All posts by h716a5.icu

One bounced batters out, the other had them playing and missing in a typically crafty showing – India’s selectors will be a pleased lot as they firm up plans for bigger challenges ahead

Shashank Kishore20-Aug-2023In today’s day and age of myriad sponsor awards, one for the smoothest bowling action seems to be an obvious miss. If one were to be instituted, Prasidh Krishna will be a front-runner to snap it up. Like he is for a spot in India’s Asia Cup squad which will be announced on Monday in New Delhi, a squad which will in all likelihood also be India’s World Cup squad.After making a whirring first impression on Friday upon return after a year out, injury-ravaged, repaired and realigned Prasidh was back at it again on Sunday, with the old vigour and verve. His 2 for 32 in the series opener served as a perfect prelude to the chin music he inflicted on a better batting deck and under sunny skies today. He was generating pace, getting balls to rear up awkwardly and catching batters on the hop, all without seemingly making it look like he was huffing in.Unlike Jasprit Bumrah, who builds momentum only in his final few strides before delivery, Prasidh is like a steam engine who chugs in, almost robot-like, before he eases into a silky-smooth load up and release. It’s sleek, a neatly contained force that must make batters feel like he’s been warming up for hours elsewhere before coming on.Related

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Paul Stirling must have definitely felt that way when he was snuffed out by a ripper. Imagine knowing what’s coming and what you want to do and yet being unable to have any control over what ensues. That’s how Stirling must have felt when he was all tangled up and beaten for pace as a meek top-edged pull landed in Arshdeep Singh’s hands at fine leg.It was a shoulder-high short-ball that Stirling made the mistake of trying to fetch from outside off. A split-second’s indecision set Ireland back early in a tall chase. Their powerplay enforcer, their most-accomplished batter, among the most experienced across both XIs, was taken out for a four-ball duck.Lorcan Tucker, who replaced Stirling, also got an early taste of this fire when he was late on the pull, the ball lobbing off the splice to mid-on for a three-ball duck in the same over. It was a giant blow to Ireland’s aspirations of upsetting India. It was also a ringing endorsement of Prasidh’s rhythm and form upon return from injury.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe rest of Prasidh’s evening on the field wasn’t quite as thrilling as his opening burst, but there was enough to tick off a box full of markers the selectors and team management would’ve been looking for. Prasidh effortlessly cranked up pace in his second over, hitting upwards of 140 clicks regularly, and also narrowly missed out on a third wicket when Andy Balbirnie’s attempted short-arm jab eluded Ruturaj Gaikwad at extra cover.Balbirnie and Mark Adair would later take the challenge to Prasidh by muscling him over the ropes for three sixes between them in his third and fourth overs – the 15th and 19th of the innings respectively – but by then the asking rate had already spiralled beyond reach. Prasidh finished with 2 for 29 from his four overs and, to go with his two scalps from Friday, he must have been satisfied overall.The other key piece in India’s fast-bowling jigsaw, Bumrah, had a mellower outing. But there were shades of his mastery in his very first delivery when he beat Balbirnie with a ripper that angled in and deviated ever-so-slightly to whizz past a feeble forward push. In the same over, there was also wicked inward movement. Even though it drifted away for five wides, it kept the batters honest, in that they knew he was whizzing it both ways.Bumrah mixed these variations with a mean bouncer, slower length balls later on with batters swinging for the hills, and toe-crushers that had batters scrambling. Most importantly, Bumrah walked the talk, in that, like he had said ahead of the series, at no stage did it appear like he was holding back. And he spoke on the same lines at the post-match presentation today, saying he would not let the immense expectations all around get to him.”Feeling good. Today, I could run in and bowl a little faster,” Bumrah said. “If you play with the baggage of expectation, you are going to be under pressure. You have to keep those expectations aside. You are not doing yourself 100% justice if you are playing with so many expectations. You have to learn to manage the expectations and keep it on the side.”Happy to be back and couldn’t have asked for anything more.”Bumrah’s first strike came in the 17th over, which began with Ireland needing 62 off 24. Prime territory for the batters to go after the bowling you’d think, but he went for just four runs in the over, not a boundary conceded. He did not concede one all day, in fact, and he closed out the game with a particularly mean final over that ended with a dipping slower ball that beat Josh Little to wrap up a wicket maiden, figures of 4-1-15-2 in the bag. The smile at the end, four byes notwithstanding, was that of a content man who knows he’s back to where he belongs.

And was Quinton De Kock’s six catches against Afghanistan a record?

