England’s bowlers and Mohammad Kaif reaped the rewards of keeping it tight

On the Ball by S Rajesh03-Mar-2006When play began on the third day, with Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid well-entrenched at the crease and many stars to follow, few would have thought that India might at one stage be in danger of following on. That they were in such a position was largely due to outstanding efforts by Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar.As the graphic below shows, both had impeccable control over the lengths they bowled. On a slow track, it was imperative to pitch the ball up to the bat, and cut the short deliveries to a minimum. Both Hoggard and Panesar managed that superbly. When they did err – and it wasn’t often – it was on the fuller side.Not only was Hoggard’s length spot on, his line was exceptional too – out of 180 deliveries, 170 pitched around middle-and-off or further off side. To make it even worse for the batsmen, he moved the ball both ways – 58 deliveries came back into the batsmen, while 40 moved away. It was the perfect combination of accuracy and seam and swing, and the Indians had no answer.They still managed to end the day in a comfortable position, thanks to Mohammad Kaif and Anil Kumble. Struggling to cement his place in the side, Kaif was understandably watchful for much of his innings – after 104 balls he had scored just 20, before he found a higher gear. His strokes chart indicates he played the percentages well – he eschewed the horizontal-bat shots and was well on his way to a century before Panesar produced a peach to sour the day.

When Anil Kumble takes the field for the final Test at Ahmedabad, he will become the second spinner to have played 100 Tests

George Binoy17-Dec-2005

Anil Kumble’s 100th Test is just another indicator of his commitment and resolve as a cricketer © Getty Images
When Anil Kumble takes the field for the final Test against Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad, he will become the second spinner, after Shane Warne, to have played 100 Tests. Kumble is the second longest serving member of this Indian side after Sachin Tendulkar, and his contribution to Indian cricket has been simply immense.It takes a remarkable standard of fitness and resolve for a bowler to earn 100 caps and just six others, before Kumble, have passed this landmark. Only a handful of current bowlers have played more than 90 Tests and, with the exception of Shaun Pollock, all their stats in the last 25 matches are better than their overall career figures. Muttiah Muralitharan has a staggering 141 wickets from his last 20 games and Kumble is only four behind Warne’s tally of 118 scalps.

Performance in last 25 Tests

Bowler Wkts Average/SR 5w/10w

Muttiah Muralitharan 141 18.64/47.4 12/3 Shane Warne 118 22.77/46.1 7/2 Anil Kumble 114 27.05/53.8 9/4 Glenn McGrath 97 20.20/47.7 4/0 Chaminda Vaas 76 24.51/53.8 4/0 Shaun Pollock 75 27.65/65.3 1/0Kumble may not figure in India’s one-day plans anymore but, in Tests, he has only gotten better as the years have rolled by. Kumble’s strike rate, at 53.69, in his most recent games, is far better than his career equivalent of 65.1. His average is also a couple of notches lower at 26.53 and with eight five-wicket hauls in the last 19 matches, Kumble is enjoying one of the most productive phases of his career.

Kumble’s performance in blocks of 20 Tests

Matches Wickets Avg/SR 5w/10w

0-20 99 24.79/65.91 5/1 21-40 69 35.49/80.80 4/0 41-60 102 26.29/64.74 6/2 61-80 100 29.48/66.32 7/1 81-99 108 26.53/53.69 8/4How India fares in a Test depends a lot on Kumble’s form. In games that India have won, Kumble takes wickets at a mere 18.47 apiece. On the other hand, Kumble has taken only four of his 30 five-wicket hauls in matches that India have lost and his average skyrockets to 42.34 in these games.

Kumble’s figures in matches won/lost/drawn

Result Matches/wkts Average/SR 5w/10w

Won 34/233 18.47/45.61 17/5 Lost 24/88 42.34/85.40 4/0 Drawn 41/157 34.19/82.75 9/3A major argument, and one that was certainly justifiable, against Anil Kumble was his ordinary overseas record. After the tour of West Indies in 2001-02, Kumble had 109 overseas wickets from 34 games at an average of 40.40 and a strike rate of a wicket every 16 overs. But since then, he has improved significantly. In 13 Tests, beginning with the England tour in 2002, Kumble has taken 67 wickets at a respectable strike rate of 55.85.

