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Just the pick-me-up an India fan needs

Nikhil Jha18-Oct-2011Choice of game
This series has been billed as “payback” for the miseries India suffered in England. Being one of the many Indian fans who went through a phase of severe depression during the England tour, I decided watching the team win from the stands would serve as an antidote. Considering the performance in the first one-dayer in Hyderabad, I thought an easy victory was on the cards for India.I also desperately wanted to witness the debut of Varun Aaron, who is from my city Jamshedpur, but I guess that will have to wait now.Key performer
For most of the game it seemed Vinay Kumar would get the title, for his spirited bowling performance. Then Virat Kohli walked in at a slightly tricky situation, and played an innings full of confidence and swagger. He turned the victory into a cakewalk and, for me, played the most influential role in the game.One thing I’d have changed

The last time I had watched India play at Kotla, the match was abandoned due to poor condition of the pitch following a Sudeep Tyagi bouncer. The only thing I hoped was to get a full game, and I was relieved to witness that. I would have loved to see a close contest, something like the encounter in the World Cup, but will take the easy victory as the next best alternative.Face-off I relished
Given that both teams are devoid of regular star players, there were hardly any match- ups worth discussing, unless you are really excited about Kieswetter v Vinay Kumar. Kohli against Graeme Swann was a face-off I thought would be interesting, but the moment Kohli stepped out and hit that exquisite drive through the covers, there was only going to be one winner.Wow moment
In a relatively low-key and mostly uneventful match, there were few moments that really provided that “wow” factor. One that might qualify is the ball off which Vinay Kumar dismissed Craig Kieswetter, and the England scorecard read 0 for 2, leading to delirious celebrations in the crowd.Shot of the day
I enjoyed watching Kevin Pietersen hit a straight six off Ravindra Jadeja and Kohli drive Swann. But one shot that stood out was a cracking pull by Kohli off Jade Dernbach. It was like a statement to the English bowlers to leave the short-pitched stuff back in England. You could almost sense a Gerard Butler-like reaction from Kohli, with his bat pointing menacingly: “THIS IS INDIA!”Crowd meter
Many people, me included, only realised a week ago that Delhi was hosting a match. The stands started to fill towards evening once people got off work, and India started their innings. Still, I do not think it was more than 70% full.There were the odd attempts to start a Mexican Wave, and some feeble “India, India” chants. The fans around me were either busy on their phones, telling their acquaintances how to spot them on TV, even describing in detail the colour of their clothes, or taking photographs to display on Facebook.Fancy-dress index
One fan did a Ganguly, waving his shirt madly, hoping to feature on TV. I am not sure if his stunt worked.Banner of the day
The only ones I saw were pre-printed by sponsors. One of them read, “A few losses do not bother champions” while another read, “Men in Blue will stick England in glue”. Kindergarten stuff. Ironically, the second banner was torn in the middle and needed some glue itselfOverall
The comprehensive Indian victory served my purpose. I would have loved it if the stands had been packed, and there was a bit more excitement in the game.Marks out of 10
7 for an easy Indian win and an exquisite Kohli century.

ESPNcricinfo presents Plays of the Day from the second day in Mirpur

Siddarth Ravindran18-Dec-2011The luck of the day
Elias Sunny had two close calls in one Umar Gul over. First he wanted to leave a delivery outside off, but was late lifting the bat, which resulted in him unintentionally sending the ball between slip and gully for four, prompting laughter from the batsman. Two balls later, he successfully let one go, but this time the ball scraped the outside of off stump, making a woody thump on its way to the keeper – luckily for him, the bails stayed on. He had only made 12, though, when his luck ran out. Saeed Ajmal slipped in a doosra, which he inside-edged onto the pads – the umpire missed the contact with the bat and ruled him lbw.The injury of the day
Reece Young has already shown this month why a helmet is advisable when keeping to spinners. If there were still some unconvinced, a replay of Adnan Akmal’s injury should end the debate. In the 104th over, Saeed Ajmal got a delivery to spit off the track, and it ricocheted off Sunny’s pad straight to Akmal’s mouth. Akmal was bleeding and in serious pain, and seemingly in serious need the services of a dentist. However, after some assistance from the physio, he bravely decided to play on, not even asking for the helmet. It was an unusually quiet spell from Akmal after that, with his regularly chirps of “yourself” and “well done, well done” missing.The one-ball wonder of the day
The only Test Nazmul Hossain had played in before the current one was way back in 2004, when he had just turned 17. Seven years on, as he returned for his second Test, he was dismayed as his first contribution lasted only one delivery – run out for a duck. His first ball as a bowler was eventful as well, and it left him ecstatic, as he managed to induce the dangerous Mohammad Hafeez to nick a catch to the wicketkeeper.The run-out of the day
With Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, two of Bangladesh’s best batsmen, guiding the score to 305 for 5, Bangladesh could have realistically aimed at posting 400-plus for only the third time in Mirpur. Those hopes vanished though when a moment of misunderstanding left Shakib stranded, comfortably beaten by a Taufeeq Umar throw that rifled towards the bottom of middle stump. Mushfiqur called for the single, but after taking a few purposeful strides, to which Shakib responded enthusiastically, Mushfiqur changed his mind and decided to head back, resulting in a furious Shakib being run out on 144. The next four wickets could only add 33, and Bangladesh finished on a relatively modest 338.

