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No play was possible on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match between Gloucestershire and Lancashire at Cheltenham.Players arrived at the College Ground to find that a fierce storm the previous night had caused some water to seep through the covers, leaving a wet area on a length at the Chapel End.Umpires Jeff Evans and Paul Pollard delayed the start and opted to make an initial inspection at 11.30am local time. Plans for a further look an hour later were abandoned because of a heavy shower and an early lunch was taken with the intention of another inspection at 1.30pm. By then more rain had fallen and play was abandoned for the day at 1.45pm amid continued concern that the nature of the pitch had changed.Lancashire were due to resume their first innings on 47 for 2 in reply to Gloucestershire’s 205.Saqib Mahmood claimed 4 for 48 on the opening day, including the first three wickets of Gloucestershire’s innings to stem a promising start by the hosts. There were two wickets each for James Anderson and Liam Livingstone, while Miles Hammond top scored with 82.By the time bad light brought a close three overs early, Lancashire had lost Haseeb Hameed to a run out and Jake Lehmann, bowled by David Payne during an eight-over opening spell by the left-armer, which saw him concede only four runs.Keaton Jennings remained not out 26 and Rob Jones was unbeaten on 14.

Australia coach Justin Langer said he “slept a lot better” after Steven Smith showed some of his best form since returning from elbow surgery with the unbeaten 89 in the second match against the New Zealand XI on Wednesday.Smith dominated the back-end of the Australian innings, collecting 39 off his last 17 deliveries with increasingly dominant strokeplay including four sixes, three of them lofted drives and the other a pull, as he continued his recovery from the operation he had in January.Smith found form during the latter part of his IPL stint with Rajasthan Royals, hitting three half-centuries in five innings, before making 22 in the opening match in Brisbane batting at No. 4 before his eye-catching display at No. 5.”I certainly slept a lot better, it warmed my heart to be honest,” Langer told . “I watched him on the weekend, he had a nets session on Sunday night and I was sitting with a couple of coaches and I just said ‘How good is this kid’. We’ve seen the statistics and we know the stories but when you see him first hand…[The 89] was a tutorial in batting. It’s great for the team.”There remain a few question marks over Smith’s ability to throw at full tilt due to his elbow, but a diving catch he took in the first match suggested progress is being made. He has also impressed the management with his general fitness levels since returning to national colours for the first time since his ban.There were fewer form-related questions surrounding David Warner heading into the pre-tournament camp following is prolific IPL with the main debate surrounding the position he will bat. He was at No. 3 in the first match before opening with Aaron Finch in the second and Usman Khawaja in the third as all the combinations were tried.Langer said the “obvious” choice was that Warner would open but did not go as far as to confirm that would happen following the success of the Finch-Khawaja pairing in Australia’s run of eight consecutive wins against India and Pakistan.”The obvious thing is we should [open with Warner],” Langer said. “But I think he’s quite an adaptable player, too. What I’ve loved is the partnership between Finchy and Usman Khawaja as well. They gel really well and in the past Finch and Warner gelled really well. I’m not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, but we’ve got really good options there.”The other question that still needs to be decided around the batting line-up is which player misses out presuming that Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis will take the five and six positions. It could be that Shaun Marsh, who scored four centuries in eight innings against England, South Africa and India does not find a spot in the side.

