Fast bowling has been Sri Lanka’s weak suit historically, but they need to step it up over the next four weeks in England

S Rajesh24-May-2011Sri Lanka have never won a series of at least two Tests in England, Australia or South Africa, but over the next four weeks they’ll get an opportunity to start rectifying that statistic when they take on England over three Test matches. The hosts obviously start favourites after their fantastic Ashes campaign in 2010-11, but Sri Lanka have sounded a warning by winning both their warm-up games, including a superb come-from-behind victory against England Lions last week. One of the most encouraging aspects of that win was the performance of the fast bowlers – Dilhara Fernando, Thisara Perera and Nuwan Pradeep took 15 out of 18 Lions wickets, returning combined figures of 15 for 388. They, and the other fast bowlers who play, will have to maintain those kind of figures if Sri Lanka are to win the series, especially given that this is the first half of the summer in England, when conditions are most likely to favour fast bowlers and not offer so much assistance to spin, traditionally Sri Lanka’s favourite suit.Pace could also play a bigger role in Sri Lanka’s campaign this time because they can no longer fall back on the wizardry of Muttiah Muralitharan. In his absence, the spin mantle will be borne by Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath and Suraj Ranjiv, but it’s quite likely that the series result could hinge on how well Sri Lanka’s inexperienced fast bowlers fare: among their frontline fast bowlers, only two – Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Maharoof – have played Tests outside the subcontinent, and their numbers aren’t flattering: together they’ve played 18 Tests, and taken 29 wickets at an average of 62.38 runs per wicket.In fact, the lack of incisiveness in the bowling, especially among the fast men, has been one of Sri Lanka’s biggest drawbacks on overseas tours. The bowlers’ inability to take wickets and restrict opposition totals has put their own batsmen under tremendous pressure almost every time they come out to bat. Sri Lanka’s overall bowling average in England since 2000 is more than 45, while their fast bowlers have conceded more than 63 per wicket – both are easily the worst among all teams except Zimbabwe. With Lasith Malinga not around either to help their cause, Sri Lanka’s bowlers could be severely tested over the next month.

Bowling attacks in England in Tests since 2000

TeamTestsWicketsAverageStrike ratePace – wicketsAverageStrike rateAustralia1730229.1249.120531.8551.2England76123130.5057.0100429.4854.2Zimbabwe45034.1672.74531.9365.8Pakistan1218334.2763.413930.5855.3South Africa914035.0063.312633.3859.3India711138.1769.66937.4966.6West Indies1520038.8468.917235.8063.9New Zealand67240.3476.65642.2378.1Sri Lanka66945.2485.83363.42108.0Bangladesh42774.44104.81485.14107.1Usually conditions in South Africa, England and Australia are more favourable for fast bowlers, but Sri Lanka’s numbers don’t suggest so. In all three countries, their pace bowlers concede more than 47 runs per wicket, while in most other countries they average in the 20s or 30s. What has also hurt their cause is the sheer lack of opportunities to play Tests in these countries: in the last 11 years, Sri Lanka have played only 15 Tests in Australia, England and South Africa.

Sri Lankan bowlers in each country in Tests since 2000

CountryTestsWicketsAverageStrike ratePace – wicketsAverageStrike rateZimbabwe23819.4440.02122.0943.9Bangladesh47723.6646.42927.9652.2Sri Lanka5999827.0659.038830.5358.9New Zealand46231.7762.03833.7362.4Pakistan811435.9372.86237.5071.2West Indies45436.0366.43135.1657.5South Africa55840.0176.83147.8380.5England66945.2485.83363.42108.0India67448.8382.72654.5792.5Australia44851.1282.72658.0392.7The lack of matches has also hurt the batsmen, for it gives them little opportunity to acclimatise to conditions which are completely different from what they face at home. Looking at the stats of all teams in England since 2000, Sri Lanka slot in somewhere in the middle with an average of 28.10, while compared to their own record in other countries, their stats in England are fairly ordinary.Among the batsmen in the current squad, Mahela Jayawardene is the only batsman to score a century – he has scored one in each Lord’s Tests on the last two tours, and averages more than 45 in six Tests. In fact, his four innings at Lord’s reads 107, 14*, 61 and 119. However, Kumar Sangakkara has been a huge disappointment, with a highest of 66 in 12 innings, and an average of 30.54, which is almost 27 fewer than his overall career average.

Sri Lankan batsmen in Tests in England since 2000

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sMahela Jayawardene650245.632/ 2Tillakaratne Dilshan319532.500/ 2Kumar Sangakkara633630.540/ 2Thilan Samaraweera2174.250/ 0The good news for Sri Lanka, though, is that they have won Tests in England, unlike in Australia and South Africa, where they haven’t won any. They won the one-off Test in 1998 on the back of outstanding performances from Sanath Jayasuriya and Muralitharan. On their most recent tour, they lost at Edgbaston, but fought back superbly to level the series at Trent Bridge, with Muralitharan again winning the Man-of-the-Match award for an 11-wicket haul. Both their wins in England have thus been engineered by Murali; in his absence, it remains to be seen who will take on the mantle of strike bowler.

Tests between England and Sri Lanka

TestsEng wonSL wonDrawOverall21867In England10523Since 200015546In England since 20006312England will be full of confidence coming into this series: their last series was a magnificent triumph in Australia, and they also have an outstanding home record in the last decade. Since 2000, they’ve lost only three home series out of 22 – once each to Australia (2001), India (2007) and South Africa (2009). During this period, their win-loss ratio at home has been 2.68 (43 wins, 16 defeats), which is third only to Australia and India.England’s batsmen were in fine form in the Ashes, and they’ll want to continue that run. Among those in England’s current squad, only three have played a home Test against Sri Lanka: Kevin Pietersen has enjoyed himself, with two hundreds in three matches, but Andrew Strauss only managed a highest of 55 in five innings.