Overseas record

Span Matches/wkts Average/SR 5w/10w

Upto May 2002 34/109 40.04/95.4 4/0 After May 2002 13/67 28.84/55.85 4/1An Indian win masterminded by Kumble in the fourth innings of a home Test is a familiar tale. A spinner should, in theory at least, have better figures as the match progresses and Kumble most certainly confirms to it. In the second innings, he averages 24.85 compared to 30.56 in the first. And if he’s bowling in the last innings of a match, that figure drops to 20.32.

Innings break-up

Innings Wickets Avg/SR 5w

1st 133 32.40/73.6 8 2nd 133 28.71/67.8 8 3rd 150 27.72/59.9 12 4th 62 20.32/53.3 2

Osman Samiuddin and Dileep Premachandran pick their three players to watch

Osman Samiuddin and Dileep Premachandran12-Jan-2006

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan could be equally dangerous this time round © Getty Images

Inzamam-ul-Haq
For Inzamam, batting has never been as precise a skill as it has been in the last year. Almost every time he has moped to the crease, he has begun intent and finished with aplomb. More often Pakistan have been in crisis and occasionally in a position of strength, but Inzamam has always produced. This winter – or summer – world cricket has witnessed Inzamam and Ricky Ponting, two batting captains at their absolute peak. And here too Inzamam will be expected to score; his captaincy leans so heavily on his form that his runs are doubly crucial. A good time to face Anil Kumble, whose low-trajectoried legbreaks have harassed Inzamam traditionally.Shoaib Akhtar
Back in the business of fast bowling and how. Although his recent record prior to the series against England was impressive anyway, with 17 wickets in three Tests, over a hundred overs and stellar batting rearguards, he became literally a new man. A bit like his slower ball; he’s always had a good one but against England, with added flight and dip, it became a superb one. Although he stamped his presence internationally with two deliveries against India at Eden Gardens, spiritually they have become almost a bogey team for him now, after his infamous absence last year and notorious underperformance two years ago. If he can sustain the hostility, then some of his spells to the likes of Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman promise great things.Danish Kaneria
After his success this past year and his performances in India last year, he has a reputation to uphold rather than establish and that may be one of the more significant challenges. Against England and the West Indies he won matches with swift wickets and he can be thanked, in the age of Warne and Kumble, for making the googly fashionable again. The Indians adjusted to him well last year but never really nullified him and for batsmen used to toying with leggies, it would have grated. Might not be burdened as much this time as he was in the last series but his contributions will be equally as crucial.Wild Card – Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
Completely in keeping with his demeanour, his Test performances against England in the last series were among the most promising and simultaneously among the least celebrated developments. He had said before the series that the imbalance in his ODI and Test performances was a mental rather than skill-based aberration and he finally overcame it, with some help from four-day county cricket. What India saw in the ODI series in India, they might now see in the Tests here. He has become, in two Tests, an exciting and remarkable foil to Shoaib; he experiments, he swings the ball, has bustling pace and various changes of it, he bowls for hours. Additionally, his Duracell-fuelled energy with bat or in the field is a sizeable bonus. An eye, a diligent one, will have to be kept on him.

Sachin Tendulkar: The only player in the side to tour Pakistan thrice © Getty Images

Rahul Dravid
When Dravid has scored big, which has been with monotonous regularity over the past five seasons, India have rarely ever lost. When those lofty standards have dropped, as against Australia last season, India have subsided to defeat. Sehwag may be more flamboyant and Tendulkar more celebrated but, more often than not, it’s been Dravid’s obduracy and sheer bloody-mindedness that has thwarted the opposition. Once defensive and dour, he can now also change gears effortlessly and with cynics pointing to an average of 22 from six Tests as captain, you can be sure that he’s whipping up the eggs to smear on their faces.Record against Pakistan: 9 Tests, 804 runs at 53.6, 3×100, 2×50Virender Sehwag
Until he stuttered in Zimbabwe – and he can rarely be bothered with minnow-bashing – and at home against Sri Lanka, Sehwag had legitimate claims to being the world’s most destructive and effective opening bat. Striking the ball as powerfully as Matthew Hayden in his pomp, Sehwag mined a rich vein of form that included glorious centuries against Australia and Pakistan – 309 at Multan and 203 at Bangalore being the pick of the bunch. He hasn’t really struggled of late, but has kept frittering away starts, which could be absolutely fatal to India’s chances if repeated in this series.Record against Pakistan: 6 Tests, 982 runs at 98.2, 3×100, 2×50Anil Kumble
By relentlessly pushing himself in search of slow-bowling perfection at an age when most think of the comforts of the commentary box, he has been the subcontinent’s answer to Shane Warne – without the nurses and the lewd texts. The last tour of Pakistan was part of an incredible renaissance that included matchwinning displays at Adelaide, Multan and Chennai and while accuracy and persistence remain his calling cards, there is also an enhanced repertoire to worry about. Factor in a matchless attitude, and you know why he remains so dangerous even when the ball’s not turning his way.Record against Pakistan: 9 Tests, 54 wickets at 27.48, Four 5-wicket hauls.Wild card – Sachin Tendulkar
It would be tempting to cite the burgeoning allround talent of Irfan Pathan, but his figures against Pakistan (18 wickets at 41.77, and 128 runs at 18.28) don’t really inspire confidence. Even in Tendulkar’s case, the numbers – 855 runs at 42.75 – are far less formidable than against most opposition, largely the result of the four Tests he played without much success as a kid in 1989. But when was the last time India went through a major series without Tendulkar making some inimitable imprint on proceedings? And when you keep him quiet with the bat, he may just sting you with his spin variations, as Moin Khan discovered to his horror at Multan on the last tour.Record against Pakistan: 13 Tests, 855 runs at 42.75, 2×100, 5×50