Steven Lynch14-Nov-2023Is it right that Glenn Maxwell was the first to score a double-century in an ODI run-chase? asked Kris McNamara from Australia
That astonishing onslaught by Glenn Maxwell last week, for Australia vs Afghanistan in Mumbai, brought him the 11th double-century in one-day internationals – but the first in a chase, as the other ten were all scored by openers in the first innings of the match.The previous highest in the second innings of an ODI was 193, by Fakhar Zaman for Pakistan against South Africa in Johannesburg in April 2021; the highest by a non-opener in either innings was 194 not out, by Charles Coventry for Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh in Bulawayo in 2009.In the World Cup, the previous highest by a non-opener was Viv Richards’ 181 from No. 4 for West Indies against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 1987, while the highest in a chase was 158, by Andrew Strauss in England’s tie with India in Bangalore in 2011.Is the difference between Glenn Maxwell’s 201 and Mitchell Marsh’s 24 the biggest between highest and second-highest scores in a World Cup match? asked Jennifer Fingland from Britain
The difference of 177 between Glenn Maxwell’s score and the next highest in Mumbai has been exceeded only twice in any ODI innings: 198 between Rohit Sharma (264) and Virat Kohli (66) for India against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in November 2014, and 195 between Martin Guptill (237*) and Ross Taylor (42) for New Zealand against West Indies in Wellington in March 2015, which remains the World Cup record.In women’s ODIs the biggest difference is 165, between Belinda Clark (229 not out) and Karen Rolton (64) for Australia against Denmark in Mumbai during the 1997 World Cup. And when Chamari Athapaththu hit 178 not out for Sri Lanka against Australia in Bristol during the 2017 World Cup, the next highest score was Shashikala Siriwardene’s 24.The most in Tests is 300, between Brian Lara (375) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (75 not out) for West Indies against England in St John’s in 1993-94.Quinton de Kock took six catches in South Africa’s match against Afghanistan. Was this a record for the World Cup? asked Ben Torode from South Africa
The South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock’s six catches in an innings in the match against Afghanistan in Ahmedabad last week equalled the World Cup record, set by Adam Gilchrist for Australia against Namibia in Potchefstroom in February 2003, and matched by Sarfaraz Ahmed for Pakistan against South Africa in Auckland in March 2015.In all ODIs, there have now been 16 instances of a wicketkeeper making six dismissals in an innings (some including stumpings). Gilchrist was responsible for six of them, but de Kock is the only other keeper to do it more than once: he also made six dismissals (five catches and a stumping) against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui in October 2014.Netherlands’ four run-outs against Afghanistan was the 12th instance of four such dismissals in a World Cup innings•ICC/Getty ImagesIn their World Cup match against Afghanistan, four Netherlands players were run out. Was this some kind of record? asked Andre Terblanche from South Africa
The four run-outs in the Netherlands’ innings against Afghanistan in Lucknow was the 61st instance of four in all ODIs, and the 12th in the World Cup. There have also been ten innings which included five run-outs, two of them in the World Cup: both of those were by Australia, in the inaugural final against West Indies at Lord’s in 1975, and against India in Mumbai in 1996.The Dutch innings in Lucknow was unique in one respect, though – one that certainly harmed their chances of posting a competitive total: the four run-outs all came from the top five in the batting order. It’s the only one of the ODI instances where this was the case.In last week’s question about bowlers averaging around two wickets per ODI, should you perhaps have mentioned Mohammed Shami? asked Dipesh Patel from India
You’re right that the Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami deserves an honourable mention here. After the group phase of the current World Cup he had taken 187 wickets in 99 one-day internationals, so sits alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi (104 from 53), Trent Boult (210 from 113) and Mitchell Starc (230 from 119) in the ranks of those currently nudging two per game.Shami has been particularly potent since returning to the side in the middle of this World Cup: by the end of the qualifying phase he’d taken 16 wickets at just 9.56 apiece. Depending what he does in the remainder of the tournament, Shami is in line for the best bowling average of anyone taking 12 or more wickets in a single World Cup, currently Starc’s 10.18 (22 wickets) in 2015. The Australian left-arm seamer Gary Gilmour took 11 wickets at 5.63 in the first World Cup in 1975, and the West Indian Courtney Walsh 11 at 9.81 in 1999. For the list, which will be updated after the semi-finals and final, click here.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

And is Neil Brand the only player to captain his side on Test debut?

