After smashing his 400th career home run on Saturday night, Angels right fielder Mike Trout shared an emotional message for his family, friends and fans on social media on Sunday.
"400. Last night was surreal," Trout said, alongside a special video montage. "Blessed to play this game I love. Thank you to my teammates, family, and the fans for all the support. Let's keep it rolling!"
Check that out below:
The 11-time All Star's 400th career dinger, which was his 22nd of the season, came in the eighth inning of Saturday's game against the Rockies: a 485-footer to left-center field off a 98-mph pitch from Colorado reliever Jaden Hill. Later, Trout played catch with the fan who caught the ball.
"It's one of the things coming into the season that was on the list," Trout said of the achievement, per ESPN. "I'm just happy it's over. I'm enjoying it, obviously. It sucks the family wasn't out here, but they watched it on TV. My boys back home, my two sons, and my wife got to see it on TV. My buddies back home and my family back home in Jersey, they can stop texting me to hit the 400th. It means a lot to me."
Although the Angels won 3-0 on Saturday (a fitting present for Trout), they still finished the three game series 1-2, as the Rockies proved victorious on Friday and Sunday.
Next up, L.A. will host the Royals starting Tuesday, when Trout could add another homer or two to his already impressive tally.
TORONTO — When it was over, when after 162 regular-season games and another 15 in the playoffs and now two excruciating innings, the Dodgers won Game 7, 5–4, to repeat as World Series champions, the man who won the game raced to the mound to grab the man who saved it.
It was Will Smith, the catcher, who launched the 11th-inning home run that stunned the sellout crowd of 44,713 at the Rogers Centre and gave the Dodgers their first lead of the night. But it was Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Game 6 starter who got eight outs in Game 7 on no days’ rest, who gave him the chance. Twenty-five hours after he threw 96 pitches in Game 6, an outing that followed back-to-back complete games, Yamamoto all but forced his way into the game and threw 34 devastating pitches.
Manager Dave Roberts had tried not to use him at all, and then he tried to remove him after his second inning on Saturday. “Daijoubu,” Yamamoto said.
“It’s unheard of,” said Roberts, who struggled to explain how Yamamoto could possibly have done this. “I think that there’s a mind component, there’s a delivery, which is a flawless delivery, and there’s just an unwavering will. I just haven’t seen it [elsewhere]. I really haven’t.”
So the manager let him go back out and close the door for a team that just kept propping it open. The Blue Jays were two outs away from ending a 32-year World Series drought when an unlikely hero emerged. In a game that featured Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., it was Dodgers glove-first second baseman Miguel Rojas, playing in his second game in three weeks, who lined a solo home run over the left field wall to tie the game.
Each team loaded the bases with one out—the Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers in the top of the 10th—and failed to score. Smith, dragging himself around the field after catching all 72 innings of this epic World Series, dragged the Dodgers ahead.
It almost wasn’t enough. Guerrero, the face of a franchise and the face of a nation, doubled to lead off the bottom of the 11th. Isiah Kiner-Falefa sacrificed him to third. Addison Barger worked a walk. But Yamamoto broke Alejandro Kirk’s bat with one of his signature splitters, and Betts, the shortstop snagged the easy chopper, stepped on second base and fired to first for the double play. The Dodgers, who became the first team since the 2000 Yankees to repeat, were on the field almost before the Blue Jays understood what had just happened to them.
Smith tackled Yamamoto from behind. Their teammates raced in from the dugout and the bullpen to join them. They jumped up and down on exhausted legs and hugged one another with spent arms and screamed with hoarse throats.
Of course this World Series came down to extra innings in Game 7. It could not be contained by the laws of physics, the columns of scorebooks or even, at times, by the customs of human decency. At one point in Game 7, the only daylight between the teams came when the umpires pushed the players apart. Counting the 18-inning Game 3, this was the first Fall Classic that featured more than eight games’ worth of baseball. Only three of the games were truly close—Games 1, 2, 4 and 5 were decided by an average of five runs—but neither team ever seemed overmatched.
Still this one was loopier than most. The Dodgers used all four of their World Series starting pitchers, two—Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow—on no days’ rest. The Blue Jays used three of theirs. The fourth, Kevin Gausman, said he would have been available had the game continued.
And for a while it appeared it might go forever. The Blue Jays never seemed to go away. Twice the Dodgers won in what should have been backbreaking fashion—the 18-inning Game 3, and then the wild double play to snuff out a rally in Game 6—but Toronto just kept fighting. It won Game 4, and it nearly won this one.
Los Angeles’s roster boasts 44 All-Star Game appearances and 22 World Series rings. For the Blue Jays, those figures are 29 and three. The Dodgers’ record $328 million payroll has made some observers question whether they are ruining baseball. The Blue Jays were not interested in narratives, just in wins.
Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) celebrates with Shohei Ohtani after his game-tying home run in the ninth inning. / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Game 7 pitted two Hall of Famers against one another, one who had been preparing for this start all series and one who learned for sure he would get it after Game 6.
When manager John Schneider told Max Scherzer he would start Game 3, Scherzer said, “O.K., so 3 and 7.” The assignment made him, at 41 years and 97 days, the oldest pitcher to start a winner-take-all World Series game. When Schneider walked by him after Game 6, which the Blue Jays lost on a brutal game-ending double play, he said, Scherzer looked “ready to kill somebody.” Schneider added, “So you trust him to be ready for this environment.”
The Dodgers trust Shohei Ohtani as well, although they were not sure what to expect from him. After Game 6, they reviewed their options. Glasnow, the Game 3 starter, had gotten the final three outs that night. Blake Snell, who started Games 1 and 5, would be on short rest; Yamamoto, who started Games 2 and 6, would be on even shorter rest. Despite playing 18 innings—and reaching base a postseason record nine times—in Game 3, then receiving IV fluids and pitching six innings 17 hours later in Game 4, Ohtani assured them that he was available on the mound for Game 6. (This is a man who, offered the chance to come out of Game 3 in the 11th due to leg cramps that had him hobbling around the bases, declined, and who, asked in the sixth inning of Game 4 how many more frames he could go, said three.)
He might have been a more traditional option in relief. But there is nothing traditional about Ohtani. The Dodgers chose to start him largely because of the rule that allows him to remain in the game as the DH once he comes off the mound—but only if he starts the game. If he relieves, when he exits as a hitter, he exits as a pitcher. Between that regulation and the logistical nightmare of getting him to the bullpen to warm up in between at-bats, this pathway was the obvious choice. But Ohtani, still recovering from surgery to repair his left elbow, had only started on three days’ rest once in his career, and that came when rain cut the first outing to two innings and 30 pitches.
