All sorts of records were equalled, broken or threatened in the second Test between Pakistan and Australia in UAE

Steven Lynch04-Nov-2014Was Misbah-ul-Haq the oldest person to score twin centuries in a Test? asked Qaiser Ahmed from Pakistan
Misbah-ul-Haq has knocked off one of the records held by cricket’s most famous batsman with his astonishing double against Australia in Abu Dhabi at the weekend. Misbah was 40 years 158 days old when he hurtled to his second century, and broke the record set by Don Bradman for Australia against India in Melbourne in 1947-48 – the Don was 39 years 129 days old when he scored twin centuries in the match for what, slightly surprisingly perhaps, was the only time in Tests. Bruce Mitchell (38 in 1947), Eddie Paynter (37 in 1938-39), Alan Melville (37 in 1947) and Graham Gooch (37 in 1990) come next on this list.Misbah and Azhar Ali both scored two centuries in the match at Abu Dhabi. Has this ever happened before? asked Anshuman Bharati from India
The double feat of Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali in Abu Dhabi was only the fourth occasion that two batsmen have scored twin centuries in the same match. The first instance was in the Ashes Test in Adelaide in 1946-47, when Denis Compton scored 147 and 103 not out for England, and Arthur Morris replied with 122 and 124 not out for Australia. In Wellington in 1973-74, Ian Chappell scored 145 and 121 for Australia against New Zealand, while his brother Greg hit 247 not out and 133; this was the only previous time two batsmen on the same side had achieved the feat in the same Test. Finally, in Hamilton in 1990-91, Andrew Jones made 122 and 100 not out for New Zealand, and Asanka Gurusinha 119 and 102 for Sri Lanka.Is Younis Khan the oldest Pakistani to score a double-century in a Test? asked Douglas Berkheiser from the UK
At 36 years 336 days old, Younis Khan became Test cricket’s 22nd-oldest double-centurion against Australia in Abu Dhabi. Top of the list is South Africa’s Eric Rowan, who was a week past his 42nd birthday when he scored 236 against England at Headingley in 1951. Younis Khan was actually already the oldest to score a double-century for Pakistan – he was 35 when he made 200 not out against Zimbabwe in Harare last year. Zaheer Abbas was also over 35 when he scored 215 against India in Lahore in 1982-83.Was Australia’s defeat in Abu Dhabi the heaviest in their history? asked Chris Lawrence from Australia
Australia’s 356-run reverse in Abu Dhabi was their third-heaviest defeat by a runs margin, following England’s win by 675 in Brisbane in 1928-29, and a West Indian victory by 408 in Adelaide in 1979-80. Australia also lost to England by an innings and 579 runs at The Oval in 1938, an innings and 230 at Adelaideasked Richard Jackson from England
I wasn’t sure about this one, and was quite surprised at the name on the top of the list: it’s the West Indian fast bowler Merv Dillon, who between 1997 and 2004 took 131 wickets in 38 Tests – none of them against England. Next come a pair of Zimbabweans: Hamilton Masakadza, with 28 caps (the most recent last week against Bangladesh) and Craig Wishart with 27 (1995-2005). John Reid played 58 Tests without ever playing against Australia, but that was because New Zealand didn’t play against them during his long career (1949-65) – after the Aussies dominated a one-off match in 1945-46, they didn’t meet in official Tests again until 1973-74. That also accounts for second-placed Bert Sutcliffe, Reid’s great Kiwi contemporary – but he’s just been joined on a total of 42 Tests by Bangladesh’s captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who also hasn’t played against Australia yet.What is the highest individual score which was the lowest score in a completed Test innings? asked Zaheer Ahmed from the United Arab Emirates
There have been 12 occasions now when all 11 batsmen in a Test innings reached double figures (for the list, click here). Most of them feature a lowest score of 10 and 11, but when India made 359 against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1967-68, Bapu Nadkarni’s 12 was the lowest score of the innings (Ajit Wadekar top-scored with 80).

Australia are expectedly No. 1. Who takes silver?

Bishen Jeswant28-Jan-2015Australia have won four World Cups, the most. They have won 55 matches in World Cups, the most. Their batsmen have scored 16,165 runs, the most. Their bowlers have taken 556 wickets, the most. They have had a 34-match unbeaten streak extending across four World Cups, by far the longest. It is inarguable that Australia have been the best team in World Cup history.However, which team has been second-best? England have been in three finals, without ever winning the title. India and West Indies have also been in three finals, winning two each. Pakistan have reached the semi-finals on six occasions, making the final on two, and winning once. New Zealand have got past the group stage eight times, more often than even Australia.Only the top-eight cricketing nations have been considered for the purpose of this analysis.Win-loss ratios
Two teams have won twice as many matches as they have lost. Australia have 55 wins with 19 losses, while South Africa have 30 wins and 15 losses. The only team that loses more matches than they win is Sri Lanka, who have 31 wins and 32 losses. However, Sri Lanka received Test status much after the other seven teams, and have only been a force to reckon with during five of the ten World Cups. During the last five editions Sri Lanka have in fact won twice as many matches as they have lost, 27 wins and 12 losses.At the other end of the spectrum are West Indies, who had the best win-loss ratio (2.4) in the first five World Cups (22 wins, nine losses), and the worst ratio (1.0) in the next five editions (16 wins, 16 losses).New Zealand have won 40 World Cup games, next only to Australia, who have 55 wins. However, they have also lost 29 games, the second most. As a consequence, their win-loss ratio (1.37) is the second-worst, next only to Sri Lanka.