Mark Boucher entered the South Africa team as a brash youngster but soon became an integral part of the side and, despite some low moments, enjoyed a prolific career

Firdose Moonda10-Jul-2012Even at the age of 20, Mark Boucher had an attitude. He had just been picked for the national squad having played just 14 first-class matches, ten of them for his provincial first XI. Dave Richardson, who had been almost ever-present since readmission, had broken a finger and Boucher was flown to Pakistan to replace him.”I am not short of confidence. I have been keeping well and batting well and don’t reckon conditions in Pakistan will be too tough,” he told reporters before his departure in 1997. “In fact, the conditions over there will probably suit me from a batting point of view because I tend to play the spinners very well.”Boucher began with a bellow. In his second Test, he starred in a record 195-run ninth wicket stand with Pat Symcox against Pakistan at the Wanderers. That stand rescued South Africa from 166 for 8 to a position from which they able to salvage a draw. That day, Boucher showed a fighting spirit that would go on to define him as an international cricketer.Fifteen years later, as Boucher contemplated retirement, the attitude remained, but the confidence has waned. Since late 2010, he had faced a barrage of pressure to step down. A lean time with the bat and mistakes that he did not usually make behind the stumps all contributed to the negative sentiment surrounding Boucher. He eventually pinned down a retirement date – August 20, 2012, the day his 150th Test was scheduled to be complete. He concluded, “The way I started is the way I want to end.”It was not to be.Having only started keeping in his final year of school, Boucher has admitted that he was not the most skilled gloveman in the country when he was first picked and had a lot to learn in the early days. It showed on the 1998 tour to England, when he would often be caught on the wrong foot when the ball swung after pitching. He remembered that as the one of the most difficult times in his career, but the way he responded on the return leg was tenacious.His first Test hundred was scored in tough circumstances, against England. South Africa had been made to follow on in Durban and Gary Kirsten, who set a South African record for the highest individual score, and Boucher combined to ensure they did not lose.While his performances on the field began to build the walls of respectability, it was actions off it that adorned those walls. When the Hansie Cronje scandal broke, it was Boucher who convinced Herschelle Gibbs to come clean. At the end of the investigation, Judge Edwin King thanked Boucher for his service to South African cricket, and he was made vice-captain of the national side at the age of 23.Records came rolling in for Boucher: he was the fastest wicketkeeper to 200 catches and then became the ninth batsman to score 3000 runs for South Africa, and he had 300 dismissals to his name. Disappointment also came. He was the man who faced the last ball of the crucial 2003 World Cup match against Sri Lanka – the one that was defended because South Africa thought they had qualified for the next round.The accomplishments outweighed moment like that, though, and with them came an ego that was thought to be growing so dangerous that Boucher was dropped, after playing 75 consecutive Test matches, in 2004. A run drought aided the selectors’ decision but there was some surprise at his exclusion.The 2003 World Cup was one of the low points of Mark Boucher’s career•Getty ImagesHis successor then is likely to be his successor now. Thami Tsolekile played the role for three Tests in 2004 but had a torrid time and Boucher was swiftly recalled mid-way through the series against England. There were question marks then over the lack of a clear successor to Boucher, who had already played for seven years, but with his age not a worry, they were ignored.His most memorable innings was scored in his second coming. The unbeaten half-century against Australia to win the 438 game was the knock that proved to South Africans that anything was possible. To have scored it with his childhood contemporary, Makhaya Ntini, at the other end, who dabbed a single down to third man to allow Boucher to hit the winning runs underlined the sense of belief that South Africa had after that.The 2008 series against England was probably the one Boucher treasured most. His 45 not out at Edgbaston was one half of the partnership that won the series for South Africa. That innings allowed him to play an integral part in an unprecedented triumph for the national side – their first in England since readmission – and he has often talked about his feelings when scoring those runs.However, without a Test hundred since 2008, Boucher began to feel time was catching up with him. He was dropped from the one-day side in 2010, after South Africa’s tour of the West Indies, when a new era was being ushered in with AB de Villiers behind the stumps. Despite Boucher’s desire to play in the 2011 World Cup, he was left out of the squad, but he was recalled to the one-day side when de Villiers suffered an injury that ruled him out of an ODI series against Australia late last year.Boucher struggled in that contest and knew he needed help, so he called an old mentor, Ray Jennings, who flew to Durban to have one-on-one sessions with him. He also stumbled through the Test series that followed, against Australia and Sri Lanka, and dropped what he called “sitters” against the latter – a sign that the end was not far away.An uneventful tour of New Zealand followed and then the stage was set for the blaze of glory. Boucher planned to leave “on his own terms”. He hoped it would be with the No. 1 ranking for South Africa. Now, the team will have to do it without him.Boucher’s fire has not been put out. Less than 24 hours after surgery he was walking around, talking to his team-mates, albeit groggily, and using his phone to connect with the world. The spunk that he had when he played a squash tournament after recovering from a broken arm as a schoolboy and took it all the way was still there but so was the humility 15 years in the game have taught him. “Ur support for me has brought me to my knees! Can’t thank u all enough,” he tweeted. “Gonna be tough for me regarding my eye but I will pull through!”