“This is Game 7,” Roberts said. “There’s a lot of things that people haven’t done, and you’ve just got to trust your players and try to win a baseball game.”
Ohtani opened the game with a single, took second on a grounder to first and took third on a deep fly ball to center field. Betts grounded out to end the frame, which gave Ohtani two and a half minutes to dart into the dugout, remove his batting armor, grab his glove, huddle with pitching coach Mark Prior and bench coach Danny Lehman, and take the mound for his six warm-up pitches. Just under five minutes—and, it must be said, two and a half minutes after the rules stipulate—after he ran out Betts’s grounder, Ohtani threw ball one to George Springer. Springer, visibly wincing on every swing as he managed a right-side injury that cost him two games, singled but was retired on a strike-’im-out-throw-’im-out double play to end the inning.
Ohtani caught a break in the second inning. His secondary command was spotty, so he had to lean on his fastball. He walked Bo Bichette to lead off the frame and allowed a single to Addison Barger. With two outs, Ernie Clement knocked a single to right field, but the hobbled Bichette had to hold at third. Andrés Giménez waved at an inside fastball to end the threat.
Springer led off the next inning with another single. When Nathan Lukes bunted him over and he took third on a wild pitch, the Dodgers elected to walk Guerrero intentionally. That brought up Bichette. The first pitch he saw was a slider that slid right into the middle of the zone. As 44,713 roaring fans shook the Rogers Centre, Springer and Guerrero each raised their hands and jogged home. Bichette slowly limped after them.
Bichette knew he would be a free agent after the World Series ended. He knew aggravating the injury could hurt his long-term earning potential. He did not care. “It’s the World Series,” he said. “So none of that stuff really matters.”
The homer ended Ohtani’s night on the mound after 2 ⅓ innings pitched. The Dodgers manufactured a run in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, 194-pound floppy-haired lefty Justin Wrobleski buzzed 5’ 11” shortstop Andrés Giménez with an inside fastball. On the next pitch, he hit him. The benches—and the bullpens—cleared. The umpires issued warnings. The Dodgers scored another run in the top of the sixth; the Blue Jays did the same in the bottom of the frame. With his sixth-inning single, Clement set a record with his 10th multi-hit game this postseason; with his eighth-inning double, he set a record with his 30th hit.
To cap one of the finest offensive postseasons of all time—he had more hits this postseason (28) than swings and misses (25) and more homers (eight) than strikeouts (seven)—Guerrero dazzled with his glove. He made a diving stop and flipped to first in the first; snared a rope just beyond the foul line to end the fourth; and started a nifty double play to end the seventh. He roared after each one as if he’d hit the game-winning homer.
Both pitching staffs were topsy-turvy after such a grind of a series. Snell got four outs. The Blue Jays threw Louis Varland, presumably pitching in long sleeves to keep his right arm attached to his body, who set a postseason record by appearing in his 15th game (Toronto played 18); Chris Bassitt, the starter turned relief ace; and Trey Yesavage, the 22-year-old pitching on two days’ rest after yet another postseason masterpiece in Game 5, who allowed a home run to Max Muncy in the eighth inning that brought the game within one. Then came Rojas, and then came Smith.
And most of all, then came Yamamoto, who was named World Series MVP. The Dodgers did not, as it turned out, ruin baseball. In fact, they gave us more of it.
You can teleport two bowlers from 2020 into a 1998 ODI on a dry Chepauk pitch to have a go at those two in a low-scoring game. Whom do you pick?
ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2020 Hot SeatScenario
It’s 1998, and we’ve got ourselves a low-scoring ODI on a cracked up Chepauk pitch in Chennai that is offering turn and uneven bounce. Your Rest of the World XI has scrabbled to 190 against the hosts, India. In the chase, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have the game seemingly locked up at 70 for 0 after 20 overs when you are given a wild card. A portal has been opened to the future, allowing any two bowlers (Indians included) from 2020 to be shipped in for an over each, one to bowl at Tendulkar and one to Ganguly. Whom do you teleport in to break open the game?Sharda Ugra:
You have to get them now. Five more overs and the game is gone. So a gamble is called for. Against a set Tendulkar, you need a left-arm bowler, either a fast bowler or left-arm wristspinner, but not someone of a known pedigree – that puts T on high alert. What we need now is to feed his ego some juicy carrots in the form of an under-the-radar type. Make him look for gimme runs and mistime one into the air. Step up Tabraiz Shamsi, lurking in the shadows of the Imran Tahir spotlight. Against Ganguly, even if this is a breaking Chepauk, no spinners. He knows how to handle that stuff. In the mood, he can extract gimmes from everyone, throw them off their lengths. You need fast, you need fierce, you need both accuracy and variety. Mitchell Starc is the man.Alan Gardner:
In what may seem a counterintuitive move, I’m going to eschew slow-bowling options – despite the turning pitch – on the ground that both batsmen had far better records against spin. It wasn’t such a well-established fact back in 1998, but Ganguly’s weakness against the short ball has to be targeted (even if the young Ganguly might be better able to get himself out of trouble). Who has the meanest bouncer in the game currently? Let’s not look any further than Jofra Archer, who spent the 2019 World Cup pinging helmets for fun. As for Tendulkar, I have a hunch the left-armer’s angle might help unsettle him. With his range of cutters and slower balls that should be perfectly suited to a dry Chepauk, I’m going to bank on Mustafizur Rahman to make the all-important pop for my ROW XI.Karthik Krishnaswamy:
My pick to bowl at Ganguly is a no-brainer: R Ashwin is from Chennai and is lethal against left-hand batsmen. Against Tendulkar, I’d go out of the box and bring on Colin de Grandhomme. He’d be a great option anyway on a pitch with uneven bounce, looking to bowl stump-to-stump, dry up the runs, and force an error, but I’m calling him from the future specifically because Tendulkar disliked facing medium-pacers such as Hansie Cronje, and often got out to them while trying to force the pace when the ball didn’t quite come on.Getty ImagesAndrew Fidel Fernando:
The ball has started to misbehave, jumping at the throat from short of a length at times and shooting into the shins if pitched an inch fuller. Although Ashwin knows Ganguly is uncomfortable against offspin, his eyes are set on Tendulkar. With only 120 runs to defend, World XI have no option but to attack. Slip, point, cover, mid-off and short leg wait in anticipation. Ashwin is sticking to the middle-and-leg line, turning the ball into Tendulkar’s pads. The wicked bounce is troubling Tendulkar, who is also wary of Ashwin’s carom ball. With runs drying up, Tendulkar, who usually likes to dominate, is restless. He is trying to play inside out. Ashwin has gained the upper hand. At the other end, Archer knows what makes Ganguly cringe: the rib-ticklers that dart from short-of-a-good length. Already, Ganguly has had to fold up a few times trying to fend off the short deliveries. Archer has added two slips to show who is dominating. It is a duel of four grandmasters on a checkered pitch. The Chepauk faithful are all eyes.Danyal Rasool:
In seven combined ODI innings that Tendulkar and Ganguly played at Chepuak Stadium, neither ever gave their wicket to a spinner. But since this is a dust bowl, for Tendulkar, I’d throw Kuldeep Yadav the ball. Yadav has begun to hone the wrong’un, and on a turning pitch, the batsman must play at every ball. If Tendulkar feels he could leave a couple alone, just remember the ball Yadav bowled to Babar Azam at the 2019 World Cup. Ganguly is, famously, brilliant against spin, but who could withstand Rashid Khan on such a pitch? Averaging under 19 from 71 ODIs, Khan has raised the bar for legspinners worldwide. A bit of flight, and Ganguly may not be able to resist dancing down the pitch. Should he succumb to that temptation, trouble awaits.
