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Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography will be released in the UK on November 6

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2014Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography, , will be released in the UK on November 6.Tendulkar retired in November 2013, bringing an end to a 24-year international career during which he became the highest run-scorer and century-maker in Tests and ODIs.”I knew that agreeing to write my story would need me to be completely honest, as that’s the way I have always played the game,” Tendulkar said. “It would require talking about a number of aspects I have not shared in public before.”So here I am, at the end of my final innings, having taken that last walk back to the pavilion, ready to recount as many incidents as I can remember since first picking up a cricket bat as a child in Mumbai thirty-five years ago.”

The BCCI is thinking of a scheme where players from the three disputed states of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Bihar would play under the board’s banner in the 2014-15 domestic season

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Sep-2014In an attempt to break the deadlock with the Rajasthan Cricket Association, the BCCI is thinking of a scheme where players from the three disputed states of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Bihar would play under the board’s banner in the 2014-15 domestic season. While the BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel confirmed such a plan was on the cards, nothing has been finalised yet.”We are concerned about the boys,” Patel said. “We are trying to work out a scheme where players from the three disputed states, namely Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Bihar can be assembled as one team under the BCCI banner. We are trying to see if that is possible.”Patel reiterated that if a player from these disputed states wanted to switch to another association, the BCCI would give them the required No Objection Certificate. Patel also said a solution had to be found to help cricketers who could not play for any of the other states, and believed forming an umbrella team under the BCCI name could be a starting point.He blamed the RCA for bringing matters to such a state and rejected any idea of the BCCI sitting with them to discuss the issue. “There is no question of sitting or not sitting. We have suspended the RCA,” Patel said.When asked if the Rajasthan government could play a mediatory role, Patel said he was open to finding a solution. “We tried to approach them,” he said. “The sub-committee met up with the chief secretary and the sports secretary of the Rajasthan government. So far we have heard nothing from them.”In August, three members of the BCCI appointed ad-hoc committee, led by the chairman Brijesh Patel, met a Rajasthan government official to appraise him of the impasse. Despite being expelled by the BCCI, RCA president Lalit Modi had found a route back into administration through the Rajasthan Sports Act. The act also prohibits any independent body from using the Rajasthan name to represent any team. The BCCI wanted to check if the government could play the mediatory role in order to avoid future legal hassles. If the BCCI were to float a new team, it would need to amend one of its rules, which allows only full-member teams to participate in inter-state tournamentsMehmood Abdi, the deputy president of the RCA, said the BCCI’s plan would be deemed illegal.”This suggestion is absolutely illegal. The BCCI can form an ad-hoc committee out of the other disputed state associations. We can’t be clubbed with the others because in their case there is more than one claimant in each state; whereas our dispute is with the BCCI,” he said. “Secondly, the Rajasthan Sports Act bars anybody representing the state other than through RCA. Those who are found to be indulging in any such move would be liable to criminal prosecution in Rajasthan.”Abdi said the RCA was on the verge of announcing the teams for various age-group tournaments including the Ranji Trophy, and that the BCCI would have to accept those teams.”The players are in no dilemma,” Abdi said. “All this confusion is motivated by the BCCI. The players are absolutely with us. They know that we will take care of our interests. We will ensure that our teams will play in the coming tournaments.”

Jeetan Patel once again emphasised that he must be one of the best-value overseas players around as Warwickshire finished runners-up with a three-day victory against Durham