Rather than just looking to one or two individuals to make the difference, the side is concentrating on attacking as a team, with little emphasis on which individual is grabbing the headlines

Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2012Gary Kirsten is no George W Bush but, with South Africa leaving New Zealand with all three trophies they competed for, Kirsten had the same the look of satisfaction on his face Bush wore when he delivered his “Mission Accomplished” speech. In Kirsten’s first assignment away from home, the team won six matches, drew two and lost one. They dominated everything but the Twenty20 series, in which they squeaked through in the last over, a situation in which South Africa may have faltered in the past.If there is an overriding gain from the tour of New Zealand, it is that South Africa have confronted two key issues that have stumped them previously. They have started to grapple with the complexities of being able to overcome, rather than crumble, when under pressure. The third T20 is one example of that. Fighting to take the first-innings lead after collapsing to 88 for 6 in Hamilton is another. They also combined to form a strong unit rather than a unit that merely appears strong because of the presence of a few strong individuals. Dale Steyn is not the only person Graeme Smith can throw the ball to if he needs a wicket and Jacques Kallis does not have to carry the batting line-up alone.Kirsten identified the second of those positives as a particularly important outcome of the tour. “We have a lot of individuals embracing big moments in games and being able to make plays from that,” he said. Although overreliance on individuals has not been as glaring in the recent past as it was at a time when everything rested on the performances of Allan Donald and Darryl Cullinan, the team effort has never been as comprehensive as it now.Performances come from all corners of the line-up, not just the expected ones. A year ago, few would have picked Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers as the two players out of the top six who would not score a hundred on an away tour. In New Zealand, that’s what happened. Alviro Petersen, Jacques Rudolph and even JP Duminy, who only played one match, notched up big scores, to support the fine efforts of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis.Duminy’s innings was pleasing for Kirsten because it illustrated the bench-strength of South Africa’s batting. “I was very excited about all the fringe players that came in because they made big contributions,” Kirsten said. “We have players that we can always turn to if there is an injury, and we can get some experience into the fringe players. That’s important going forward so that we can always fall back on these guys, knowing that they can make contributions at international level.”South Africa’s bowling depth received the thumbs-up from bowling coach Allan Donald midway through the home season when he took back his initial concerns about the quality of quicks coming through. Vernon Philander has been around for two seasons and was ready to step up. South Africa have also discovered Marchant de Lange, while Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell have both matured well. Philander’s meteoric rise has turned the South African attack from a fearsome one into a nearly unplayable one. Kirsten labelled their performance in the Test series “standout”.Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Philander, complemented by either Kallis and Imran Tahir, or another quick, give away very little. Philander reaped most of the rewards from the miserliness but Steyn and Morkel did not simply operate in his shadow. They rounded off the attack with exceptional use of the short ball and continued interrogation of the opposition. Steyn kept the fire burning with pace, Morkel with the constant reminder of the danger his bounce poses.Morkel eventually had success in Wellington. Even though Steyn did not record a five-wicket haul in the Tests, he was happy to share in his team-mates’ success, telling reporters that there are only 10 wickets to go around in an innings and he doesn’t mind who takes them. The attack operate as a unit, the bowlers celebrate each other’s wickets, and work together to create wicket-taking opportunities without putting too much emphasis on who claims the eventual scalp. It sounds twee, but Kirsten insists there is a lot of togetherness.”What’s happened is that we are really starting to operate as a batting unit and as a bowling unit. Guys feel like even if they don’t get big wickets on the day, they have made a contribution. There’s a real sense of team-ness.”Kirsten’s man management has contributed to that unity. He allows players freedom, be it to express themselves on the field or to enjoy time off during the tour. In so doing, he has gained their trust and their commitment. “With the amount of cricket that we’ve got coming up, it’s important that we maintain freshness, mental and physical,” he said.Kirsten has been in charge for 10 months and three series, and his ideas are starting to take root. His philosophy is based on process and it seems the South African squad have bought into that. They have accepted the big-picture vision without sacrificing the attention to detail that will ultimately, as Kirsten explains, ensure they win more than they lose.This strategy served them well in New Zealand and has readied them for their next challenge, in July against England. Kirsten is satisfied that South Africa are in a comfortable enough position to embark on that tour with confidence. “We’ve taken the steps that we needed to in terms of being ready to go and confront England. I’m happy with where we are and where we are going.”Edited by Dustin Silgardo