Win-loss ratios in World Cups

TeamMatWonLostTiedNRW/L ratioAustralia765519112.89South Africa473015202.00England663925111.56West Indies643825011.52India673926111.50Pakistan643626021.38New Zealand704029011.37Sri Lanka663132120.97Performance in knockout games
Australia have won ten of the 14 knockout matches they have played, including quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals. They have three losses and a tie. India have won seven out of ten, the next most. England and New Zealand have the most losses in knockout matches, seven each.

Performance in World Cup knockout matches

FinalsSemi-finalsQuarter-finalsOverallTeamWonLostWonLostWonLostWonLostTiedW/L ratioAustralia42501110313.33India2132207302.33Sri Lanka1231206302.00West Indies2131116302.00Pakistan1124114600.67England0332023700.43New Zealand0006111700.14South Africa0002020410.00The only team that has never won a single knockout game is South Africa, who have no wins from three semi-finals and two quarter-finals. They suffered four losses in those five games, managing to tie the other, against Australia in 1999. However, South Africa, as the table below shows, have the best record in the group stages, even better than Australia. South Africa have 24 wins and eight losses, with a win-loss ratio of 3.0, significantly better than Australia’s ratio of 2.06, based on 33 wins and 16 losses. Another team that has a better win-loss ratio than Australia in the group stages is England, who have 33 wins and 15 loses, a ratio of 2.20.

Performance in the preliminary and advanced league stages

Super 6s / 8sGroup matchesTeamWonLostW/L ratioWonLostW/L ratioSouth Africa632.002483.00England331.0033152.20Australia120-33162.06New Zealand651.2033171.94West Indies150.2031171.82Pakistan120.5031181.72India422.0028211.33Sri Lanka541.2520250.80Performance of the top eight teams against each other
Sometimes, the overall performance of teams in a global event such as the World Cup appear statistically inflated because a significant percentage of matches are played against relatively weaker opposition. Australia’s win-loss ratio of 2.9 drops to 1.9 when the assessment is restricted to their performance against the top-eight teams (34 wins, 18 losses). However, this too is far higher than the ratios for any other team. South Africa, who have only been playing in World Cups since 1992, are next best with a ratio of 1.3 (17 wins, 13 losses).The three teams that lose more matches than they win against the top-eight nations are India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. However, in the last five World Cups, both India and Sri Lanka have won more than they have lost against such opposition, while New Zealand still lose more.

Performance of top eight teams against each other in World Cups

TeamMatWonLostTiedNRW/L ratioAustralia543418111.88South Africa321713201.30England502622111.18Pakistan492424011.00West Indies482424001.00India472124110.86New Zealand512229000.76Sri Lanka511731120.54Overall performance
The above segments set out the order of merit of these top-eight teams with respect to their win-loss ratios, performances in knockout/group games and their performances when playing each other. However, in the broader scheme of things, the success of a team’s World Cup campaign is assessed based on how far they progress in a certain edition of the tournament. Below is a table setting out the performance of the top-eight teams in the various World Cups. Points have been allotted based on where these teams have finished in each edition of the tournament. The allocation is as follows:Winner: 10 points
Runner-up: 6 points
Semi-finalist: 4 points
Super6: 3 points
Quarter-finalist: 2 points
Super8: 2 points
The proportionate allotment of points in the table below is comparable to other merit-based systems in which ranking points are allotted in global sports such as tennis and squash.