Captain leads from the front on Finals Day as champions prove value of experience
Matt Roller05-Oct-2020It was typical of Nottinghamshire that, after losing 37-year-old Chris Nash to injury in their semi-final win against Lancashire, the average age of the side for the T20 Blast final on Sunday evening increased. In came Peter Trego, in his first Blast appearance for the county at the age of 39, to smear five fours and a six and provide middle-order impetus to their successful run-chase.Notts have been the Blast’s oldest team this season, with an average age above 30 and over 1700 T20 appearances between the XI that played the final. Their success confirmed their captain Dan Christian’s pre-tournament proclamation that “old blokes win stuff”, as they followed West Indies, Chennai Super Kings, and many other teams around the world by translating experience into titles.”I’m always going to say that because I’m an old bloke,” Christian, 37, laughed. “It’s an embarrassment of riches really, to lose someone like Chris Nash and replace him with someone like Peter Trego.”
#oldblokeswinstuff
Over 30’s brigade.
The kids helped too to be fair pic.twitter.com/r6WTFsC23u
— Dan Christian (@danchristian54) October 4, 2020
Experience has come to the fore throughout their knockout games. Samit Patel, the 35-year-old allrounder, had faced only seven balls before the quarter-final against Leicestershire, but his cameo of 28 not out off 16 took them through; Henry Heimlich would have nodded approvingly at Patel’s success in preventing a choke.”We played around with our order a little bit today, [but] we’ve generally had Samit Patel coming in at eight and Imad Wasim coming in at nine,” Christian said. “Let’s say there are roughly 500-odd [478] games of experience there in the bottom of the order. Samit’s [one of] the highest run-scorers in the history of this competition and Imad has batted in the top six for Pakistan.”To have that kind of depth in your order is just massive for us and it gives the top order so much freedom to be able to go out and play shots and try to knock games on the head, particularly when we chase. We’ve been a really good chasing team all year and that showed again tonight: to be three for not many and Peter Trego comes in for his first game [having] played for 20-odd years – we’re just really lucky to have that kind of experience and that kind of depth.”Dan Christian was Player of the Match in Nottinghamshire’s semi-final and final•Getty ImagesFor Christian, this was the eighth T20 title of his career – only five men have more worldwide – and his second as captain, both of them with Notts. The Blast’s Finals Day has been dominated by talismanic captains in the last five seasons, but few have performed with Christian’s cold-blooded temerity.In the semi-final, reduced to 11 overs after a weekend of persistent October rain, Notts were threatening a wobble with 29 needed off 23 balls; Christian’s response was to heave four consecutive sixes into the empty Eric Hollies Stand at deep midwicket off Liam Livingstone, ending the game as a contest.”I decided that was going to be the over I would try and target to knock the game on the head and not let it get to the last over,” he explained. “Once I got the first six away I thought I might as well go again. Then I got the second one away and thought I might as well go again, and then just kept going. Having that depth and knowing you’ve got the guys behind you, you can play with that kind of freedom.”And against Surrey in the final, he took 4 for 11 from his two death overs to keep Surrey to 127 for 6 from their 16-over allocation – they had looked on course for 150 when he brought himself back on – before firing 21 off 11 balls from No. 6 to kill the game with time to spare. That meant player-of-the-match awards in both the semi and the final.”You have the odd day out,” he said, “but it’s always nice to do it when it really matters in a final and when the game’s on the line – and a semi-final, when you need to get your team over the line.”I’ve generally been pretty ordinary bowling here in England, particularly at Trent Bridge, so it was nice to get a couple of wickets. It was a good day for me personally, but I think everyone played really well. We were dominant all the way through – I think we dominated the semi-final and then we dominated the final as well.”ALSO READ: Duckett seals Nottinghamshire’s second Blast title in four yearsThat domination extended across the tournament. Not since 2004, and the days of a five-match group stage, has a team won the competition with only one defeat in their season, as Notts managed this year. They did so with Alex Hales averaging 18.36, Luke Fletcher left on the bench, and Harry Gurney missing throughout with a shoulder injury.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”[Gurney] has been a mainstay of our attack for the last six years since I’ve been here at Notts,” Christian said. “[We were] going in with a bit of a different make-up this year, just playing the one quick with myself as the second seamer. The boys handled it really, really well.”It will be an arduous journey home for Christian, with strict Covid-19 restrictions in Melbourne leaving open the prospect of 28 days’ quarantine in all before the start of the Big Bash, but another T20 title will make that easier to stomach.Notts were again the Blast’s best team: they have won two of the last four titles, have won more games than anyone else across the last four seasons, and have reached the knockouts every year since 2015.Under Peter Moores’ stewardship, they have often resembled a T20 franchise more than a county, recruiting the best young talent from local teams, compiling a squad with the depth to leave Blast stalwarts on the bench, and opting to sign two overseas players this season when most counties had none. It has been an inexorable pursuit of short-form success, but the results are indisputable: with Christian at the helm, Notts have blown their competition away.