While the Indian team savours another victory away from home here’s the occasion to celebrate the return of Test cricket as we once knew it

Sambit Bal at Trent Bridge31-Jul-2007

While the Indian team and their fans savour another victory away from home, here’s the occasion to celebrate the return of Test cricket as we once knew it. © Getty Images
There is a danger of jelly beans, that nondescript and harmless English sweet, hijacking this Test – there were more references, in some of the English papers, to England’s schoolboy antics than to Zaheer Khan’s virtuoso performance and the issue dominated Michael Vaughan’s post-match press conference. However, despite the margin, which would suggest one-sidedness, this has been a cracking match featuring some of the old-fashioned skills that so endears Test cricket to its loyal supporters.The Australians have redrawn the definition of attractiveness in Test cricket by spectacular batting based on unrelenting aggression. To this end they have been helped by the general feebleness of bowlers around the world and the fashion of flat pitches. The role of television cannot be understated: stroke-making makes good viewing and batting pitches ensure matches last the distance. The standard definition of a good pitch has come to be one that is suitable for batting.Not surprisingly, the great pace bowlers of this era have been shaped by their circumstances. Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock are masters of minimalism, bowlers who have relied on their command of line and length and prey on the patience and the character of batsmen rather than tempting them to indiscretion. Mohammed Asif, the next potentially great bowler, belongs to their ilk.This summer, though, in cloudy and heavy conditions, the art of swing bowling has come to the fore. Ryan Sidebottom has been England’s best bowler of the summer, including periods when Steve Harmison was available. And it’s been traditional new-ball swing and not the reverse swing Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones deployed to bring the Australians to their knees in 2005. Late into the summer, the ball hasn’t stopped swinging.It has made for fascinating cricket. It has encouraged bowlers to pitch the ball up, and it has forced batsmen to reassess their options. Driving on the up hasn’t been easy, batsmen have had to play late, adjust their strokes and be vigilant at all times. Runs have had to be earned, and so been far more valuable. More than anything else, it’s been a contest. It is the nature of cricket, and no one will know this better than Sachin Tendulkar, that hundreds in lost causes are not often accorded the status they may merit if skill was the only criteria Apart from the first two sessions at Lord’s, the Indian bowlers – barring the hot and cold Sreesanth – have been exceptional. Zaheer has used his experience and the knowledge of English conditions to perfection. In the first innings at Trent Bridge, he relied on the conditions, overhead clouds and moisture on the pitch. On the fourth day, greater skill and variety was demanded. While the pitch had eased up, however, swing was still available and he used the angles left-handers alone can manage with the canniness that has been a refreshing addition to his bowling. And when the release was right even RP Singh, playing only because Munaf Patel stayed home injured, produced some great balls.Years later, when fans look at the bowling card, they might not be able to appreciate the quality of Vaughan’s innings. But it must surely count as one of his best. He made batting look easy when the pressure was immense and the conditions were demanding. It is the nature of cricket, and no one will know this better than Sachin Tendulkar, that hundreds in lost causes are not often accorded the status they may merit if skill was the only criteria. If a comparison was to made, however, this was a superior performance to his 197 against India at the same ground five years ago. That was a more flowing innings featuring more gorgeous strokes. This one tested him far more. And the moment he was out, batting seemed a far more hazardous task for his colleagues. And while there was incredulity when Kevin Pietersen described his hundred at Lord’s as his best ever, it wasn’t just a case of Pietersen’s trying to hype up his latest performance. Batsmen know when they have been put through the grind.Seen in isolation, the fourth day’s play at Trent Bridge would count among the best days of Test cricket in recent times. The conditions were roughly even: batting was challenging, not impossible, and the bowler had to do more than just put the ball in the right spot to get wickets. Both runs and wickets had to be earned and Vaughan and Zaheer provided two masterclasses.India dominated the Test on all five days but it was never easy. That they scored 481 without a century would point to an all-round performance. Even though it was founded on an opening partnership of 147, the middle order had to scrap for every run and Tendulkar’s battle against Sidebottom on the third morning will soon be the stuff of folklore. Had Tendulkar perished then, it was conceivable that India would have collapsed.While the Indian team and their fans savour another victory away from home, which mercifully for them is much more frequent now, here’s the occasion to celebrate the return of Test cricket as we once knew it.