Steven Lynch06-Feb-2024I saw that Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran presented a first Test cap to his uncle, who then opened the innings with him. Is this unique? asked Bilal Shahzad from England
You’re right that Ibrahim Zadran, a 22-year-old veteran of five previous Tests, presented his uncle Noor Ali Zadran, who’s 35, with his first cap before the match against Sri Lanka in Colombo last Friday. The related pair then combined for an opening stand of 106 in the second innings.I think there may be one other instance in Tests, also for Afghanistan: some sources suggest that left-arm wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil, who played against Ireland in Dehradun in March 2019, is the nephew of Asghar Afghan, who captained in that match.There are a few other instances of uncles and nephews both being Test players (and an uncle and niece in Ian and Alyssa Healy), but for obvious reasons they usually appeared some time apart. The generations playing together is fairly rare at other levels too – although as it happens there were a few occasions during the last English domestic season when the former England batter Joe Denly was joined in the Kent side by his nephew Jaydn Denly.I can think of one similar occurrence in international sport (there may well be others). At the 2002 football World Cup finals, the Republic of Ireland’s full-backs were the Leeds United pair of Ian Harte and his uncle Gary Kelly.I heard that Yashasvi Jaiswal was only the second Indian left-hander to score a Test double-century. Is that right? asked Hashim Patel from India
Actually there are three Indian left-handers who scored Test double-centuries before Yashasvi Jaiswal joined the club with 209 against England in Visakhapatnam last week. Back in 1992-93, Vinod Kambli made two in successive Tests, and Sourav Ganguly hit 239 against Pakistan in Bengaluru in 2007. The other left-hand double-centurion – and the only other opener – was Gautam Gambhir, who made 206 against Australia in Delhi in 2008-09.Neil Brand captained South Africa on his Test debut the other day. How rare is this? asked Brian McCormack from New Zealand
Left-hander Neil Brand was one of six new caps in South Africa’s severely weakened side in the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui, which started at the weekend. The only other such instance in the last half-century (excluding teams’ inaugural Tests) was in 1995, when Lee Germon skippered New Zealand on his Test debut, against India in Bangalore.Brand won his place as an opening bat, but against New Zealand showed off another string to his bow by taking a five-for – his first in first-class cricket – with his slow left-armers. He finished with 6 for 119, the best figures by any of the debut captains, beating Naimur Rahman’s 6 for 132 for Bangladesh against India in Dhaka in November 2000.For the full list of those who captained in their first Test, click here. This does include 11 of the 12 men who skippered in their sides’ inaugural matches (AH Kardar, who led Pakistan, had already played for India).Neil Brand (left) is only the second player to captain a side on Test debut in the last 50 years, in a Test that isn’t the country’s first•Getty ImagesWhich wicketkeeper’s tally of Test stumpings is the same as his number of Test hundreds? And which Indian wicketkeeper opened the batting and bowling in a Test? asked Mustafa Sharif from Pakistan
I disappeared down a blind alley for this one to start with, as my first thought was the great West Indian Clyde Walcott, who took 11 stumpings in Tests to go with 11 wickets as a bowler. And then I read the question properly! Walcott made 15 Test centuries, which means the leader with equal hundreds and stumpings is New Zealand’s BJ Watling with eight of each in Tests – although only seven of his hundreds came in matches in which he was keeping wicket. Another West Indian, Jeff Dujon, made five Test centuries and also pulled off five stumpings.As for the second part of the question, the versatile Indian wicketkeeper was Budhi Kunderan who, with his side seriously short of seamers, was pressed into service to open the bowling in his 18th and final Test, against England at Edgbaston in 1967. He opened the batting with another wicketkeeper, Farokh Engineer, after bowling four overs with the new ball on the first morning. India’s captain, the Nawab of Pataudi, was asked beforehand what Kunderan bowled, and replied, “We’ll have to wait and see.”That Edgbaston match was the only one in which India fielded all four of their great spinners of the 1960s and ’70s, slow left-armer Bishan Bedi, legspinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, and offspinners Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan.Logan van Beek came in at 67 for 6 in a one-day game the other day and scored 136 – is this the highest by a No. 8 in a List A match? asked Chris Monroe from New Zealand
The Dutch international Logan van Beek hit 136 against Central Districts at the Basin Reserve last week to help Wellington reach 281 for 8 after a sticky start. Sadly, rain meant the match was a no-result.The only higher score from No. 8 in a List A (senior one-day) match is 144, by Nazmul Hossain Milon against Rajshahi in Dhaka in 2006-07. His remarkable innings helped Dhaka achieve a one-wicket win off the last ball, as they reached 300 for 9 after having been 112 for 7.There have been 18 other centuries from No. 8, and six from No. 9. In fourth place is the 117 not out of Leicestershire’s Harry Swindells, against Hampshire in the final of England’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup at Trent Bridge last September.Two of the centuries by No. 8s came in one-day internationals: Simi Singh hit 100 for Ireland against South Africa in Malahide in 2021, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz also scored 100 to set up a rare victory for Bangladesh over India in Mirpur in December 2022.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Their onslaught left CSK resorting to Plan B and Plan C pretty quickly and even start thinking about Plan D, head coach Fleming said

Hemant Brar11-May-20242:37

Review: Who was better – Gill or Sudharsan? Did CSK get overseas combination wrong?