In the tour match against South Africa in Sydney, Phillip Hughes will have the chance to make an impression against the side he began his now flagging Test career against with a bang

Daniel Brettig in Sydney01-Nov-2012At the age of 23, Phillip Hughes grins when recalling his exploits as a 20-year-old. In his first Test series three years ago Hughes laid waste to South Africa’s bowlers in Johannesburg and Durban, fearlessly clouting them to all parts as Australia claimed an unexpected and memorable series victory.Back then, it was a simple game for Hughes, his homespun technique confounding a South African side that now admits to misreading his game. However the years since have brought more days out of the Australian team than in it, and a public examination of Hughes’ technique and character reached its nadir last November when he was caught Martin Guptill, bowled Chris Martin, four innings in a row. That sequence against New Zealand cost Hughes his Test spot, the third time he had been dropped.”It’s hard to put it, how low it really got,” Hughes said. “There have been lots of ups and downs. I’ve been in the international side a couple of times now and had the taste. Back in South Africa was three years ago now, so there has been a fair few low times and there have been a fair few high times as well. It’s about being as consistent as possible and scoring runs is always good for that confidence.”Cricket’s a funny game at times, especially batting up at the top of the order. You nick sometimes, you get low scores. The key is once you get in, you get good scores. I suppose in 2009 I was just going with the flow at that stage. I had confidence behind me, runs were behind me, and I just happened to click on that tour. I was a lot younger then.”It’s the same game. It’s about keeping things very simple. I don’t like complicating things.”Ahead of Australia A’s tour match against the South Africans at the SCG, Hughes is confident once again. Not in the “too young to know better” sense that he took to South Africa in 2009, but in a more mature sense based on a steadily refashioned technique, a so-far-successful move from New South Wales to South Australia and a greater knowledge of what is important in life.”I’m grateful for getting selected in this team,” Hughes said. “It was only four months ago I didn’t get selected in the Australia A team that toured England and that was a disappointing time. I went to Worcester and got an opportunity there. Now, with runs on the board, I see myself in this team and I’ve got a great opportunity ahead of me.”I feel I’ve opened my leg-side play up so I can hit to all areas of the field. A couple of years ago I was probably limited. My strength was the off-side. I feel like now I can play all around the field and I think that’s a big thing in all formats but especially the short format, where you’ve got to open that [leg-side] up.”

“I feel I’ve opened my leg-side play up so I can hit to all areas of the field. A couple of years ago I was probably limited. My strength was the off-side.”Phillip Hughes

South Africa remain intrigued by Hughes, given how confidently he attacked them in 2009. They fared better against him in South Africa last year, though Hughes was still able to craft an important half-century in the first innings of the Johannesburg Test. Dale Steyn said the earlier miscalculations would not be repeated at the SCG.”I think we summed him up badly and he made us pay,” Steyn said. “I think when he came down to South Africa more recently we’d definitely done our analysis a lot better of the Australians, especially him, and he didn’t get away from us. I think we went short and wide [in 2009] and we didn’t realise that he could cut so well.”In the next series we were a lot straighter and we kind of tucked him up a lot more. It was a lot tidier in all honesty. We didn’t give him the freebies that he got in the previous series.”South Africa are much wiser this time around, but so too is Hughes. He will hope that the next three days will be the start of his path back to the kind of Test match glory he experienced at the first time of asking.