Overall performance of the top-eight teams in World Cups

Team/Edition1975197919831987199219961999200320072011PointsAustraliaRunnerGroupGroupWinnerGroupRunnerWinnerWinnerWinnerQuarter54IndiaGroupGroupWinnerSemiGroupSemiSuper6RunnerGroupWinner37PakistanGroupSemiSemiSemiWinnerQuarterRunnerGroupGroupSemi34West IndiesWinnerWinnerRunnerGroupGroupSemiGroupGroupSuper8Quarter34EnglandSemiRunnerSemiRunnerRunnerQuarterGroupGroupSuper8Quarter32New ZealandSemiSemiGroupGroupSemiQuarterSemiSuper6SemiSemi29South Africa*DNPDNPDNPDNPSemiQuarterSemiGroupSemiQuarter27Sri LankaGroupGroupGroupGroupGroupWinnerGroupSemiRunnerRunner26*South Africa’s points have been normalised to account for the fact that they could not participate in the first four editions of the World CupSouth Africa have been perennial underperformers at World Cups and the above table only reinforces that fact. South Africa are the best-performing team in the group stages. They have the second-best overall win-loss ratio after Australia. They have the second-best win-loss ratio against the top-eight teams. Yet, they have not won a single knockout game in five attempts, and therefore find themselves lingering at the bottom of the above table. Similar is the case with New Zealand, who are the only team to have gone past the group stage in each of the last six World Cups but have lost each of their six semi-finals, thus finding themselves just a rung above South Africa.Sri Lanka’s position on the table – last – does them no justice because they have been exceptional over the last five editions, before which they were merely making up the numbers. Sri Lanka have earned all of their 26 points since the 1996 World Cup, the second most in this period after Australia (36).Overall, India have the most points after Australia and it could be argued that they are therefore the second-best World Cup team. India seem to be the antithesis of South Africa. India’s overall numbers are not too impressive, whether in the context of win-loss ratios, performances in the group stage or against top-eight opposition. However, they do win 70% of their knockout matches. They have only lost three such games, the same number as Australia, whose win percentage in knockouts (71%) is not dissimilar to India’s.

Just outside Dublin is eight-decade-old Rush CC, which honed the skills of Eoin Morgan and William Porterfield

Tim Wigmore23-Jan-2015Surrounded by concrete walls on three sides, the ground has 50-foot-high netting to prevent sixes flying over the short boundary into the houses along the fourth. Straight hits head towards a doctor’s house and grounds on one side and a bare field on the other, and there is a church across the road from the main entrance. There are also vicious northeasterly winds and the threat of “fog stopped play” during the summer months.Situated 30km north of Dublin, there seems little remarkable about Rush Cricket Club, a Division Two team in the Leinster league. It is a world away from the World Cup venues that can house many times this seaside village’s population of 10,000.
Yet Rush has a unique role to play in the 2015 World Cup. It is a club that can claim to have developed two captains in the tournament. The new England captain, Eoin Morgan, grew up playing for Rush, his local club. Ireland skipper William Porterfield would later hone his game at the club in 2006 and 2007.In their different ways, Morgan and Porterfield are examples of the resurgence in Irish cricket. It is apt that Rush can claim a part in their success because, during Irish cricket’s dark ages in the 20th century, it was clubs like these that kept the flame alive. Despite the stigma of being seen as an English sport, and the difficulty caused by the Gaelic Athletic Association banning its members from playing or even watching the sport until 1971, cricket stubbornly remained an important part of sporting life in North County Dublin. Cricket clubs were maintained in areas that had once hosted the game on great landed estates. Rush was formed in 1931. It has played on its current ground since 1969, when the Kenure landed estate was broken up.Rush has largely been sustained by the commitment of a few cricketing families, of whom the Morgans are among the most prominent. “Eoin was very wise in cricket – I think he got that from his family,” recalled Niall Mullen, a team-mate in Rush’s youth teams. “He would have learned a lot from his father and his brothers. He had no option but to play cricket.”While Morgan has become renowned as a tricksy 360-degree batsman, growing up he was very different. “He was very orthodox – especially for his age,” said Mullen, who did not remember Morgan playing any reverse sweeps or switch hits. “I would never really have seen him play shots like that. They say it’s from hurling. I think he’s just developed the shots himself.”His unorthodoxy may have come later, but Morgan’s talent and zest for the game were always palpable. “There was something different about him growing up,” Mullen recalled. “The ambition with him – it was obvious he was going to go far. He’d never miss a training session. He’d be offering to play at all levels.”A seven-year-old Morgan even played in an All-Ireland Senior Cup game in the north. “It was never a big ask for him. He fit in everywhere.” In Rush’s third XI, Morgan was often captained by his father, Jody.This slight boy had tenacity to match his talent. Fintan McAllister, a team-mate of Morgan’s and a long-time family friend, recalled: “It didn’t matter what pace anyone was bowling at him – even adults and overseas professionals – nothing ever fazed him.” The young Morgan made up for his lack of height with a destructive pull shot.But just as Ireland would be denied the full fruits of Morgan’s talents, so would Rush. He played his last game for the club at the age of 11. “From a young age he just wanted to play at the highest standard – that’s just who Eoin was,” McAllister said.So while his brother Gavin continued to play for Rush, Eoin moved to Malahide Cricket Club, which plays at the idyllic ground that Ireland packed 10,000 into against England in September 2013. The two brothers faced each other in the 2002 All-Ireland final. While Malahide won, Gavin won the fraternal battle: he scored 26 to Eoin’s 9, and dismissed his younger brother to boot. “I just remember Gavin when he got Eoin out did a little jump over the stumps,” McAllister remembered.Rush was to play a very different role in the development of Eoin’s friend William Porterfield. In 2006, Porterfield was just completing a degree at Leeds Metropolitan University, and after several years playing county 2nd XI cricket and for the MCC Young Cricketers, was on the periphery of the Ireland squad. Ireland coach Adi Birrell suggested that Porterfield move from Derry to play club cricket for Rush, which is said to have one of the finest batting wickets in Leinster. And though two years older than Morgan, Porterfield was regarded as one of the finest batting talents in Ireland. “Growing up we would have heard about William – they were compared to each other,” reflected Mullen. “But Eoin stood out a lot more than William.”Porterfield came to the club on the recommendation of the Ireland coach•Getty ImagesWhile Porterfield’s run-scoring perhaps fell a little short of expectations – “I think that was just getting to know a new team,” Mullen said – he still displayed hints of the leadership qualities he would later exhibit for the national side. McAllister remembers Porterfield as “a natural leader” with “a real good cricketing brain” and “someone that the whole team gets on with and everyone in the team respects”.And then there was his fielding. Inspired by Porterfield, Ireland’s fielding was a hallmark in the last two World Cups. “He just seemed to pull off some unbelievable stops and catches at backward point,” recalled McAllister. “It was always like, ‘You have to see Porterfield fielding.'”As England and Ireland have been drawn in different groups, it is unlikely that Morgan and Porterfield will face each other on the field, but Rush will still be proud of the part it has played in developing two captains at the Word Cup. “That’s what we’re hoping to advertise this year. It’s probably not known too much now and it’ll be nice to get Rush on the map,” said Mullen, now the club treasurer.Reflecting the wider transformation of the game in Ireland, Rush’s youth set-up has boomed since Morgan’s days there. It now has three Under-11 sides compared to one when Morgan played. “We’ve an awful lot of youth coming through,” said Mullen. “We’re a small club but we’re hoping to achieve big things in the future.”