England’s batsmen at home against Sri Lanka

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sKevin Pietersen336072.002/ 0Alastair Cook317543.750/ 1Andrew Strauss315631.200/ 1England’s partnerships for the top five wickets, though, have almost all been productive, and that’s helped them stay on top in most home Tests against Sri Lanka since 2000. The average stands for the top three wickets are all more than 60, with the average for the first wicket being 72.55, which again illustrates Sri Lanka’s lack of fast-bowling firepower. On the other hand, Sri Lanka’s average first-wicket stand is 23.25, with a highest of 59, which is significantly lower than England’s average partnership.

Partnership stats in Eng-Sri Tests in England since 2000

WicketSL – Ave stand100/ 50 p’shipsHighest standEng – Ave stand100/ 50 p’shipsHighest stand1st23.250/ 15972.551/ 61682nd45.541/ 310966.553/ 02023rd54.952/ 420662.222/ 21594th37.542/ 114631.550/ 2605th41.811/ 212552.621/ 31736th17.000/ 16830.280/ 2587th17.900/ 04426.830/ 049*

Plays of the Day for the fifth day of the third Test between India and West Indies in Mumbai

N Hunter26-Nov-2011The silly act
There were quite a few inexplicable mistakes committed by the West Indies batsmen but none as silly as the one from Marlon Samuels. It was only his third delivery. Pragyan Ojha had already accounted for Darren Bravo off the first ball of the over. India were in a hurry to bat again and Samuels had no reason to give Ojha the charge, but he did. Ojha cleverly pitched on off stump and made the ball turn away. Samuels was deceived completely and MS Dhoni knocked off the bails.The dropped catch
Ravi Rampaul bowled a length ball to Virender Sehwag, who played from his crease, trying to hit straight over the umpire’s head. The drive did not have enough momentum, though, and the ball went in the air towards Rampaul and bounced off his wrist. Rampaul could not believe it and covered his face with both hands. In the first Test in Delhi as well, Rampaul had failed to grasp a return catch from Sehwag. Today, Sehwag was on 6 and India were 17 for 0. By the time he was dismissed for 60, India were scoring at a rate of more than five an over and needed only 142 from 44.5 overs.The reverse-paddle
With runs coming quickly, Devendra Bishoo opted to bowl from round the stumps to try and restrict Sehwag, who opened his stance slightly to counter the changed line. Sehwag went for a premeditated reverse-paddle of the first such delivery. The ball, a full toss, took the leading edge before floating into the hands of Darren Sammy at short fine leg. Sammy had given Sehwag his third reprieve earlier but this time he took the catch safely. Sehwag went down on one knee, embraced his bat like a child who had committed a mistake, and walked back hugging it.The gift
India needed 12 runs off 19 deliveries. Rampaul had kept Ishant Sharma in check for four balls. Ishant pushed the final ball of the over towards cover and rushed for a tight single. Sammy, the fielder, had been getting treatment through the afternoon for a leg strain. His throw at the striker’s end could have found Ashwin short but he missed by some margin and also conceded an overthrow, which kept Ashwin on strike for the next over. An annoyed Rampaul could only stare at his captain.The winner …
… was the Mumbai crowd. They came out in large numbers on all five days, peaking on the third and the fourth, when the figures crossed the 20,000-mark. Today around 18,000 people turned up. A slap in the face of those who thought people cared only about Sachin Tendulkar’s landmark.

As has so often been the case in the last few years, the USA Cricket Association continues to be mired in internal bickering and controversy

Martin Williamson05-Sep-2011The rumbling discontent within US cricket about the way the USA Cricket Association is being run continues to grow with reports that a number of its board members are at odds with Gladstone Dainty, USACA’s president, over the way he is operating.Dainty has been a controversial figure for a number of years, and it was on his watch that the USA was twice suspended from international cricket because of what the then ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed labelled its “dysfunctional” operation.Through active and crafty politicking Dainty has managed to remain in office when his track record would have appeared to have fatally damaged his standing. He has often relied on a small group of associates on the USACA board to support him, but now he is again under attack.Critics point out that Dainty has failed to hold a face-to-face board meeting since November 2010. Since then, Don Lockerbie, the CEO, has been removed from office and in eight months a replacement has not been sought. Dainty, it is argued, has made no attempt to encourage the search for a new CEO, surprisingly at a time when USACA is seeking to attract lucrative commercial deals and real funding, not to mention the rebuilding of a very tarnished image in the domestic and international cricketing communities. The argument is that the lack of a successor for Lockerbie allows Dainty to proceed unchecked.Board elections, constitutionally due to be held in March of this year, have been delayed until October 15 and there are fears they may not even happen then. And most recently, Dainty has ordered election results in the Atlantic region be frozen, with critics claiming the reason is that one of his long-standing supporters is likely to be voted out of office.Last week, one board member expressed concerns that Dainty would try to use the constitution to remain in power, and within days USACA announced that eight leagues may not be allowed to vote because of technicalities. Many of those on the sidelines have seen it all before.Some board members are pushing for a face-to-face board meeting on September 17, and have more than enough support to impact a quorum of the board, but Dainty has refused to agree to that date, even though it is believed that the meeting was requested by USACA’s executive secretary, John Aaron.”We are all being painted by the general public, with one broad brush and labelled dysfunctional and incompetent,” one of his opponents on the board said. “That’s because our fight is not being seen on the outside. Dainty’s ability to continue demonstrating such a dictatorial style of governance is helped by the few who are afraid of his wrath, that they are too weak to join the few who are strong-willed enough to stand up to him.”While in the past there has been little at stake other than some internal politics, there is now the prospect of large amounts of foreign money pouring into the USA from media deals, making control of USACA increasingly important.The international community remains wary of a Dainty-controlled board, but he is a survivor and one that many have tried without success to unseat. His lack of accountability continues to deter many – both at home and abroad – from dealing with US cricket. It is crying out for slick and transparent leadership and, at present, it has neither.

