All posts by n8rngtd.top

Who goes out if Jadeja is fit to return, and will Rahul’s unavailability have any bearing on the selection?

Karthik Krishnaswamy12-Feb-20241:33

Can the Vizag pitch be replicated in other Indian venues?

Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel? And is there a case for Kuldeep Yadav Axar Patel? India’s selectors and team management could spend a considerable length of time mulling over these questions in the lead-up to the third Test against England, which begins in Rajkot on Thursday. The issue is complicated by the fact that the selection isn’t a straight shootout between like-for-like players, and will potentially be swayed by the news that KL Rahul has been ruled out. The selection of India’s third spinner, in the end, is likely to hinge on three questions.

Will Jadeja be fit to start?

Injuries led Ravindra Jadeja and Rahul to miss the second Test in Visakhapatnam. While Rahul has been ruled out of the Rajkot Test, Jadeja’s availability remains subject to clearing a fitness test.If Jadeja is fit to play, he is expected to come back in for either Kuldeep or Axar, with Kuldeep perhaps likelier to keep his place given the wicket-taking threat he brings to India’s attack, particularly when conditions are batting-friendly. He picked up three first-innings wickets in Visakhapatnam, and over the course of the match was also the most economical of India’s spin trio, with his stump-to-stump line and wristspinner’s threat of extra bounce limiting England’s use of the sweep and reverse-sweep. He’s also looked in better rhythm of late than Axar, whose wide release and skiddiness off the surface didn’t quite make the impact India may have desired when they used him in an unbroken 14-over spell in the second innings, when the ball had begun to keep low frequently.Related

• KL Rahul ruled out of third Test against England; Devdutt Padikkal called up

• Zak Crawley, England's unlikely Mr Consistent, seeks his series-defining moment

• Can India's batters restore the balance of power against England's spinners?

• Iyer left out for remaining three Tests against England; Kohli unavailable

Since the start of 2023, Axar has taken just eight wickets in 11 Test innings at an average of 49.00 and a strike rate marginally below 100. He has averaged 56.71 with the bat in the same period, but India are likely to value Kuldeep’s wicket-taking ability over Axar’s all-round utility if Jadeja returns in Rajkot.If Jadeja doesn’t play, India’s selection is simpler: both Kuldeep and Axar play alongside R Ashwin as they did in Visakhapatam.R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav in deep conversation•BCCI

How will Rajkot’s pitch play?

Rajkot is reputed to be among the most batter-friendly venues in India, with one caveat. By nature, the SCA Stadium is full of runs – Cheteshwar Pujara and Jadeja have each made a triple-century here, and two double-hundreds apiece – but there have been times when the pressure of results has led Saurashtra, the home team, to prepare square turners. As a result, while there have been 20 first-class totals of 500 or more here, there have also been 20 all-out totals of 150 or less.The last two first-class games at the SCA Stadium summed up its yin-and-yang nature: a drawn Ranji Trophy match in January featuring a Pujara double, and a Rest of India win over Saurashtra in the Irani Cup in October, when the third and fourth innings produced totals of 160 and 79.The venue has hosted two Tests so far: a high-scoring India-England draw in 2016 and an innings win for India over West Indies in 2019, when the hosts declared on 649 for 9. Wristspinnners made a significant impact in both Tests, with Adil Rashid picking up seven wickets in the 2016 game and Kuldeep bagging a second-innings five-for against West Indies.The flatter the pitch is, the more India will value Kuldeep’s bowling. A square turner, however, could make them think of picking Axar – either alongside or instead of Kuldeep.If India wish to go all-out aggressive, Axar Patel could slot in as a batting allrounder•BCCI

Will Rahul’s absence influence this selection?