India captain Virat Kohli believes handling the pressure “is the most important thing in the World Cup and not necessarily the conditions”. He said as much a day before the team’s departure for England, for the tournament beginning on May 30. Second on the ICC ODI rankings behind hosts England, Kohli said his team was “very balanced” and “very strong”.”White-ball cricket, playing in England, playing an ICC tournament, the conditions are not that different or that difficult I would say, compared to Test cricket,” Kohli said in Mumbai. “Pressure is the most important thing in the World Cup and not necessarily the conditions. From that point of view, it will be helpful. Secondly, all the bowlers that are in the squad, even during the IPL they were preparing themselves to be in the zone for 50-over cricket. And if you saw the guys bowling – no one looked tired or fatigued after bowling four overs. They were very fresh. The mindset or the ultimate goal is to be fit for the 50-over format and not let their fitness come down and that was communicated before the IPL started.”We go into the World Cup feeling very balanced very strong as a side. You saw in the IPL as well, all the players that are in the squad were in great form and played really well.”Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri spoke about the different challenges they will face because of the format of this World Cup in which all 10 teams play each other once and the top four qualify for the semi-finals. India’s first four matches will be against “tough” sides – South Africa, defending champions Australia, New Zealand and arch-rivals Pakistan.”It is probably the most challenging World Cup of all the three that I have been part of because of the format and looking at the strength of the all the sides as well,” Kohli said. “If we live up to our skill sets and our standards that we set for ourselves, we’ll be on the right side of the result more often. That is going to be key. Every game you have to play to the best of your potential because it’s not a group stage anymore, it’s playing everyone once.”The best thing is that we’ll have four tough games straight up and that will set the tone nicely for us. Everyone has to be at their best intensity from the first match onwards and we don’t have any room for complacency.”The format is the same as that of the 1992 event in which Shastri played. When asked how challenging the format is, he said: “Very challenging. If you look at 2015 and 2019, the gap is much closer now between teams. See what Afghanistan were in 2015 and see what they are now. See what Bangladesh were and what they are now. The good thing though is there are those nine games rather than just three-four games where you have to be on the ball from the outset.”The most important thing is to get out there and enjoy the World Cup and if you play to the potential the cup might be here.”In terms of form and fitness, India had two players in focus ahead of the tournament – Kuldeep Yadav and Kedar Jadhav. Kuldeep was dropped by Kolkata Knight Riders for five of their 14 matches in the IPL recently because of his economy rate of 8.66 – his worst in any IPL season since his debut in 2016 – and his tally of four wickets in 33 overs. Jadhav, on the other hand, had injured his left shoulder in Chennai Super Kings’ last league game earlier this month to give India a worry before the World Cup. Even before the injury, Jadhav put together only 162 runs this IPL in 14 innings, averaging 18, and didn’t bowl at all, something he is expected to do for India during the World Cup. He was, however, declared fit on Monday and Shastri confirmed he will fly with the team.India coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli take questions from the media•Associated Press

“Someone like Kuldeep who has had so much success, it’s important to see a period where things don’t go your way also,” Kohli said. “We are glad that it happened during the IPL, rather than during the World Cup. He has time to reflect, time to correct things and come into the World Cup even stronger. The kind of skill set he possesses, along with [Yuzvendra] Chahal, they are really two pillars of our bowling line-up.”Kedar also, we understand the kind of pitches they (Chennai Super Kings) got playing at home. We were not too worried looking at Kedar because he was looking in a good space. Yes, he couldn’t get runs, T20 is such a format where you don’t get a few and you can go on like that for a few days. We are not worried about anyone’s headspace.”A team that does well at the World Cup is a team that can handle pressure well and secondly try and be as normal as possible. Looking at the magnitude of those games, the team that stays more focused and more balanced can go on to win the tournament.”Both the captain and coach also reflected on the recent scores that were put up by England and Pakistan in the bilateral series that had both teams score at least 340 in three of the four completed matches. The conditions might be the same during the World Cup, but the scores might be a little different, Kohli said.”We expect high-scoring games, but a bilateral series compared to a World Cup is very different,” he said. “You might see a lot of, I won’t say low-scoring games, but 260-270 kind of games, teams getting those totals and defending it successfully because of the pressure factor. We expect all kinds of scenarios at the World Cup but yeah, there will be quite a few high-scoring games too.”India will be playing their matches across six venues in England, and Shastri said they will have to adapt according to the grounds.”Our mantra will be to be flexible according to the conditions,” he said. “It’s one country in the world where the pitches might be flat but if it’s overcast and conditions change, then you’ve got to be up with it because any other country in the world, overhead conditions don’t matter that much. In England they do, and it differs from venue to venue. In London it might not make that much of a difference whereas if you go up north, it does get overcast and you’ll see things happening. So you have to be ready for that, prepare for that.”India will play two warm-up matches, against New Zealand (May 25) and Bangladesh (May 28), before starting their main campaign on June 5 against South Africa.