George Dobell at Edgbaston25-Sep-2014
ScorecardJeetan Patel put the gloss on an excellent season•PA PhotosIt was entirely typical that Jeetan Patel should play a key part with bat and ball as Warwickshire wrapped up their season with an innings victory which emphasised their worth as runners up to the Division One champions Yorkshire.Patel has only taken one five-wicket haul in this Championship campaign, but his contribution has been immense. On flat pitches or those offering assistance, whether his side have needed him to attack or defend, Patel has produced some of the finest cricket of his career and is, at the time of writing, the only man in the land to take 100 wickets in all competitions this season.When he first joined the club, in 2009, he appeared a modest signing. With a first-class bowling average in the 40s and a reputation for timidity with the bat, he appeared reflective of the paucity of options available among modern overseas players.Yet he has proved to be an inspired recruitment. He has now taken 185 first-class wickets for the club at an average of 27.12, as well as contributing two centuries and nine half-centuries in typically aggressive fashion. A first-class batting average of 28.85 for the club reflects the work he has put in and the success he has had.Here, with an unbeaten 45 and three more wickets, he helped polish off a Durham side that, only a year ago, were lifting the Championship trophy. Gaining sharp spin and, at times, bounce, he found the outside edge of the left-handers – Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman, both of whom can look back on seasons in which they have scored 1,000 runs – and then produced a fast arm-ball to account for the dangerous Mark Wood. It is hard to think of a more valuable overseas player this season.It might also reflect well on the Warwickshire dressing room. They have been able to coax the best cricket of Patel’s career from him: far better than some of the cricket he has played for New Zealand where, with Daniel Vettori around, Patel was never more than a couple of games from being dropped.But it is not just Patel who has flourished at Edgbaston. Jonathan Trott and Boyd Rankin returned to the club broken from their England experiences and, in a benevolent yet demanding environment, have rediscovered the simple joys of this great game. Rikki Clarke, who arrived with a mixed reputation, has played the most consistent cricket of his career for the club and Varun Chopra has developed into one of the best signings the club have made in the last 20 years.Keith Barker, too, weighed in with another three wickets. It takes his tally against Durham to 40 in eight games at an average of just 13.37. He has a century against them, too.Warwickshire may have some distance to travel before they can challenge Yorkshire for the title but, with two locally developed men in the England team, a trophy in the cabinet and two more top-two finishes, this can only be judged an excellent season.

Jon Lewis was approached by the Sri Lankan cricket board with a view to the role of head coach and was subsequently down to the final two before they appointed Marvan Attapattu.

The season might also be considered something of a triumph for Durham. Over the course of 24 months, the club have cut their cricket budget from something around £1.9m per year to something around £850,000 per year. In other words, they have gone from the biggest spenders in the domestic game to among the smallest. They have also had to cope with England call-ups and injuries and still there will be pressure to cut the budget further. To win a trophy and finish in mid-table of Division One with such pressures is a fine achievement.Furthermore, they have done it with ‘home grown’ players. Nine of the XI that played in the Lord’s final and the XI that played in this game can be so described (seven were born in the north-east, but two others were born in South Africa but graduated through the club’s academy), with those shared experiences and values no doubt contributing to the strong team spirit that has seen them through the tougher times. They have, in short, made a virtue of necessity and remain, in many ways, an example to far richer clubs.It should, therefore, be no surprise that international teams have come calling for Jon Lewis. ESPNcricinfo understands that he was approached by the Sri Lankan cricket board with a view to the role of head coach and was subsequently down to the final two before they appointed Marvan Attapattu.While the news may provoke some disquiet among Durham supporters, it is an inevitable reflection of the success the club has enjoyed. Lewis, who was told by the club not to comment upon the matter when approached by ESPNcricinfo, cannot be criticised for his ambitions or, perhaps, for his exasperation at his dwindling resources. He continues to do a fine job in testing circumstances and it is hardly surprising that his work has been noticed by rivals and beyond.Supporters may also be concerned by the news that Graham Onions will undergo another back operation in November. While it is understood the surgery is not as serious as previously, it still raises question marks over his future.Still, Paul Collingwood, the captain who describes 2014 as “one of the best seasons I’ve had” (it was the first time since 2007 that he has averaged more than 40 in first-class cricket), was in general times delighted with the season.”Any season in which you win a trophy is special,” Collingwood said. “We have won five trophies in seven years and we have provided opportunities for the next generation.”We’re really proud of how we’ve responded to the challenges. With the squad size we’ve had, we have asked a lot of the players and they have kept going incredibly well.”I think we sometimes take for granted how good our dressing room is. But it is great to see guys like Chase and Coughlin and come into the environment and feel comfortable.”Collingwood is now expected to spend 10 days coaching the UAE team and hopes to be involved with Scotland’s World Cup coaching. England have not been in contact since Ashley Giles was sacked as limited-overs coach.”I wish I’d got into coaching earlier,” Collingwood said. “It’s definitely made me a better player. You take ideas from here and there and see how other people do things. But yes, I am enjoying the challenge of playing and I am happy to carry on for another year.”Durham are lucky to have him and Lewis. The signing of John Hastings for next year will help, too. But while the players’ dedication – Ben Stokes bowled throughout a session a short while ago- masks some of the problems in the background, it will not be able to do so indefinitely.