Chennai Super Kings have maintained their dominance in the IPL as a result of a host of their players standing up when needed

Alagappan Muthu in Bangalore23-Apr-20153:27

Agarkar: Nehra is keeping it simple

Chennai Super Kings are like a magician’s handkerchief of match-winners. Pull on the end and it unfurls one after another after another.And Royal Challengers Bangalore did pull. They got rid of Brendon McCullum in the second over, only to run into Suresh Raina. They toppled three batsmen, including captain MS Dhoni, for nine runs as the final overs approached only to bear witness to Faf du Plessis’ audition for finisher. Still 182 is not an insurmountable target at M Chinnaswamy Stadium – a haven for chasing teams and six-hitters. Perhaps Ashish Nehra just likes odds stacked against him.He is 35 years old, but fit enough to clock 140 kph. He has spent the last four years out of the Indian team, but maintains a yorker that he can execute repeatedly, under pressure and more often than not to the detriment of the stumps. Over the last two years – 45 innings across formats in domestic and IPL cricket – there have only been nine occasions of him not picking up a wicket.All four of Nehra’s overs today were delivered at crucial junctures. At the top, he dismissed the openers to chop the score from 31 for 0 in three overs to 33 for 2 six balls later. At the death, he took out Virat Kohli on 51, Harshal Patel the next ball and ended up a David Wiese outside edge short of a hat-trick. But 4-0-10-4 should suffice.Super Kings had introduced the world to Sir Jadeja on Twitter two years ago. Now they’ve got #Nehra (Mr Nehra) doing the rounds. His perennial shortcoming though is in the field. Luckily for him and the hashtag the rest of his team-mates are better equipped.A du Plessis stunner at mid-off reminded batsmen everywhere that the 10-yard radius around him is restricted air space. And it isn’t too hard to imagine McCullum sulking if he doesn’t get to bolt after a ball, dive headlong at it inches before the boundary and alter its course. The prize wicket came via a run-out as well and everyone in the stadium knew it.There had been a spectacular chant war going on throughout the match. Specks of yellow spouting “C-S-K!” Hordes of red retaliating with “R-C-B!” Often times it became a garbled, unrecognisable combination of the two. But when Dhoni caught AB de Villiers short of his ground, there was only one clear and long rumble: C-S-K.MS Dhoni flicked a relay throw into the stumps in time to catch AB de Villiers short of his ground•BCCIThe result of their improved fielding and bowling is that Super Kings’ batting looks a lot shinier, and Raina has long been their crown jewel. Yellow jersey on, his method is comfortingly simple. Hit straight and hit hard, tactics that can be trusted even in delicate situations like a wicket having fallen the previous ball.Raina’s first scoring shot was a four, albeit mis-hit, down the ground. His response to a tight over was lunging down the pitch and lofting the ball. Never does he go half-hearted. Royal Challengers erred by allowing him a free licence on the front foot – only three of the 32 balls he faced were short or shortish – and he came away with 62 runs. Forty-three of them were scored against 13 balls of spin.While Raina was not asked to fudge his game plan much, du Plessis was saddled with a role he isn’t accustomed to. A top-order batsman all his life, he strode in during the 15th over and delivered another testimonial that orthodox cricket has a place in T20. He constructed his own lines and lengths by manipulating the crease with nimble footwork, but his 33 off 18 balls at a strike rate of 183 were a result of calculated cricketing shots.Could Super Kings have won if any of those contributions hadn’t happened? Evidence from the season so far suggests someone would have put their hands up. Nehra and Dwayne Bravo tied up Delhi Daredevils. McCullum and Dhoni dissected Sunrisers Hyderabad, McCullum and Dwayne Smith blitzed Mumbai Indians. Who is it going to be next time?