Shubman Gill generally celebrates his hundreds by bowing down with a smile on his face. There is some wholesomeness to it. But Friday was different. After reaching the three-figure mark against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad, he jumped, threw an air punch and let out an expletive.It was an outburst of pent-up anger after his lean form and Gujarat Titans’ three successive losses that had left them on the verge of elimination from IPL 2024.In a season where every other batting unit has been pushing the envelope, GT, the 2022 champions and 2023 runners-up, seemed to be stuck in the past. Before this game, their scoring rate in the powerplay was 7.23 and in the middle overs 7.70 – both the worst in this IPL.It reflected in the results too: four wins in 11 games. A loss against CSK would have knocked them out in front of their home crowd. But Gill and Sai Sudharsan changed the script and smashed a hundred each to keep their faint hopes alive.Related

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Until then, it had been a mixed season for Gill. He had started well, scoring 255 runs in the first six games at an average of 51.00 and a strike rate of 151.78. In the next five, though, he could manage only 67 runs at a strike rate of 101.51. Three times he was dismissed in the single digits.Gill’s opening partner, Wriddhiman Saha, was struggling even more. In nine games, he had an average of 15.11 and a strike rate of 118.26. The lack of runs and momentum at the top of the order regularly exposed GT’s brittle middle order.Sudharsan, their No. 3, was scoring runs but at a strike rate of 131.67. In IPL 2024, that was on the lower side even for an anchor, especially when your openers were not firing.On Friday, though, everything fell into place for GT. Saha was out with a niggle, so Sudharsan got an opportunity to open the innings with Gill. The left-right combination benefitted GT in two ways. First, it meant one batter always had the shorter boundary to his leg side. Second, it did not allow CSK to use their spinners the way they would have liked.Gill and Sudharsan took advantage and plundered 210 in just 104 balls, the joint-highest opening stand in the IPL. At one stage, it was more of a contest between Gill and Sudharsan than between GT and CSK. After 16 overs, both batters were on 96 off 48, and the race to score the 100th IPL hundred was on.2:11

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It was Gill who had that honour. Facing his 50th ball, he got a full toss from Simarjeet Singh that he duly flicked to the square-leg boundary. On the last ball of the same over, Sudharsan also brought up his hundred, and he too got there in 50 balls.While the two finished similarly, they had started their innings in contrasting manners, with Gill doing the bulk of the scoring in the powerplay.CSK had opted to bowl hoping the red-soil pitch would help spinners early. Gill disrupted that plan in the opening over itself. Facing his first ball, he hit Mitchell Santner for four. Two balls later, he sashayed down the track and launched the spinner for a straight six. By the end of the third over, he had raced to 20 off eight balls.Gill’s intent took GT to 58 for no loss at the end of the powerplay. It may not sound a lot – Sunrisers Hyderabad have breached 100 twice in the first six this season – but it was the second-best start for GT.Meanwhile, Sudharsan was on 39 off 29 after eight overs. It was looking like yet another anchor-ish innings from him but then he pressed on. In the next three balls, he slogged Ravindra Jadeja for a four and a six to bring up his fifty.He followed it up with successive sixes off Simarjeet and successive fours off Daryl Mitchell. With a slog-swept six off Santner, he moved to 92 off 44 balls, leaving Gill far behind, on 66 off 34.Gill narrowed the gap, and then overtook Sudharsan, by hitting three sixes in four balls off Mitchell. The second of those sixes came via a drop from Deshpande who parried the ball over the long-off boundary.The CSK bowlers had no reply to Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan’s onslaught•Associated Press”I think we were through Plan B and Plan C pretty quickly and maybe started getting into Plan D,” CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said after the match. “It was the batting of high calibre. Sometimes you have to doff the cap and say well played, and on this occasion, I thought those two were great.”We were pretty shell-shocked and even our fielding, which has been good over the years, was put on the back foot. There were catches dropped and that was a little bit unusual for us.”CSK did make a comeback towards the end, conceding only 22 in the last three overs. But Gill and Sudharsan had caused irreparable damage by then.

Bumrah’s 5 for 21 against RCB, meanwhile, is at the top of bowling performances of the season

S Rajesh17-Apr-2024Jos Buttler’s stunning unbeaten 107 against Kolkata Knight Riders is now at the top of the list of best batting displays of IPL 2024, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats. According to this rating tool, which gives points to every batting and bowling performance based on a complex and detailed algorithm that takes into account match context, Buttler’s innings won him 145.12 rating points, which puts him ahead of his team-mate Riyan Parag’s 122.2 points for his unbeaten 84 against Delhi Capitals.ESPNcricinfo LtdAfter a slow start to the season, Buttler has stamped his presence quite emphatically with two hundreds in his last three innings. His other ton – 100 not out against Royal Challengers Bengaluru – is at No. 4 with 114.03 points.Buttler’s century against KKR overshadowed the other hundred in the game, Sunil Narine’s 56-ball 109. Despite scoring at a higher rate – 194.64 compared to Buttler’s 178.33 – Narine’s century gets 111.49 points, and is in sixth position due to the match context and the relatively greater pressure under which Buttler scored his runs.In the last six overs, with Royals needing 96 from 36 balls, Buttler scored 65 off 27 at a strike rate of 240.74. In the last three overs, he faced all 18 balls and scored 40 – a strike rate of 222. Since the Smart Stats algorithm takes into account the pressure on the batter for each ball, Buttler received greater credit for winning the game virtually single-handedly in the last few overs.Related

