant to cash in on their traditional strength, spin, his answer bordered on the indignant. “I think you should ask those people who make the wickets because I don’t know,” he said. “In every country the conditions are different. In Australia, there is bounce. In India, I don’t know when I last played on a turner. Yes, I did play one match in Kanpur [2008 against South Africa].”Harbhajan cited the pitch at the Brabourne Stadium as the sort that should be prepared if “Test cricket is to be preserved”. At the Cricket Club of India last December, Sri Lanka won the toss and made nearly 400, but India won by an innings, with wickets for pace and spin alike. “We’re not asking for a spin track,” he said. “Sporting track just means that on the first day, the fast bowler must get carry, the edges must carry. On the fourth and fifth days, if there is turn and bounce, what’s wrong with it? CCI was probably the best wicket I have played.”A cautious thumbs-up for Hyderabad, and something to ponder for curators all over India.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has reclaimed the top of the ICC Test rankings for batsmen, bringing an end to Sachin Tendulkar’s short-lived stay at the head of the table

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2010Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen, ending Sachin Tendulkar’s short-lived stay at the head of the table.Sangakkara’s performance in the first two Tests of the ongoing series against West Indies coincided with Tendulkar’s modest returns against New Zealand, leading to a swap at the top. Sangakkara has so far scored 228 runs in the West Indies series, taking him to 882 rating points, 23 clear of Tendulkar who could manage only one half-century in four innings against New Zealand. Virender Sehwag is in the third place, nine points behind Tendulkar, while Jacques Kallis is fourth, with 806.South Africa’s AB de Villiers and England’s Jonathan Trott have broken into the top ten for the first time, following strong performances against Pakistan and Australia respectively. de Villiers amassed an unbeaten 278 in Abu Dhabi, the highest Test score by a South Africa batsman, propelling him to fifth. Trott’s unbeaten 135 was a part of England’s strong second-innings resistance in the Ashes-opener, helping his side earn a creditable draw, and lifting him to the eighth spot.On the bowling front, India’s fast-bowling spearhead, Zaheer Khan, surged to third in the Test ratings, his highest classification to date. South Africa seamer Dale Steyn and England offspinner Graeme Swann retained the top two positions. Australia’s Peter Siddle, who picked up six wickets on the first day at the Gabba, including a hat-trick, rose to the 14th spot, while England seamer Steven Finn moved up to 19th on the back of his six-for.

Jacques Kallis showed once again why he is South Africa’s leading man with the bat, making 161 out of his team’s total of 362

Firdose Moonda at Newlands03-Jan-2011Jacques Kallis showed once again why he is South Africa’s leading man with the bat, making 161 out of his team’s total of 362, and adding 79 potentially crucial runs with numbers 10 and 11, but was happy to give credit to the lower order for sticking it out with him.”It wasn’t easy out there and they got us those 70-80 extra runs,” Kallis said after he added 27 runs with Paul Harris for the ninth wicket and 52 runs with Tsotsobe for the last wicket. out of which Tsotsobe made eight. “It’s the first time he’s ever been involved in a 50-run partnership,” Kallis said of the number 11 batsmen, “so he felt like he’d scored a hundred.”Although Harris and Tsotsobe collectively contributed 15 runs, Kallis felt it was their intent, more than their runs, that were important. “It showed the guts and determination the guys are willing to put in.” While the tail was wagging, Kallis was leaving when it was necessary and hitting the balls he felt deserved to be hit. The key was being aware of his off stump, something that he said is “vital” on the Newlands wicket and only learned from playing here. “It’s a matter of experience in the conditions. That’s when you’ll know when to put your foot on the accelerator and when to hang five.”Kallis struck the delicate balance between the two modes of playing perfectly and revelled in the difficulty of the situation. “I really enjoyed it, it was a big challenge and it was nice to come through it when conditions are against you. I think that’s why you play this game. You want to be tested against the best in trying conditions.” It was Kallis’ third successive century at Newlands, and 39th in all, drawing him level with Ricky Ponting.The circumstances were tough given the pitch, but Kallis said that batting became easier on day two when “the sun baked the wicket a little bit.” Although it’s predicted to be bright and hot again on day three, Kallis doesn’t think the pitch will start to sprout runs and believes South Africa’s bowlers could benefit from it more than India’s batsmen. “There’s still more than enough on that wicket. Even right at the end there were a few balls going off the straight and narrow.”The first session should set the tone for the day, with Kallis explaining that, “Generally, at Newlands the ball does a little bit more in the morning than in the afternoon.” Although he will play no part in South Africa’s bowling, he said that if the guys get “two or three wickets, it will make life a lot easier.” While the attention is focused on Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, Kallis think its Harris and Tsotsobe that will play a big role. “Lopsy has bowled pretty well throughout the series and had four or five catches put down on his bowling. He’s been unlucky.”Kallis thinks batting will stay tough and that “working hard on defensive technique” will be the key. At this stage of the game, he thinks South Africa hold the advantage. “We are still in a very strong position; a little bit ahead of the game, having the runs on the board,” but wisely acknowledges “that can change very quickly.” Day three is going to be a turning point in the match, one Kallis will be have to be content with watching from the dressing room.