If Rahul was fit, he would have replaced Shreyas Iyer, whom India have left out of their squad. Now that Rahul isn’t available, though, India could end up with Rajat Patidar, who made his debut in Visakhapatnam, and one of Sarfaraz Khan or Devdutt Padikkal – both of whom are uncapped – at Nos. 4 and 5. While Jadeja, Ashwin and KS Bharat give India a good amount of depth on paper, the lack of experience above them and the concerns surrounding Bharat’s form could lead India to look for ways to slot Axar into their XI.The most defensive way to do this would be to leave Kuldeep out. The all-out aggressive option would be to pick Axar – or Washington Sundar – as a batting allrounder and play him ahead of Sarfaraz or Padikkal, but that wouldn’t exactly address any concerns over depth.A third way would be to play just one fast bowler in Jasprit Bumrah and surround him with four spin options. If reverse-swing comes into the picture as it did in Visakhapatnam, however, and the pitch doesn’t break up a great deal over the first three days, India may want a second quick to share Bumrah’s workload. The composition of their squad suggests India are looking to persist with the two-seamer combination, with Mohammed Siraj back after being rested for the second Test, Mukesh Kumar retained, and Akash Deep called up as an extra option.

Australia vice-captain backs team to come good under Justin Langer’s new regime

George Dobell at Trent Bridge18-Jun-2018Australia have “under-performed dramatically” in ODI cricket over recent months, according to Aaron Finch.Australia, who will have lost five ODI series in succession if they lose any of the final three matches in the Royal London series, have slipped to sixth position in the ICC ODI team rankings. It is their worst placing since January 1984.They have also lost seven of their eight most recent ODI encounters against an England side that currently sits at No. 1 in those rankings.But while Finch, the side’s vice-captain, admits recent results have been “disappointing”, he still feels Australia’s best cricket is “good enough” to beat England.”No doubt we’ve under-performed dramatically in the last 18 months in one-day cricket,” Finch said. “There’s no shying away from that – you can’t hide the win-loss facts.”We play well in patches but let the games slip, be it with a couple of poor overs with the ball or little collapses with the bat. It’s nothing new, we do need to put it all together and start to play the more complete game.”Sixth in the rankings is a fair reflection. We haven’t won any series for a while. We’ve just been outplayed in the last little while as well. That’s been disappointing.”While Finch is candid about his side’s failings, he feels there is enough time to turn things around ahead of the World Cup – which will be under way this time next year – and has urged patience in Justin Langer’s new coaching regime.”Justin’s only been in the job a couple of weeks and we’ve been together for two international games and two tour matches,” Finch said. “That’s not a long time to start to change the way he wants us to play, change training habits and technical things.”When you have new guys in the squad there is a little bit of a feeling-out process. The guys have all done well in patches but not nailed it for long enough. There is inexperience and that has shown in the last 18 months, but the more opportunities they get the more consistent they will become. We have around 23 games until the World Cup, obviously we would love to be winning now but it’s nice to get experience.”We are putting in a lot of work. But that hasn’t translated into the on-field performance just yet, in terms of wins. There is some separation between training [outcomes] and the game.”I’m sure the results will come down the track. I’ve got confidence that will happen but, just for now, it would be nice to get a few wins on the board to reinforce that what we’re doing is the right stuff.”Among the immediate issues facing Australia is how they combat England’s spinners. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have taken five wickets each so far this series – more than any Australia bowler – with Moeen conceding just 4.50 runs per over and Rashid 5.88. By contrast, none of Australia’s spinner – Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar and D’Arcy Short – have taken a wicket. To add some solidity to the Australia middle-order, Finch moved down to No. 5 in Cardiff but failed to score a run.”We’re doing a little bit of spin work at the moment,” Finch said. “The results probably haven’t been there if you look at Rash and Moeen’s figures in the last couple of games.”Maybe that’s pressure; maybe that’s the personnel as well. It’s tough to train [to face] someone like Adil Rashid. But we’re confident:
we’re all very good players.”I am very comfortable at No.5. I haven’t done it a hell of a lot in one-day cricket, maybe never, but in the last 18 months in T20, that gives me a better understanding of how to do it. Obviously getting a duck in my first game at No.5 isn’t ideal but we got ourselves in a reasonable position. Over the next 12 months it will be shuffled a bit, trying to find the best combinations, through the middle order. I am prepared to bat wherever the team needs.”And while Finch admitted England were playing “some good cricket”, he dismissed the suggestion that Australia may try to adopt a similar style.”England are playing some good cricket, that’s why they are No.1 in the world,” he said. “They play an aggressive brand of cricket, they put you on the back foot early especially with the bat. They have guys who are contributing all through the order. They go ultra-hard up top and rely on their spin a lot through the middle overs.”I think if we tried to copy that, it would be foolish – because we play in a different style. But we’ve won a lot of World Cups. We’ve got some guys in our changing room that have won them.”We have full confidence that, if we play to our full ability and push that for 100 overs rather than 60 or 80 overs – because if you give England an opportunity they will take it – our best is still good enough. It’s about doing it more consistently.”