David Moore was a fairly unknown when he took on the role of West Indies coach, but after an eye-opening tour of England he has big hopes for the future if he gets the job full time

Will Luke in Dublin14-Jul-2007

‘An academy will have a massive influence on the future of West Indies cricket’ © Will Luke

It is arguably the most poisoned of chalices, coaching West Indies. Many have tried, few have succeeded and when David Moore replaced Bennett King after this year’s World Cup, the consensus was “who?” Yet although he has only been in power for a matter of months, the effect he is having on West Indies has already been felt.Moore is an uncomplicated character; straight-talking, passionate about his job and speaks fluently (with a strong Australian twang) about the future. He believes in himself and his players. The notion that he was taking on a role widely perceived as a nightmare, or a thankless task, is utterly alien to him and it is palpably clear that he thrives on getting the most out of his players.”I don’t necessarily think it’s a poisoned chalice,” he told Cricinfo at a drizzly Dublin this week, where West Indies were taking on Scotland. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity. I know the players; I know they’re very good quality players and we’ve just been a bit short of the mark.”Though West Indies turned around their summer, beating England in the one-day series, their decade-long decline has been so stark that the masters of the 1970s and 1980s are still viewed through rose-tinted spectacles. This was Moore’s era – if not as a player (he played once for New South Wales in the 1980s) then a fan – and he witnessed the bulldozing effect West Indies had on the world. They were the top dogs, an accolade now belonging to his native Australia. However, Moore isn’t depressed or weighed down by the hope of reliving the glory days.”It’s very difficult [comparing present to then], yes – but cricket’s very cyclical. I lived through the time where Australia were at the bottom of the table. Look where they are now,” he said. “I remember Australia getting beaten by India, New Zealand – everyone. So I think it’s cyclical but I also think the structure the boards put in place also have an effect.”I think the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) are implementing in the right direction, and they’re trying to implement their new cricket academy. I think one of the very important positions that they’re going to advertise for is the head of their academy. That will have a massive influence on the future of West Indies cricket. I know that they’re moving very quickly to try and get that finalised.”

‘Hard work is the key. Hard work, discipline, energy and commitment’ © Will Luke

Academies – the buzz phrase of the last few years – and their impact on Australian cricket has been plain to see. Quite whether the WICB can manage to build one is another matter entirely. Nevertheless, Moore insists they are the way forward.”It gives them good, hard training to practise and to modify skills – and that can have a massive effect on their development,” he said. “With any academy, it underpins focus to that group of players. They’re playing together, living together – living, breathing and eating cricket, 24 hours a day. It’s a very important institution in every cricket-playing nation or team.”A cricket academy would help create consistency because consistency is formed through hard work. Get them together, build their fitness, build their skills, their mental approach…the raw talent is certainly there.”Raw talent or not, Moore will need the full support of his board if his dreams are to become a reality, and he is quick to insist that an academy alone can’t resurrect West Indies’ glory days.”It takes time to understand and relate success to hard work,” he said, “and some of our guys are realising that. Hopefully they’ll maintain that, and their focus. As head coach…I just like players to be able to express themselves as cricketers and in the way they think. But also to make them realise that hard work is the key. Hard work, discipline, energy and commitment. I’m not saying it’s been lacking before I came on board but I think we’ve got those to work on for sure.”And Moore has joined a growing number of people impressed with the impact Chris Gayle has had on the team.”His captaincy has been very good, yes. His relationship with players and [the coaching staff] has also been very good. Chris is a very good judge of cricket: he identifies points that we can be happy about, but he also recognises points that we can work on, so I’ve been very impressed by his ability to read the game and I hope he gets other opportunities in the future.”The impression you get from Moore is that he lives and breathes West Indies cricket and that he too would welcome further opportunity. He is still not full-time, but clearly the chalice isn’t so much poisoned as precious and promising.

