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VVS Laxman, the former India batsman, has advocated the use of spinning pitches in India, and “smart preparation” before the team travels overseas for tours

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2014VVS Laxman, the former India batsman, has advocated the use of spinning pitches in India, and “smart preparation” before the team travels overseas for tours. Laxman, speaking at the Pataudi Memorial Lecture in Kolkata on Wednesday, said the team should “strive to be consistently successful” away from home.”In an ideal world, before we travel to Australia or South Africa, we would spend weeks together in camps, honing techniques against the bouncing ball or working out the lengths that are optimal for surfaces with pace and bounce,” he said. “But we do not live in an ideal world, what with tours packed into the calendar.”Given that our first-class season these days starts in November, players are exposed to different conditions in various parts of India. In the north, the ball darts around in the winter and tests the technical expertise of the batsmen. Unfortunately, due to the packed international calendar, the national team players don’t always get to play first-class cricket.”So today, we need to substitute extensive preparation with smart preparation. I am a great believer in playing to our strengths and maximising home advantage.”The key to doing that, Laxman said, was, of course, producing pitches that aided spinners. “We must continue to play international cricket on pitches that suit our traditional strength, which is spin,” he said, adding that that does not mean India should not work on bettering their pace prospects. He said that could be done by pinpointing venues that will help the fast bowlers hone their skills, and these venues should be put to use before overseas tours.”We must also identify at least one venue in each zone of where we can replicate surfaces we are most likely to find encounter overseas,” he said. “In that way we can have proper preparatory camps in such venues before going on tour.”Following a period of promising Test performances overseas, India’s results in such series have fallen away drastically over the past three years. After a hard-fought drawn series in South Africa in December 2010-January 2011, and a win in West Indies in June-July 2011, India have lost 13 off 17 overseas Tests. That includes the whitewashes in England and Australia later that year, and the 3-1 loss to England this summer – a particularly disheartening showing, given the team fared so dismally in the final three Tests after taking the lead at Lord’s.”It is imperative that we prepare for overseas visits with diligence and intelligence,” Laxman said, reminding the Indian team, which was in attendance for his speech, that there was no satisfaction like that gained from winning away Tests. “Performances at home can’t be devalued, but I can say from experience that the roles I played in India’s victories overseas have given me the greatest satisfaction. As a team, we must strive to be consistently successful when we travel away from our comfort zone.”

ScorecardJason Roy smashed 63 off 25 balls to continued his impressive form•Getty Images

Amid the conveyor belt of marquee overseas names it would be easy to hold a blinkered view of Surrey. Their riches dwarf what others can even fantasise of which can fuel envy and even bitterness. Yet, when the ECB’s top table drew up the plans for this recast NatWest T20 Blast, it was evenings like this they had at the forefront of the agenda.If this had been a bout – and it would have been a heavyweight one at that – the referee would have intervened well before Jason Roy clubbed 63 off 25 balls which supported the argument there is a lot more to Surrey than their big-buck dealings.It was an innings of disdain brimming with flamboyance as he bludgeoned twelve boundaries to dispel the belief that this was another sub-standard pitch. There was no masking Hampshire’s pitiful performance but as bad as the visitors were, Surrey were masterly.”It was a fantastic wicket,” Roy said. “To keep them to 130 was a brilliant effort from our bowlers and the spinners won us the game.”It is, admittedly, what hefty investment can bring but you manufacture your own success. While many grounds around the circuit are finding it a tougher task to sell the idea of the shortest-format, Surrey are revelling in it. A near capacity Oval crowd, on a glorious evening in South London, testified to that. Build it and they will come and Surrey, in recruiting a certain calibre of player, are certainly doing that.And while T20 is as much about introducing the sport to a new audience, prosperity on the pitch does not half help. An eight-wicket battering of a team of Hampshire’s T20 pedigree underlines Surrey’s capacity in this competition and should ensure many of the revellers will return for another evening’s entertainment.Roy did not shy away as he made the pre-game pyrotechnics seem flimsy with some fireworks of his own. After a couple of disjointed seasons with the bat, he is beginning to mature as a player and is enjoying the dividends. An unbeaten 81 against Sussex a fortnight ago hinted at a player finally beginning to fulfil his potential this innings was equally destructive and included 24 off Will Smith’s one over.Such was his belligerence, those in the stands barely noticed the presence of Tillakaratne Dilshan and then Kevin Pietersen at the other end. On debut, the former contributed 15 to an opening stand of 78 but that was hardly a reflection of his endeavours. His contribution with the ball upfront, however, set the tone for what was to follow.For all the weapons in their armoury, the visitors were horribly outplayed. They lost their three big guns – Michael Carberry, James Vince and Jimmy Adams – during the Powerplay and never recovered. As much as their downfall was created by Surrey’s incessant brilliance in the field and nagging line and length offered by the battery of spinners, Hampshire’s inability to respond to a situation that needed a steady rebuilding operation was striking.As Surrey’s big names stood-up, Glenn Maxwell became part of his sides’ disintegration. Surrey stifled him with spin from both ends and he fell for the bait when Gareth Batty tossed a couple above his eye-line and eventually he holed out to long-on.”It was just one of those nights unfortunately. We never got out of the blocks and when you lose wickets consistently, you don’t give yourselves any chance against a side like Surrey,” Giles White, Hampshire director of cricket, said.Indeed, the procession once Sean Ervine’s departure made it 49 for 5 was inevitable. Mindless running led to Matt Coles’ dismissal and Smith, who along with Chris Wood offered some resistance, was stumped off a wide; it typified Hampshire’s evening.That they got to a semblance of respectability was down to a career-best 27 from Wood and a couple of blows from Kyle Abbott. It was far little too late, however, as the damage had already been done and Roy ensured there was no way of repairing it.