The 2025 MLS Cup delivered record-breaking viewership on Dec. 6, drawing a combined 4.6 million viewers across platforms and setting new benchmarks for fan engagement. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF capped the night by winning their first MLS Cup title with a 3–1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  MLS Cup draws youngest and most engaged audience

  Across all platforms, the 2025 MLS Cup reached 4.6 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched events in league history. Apple TV data showed the youngest MLS Cup audience ever, with roughly 70 percent of viewers under the age of 45, while average watch time stretched to around 70 minutes per viewer. 

  That engagement extended well beyond the screen. Social media activity surged to a record 798 million impressions, representing a dramatic year-over-year increase and highlighting how MLS Cup has become a digital-first event for a younger, global audience.

Advertisement

• Imagn
  

  Impact on and off the pitch

  Inter Miami CF capped the night by lifting their first MLS Cup with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in front of a sellout crowd of 21,550 at Chase Stadium. The occasion resonated far beyond South Florida, as more than 20,000 supporters gathered at BC Place in Vancouver for the largest away viewing party in MLS Cup history, underscoring the scale of fan investment on both sides.

• Getty
  

  Multi-platform reach across North America and beyond

  Viewership was spread across a wide distribution network, with more than 3.6 million fans watching via Apple TV, MLS Season Pass, TSN, RDS, FOX, Fox Deportes, TNT, HBO Max in Mexico and additional partners. In the United States, preliminary Nielsen panel data showed just under one million viewers for the full match window on FOX and Fox Deportes, with further measurement updates expected.

  Internationally, fans from more than 100 countries tuned in, reinforcing MLS Cup’s expanding global footprint.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  What's next?

  Inter Miami will start their title defense on Feb. 21, when they travel to face Son Heung-Min's LAFC. 

Barbados suffered a collapse that restricted them to 232 for 9, which Windward Islands chased down with three balls to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2018Roland Cato’s fifty helped Windward Islands chase down 233 to defeat Barbados by thee wickets to clinch the Super50 Cup title.Cato came in at 72 for 3 and had a stand of 80 with Kavem Hodge (39) to set up a chase that would require a few contributions from the lower order. In the end, Kyle Mayers (32) and Alick Athanaze (23*) hit run-a-ball knocks to help them chase the target down in the last over. Dominic Drakes was Barbados’ most successful bowler, taking 3 for 38 in his ten overs.Earlier, Barbados had suffered a collapse, falling from 187 for 4 to 195 for 8. Jonathan Carter (80) put on 69 for the second wicket with captain Kraigg Brathwaite (30) and 68 for the third with Roston Chase (44) after Omar Phillips had fallen in the second over. But the combination of Shane Shillingford (2 for 44), Obed McCoy (2 for 29) and Larry Edwards (2 for 41) chipped away to bring Windward Islands back into the game.

Keith Miller had a batting average that was 14 more than his bowling average, which easily puts him in the top rung of allrounders the world has seen