Plays of the Day from the India-Ireland World Cup Group B match in Hamilton

George Binoy and Sharda Ugra in Hamilton10-Mar-2015The throw
India’s heightened fielding skills were on display once again, when John Mooney pushed the ball towards short cover and turned down a single, sending his partner Stuart Thompson scrambling to make his ground. Virat Kohli swooped on the ball and in one smooth motion set the stumps at the bowler’s end alight with a direct hit. Thompson did not wait for the third umpire’s confirmation that he was run out.The rare event
MS Dhoni standing motionless as edges fly within diving distance of him is a recurring theme, but when it comes to a stumping his fast hands are among the best in the business. So it was a rare sight to see him miss a take against Suresh Raina when William Porterfield ran out of his crease and yorked himself. Dhoni could have been unsighted by the batsman and it was a quick delivery; he barely had time to move his gloves into position before the opportunity had passed.The songs
A highlight of the ground experience at the World Cup matches in New Zealand has been the choice of songs the DJ plays during the breaks in play. They range from classics to the top 40 and are almost always easy on the ear. And like his counterparts at other venues, the DJ at Seddon Park was ace at picking out tunes to match the on-field action, however tenuous the connection at times. When Porterfield called for a change of bat and an Ireland substitute obliged, he ran out on the field to the 1960s Batman theme. And when Kumar Dharmasena signaled a wide, in the few seconds before the next ball, the chorus of Creed’s Arms Wide Open was played.The unlikely leader
When Alex Cusack ramped Mohammed Shami straight to third man, the fielder settling under the catch was Umesh Yadav and he took it easily to ensure India had bowled out all five teams they have come up against in the World Cup so far. The grab was Umesh’s seventh of the tournament and it took him past Hashim Amla and Suresh Raina to No. 1 on the list of most catches in this World Cup. Who would have bet on an fast bowler topping that chart?The chance
Ireland would have known their chances at the start were going to be few and far before the artillery went on full charge. The India openers started soberly, sizing up any possible bogeys in the pitch, fiddling for six-odd overs; Mooney put down a hard return catch off Dhawan in the third over, but the real stinger followed three overs later. Dhawan’s eyes lit up when Mooney offered one deliciously wide. He slashed, the catch looping up towards backward point where Porterfield leaped at full stretch, but the ball bobbed in and out of his hands. Twenty runs followed in the next five balls. Game over.

Stats highlights from South Africa’s historic victory at the SCG

Bishen Jeswant18-Mar-20154:54

Insights: Is Tahir one of SA’s best bowlers at World Cups?

9 Number of wickets by which South Africa won this game, their largest margin of victory against Sri Lanka. It was also the first instance of South Africa beating Sri Lanka by a margin of more than eight wickets.7 Wickets taken by South Africa’s spinners, the most ever in an ODI for them. Imran Tahir took four wickets while JP Duminy took three. It was the fourth instance of South Africa’s spinners sharing seven wickets between themselves in an ODI.Imran Tahir has taken 15 wickets this World Cup, the third most by a South African bowler in a single edition of the tournament•ICC15 Wickets taken by Tahir this World Cup, the third most by a South African bowler in a single edition of the World Cup. The only bowlers to take more wickets than him are Lance Klusner (17 in 1999) and Alan Donald (16 in 1999).2 Players who have made their ODI debut in a World Cup knockout game. Wayne Larkins made his England debut during the semi-final of the 1979 World Cup, and Sri Lanka’s Tharindu Kaushal became the second player when he made his debut today.2 Number of spinners who have taken a World Cup hat-trick; Saqlain Mushtaq and JP Duminy. Prior to Duminy in this game, Saqlain had taken a hat-trick against Zimbabwe during the 1999 World Cup.4 Number of times Tahir has dismissed Mahela Jayawaredene in ODIs, more than he has dismissed any other batsman. Tahir has not dismissed any other batsman more than twice in ODIs.332 Number of balls bowled in this match, making it the shortest ever knockout match in a World Cup. The previous shortest was the 1999 World Cup Final between Australia and Pakistan that lasted only 355 balls.150 ODIs hosted at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The only venue to host more ODIs is the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE (218).0 Sixes hit during this match, the first such instance in this World Cup1 Knockout games that South Africa have won in World Cups; this is the first. The only other time they came close was during the 1999 World Cup semi-final when they famously tied against Australia.