The Indian captain talks about the emotional and pressure-laden World Cup win, switching off from the game, his future one-day plans, and more

Interview by Rajdeep Sardesai17-Dec-2011″It’s very difficult to control an emotion like that. I was controlling [myself], I wanted to quickly go up to the dressing room, and I saw two of my players crying and running to me. All of a sudden I started crying”•Getty Images This has been a remarkable year for you. Did you feel at the start of 2011 that by the end of the year you would be a World Cup champion? Honestly?
It was a difficult task ahead of us. Most of the people in India thought we would win the World Cup because we are hosting it. If you see the stats you see that the host country had never won the World Cup before this edition. There was a fair amount of pressure on the players but we were more worried about the fitness. We knew if the 15 that got selected, if all of them are available, and if they play to the kind of potential they have, we would win the World Cup. But it [the pressure] keeps on mounting.I still remember playing the Australia quarter-final. People thought that was the biggest game when it came to the World Cup. Then it was Pakistan in the semi-final. I remember travelling and people were like, “Win this game and we don’t care about the finals.” As soon as we won the semi-final, it was like, “You have to win this because it doesn’t matter what you’ve done. If you don’t win the final it won’t be really nice.” So I think there was pressure, which was the ultimate thing. I never saw the pressure on your face. All these months, even in bad times, in England, you didn’t seem to feel the pressure. What is it? Do you do yoga? Meditation? I often wonder if you practise Buddhism.
I don’t practise any of the above things. I love to be in the moment, I love to analyse things a bit. Very often what is important is to realise what went wrong, not only when you are losing a series or a game, but also when you are winning a series; when you need to realise which are the areas [you] need to work on. And especially, if you see the England series, losing players at crucial times – it never really went our way. Losing Zaheer Khan in the first game, Bhajji went out in the second, Gautam [Gambhir] getting injured in the first game, not being available in the second. All these things mattered. Of course we could have done slightly better. We were in positions in the Tests where the game was slightly in our favour, but without the explosive power you need to tame a side like England, it is a bit difficult. The moment we all lived for was to win the World Cup, and there was a moment when you hit a six to win the World Cup – you twirled your bat, and for the first time I saw emotion on your face. Was it just all those days and weeks where you had kept it under, that you said, “I have achieved it”? For the first time, I saw you really explode.
It was one of the biggest things for us as Indian cricketers, you know. We are playing at the top level. We all want to be part of a World Cup-winning side. The last time we won the proper 50-over version was 28 years back. So most of the people [in the] side wanted to win the World Cup, and as soon as we got into a position where we saw the World Cup coming into our dressing room, emotions started to flow. If you see, before the post-match presentation, almost every player cried… Did you cry?
Yes, I did. You don’t have footage of that. It’s very difficult to control an emotion like that. I was controlling [myself]. I wanted to quickly go up to the dressing room, and I saw two of my players crying and running to me. All of a sudden, I started crying, and I looked up and there was a huddle around me. It just so happened that you don’t have footage of it – you just see me coming up and doing that . And each and every one cried. You started off in Ranchi and you have achieved this. Has it been a difficult journey or has it been that you always felt… that you would be CNN-IBN Indian of the Year, win all these awards? That one day you would be the most recognised face in India. Has it been a difficult journey?
I love being in the present. When I was playing for my school, the only thing I wanted to do was get selected for the Under-16 or the Under-19 district teams. When I was selected for the district I would think about the next level, which was getting selected for the state side. I’m a person who lives very in the moment. Frankly, I never thought that I would represent my country one day. Now I’m leading my country, so it’s like a fairytale. I never thought I’d do all these things. I lived in the moment, I kept working hard. I never expected to get a call for the Indian cricket team in the very next meeting.

“I love to go back to Ranchi. I have three dogs at home. Even after losing a series or winning a series, they treat me the same way. Getting up quite late in the morning, going to clean my bikes, spending some time with my family, my parents and friends, going out for rides with my friends and having lunch or dinner at a roadside hotel – that’s my favourite time-pass”