A look back to 30 years ago, when a handful of world leaders put on whites for charity
Masud Mahdi10-Nov-2020Unique, extraordinary, and surreal – clichéd, but truly the only accurate words to describe an event I was fortunate to witness: leaders from across the world meeting on the cricket pitch in Harare, Zimbabwe.(A disclaimer before I go on – the leaders mentioned in this article may evoke strong opinions among readers. This is not a political article, so please read it only in the spirit in which it is intended – a narration from an apolitical perspective.)My father, Rafat Mahdi, now a retired career diplomat, began his career in 1970, and in January 1990 he took on his first ambassadorial assignment as Pakistan’s high commissioner to Zimbabwe. In the middle of 1991, and his team started preparations for a visit by a Pakistan delegation, led by the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, to attend a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October in Harare.The commonwealth is an organisation mainly of former colonies and territories of the British empire. As such, cricket is popular in many commonwealth countries. Sharif, a huge cricket enthusiast and an established club player, sent a peculiar request to a few months before the summit. He wanted my father to organise a cricket match with other world leaders attending the summit. As if the stress of managing a prime minister’s visit was not enough! gauged interest from other commonwealth ambassadors stationed in Harare. There was strong interest from prime ministers John Major (UK), Bob Hawke (Australia) and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (Maldives) to take part. India would not participate, not for political reasons, but because their prime minister, Narasimha Rao, was skipping the retreat portion of the summit at Victoria Falls. found a strong partner in Mark Williams of the British High Commission in organising the event, and received logistical support from various officials in the Zimbabwe government and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.Bob Hawke and John Major walk out to bat. Mark Williams of the British High Commission in Harare is right behind them•Masud MahdiThe world leaders were paired: Hawke and Major, Gayoom and Sharif. Each pair would bat for three overs. After the world leaders had played their innings, some famous cricketing names would continue the entertainment, including West Indies legend Clive Lloyd, Zimbabwe’s Dave Houghton, and Zimbabwe-born Graeme Hick, who had qualified and debuted for England earlier that year. Prince Edward School, where the likes of Duncan Fletcher, Hick, Houghton and Eddo Brandes were educated, was chosen over multiple contenders including my school, St John’s College, as the bowling team.The event was confirmed for the afternoon of Friday, October the 18th, and announced to the public. Outlets began hyping the event, adults and schoolchildren alike excitedly talked about it, and sponsors threw in their support for charitable purposes – each six was a Z$1000 donation, and each four a Z$500 donation (keep in mind, this was when US$ 1 was exchanged for around Z$ 4).The CHOGM began the week of October 14. As with any large gathering of world leaders, the week was packed with various events focused on global events, relationships and initiatives. The Friday afternoon match was on a tight schedule because all the leaders were flying in the evening to Victoria Falls.For Sharif, the afternoon began with the Friday prayer at a mosque. From the mosque, he, my father, and the delegation headed to the Pakistan High Commission to meet the officers and staff there. My brother, Asad, and I excitedly hitched a ride in the motorcade as well. After this meeting, Sharif changed into his cricket kit and we all headed to the Harare Sports Club.It was a typical Harare early summer afternoon. The full crowd at the Harare Sports Club was giddy in anticipation. When the motorcade arrived at the venue, led Sharif to the enclosure for dignitaries where the other leaders were waiting. Sharif, though, had other plans. “I need some net practice,” he said. So off we went to the nets!Nawaz Sharif pads up for practice. Behind him (wearing white) is Rafat Mahdi•Masud MahdiThe nets were open to all to watch. A crowd of attendees left their seats to watch Sharif warm up for the main event. After a few of Sharif’s staff took their turn at bowling, my father handed a ball to me. I was definitely not known for my bowling skills (and neither really for batting or fielding), and naturally I was very nervous, given the situation. I threw a beamer straight at Sharif’s head. It was one of the most agonising split seconds of my life. Thankfully Sharif was able to use his skill to comfortably defend it. That was a huge relief for me and for , who politely asked me not to bowl any further.I saw a couple of my school friends and handed them the ball. Random members of the crowd also bowled. Sharif impressed in the nets. My brother was the only one who managed to bowl him out, with a ripper that went around his legs. Word soon came that Major, Hawke and Gayoom were ready to get the show started. Among other political dignitaries in attendance were Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe and Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia.Before I go further, a moment of reflection to capture how surreal the event was. There were no security checks that day. No barricades, no metal detectors, no bag checks, nothing. There was some crowd control where the dignitaries were seated, but people could still move around with ease. Case in point, I wandered into the area and ended up, not out of choice, sitting between Mugabe and Zia for a portion of the match.Back to the main event. Major and Hawke walked towards the pitch amid tremendous applause. The Prince Edward bowlers were instructed to bowl dollies to ensure entertainment. I cannot recall ball by ball what happened, but at least a couple of fours were hit in those three overs. They also managed a few twos and some singles, and neither was dismissed. The crowd applauded them back into the pavilion when their three overs were up.Sharif and Gayoom walked out to even greater applause, as the substantial Pakistani community in attendance cheered for their representative. Sharif confided to before walking in that he was nervous about the first ball. tried to calm him down, and encouraged him to unremarkably defend it, after which he would gain his confidence. Defend the first ball is exactly what Sharif did, a good omen.John Major and Robert Mugabe at the presentation while Nawaz Sharif and Shaharyar Khan, both padded up, look on•Masud MahdiA few balls later, he made great use of his feet, charging down the pitch and launching the ball over the boundary for a huge six, throwing the crowd into a frenzy. A couple of fours soon followed, then another six, and another a few balls later. No one expected this level of entertainment, and it was pure exhilaration for a responsive and supportive crowd. For good measure, there were some singles and doubles too, and Gayoom gave able support for whatever little of the strike he had. The pair walked back in after their three overs to a raucous ovation.There was a presentation ceremony – I do not recall whether it was before the cricket started or after – recognising the participation of the world leaders, thanking the organisers and the sponsors, and reflecting on the purpose of the event. Hands were shaken, pleasantries exchanged, and the leaders headed off to the airport.The on-pitch festivities continued into the evening. Hick walked in and subjected the bowlers – now bowling at full strength – to an endless barrage of fours and sixes. Lloyd, Houghton and others also batted, as well as Pakistani diplomat Shaharyar Khan, who later became the head of the PCB. The participants entertained, the crowd enjoyed themselves, and money was raised for charity.Coverage of the event was, unfortunately, somewhat limited. Pakistan Television (PTV) did capture footage and broadcast it on the news in Pakistan. There must certainly be a VHS tape in some PTV storage room with extended footage. What I have with me from the event are a few photos – memories of that joyous Harare afternoon etched in my mind. And a hope, perhaps too optimistic, that we will see a repeat one day.Want to be featured in Inbox? Send your articles to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.