An Indian fan discovers the delights of county cricket in at a dazzling ground

Srinath Sripath17-Jun-2015Choice of game
Among the topmost items on my sports bucket list was to watch a County Championship game, preferably in a bucolic setting, outside of the big stadia. When I made my itinerary for a trip to the United Kingdom, two concurrent fixtures caught my attention – this one and the game at Guildford featuring Surrey. It was a fairly easy choice, with the breathtaking setting at Arundel making it simply irresistible. My only hope, then, was that it would stay rain-free.Team supported
Durham. It is a team that some of my most favourite cricketers have represented over the years – Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kumar Sangakkara, Javagal Srinath and Paul Collingwood. Despite being the newest county in England, it is astonishing how they have competed so consistently in recent years, and they look on course to being one of the contenders yet again.Key performer(s)
Chris Rushworth’s spell on the first day had earned plenty of mentions in the media, and it was easy to see why, early on the second morning. Teasing lengths, tantalising swing and unerring discipline to sustain it all day, Rushworth can do no wrong this season, it seems. Having said that, Steve Magoffin’s burst in the afternoon, cleaning up the Durham top order, deserves a mention too. For a few minutes, he breathed dragon fire, beating batsmen for pace, with seam movement to go with it. That ripper to send Collingwood’s middle stump cartwheeling was an untameable beast.Wow moment
It took a while to catch my breath, on seeing the ground and the various views it offered. I wandered around all day, trying to pick between them – the Cathedral view from near the beer tents, the botanical garden-esque backdrop from near the Press tent, or the stunning view of the Downs from deep square leg, it took a long while to soak it all in. For someone from India, it was pleasantly surprising to see how they allow any spectator to enter the ground during the lunch and tea breaks. The panorama from pitch side is quite something else.Shot of the day
Early on in the morning, Sussex put up a brief spell of resistance, through Ed Joyce. As he got his eye in, a cover drive off Rushworth came crashing into the advertising boards in front of us. It was the quintessential shot for this setting – head still, right above the ball, off the front foot, with a follow-through that made for the perfect picture postcard.Crowd meter
As the day wore on, the ground was filled to the brim. This would have been a big crowd for a T20 game, leave alone a County Championship fixture. Considering this is the only four-day fixture that Arundel gets every year, it is not at all surprising. The alcohol flowed, predictably, and it was raucous for a brief while in the afternoon, when Magoffin provided some cheer for the home crowd. All the usual debates could be heard at various points in the day – “Is-Stokes-the-next-Botham”,”Should-KP-be-back”, “Is-T20-even-cricket”, and the like. The day would have been incomplete without them.Entertainment
This is cricket in white flannels, in the heart of England. Entertainment, as we know it in today’s game, was absent, for once. PA audio systems hung from treetops, used only for cricket-related announcements – bowling changes, wickets, innings breaks and the like. However, sufficiently inebriated men providing backup appealing to Sussex’s bowlers, in a long afternoon period without a wicket, made for some hilarious entertainment.Cliched moment of the day
An hour and a bit into the morning, Sussex went into the drinks break, with Ben Brown and Ed Joyce seeming to settle in. Paul Coughlin, wicketless hitherto, got one to leave Brown, the ball kissing the edge as it skirted past his prod forward. Michael Richardson, Dave’s son, did the needful behind the stumps. First ball after the drinks break. Somewhere in Bombay, a certain Sunil Gavaskar would have let out a quiet chuckle.Close encounter
In this age of electronic scoreboards and ball-by-ball commentary, the sales of scorecards at English grounds have puzzled me quite a bit on this trip. However, as Paul Collingwood made his way to our area to step into the Corporate Box, I was not one to complain, getting him to autograph the match scorecard for me. Maybe there is a reason to this all. Maybe.Newbie learning curve
Customs at English grounds, like the famous synchronised applause after a good shot or a wicket, have always fascinated me. When I tried to be part of one, my timing went horribly wrong, and I applauded before the batsmen completed their runs. Soon, I could hear my own applause, along with a few raised eyebrows and cold stares. I picked it up by the end of the day, and look forward to following it up over the course of the third day.Away from the action
There was a book sale at the far corner of the ground, where, like the pitch, you needed patience to make the most of it. The titles, for the prices they were on offer, were worth their weight in gold. I picked up Swanton’s , Benaud’s , Roebuck’s , apart from hardback copies of Harry Thompson’s and Basil D’Oliviera’s autobiography, all for a measly 10 pounds. In this e-commerce world, away from all the noise, such sales still thrive in the English count(r)yside.One thing you’d have changed
There is almost no room for any upgrade or improvement to this, but a dream scenario would have been to watch this with the Barmy Army or a singing fan section. It is what club rivalries are characterised by, and with a capacity crowd in, it would have made for a feisty atmosphere.Overall
For any fan of the longest form of cricket, this is it – from the setting, to proximity to the action, there is a perfection to this experience that few around the world can match. Having said that, the action on the field was perfect foil – a slugfest progressing at a frenetic pace, with over 300 runs and 14 wickets yesterday alone. As a package, there aren’t too many experiences that better this, as many in the crowd insisted all day.Marks out of 10
10. Only rain could have brought this score down, but hey, who knows how prettier the Downs and the Cathedral would have looked then? Cricket, lovely cricket.