S Rajesh17-Oct-2010More than 50 years after he played his last Test match, Keith Miller remains, quite easily, the best allrounder Australia have ever produced. Despite the lingering feeling that he never quite had the drive and the hunger to pursue statistical milestones, Miller still finished with outstanding numbers, with a career batting average touching 37 and a bowling average of under 23. Sid Barnes, his Australian team-mate, accurately summarised Miller’s sheer talent and his attitude to cricket: “If Keith had had the same outlook as Bradman or Ponsford, he would have made colossal scores. He could, if he desired, have become the statisticians’ greatest customer.” Miller perhaps fell short of becoming the statisticians’ greatest customer, but nevertheless he visited them often enough, achieved significant numbers, and did it all with a flamboyance that was thrilling to watch.When he began his first-class career, he was a specialist batsman, and a very occasional bowler. On his first-class debut he scored 181 for Victoria against Tasmania in Melbourne in 1937-38. When first-class cricket in Australia was stopped due to the War, in 1941, Miller had, in 14 matches, scored two centuries and two fifties and had taken a solitary wicket, from seven overs. When he came back from the War, after serving with distinction as a fighter pilot, though, his fast bowling was a potent weapon, and it surprised England in the “Victory Tests” in which Miller played for the Australian Services team.In the Test match arena too, Miller’s batting was his stronger suit in the early days: in the first 20% of his career, his batting average exceeded 54 and his bowling average was less than 21, though he only took 27 wickets in 11 matches. In only his second Test, against England in Brisbane, he had match figures of 9 for 77, but that was an exception in what was largely a batting-dominated period in his career. Thereafter, though, the batting fell away slightly but the bowling remained lethal, as Miller formed a formidable combination with Ray Lindwall.In his last year-and-a-half in international cricket, Miller’s batting stats improved, but his bowling dropped off marginally. However, his highest Test score, 147 against West Indies in Kingston, and his only ten-wicket haul – against England at Lord’s – both came during this period. He had also scored a century at Lord’s on his earlier visit, thus making him one of only three overseas players – Vinoo Mankad and Garry Sobers are the others – to be on the honours board at Lord’s both for batting and bowling.

His all-round skills were so good that Miller remains one of only two Australians (Monty Noble, who played in the 1890s and 1900s, was the other) who scored more than 1500 runs and took over 100 wickets, and had a higher batting average than a bowling one. The difference for Miller was 14, which is easily the best among Australians.

In fact, Miller’s numbers compare favourably to the all-time best allrounders in the world: among those in the 1500-run-and-100-wicket club, only three have a higher difference between batting and bowling averages. One of them, Jacques Kallis, clearly favours batting – he averages less than two wickets per Test. Apart from him, Garry Sobers and Imran Khan are the only ones who rank higher than Miller.

However, the Australian teams Miller played in generally had strong batting line-ups, and it was as a bowler that Miller was needed more. With new-ball partner Lindwall, Miller formed an awesome combination. As a bowling pair they complemented each other superbly: Lindwall had exceptional control, and Miller was so unpredictable that batsmen didn’t know what to expect. Both were highly effective: during the 11 years in which Miller played his international cricket, both were easily among the best bowlers of their era.

When Miller performed to his potential, Australia usually won. Of the 55 Tests he played Australia won 31, which illustrates how strong the team was during that era, and Miller’s contributions in those victories were immense: with the bat he averaged 43.39, and he scored four of his seven hundreds in those games; in contrast, in the nine Tests he played in that Australia lost, his average fell to a miserable 17, and he scored only one half-century in 18 innings.With the ball, he was an even greater match-winner, and is one of only seven Australians who’ve taken more than 100 wickets at a sub-20 average in victories. All of his seven five-fors helped Australia win matches.

Miller had a special affinity for the West Indians: four of his seven Test hundreds and three of the seven five-fors came in the 10 Tests he played against them. In each of the two series versus West Indies, Miller achieved the double of 250 runs and 20 wickets, a feat that has only been accomplished 22 times against all opposition in Test history. Sobers and Ian Botham are the only ones to do this on three occasions, while Kapil Dev is the one player, apart from Miller, to do it twice.In one of those Tests against West Indies, in Kingston, Miller took 6 for 107 in West Indies’ first innings and scored 109, thus making him only the third Australian at the time to manage the double of a century and a five-for in the same match. Since then, Richie Benaud has been the only Australian to match the feat; he did it in 1958, which means it hasn’t been achieved by an Australian in the last 52 years. The degree of difficulty of the task can be gauged from the fact that it’s only been done 23 times in Tests; and of the four famous allrounders who played in the 1980s, neither Kapil nor Richard Hadlee achieved it in their entire careers.