Pooran talks bio-bubbles, his personal aspirations for 2021, and why he opted out of Bangladesh tour
Sreshth Shah06-Jan-2021There’s a perception that West Indies cricketers have saved international and franchise cricket in 2020. But that comes with bubble life and plenty of sacrifices on a personal level. One can say you’re one of the experts of this new life that cricketers must lead. How has it been? First of all, the bubble life is extremely difficult, to be honest. I am currently in my fifth month in a row hopping from bubble to bubble. It’s especially difficult being away from friends and family. As a cricketer, you appreciate the bubble because your focus is all about the game, how to get better, but if you’re not performing as a sportsperson and in the bubble, then you need to get out, have a drink, have a laugh, catch up with others. There are positives and negatives of being in the bubble.I learnt a lot about myself because in the last six-seven months, I wasn’t too sure if we’d play cricket again in 2020. And here I am five months after in 2021, five months in the bubble, and I am just trying to appreciate every single match. Eight months ago, I really wasn’t sure when I’d play cricket again. And now I am looking to just take advantage of these moments and looking to enjoy playing as if it’s my last game.How do you spend time alone, in your own company? Is there anything new you’ve discovered about yourself? I’ve just been reading books. I’m reading a lot, trying my best to get better not only in cricket but other aspects of life … like my intellect. There’s not much else you can do. My focus at the moment is to get better at the game, so I’ll spend a lot of time on my iPad looking at videos, doing homework on my game, looking at other batsmen, what they do to be successful, watch interviews. That’s the most, I think, I can do.Why did you, in particular, opt out of the Bangladesh ODIs set to start mid-January? Was it because of the burnout, the bio-bubbles or something else? It’s not at all about pulling the plug on cricket or wanting a break, but about the health factor in Bangladesh. As a player, I wasn’t sure, was a bit sceptical of the health situation there. Because other players weren’t going either, I felt I didn’t have to take the risk and Cricket West Indies were understanding and gave the players the benefit of the doubt. What I’ll be doing when West Indies play the ODIs is not be involved in any other cricket. I’ll be watching the ODI series from home.Related
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Ten West Indies players pull out of Bangladesh tour
Pooran, Pollard in ESPNcricinfo's T20 team of the year
Who are you excited to watch in those Bangladesh ODIs, given so many withdrawals allow some new faces to have a crack at international cricket?I have a couple of names. Kyle Mayers, Kjorn Ottley, Akeal Hosein and even Jason Mohammed. These are guys that can do really good. Looking forward to seeing them tackle this challenge in Bangladesh. Bangladesh plays very well at home, but these guys are good enough and it’s a great opportunity for them, which they should look to grab.The T20 World Cup is scheduled later this year in India. What are your – and West Indies’ – aspirations for that event?Personally, I am looking forward to the T20 World Cup. As a team, our strength is T20s. For the last couple of years, we’ve been doing good in World Cups, but as a team where we are ranked [10th], it doesn’t show how good our team actually is. Most of the senior guys are coming back to the West Indies team … like Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are all coming back eventually. As a player, I am especially excited because I want to do good for the West Indies people and put a smile on their faces. My record for West Indies in T20s isn’t that good and I want to improve that for the next couple of months.Can you pinpoint why the rankings aren’t reflective of how good, as you just said, West Indies cricket is?I just believe that most of the series West Indies play, they don’t play with their strongest team. And by strongest I mean Chris Gayle, Pollard, Russell, Narine, Bravo in the team together. In the last couple of years, we haven’t witnessed these players together. Either most of them weren’t selected, some were unavailable … but definitely a case around that. We couldn’t play as a team after the last T20 World Cup. This, I am saying from a player’s and a fan’s point of view. Not seeing some of my favourite players represent West Indies might be one of the reasons.You were one of the breakout stars of the T10 format, top-scoring in the Abu Dhabi T10 League in 2018 even, and this season will be captain at Northern Warriors. When it comes to batting in T10 cricket, does the tradition role of a ‘top-order’ or ‘middle-order batsman’ exist? Or are all the batsmen – from Nos. 1 to 7 – simply … ‘batsmen.’No, I feel there are different roles. If you lose your openers in the first or second over, then the middle order needs to come into play. I wouldn’t expect them to come out and take risks that are not required, and yes, it’s only 10 overs, and your strike-rate needs to be in the 150s or 160s, but if you keep going hard at the bowlers, then there’s a chance of losing a lot of wickets.So it’s just like 50 overs or T20s, you need to rebuild, but in this case you can rebuild only for one or two overs, so I do feel there’s a middle order and it’s very important to a team’s success in T10. Especially when you play in bigger grounds.Nicholas Pooran finished IPL 2020 with a strike-rate of 169•BCCISpending so much time in the UAE for the IPL, then, will be very helpful as you approach the T10 tournament?The first two years of the T10 was – in Sharjah – everyone had high strike-rates. In a small ground like that, even edges went for six, but in Abu Dhabi – where we will be playing now – you can’t come out and play a big shot and hope it goes for six. It’s difficult. So you need to get yourself in as well in T10, more so in Abu Dhabi because of the ground sizes.After this IPL, we saw that the new ball is especially effective in Abu Dhabi. If you’re going to get wickets, you will get it with the new ball. The ground is obviously bigger so you need to hit the gaps, try to run your twos. If you mistime your ball, you will get out, which doesn’t happen in smaller grounds like Sharjah.It’s also the first time you’ll be captaining a franchise. There’s a theory that certain players fare better when they aren’t burdened with captaincy while certain players thrive under the extra responsibility. Where do you stand on that debate when it comes to you?First I consider myself as a player in a team. And in franchise cricket, a lot of decisions, like choosing a captain is about trust and communication. I can’t say if I’ll be a captain of other franchises, but if they see me fit that I am ready to lead whatever team … it’s no problem.I always see myself as a leader on and off the field. If things aren’t working out and I have to make a decision where leadership is not for me, I’ll own up and take that decision. But for now it’s a challenge I am always willing to accept.As a globetrotting cricketer, I’m sure you can discuss batting with many great players. But do you discuss tactics with people too? Who is your go-to person to discuss cricket beyond just batting?I am very close to Pollard. I think he is one of the best T20 players in the world. He has played the most T20 games, so I discuss tactics with him. I try to model my game around him. I discuss field settings, bowling options, bowling changes, where bowlers should bowl to certain batsmen according to the game’s situation. I also have played enough T20 cricket to understand what is required at a particular stage of the game.