New Zealand’s chances revolve around their slow men. By Brydon Coverdale

Brydon Coverdale06-Sep-2007

Daniel Vettori will have his work cut out for him as captain and lead bowler © Getty Images
Another World Cup, another missed opportunity. New Zealand’s failure to progress to the decider in the Caribbean was the fifth time they had stumbled at the semi-final stage, and post-tournament changes were inevitable. Stephen Fleming quit the one-day captaincy, John Bracewell’s position as coach was reviewed, and four members of their initial World Cup squad were overlooked for the Twenty20 version.Bracewell has stayed since but Fleming, James Franklin, Michael Mason and Daryl Tuffey have made way for Chris Martin, Gareth Hopkins, Bradley Scott and Nathan McCullum.It is Daniel Vettori’s first engagement as the full-time limited-overs captain and on-the-job training may be required, as his only Twenty20 experience is a solitary match for Northern Districts two years ago.Home truths
Only England have played more Twenty20 internationals than New Zealand’s five – which resulted in two wins, two losses and a tie – and the concept has been embraced at domestic level. Each provincial team played two matches in 2005-06 and the program was expanded significantly last year. In addition to a full round-robin tournament, a Southland Twenty20 competition was held in Invercargill over a weekend in November.Strengths
Quality slow bowling has become an important weapon in Twenty20. Batsmen are then forced to create the pace and contrive shots. New Zealand have potentially the most difficult spin duo of any team: Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel will use every piece of guile they can muster to tie down and frustrate the opposition. Vettori is a proven match-winner in one-day internationals with his subtle variations in line, length, flight and turn, and Twenty20 should be no different. Patel has become an effective foil and bowling in tandem they race through overs in the middle of an innings. Patel’s Twenty20 record – eight games, nine wickets at 16.77 and an economy rate of 6.20 – is excellent.They will follow the always dangerous Shane Bond, which means even the best sides will have to work hard to rack up a big score against New Zealand. New Zealand have a great spearhead, andthey also have great depth and variety in their bowling, which is second only to Australia’s Ian ChappellWeaknesses
It’s just as well New Zealand are good at restricting their opponents, because posting a huge total themselves will be a challenge. Lou Vincent, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram are all dangerous strikers, but they struggled to click as a unit at the World Cup and their only decent totals came against minnows. The batting lacks the depth of more fancied sides and the line-up remains far from settled.In Fleming’s absence McCullum could again be pushed up to open, although that ploy has been unsuccessful in ODIs. Teams will also target New Zealand’s second-tier bowlers. Mark Gillespie and Chris Martin have their moments but at times they leak copious amounts of runs. The newcomer Scott, a left-arm fast-medium bowler, concedes nearly ten an over in domestic Twenty20.Player to watch
Thanks to his time in county cricket, Styris is the most experienced Twenty20 player in the squad. He is in form – he was easily New Zealand’s best batsman at the World Cup with 499 runs at 83.16 – and he could be the platform around which the likes of McMillan and McCullum launch their attacks. The only concern is that he returned from Durham with niggling back, knee, and calf problems, and losing him mid-tournament would be a major setback.Dark horse
It will be interesting to see how Hopkins, the back-up wicketkeeper, is used. New Zealand believe Hopkins and McCullum can play in the same side and after Hopkins made 514 first-class runs at 85.66 last summer, who can argue? He had a taste of ODI cricket three years ago, and at 30 he has enough experience to suggest he will not be overawed by the occasion. Hopkins will be desperate to pass this audition as he pushes for a batting spot in the one-day team.