I said, wherever they select me, whatever they select me for, I will go there and try to do my best and put pressure on the selectors to select me. So I was never disappointed when I didn’t get selected for India A or the India team. Do you owe this to someone? Is there one person that you would say is responsible for making MS Dhoni who he is today?
There are lots of people – because every small thing really counts. Of course, my parents never being against the sport. Time management was very important, and four to six was the time I used to play in winters. Summer, the days being longer, you could play for a bit longer. They never told me not to play or not to enjoy the sport. That was the crucial period, because if there was any stoppage from my parents, that would have been very difficult. So, parents, I think, are very special.And each and every friend who helped me go through the bad phases in life. You got married last year and became the world champion. What was more difficult? Winning the World Cup or getting married?
I think both of them are quite difficult to do. Because, all of a sudden you have someone in your life who lives with you 24 hours and you have to adjust to her and she needs to adjust to your kind of living. And I think the first six months goes by trying to understand each other a bit better. Being girlfriend and boyfriend, okay, you are [talking on] the phone for most of the time, but being together for 24 hours, you have to change your lifestyle. How do you handle this pressure of cricket? What do you do to keep away from this pressure? Do you just not think of cricket when you are not playing the game?
Well, that’s what I do. I like to stay away from the game when I am not playing it. Of course, there has hardly been any break between series. We have been kept busy.That is also a good thing. We go back home for seven or eight days, and after three-four days we realise, “Oh, we are missing something.” Cricket has been a big part of our life. And what do you do at home? I’ve often wondered how you relax at home.
I love to go back to Ranchi. I have three dogs at home. The best thing is that [whether I win a series or lose one], they treat me the same way. They greet me in the same way. That really relaxes me. Getting up quite late in the morning, going and trying to clean my bikes – I have quite a few of them in Ranchi – spending some time with my family, my parents and friends. Going out for rides with my friends and having lunch or dinner at a roadside hotel – that’s my favourite time-pass. These are the sort of things that really excite me.”Batting at No. 6 or No. 7, it’s a very crucial spot, and it’s very difficult to consistently do well. That’s why I have regard for Yuvraj Singh. Most of the time he has batted at No. 6 and consistently scored runs “•AFP Was there a moment in the World Cup that you realised as a captain that you can win the cup? When did you first feel “I have a team that can win this World Cup”? There were a few moments in the early rounds when it looked as if we might struggle a bit.
Well, we always had the kind of self-belief needed, because we have been playing good cricket in the last two- two and a half years, in either format. Our biggest worry was, like I said, the injuries list. With the kind of breaks that we have between two games, I thought we can manage with minor injuries. People having a few niggles can be 70-80% fit and be available for the next game. That was a worry, that if somebody gets injured in a big way, it can be a factor that could really restrict us in the World Cup. The shots you play are unique but there is one shot people call it the helicopter shot – did you practise it as a young boy in Jharkhand when you were 16? Or is this a shot you have evolved over the years or does it just come naturally to you?
I used to play a lot of tennis-ball cricket. [We would] play on a 16- to 18-yard wicket with a lawn-tennis ball, and most of the time the bowler tried to push in a yorker. That was the kind of shot you needed to hit for a six, because in tennis-ball, you don’t have to middle it. Even if you are using the bottom-most part of the bat and if you hit it quite well, it always goes over the boundary. You are making it sound very easy but to hit a a yorker for a six in the manner in which you do is not easy. So did you practise the shot in tennis-ball cricket or is it something you’ve become better at over the years?
I think I became better. I never practised it. I used to use it in the games. And not to forget, I’ve quite often hit my left ankle doing that. Over the years you get better and better and I’ve seen a few other people trying to copy it, you know, and hitting their left ankle, and I’m like, “Okay don’t worry, I also started like that.” You keep, you bat, you captain. Have you ever felt tired in 2011? That enough is enough, I’m going with my wife to Ladakh or somewhere for one month, away from cricket? Have you ever thought, “Let me take a break from this game for one month”?
At times you feel tired. Again, what’s important is that you can push your body. Unless you’re mentally tired, I don’t think you really need a break. And even if I was really tired, I don’t think I [have been] in a position where I could take a break, because our senior players were missing because of injuries or some other things that happened. If there are players, senior players, who are there to play in the next series, and then if you take a break, it is fair enough. But if you see the last few series, we have missed most of our senior players. So you have to see the strength that the team has. And if the team needs me most right now, I don’t mind playing a few more series before taking a break. You’ve achieved it all: you’ve won the World T20 title, you’ve won the Champions League, the IPL and now the World Cup. Is there one dream still left for you in the game? Is there some ambition, some Mount Everest you still want to conquer?
Well, why not do it all over again? If you don’t really have a dream, you can’t really push yourself, you don’t really know what the target is. I think it is very important to stay focused, have short-term goals, not look too much in the future, and try to win each and every series that is coming. Of course, you won’t be able to do that. But it is important that you prepare yourself in that way and try to give your best on the field.

“It’s very important to realise at the right time what you are good at, whether you’re good at cricket or any other sport or at studies. If you are good at studies and you want to play cricket, you may work harder than any other person but you may not achieve it. So it’s something you have to balance in life”