Harbhajan Singh, the North Zone captain, has been ruled out of the Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone due to viral fever

Amol Karhadkar21-Oct-2014Harbhajan Singh, the North Zone captain, has been ruled out of the Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone due to viral fever. In his absence, vice-captain Gautam Gambhir will lead the side in the match, to be played in Mohali from Wednesday.Harbhajan, who has been sidelined by the national selectors for over 18 months now, was upset with the timing of the ailment. “It is disappointing,” Harbhajan told ESPNcricinfo. “I have been on antibiotic medication and will be fit in a couple of days.”Harbhajan had led North Zone’s campaign last year when they shared the trophy with South Zone after the final in Kochi was virtually washed out.North Zone chief selector Vikram Rathour said there would be no replacement named for Harbhajan.

The win in Sharjah continues a terrific 2014 for New Zealand, which included home-and-away wins over West Indies and a home victory against India

Chandresh Narayanan30-Nov-20142:47

Pillars of New Zealand’s Test successes

“We are pretty kind of understated people. We are good blokes really aren’t we? We Kiwis,” said New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum flashing a brief smile after the win in the Sharjah Test.The worn out baggy black Test cap was back on McCullum’s head, after it had been hung on the bats as a mark of respect to the late Australian batsman Phillip Hughes. The smile was the only time McCullum showed a side of himself that had deserted him in the past few days.The Test match was won, but McCullum was still emotionally worn out following the demise of Hughes. The win had still not sunk in for him as he felt “pretty empty”.But even in these trying times, what did not go unnoticed was that New Zealand had continued to make rapid strides as a Test team. The side may have only moved to seventh place in the ICC Test rankings, but that does not tell the full story.Since the time the side was shot out for 45 in January 2013 by South Africa, New Zealand has gone about slowly but surely rebuilding the line-up for Test cricket. McCullum revealed the kind of effort that was put in behind the scenes to “get the attitude right”.”From the low of being bowled out for 45 against South Africa, we can only go up,” said McCullum. “What that allowed us to do was strip things right back to what was important to us, how we wanted to be known as a team, how the country wanted us to play, the traits that they wanted to see from the New Zealand team. We got our characteristics right. We have got a culture which is desperate to represent New Zealand and perform well during the time that we have (as a player).”The “desperation” to do well for the country has resulted in New Zealand not losing a Test series since they were beaten 0-2 by England away in June 2013. Since drawing 0-0 away in Bangladesh in 2013-14, New Zealand have beaten West Indies both home (2-0) and away (2-1), got the better of India at home (1-0) and have now shared a three-Test series in the UAE 1-1 against Pakistan.In the last 11 Test matches, New Zealand have registered six wins and have suffered just two losses to signify their rise as a Test side.”(We wanted to be) The team that never gives up and if they do get beaten, it’s very hard to beat (them). We have gone about trying to put guys in different positions. Mark’s (Craig) a classic case in point. And he’s been able to come in and prosper in an environment which is allowing him to settle.”The biggest plus has been that New Zealand’s batting has delivered regularly in the past year. The man leading the charge has been McCullum himself, but he prefers to give the credit to the rest of the line-up. The bowling, led by Tim Southee and Trent Boult, has also been a big factor in the team’s performances.”We have obviously got Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor and also Tom Latham the way that he is performing. We are starting to get big hundreds as a team, we are starting to put some runs on the board which is allowing not only our dynamic seam attack but also our spinners to come into the game.”McCullum seems to be revelling in his role as a captain. He has already scored three double-hundreds in this calendar year, thereby joining the likes of Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting and Don Bradman. It has been a year when McCullum has not just endured the responsibility of being captain, but also has taken upon himself the mantle of being the opener. The culture of the team though matters more to McCullum than anything else.”I love being able to see some of the guys emerge and I get real buzz out of that. I guess as a captain, as a leader you have got to be performing as well. I am enjoying being able to make those kind of contributions, tick off milestones along the way. For me it’s about making contributions to the team, especially when the team goes on to win.”New Zealand’s rise also gained praise from Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who said he believed McCullum’s team can now win anywhere in the world.”I think especially the way Brendon McCullum is performing, that’s the key for them,” Misbah said. “They have (also) got a really good bowling side, especially Tim Southee and Boult. In these sort of conditions, even the way they were bowling with the new ball and then (using) reverse swing, that’s the key for them. Now they have (also) found two good spinners (Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig) who can really bowl well in these sort of conditions.”The rebuilding process for New Zealand in Test cricket has happened without the presence of their premier spinner, Daniel Vettori. The left-armer had been away from Test cricket and was only drafted at the last minute for the Sharjah Test. McCullum acknowledged that it was “tough” not having Vettori in the side.But from afar Vettori has watched the side grow in stature. “I think it’s a very settled team and a very balanced side,” Vettori said. “The team’s extremely well led by Brendon. It’s really exciting coming into the group and seeing him (McCullum) lead and be able to play with him. He is a special guy and a special leader. The guys really feed off that.”McCullum though remained modest about the achievements of 2014. “We have still got a long way to go. We certainly don’t want to get too carried away with our performances. But it is nice to be able to look back at times and reflect on some performances which have been positive.”