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Also in the top five are a couple of other match-winning innings: Andre Russell’s unbeaten 25-ball 64 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first match of the season, and Shashank Singh’s 29-ball 61 in Punjab Kings’ thrilling chase of 200 against Gujarat Titans.Travis Head’s 102 off 41 against RCB is in eighth position, while the hundreds scored by Rohit Sharma (105 off 63 against Chennai Super Kings) and Virat Kohli (113 off 72 against Royals) are in 13th and 14th positions, respectively. In fact, Kohli’s 49-ball 77 against Kings is rated marginally higher at 12th position, since that was scored in a tough, winning run-chase with little support at the other end.

The T20I series ended with a lengthy list of bowlers ruled out and Australia’s selectors will hope it doesn’t extend to their Test resources

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-2024Australia’s pace-bowling depth is often talked about, and for good reason, but right now it is being tested. The list of injuries and absentees around the limited-overs tour of the UK has become a lengthy one.Xavier Bartlett was the latest to be ruled out after suffering a side strain in the first T20I against England. Nathan Ellis was scrubbed from the trip early in the Scotland leg after aggravating an injury sustained in the Hundred. Spencer Johnson (side) was ruled out before the tour began. Riley Meredith did not feature after first T20I in Scotland, also due to a side issue.Related

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Josh Hazlewood had a delayed arrival because of a minor calf strain but bowled superbly in Southampton before being rested in Cardiff. As one of the big three, he is central to Australia’s plans for the five Tests against India in the home summer. All the cricket before that, especially for the fast bowlers, is played through the lens of making sure Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc make that series and can sustain throughout it.”A lot of our priorities will be geared around that,” Andrew McDonald, Australia’s coach, told last week. “You’ll see that unfold with the management of our players. We’ll be very pointed around who does what in terms of [Sheffield] Shield cricket coming into the summer to make sure that they are ready for that first Test match.”While those who have picked up injuries in England would not be the next in line for Test spots, there are also question marks over the red-ball reserves. Lance Morris will be given a careful reintroduction to the Sheffield Shield after another off-season beset by back problems while his Western Australia team-mate Jhye Richardson remains a longer-term project in terms of red-ball cricket.Scott Boland and Michael Neser have also nursed injuries in pre-season, with the former likely to be managed through the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield, although neither are considered major worries. Sean Abbott, whose first over in Cardiff on Friday would not have looked out of place in Test match as he nipped the ball around sharply, could come into the planning depending on the progress of others.Starc will be part of the ODI series in England but will be carefully managed through the matches. Cummins has remained at home to work on strength and conditioning. It would be a surprise if Hazlewood played more than three of the one-dayers with the series taking place across just 11 days, although the washed out game in Manchester allowed for some extra downtime.”There aren’t many breaks in the calendar unless you manufacture one,” Cummins said last month about missing the England tour. “The medical staff and coaches and everyone thought this is a good opportunity to have a month or so off bowling for my body, and then build up and hopefully be in as good a position as possible for the five Tests.”Mitchell Starc has arrived for the ODIs but also faces a big Test summer back home•Getty ImagesAustralia are far from alone in how they manage their valuable multi-format fast bowlers. India are careful with how much Jasprit Bumrah plays while Mohammed Shami’s recovery from an ankle injury is slightly behind schedule and may require careful management ahead of the Australia tour. For England, a major theme over the next year will be how they ensure Mark Wood reaches the 2025-26 Ashes after he recently suffered another elbow problem to rule him out of the upcoming Pakistan and New Zealand tours.The lengthy list of injuries around Australia’s pace bowlers is a reminder both of the incredible resilience of Cummins, Starc and more recently Hazlewood but also that it would not take much for best-laid plans to unravel. Aided by none of the Tests going five days last season, they played throughout against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand having also featured throughout the ODI World Cup, barring the one game Starc was rested for.Cummins has missed just one Test through injury since 2018; the others have been due to Covid and compassionate leave. Starc missed three in a row against South Africa and India in early 2023 due to a finger injury and was left out of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, but has been almost as durable, often bowling through the pain of various injuries. Hazlewood, meanwhile, has emerged from a two-year period between 2021-2023 where he played just three Tests to keep himself on the park throughout except for being rested at Headingley in last year’s Ashes.Cummins has already flagged things might be different against India, referencing the importance of Australia’s allrounders Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh, the latter who hasn’t bowled since the IPL. “The last couple of summers have been pretty light [with] quick Test matches,” he said. “I suspect this summer might be a bit different at time.”Even the first reserve, Boland, who boasts a home Test average of 12.21, had expected an opening to emerge somewhere last season. “I was expecting to play at some stage,” he told . “The coaches and selectors were saying, ‘You’ll probably get a go at some stage, so be ready’.”It’s hard, especially when my mindset is ‘It’s seven Tests, I’ll get a crack at some stage’. But [the big three] are just so resilient and they kept bowling teams out quickly, that they just don’t need that much of a break.”At the moment, the injuries have been a disappointment for those involved in the England tour, and a juggling action for the selectors to fill the gaps, rather than an imminent concern for the India series. But that much-vaunted depth in Australia’s bowling stocks may yet be face a defining summer.