Dimuth Karunaratne’s forthcoming stint with the Hampshire county side may be cancelled, with Sri Lanka’s selectors now strongly considering handing the ODI reins to Karunaratne for the World Cup.Hampshire had signed Karunaratne as their overseas player in February, but Karunaratne has now been asked to remain in Sri Lanka through April, in order to play the provincial one-day tournament, during which the selectors will assess his suitability for the Sri Lanka one-day side.Karunaratne has not played an ODI since the last World Cup, and has been pigeon-holed as a Test batsman, partly owing to poor returns in the one-day format – his average is 15.83 after 17 matches.But as Lasith Malinga’s one-day captaincy is yet to yield a victory for Sri Lanka in nine matches, the selectors are considering a left-field move.”The selectors haven’t confirmed anything, but they’ve told me to keep in mind there’s a possibility I could become one-day captain,” Karunaratne told ESPNcricinfo. “They’ve asked me to stay back for the provincial tournament. If I get picked for the World Cup squad, there will be camps and training after that as well, so I might not be able to go to Hampshire in those months.”Although Karunaratne does not generally score as quickly as your standard ODI batsman, there is now a hope he will be able to hold Sri Lanka’s innings together. In recent years, Sri Lanka has frequently lost early wickets. They were unable to last the full fifty overs in any of the four full ODIs they just played in South Africa.The selectors have also been impressed with Karunaratne’s ability to band the team together in tough situations. Sri Lanka’s recent historic upset against South Africa in Tests was partly credited to the manner in which Karunaratne was able to coax the best from a group of inexperienced players. Several of the stars of that series have since paid tribute to Karunaratne’s leadership.In an interview with , chief selector Ashantha de Mel said his committee wants “to see what Dimuth did for the Test team, with the ODI team”. Angelo Mathews, de Mel said, was also in the frame for the captaincy, because Mathews was “someone who has been accepted by everyone in the team”.”But we are also looking at Dimuth,” he said.Through all this, it is still not clear if Malinga will lose his job – the selectors have not ruled out his captaincy for the World Cup either. Essentially, at present, there are three possible choices for captaincy, each with its drawbacks. Karunaratne is not thought of as a one-day player; Mathews is often injured, and although Malinga is both an automatic choice in the one-day XI, and has been fit over the past few months, the selectors do not believe he has the full support of the dressing room.In any case, Karunaratne has not done his chances any harm by hitting 109 off 115 balls for Sinhalese Sports Club in the semi-final of the Premier Limited Over tournament on Sunday.

Before the cricket world turns its gaze IPL-wards starting March 23, there is one key limited-overs series that India will play, at home, against Australia. Comprising two T20Is and five ODIS, it starts on February 23 and runs through March 13. India, as the senior selection committee chairman MSK Prasad said recently, have nearly sealed the 15 World Cup spots. There is “one odd” berth left to fill and plenty of players vying for it.On Friday, Prasad’s panel will meet in Mumbai to pick the squads for the Australian series, giving a possible hint at the player(s) that are likely to travel to England.Going by form and experience, 13 men pick themselves up: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. That leaves two spots to firm up.Specialist batsman or allrounder?If the selectors and the team management opt to go with a fourth specialist fast bowler – like Khaleel Ahmed – that leaves one seat vacant.Could it be KL Rahul’s? He was being looked at a back-up opener or, given his talent and ability to score quickly, a makeshift middle-order bat. Then came a dip in form and the suspension for his behavior on an Indian talk show.KL Rahul reverse pulls the ball•Associated Press