Captain MS Dhoni spoke about those “20 minutes” in each Test in Australia so far where collapses cost India, and said that the team needed more experience to deal with such situations

Sidharth Monga21-Dec-2014–>5:26

‘Umpiring needs to be consistent’ – Dhoni

If it was prolonged wicketless spells in Johannesburg and Wellington, India are left ruing two short periods of play where their batsmen couldn’t arrest a collapse in Adelaide and Brisbane. When most Indian teams would have batted for a draw, given the target of 364 on the final day in Adelaide, India went for the win and at one point needed 122 with eight wickets in hand and plenty of time to go. They were bowled out for 315. In Brisbane, they had done well after falling behind in the first innings, and were close to wiping out the deficit with just one wicket down when another collapse kicked in. Overnight batsman Shikhar Dhawan got injured in the nets, four other wickets fell for 11, and all the spirited work after that couldn’t prevent the defeat.Captain MS Dhoni spoke about those “20 minutes” in each match, and said that the team needed more experience to deal with such situations. “Till the time youngsters play matches and gain experience… there is no substitute to that,” Dhoni said. “Unless they play more matches they cannot have it. If you see here in first and second Tests, in both matches there have been intervals of 20 minutes where we have not batted well and it impacted the result a lot. To a certain extent we have to manage that and it will help us. The more we play overseas, more will be the experience.”We cannot get experienced players from anywhere. The attitude from all players has been very good. Whatever two matches are left, it is important that we go into those matches with the same attitude. Whatever the result, we shouldn’t focus on that but focus on process instead. That would be better.”Australia, Ishant pick up fines

Australia have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate in Brisbane, while India fast bowler Ishant Sharma was fined for a code of conduct breach.
Match referee Jeff Crowe fined Steven Smith 60% of his match fee, and the rest of the team 30% each, after finding Australia to be three overs short of their target. If Smith is found guilty of an over-rate offence once more over the next 12 months, he will receive a one-match suspension.
Ishant was fined 15% of his match fee for using inappropriate language after dismissing Smith in the first innings.