Kenya’s World Cup preparations in India went from bad to worse as they crashed to a 206-run loss to Gujarat

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2011Gujarat 341 for 4 (Patel 156) beat Kenyan XI 135 (Parmar 4-27) by 206 runsKenya’s World Cup preparations in India went from bad to worse as they crashed to their second loss in three days. Whereas they could take some positives from Sunday’s 38-run loss, the 206-run thrashing by Gurarat in the second of three matches in Ahmedabad left them with no crumbs of comfort.Kenya won the toss and chose to bowl, removed opener Rajdeep Darbar with the fourth ball, and from then on were completely outclassed by a side containing few players with much experience. It was a boost to the local youngsters but a huge blow to the Kenyans.Niraj Patel, who had made a three-ball duck on Sunday, led the charge with a 137-ball 156, sharing stands of 142 for the second wicket with Jay Desai (72) and 148 for the third with Sunday’s centurion Manprit Juneja (63). Gujarat finished on 341 for 4 and none of the Kenyan bowlers emerged with credit, all shipping more than six runs an over.The total was always beyond Kenya, but at least they would have wanted time in the middle and the chance for their batsmen to build an innings. Instead, they crumbled to 135 all out in 36.4 overs, 22-year-old Mohnish Parmar finishing with 4 for 27. Four of the top six batsmen got starts but none was able to capitalise.The third match against Gujarat takes place on Thursday (January 13) but Kenya’s coach Eldine Baptiste will have his work cut out to turn around a side so comprehensively outclassed.

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief-executive, believes next month’s World Cup will prove that 50-over cricket can co-exist with the Test and Twenty20 formats

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2011Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, has said next month’s World Cup will prove that 50-over cricket can co-exist with the Test and Twenty20 formats. Since the inception of Twenty20 cricket and its raging success, the ODI format has been perceived to be under threat, but Lorgat said those fears were overstated.”I think the talk of poor interest in 50-over cricket is overstated. I firmly believe that all three forms of the game will co-exist and in fact thrive at international level,” Lorgat told ESPNSTAR.com. “To be frank, the talk of a demise of 50-over ODI cricket is way out of whack with what we are experiencing. Players, spectators, TV viewers and administrators still see great value in the ODIs.”I hope that the World Cup will add to reversing the poor perception of 50-over cricket as some of the recent matches already have.”In an attempt to revitalise limited-overs cricket, Australia are experimenting with a split-innings format in their domestic competition, while England, South Africa and Zimbabwe have all shifted to a 40-over competition. However, Lorgat said the ICC doesn’t have plans to tinker with the format of the game. “There are no plans to dramatically change the format of the 50-over game at international level. That said, we encourage our members to experiment with different formats and initiatives to see if there are ways it can be enhanced.”The ODI today has a very different look and feel to what it was 40 years ago when the first match took place in 1971. We have always embraced change and will continue to do so.”Lorgat said the 2011 tournament, which starts on February 19, would be the most unpredictable World Cup in history. “It seems to me that the top teams are all playing some wonderful cricket at present and there is precious little to decide between them.”The Australians could make history by becoming the first team to win four in a row but they will be challenged as they are not as dominant today as they were four years ago. The other teams, no doubt, will sense an opportunity to wrestle the cup from their tight grasp.”Lorgat said the passion for cricket in the subcontinent would ensure a successful World Cup. “Nowhere in the world can one find love and power for the game as in the subcontinent. We are expecting all the people from the three host nations to come out in force, support their teams and follow the tournament.”