كشف خالد بيبو، مدير الكرة بالنادي الأهلي عن موقف عودة لاعبي فريق الكرة من معسكر منتخب مصر بعد مباراة إثيوبيا المقبلة.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي منتخب مصر الأول مع إثيوبيا غدا الجمعة في إطار مواجهات الجولة الأخيرة من مرحلة المجموعات بتصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا.

قال خالد بيبو في تصريحات صحفية عبر الموقع الرسمي للأهلي: “هناك اتصالات عديدة جرت خلال الفترة الماضية مع حازم إمام عضو مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة والمشرف على المنتخب، وكذلك مع محمد غرابة مدير المنتخب”.

طالع.. موعد طرح تذاكر كأس السوبر الإفريقي

وتابع: “كلاهما أكدا أن لاعبي الأهلي الأربعة محمد الشناوي ومحمد هاني ومحمد عبد المنعم ومروان عطية سوف يغادرون معسكر المنتخب بعد مباراة إثيوبيا مباشرة، وفقًا لاتفاقهما مع روي فيتوريا المدير الفني للمنتخب ولا توجد مشكلة في ذلك”.

وأضاف: “ويأتي ذلك حتى يتمكن اللاعبون من المشاركة في الاستعدادات النهائية لفريق الأهلي قبل مباراة السوبر الإفريقي أمام اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري 15 سبتمبر الجاري بالمملكة العربية السعودية”.

واختتم بأن الأهلي يتمسك بالمعايير العادلة التي يتم تطبيقها على الجميع. كشف خالد بيبو مدير الكرة بالنادي الأهلي عن موقف عودة لاعبي فريق الكرة من معسكر منتخب مصر عقب مباراة إثيوبيا المقبلة.

MatériaMais Notícias

Sem espaço no elenco de Guto Ferreira, o Sport confirmou a saída do volante Thallyson. O atleta fica no Campinense-PB, que disputa a Série C, até o fim da temporada.

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Revelado pelo Leão, o meio-campista disputou apenas um jogo em 2019. O duelo aconteceu no Campeonato Pernambucano, quando o Rubro-Negro foi derrotado por 3 a 2 pelo Flamengo de Arcoverde.

Lembrando que este é o segundo empréstimo do jogador durante a sua passagem na Ilha do Retiro. Em 2018, Thallyson fez parte do elenco do Boa Esporte, que foi rebaixado para a Série C do futebol nacional.

Com a sua saída, a diretoria espera que o jogador retorne ao Sport mais experiente e pronto para se firmar de vez no clube. O contrato do atleta vai até dezembro de 2020.