The Indian team had made its displeasure with the practice pitches at the Gabba public on Saturday. They believe the pitches were not good enough, that the groundstaff ignored their requests, and that led to injuries to Dhawan and Virat Kohli, but Dhoni said the team should have handled the situation better. “I felt the first session [when India collapsed] was very crucial, and I don’t think we handled it really well,” Dhoni said. “That was one of the main reasons [for the defeat] because if we had a decent partnership going and got a few more runs, we all knew the wicket was misbehaving to an extent, and if the game would have gone to the fifth day it would have been a bit up and down. We could have exploited the conditions a bit more.”Dhoni said there was no magic solution to handle these collapses. “Yes we have had batting collapses in the past, in the recent Test series we have played,” Dhoni said. “This [Gabbe collapse] was something very different. This will be addressed in a different way. Generally how you address a situation is you try to tell them to bat as normally as possible. To not really look at the scoreboard as to what really has happened. You play according to the merit of the delivery. If it is there to be hit, you hit. You look to score and be positive. That’s how it is supposed to be.”This Test, though, had more than a collapse. India had batted well to score 408 in the first innings, had Australia down at 6 for 247, but came unstuck against a sensational Mitchell Johnson assault with the bat. A point of contention was India’s trying to bounce Johnson, and his pulling India out of the match. Dhoni stood by the plan to bowl short.”I felt at that point with Mitchell coming, and he is someone who can bat, it was important to use a few bouncers and we have got a few wickets by bouncers,” Dhoni said. “Not to forget we have bowlers now who can exploit the conditions. All the three bowlers can bowl at decent pace. Ishant is slower of the three, but he is someone who gets steep bounce compared to other two bowlers.”And also if you see, Mitchell played quite a few shots and there were a lot of catches that were 15 feet short of fielders or 15 feet away. And in cricket it counts because with the number of fielders you have, you can’t place them all everywhere. It didn’t really go our way, he kept playing those shots, kept clearing fielders by some margin and we kept changing our plans. It’s not like we will only bowl short, we tried almost all the plans. If you have watched the game, he scored 80-odd runs and he spent a quite a fair amount of time there. We tried each and every plan, and at the end of all it what worked was the new ball. We couldn’t have taken it after the 60th over.”Dhoni said he was proud of the way the team kept on competing, and made Australia work for every wicket and every run after that initial collapse on the fourth morning. “With only 125-130 runs at times you throw in the towel,” Dhoni said. “But what was important that until the last runs were scored you fight it out with the opposition, and then you accept the result. It was good to see the fast bowlers running in and giving their 100%, and it was good that we got a few wickets. Actually it gives a lot of learning to the youngsters that another 50-60 runs, another couple of partnerships, and those runs can really matter.”India’s last tour to Australia was winless. There is a good chance this might end similarly, but Dhoni said India are moving closer to correcting that statistic. “There are plenty of positives because we have been able to take plenty of wickets, which I think is important to win Test matches,” Dhoni said. “Overall you see there have been plenty of areas which we can say that a lot of improvement has been made, but we are not crossing the line. That crossing the line is more like a wine that is brewing. Once they start crossing the line and start harnessing the aggression in right channels, you will see plenty of good results from this side.”The exciting part is that we have competed. The last time we were here we were not really able to compete. That is something very crucial because when you are competing and it is going to the last hour and last day and last moment, it can turn [our way] at any moment in time. One good spell or a run-out or a couple of catches… It all boils down to that. A little bit of luck really matters in cricket. It is exciting to see the youngsters put in a fight. With a bit more experience to both bowlers and batsmen, it will turn out to be a very good side.”