A round-up of the action from the tenth day of matches in the 2010-11 Vijay Hazare Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2011Vidarbha beat Punjab by 100 runs at the Emerald High School Ground in Indore to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Ranjit Paradkar and Ravi Jangid scored half-centuries and were involved in a 74-run stand for the fourth wicket, taking their team to a challenging 278 in 45 overs. Punjab struggled in their reply, collapsing to 98 for 6 and had to rely on Mayank Sidhana and the lower order to put up some resistance. Each of the five Vidarbha bowlers bagged at least a wicket and bowled out Punjab for 178. Vidarbha meet Tamil Nadu in the quarter-final on February 25.Gujarat prevailed over Karnataka in a low-scoring game at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore to qualify for the quarter-finals. Manprit Juneja’s 49 stood out in an innings otherwise replete with low scores as Gujarat managed just 168. But Karnataka proved abject in their reply. Bharat Chipli, Ganesh Satish, Manish Pandey and Udit Patel down the order got starts but failed to convert them, while the batting around them crumbled. Ishwar Choudhary picked up four wickets with his medium-pace as Karnataka folded for 136 in 31.5 overs. Gujarat will meet Bengal in their quarter-final on February 25.

South Africa’s 2011 World Cup campaign was fundamentally flawed by a suspect middle order, former coach Mickey Arthur has said

Daniel Brettig31-Mar-2011South Africa’s 2011 World Cup campaign was fundamentally flawed by a suspect middle order, former coach Mickey Arthur has said. Considered tournament favourites after a mostly storming run through the pool phase, South Africa crumbled under the pressure of a run chase against doughty New Zealand in their quarter-final, exposing all the wounds of past failures in knockout events.Watching from Perth where he is now the coach of Western Australia’s state team, Arthur reasoned that the decision to choose JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis and Johan Botha in the middle had cost his old side dearly.”People underestimate how difficult it is [in the middle order in the subcontinent],” Arthur told ESPNCricinfo. “Five, six and seven are your crucial, crucial batting positions in one day games, especially on the subcontinent, because you’re invariably starting against a soft ball and invariably starting against spin.”In the engine room at five, six and seven we had JP Duminy who’s still a young, maturing player, Faf du Plessis in his first year and Johan Botha who is a bowler first and then a batter, and I think that cost us at the end of the day.”In 2006-07 [when Australia won the Champions Trophy in India and the World Cup in the Caribbean], Michael Hussey was down at seven for them. “In those conditions five, six and seven end up winning you games, and we didn’t have any experience there.”Arthur’s view was supported in the aftermath of the match by Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain. “We were desperate to get into that middle to lower order; that was our whole game plan, do whatever we can to get down there,” Vettori said. “It was always about getting past AB de Villiers. Their top four has proven themselves over a long, long time. They’ve got fantastic records, and I thought if we could break through that, particularly getting down to No. 6 and Botha at No. 7 meant they had a longish tail.”Given that the captain, Graeme Smith, and the coach, Corrie van Zyl, have both chosen to give up their posts after the Cup, it will now be up to yet another leadership axis to pick the lock that seems to separate South African sides from Cup success.”Until South Africa win an ICC event it’s always going to be there,” said Arthur. “The monkey’s almost become a gorilla now and until we win an ICC event it’s always going to be there I’m afraid. They’ve just got to get out there and do it. We’ve always been the most prepared and I remember in my five years, we could never, ever nail it right at the end, and that to me was one of my regrets.”We got to No.1 in the world in both forms of the game over a period of time because we played the most consistent cricket, but there always seemed to be something missing when it became a knockout game, and I just can’t put my finger on it.”