First through Harbhajan Singh’s miserly spell, and then through the Ambati Rayudu and his colleagues, Mumbai Indians broke into the top four for the first time this year.

Amol Karhadkar06-May-2015At the end of the sixth over of Mumbai Indians chase, a reserve player sprinted to the middle and handed over a Duckworth-Lewis sheet to Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu in the middle. This was the second instance of Rohit being handed over a D/L sheet in three overs – spread over an hour and two rain interruptions.While Rohit had asked for the sheet that some of the international team coaches have misread in the past, this time around it was the Mumbai dugout that had sent the paper across to the middle. Precariously placed at 41 for 4 after the Powerplay overs, the Mumbai Indians captain had a brief chat with Rayudu and folded up the piece of paper without even looking at it. Rohit slipped the paper in his pocket, and had a fist pump with Rayudu.One could make out Rohit would have told Rayudu something like “let’s take it as a 20-over game”. Their quest to match the complex Duckworth-Lewis equations had seen them lose two wickets in eight balls in the brief session between the two breaks. Opener Parthiv Patel had holed out to covers, which led to Harbhajan Singh being promoted to No.5 only to see him falling on the stroke of the second interval.Once Rohit and Rayudu started playing percentage cricket and Kieron Pollard’s calculated risks came off to perfection, a target of 153 turned out to be far from excessive. That too after losing four wickets in less than six overs.As much as the triumvirate of Rohit, Rayudu and Pollard – all of whom continued to bat lower by at least one position – was responsible for getting the Mumbai juggernaut rolling, their fourth successive victory wouldn’t have been possible without Harbhajan’s exceptional four-over spell.The veteran offspinner had got off to an excellent start to the IPL, picking up eight scalps in Mumbai’s first four games. But he had been going through a rough patch of late, claiming just one wicket in the last four games. But Harbhajan turned the tide in his favour with an immaculate spell of spin bowling.With Delhi Daredevils having raced to 43 for 1, thanks to Shreyas Iyer and JP Duminy’s clean hitting, the signs were ominous for Mumbai. Less than two weeks earlier, Iyer and Duminy had taken the game away from Mumbai with a 154-run association at the Kotla.In a bid to at least put the brakes on, if not break the partnership, Rohit threw the ball to Harbhajan for the last over with fielding restrictions. And Harbhajan struck, fooling promising Iyer in flight off the first ball he bowled. The next five balls saw Duminy managing to get to the other end courtesy of a leg-bye. Once he had started with a maiden, Harbhjajan continued to bowl with a loop, something that has been missing from his armoury over the last few years.When Yuvraj Singh replaced Duminy before Harbhajan’s second over, he maintained his trajectory at slower speeds. Yuvraj also found it going tough against him, managing just five runs off the 12 balls he faced by his Punjab team-mate.With Jadhav having grown in confidence, connecting a trademark slog off J Suchith at the other end, Harbhajan then trapped him with a quicker one. Jadhav isn’t afraid to charge down the track off spinners and knowing that Daredevils had to get a move on, he went after Harbhajan in his last over. Since the batsman had made his move a fraction of a second too early, Harbhajan was smart enough to slide the ball outside off to leave Jadhav stranded and for Patel to do the rest behind the wickets.Harbhajan’s four overs had cost just 11 runs. The fact that he didn’t concede a single boundary, bowling 16 dot balls, in his spell meant Daredevils just couldn’t get the momentum in the middle overs. Despite Yuvraj’s antics at the death, Harbhajan’s miserly spell had ensured that Mumbai Indians will have to chase a moderate, and not mammoth, target.Rayudu and Co then ensured that Harbhajan’s good work wasn’t wasted to see Mumbai Indians break into the top four for the first time in IPL 2015.