The South Africa batter on the importance of the occasional cheat meal, and her love of braai
Interview by Annesha Ghosh19-Mar-2021What do you like eating most in any given week?
. That’s probably because I’m South African, we all like to eat braai. Around the world, braai is known more as barbecue. I am a big meat-eater, so if I can have meat during my meal, I’m always happy and it puts a smile on my face.Of all the venues you’ve played in to date, where did you find the food most delicious?
During the 2017 ODI World Cup [in England], Leicester County Cricket Club served us delicious food. At the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat, where we played in 2019, I loved the Indian delicacies.As far as cooking goes, what would be your claim to fame?
I think my husband would say cannelloni. That’s one of his favourites and I enjoy making cannelloni. And if I am pressed for time I go for something Mexican, like a fajita or a burrito bowl. It’s quick, easy, and delicious.Are you the best cook in the family?
No (). I’ve been on tour so often and been playing cricket most of the time, I am grateful that my mom did most of the cooking. It was only after I got married that I realised, “Whoopsie! Mom’s not around, so I’ve got to step up.” I’ve got a few go-to meals, but every time I get back, I feel like I’ve forgotten everything. I don’t remember how to make the food! So we just then have to make a braai and I stick to a side salad, which is pretty easy.If you could pick one team-mate to cook meals for you for one year straight, who would that be?
I’d go for a WBBL team-mate, in the Melbourne Stars family: Holly Ferling. She’s made some really good food for us on tour and she’s extremely good at baking. I have got a sweet tooth, so if I’ve got to be stuck with a team-mate for 365 days, she’ll spoil me.What sort of fast food is allowed in the South Africa women’s team?
The biggest thing about fast food is [that it] is processed. You can try to stay away from processed food and instead eat real ingredients when it’s freshly made. In South Africa and elsewhere we’ve got Nando’s, which is a really healthy option. You can get good flame-grilled chicken.That being said, I do feel every now and then you’ve got to spoil yourself, just be human, and have that occasional cheat meal. I’m big on treating myself. For me, it could be a pizza or a pasta. The point is just don’t overdo it or do it too often.
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South Africa will host the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup. What is the one local dish you would like for Cricket South Africa to put on the menu for all visiting teams?
I would go for two options. The – it’s a South African delicacy similar to a stew. It has meats and vegetables and other ingredients. We make it in a big black pot and the dish is more about the social aspect of eating because the pot is surrounded by people and we do it at nice events, like, when we watch rugby. You start the pot early. It takes about three-four hours, so it’s a big social gathering.The other one I’d go for is . It’s essentially milk and eggs and minced meat – it’s something really you need to try. It’s very sweet. As for the dessert, I’d suggest either the milk tart or the peppermint crisp tart.During overseas tours, do you stick to a specific kind of meal?
I like to mix it up a little bit. In pre-match meals, I probably have to look for a bit more brain food, eat something like a nice pasta. For me to perform, I am a big meat-eater, so I try and make sure I get in some sort of meat in my meals. Also, travelling as a cricketer gives you the opportunity to experience the cuisine and cultures of other nations, so when we were, say, in India, I made sure to try out different curries. But it has to be mild () – I can’t do anything too hot and spicy. Variety is the spice of life, so it’s good to get accustomed to whatever people in the other host nations eat, to try different things.Have you had to remove certain foods from your diet due to professional reasons?
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve got a sweet tooth, so for me it’s about trying to limit the intake of treats. I’m big on chocolates and desserts. In terms of keeping fit and healthy, we’ve got a few requirements, so I’ve got to make sure I reduce the intake, but I wouldn’t say I cut it out completely.What’s your favourite post-workout snack?
I like to have a chocolate steri stumpie. In South Africa, it’s basically like drinking chocolate milk. There’s no fat. When it’s really cold, it’s nice and refreshing. Milk is good for you post-workout, so we enjoy that. If I have to look at a smoothie, I’d say I enjoy a peanut butter and frozen blueberry smoothie. That’s my go-to option.
Birmingham batter has increased his strike rate and his average while batting in one of the toughest spots in the team
Cameron Ponsonby24-Jun-2021In one of the more inspirational songs of the 20th century, Bananarama and The Fun Boy Three posited that it wasn’t in fact what you did that mattered, but the way that you did it.Sam Hain knows this feeling all too well. Weight of runs has never been an issue for Hain, but the rate at which they have been scored has. A strike rate in the low 120s saw him go undrafted for the Hundred in successive years and left a man who many believe to be the best uncapped white-ball player in the country “soul-searching” as to what to do next.Related
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The answer was simple in its conclusion if complex in its process: just go out there and whack it.The results are clear to see in the numbers. In the last three editions of the Blast, Hain’s strike rate has risen from 118.60 in 2019, to 139.21 in 2020 and now 147.42 in 2021. Similarly, his average has gone from 41.72 to 56.80 to 71.50. He’s scoring more runs, faster. Bananarama would approve.But surely just deciding to whack it can’t bring about change like this? It certainly feels like it shouldn’t. However, that’s to underestimate the power of will required to leave behind a mindset that has taken you to within touching distance of the pinnacle of your profession and adopt a new one entirely.Hain describes himself as quite a risk-averse person. As a cricketer, it’s a personality trait that has seen him become the Bears’ go-to man for years. Know your strengths as much as your weaknesses, win the ball in front of you, put the game on your back and carry the team home. However, Hundred franchises and England didn’t need responsibility, they needed runs, quickly.Over time and through conversations with the Warwickshire coaching staff, Hain began to reassess his interpretation of risk.”You’ve got to flip it on its head,” he says. “What makes me, me, is that I play the game of percentages. So what I’ve been trying to do is take the riskier options earlier and know that if it doesn’t work and I do get out, I’m only going to learn from that and that’s how I’m going to get better.”As a risk-averse person, Hain realised that the greatest risk confronting him was to not take any at all. Staying in his shell risked a potential England career, whereas coming out of it merely risked his wicket.As a motto for life, it’s poignant if cliched. However, in cricketing terms, it’s not a strategy that would work for everyone; Hain is already very good at cricket and his new mindset has only served to unleash his ability.”Technically, there’s honestly not much I’ve changed,” he says. “I feel like I’ve got most of the shots and I’m pretty 360 [degrees]. I truly believe I can play all around the ground and it was just the confidence to do so that was lacking.”Another thing of note with Hain’s success is the position in which he’s been scoring his runs: No. 4. Four is the worst place to bat in T20 cricket. Hain himself admitted to some hesitancy when he was first given the role last season saying, “it’s quite a tricky position”. If you come in during the Powerplay it means you’ve lost two early wickets, whereas if you come in just after the Powerplay you’re likely facing the opposition’s best spinner. Any later than that and you’re expected to tee off from ball one. It requires immense versatility and a player’s strike rate often suffers as a result, a metric that matters more for Hain than most.However, it is working with the Bears. And given the success he has found in the role, Hain insists that he “definitely wouldn’t change at the moment”, and that he doesn’t crave a return to the top of the order for Birmingham any time soon. Although he does say it in the same way you tell your girlfriend’s family that you’re happy with any takeaway when in reality you want the duck pancakes and to open the batting.In two years, Hain’s T20 game has transitioned from being the thorn in his career to bringing him into strong contention as one of the Hundred’s wildcard picks for this summer’s tournament. And whilst it remains to be seen if it’s enough to force his way into England’s white-ball teams, he remains, as ever, the Bears go-to man. Still getting the job done, just that bit more quickly.