When a third wicket fell in 15 balls during the morning session, possibilities for the opening day at Centurion abounded but the final outcome involved two very common sights: Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers with hundreds to their name

The Report by Andrew McGlashan17-Dec-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:06

Moonda: South Africa can do something special

When a third wicket fell in 15 balls during the morning session, possibilities for the opening day at Centurion abounded but the final outcome involved two very common sights: Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers with hundreds to their name.The pair came together on 57 for 3 following the loss of three wickets for no runs either side of drinks as West Indies briefly found their venom and they were not separated for the rest of the day. There was added significance in both hundreds, for Amla it was his first Test as captain on home soil and for de Villiers it marked 10 years to the day since he made his Test debut against England, at Port Elizabeth – a match that also marked the first appearance for Dale Steyn.Their stand at the close was worth a fourth-wicket South Africa record 283 in 75 overs – 115 runs coming between lunch and tea – the run rate highlighting both the counter-attacking nature of the batting and also the number of scoring opportunities offered by the West Indies attack.Only Kemar Roach ended in credit, his first spell have been an exacting six overs worth 2 for 16, but there was the worrying sight of him hobbling off the field five balls into his 16th over with what appeared to be an ankle injury. With Roach off the ground, the day ended with the dispiriting sight of Sulieman Benn, Marlon Samuels and Kraigg Braithwaite going through overs of spin with the old ball.AB de Villiers guided South Africa to a strong position with his 37th Test fifty•AFPDe Villiers was first to the three figures, his 20th hundred in Tests, from 138 balls and Amla followed a short while later from 161 deliveries, his first century against West Indies which leaves only Zimbabwe for him to tick off. Both had a stroke of fortune; one a slice of outrageous luck and the other a sloppy mistake by West Indies in the field.The first significant moment came shortly after lunch when Amla was on 25 and Roach beat the edge with another wicked legcutter, the ball clipped the off stump but the bails refused to fall to the ground. Later, there was a self-induced error when de Villiers was 63, Benn could not collect a throw at the stumps with the batsmen well short of his ground.De Villiers struck two sixes, advancing at Benn and Samuels, but neither batsman had to go out of their way to keep the scoring rate high with most overs offering a scoring opportunity. Still, the driving from both was, as ever, a joy to behold. Jerome Taylor – who was the biggest let down for West Indies – regularly offered up width, and Sheldon Cottrell managed just three maidens between them in 35 overs.West Indies were playing their first international since the contracts dispute which led them to withdrawing from the India series in October and they did not seem in gear for a Test series. Play was delayed by half an hour due to early morning rain and the skies remained heavy as Denesh Ramdin and Amla emerged for the toss. It was no surprise when Ramdin was quick to insert South Africa. But the West Indies quicks did not get the memo regarding conditions and could not find a consistent line and length in the early exchanges: the first 10 overs brought nine boundaries, six to Alviro Petersen and three to Dean Elgar.Roach, surprisingly, was not given the new ball and by the time he came into the attack South Africa already had 44 on the board in nine overs. He brought menace and consistency to the attack, started to build up some pressure and was rewarded with Petersen’s edge with a delivery which straightened and went to first slip. The message was starting to reach the West Indies bowlers and Cottrell’s second spell began to offer a double-pronged threat as the runs dried up.While Petersen received a decent delivery to end his stay, that could not be said for Elgar who helped a short, wide offering from Cottrell to gully – an awful waste for a batsman in conditions when a good ball is never far away. Cottrell, the former soldier, who used to stand guard at Sabina Park before turning his hand to fast bowling, gave a salute as Samuels held the chance.West Indies were buoyed and a few moments later were ecstatic when Roach’s probing line found Faf du Plessis’ outside edge – his first Test duck in his 29th innings – and the third wicket fell with the score on 57. It was an opening for West Indies but they were not good enough to force through it. Whether they get another opportunity, in this match or even the series, remains to be seen.