So 2015 is the next goal – the World Cup? The last one we won in ’83 and then for 28 years we waited – from Kapil Dev – for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to arrive. So is 2015 a goal? Or is it series by series, tournament by tournament, match by match?
It is series by series. If you see 2015, you know, still three, three and a half years to go. I don’t really know where I will stand. Everything needs to go off well, and then by close to 2013, I will have to take a call whether I can really 100% be available for the 2015 World Cup, because you don’t want a wicketkeeper in the side who has not played at least 100-odd games, at least close to 80-100 games, going into the World Cup. So that’s a call that needs to be taken. But if everything goes off well, 2013 end will be the time where we will have to carefully study the body and see what can be done. You seem to have mastered the art particularly of one-day cricket. Against England you didn’t even get out this year, match after match. Is that something you’ve worked out – that there is a way you play and you’ve decided that’s the way you’re going to play?
Batting at No. 6 or No. 7, it’s a very crucial spot, and it’s very difficult to consistently do well. That’s why I have regard for Yuvraj Singh. Most of the time he batted at No. 6 and consistently scored runs for the Indian team. I think it’s a crucial position, and also, what happens is, you give a youngster a chance to bat at No. 3 or No. 4 so he gets groomed under the senior cricketers. And there comes a time when I will say, “Okay, no, the next six months or half the year, I’d like to bat up the order and you guys come down the order and take the responsibility”. Because at the end of the day they will have to learn how to bat at No. 6 so that the coming youngster bats at No. 3 or 4. You’ve played with the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Yuvraj, Sehwag, Ganguly earlier, and yet you’ve gone on to captain them. Have you ever felt, “I’m captaining Sachin, all these big players”? You seemed a natural leader of men. Were you someone who was the boss, the gang leader from childhood? Have you always been a leader of people?
Never, really, because I was very a shy kid, and the first time I captained was very late in my career. Very late means I was playing maybe U-19 or something like that. And I never had a fair amount of exposure when it came to leadership.I felt it’s always important not to think whom you are leading. More important is what needs to be done, and to channelise the kind of resources you have to accomplish the target, to be successful at what you are supposed to achieve. There are thousands of youngsters who want to be Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who idolise you, who want to be like you. What would you like to tell those young people?
I think keeping it simple is very important. Of course, working hard, because I don’t feel there is any shortcut. You can have a bit of luck on your side. But it’s very important to realise at the right time what you are good at, whether you’re good at cricket or any other sport or at studies. If you are good at studies and you want to play cricket, you may work harder than any other person but you may not achieve it. So it’s something you have to balance in life, and be practical where you are good and then channelise your efforts in the right direction to be successful in life. We all have heroes. Does Mahendra Singh Dhoni have a hero, someone who inspires him?
Well, that’s a very difficult one. There’s someone like Sachin Tendulkar, who is a part of the side, whom most of the individual cricketers look up to. And not to forget Amitabh Bachchan, who has been the biggest thing when it comes to Bollywood, and he is known the world over. So if you look at him, still, at his age, he is working and being among the best. So these are the two people who are ideal role models, who have struggled through their phases in life and yet come out successful. The best thing is that they are very humble and grounded, which I think is very important to be a successful person.

Ricky Ponting’s one-day international achievements, both as a captain and player, are incomparable. ESPNcricinfo charts his 17-year one-day career

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2012February 15, 1995
Ponting makes his one-day international debut at the age of 20 and scores 1 against South Africa in Wellington.January 9, 1996
Scores his first ODI century, 123 against Sri Lanka in the tri-series at the MCG.February-March, 1996
Plays in the first of his five World Cups. Scores a century against West Indies in Jaipur and 45 in the final loss to Sri Lanka in Lahore, and finishes second to Mark Waugh on Australia’s run tally.December 1997-January 1998
Tops the run tally in the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand with 462 at 57.75 and helps Australia win the tournament with 76 in the third final. It is his best tally in a series excluding World Cups.May-June 1999
Plays in his first World Cup triumph. Is a consistent contributor without posting a defining score. Finishes with 354 runs at 39.33 but only one half-century: against South Africa, in the match when Steve Waugh supposedly told Herschelle Gibbs he had dropped the World Cup.February 2002
Succeeds Steve Waugh as Australia’s ODI captain. His first series in charge is on a tour of South Africa. Australia win the series 5-1 and Ponting tops Australia’s run tally with 283 at 47.16. He is named Player of the Series.February-March 2003
Leads Australia’s successful World Cup campaign in South Africa. His score of 140 not out in the final against India is the defining innings of his ODI career.January 10, 2005
Captains the ICC World XI to a comprehensive victory over the Asia XI in the Tsunami Appeal one-day international at the MCG. Scores 115 and is named Man of the Match.October 2005
Captains Australia to a 3-0 victory over the ICC World XI in the Super Series.March 12, 2006
Makes his highest ODI score, a breathtaking 164 from 105 balls in Johannesburg. But his innings is quickly overshadowed: South Africa chase down Australia’s 434 for 4 in what is arguably the most remarkable one-day international of all time.November 2006
Leads Australia to Champions Trophy glory in India, thereby winning the only competition that had eluded Australia so far.January-February 2007
Follows Australia’s Ashes whitewash by being named Player of the Series in the three-team Commonwealth Bank Series, but England win the tournament.Ponting captained Australia to their third consecutive World Cup title in 2007•AFPMarch-April 2007
Leads Australia to a hat-trick of World Cup wins, his second as captain, with an undefeated run during the competition in the West Indies. Finishes third on the tournament run tally behind Matthew Hayden and Mahela Jayawardene with 539 at 67.37.September 2009
Arrives in South Africa after a disappointing tour of England and successfully leads Australia to another Champions Trophy triumph. Ponting is named Player of the Series for his 288 runs at 72.00.February 2010
Earns his final Player-of-the-Series title in Australia’s 4-0 win at home over West Indies, having scored 295 runs at 73.75.March 19, 2011
Ponting’s 34-match unbeaten streak in World Cups is brought to an end as Pakistan win by four wickets in Colombo.March 24, 2011
India prevail in an exciting quarter-final in Ahmedabad, knocking out Australia but Ponting overcomes a poor run and criticism about his captaincy to score a determined century. It is his last ODI hundred.March 29, 2011
Amid increasing pressure, Ponting steps down as Australia’s Test and ODI captain but makes himself available for selection with an intention to play on.February 20, 2012
Is dropped from Australia’s one-day squad after five consecutive single-figure scores in the Commonwealth Bank Series. Finishes with 375 ODIs and 13,704 runs to his name.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the second day of the third Test in Dominica