Rahul has since returned to playing and has scored two eighty-plus scores in the ongoing unofficial Tests against the England Lions. But will runs against an A team be enough to push him up the pecking order, especially considering Rishabh Pant and Vijay Shankar have been doing it in international cricket?Pant might have made his name with his explosive batting, but what has impressed the selectors and team management is his composure. Following a good run with India A last year, he struck a very polished hundred in the New Year’s Test against Australia in Sydney.The advantage of picking Pant is that he can be the floater in the line-up – a man for all situations. The one factor that goes against him is experience – he’s played only three ODIs – but as Prasad pointed out recently, his fearlessness makes him hard to ignore.If the selectors feel Pant is too big a gamble, the other batsman they are likely to consider is Vijay. He replaced Hardik Pandya, who too was suspended during the Australia series, and played the Melbourne ODI. Then, he featured in three of the five ODIs and all the three T20Is in New Zealand, where he was pushed up to the No. 3 position. Is that an indication the Indian team management see him as a batsman who, if needed, can bowl a bit?Vijay Shankar brings out a lofted shot•AFP/Getty

Vijay has a solid technique, plays with a high elbow and has the ability to clear the boundary without using a lot of muscle. During the final ODI of the New Zealand series, he played the lead role to pick India out of the pits from 18 for 4 with a 98-run fifth-wicket partnership with Rayudu. That performance, on a seaming track, when the opposition was on top, could prove pivotal. Not least because India won the game. Also man-to-man, Vijay is a better fielder than Pant.The one other batsman the selectors might just consider is Ajinkya Rahane, who helped Mumbai win the Vijay Hazare Trophy last year. But his strike-rate – 77 in 11 innings since being dropped from the Indian ODI side – is likely to work against him.Extra specialist fast bowler or bowling allrounder?Ravindra Jadeja and Khaleel Ahmed have been a regular part of the Indian ODI set-up since September 2018.Jadeja returned to the fold having sat out for more than year between the West Indies tour in 2017 and the Asia Cup last year. Since then, he has taken 16 wickets from 11 matches, including two four-wicket hauls. There was nothing spectacular with the bat, but Jadeja is the second-most experienced player behind Dhoni, having featured in seven ICC tournaments. He was integral to India’s Champions Trophy success in 2013, held in England, and finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker. If the English summer is anything like last year, Jadeja’s fingerspin will definitely prove an asset, especially as pitches become weary at the back-end of the World Cup.Khaleel Ahmed celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

The other option for the selectors is picking a fourth specialist fast bowler. Two contenders for that position right now are Khaleel and Umesh Yadav but it is not clear whether Umesh would be fit in time for the Australian series after being forced to skip the Irani Cup due to an injury sustained while playing the Ranji Trophy final.As a left-arm fast bowler, Khaleel brings a whole new dimension to the bowling attack. India have tried him out in each of their limited-overs assignments since the Asia Cup and he has done fairly well – 11 wickets from eight matches. If he can crank up his pace and keep it around 140 kph consistently, he’ll make the selectors job even harder.This Australia series gives Prasad’s panel – and indeed the players too – one last chance before April comes and India have to pick their World Cup 15.

Bismah Maroof has been named Pakistan women’s captain for both the ODI and T20I series against West Indies women. The three-match T20I series will take place in Karachi from January 31 to February 3, and will mark the resumption of women’s international cricket in Pakistan since they hosted Bangladesh for two T20Is and two ODIs in September 2015. This will be followed by three ODIs in Dubai.Maroof had missed Pakistan’s previous ODI series, against Australia in Kuala Lumpur last year, due to a sinus problem, for which she underwent surgery. She later returned to action in the World T20 in the Caribbean, but not as captain. A PCB press release said she had stepped down from the role and Javeria Khan, who filled in for Maroof, will continue to lead.Maroof has now taken back the captaincy, which she termed a “huge honour”. “It’s always a privilege to be appointed captain of your country,” she said. “But to be named captain in a home series against a tough side like the West Indies, that too when international cricket is making a steady return to Pakistan, is a huge honour.”Umaima Sohail, the only new player to be handed a contract earlier this week, has been picked in both the ODI and T20I squads.T20I squad: Bismah Maroof (capt), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Irum Javed, Javeria Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Nida Dar, Sana Mir, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Umaima SohailODI squad: Bismah Maroof (capt), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Javeria Khan, Kainat Imtiaz, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Saba Nazir, Sana Mir, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Umaima Sohail