Duncan Fletcher, the newly-appointed India coach, is likely to fly down to Chennai on May 13 to be part of the selection meeting to pick the squad for the one-day series in the West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2011Duncan Fletcher, the newly-appointed India coach, is likely to fly down to Chennai on May 13 to be part of the selection meeting to pick the squad for the one-day series in the West Indies next month. It has been understood that Fletcher was keen to attend the meeting as that would also allow him to get acquainted with his new bosses as well as the selectors and MS Dhoni, the India captain who will also be in the city which is the base of Chennai Super Kings, his IPL franchise.Fletcher, who was England coach for eight years, took over his new assignment immediately after Gary Kirsten decided not to renew his contract with the BCCI at the end of the World Cup. Fletcher’s appointment is for two years and though both the employer and employee have not revealed the terms of the contract, it is believed to be the same as that of Kirsten. That means Fletcher will reportedly not have any selectorial vote, but will be present during the selection meetings along with Dhoni.Also present at the meeting on Wednesday would be Eric Simons, who worked with Fletcher at Western Province in the first half of the 1990s. Simons, picked by Kirsten two years ago to be part of his support staff two years ago, was retained as the bowling coach by the Indian board. Simons is likely to play the role of the interim coach for the Caribbean tour after the BCCI said that Fletcher might not be part of the West Indies tour as he had prior commitments to fulfill. In that case Fletcher will start his innings against England, a team he built from scratch eventually leading to Ashes glory in 2005.

Shane Warne has said that he and Rajasthan Royals were shocked to be told which pitch to play on and how to prepare it for their home game against Chennai Super Kings

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2011Shane Warne has said that he and Rajasthan Royals were shocked to be told which pitch to play on and how to prepare it for their home game against Chennai Super Kings. He said Rajasthan were told to play on a pitch on the edge of the square, which shortened one boundary, and it was quicker than the ones Jaipur had produced for Rajasthan’s five previous home games. Chennai scored 196, 37 more than the previous-highest score at the ground this season, and won by 63 runs.”In four years, we’ve never been told which pitch to play on or how to prepare it,” a visibly upset Warne said after the defeat. “We have no idea who instructed it but it wasn’t coming from us. Every other team has that opportunity [to prepare and choose their home pitches]; we don’t.”When asked why Rajasthan had been instructed to play on a particular pitch against Chennai, Warne insisted he didn’t know and asked the reporters to find out and decide for themselves. Warne, however, made it clear he wasn’t making excuses for the loss, saying Chennai were the better team on the day, but emphasised it was strange why, after four years, they suddenly had the right to choose the pitch at their home ground taken away from them.”I don’t want to make too much of a point about the pitch because Chennai outplayed us; both teams had to play on the same pitch and we weren’t good enough today. But it is a shame that we are the only home team to not get what we want.”However, Sanjay Dixit, the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s honorary secretary and a senior bureaucrat in the Rajasthan government, told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday that teams have never been in charge of choosing which pitch they played on in the IPL, and that he was surprised by Warne’s comments. He said Rajasthan had been notified, in writing, about the change of pitch on May 2. “It was officially conveyed to them. So they had known this for about the week.”The pitch at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium first came under the scanner when Mumbai Indians were restricted to 94 for 8 on April 29 and Sachin Tendulkar called the surface two-paced after his team’s defeat. The chairman of the BCCI’s grounds and pitches committee, Venkat Sundaram, was present at Rajasthan’s next home game, against Pune Warriors on May 1, which drew an angry reaction from Warne, who was under the impression Mumbai had made an official complaint about the track. Warne accused Mumbai of making excuses, but Mumbai later denied they had made any complaint.According to Dixit, the decision to switch pitches was taken after Sundaram watched the Pune game. Warne had defended the Jaipur pitch at the time and did so again after the Chennai game: “For four years we’ve played on whichever pitch we’ve wanted to; the average score here is 154 and every time we’ve produced an excellent pitch.”The tracks at Jaipur have generally been slow and offered some turn, and Rajasthan with their spin-heavy attack had notched up four home victories before Monday’s game, restricting their opponents to less than 150 in three of those wins. Against Chennai, Warne said he thought 170 would have been about a par score, considering they were playing with “kiddies” boundaries.”They got 20 runs too many thanks to Dhoni’s superb knock. We thought if we kept them down to 170-175 with the kiddies boundary, on a fast track that didn’t turn like normal, we would have a chance. We never like playing with such a short boundary. I think’ it’s ridiculous.”On Tuesday evening, the BCCI also clarified in a release that IPL teams did not have a say in choosing pitches. “The BCCI wishes to clarify that the wicket used in the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, played at Jaipur on 9th May 2011, was as per the decision of the curator, and the ground and pitches committee,” the release said. “The committee sent recommendations to all host associations before the start of the IPL season. Included in the same was the advice that ‘the pitches should have good pace and consistent bounce’. The committee members have visited a number of the IPL venues both before and, where necessary, during the season, and made appropriate recommendations, the priority being to ensure competitive and quality cricket.”Neither of the playing teams has a choice of the wicket, on which to play the game. It is the curator, in consultation with the committee chairman, who prepares the wickets.”Sundaram said: “The IPL is being played at the end of the Indian domestic season, and after the World Cup. Therefore, the main pitches are bound to have wear and tear. The extreme heat prevailing all over the country has also taken its toll. Hence, it becomes necessary to change the pitches in some cases, as good playing conditions will result in good cricket.”Rajasthan will play one more match in Jaipur, on May 11, against Royal Challengers Bangalore and the same pitch will be used for that game.