Daniel Brettig in Roseau24-Apr-2012Regret of the day
Mitchell Starc did a lot right in his first Test innings in the Caribbean, playing with good sense and freedom when many of his specialist batting team-mates had been hesitant and laboured. His stand with Matthew Wade helped put Australia back into the game after subsiding to a forlorn 169 for 7 on the first day. However Starc’s innings ended in a manner he will wish to forget as quickly as possible. Jogging back to the crease at the ‘keeper’s end after Wade’s straight drive had resulted in three runs, Starc seemed unaware that Kraigg Barthwaite’s throw was headed in his direction. Carlton Baugh was much the more alert, and removed the bails with Starc’s foot – and bat – still in the air. There was as much laughter around Windsor Park at Starc’s inattention.Counter-attack of the day
Wade’s visits at the crease for most of this series has been as a streetfighter, engaged in run-to-run combat with the West Indies’ bowlers and fieldsmen. However he quickly found his range on the second morning, and upped his gears from brisk to warp speed at the fall of Starc’s wicket. Wade had 24 from 83 balls when Ben Hilfenhaus joined him, and in a stand of 102 for the ninth wicket – the largest partnership of the match so far – he crashed 82 from 63 deliveries. Three times he crushed sixes, and by the time he narrowly avoided another when Darren Bravo completed an artful catch either side of the boundary rope, Australia had all the momentum.Juggle of the day
Ricky Ponting was absent from the early part of the West Indies reply due to a chipped tooth he suffered on the previous evening. While he was returning to the ground from the dentist, Ryan Harris stood at first slip in a reshuffled cordon, Michael Clarke moving to second and Shane Watson to third. Harris fields in the slips for Queensland, but his stint behind the wicket in this Test very nearly ended in a grimace. Brathwaite’s edge from Ben Hilfenhaus was straightforward enough, but Harris spilled his first attempt at the catch and was fortunate it bobbled up for a second chance that was gratefully held.Bowling change of the day
Kieran Powell and Adrian Barath had built a decent foundation following Brathwaite’s exit, but in the shadows of tea Nathan Lyon extracted enough turn and bounce to have the latter squeezing a bat pad chance to Ed Cowan at short leg. Instead of plumping for one of his three fast bowlers or the allrounder Shane Watson to exploit the breach at the other end, Clarke then threw the ball to the part-time spin of David Warner. This approach may be described as “you never know your luck with a big leg break”, and it was with one such delivery that Warner struck, Darren Bravo falling in similar fashion to Barath when the last ball of the over gripped, turned and bounced. Using a casual bowler to exploit the fall of a wicket was a lateral move, but then Clarke has proven beyond doubt that he is no paint-by-numbers captain.

Matthew Wade’s startlingly poised and powerful century on the second morning of the Dominica Test means he is no longer just keeping Brad Haddin’s seat warm in the Caribbean

Daniel Brettig at Windsor Park25-Apr-2012Whenever Victoria batsman Brad Hodge deputised for a resting Ricky Ponting in Australia’s ODI team, he felt he was achieving very little by being there. Convinced he was only keeping Ponting’s seat warm, Hodge made slim scores on numerous occasions, reasoning it did not matter whether or not he succeeded. Invariably, Hodge would return to the fringes of the national squad, ruminating on how unlucky he was. The possibility of making a sparkling hundred and forcing someone else out of the team never appeared to dawn on him, and he ended his international days with the righteous air of the perennially wronged.Another Victorian, Matthew Wade, has been keeping Brad Haddin’s seat warm in the Caribbean, after Australia’s No. 1 Test gloveman left the tour due to personal reasons. Over the first two matches in Barbados and Trinidad, Wade did little to provoke criticism, but not so much to linger in the memory either. His glovework was neat, his batting doughty and his character sturdy. However he did little to change the status quo, as demonstrated by the captain Michael Clarke’s steadfastness about Haddin’s return for the next home summer.”In my opinion Brad will still come back into the Test team when he’s fully fit and available,” Clarke had said before this match. “But the next Test is a long way away, there’s a lot of cricket to be played and that’s certainly nothing against Wadey. I think he’s done everything in his power to put his hand up there and perform. I think he’s made the most of his opportunity in Tests, one-day and Twenty20 cricket. I think he’ll play a huge role in Australian cricket going forward and he wants to continue to get better like the rest of us.”All that has been changed by Wade’s startlingly poised and powerful century on the second morning of the Dominica Test. Unlike Hodge, Wade has made the kind of batting statement that is virtually impossible for the selectors, Clarke included, to ignore. By dragging Australia from 169 for 7 to their eventual 328, Wade showed a counter-attacking instinct of the sort that Haddin hinted at, but at a level of accomplishment more often associated with his storied predecessor Adam Gilchrist. All Haddin’s three Test centuries have been made in innings where at least one other Australia batsman passed three figures. Wade’s innings was the first Australian score of more than 73 for the entire tour.While there was some good fortune behind Wade’s performance, including a dropped return-catch by Kemar Roach immediately prior to Mitchell Starc’s run-out – a dismissal that triggered the keeper’s thrilling charge at the bowling – his confidence and presence of mind as he neared the milestone of a first Test century was truly compelling. Having cowed the West Indies bowlers with a trio of sixes and a handful of other boundaries, Wade pushed through the nineties with scarcely a moment’s hesitation, and moved from 99 to 103 with a simply played but commandingly placed punch through the covers.Wade’s first reaction was to shout in exultation and punch the air with his batting glove, not a millions miles removed from Gilchrist’s celebration when he reached a first Test century in a legendary fourth-innings chase against Pakistan at Bellerive Oval in 1999. Now, as then, Australia’s wicketkeeper had seized the match; West Indies’ facile batting in the afternoon would only confirm the fact.Wicketkeeping is one of several areas the selectors will have to assess as they spend the next few months working out whether or not to go back to Haddin. Wade’s work behind the stumps has been tidy in extremely challenging circumstances, and it may be argued that he has done better than Haddin managed when he also debuted on West Indian tracks in 2008, and followed up with notable struggles on the subsequent tour of India. Haddin enjoyed several decent days behind the stumps towards the end of the past home summer against India, though his batting had trailed off.Haddin’s leadership, too, is a significant factor for discussion. Though Shane Watson is the formal vice-captain to Clarke, and led Australia in his absence during the Caribbean ODI series that preceded the Tests, Haddin is clearly an important and savvy lieutenant. This can be as apparent off the field as on it, and Clarke has deep respect for a man he began his first-class career alongside. Haddin’s captaincy of NSW was also an example that Clarke sought to follow, and their thoughts were commonly in sync across the 4-0 caning of MS Dhoni’s team. Wade has shown in this series that he is a capable voice in the field and a sharp observer of batsmen also, but he does not yet have the experience that Haddin can call on if picked against South Africa in November.That first Test is more than six months away, and in between Wade will take the gloves for a broad assortment of ODI and Twenty20 matches in Ireland, England and Sri Lanka. Over that time the public and the national team will both grow more used to his presence, and he will grow more used to theirs. It is not yet clear exactly how Haddin’s personal situation will affect his desire and inclination to travel with the national team again, and he will have been out of the seat a long time by the time Graeme Smith’s men arrive in Australia. Clarke will likely have the casting vote on whether Wade usurps the senior man then. Either way, a striking innings at Windsor Park has forced the issue, and has made it highly unlikely that Wade will finish his career with the same sense of ‘what if’ that is likely to haunt Hodge.