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حسم الظهير الأيمن للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي، جواو كانسيلو، موقفه من الانتقال إلى برشلونة في الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي.

وارتبط اسم كانسيلو في الساعات القليلة الماضية بإمكانية الانتقال إلى برشلونة الذي يحتاج إلى ظهير أيمن كما أكد المدرب، تشافي هيرنانديز.

ويسعى برشلونة استغلال المبلغ الذي سيحصل عليه نظير رحيل عثمان ديمبلي إلى باريس سان جيرمان وقيمته 50 مليون يورو لتمويل صفقات أخرى.

وعلى رأس تلك الصفقات وفقًا لطلبات تشافي مركز الظهير الأيمن والأعين توجهت في الفترة الأخيرة إلى كانسيلو.

اقرأ أيضًا.. روبيرتو يكشف رد فعل لاعبي برشلونة تجاه رحيل ديمبلي

Joao Cancelo has agreed personal terms with Barça, he wants the move… and Xavi wants him since January as priority target. Talks now ongoing with Manchester City over deal structure 🔵🔴🇵🇹

Barça plan revealed on Sunday: use part of Dembélé budget to try again for Cancelo. pic.twitter.com/3L2q2T6nuF — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 3, 2023

مستقبل كانسيلو غير مضمون في مانشستر سيتي حيث لا يعول بيب جوارديولا على اللاعب البرتغالي في خطط الموسم المقبل بعد خروجه معارًا في الموسم الماضي إلى بايرن ميونخ.

وبحسب شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” ومتخصص سوق الانتقالات، فابرزيو رومانو، أن كانسيلو قد وافق على شروطه الشخصية للانتقال إلى برشلونة.

يريد اللاعب الانتقال إلى برشلونة في الأيام المقبل، حيث كان تشافي يريد كانسيلو منذ يناير الماضي وهناك مفاوضات مع مانشستر سيتي في الوقت الحالي.

سيستخدم برشلونة جزءًا من قيمة صفقة رحيل ديمبلي إلى باريس سان جيرمان لحسم صفقة كانسيلو مع مانشستر سيتي.

Twenty-year-old legspinner Ish Sodhi’s progress has impressed New Zealand coach Mike Hesson, and he has earmarked the bowler as one for the future

Mohammad Isam14-Oct-2013Twenty-year-old legspinner Ish Sodhi’s progress has impressed New Zealand coach Mike Hesson, and he has earmarked the bowler as one for the future. However, the team was still missing the services of Daniel Vettori, who has not played Test cricket for over a year due to an Achilles tendon injury, Hesson admitted.Sodhi and left-arm spinner Bruce Martin combined to take only five wickets in the first Test against Bangladesh, in Chittagong, while part-timer offspinner Kane Williamson picked up one wicket. Williamson was introduced before the two specialist spinners in the second innings, but that was mostly down to having the left-handed Tamim Iqbal at the crease. Sodhi later picked up the wicket of Marshall Ayub to a delivery which he tried to play from deep inside the crease but missed it to be adjudged leg-before.He had conceded 112 runs at 3.88 per over in the first innings, where he looked innocuous at times. In the second innings he was more attacking, and gave away 57 runs at 5.51 per over. Hesson believed there is something about Sodhi that is exciting. “I thought he got better as the Test went on,” Hesson said. “Ish is 20, a young man. He was nervous. He learned a lot. He created a number of opportunities.”On a surface that didn’t have a lot of bounce, he hit the gloves a couple of times. He is a good prospect for us. He is not a finished product yet, but he is worth investing in for the future.”Sodhi was also highly recommended by Vettori himself ahead of the Bangladesh series. It was Vettori who invited Sodhi to bowl at a trial in Auckland, after which they became team-mates.Vettori is in another class, though, Hesson said. “He is a fine performer. Any side that New Zealand puts out without Dan Vettori is a weaker side. That’s just the fact.”Vettori’s record against Bangladesh provides several reasons to miss him. He has taken 51 wickets in nine Tests against them, 34 of which have come in four Tests in Bangladesh. His batting average is 40.62 against them, with three fifties. “Any side would miss Dan Vettori, and we have been without Dan for a little while now,” Hesson said.Hesson was pleased with his side’s batting effort in both innings. New Zealand posted a competitive 469 in the first innings, with Williamson showing his ability to dictate against spin in the subcontinent. He made 114 and 74, top scores in both innings. Wicketkeeper BJ Watling too scored a century, the second of his Test career.”I am really pleased with Kane Williamson. He got a great hundred in P Sara last year. He plays spin well,” Hesson said. “He timed the ball nicely on a wicket where scoring three an over was tough. He looked at ease.”After a bit of fortune early on, BJ [Watling] also played very well. He trained a lot in the winter. We are all delighted for him. He showed his skills in these conditions.”Both teams will now go into a three-day break as there are two major religious festivals on in Bangladesh: the Durga Puja will be ending this week, with Eid-ul-Adha starting on October 16. New Zealand will not be training for three days, until Friday.”We have plenty of things planned for the next few days,” Hesson said. “We have a chance to freshen up, get some physical work done in the gym.”We will also do a bit of scouting. Our guys enjoy the travelling side of international cricket. We want to get to know different cultures as much as we can. I think we won’t be spending three days in the hotel.”