A few key numbers involving Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Johannesburg, the venue for the second semi-final of the IPL

S Rajesh23-May-2009Matthew Hayden has relished the Bangalore attack, scoring 125 runs in two innings at a run rate of more than ten per over•Associated Press6 – Number of times Chennai have won in the nine games when they have batted first.8.48 – Chennai’s run-rate in the first six overs, which is second only to Deccan’s. Chennai’s average of 41.37 runs per wicket during this period is the best. Bangalore average 21.68 runs per wicket at a run rate of 6.45 in the first six overs.414 – Runs scored by Chennai’s opening pair, at an average of 31.85 per stand and 9.07 per over. Bangalore average 14.50 per partnership, and 5.77 per over – both are the worst by any team in this IPL.10 – Number of times, in 14 games, that Bangalore’s opening partnership hasn’t gone past 10.8.75 – Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling average against Bangalore. In eight overs against them, he has only gone for 35 runs and taken four wickets.4.75 – Anil Kumble’s economy rate against Chennai. In eight overs he has figures of 2 for 38.125 – Number of runs Matthew Hayden has scored in two innings against Bangalore, for an average of 62.50 at a strike rate of 10.27 runs per over.24 – Number of runs scored by Jacques Kallis, Bangalore’s leading run-getter, against Chennai.10 – Number of 50-plus scores for Chennai, with Hayden contributing half of them. Bangalore have eight, with Kallis getting three.146 – The average score for the team batting first in night games in Johannesburg.80% – The success rate for the team chasing in night games in Johannesburg – the team batting first has lost four out of five. The only side to buck the trend was Chennai, when they beat Delhi by 18 runs.100% – The win percentage for Chennai and Bangalore at this venue in IPL 2009. Bangalore beat Mumbai and Delhi here, while Chennai beat Delhi.24 – Wickets taken by spinners at the Wanderers in this tournament, at an average of 22.95 and an economy rate of 6.40. Fast bowlers have taken 36 wickets at 30.58 and an economy rate of 7.73.

The last assignment for Justin Langer’s team before the two finalists are decided is a trip to play the Proteas in 2021

Daniel Brettig20-Jun-2018

Australia’s FTP schedule*

2015-2019
Tests 43
ODIs 58
T20Is 24
2019-2023
Tests 39
ODIs 47
T20Is 45
*excludes ICC tournaments

Australia’s hopes of reaching the inaugural Test World Championship final are set to hinge upon their ability to atone for the disgrace of this year’s tour of South Africa, with the 2021 return trip to play the Proteas looming as the last series for Justin Langer’s team before the two competing teams are decided.Currently placed third in the ICC’s Test rankings, the Australians face three away trips and three home series over the initial two-year cycle, starting with the 2019 Ashes tour of England and ending with the journey to South Africa. A visit to Bangladesh in early 2020 is the other away tour, while there are home series against Pakistan and New Zealand (2019-20) and India (2020-21). An inaugural Test against Afghanistan is also scheduled to take place at home, immediately prior to the India series.Given their present ranking and the fact that all teams will start equal going into the start of the Championship cycle, Australia are likely to be in the mix for a place in the final entering the South Africa series, providing exactly the sort of context and third-party interest among neutral nations that the game’s governing bodies and broadcasters have been seeking.James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said the new Future Tours Program and the Test and ODI league structures now meant that the Australian summer would effectively be limited to five home Tests a season and somewhere between eight and 12 limited-overs matches. New Zealand (2019) and South Africa (2022) are set to return to Boxing Day Tests at the MCG for the first time since 1987 and 2006 respectively.”It looks like five Test matches per summer is the staple diet of Test cricket. In terms of white-ball cricket, ODIs or T20I, there’ll be eight to 12 white ball matches per summer at home,” Sutherland said. “By natural extension, six of those matches will be ODIs as part of the one-day league, the remainder will be T20 matches.”What we are trying to do by design with T20 internationals is to play more matches when the cycle allows and when the cycle has us leading into ICC T20 events so we’re managing as best we can to increase the volume of T20 cricket in and around the World T20. Who we play against in Tests and one-day cricket there’s little flexibility now. That will be worked through in this model – when we play and how much cricket we play or how long each series is is a matter for bilateral agreement between the two countries.”Our preference is to play Tests at home in that traditional Test-cricket period which would encompass the Boxing Day and New Year’s Test matches. In 2022-23 South Africa have agreed to play Test matches over that Christmas-New Year period in Australia.”The cap of Test matches at five a summer creates a conundrum around the allocation of Tests to venues beyond the traditional centres of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. In the forthcoming summer there are six scheduled, with Canberra’s Manuka Oval making its five-day debut for a fixture against Sri Lanka in February. Hobart has also been a common recipient of the sixth Test of a summer, but may now find its opportunities reduced to white-ball formats.Two bilateral Tests against Afghanistan – there is also an away match in the calendar preceding Tests against Pakistan in the UAE in early 2022 – mark a significant addition to Australia’s footprint, being the first new nation they have played since Bangladesh in 2003. Sutherland explained that the 2020 match would effectively serve as a warm-up to the India series to follow, after Australia committed to a T20-heavy diet of matches around that year’s global event. The increase in T20Is in the schedule is the most noticeable change from the previous 2015-2019 cycle.”I would imagine the Afghanistan Test match would be a prelude to a warm-up if you like to that Test series against India, noting that that off-season we won’t have had any Test cricket. There’ll be a long break from Test cricket,” Sutherland said. “If you think about that summer in 2020-21 we still have only five Test matches – four against India and one against Afghanistan. It’s a big summer of cricket, and the World T20 and matches in that summer will be played at all venues. Hobart has got matches and Canberra has got matches as well – it will be shared around.”