Harmeet Singh’s career-best returns of 6 for 139 kept Mumbai’s hopes of a quarterfinal spot alive on the third day of their game against Karnataka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai

The Report by Amol Karhadkar08-Feb-2015
ScorecardR Samarth brought up his maiden first-class hundred on the third day, the third batsman to do so in this match•PTI Left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh’s career-best innings returns of 6 for 139 kept Mumbai’s hopes of a quarterfinal spot alive on the third day of their game against Karnataka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.Harmeet’s haul helped Mumbai stage a remarkable comeback and earn a vital first-innings lead against Karnataka and the left-arm spinner sparked a Karnataka collapse that saw the visitors lose their last six wickets for 78 runs. Karnataka were bowled out for 415, 21 runs short of Mumbai’s first-innings total.Karnataka lost Manish Pandey to Harmeet in the second over of the day but at lunch were on course to overhaul Mumbai’s total of 436. R Samarth had converted his unbeaten 85 into a maiden first-class century – the third batsman to score a maiden first-class hundred in this match – and debutant Shishir Bhavane had raced to a sparkling fifty, taking the team to 293 for 3.Mumbai had, however, applied the brakes a few overs before lunch with restrictive lines that dried up the runs, especially against Bhavane who was scoring at will until he crossed fifty.After the break, as the new ball started to lose its shine, Mumbai continued with the same tactics. While pacers Shardul Thakur and Balwinder Singh Sandhu bowled wide of off-stump, Harmeet and offspinner Akshay Girap pitched outside leg. This forced Samarth, who was playing a sedate knock, to go into a shell.The ploy ensured Karnataka scored only 27 runs off 22 overs in the first hour after lunch, losing Bhavane as the debutant edged Sandhu behind the wicket. About half an hour before tea, Shyreas Gopal, Karnataka’s standout batsman of the season, tried to break the shackles with a full-blooded sweep off Girap but Abhishek Nayar leapt and pulled off a one-handed catch at square leg.Even at 337 for 5, Karnataka were not really in trouble. With Samarth looking good for a double-century and CM Gautam, arguably the most reliable No 7 on the domestic circuit, at the crease, Karnataka continued their march towards Mumbai’s total. In the last over before tea, Harmeet started the collapse.Gautam tried to fend one that was pitched on the leg stump but the ball rose slightly to take the edge of his bat to Suryakumar Yadav at first-slip. Karnataka at that stage were 78 runs adrift of the target and were hoping for captain Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun – both decent batsmen – to see them through along with Samarth.The tide turned in Mumbai’s favour soon after tea as Harmeet bowled the ball of the innings in the seventh over after the break. The ball rose sharply and surprised Samarth, and lobbed to Yadav off the shoulder of the bat. That wicket allowed Mumbai to put pressure and despite Mithun’s 21-ball 22, Karnataka fell short of earning at least three points. Harmeet picked up four wickets in 31 balls either side of the tea break.The only scare Mumbai had was when Udit Patel was dropped off Shardul Thakur, at second slip by Shreyas Iyer. Karnataka were 411 for 8 then. But Harmeet, who had earlier completed his second five-wicket haul by fooling Vinay through flight, trapped Patel in front of the wicket in the next over. Thakur then completed the rout by forcing a nick off S Aravind’s willow and burst into a wild sprint towards the Sunil Gavaskar pavilion.

Zaheer Khan termed the faith reposed in him by teams at the IPL auction “amazing,” despite being sidelined from international cricket for a year by tendon injury in his bowling arm