The first international in Dharamsala was fun for reasons other than the cricket

Saurav Dey28-Jan-2013Choice of game
I went to see this ODI predictably for the location of the stadium. All this while I had only seen this picturesque ground on TV and in images. Now it was time to catch an international match here. Also, since it was Dharamsala’s first international match, I wanted to be part of the historic occasion.I almost knew India would lose the match, because since December 2011, every time I have seen India play at a stadium (and that would be quite a few), they have lost. Thankfully this was a dead rubber, so I didn’t care too much about the outcome.Team supported
I was almost neutral. I just wanted a thrilling, nail-biting, memorable match which would rank among the top few matches I have seen at a stadium.Key performer
In a match where most batsmen struggled to score, two easily stood out. Suresh Raina weathered the storm along with Ravindra Jadeja after England had reduced India to 79 for 5. Raina was in form and had some luck as well, dropped as he was twice in his innings of 83. But despite saving India from a collapse, Raina probably got out when the team needed him the most. For England, Ian Bell started tentatively, with a few pokes and edges, but then stood like a rock at one end. His 113 was exactly half of India’s total.One thing I’d have changed

I was hoping to see England collapse after Kevin Pietersen fell to Shami Ahmed. I thought if India could manage to get Joe Root’s wicket quickly then the wickets would tumble quickly, because Eoin Morgan and Samit Patel were not in great form going into the game. I desperately hoped to see a tight finish in the chilly afternoon under the floodlights. But India could never create enough pressure.Face-off I relished
At the end of seven overs, England were 30 for 0. In came Ishant Sharma and bowled his first delivery to Alastair Cook, and the entire stadium stood up on seeing a deviation that was gobbled up by MS Dhoni. While all the Indian players celebrated, the umpire refused to budge. Since replays of controversial decisions are never shown on the big screen at Indian stadiums, the confused crowd did not know what had happened. They figured it was the right decision once a few people found out – through their phones – that the ball had actually flicked the pad. But Ishant look disgruntled and steamed in ferociously for the next few overs, beating Cook a few times and making him look edgy and wobbly. In the 12th over he shattered Cook’s stumps and the full house burst into a cheer. Ishant’s inspired spell brought back some hope for the Indian fans.Wow moment
When England were 64 for 1, Pietersen pulled a short ball from Shami Ahmed and at first glance it appeared to sail over the ropes. But Jadeja came running in from a distance, anticipated and timed the catch to perfection.Shot of the day
Against the flow of play, Raina struck three fours in the 12th over, off Chris Woakes, giving the audience something to cheer about for the first time in the match. Morgan’s sixes off Shami Ahmed in the dying moments of the match made a boring chase look a bit lively. But the most memorable shot for me was the one Jadeja lofted off Root in the 34th over. The ball ballooned up, came all the way up to our stand and landed two rows in front of me. The spectators fumbled but one of them managed to catch it.Crowd meter
The stadium, with a capacity of about 21,000, was filled to the brim. It was noisy, with people blowing horns and even conches. The crowd was lively and had a few cheerleaders who took the banter to the English fans. A whistling contest was going on between the Indian and English cheerleaders. The Indian cheerleader won it and also mimicked the English cheerleaders well. But the English fans had the last laugh as their team cruised to victory.Entertainment
The gentleman sitting beside me was probably not a regular cricket watcher. He kept asking questions like, “Why are there three pitches on the ground?”, “Why are the batsmen not hitting every ball?”, “Who are these kids standing beside the boundary line and why are they picking up the ball?”, “Is that a no-ball signal or a wide?”, “Why is Harbhajan Singh not playing? He should play every match”, and so on. He was particularly impressed by Dharamveer, the disabled ball boy who also captains India’s disabled cricket team, and travels and stays with the Indian team.Banner of the day
These days posters have been replaced by messages that fans can send to have displayed on the big screen at the ground. Among the ones I saw were: “Dhoni, please play your helicopter shot”, “Raina, you need to score a century today”, “Bhuvnesh, aim more middle stump, nothing else”, “Dhoni, I guess Yuvi should bowl today”, “Dhoni, I think you should try bowling”, “Sidhu is the god of cricket commentary”, “Indian team, please take a few wickets or I’ll feel asleep”. There were also random comments like “Jonty Rhodes is the god of fielding” and “Billy Bowden, we miss you”.Fancy-dress index
In the style of Sudhir Gautam, Sachin Tendulkar’s No.1 fan, we had in our stand a Dhoni fan who had the Indian tricolour painted all over his body and face. Dhoni’s name and jersey No. 7 were painted on his back. He was bare-bodied and stood throughout the match holding a huge India flag.Marks out of 10
7. Five of those go to the venue. Watching cricket at Dharamsala, with the spectacular snow-clad Dhauladhar ranges in the background, is a great experience. The festive, noisy crowd added spice to the overall atmosphere, but the match was mostly boring.