Luis Suarez was written off by some before kicking a ball at Inter Miami, but Julian Gressel says critics helped the veteran striker find his “edge”.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Veteran striker signed as free agent
• Nursing long-standing knee problems
• Still knows his way to the back of the net

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Suarez bagged a brace for the Herons in his latest MLS appearance, as he stepped off the bench to settle a 3-1 victory over D.C. United. His fitness is having to be managed carefully, with the 37-year-old nursing long-standing knee problems.

  Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  He is, however, up to six goals and five assists for the 2024 campaign across all competitions, with those returns seeing him top the charts for Inter Miami in both departments – leaving fellow former Barcelona star Lionel Messi trailing in his wake.

• WHAT GRESSEL SAID ABOUT SUAREZ

  USMNT star Gressel, who is now a team-mate of the Uruguayan frontman in Florida, has said of seeing Suarez offer the perfect response to any doubters: “It was perfect. It was perfect. Because look at him now. He’s getting more comfortable. I think it's something that you can't just write off, in a sense, where you can't just be coming into a new team and a new club, a new city for the family, everything. It takes a little bit of time and that happened for him, that happened for me, those things just are just normal. And for him to be called out a little bit, I think helped him to kind of get that edge where now he's clinical and he's the Suarez we’ve known, so he can come in and change the game like he did for us.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• USA Today Sports
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR SUAREZ?

  Inter Miami needed Suarez to step up against D.C. United as eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was unavailable through injury. They are hoping that knock is not too serious and that he will soon be back providing obvious goal threat of his own.

Cricinfo presents the Plays of the day from the match between Bangalore and Kolkata at the Chinnaswamy