يستعد ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، لاعب فريق ليفربول، للموسم الجديد بأقصى ما لديه، حسبما كشفت تقارير صحفية.

كان اللاعب صاحب الـ24 عامًا قد تعرض لانتقادات شديدة، الموسم الماضي، بسبب أدائه المتذبذب وتراجع مستواه.

ولكن مستوى أرنولد تحسن في نهاية الموسم المذكور بعدما انتقل من مركزه في الظهير الأيمن إلى خط الوسط.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “تايمز” الإنجليزية، فإن ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد يستهدف تقديم أداء مثالي في الموسم المقبل، 2023/24.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كلوب يكتفي بـ8 لاعبين في بداية الاستعدادات للموسم الجديد.. موقف محمد صلاح

وأوضحت أن أرنولد قرر قطع إجازته الصيفية، حيث اكتفى بأسبوع واحد، من أجل العودة إلى التدريبات الفردية.

وأشارت إلى أن أرنولد اعتاد في الأيام الماضية على تسلق الجبال وركوب الدراجات، على ارتفاع، بعدما قطع إجازته الصيفية القصيرة.

ومنح أرنولد لنفسه أسبوعًا واحدًا من الإجازة بعد تمثيل منتخب إنجلترا، وانغمس بعد ذلك في معسكر تدريبي مكثف، حيث ركز على صقل سرعته وقدرته على التحمل.

The moment Ziaur Rahman hit Brendan Taylor’s pad in front of the stumps and the umpire raised his finger, Bangladesh were closer to a rare Test win