Plays of the Day from the second day of the first Test between New Zealand and England in Dunedin.

Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin07-Mar-2013Relief of the dayBruce Martin’s first significant touch of the ball in Test cricket was not the best. Diving to his left at midwicket he spilled a chance offered by Alastair Cook, on nine, not a batsman who normally misses out on on a reprieve. However, in the next over, Neil Wagner’s first, Cook was offered width and instead of sending it to the boundary picked out Hamish Rutherford at point. Nobody enjoyed it more than Martin.First ball of the dayFor a great batsman, Kevin Pietersen is a very jumpy starter. Bowlers around the world know they have a very small window to make the most of it. Wagner, already with his tail up after Cook’s wicket, was spot on with his first delivery; full and straight with just a hint of shape to catch Pietersen in front. It was the fifth golden duck of Pietersen’s Test career, the previous one was against Pakistan, at Lord’s, in 2010 when he edged Mohammad Amir to the wicketkeeper. It also meant he joined Ian Botham at the top of the list of  the number of golden ducks by those considered batsmen for England.Spitting image of the dayDaniel Vettori, New Zealand’s premier slow bowler since 1997, is currently sidelined by injury but in nearly everything except the name there was a replica on show at the University Oval. Martin has operated in Vettori’s shadow since being named in a Test squad in 2000 and 13 years later his chance had finally come. His run-up, gather and delivery stride were the signs of someone who has studied Vettori for years. The moment he had waited for arrived early in the afternoon session when Matt Prior cut to point and in the blink of eye Martin then had three. By the end of the innings he had four.Dim shot of the dayThere was competition for this tag from the England batsmen, but Stuart Broad’s demise topped the list. Following a strong sweep against Martin that went for a boundary, Brendon McCullum moved Dean Brownlie back towards the rope. Martin served up another delivery that Broad felt he could dispatch but either he hadn’t noticed the field change, or inexplicably forgot about it in the few seconds that elapsed because he could not have placed it better for Brownlie to take the catch.Father-son stat of the dayHamish Rutherford does not overly enjoy being asked about his father, Ken, and the meaning of following him into Test cricket. However, there was an obvious comparison to make because when Hamish reached 12, which came swiftly off 12 deliveries, he had made more than his old man managed in his first seven innings. Ken bagged a pair in his first Test, against West Indies, so as soon as Hamish clipped his fourth ball sweetly through midwicket he had avoided a repeat of that.Partnership of the dayHundred opening stands for New Zealand have been like hens’ teeth. On the eve of this Test, McCullum admitted he was at “risk” to bring together a new pair but by the end of the day it looked like a masterstroke. Rutherford and Peter Fulton combined for New Zealand’s first 100-run opening stand since Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum put on 124 against Zimbabwe in Napier 12 Tests ago. Their previous against a major nation was facing Pakistan in January 2011.

He may not be the quickest or the most dangerous bowler in world cricket but James Anderson has mastered the skill of fast bowling and England would be lost without him

George Dobell at Lord's17-May-2013If any reminder was required of James Anderson’s value to the England team, it was provided in empathic fashion on the second afternoon at Lord’s.It was not just that Anderson joined an illustrious group of players to have claimed 300 Test wickets – he was the 26th man to do so and just the fourth England player – but that he produced a performance so palpably superior to his colleagues that it was painfully clear once more how much his team continue to rely upon him. Without his contribution, England would be in desperate trouble in this match.When Fred Trueman became the first man to take 300 Test wickets, in 1964, he remarked that anyone else who reached the landmark would be “bloody tired”. So it was probably not surprising to see Anderson appearing weary at the close of play. But it was not just the emotion of reaching a landmark that has been looming in the road ahead for some months, at this famous old ground and in front of his proud parents, but that he continues to shoulder more than his share of the bowling duties of this England side. Only when Graeme Swann, gaining turn and bounce, was in support did England maintain control at both ends.The difference between the sides to date – and New Zealand have looked the stronger so far – has largely been in the performance of the support seam bowlers. While New Zealand’s were wonderfully disciplined and tight, England’s have been profligate and expensive.Stuart Broad, in particular, endured a wretched day. After a duck with the bat underlined the doubts about his suitability to bat as high as No. 8 – he has reached 30 just once in his last 20 Test innings – he then conceded 10 boundaries in his first 13 overs. On a truculent pitch on which England had struggled to score at more than two-an-over, every long-hop he delivered – and there were several – was another body blow for his team. He generated neither great pace nor great swing and, in conditions in which seam bowlers should dream, was close to a liability.Steven Finn, cut to ribbons by the impressive Ross Taylor as punishment for over doing the short ball, was even more expensive. But while Finn was selected for this game in the knowledge that he was a fast bowler in the developmental stage of his career, Broad is playing his 56th Test. Such seniority comes with expectation. England require more from Broad.Besides, Finn was hostile and sharp. He has conceded more runs in 11 overs than Bruce Martin did in 26, but he compensated with a wicket that kept his side clinging on to the coattails of New Zealand. Taylor later commented that they would be looking for a first innings lead of 50 or 60 but at one stage it looked as if it could be far more than that. “I wasn’t looking to score at a run-a-ball,” he said. “They just bowled a few loose balls.”Both Finn and Broad could learn much from Anderson. He is, in most ways, a far superior bowler to the young man who, a decade ago to the month, burst upon the Test scene here with a five-wicket haul against Zimbabwe. Most crucially, he has learned how to bowl an inswinger to complement the outswinger with which he claimed his first Test wicket; Mark Vermeulen beaten by a beauty that pitched leg and hit the top of off.