George Binoy at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore10-Apr-2010Mis-matched pads
In the eighth over of Kolkata Knight Riders’ innings, Sourav Ganguly became unhappy with one of his pads – the left one – and wanted a change. The umpires weren’t pleased with the mid-over interruption but Ganguly seemed to insist, and beckoned towards the dugout. He had been wearing lustreless pads but one of the reserves ran in with gold replacements. Perhaps to save time, Ganguly decided to replace only the offending pad and continued with a dull one on his right leg and a shiny one of his left. By the time he was dismissed, Ganguly had a shiny one on his right leg too.Hot one day, cold the next
Ganguly’s fielding had been inspirational in Kolkata’s victory against Delhi. He ran out Gautam Gambhir with a direct hit, made several diving saves, and held a sharp catch at cover. He had the opportunity to lift his team once again in the first over of Bangalore’s chase. The tournament’s highest run-scorer, Jacques Kallis, drove powerfully towards mid-off, the ball sped towards Ganguly at head height but he let it burst through his hands. The lapse cost Kolkata only eight runs but it began the defense on a low note. Uthappa
They were clamouring for him to hit it into the stands and Robin Uthappa obliged spectacularly. He switched stances, lifted his bat high as a left-hander and reverse-swept Ajantha Mendis over Ishant Sharma’s head on the boundary. And to prove it wasn’t a one-off, he played another reverse sweep into delirious fans beyond the point boundary. The second shot was an improvement on the first and it brought up Uthappa’s half-century off 22 balls. Sitting in the dug out Kevin Pietersen, who famously reverse-swept Muttiah Muralitharan for six, would have been proud.Bustling Baz
Brendon McCullum was on the move today. He walked down the pitch to his first ball, had to evade a Kallis bouncer, and continued the approach against other deliveries. It wasn’t long before he attempted the ramp shot that proved so damaging against Australia. He tried it against Kallis and Vinay Kumar but wasn’t successful. McCullum eventually found rhythm through more conventional means and was desperate for the strike. When Manoj Tiwary skied a catch, he gave up hope and didn’t attempt to cross. McCullum, however, was haring towards the striker’s end and managed to cross before the catch was taken.If at first you don’t succeed …
In S Sriram’s first over, McCullum rocked back and pulled the ball hard and flat towards the square-leg boundary. His New Zealand team-mate Ross Taylor was patrolling the region and he saved five runs by sprinting to his right, leaping high in the air at full length and slamming the ball back inside the rope. In Sriram’s next over, however, McCullum pulled harder and higher, and Taylor’s leap on the midwicket line was ceremonial.

After the Qalandars suffered their sixth defeat in six matches this season, McCullum suggested that a leadership change might be the best way forward

Umar Farooq09-Mar-2018Brendon McCullum, the Lahore Qalandars captain, has question the execution of his bowlers, and has offered to “offload” his captaincy in a bid to change the fortunes of the side, which has lost all six of its games this season. Effectively, Thursday night’s six-wicket defeat to Islamabad United was Lahore’s eighth straight loss going back to the end of last season. One of the most popular sides in the PSL is set to finish last for the third consecutive season.Lahore have played six different starting XIs this season, with their changes having no effect on their results. The biggest chance they have had was against Islamabad, when they had 163 – their biggest total so far – to defend but ended up losing with 14 balls to spare. With four games remaining Lahore aren’t mathematically out of contention for a spot in the playoffs but their chances are bleak.”Ultimately as captain you’re responsible for the performances. I feel like I’ve done the same things that I do in any team that I’ve led, but unfortunately that hasn’t resonated,” McCullum said. “So that’s the question we’ve got to ask tonight as well – whether it’s better offloading it to someone else and seeing if we can get better results. Doesn’t matter if you’re saying the right things, but if they’re not hitting home or the instructions aren’t being followed, then you’re always going to be pushing it uphill.”Lahore’s batting pattern has been similar throughout, with the openers making solid starts, the middle order collapsing, and the bowlers looking flat. They dropped Umar Akmal, one of their platinum picks, after five successive failures, allowing Anton Devcich to make his PSL debut. He smacked 62 off 42 balls to set up a fighting total. But Islamabad chased it down easily with the help of a 41-ball 77 from Luke Ronchi and Shadab Khan’s 32 off 24. When asked if Lahore’s total was 20 runs short, McCullum shot down the idea, ruing his bowlers’ performance instead.”No, not really. We bowled very poorly,” he said. “I thought it was a very, very good batting performance, set up by Anton Devcich in his first game, and [he] showed how hungry, competitive people are able to prosper. What we did after that, I was really disappointed with, to be honest. It’s not what we’re about and I don’t mind losing, but you expect to be hard to beat. We’ve got some questions to ask tonight and that’s all the way through.”He was particularly unimpressed with the lines they bowled to Ronchi, which he said had deviated from the tactics they had discussed before the match.”You can sit in bowling meetings all you want. You spend an hour today talking about bowling away from Luke Ronchi and then you proceed to run in and bowl at him every single ball, so there’s a disconnect there,” he said. “I don’t know what that is. It’s very hard on the support staff to prepare a team if guys aren’t prepared to listen, but if that’s the case, then we’re going to have to keep making changes, because there are young, enthusiastic guys in our team, which may be an opportunity, especially now since we’re out of the competition.”