On a placid Bangalore wicket, visiting batsmen contrived to lose nine wickets against India’s listless bowling

Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore02-Sep-2012When Ross Taylor hit a controlled cover drive for four off Umesh Yadav, one middle-aged man in the stand told his friend, “Taylor looks good for another century in the game,” to which his friend replied, “Yes, that will set up the game.” It’s not often that you get home fans wanting the opposition captain to score a century with a Test evenly balanced, but it was an indication of how lightly most people take this New Zealand side.And New Zealand demonstrated why. On a placid Chinnaswamy Stadium track, with the Indian bowling looking listless, and the fields rarely attacking, the visitors contrived to surrender nine wickets and not one of their players made it to a half-century, though each of their middle-order batsmen went past 30.Daniel Flynn, in particular, is becoming a master of the insubstantial cameo: since his recall earlier this year, he has scored more than 20 in five of his eight innings without converting to a half-century. Flynn had a set Taylor for company early on, and was helped by a series of long hops and full tosses from India’s spinners. Without looking troubled and shelving that sweep shot which had led him down three times this series, he coasted to 31 before, as he does so often, he had a brain-fade. With two slips lying in wait, he guided an R Ashwin delivery straight to first slip.It was one of many wickets that New Zealand have gifted in this Test, the worst of which perhaps were Martin Guptill’s two dismissals – tamely chipping a full delivery to midwicket in the first innings, and then inside-edging a full toss on to the stumps in the second. The most expensive, though, could well be James Franklin’s misjudgement in the final hour of the third day as he was beaten by the turn after charging out to Ashwin. New Zealand were 216 for 6 at that stage, and a lead of 300 wasn’t wishful thinking, but 20 minutes later they were 222 for 9.”That happens sometimes when we take a positive approach,” Bob Carter, New Zealand’s assistant coach, said. “We have to go out there and play the strokes. That helps you to get more opportunities to score runs. I think James was doing the right thing by trying to get some runs for us. You should also credit the bowlers for the way they bowled.”The giveaways from the opposition batsmen helped India, and while it may seem churlish to question an attack that is set to roll over the opposition for less than 250 for the third time in four innings, there have been worrying passages of play for Indian fans in this Test.Umesh Yadav rattled Kruger van Wyk with body blows off successive deliveries, but hasn’t been much of a threat otherwise in this series. He has leaked plenty of runs in this match, through an abundance of half-volleys on the leg stump and an over-reliance on the short ball on an unresponsive surface.When Franklin and Flynn, two of the lesser lights of the New Zealand line-up, started building a partnership, there was little threat from India’s spinners, who couldn’t reproduce the accuracy of their Hyderabad performance. The field was quickly spread out, and New Zealand began to milk the bowling without needing to take risks.A similar flatness was evident in India’s bowling on the first day, when Taylor got going, and later with van Wyk and Doug Bracewell going strong. With New Zealand regularly finding the boundaries, India looked short of ideas, and ways to stifle the batting.Granted there was little reverse-swing on offer, and that the track provided little help for the bowlers once the ball got old, but allowing New Zealand’s lightweight batting to score at nearly four an over through the match, and posing so few questions of them is a cause for concern.Here they have been bailed out by a slew of mistakes from the visitors, but how will they fare when up against a line-up of batsmen with more of an appetite for runs, and a tighter technique? Ashwin and Ojha’s outstanding recent home record has been built against two of the most fragile teams around, and they will have a sterner test when the likes of Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott come visiting. Assessment of how good or how bad this relatively new-look attack is will have to wait till they perform against opponents whom the crowds won’t be egging on.