He captained his country to the Under-19 World Cup final in 2012, then disappeared, but an unexpected opportunity has brought him back to the T20 leagues

Mohammad Isam28-Jan-2025When Alex Hales and Shaheen Afridi left the BPL on January 9, the tournament was void of any T20 A-listers after the first ten days. Veterans like Thisara Perera, Mohammad Nabi and Dawid Malan do catch the eye and there are reports that David Warner and Sunil Narine might pop by for the playoffs, but that’s about it.The BPL did have star power but it came from the local contingent – Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim. Then, William Bosisto struck an unbeaten 75 against Chittagong Kings in the first week and sent many fans searching on Google. The Australian batter is certainly not a household name in Bangladesh.The innings was Bosisto’s maiden T20 fifty. He had played only eleven short-form matches before his BPL debut, the last of which was six years ago. After losing his first-class contract in 2021, Bosisto now plays league cricket in England and Australia, while building a career as a mortgage broker back home in Perth. He may not be the ideal drawcard for a T20 league competing for eyeballs but that’s not his problem. The BPL’s slide into obscurity offered Bosisto a unique opportunity. He has been a key performer for Khulna Tigers in 2024-25, hitting a couple of unbeaten fifties and playing handy knocks in winning causes.”I had come straight from Nepal where I had a really good tournament,” Bosisto told ESPNcricinfo. “I performed strongly for my premier cricket side in Western Australia. I was feeling confident with my game. It was nice to be able to put that on show in front of a great crowd against Chittagong in the first game. Being exposed to the atmosphere in the Bangladesh Premier League has been incredible. It is always nice to be there in the end in a couple of our wins. I pride myself on finishing games, being a match-winner. I think that’s a really important skill. It doesn’t necessarily reflect on the stats all the time.”I have enjoyed my experience here. It is a wonderful opportunity to play in foreign conditions. I think playing in spin-friendly conditions is a strength in my game. [My batting style was developed through] a lot of hard work and practice for a number of years. I trust my hand-eye coordination. Sweeps, laps and more unconventional shots are suited to my game. I pride myself on hitting the ball where the fielders aren’t placed.”William Bosisto made an unbeaten 87 in the Under-19 World Cup final in 2012•ICC/GettyBosisto’s BPL connection was established in 2024 when he batted with Imrul Kayes, the recently retired Bangladesh Test cricketer. Imrul moved to Australia with his family recently, where he heard good things about Bosisto from Mitchell Marsh. When Imrul was building the Khulna team, he recommended Bosisto to team owner Iqbal Mahmud and coach Talha Jubair.”I played a tournament in Melbourne around this time last year with Imrul Kayes,” Bosisto said. “We batted together. He was really impressed with me in that tournament. He asked about my cricket journey, and whether I’d be interested to come to Bangladesh. I jumped at the opportunity while I was progressing my game in the background, without the exposure at a higher level.”It has been nice to get this opportunity to prove to people that there’s no reason why you can’t keep chipping away, coming back as a better player and learning from some mistakes as a younger player.”Bosisto was the quintessential prodigy who couldn’t take off. He captained Australia in the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, hitting an unbeaten 87 in the final and being named Player of the Series. Domestic cricket however wasn’t kind to him, as he struggled playing for two Sheffield Shield teams. He didn’t make a mark in the BBL either, which left him looking for opportunities elsewhere. It landed him in a job as a financial adviser, which is now his second career.”Working as a broker is something I enjoy. It is totally different from cricket. It allows me an outlet from the game. If I wasn’t doing brokering, I’d be sat there analysing every little detail. Brokering gives me a break from that. I have always been interested in the property market. It allows me to help some family and friends.Bosisto: I think playing in spin-friendly conditions is a strength in my game•Khulna Tigers Media”It has got its challenges, but ultimately it is about self-discipline and time management. The mark of any good person is doing what you say you are going to do. I always endeavor to have honest conversations with clients.”If I am away at a match, they know that it will take me a few hours to come back to their email. My cricket is a real passion, and it is obviously a limited window from a professional journey. I have put a mountain of work into it, so it’s nice to feel like I am a chance to get back amongst the ranks.”Bosisto, 31, holds no grudges about a Sheffield Shield career that consists of only 27 matches spread out over eight years. He admits his inconsistency as a batter and getting in his head about the pressures of being picked in the XI. “I have no regrets. I had a lot of learnings. It is difficult for a young batter to open the batting at the WACA in arguably the strongest first-class competition in the world. The wickets were pretty green. It was certainly a real challenge for an 18-19-year-old who doesn’t know his game. I made a couple of hundreds, and had some really good performances, but I was inconsistent. That’s why I was left out of teams.”I was in and out, with some strong performances in premier cricket. I found selection pressures as a bit of a challenge. With experience though, I have learned to control the controllables a lot more. I got a lot better at putting my full attention to the next ball. Negative thoughts like losing my place in the team doesn’t infiltrate my thinking. Preparing really well, having full confidence in my strengths and being absorbed in the contest are what I can control.”William Bosisto has a second career: Working as a broker is something I enjoy. It allows me an outlet from the game•Khulna Tigers MediaBosisto thanked his friend Marsh for playing a part in his cricketing journey, while also taking inspiration from Travis Head, his Australia Under-19 and South Australia team-mate. “Mitchell Marsh is a Perth boy. I catch up with him quite often. He is a fantastic young man. He has had ups and downs in his journey as well. His character never changes. He always has a big smile on his face. He is a wonderful team-mate. He will be a friend for life.”I played with Travis Head in South Australia. Another fantastic character. He is a very funny man. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. It is incredible to watch his journey. A guy who has learned to have full faith in the way he does things. We are seeing his strengths come to the forefront.”Bosisto would be keen to return to the BPL and the Nepal Premier League. In fact, he was quite taken aback by the reception cricket gets in Nepal. “I had no idea about the volume of passion there. The people are super enthusiastic. I would be very surprised if Nepali cricket doesn’t continue to climb up the world rankings.”The 2024-25 season will remain memorable for Bosisto. It was his first foray into the franchise T20 ecosystem and its left him with a taste for more. “I am always keen on mentoring younger players. I got to that point as an 18-year-old with my work ethic and trusting my skills. When you come into a professional environment, you get voices left, right and centre. A real key therefore is to trust your own method and strength.”I have been through some ups and downs that have shaped me be the resilient character that I am. I think it holds me in good stead in my next decade of cricketing journey. I hope I can bear the fruits of all the hard work and some of those ups and downs.”