The Report by Mohammad Isam28-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNasir Hossain stretched the Bangladesh lead•AFPThe moment Ziaur Rahman hit Brendan Taylor’s pad in front of the stumps and the umpire raised his finger, Bangladesh were closer to a rare Test win. At the end of the fourth day of the second and final Test, Zimbabwe were 138 for 4, chasing a 401-run target set up by Mushfiqur Rahim’s 93.The Zimbabwe captain’s wicket was the one Mushfiqur would have wanted more than the seven runs by which he missed his third Test hundred. After umpire Ian Gould lifted his finger, it was easy to see and hear what it meant to the fielding side which was screaming for joy. Zimbabwe were 96 for 3, with their best batsman and captain out of the equation with a day remaining.Malcolm Waller also fell to Ziaur for 15, missing a straightening delivery as his lack of footwork shackled him to the crease. Shingirai Masakadza was sent in as the nightwatchman at 118 for 4 with more than 15 overs remaining in the day, a strange decision but one which ultimately paid off. His elder brother Hamilton held his own at the other end, unbeaten on 46 off 94 balls.Zimbabwe started the fourth innings positively but in the tenth over, Regis Chakabva played inside the line of a Shakib Al Hasan delivery which spun past to strike off. Vusi Sibanda fell soon after for a 50-ball 32, driving one straight to Sohag Gazi at short cover off Shakib.Mushfiqur would thank his lucky stars that finally bowlers other than Robiul Islam stood up. Ziaur bowled a 10-over spell, mainly focused on being accurate. He hardly has pace like he did a few years ago, but managed to bring in his shoulders to generate speed. Shakib and Gazi bowled tightly too, both using a typical left-arm spinner and offspinner’s line. There was hardly a loose ball.Bangladesh declared about an hour after lunch on 291 for 9, going ahead of the home side by exactly 400 runs. Shakib, Mushfiqur and Nasir Hossain hit their second fifties of the game.Nasir stretched the lead with the tail, making an unbeaten 67 and scoring most of the 40 runs that came after lunch. Apart from his effort, Bangladesh’s dominance was also due to captain Mushfiqur’s attentiveness to the situation.He made 93 before being brilliantly caught at gully by Sibanda off Hamilton Masakadza, and his persistence was crucial to his side’s staying power. Along with Nasir, he had to see off the first half-hour, which has often produced wickets in Harare. Though they hardly found boundaries because the home side had deep fielders on both sides, they played carefully. Zimbabwe bowled wide too, and the batsmen cut out the rash shots.Mushfiqur and Nasir were happy picking up singles until the captain began to open up with a mistimed scoop and a slog-sweep – both off Elton Chigumbura. He had earlier hit a cover drive that sped to the boundary but the wicket had slowed down, and bounce was also on the low side. He and Nasir added 84 for the sixth wicket, back-to-back 80-plus partnerships for Mushfiqur, after his fifth-wicket stand with Shakib on the third evening.Taylor missed the long hours put in by Keegan Meth, who is out with a right knee injury. He was seen sitting on the sidelines with his feet up and knee strapped. Hamilton Masakadza, bowling medium-pace, took three wickets but was never going to be as big a threat to the visitors. Kyle Jarvis did not bowl with the venom of the first Test, but Shingi Masakadza remained steady and picked up four wickets.Had the Zimbabwe bowlers put up a better show even on the fourth morning, the Test match could have remained competitive. Bangladesh got most of what happened on the fourth day their way, though there again was the odd leg-before decision that they were denied. They would still take it, given they are closing in on a Test win for the first time in nearly four years.

Players who take part in the unofficial Cricket Wars tournament, which is scheduled to take place in Nairobi over three days starting on Friday (February 15), face a lengthy ban from the game after Cricket Kenya confirmed its decision not to give its approval to the event.Reports in the local media suggested that the Ministry of Youth and Sports had brokered a deal after calling a meeting between organisers and CK but this was denied by a board spokesman who said there remained questions as to the finances behind the venture and CK unanimously voted not to give its approval. This stance has been backed by all the country’s provincial boards.As a consequence of this, no overseas players, past or present, will be permitted to participate. If they do then the ICC has made clear that they will be in contravention of its own regulations and are likely to face hefty sanctions including bans of at least one year. The same applies to all local players and officials.High-profile names such as Andrew Symonds, Damien Martyn, Ian Harvey and Chris Cairns are believed to have obtained NOCs, which allow them to play overseas, from their own boards but it is not clear if those boards or individuals were aware the tournament had not been sanction by CK. ESPNcricinfo understands the ICC is writing to all boards to advise them that Cricket Wars is an unapproved event, something that seems likely to lead to the withdrawal of the NOCs.Although the organisers have said that Muttiah Muralitharan is one of the players taking part, ESPNcricinfo has learned that he received an invitation earlier in the month which he declined.The Cricket Wars organisers, who include former KCA boss Sharad Ghai, claim that former players do not need any approval to play in such events but the ICC has confirmed this is not the case.Local cricketers will make up the numbers, and even those who are paid are unlikely to earn more than $50, but will also face sanctions if they take part. While for club cricketers these punishments are unlikely to be serious, centrally-contracted national players face fines and/or suspensions. The Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association has made clear that the priority for local players is to participate in this weekend’s knock-out tournament.It is also possible the Nairobi Gymkhana club, which is hosting the competition, will face punishment if it goes ahead. CK is understood to have written to club officials last month to raise concerns that they should not stage a non-approved event but that was met with a response that as a private club what games they ran was of no concern to the national board. However, the board has it within its power to withhold grants and not stage official matches there.Concerns have also been expressed at the details of the money likely to be paid over from the event to a local charity. ESPNcricinfo has learned that while it is being flagged proceeds would go to the Children’s Village in Naivasha, in fact only an undisclosed percentage of the gate money will be paid over.