Innings of 39 from 34 from captain and anchor proves overcautious in the final analysis
Matt Roller11-Nov-20211:59
Babar Azam: If Hasan Ali hadn’t dropped the catch, the ‘scenario would have been different’
Pakistan have only failed to defend a score of 176 or higher in T20 internationals three times. The first was a World Cup semi-final against Australia. The second was a game in which Babar Azam faced more than 30 balls and finished with a strike rate below 130. The third was a World Cup semi-final against Australia, in which Babar Azam faced more than 30 balls and finished with a strike rate below 130.Perhaps the crucial moment of Babar’s Thursday night came at half past five, when Aaron Finch correctly called “heads” as he flicked the coin at the toss. Chasing teams had won 10 games out of 11 in Dubai in this tournament – and eight out of eight under lights – and batting first in the knowledge that dew would affect the run chase meant that Pakistan needed to score comfortably above par in order to defend their score.They started like a team that knew a middling total would not be enough, taking 47 runs from the powerplay – their highest six-over score in the tournament. Mohammad Rizwan, who had spent the previous two nights in an intensive care unit following a chest infection, was attacking as much as he could, but struggling for timing and running with reluctance, rather than his usual enthusiasm. He was dropped twice inside the powerplay, and his uncharacteristic lack of control reflected his physical condition.Babar Azam struck 39 off 34 balls•AFP/Getty ImagesBabar, by contrast, looked in command as ever. He attacked Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh’s first overs, targeting the weak links, flicked Pat Cummins off his pads and drove Josh Hazlewood crisply through the covers. Fans chanted his name, purring at his class and poise – then watched him hole out to long-on for 39 off 34 balls. His strike rate, 114.70, was comfortably the lowest among the seven batters to reach double figures.No role in T20 batting line-ups splits opinion like the anchor, especially when their side bats first. Analysis of their performances is almost invariably : if the anchor’s team won, they were the glue giving more expansive players licence to tee off; if they lost, their slow-scoring forced others to take the wrong option and left them short of a defendable score. The truth generally lies somewhere in between.Even by his own standards, Babar’s innings was cautious. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, he played six attacking shots in 34 balls, the joint-fewest he had ever played in a T20I innings of more than 20 balls when batting first. On a true pitch, needing to score comfortably above par given the likely change in conditions later in the evening, it was felt like Babar was driving a Ferrari with the hand brake on.
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Australia stifled him well in the middle overs. After pulling Marsh for four through midwicket, Babar had 32 off 23 balls. He managed only 7 off his next 10: Marsh bowled full and straight to his field, Maxwell speared in fast offbreaks from round the wicket and Zampa cleverly varied his trajectory. That was enough to induce an attacking shot, a miscued slog-sweep straight down David Warner’s throat.”We always want to start well to set the tone for the guys coming after us,” Babar told ESPNcricinfo about his and Rizwan’s approach before the World Cup. “We communicate well, and if he’s struggling to tee off, I go after the bowlers, and if I’m struggling, he does.”Related
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This had been Pakistan’s blueprint throughout the tournament, and had worked to perfection: Babar and Rizwan laying a platform and keeping wickets in hand to allow the middle order freedom to tee off. On Thursday night, Pakistan added 105 runs in the second half of the innings after Babar’s dismissal the ball before drinks, with Fakhar Zaman teeing off as Australia went full at the death.Their total of 176 was the highest score in Dubai of the World Cup, and should have been enough. But, just as with England’s competitive first-innings total in Abu Dhabi 24 hours before, it was not. Pakistan had one foot in the final when the reverse-sweeping Maxwell was caught on the cover boundary but their seamers had a collective off-night, leaking 62 runs in four overs at the death.Five-and-a-half years ago in Mumbai, the spotlight fell on Ajinkya Rahane. His innings of 40 off 35 fulfilled the role his side had asked of him as India racked up 192 for 2 batting first in their semi-final, but when West Indies hauled it in with two balls to spare, it looked indefensible. In both instances, they were let down by poor bowling performances and dropped catches, but their innings were needlessly conservative.Babar’s innings did not cost Pakistan this game, but it reinforced a fundamental truth of this format: in T20, a refusal to take risks is the riskiest approach of all.