Cheteshwar Pujara averages 68.01 in the Ranji Trophy, but even in a tournament he’s dominated, he has taken his batting a notch higher against Karnataka. In six games against the eight-time champions, he averages 85.44 with two centuries and three fifties, including his first-class highest of 352 in Rajkot.On Thursday, Pujara and Saurashtra will meet Karnataka for the first time since that match in 2013. This time theyy’ll meet in the Ranji semi-finals, at Karnataka’s home ground, another venue that holds fond memories for Pujara. “I made my Test debut at the Chinnaswamy Stadium,” he said on Tuesday. “It is a special ground for me.”Pujara comes into this game on the back of two history-making events – he was Player of the Series in a first-ever Test series win for India in Australia, and part of the batting line-up that gunned down a record 372 against Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji quarter-finals.That chase has filled Pujara with confidence with regards to Saurashtra’s chances against Karnataka.”At times, we have been very desperate about winning the Ranji Trophy but this time there’s no pressure,” Pujara said. “I’m going to talk about this to all the players. Even if we lose, the kind of cricket we’ve played this season has been exceptional. The quarter-final victory was very special to me. I’m sure it is special to everyone. To make a comeback like that…”We have a very good chance of winning the semi-final and perhaps even the final. Because it shows that all the players are very determined. Throughout the season, all the players have contributed at some stage. Everyone is in form. If we play to our potential, we have a very good chance of winning this game. But there’s no pressure on any of the players.”Pujara wasn’t too keen to discuss his 2013 triple-hundred.”That’s in the past. We’ve played good cricket against them and won in Rajkot this season. I wasn’t there but the guys have played one game against Karnataka and know what to expect. The good thing is it’s a five-day game and we saw what we can do as a team. We didn’t do well in the first innings against UP but we had enough time to make a comeback. Now we’re a confident unit after chasing 372.”Cheteshwar Pujara plays the pull shot•Getty Images

He also admitted that being the batsman the team looked up to brings extra pressure.”Sometimes there is extra pressure. When I was playing the quarter-final I knew there was a lot of responsibility on my shoulders,” Pujara said. “But I also need to understand that I need to be normal to perform well. I just have to focus on the process rather than worrying about the pressure or expectations which are there. I’ve already started my preparation today. I’ll have one more net session tomorrow.”Given this desire to prepare, Pujara came straight to the Chinnaswamy from the airport, not bothering to stop at the team hotel in between. The rest of the Saurashtra team reached Bengaluru on Monday night, and Pujara joined them directly at the nets.”I feel it is important to be part of the Ranji Trophy,” he said. “For me, playing for Saurashtra is an honour. I’ve grown up playing Ranji Trophy cricket. It has helped me immensely when I’ve played international cricket. Being part of the Saurashtra unit is something I’ve always looked forward to. Especially when we are in the knockout stage, I feel if I’m around, if I can share my experience with young players, it can help the team. It’s a bit of a change coming here from Australia and playing with the SG ball… it’s slightly different. But fortunately, I got to play in the quarter-final.”I always respect the Ranji Trophy. It is always special for me. I feel youngsters should look forward to playing this tournament because it prepares you for the longer format. I made my Ranji debut for Saurashtra in 2005. After that, the number of matches I’ve played…it’s taught me many lessons on playing long innings.”Those words were echoed by Mayank Agarwal, who will be on the opposite side after having batted alongside Pujara in Australia. Agarwal has recovered from the thumb soreness that kept him out of Karnataka’s quarter-final against Rajasthan.”It means a lot,” Agarwal said, about playing for Karnataka. “The state has given a lot of opportunities and facilities and as a player. Whatever you do, you have to come back and play for the state. And put in that effort, which you did before you went to play for the country. So nothing changes.”The preparation remains the same. Whether you have played for India or not, you have to go out there and give your best and do the same things right, again and again. Obviously, you will have some confidence under your belt. Also, you have a bit more experience so that is something which you can carry forward.”