He took two wickets, he didn’t go for too many runs. It wasn’t the most eye-catching performance. But Rubel Hossain has shown the capacity to develop as an all-round bowling option

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur12-Jul-2015A day before the second ODI against South Africa, it was learned that there was one spot in the Bangladesh XI that was still undecided. An open discussion on selection so close to the game could have been demoralising for the players, but it may not have made much of a difference to a man already outside the XI.Rubel Hossain has not played any of the three matches in this South Africa tour. But BCB president Nazmul Hassan said he could return for the second ODI. Such an endorsement must have come as a boost to Rubel. After all, Hassan’s statements, comments and suggestions have often equalled the decisions of the BCB itself, be it policy matters or team selection.At the game, Rubel came on after ten overs and immediately made an impact. His seventh delivery got through Hashim Amla’s defenses. It wasn’t too quick but it appeared to have taken the batsman by surprise. Rubel had nipped the ball back, with that old natural slingy action, and made Amla play across the line.Rubel did not strive for pace today. He bowled well within himself and took 1 for 12 in his first spell of four overs. Meanwhile, South Africa were left at 58 for 2 after 17. When he was brought back, South Africa were in deeper trouble at 115 for 6 in 35 overs. Straight away, he removed Chris Morris with a delivery that slid in and struck the batsman on the knee roll. It was an easy decision and Rubel pumped his fist. He bowled till the end of the 44th over when his figures were slightly disturbed by a six and a four. He finished with 2 for 34 from nine overs, a strong comeback from a man who had become quiet since the World Cup.He had taken eight wickets against India and Pakistan, but had given away 75 runs in the last ODI against India. He was not picked for the two T20s and first ODI against South Africa as the team management sacrificed a bowling spot to play eight batsmen.In the World Cup too, Rubel had taken eight wickets including the match-winning 4 for 53 against England in Adelaide. He had looked an entirely different bowler then. His pace was up, but the lines he maintained were still good.Rubel was always known for hitting lengths properly, but with injuries and tinkering on his bowling action, he lost his old slingy style of bowling. His hand comes down from a more orthodox position now, somewhere over this right ear.There were moments in Sunday’s match when he seemed like he could summon a burst of pace if he wanted, but he chose not to. Also, he looks far more comfortable when setting his fields. This change in attitude and willingness to use the freedom given to him has been attributed to Mashrafe Mortaza’s leadership, which has been far more kind to pace bowlers than previous captains. Maybe it has a lot to do with Mashrafe himself being a pace bowler.But Rubel must also realise that while he is a viable option in ODIs, he has failed to convert his potential in Tests. His bowling average remains quite poor and he was recently dropped from the Fatullah Test against India so that he could remain fresh for the subsequent ODI series.Like many Bangladesh bowlers, Rubel still struggles to maintain composure for the entire five days of a Test. For now, he would be happy to have bowled economically. He would be happy with his two wickets, one of which was the opposition’s best batsman. There are more ways to become a better bowler but for now, a middling haul that contributed to his team’s second only win against South Africa will do.

Stats highlights from the third ODI between India and Bangladesh in Mirpur

Bishen Jeswant24-Jun-20151:20

Insights – Dhoni averages 68.40 at No. 4

68.4 MS Dhoni’s average in ODIs at No. 4, the best for any batsman in ODI history (minimum 1000 runs). Dhoni has scored 1026 runs from 20 innings at a strike rate of 99.41, including one century and 10 fifties. He scored 69 runs in the third ODI.13 Wickets taken by Mustafizur Rahman in the series, the joint-most by any bowler playing three or fewer matches in an ODI series. Ryan Harris also took 13 wickets from the three games he played during a five-match series against Pakistan in 2010.86 Number of times India have scored 300-plus runs in an ODI innings, the most for any team, just ahead of Australia (84). However, India have only done this 64 times batting first, while Australia have done it 76 times.20 Wickets taken by Mashrafe Mortaza in ODIs against India, the most for any Bangladesh bowler. He went past Mohammad Rafique (18) during his three-wicket haul in the third ODI.3 Number of times each of India’s top-six batsmen have scored 25 or more in the same ODI – twice against Bangladesh and once against England. India’s top six in this game were Rohit Sharma (29), Shikhar Dhawan (75), Virat Kohli (25), Dhoni (69), Ambati Rayudu (44) and Suresh Raina (38). The other such instance against Bangladesh was in Dhaka in 2004.40.6 Soumya Sarkar’s batting average in ODIs, the highest for any Bangladesh batsman who has played at least 10 innings. Second on the list is Shakib Al Hasan (35.2). Sarkar opened the batting and scored 40 off 34 in this ODI.3 Number of times Rohit and Raina were dismissed by Mustafizur during the series.Rohit was out caught in all three ODIs, while Raina was bowled twice and caught once.158 Runs scored by Dhawan during the series, the most for any batsman. He scored two fifties and had a strike rate of 92.4. Second and third on the list were Sarkar (128) and Shakib (123).20 Overs bowled by Raina in this series, the second-most for him in an ODI series of three or fewer matches. He bowled 22 overs during a three-match ODI series against West Indies in 2013. He also finished with figures of 3 for 45 in the last ODI, the second three-wicket haul of his ODI career.