Scott Styris needs to be the middle-order rock around whom the big-hitters play © Getty Images
Ian Chappell’s take
New Zealand are mainly a side of veterans who have been around in international cricket for a long time. The only unknown aspect about their cricket is the captaincy of Daniel Vettori, who takes over from long-term leader Stephen Fleming. How the left-armer adapts to the difficult role of being a bowler-captain is crucial to New Zealand’s chances in the tournament.The two big question marks surrounding New Zealand cricket are the ones that have been around for a long time – their vulnerable top-order batting and their ability to fall at the final hurdle with the winning post in sight. If Lou Vincent plays consistently well, the top order will be enhanced, which improves New Zealand’s chances immeasurably as they have ample power in the middle order. Jacob Oram, Craig McMillan and Brendon McCullum have the power, precision and thought processes to make New Zealand’s middle order as dangerous as any, including Australia.With Shane Bond licensed to dismiss, New Zealand have a great spearhead, andthey also have great depth and variety in their bowling, which is second only to Australia’s. They back up their strong bowling line-up by being resourceful and athletic in the field.If they bat well at the top, and Vettori handles the extra responsibility ofcaptaincy, then New Zealand could very well make the finals as long as theydon’t freeze in sight of the prize. Rating: 7.5/10

The 308-run partnership between Joe Burns and Travis Head, meanwhile, was Australia’s biggest against Sri Lanka for any wicket

Bharath Seervi01-Feb-2019308- The partnership between Joe Burns and Travis Head for the fourth wicket is Australia’s biggest for any wicket against Sri Lanka. The pair eclipsed a nearly 30-year-old record set by Dean Jones and Steve Waugh, who put on an unbroken 260 in Hobart in December 1989. The Burns-Head partnership is also the highest fourth-wicket stand by any pair against Sri Lanka.ESPNcricinfo Ltd13- Tests without a double-century partnership for Australia before this one. The last such stand came in the Perth Ashes Test in December 2017, between Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith. In 13 Tests in 2015, Australia’s batsmen put on as many as eight 200-plus stands.1- Centuries by Australia batsmen in their last 11 Tests coming into this match. The lone century was by Usman Khawaja in Dubai.384- Australia’s score at stumps is already their highest total since the last Ashes, in 12 Tests. The previous highest was 362 for 8 in the fourth innings of the Dubai Test in October.1- Travis Head scored his maiden Test century, playing his eighth Test and 13th innings. He had made four fifties. It was Joe Burns’ fourth century and his current score is already the highest by a right-handed Australia opener since Michael Slater’s 219 versus Sri Lanka at the WACA in December 1995. Burns has been involved in three of Australia’s last four 250-plus partnerships.5- Tests played by Sri Lanka’s three fast bowlers before this one. Kasun Rajitha had played three, Vishwa Fernando two, and Chamika Karunaratne was making his debut. Fernando and Karunaratne reduced Australia to 28 for 3 in the ninth over, before Burns and Head dug in for most of the rest of the day.

Ross Taylor hit a breathtaking century on the second day at Old Trafford and left England firmly on the back foot