“I’m happy I got the landmark out of the way, really. It was nice that Graeme Swann took the catch to reach it. It was just nice to see him hold on to one.”James Anderson on his 300th Test wicket

Anderson has developed a consistency, too, that led Andrew Strauss to name him the most reliable bowler he ever captained, MS Dhoni to remark that he was the “difference between the sides” in the Test series in India and earned him an excellent opportunity to overhaul Sir Ian Botham’s England record of 383 Test wickets. He might not be the most dangerous, the quickest or even the best fast bowler in Test cricket – those accolades surely belong to Dale Steyn – but it is very hard to think of one more skilful.But it’s perhaps Anderson’s attitude that marks him apart. While some bowlers bemoan their workloads and their aches and pains, Anderson simply gets on with it. His quiet, modest demeanour conceals a strength that used to be considered a pre-requisite of a fast bowler. He makes neither excuse nor complaint and prepares with the professionalism and diligence required to go into every Test in condition to give of his best. It is a long, long time since Anderson bowled poorly with a red ball. Taylor later compared him to “a mixture of Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn”, to which Anderson responded: “I’ll take that”.Maybe time – and all those overs – have taken a toll, though. Until a couple of years ago, Anderson was still capable of bowling spells at least approaching 90mph. Now he operates closer to 80mph and, on pitches or conditions offering no assistance, can appear tidy but unthreatening. He experienced a disappointing tour of New Zealand and a disappointing series against South Africa, though whether he has chosen to bowl within himself in the knowledge of spells ahead or whether the miles on the clock are starting to show is unclear. It is quite true that speed is not everything, but it is not nothing, either.”I don’t see why not,” 30-year-old Anderson replied when asked if he could beat Botham’s record. “I’m not too old. I’ve a few more left yet. But I don’t want to think about it. I’ll just try and stay fit.”I’m happy I got the landmark out of the way, really. It was nice that Graeme Swann took the catch to reach it. It was just nice to see him hold on to one,” he said with a smile. “It meant a lot to me and I could see how much it meant to him too.”Anderson’s relief was tempered by the knowledge that New Zealand remain in the stronger position in this game and that his side’s bowling had contributed to the situation. While he modestly attempted to share the blame, his description of events owed far more to his colleagues than himself.”I bowled too many short and wide and I’m sure the other guys would say the same,” Anderson said. “That’s one of Taylor’s strengths and we knew that. We weren’t trying to bowl there. We just didn’t bowl very well for that period of time.”England will have to bowl far better on the third day if they are to claw their way back into the game. But the knowledge that Anderson remains fit and willing to lead the revival will remain as reassuring to England’s supporters as it has been to a succession of England captains.

The manner in which South Africa responded to the Test defeat in Abu Dhabi has shown that the unit has character, and gave them fresh options going ahead