The Australia fast bowler has been a colossal cricketer, marrying longevity with success across all three formats

Andrew McGlashan09-Jul-20251:08

Watch: Starc stars from around the wicket

Think of Mitchell Starc and one thing probably comes into your mind: the booming inswinger, thundering into either the batter’s pads, toes or stumps. But to reach 100 Tests, the club Starc will join at Sabina Park this week, as only the second Australian fast bowler ever, you must have much more than one calling card, even if it’s as destructive as Starc’s can be.There is every chance the Jamaica Test turns into a double milestone for Starc: he is five wickets away from 400. Given his record in pink-ball matches – 74 wickets at 18.14 – few would bet against him, but even if he needs to wait a bit longer for the wickets, he will be just the eighth fast bowler to complete the 100 Test/400 wicket double.Starc, who until 14 was a wicketkeeper, has been a colossal cricketer, marrying longevity with success across all three formats. It was the ODI game where he initially secured a legacy, removing Brendon McCullum in the opening over of the 2015 World Cup final at the MCG, and for a time it was possible to ponder how his Test career would be viewed, but the word great can sit comfortably alongside him. Where does he stand in an all-time Australia fast bowler’s list? If Dennis Lillee and Glenn McGrath jostle for the top two, a case can easily be made to be among the top five.Related