If West Indies prepare pitches with pace and bounce, this could be a testing tour for an Indian team that offers a glimpse into the future

Sriram Veera in Port of Spain03-Jun-2011″Life is jokey but it’s bloody serious. You got to plan. West Indies didn’t do it.” Ralph, an old caretaker of an inn, drawls as he lights up a cigarette. It’s 11 pm and the small neighbourhood in Port of Spain is quiet. The glow from his cigarette lights up his grizzly beard. “We were too arrogant when we were winning and didn’t plan for the future. Talent is all dried up now and we are watching the ego fights between the board and the players. It’s all downhill. It’s good to see India planning for the future by bringing in the younger players.”It’s a puzzling series in many ways. The weaker team is ignoring its stars and testing its bench strength. The stronger team is being forced to test its bench strength while its stars choose to rest, some in fatigue, some following injury. The agenda is still pretty simple and straightforward: It’s India’s series to lose. They are the new world champions and will have to win this ODI series. Never mind that they are missing a couple of big players – a champion team can’t have any excuses.West Indies ran out of excuses for their decline a long time ago and are now scraping the bottom of the barrel of hope. It’s a grim scenario. The evidence screamed out when the flight from London descended on Barbados. It was a breathtaking visual – a sparkling sea framing the houses like a jewel – but the question that immediately came to mind was, how on earth did such a tiny island produce a battery of world-class players? Now that same smallness offered another scary thought. How on earth will they find world-class players from such a small area? Trinidad is a much bigger place but big, of course, is relative.Sometimes a win can just prove to be a setback. Is West Indies’ recent Test win over Pakistan a boon or a bane? Will it make the hardliners in the WICB turn more adamant in their vision for a future that doesn’t involve the bigger stars like Chris Gayle? Or does that win offer concrete proof of their new vision? This series against India can help decide it.It was a series against India in 1976 that turned the corner for West Indies in many ways. bloodbath in Sabina Park when Clive Lloyd, hurt after India chased down 403 in the previous Test, unleashed his fast men against the hapless visitors is a landmark event in West Indian cricket history. That victory made Lloyd, and by extension West Indies, realise that pace was the way to go and his gang of fast men went on to unleash such joyous violence – that still stirs the heart of cricket fans – around the world. Fire was raging in Babylon and Lloyd wasn’t fiddling. Nostalgia is fun but not when the present is bleak.If West Indies are to do well in this series, they can’t reproduce tracks that were on offer in the series against Pakistan. If India has a weakness, it’s against pace and bounce and West Indies, despite having a legspinner as their strike bowler, need to exploit it – like they did so successfully in the World Twenty20 held in the Caribbean region. Will they go for it?For India, the absence of the seniors is the best thing that could have happened. This squad is perfect to test the bench strength. It’s also the perfect setting for the new India coach, Duncan Fletcher, to ease himself in. He has been ostensibly roped in to help India prepare for a future sans the big names. Now he doesn’t have to wait for the end of India’s tour of Australia early next year to prepare for that eventuality. This series gives him a taste of things to come.In the Tests, India are going with a new set of openers and in the ODIs, they will also be infusing fresh blood into the middle order. If West Indies are able to produce tracks that aid bounce, this Indian team can be tested by the likes of Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul and Andre Russell. It still won’t be easy, but at least it will give them a chance.If the tracks are flat, this could well turn out to be like the 1971 series between the two teams, when a debutant named Sunil Gavaskar gorged on a second-string attack to pile up the runs and launch himself into a calypso. This Indian team might not have anyone in the calibre of a Gavaskar but it’s a team filled with ambitious young men, desperately seeking success and fighting for the few available spots when the bigger stars return for sterner tests. It’s almost a fight for survival for many. Life is jokey but it’s bloody serious.