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford24-May-2008
‘I think most batsmen, unless you have 20-30 hundreds, you’ll be nervous but I think I’d have been a lot more nervous if I hadn’t already got one’ © Getty Images
Most of New Zealand’s cricket so far on this tour has been described as ‘grafting’ and ‘workmanlike’, an assessment that even coach John Bracewell didn’t disagree with. There is nothing of either word in the way that Ross Taylor bats; ‘flamboyant’ and ‘adventurous’ would probably work better.Taylor was one of five New Zealand players to spend time at the Indian Premier League, before joining up with his team-mates two weeks into the England tour. While he was in India he spent time chatting with Rahul Dravid and Shivnarine Chanderpaul about the skills needed to succeed in England. He clearly didn’t listen too much, because it’s highly unlikely that either of them would have suggested trying to belt the cover off the ball.Both toured England last year with West Indies and India. While Chanderpaul enjoyed a prolific time, making 446 runs at 148.66 in three Tests, he never threatened to tear an attack apart in the manner Taylor did during his third fifty, which took 42 balls. Meanwhile, Dravid’s final Test innings on India’s tour was a tortuous 96-ball 12 at The Oval. Taylor’s second Test century took only 34 more deliveries.However, there has been a noticeable evolution in Taylor’s batting during the few days between Lord’s and Old Trafford. His strike-rate for the Bangalore Royal Challengers was 183.95 and he began this tour unable to rein in his attacking mindset at the beginning of an innings. The warm-up matches were characterised by flashy dismissals after a couple of attractive boundaries, then at Lord’s in the first innings he tried to pull a good length ball from Stuart Broad, and only managed to top edge to second slip.”I was very disappointed with the way I got out,” he said in his Cricinfo diary. “I was a little nervous when I walked out to bat, but playing across the line as I did to a shorter ball from Stuart Broad was not part of my game plan. Test cricket has its own special tempo and I was too rushed. I’ll learn from that, as I do each time I bat in Test cricket.” And learn he certainly has.”I played straighter, that’s the game plan I took out there,” he said after Daniel Vettori’s two late strikes left New Zealand in control. “I know if they bowl in other areas that, if I have a base of playing straight, my natural instincts will take over. A lot of people probably thought I was nervous at Lord’s, but no more so than playing at another other ground. I just felt a little bit out of sorts, but I’ve work hard over the last few days and it made me feel a lot more relaxed.”Taylor is a naturally attacking batsman and there will always be an element of risk to his play. It is how he manages those risks that will determine how successful he becomes. The fact that he appears to be a quick learner will help his cause no end, but it is also a good sign that, even with a couple of failures behind him, he had the confidence to continue is own game.England could easily have run all over New Zealand on the opening day, but Taylor’s counter-attack redressed the balance almost before the home side could think they’d gained control. On the second morning the challenge was slightly different, consolidate and try to carry the game away from them. The loss of two team-mates to run outs didn’t help, but by the time he was joined by the bowlers he was seeing the ball so well.There was a hint of Nathan Astle and a sprinkle of Chris Cairns – not bad role models for an aggressive middle-order batsman – in the way he carved up England’s bowlers in the later stages on his innings. It was one-day cricket – “The IPL helped me with those last 20 to 30 runs,” Taylor said – and England needed to respond with some one-day style bowling. However, it’s difficult to remember a single yorker that was attempted and Taylor was quite happy to swat length into the stands.Andrew Strauss, who made a 60 that would have suited the grafting description, preferred to praise Taylor rather than suggest it was England’s shortcomings that played a part. “Sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition and when someone doesn’t allow bowlers to settle,” he said. “As a bowler you feel like you have a chance against people like that, but if they get in and get on top it’s hard to stem the flow of runs. I thought he played exceptionally well and you have to take your hat off to him.”Taylor has only played Tests against two nations; South Africa and England. He was found out by the bouncy pitches in Johannesburg and Centurion Park, but here the short ball was easily dispatched. He has formed a liking to English bowlers over the last few months. The series in New Zealand brought 310 runs at 51.66, including his maiden Test century at Hamilton. That was a rather more prosaic innings, taking 185 balls to today’s 130, but Taylor said the memories of that first hundred helped today after he got stalled in the 90s.”I think I probably batted better in this game and also the game situation it makes it a little bit better as well. I think most batsmen, unless you have 20-30 hundreds, will be nervous but I think I’d have been a lot more nervous if I hadn’t already got one.”The list of top-order batsman New Zealand have lost in recent times shows the talent that has disappeared; Astle, Craig McMillan, Stephen Fleming and Scott Styris to name four. It hasn’t proved easy trying to find suitable replacements, but in Taylor they have someone with a long career in front of them and he is certainly more then the grafter.

For two days the batsmen have made a pitch that has been testing look like a disaster area by playing, missing, edging and complaining

Peter English at the Gabba21-Nov-2008

	Straight bats are much better in these circumstances than horizontal ones on lively surfaces © Getty Images