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“It’s an incredible achievement,” coach Andrew McDonald said. “You think of the surfaces we play on in Australia, they’re firm, they’re hard, they take their toll. There’s a reason why there’s only two that have ever done it for Australia. His resilience, his planning, his preparation… and he’s sacrificed a fair bit along the way as well.”You look to some of the IPLs that he’s missed to get his body right to play for Australia. He’s put a lot of work into it. I’m really proud of him and he’s getting his great reward for what he’s given up and the way he’s gone about it. All the plaudits that are coming his way this week he deserves.”Having made his Test debut in 2011 against New Zealand (McCullum was his first wicket), Starc has previously spoken about 2015 being the period when he started to feel he belonged in the format. He has maintained outstanding consistency with his average not rising above 30 since 2016.That was the year he produced a prolific series in Sri Lanka with 24 wickets at 15.16, albeit where Australia lost 3-0. One of his most influential displays also came on the subcontinent. It won’t sit among his biggest hauls, but the 4 for 33 he took against Pakistan in Lahore in 2022 broke the game open and set up Australia’s historic series win.Mitchell Starc is set to become only the second Australian fast bowler to play 100 Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesThere have been some periods of struggle, however, notably a couple of series against India in 2018-19 and 2020-21, while he only played one match of the 2019 Ashes in England when he was not considered an ideal fit for the Dukes ball. It’s worth noting that the Test he played at Old Trafford, he helped secure victory to retain the Ashes. Oddly, he was left out of the next match at The Oval as Australia got too cute with their selections. He was also omitted for the opening match of the 2023 Ashes but went on to be the series leading wicket-taker and would be named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for his efforts.The evolution of Starc’s Test bowling in recent years has been significant. He has been a leading adopter of the “wobble seam” delivery, which has given him more wicket-taking options. He retains the lethal inswinger, but has a full set of tools at his disposal and when the ball reverses, there remain few better at taking advantage.”As a younger bowler, it was all about speed and swing and getting the ball full,” McDonald said. “If you look at the evolution of Mitchell Starc, it’s his ability to hold line and length now. He can do any role you want. He’s still got those full swinging deliveries, which we really encourage at the right time but he’s able to hold length and control the scoreboard.”I don’t know how he’ll age in terms of what he’s been able to do across three formats, but I’d say arguably he’s our best 50-over bowler that we’ve had in terms of his impact on games. You add that with 100 Test matches, 65 T20s and the impact he’s had there. It’s an incredible record.”Mitchell Starc goes into the day-night Test against West Indies with 74 pink-ball wickets at 18.14•Getty ImagesStarc was termed “soft” early in his career by Shane Warne, who often remained one of his more vocal critics. For a while, he took notice of a lot of what was said about him, although latterly he has become confident enough in himself not to be affected. Ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes, his place in the team was questioned. He responded by removing Rory Burns with the first delivery of the series and since then has 140 wickets at 27.07. Two other times he has struck with the opening delivery of a Test, and on 20 occasions in the first over. It’s not just a white-ball trick.Against India last season, with Australia under immense pressure after their drubbing in Perth, he righted the ship with a career-best 6 for 48 in Adelaide. This year, he is averaging 20.86.Since the start of the 2021-22 Ashes, he has bowled more overs than any quick in the world (currently 1.3 ahead of captain Pat Cummins) with only Prabath Jayasuriya and Nathan Lyon ahead of him. In Jamaica, he will bowl his 19,000th Test delivery. His fitness record stands out, but he has regularly bowled through the pain barrier: a broken finger against South Africa at the MCG in 2022, groin problems in the 2023 Ashes and a troublesome ankle at the backend of last season’s India series, after which he went on to play as the lone specialist quick bowler in Sri Lanka.It has been noted in recent days how, at the age of 35, his speeds are not dropping. “I can’t fathom playing 100 games and keeping that kind of [145kph] speed,” Cummins said. “He’s just a warrior. Turns up every week and wants to play no matter what.”How much longer he goes remains to be seen, but completing this new World Test Championship [WTC] cycle certainly seems realistic. Then, perhaps, one last dart at winning an Ashes in England? But regardless of when Starc calls time, at what feels like a critical juncture in the game’s history it is not outlandish to suggest there may not be another player – and almost certainly not an express quick – to have a career quite like his.

The batter was working with coach Gambhir and captain Gill ahead of a potential Test debut against England at Headingley

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jun-2025B Sai Sudharsan will be one the players in the spotlight over the next ten days as the countdown begins to the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, starting from June 20 at Headingley. If you didn’t know who he is or want to know more about Sai Sudharsan, you can read here.The focus will be on Sai Sudharsan because he is not only lining up for his Test debut, but is also the frontrunner to bat at No.3 for India. It is a spot that Cheteshwar Pujara made it his own and raised the bar before the baton was passed to Shubman Gill, India’s new Test captain. While India have not formally announced it, Gill is expected to bat at No.4, which was up for grabs following Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket.Related

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Among the qualities that have impressed the Indian selectors and the team management about Sai Sudharsan is his defensive game. The left-hander, who is just over six feet tall, is well-organised in his set-up which is side-on. Experts like former England captain Alec Stewart, who brought the Tamil Nadu batter to Surrey as one of the club’s overseas players, attest Sai Sudharsan has a good eye to pick length, a solid back-foot game necessary on seaming pitches in England and plays late and with soft hands while meeting the ball under his eye as far as possible.0:28

Watch – Gill faces Bumrah at the nets

Over the last two days in Beckenham, where the main Indian squad has been training, Sai Sudharsan displayed those skills while dealing with the Indian fast-bowling quartet of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh. Not that he was fluent throughout – on Monday especially, thick and faint outside edges flew towards the slip and gully area.Standing few yards behind, India head coach Gautam Gambhir, in his trademark arms-folded-across-the chest stance, made a few observations during his chats with Sai Sudharsan on both days. One of the points Gambhir, from a distance, seemed to be pointing out to Sai Sudharsan was to keep his back heel firmly planted to give him probably more balance.Sai Sudharsan also has Gill as a sounding board. On Sunday, well after both had finished their initial batting session, the duo was seen discussing the technical aspect of the forward defence. It appeared as if Sai Sudharsan was talking about his left hip opening up while lunging forward.Sai Sudharsan’s technique will be tested over the next two months, but if he can show the composure and the assurance he has shown in first-class cricket and IPL for Gujarat Titans, he will keep ticking the boxes.