Firdose Moonda in Dubai27-Oct-2013The number of times members of the South African squad talk about “character” is enough to cast a series of movies. They have a full range. Tough characters, hard-working characters, and in the words of Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers, great characters as well.Film heroes usually follow a fairly predictable script. They start off as likable but naive with big dreams, then they face what seems insurmountable obstacles along the way, then they develop by overcoming those, and in the end they triumph. The South African squad have already been through this cycle many times before.But the thing about cycles is that they have no end. So, even when one has remained in the same position for some time, at some point the journey starts again. South Africa were reminded of that when they lost in Abu Dhabi. It was their first Test defeat since December 2011, and their first away from home in more than three years. It was also one of their worst defeats – perhaps not in terms of numbers – but because of the manner in which they were beaten.The Pakistan attack out-thought them, and their own bowlers were not up to the task to operate as shrewdly. It was a defeat which highlighted how serious lack of preparation can be, and it made some believe they would suffer the same fate as the previous No.1 side, England, did in conditions that have become a new final frontier for Test cricket. But for those who have kept a close eye on them since they began ascending the rankings about three years ago, it was not a defeat which ruled them out of the series.South Africa are simply too good a side to not learn from their mistakes and be able to rectify them quickly. By the second innings in Abu Dhabi, they were already hitting better lengths, and by the time Dubai came, the bowlers had found top gear again. The hastiness and poor shot selection that affected their batsmen in the first match was removed from their game in the second with a display of better temperament, patience and resilience. With the errors erased, they dominated again.That takes talent, but it also takes character, which only grows stronger with every success. To build character from a failing is an even better achievement and one South Africa have not had to deal with much in the recent past. They have won six series on the trot before this one so the sting of defeat was a faded memory for all but one player who hit a personal low in the time South Africa were on the up.Imran Tahir is the only member of the Test squad to have been dropped and recalled in the last year. The way he performed in Adelaide last November could have ruled any cricketer out of the game, much less the international circuit, because it tore apart his reputation. But Tahir was managed in a way that allowed him to believe his career was not over. He was cocooned in what his franchise coach, Geoffrey Toyana, told ESPNcricinfo was nothing more complicated than “love” and coaxed him back to form.When he was recalled to replace Robin Peterson, it was because South Africa knew they needed a more penetrative spinner, given the conditions. The expectation was on him to perform and provide the impact he had been searching for in his previous 11 showings. He also wanted to be Smith’s go-to man. On the first surface Tahir has played on that has offered something, he delivered, finding turn and bounce, and using his googly to good effect.His five-wicket return in the first innings, and the overall match haul of eight scalps, proved he has a future on the biggest stage. In turn repaying the faith South Africa have showed in him. “It was great to see him bowl so well,” Smith said. “He showed immense character to bounce back, and it showed we have a group of players that can respond. We all enjoyed his success. It was a testament to him as a person.”It also gives South Africa another option going forward as they juggle between Peterson and him. Peterson will ultimately be tasked with doing a holding job, while Tahir will perhaps be saved for the subcontinent when they require an attacking bowler. That could be the biggest gain South Africa will make from this trip because they now know Tahir is someone they can turn to, rather than being a continued gamble.They would never have been able to glean that had they not lost in Abu Dhabi and felt forced to make a change for what became a must-win game in Dubai. That it happened and they responded by making the right selection instead of sticking with Peterson as a sentimental choice is proof of the development of their character as a unit.They did not finish with the happily ever after tag they may have wanted in terms of a series win, but they’ve definitely posted an interesting ‘to be continued’ for when the next tour to Asia, in India, occurs in two years’ time.

A selection of tributes from Jacques Kallis’ team-mates and coaches after he decided the Durban Test will be the final one of a glorious career

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Dec-20130:00

Cullinan: Sudden end to one of the great careers

Hashim Amla says Kallis is “arguably South Africa’s greatest sportsman”•Getty Images”And the test cricketing world says goodbye to another legend,if not the greatest…Cheers Woogie! U will be missed.”
Mark Boucher
“It’s been emotional few days knowing JK retiring.all I can say what a privilege to have played with the great man!”
Graeme Smith
“140 characters just won’t be enough to do u justice, so in short then, Jacques Henry Kallis, we salute you. #legend #KingKallis”
AB de Villiers
“An amazin career from arguably South Africa’s greatest sportsman.Lookin forward to 1 last game in whites with this legend @jacqueskallis75.”
Hashim Amla
“And so after the boxing day test, come to end a test career of the #greatestcricketer the world has ever seen #certainlyinmyeyes #JHKallis.”
Alviro Petersen
“Been an honour to share a changeroom with 1 of the gr8’s of the game,may we giv u the send off u thoroughly deserve @jacqueskallis75 #legend.”
JP Duminy
“What an honour sharing a changeroom with the greatest cricketer of all time @jacqueskallis75 .u will be missed.#kingKallis #legend”
Faf du Plessis
“Congrats @jacqueskallis75 ’95 seems like just the other day! Thx for the memories & friendship! All the best with your last Test! #Respect”
Shaun Pollock
“Greatest cricketer SA has produced has retired.It was a privilege being part of a WP & Protea setup with him,@jacqueskallis75 enjoy the golf.”
Head of the high performance program and former national bowling coach Vincent Barnes
“Was an honour and privilege to work with the greatest all round cricketer of all time @jacqueskallis75, farewell to the king!! #GOAT.”
Former SA fitness and fielding coach and current Titans coach Rob Walter