The 2019 edition of the IPL will take place entirely in India, and will start on March 23, the BCCI said on Tuesday. The venue had been the subject of speculation given that the dates clash with the general elections, which are expected to take place in April-May. However, a BCCI release said the date and venue had been decided on by the Committee of Administrators after discussions with federal and state officials.It is likely that the full IPL schedule will be out in early February. In addition to the home bases of the eight franchises, around four to six additional grounds have been shortlisted as back-up. Once the Election Commission of India announces the final dates for the polls, the IPL will consider if any of these venues would need changing.Although the IPL has not announced the date for the final, it is likely to be between May 12 and 15. As per norm the defending champion gets the rights to host the tournament opener and the final. So Chennai will get both those key matches. More clarity on the situation is expected once the poll dates in the city are made public.ESPNcricinfo understands that the information has been passed on to, and received by, the franchises.In a press release the BCCI said that decision to conduct the tournament in India was “based on the preliminary discussions with the appropriate central and state agencies / authorities”. A detailed schedule, the BCCI said, “will be finalised in consultation with the appropriate authorities”, after which the Committee of Administrators will have a “detailed discussion” with all the stakeholders.In 2009 and 2014 – the last two seasons that clashed with general elections – the IPL had been moved to South Africa and the UAE (first half of the season) respectively. This time, too, the IPL had been proactive about keeping alternate plan in place. The first priority was always to keep the entire tournament in India but South Africa and the UAE were again shortlisted as alternate venues. Before the auction, held on December 18, the IPL briefed the franchises about the various plans it had chalked out in case the tournament had to be moved out of the country.The biggest challenge for the franchises next season is that the IPL will end a couple of weeks before the World Cup begins on May 30 in England. As a result, the availability of overseas players towards the tail-end of the season is a bit unclear.

Reeza Hendricks cracked the maiden century of the Mzansi Super League as Jozi Stars buried Durban Heat under a mountain of runs to climb to the third place. Asked to bat on a belter in Johannesburg, Stars’ batsmen pulverised the opposition, one after the other, in a savage assault. It gave them a cushion of 230 runs – 21 clear of the previous highest total of the tournament, which also belonged to Stars – a good 146 of which came from fours and sixes.What started out as a lesson in the art of preserving wickets and pacing a T20 innings, wound up being an exhibition of death-overs batting. By the time the Stars innings ended, Heat had no idea what had hit them. Specifically, the overs between 14 and 20 were a haze, as Stars pillaged 114 runs in that period.As it is Johannesburg is a treat to bat on – this is the venue of AB de Villiers hundred, remember? – owing to the ground’s natural topography. The high altitude means the ball flies off the bat, and the hardness of the surface gives batsmen the ideal pace they need off it. Add to that small boundaries, and you either have to be a genius who can conjure magic at will, or be extremely adroit with your variations. If you’re unable to tick either of those boxes, you simply close your eyes and pray for the best.It was the last of those that was on display on Friday. Heat’s bowlers offered up an assortment of poor deliveries. They bowled too full. They fed the arc of the batsmen, giving them the ideal amount of room. Changes in pace were sussed out early, and tighter lines were dealt with by smart movements around the crease.Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton took minimal time to get down to business. Barring three, every over in the first ten contained at least one boundary. As one would expect with such striking, Stars’ progression wasn’t without some slice of luck. Hendricks, in particular, walked a slippery path early, his first three fours arriving via a powerful whip over midwicket, an inside edge to fine leg, and a leading edge through backward point.But the streaky strokes soon made way for more meaty ones. A full-blooded shovel over midwicket by Hendricks brought up the fifty of the opening stand, in the last over of the Powerplay. With Rickelton too finding frequent boundaries at the other end – three fours and two sixes in 33 balls – Stars were closing in on the 100-run mark at the start of the 11th over when respite finally arrived. And it took a tremendous catch – Hashim Amla falling to his right at point to snare a Rickelton cut – to end a start so good.However, the worst was yet to come. Rassie van der Dussen provided the first glimpse of that when he cracked four successive sixes off Tladi Bokako in the 14th over, and ended it with a powerful drive through extra cover, making it 30 from the over. Hendricks kept the punishment going with three sixes and a four in the 16th over, off Vernon Philander.Once van der Dussen departed, Heat were in for an even ruder shock as Daniel Christian unleashed a boundary barrage of his own. The manner of Christian’s progression meant that Hendricks had to wait until the last over to get to the hundred despite having moved into the 90s in the 17th over.Heat put up a brave effort in their response, especially considering they lost three wickets to Kagiso Rabada in the very first over. Everything Heat’s bowlers couldn’t discover in the first innings, Stars’ did: pace, bounce, and movement off the deck. Even so, with Johannesburg’s reputation for putting up thrilling chases, nothing could be ruled out. Morne van Wyk kept the fight alive with another six-heavy attack, but with Heat unable to plug the fall of wickets at the other end, it was a lost battle. Through the first half, Heat maintained a run rate of over ten, but had lost six wickets. In all, Heat managed four overs of 17 runs each, and struck 17 fours and nine sixes in their innings. It made for an entertaining viewing, but was nowhere close to enough as they crumbled under the magnitude of the task in front.