Modern batsmen have forgotten how to play on lively surfaces. Perhaps this
generation never learned, or lost the ability during years of pampering on
flat surfaces that inflated their averages and belief. At least it gives
them something to blame for the failures in this fascinating Test.For two days they have made a pitch that has been testing look like a
disaster area by playing, missing, edging and complaining. Twenty-six
wickets have fallen in two days, including 16 on the second day, the most
in a Gabba Test since the Ashes Test of 1950-51. There is no desperation to call for the
pitch inspector for this is a strip that has coped well with a wet
preparation and made an entertaining contest.If the finance requirements and television stations didn’t prefer that
matches always entered a fifth day, there would be more cause to create
pitches that challenged the game’s most protected species. Australia and
New Zealand have returned from series in India and Bangladesh over the
past month and finally – but briefly – the bowlers have been allowed to
upset the game’s order by embarrassing the batsmen instead of the other
way around. It’s a shame it can’t last, but the final Test of the series
is in Adelaide next week.New Zealand’s inexperienced batsmen mirrored the rashness of Australia’s
by flaying to 156, and by stumps the home side had a lead of 189.
Throughout the second day there were big drives that resulted in bowleds
(Jamie How and Grant Elliott), nibbles that went to the slips (Aaron
Redmond and Matthew Hayden), a shuffle that ended in a lbw (Ross Taylor)
and a horribly misjudged pull from Ricky Ponting, who glared at the pitch
before he left. Straight bats are much better in these circumstances than
horizontal ones, something Andrew Symonds didn’t remember 28 minutes
before stumps when he edged a swipe off Chris Martin.On a day of carelessness the most worrying moment came with the casual
run-out of Michael Clarke, who didn’t bother to reach for the crease and
was beaten by a smart throw from Redmond at backward square leg. It was a
small moment, but it summed up the mood of both line-ups. With the going
tough, the batsmen appeared to give up. Stupid pitch. Great match.Daniel Flynn, the No. 6, looks like the kind of batsman who would be happy
to defend through to Christmas, which was exactly what New Zealand needed.
Unfortunately for Flynn, he was unbeaten on 39 when his team-mates were
dismissed in 240 minutes.Only four batsmen reached double figures before Australia tried their best
to match the effort, reaching 6 for 131 at stumps. The opener Simon Katich
lifted himself above the damage with an unbeaten 67 that was the brightest
and most composed innings of the match. He will be vital to Australia’s
target setting on Saturday.While the rest of the batsmen grumbled at their perceived misfortune – and
ignored the need for grit to replace glitz – the supporters at the Gabba
were cheering. After sitting in the stands at times during the first two
days it quickly becomes clear what the fans want from the players:
boundaries, bouncers and wickets. The people who pay to watch are capable
judges of excitement and seeing them in a hurry to stand when an umpire
raises his finger is moving, literally and emotionally.These types of wickets are good for everybody but the batsmen. In the
commentary boxes there is a gentle debate about whether this pitch should
be called a greentop. To anyone who has played club cricket, or Tests
before the 1990s, it looks like a wicket that would test your technique
but is far from impossible. To modern batsmen, the ones who have to go to
work on it, the strip carries more demons than an episode of Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. For the rest of the summer they will have the advantage,
so it is fun watching them struggle for a few days.

Stats highlights from South Africa’s historic eight-wicket win, which gave them their first series win in Australia

S Rajesh30-Dec-2008
At the age of 27, Graeme Smith already holds the record for most number of runs scored in successful run-chases © AFP
South Africa’s nine-wicket win ended Australia’s 16-year unbeaten run in home series. The last time they’d been beaten was by West Indies in 1992-93, which was also the last time they’d lost successive games at home. For South Africa, it was their first win in Melbourne in five attempts since their readmission to Test cricket, and their third in 14 Tests in Australia during this period. They end the year with a 11-2 win-loss record, easily the best among all teams. South Africa’s 11 wins in 2008 is also a record by any team in a single year, and a feat that has only been achieved twice previously – by West Indies in 1984, and by England in 2004. Australia’s best is ten, which they’ve achieved three times – in 2002, 2004 and 2006. South Africa haven’t lost a Test series in more than two years, during which time they’ve won nine series and drawn one: their last defeat was to the Sri Lankans in a two-Test series in July 2006. The chase of 183 made it ten successful run-chases of 175 or more in 2008, with South Africa contributing exactly 50% of those. They finished the year almost exactly like they started it: in their first game of 2008, they chased down 185 against West Indies in Cape Town, losing three wickets. Graeme Smith had led that run-chase too, scoring 85 and sparking off a fourth-innings sequence which is quite incredible: in six innings this year he has scored 85, 62, 3*, 154*, 108 and 75. His matchwinning 75 in Melbourne lifted his aggregate in fourth-innings victories to 919, which is the most by any batsman. Matthew Hayden is next with 913, while Ricky Ponting has 835. Smith’s knock also lifted his aggregate for the year to 1656 from 15 Tests at an average of 72. Only two batsmen have scored more in a calendar year – Mohammad Yousuf accumulated 1788 in 2006, while Viv Richards made 1710 in 1976. With so many South African batsmen in superb form this year – four scored more than 1000 – it’s hardly surprising that they dominate the partnership stats too. Smith and Neil McKenzie put together the most number of partnership runs – 1552 – followed by Smith and Hashim Amla (1090). In fact four of the top eight pairs of the year are South Africans.