The two men, entrusted with different but equally difficult jobs, are key pieces to India’s white-ball jigsaw
Shashank Kishore21-Feb-2022″The SKY is the limit”. Suryakumar Yadav might have had enough of the joke, but doesn’t deny anyone the pleasure of saying it at press conferences. He laughs instead, contented at how things are shaping up for him.In March 2021, he was just like one of many players on the fringes of the national team. At 30, he wasn’t sure if the India cap would ever come his way. Blockbuster IPLs since 2018 for Mumbai Indians, apart from tons of runs in domestic cricket for a better part of four seasons prior to the pandemic, hadn’t led to any joy. There were no guarantees. But, as he transformed himself, training the mind to be calm and not let non-selection nibble away at him, magic happened.Related
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The call came, and he began his international career by hooking Jofra Archer for six. Life hasn’t quite been the same since. From starting off as a middle-order back-up for Shreyas Iyer – his shoulder injury got him much-needed game time last year – he has broken the door down with heaps of runs. He soaks up pressure, carries the team along calmly like a decade-old veteran, without losing his batting enterprise.The limited-overs matches against West Indies have merely underscored Suryakumar’s value in the set-up. He stamped his presence when the team needed it the most in both formats, not just rescuing the innings when needed, like on Sunday in the final T20I, when he hit a 31-ball 65, but also ensuring he was there right till the end to see the team through choppy waters, like in the first T20I when he scored 34* in 18.The secret to Suryakumar’s game is the calmness that allows him to line up bowlers at the last second. He gives away very little until the bowler has delivered, and then uses the last split-second to make minute adjustments, before allowing his famed hand-eye coordination and wrists to take over. When he strikes them, it’s like in a symphony – the coming together of all elements in perfect coordination. Like the shot that had Dominic Drakes sit back and watch in disbelief as a perfectly acceptable length delivery on off was dispatched over the fine-leg boundary. Suryakumar stood still until Drakes delivered, and then quickly moved across to get down on his back knee to lap-sweep him deep into the stands.What makes Suryakumar’s approach even more refreshing is his adaptability. When he came into bat on Sunday, India were at 66 for 3 in the 11th over. Then Rohit Sharma fell in the 14th. This didn’t affect Suryakumar’s tempo. You didn’t get the sense that his freedom was being restricted. You didn’t get the sense that he was edgy and moving around to manufacture shots. It was as if he was perfectly in sync with India’s situation, dropping anchor, rotating strike, running hard and putting the bad balls away at the first opportunity.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”It was important to stay till the end when Rohit got out,” he said after being adjudged Player of the Match. “We had a chat in our team meetings as well as to how we are going to react in such situations. I’m just trying to repeat the same things which I have been doing in the last few games. Whenever the situation arrives, I try to stay there till the end. Be a little harsh on yourself in the nets, that’s it.”But what’s better than having one good finisher in the batting order, is having two of them. On Sunday, they shellacked 86 in the death overs, the most India have ever made in a T20I.In this case, opposite Suryakumar was Venkatesh Iyer. Unlike his partner, Venkatesh’s drive into the big lane hasn’t been built on years of domestic success, but on the back of a season-changing IPL 2021, where he was Kolkata Knight Riders’ enforcer up top. But when India needed a back-up for Hardik Pandya, following a poor T20 World Cup campaign, they went to Venkatesh, and he hasn’t disappointed so far.Unlike in the IPL, Venkatesh bats at six for India. It’s a position where you train yourself to bat five, ten, 15, 20 balls, or maybe 25. It’s a position where you have much more to lose than gain. Cheap dismissals in the death overs while looking for the big shots in a high-scoring game could leave you wondering if that’s that. It can force you to shun your free-stroking nature in search of consistency. Venkatesh has had none of it, yet.The first ball he faced in T20Is, against New Zealand, was sent to the boundary, at a time when India’s chase was getting tense. Off his second, he tried an inventive reverse scoop, only to be caught.But he has been given a rope, and he is using it well.In the ongoing series, twice in three games, Venkatesh finished the innings off smartly, sustaining the late-order tempo. In the second T20I, he combined with Rishabh Pant to hit 76 off 35 balls to set up a match-winning score. On Sunday, he combined with Suryakumar to ensure India found their lower-order muscle. In the first, he saw India home after they lost a flurry of wickets to make a straightforward chase challenging. He finished the T20I series with scores of 24*, 33 and 35*. More importantly, he struck at 179.24.Venkatesh isn’t a blind slogger. He has a method that comes with refreshing clarity of his own game. His first two strokes on Sunday were proper cover drives – one lofted and the other along the ground. He latches on to short balls quickly and uses his long levers to play them with muscle. When he plays the pull, there are no half-measures.Venkatesh Iyer has conditioned himself to be the sixth bowler Rohit Sharma can trust•BCCIThen, as the sixth bowler, Venkatesh has conditioned himself to bowl the tough overs. As the chase got tense in the second T20I, Venkatesh even walked up to Rohit asking to be given the ball. Rohit didn’t go down that route, but later spoke of how impressed he was with Venkatesh’s attitude of wanting to be in the line of fire, wanting to take ownership and win games for the team.On Sunday, India had an unfortunate injury with Deepak Chahar hobbling out after just 1.5 overs. India needed to make up the remaining overs. Enter Venkatesh. He saw his first ball walloped for six, but he held his nerve, backed his strengths, and walked off with the wickets of Jason Holder and Kieron Pollard. It was almost like that was the game, right there.”He’s had a really good series for us. After he played the three T20s against New Zealand, you could sort of see his potential,” Rahul Dravid said of Venkatesh. “We kind of gave him the clarity on the kind of role we have for him. I know he plays a slightly different role for his IPL franchise up here in Kolkata, but we were very clear with him as to what kind of role we see him filling in seeing our situation, because in our top three there isn’t really a spot. Guys are established and we have guys who have performed in the top three.”So we challenged him and gave him the role to be able to bat in that position [as a finisher]. Every time he has come back from a break, he has improved, gotten better, and his performances are better and that’s pleasing, that’s what you want to see. How they improve, get better, and respond to those challenges, and his bowling is coming along every time.”Even in these three games… he bowled a very good over in the first T20I, got us a couple of wickets here. Like I tell him, the role of a sixth bowler is not always to be called upon to bowl, but in a situation like today, where we lost someone like Deepak, you may be called upon to bowl a few critical overs. That is the role of a sixth bowler, to be able to use when it’s required. If you’re having a good day and the captain doesn’t need you, he doesn’t need you. But when he needs you, he will need you at a critical time and he’s done a very good job. He has had a great series, I must say that.”Both Suryakumar and Venkatesh, in their current roles, are key pieces to India’s T20I jigsaw going forward. And their performances, the consistency, coming at a time when the team is finalising options for Australia 2022, can only mean lesser headaches for the Indian team management.