Arun Venugopal16-Feb-2015Zaheer Khan termed the faith reposed in him by teams at the IPL auction “amazing,” despite being sidelined from international cricket for a year. Zaheer last played a competitive fixture in May 2014, in the IPL, before he was ruled out by a tendon injury in his bowling arm.After going unsold the first time his name came up in the auction, there was frenetic bidding between Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians in the second round, and Zaheer was eventually picked up by Daredevils for a whopping Rs 4 crore ($660,000), making him the fourth-highest earner in the auction.”It was amazing that two teams showed such faith in me,” Zaheer told ESPNcricinfo. “Frankly, I was a bit concerned about how people would look at me, as I was completely out of the game for a long time. It [being picked] is an added responsibility on me.”Zaheer said it was easier for him to pick the T20 format over first-class cricket, having been away from the field for so long. “The reason I stayed away from Ranji Trophy this season was because of the workload,” he said. “[Playing the longer format] was still seven-eight weeks away. [But] I knew I could bowl four overs, and contribute in other ways in an IPL team by helping out younger bowlers. I don’t want my last memory to be one of walking off the field injured.”Zaheer also said he knew Mumbai would bid for him. “Obviously I was a part of Mumbai Indians, and I have been in touch with their management during my injury. They knew my status, and they really wanted me to be there. Surely it wasn’t a surprise that they went for me.”Playing under Gary Kirsten and TA Sekhar in the Daredevils set-up, Zaheer said, was something he was looking forward to. “Gary has seen me for a long time, and so has Mr. Sekhar. It will be great to work with them,” he said.Zaheer was first ruled out of IPL 2014 with a muscle strain, his left latissimus dorsi muscle, after which he said he was unlikely to be fit for the Champions League T20 in September. The long lay-off has helped Zaheer get up to date with some of his other interests.”Injuries do bring something. I started this new venture called ProSport which is mainly an injuries and rehabilitation centre,” he said. “This injury was very different. I was aiming to play CLT20, but I got injured in May. It was very frustrating to be injured with the World Cup around the corner. I was hoping to do the right things, but my body was not responding. You got to listen to your body. If you are not ready, you are not ready.”Zaheer, however, is not inclined to stop playing the longer formats. “I just basically want to start playing again. Things are looking good, and hopefully they will stay that way.”

New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Mills has announced his retirement from all cricket, following his team-mate Daniel Vettori in departing the game after the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2015New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Mills has announced his retirement from all cricket, following his team-mate Daniel Vettori in departing the game after the World Cup. Mills, 36, was part of the squad in what was his third World Cup campaign, although he did not play a match.He will leave the game second only to Vettori on New Zealand’s all-time one-day international wicket list, with 240 victims at 27.02 from his 170 appearances. He also played 19 Tests and collected 44 wickets at 33.02 and claimed 43 wickets from his 42 Twenty20 internationals.”It’s been an honour and privilege to play cricket for my country over the past 14 years and I will miss it greatly,” Mills said. “However the time is right for me to step away from playing this great game and devote more time to my family who have sacrificed so much for me to keep playing the game I love.”It’s important for me to acknowledge and thank the many coaches and mentors who have helped me along the way – they’ve all helped me become a better player in some capacity, whether that was when I was playing cricket for Howick-Pakuranga as a youngster or playing for Auckland and New Zealand.”There have been many good times and some tough times on the field over the years, but my best memories will be of the team camaraderie and having the time of my life playing cricket for my country with my mates. I’m now looking forward to watching this exciting young New Zealand team over the next few years and enjoying their ongoing success and achievements.”Mills began his first-class career for Auckland in 1998-99 and won his first New Zealand cap in the ODI format against Pakistan in Sharjah in 2001. The New Zealand coach, Mike Hesson, said Mills had been a fine bowler in the 50-over format especially for many years.”It’s sometimes forgotten that over the course of his career Kyle has consistently been ranked in the top 10 ODI bowlers in the world and for a long time held the top spot,” Hesson said. “To have the longevity that Kyle’s had takes an incredible work ethic and desire to represent your country.”On top of what he’s achieved on the field, he’s also a fantastic bloke and a great team man. He’s a natural leader who did a superb job of captaining the side in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka last year and has brought a lot of passion to the group.”David White, the New Zealand Cricket CEO, said it should not be forgotten that Mills also provided valuable contributions to the Test team from 2004 to 2009.”Kyle has been a wonderful ODI player over a long period of time and, but for injury, would have played closer to 200 games for New Zealand,” White said. “However, what I’ll always remember Kyle for most was when he knocked over the England Test team’s top-order during his match-winning spell at Hamilton in 2008 – dismissing in quick succession Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen.”