Ancient sculptures, national parks, and plenty more to see when you come to Hambantota

Dinesh Chandimal19-Aug-2012Hambantota is a long journey from my home, now in Colombo, and is also very different from the capital. It’s usually hot. The climate is dry compared to the more humid parts of Sri Lanka, and the region is still quiet and calm, not far from the wild sandy beaches of Tangalle on the southeast coast. The national parks of Bundala and Yala, which people visit to see leopards and elephants, are nearby as well.The region was hit hard by the tsunami, but visiting the central town of Hambantota now is a bit like taking a look into Sri Lanka’s future. The new cricket stadium is just one part of the new developments aimed at building Hambantota as a new second city to Colombo – with a new port and an international airport on the way. A new branch of a highway is being built to run from Colombo to Hambantota, which I am looking forward to, because it will cut down on our travelling time for matches. Hambantota is a place for Sri Lanka’s future.I will never forget the first time I travelled from my childhood home on the west coast as a ten-year-old for the famous Kataragama festival. People from all religions, across Sri Lanka, travel to the temple there to celebrate and worship together with prayers and dancing. It’s certainly a fun and special experience. Visit the sacred Kataragama jungle shrine, if you get the chance. You’ll also get to see the famous Maligawila Buddha statue and the Buduruwagala ancient rock sculptures nearby.A must try for visitors is the very good local yoghurt with honey.Hambantota doesn’t have too many hotels, so sometimes the Sri Lanka team stays in smaller hotels in the surrounding areas. To a visitor to the Hambantota region, I would recommend trips to the historical town of Tissa. You’ll see lotus-filled lakes, paddy fields, large and temples.It’s also a great place for wildlife lovers. The Buttala foothills are known for some of the best national parks in the country, especially Udawalawe, a great place to see wild elephants, which sometimes even wander outside the park. You can also visit the elephant orphanage there.The stadium in Hambantota opened only last year for the 2011 World Cup. The ground is very large, still brand new, and set in a wild, open landscape outside the town. The view from high up in the stands, looking down at the cricket and the scenery outside, is fantastic.

Sri Lanka took a gamble by throwing a rookie spinner into deep end and he responded with the best figures of the match. It should promise more opportunities at the highest level

Andrew Fernando28-Sep-2012Following the nerve-fraying finish and the drama of the final half hour of Sri Lanka’s Super Eights encounter with New Zealand, Akila Dananjaya’s four overs in New Zealand’s innings seems an age ago. It was a quiet night for bowlers in general, but Dananjaya’s performance deserves to be highlighted. It was not just that he was steady despite his inexperience, and that he kept his nerve against destructive Twenty20 batsmen intent on unsettling him, but his 2 for 32 were actually the best figures for any bowler in the match. Given he dismissed both New Zealand’s top scorers, his impact on the game was perhaps even more significant than the numbers suggest.That he was so undaunted in front of a heaving crowd in the second phase of a major international tournament is praiseworthy given he is only 18, but it will not surprise those who followed him in the SLPL. He had only played tier-three school cricket prior to August, but in a professional tournament with a significant global following, he never seemed out of place. Even in his very first match he was unafraid to bowl each of his five variations, and most of those were on display during his international debut as well.Mahela Jayawardene has been the most ardent supporter of Dananjaya’s elevation, and he has taken care to ensure the sudden transition has been easy on the bowler. Before his first spell at the top level, Jayawardene was at the bowler’s crease encouraging Dananjaya and talking him through the field settings. When he had Martin Guptill caught at long-off three balls into his career, Jayawardene was the first team-mate Dananjaya sought out to celebrate with.Jayawardene had first seen Dananjaya over a year ago, when Sri Lanka were preparing for the tour of the UAE and Dananjaya came in as a net bowler who bowled a similar doosra to Saeed Ajmal. Back then Dananjaya was too loose. He had the variations, but did not have the control to maintain pressure on his opponents. Dananjaya went away, worked on his game, and returned to the Sri Lanka practice sessions a much improved bowler. He impressed Jayawardene and coach Graham Ford enough that they requested his inclusion in the World Twenty20 squad. Since then, Dananjaya has surprised even them with his poise under pressure, like when he continued to bowl even after being struck in the face by a full blooded Rob Nicol drive. In his next over, with cotton up his nose to stop the flow of blood, Dananjaya had Nicol caught at deep midwicket.”I just wanted to give him a game early on so that his jitters are over,” Jayawardene said. “He bowled really well and came back even with a knock. Good that he got a game under the belt. He’s a competitor. When he got hit I went to him thinking he was gone for the game. He said, ‘Shit, I missed that catch.’ And he was bleeding from his nose. That’s his attitude.”The Sri Lanka dressing room is perhaps one of the easiest for young players to settle into, and the support he has received there has no doubt helped him acclimatise to the international cricket environment. That rather than bowling quicker and flatter than he normally would in his first match, Dananjaya erred on the fuller side speaks volumes about his courage and confidence. Even when batsmen had successfully charged him, he continued to flight the ball – occasionally too far. If that is his only major weakness so far, it is not a bad one to have.”Akila has settled into the squad very well,” Jayawardene said. “He’s very talkative and has his own pack among the younger group. He’s got his transport organised because one of the senior players is driving him up and down from his home. Lahiru Thirimanne is his chauffer. He only lives a couple of blocks away from Akila’s place in Panadura, so he has to go and pick him up and drop him off.”He’s settled in nicely, but we’ve got to make sure we handle him properly.”Jayawardene and the Sri Lanka team have been cautious about throwing Dananjaya into situations that may not suit him. Ford revealed that he had been slated to play South Africa in the group stage, but had been held back when the rains came and the wet ball posed a problem. They will be encouraged by Dananjaya’s first international outing and will likely give him more games, particularly if Ajantha Mendis cannot fully overcome his side strain. Beginning with the Super Eights match against West Indies on Saturday (if passed fit), Dananjaya now has the opportunity to complete the fairytale by making a name for himself at the top level. In some ways, he already has.