The RCB seamer bowled a stifling spell in his side’s thumping win over KKR

Sreshth Shah22-Mar-2025Josh Hazlewood set the tone for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their IPL 2025 season opener, delivering a suffocating spell that stifled Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Leading RCB’s pace attack, he struck in the first and final overs, finishing with figures of 2 for 22.Beyond his wickets – removing Quinton de Kock and Harshit Rana – Hazlewood’s precision made the difference. He bowled 16 dot balls, maintained an economy of 5.50 and emerged as the standout fast bowler on Saturday. His success stemmed from disciplined lengths: eight short balls, ten short-of-good-length, three good-length balls, and just three full deliveries.After the match, Hazlewood said that his decision to stay on the shorter side was influenced by the conditions – the pitch was under covers for nearly two days – and his own strengths on such surfaces. His approach kept KKR to 9 for 1 in the first three overs.”It was more based on pitch and conditions,” Hazlewood said in the post-match press conference in Kolkata. “The full ball probably wasn’t gonna do as much unless you were searching for swing. I found that it was sort of sticking in the wicket a little and the bounce was quite good. I like bowling here at Eden Gardens. And yeah, we just sort of stuck to our lengths.”Related

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“I’ve bowled quite a lot to Quinton de Kock in all formats. He is a very dangerous player, so better to keep it simple and really tight. I know I went a little wide to him and he hit me for four. The plan was not trying to go too full or too short, really sticking to those hard lengths. If he makes something off that length for four or six, then that’s just a good shot. So yeah, sticking to my strengths, definitely.”When it comes to Narine, when the wicket has got some good bounce in it, that’s helpful for the bowers. He’s very much a powerful powerplay batter, and he is always up to take on the bowling and score quickly. So to keep him quiet was very handy.”Despite the fireworks from Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine at the top, KKR managed only a below-par 174. Hazlewood emphasised that constant communication among the bowlers was crucial in taking out the middle order in quick succession. He credited Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket burst and Suyash Sharma’s dismissal of Andre Russell for KKR’s faltering finish, as they scraped together just 23 runs in the final four overs.Hazlewood: Krunal Pandya “bowled beautifully through the middle”•Associated Press

“We would have had to bowl a little bit differently at the end if we didn’t take those wickets through the middle,” Hazlewood said. “But KP [Krunal] bowled beautifully through the middle. Luckily, I got to bowl to sort of the tail towards the end, but I think the hard lengths work best here most of the time.”In our bowlers’ meetings, there’s typically someone in the room who has played a lot of cricket at those grounds. So [they] stand up in those moments and talk about their experiences on that ground and what works well for them. So it’s very much a discussion among the bowling group with the coaches, with specific planning for the grounds.”Hazlewood, who was part of RCB in 2022 and 2023 before missing the 2024 season, returned this year as their most expensive auction pick at INR 12.50 crore (USD 1.49 million approx.). He said most players in the squad carried no baggage from past encounters with KKR. Despite RCB entering the match on a four-game losing streak against KKR, their team, featuring six new faces in the XI, never dwelled on it. Hazlewood also credited the dominant 95-run opening stand between Phil Salt and Virat Kohli for setting up the comfortable win.”It’s a positive influence – fresh people, fresh mindset, I think it’s big,” Hazlewood said. “You mention the last four losses to KKR but I don’t think anyone in the room would have known that because we gave about six caps before the game started. That’s like a fresh start almost.”It’s a new cycle in the IPL, but those fresh players – Salt being one of those – played outstandingly. Tonight, the opening partnership really set up the chase for us. It was not a huge score, but still a decent total, so to get us off to that start was crucial.”He also said bowling four T20 overs does not strain his body even though he is making a comeback from a calf injury. He expects to become stronger as the season progresses.”I feel like I got through the game very well. I know the intensity is through the roof, but it’s only four overs. I feel I’ll just keep building throughout the tournament and this is probably the freshest I’ve been in a long time. I’ve done a lot of work off the field to get back to this point, which was tough, but I think I am mentally and physically refreshed.”