The series against West Indies is done now. Six days of cricket yielding a 2-0 result that takes India to a record-equaling ten successive series wins at home. The focus now shifts to Australia and it looks quite likely that the 18-year old opener Prithvi Shaw and the fast bowler who rarely plays overseas – Umesh Yadav – are a part of the plan.Virat Kohli wants to make India’s bowling their strength. And he wouldn’t mind a batting line-up that can take it to Mitchell Starc and company when the Tests begin in Adelaide. He felt Umesh gave India the pace a bowling attack needs to be effective in those conditions and Shaw…well here are the exact words from the India captain: “I don’t think any of us were even 10 percent of what he is at 18-19.””The guy has grabbed his chance beautifully. He looks like someone that can get you off to the kind of start that you require, especially to make the first mark in any series that you play. So from that point of view it’s great to have a guy who’s so fearless. And he’s not reckless. He’s very confident about his game. You might feel like he’s going to nick off one now. But he hardly nicks the ball. That we saw in England as well when he was batting in the nets. He was really attacking but in control throughout which is a very rare quality against the new ball. To play so many shots and be in control of all of them is a great sign.”Praise for Umesh, who became only the third fast bowler to pick up a ten-wicket haul at home, flowed just as freely. “It’s good to have all guys confident and raring to go because four Tests in Australia can be brutal because the ball doesn’t do much like England. You have to come in and run in all day, bowl in the right areas, with pace. So I think from that point of view, Umesh is right up there to be featuring in Australia because he’s got the pace. He’s got the fitness levels to run in all day to pick us wickets at crucial times and he gets good bounce as well.”Not many people realise but he’s a very very talented bowler. He can bowl you unplayable deliveries every now and then. He’ll bowl a ball which you feel like you couldn’t have done anything else apart from getting out. It’s just that he’s gaining more confidence about his own game, especially in Test cricket, I think he’s come a long way and he understands his bowling really well.”It’s a great sign, as I said, to have four guys bowling so well who can pick up wickets. That’s something we want to keep as a consistent part of our team. Obviously the batting is something that we’re learning from the last tour we want to improve on collectively. But bowling is something we need to keep as a major strength in order for us to feel like we have a chance to win a series when we travel away from home.”The two top-scorers from the series for India were aged 18 and 20 and Kohli took that as a positive as well. “We were looking at the youngsters playing with a lot of freedom. Prithvi was outstanding. Rishabh was really fearless. Areas that they need to work on, they’ll obviously be spoken to in that regard. Overall both those guys are really good, solidifying their place in the team and understanding how to play at this level. I know the conditions might not be as challenging as they might get in future. But in Test cricket the first and most important thing is confidence and understanding that you can score runs in Test level. I think from that point of view we’re very happy that they’ve taken their chances so well. Getting Man of the Series [like Prithvi Shaw] in the first series regardless of where we play or how you play, its an outstanding achievement.”