Category Uncategorized

Sri Lanka would still be hurting after the hiding their bowlers were handed by Bangladesh, but their in-form top-order is capable of testing India’s resolve

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Mar-20182:07

Chopra: Pant needs to develop another gear

Big PictureFlags have been planted, intents have been declared, early momentum has been divided up, and now, with one win apiece for each competitor, a little tension has built. It has been a more high-scoring first round than many expected, given the Khettarama pitch’s reputation for spin-aligned treachery. As the square wears through the course of the tournament, perhaps the scoring will slow. But for now, bowlers from all three sides are nursing bruised economy rates.The diagnosis for both the Sri Lanka and India attacks is roughly the same: a shortage of international experience. Where the likes of Lasith Malinga (in his pomp) or Jasprit Bumrah are capable of reacting swiftly to a batting onslaught, and moving to an effective Plan B or C, these bowlers have tended to wilt under duress. A boundary early in an over has often drawn mistakes soon after. Powerplays and death overs have proved unusually productive for adventurous batsmen. Only legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal has been both economical and penetrative. He has gone at seven an over, when rates of around 10 have been the norm so far among the frontline bowlers.Such was the beating Sri Lanka’s bowlers received at the hands of Bangladesh that it is their attack that arrives a little more bruised into Monday’s encounter. Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep and Akila Dananjaya were all attacked at the top of the innings and at the death. Thisara Perera had initially fared better, but his own figures were not much prettier than the frontliners’ by the end. India’s bowlers, meanwhile, have at least one strong performance behind them in the tournament, but that was against a Bangladesh side that was batting some distance below their best (by their own admission). Sri Lanka’s top order, which has been impressive in four successive T20s, may again test India’s resolve.Form guideSri LankaLWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WLWLWIn the spotlightIt was against India that Akila Dananjaya had reignited his career. His 6 for 54 in an ODI in Pallekele almost won the match for Sri Lanka, in what was otherwise a dispiriting two months. Though he has not been quite as menacing since, he has had the knack of routinely keeping tidy figures – rarely could he be said to have had a bad day. In the first two matches of this tournament, though, he has gone wicketless, and has conceded 73 runs off seven overs. With the tracks at Khettarama taking less turn that usual, this match will be a test of his fortitude.In ODIs, Rohit Sharma has been excellent in Sri Lanka, but in T20s, his record on the island is a little thin. In eight innings at Khettarama, he has breached 30 only once – and that was against a modest England outfit in the 2012 World T20. Against Sri Lanka, however – and though the hosts will come with a closely-deliberated plan against him – Rohit is rarely down for long.Team newsWith captain Dinesh Chandimal suspended for two games due to a serious over-rate offence, Thisara Perera will lead the side. Dhananjaya de Silva is likely to slot into Chandimal’s position. There is also a chance of Suranga Lakmal replacing either Dushmantha Chameera or Nuwan Pradeep.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Perera (wk), 4 Dananjaya de Silva, 5 Upul Tharanga, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Thisara Perera (capt), 8 Jeevan Mendis, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan PradeepIndia are likely to retain the XI that won them the game against Bangladesh.India (possible): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Rishabh Pant, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Vijay Shankar, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Jaydev UnadkatPitch and conditionsThere is a chance that evening showers could interrupt play. A pitch favourable for batting is expected.Stats and trivia Chasing sides have won all three games so far. The two highest successful pursuits at this venue are now Bangladesh’s chase of 215 on Saturday, and Sri Lanka’s chase of 175 against India, in the tournament opener. Both sides have a batsman who has made half-centuries in each game so far. Shikhar Dhawan has hit 90 off 49 balls and 55 off 43; Kusal Perera has made 66 off 37 and 74 off 48.Quotes”Guys who have come in to the team have got the experience in the IPL. They are not nervous and look settled. We didn’t really execute well in the first game, but we got better in the second game. It is going to get better from here.”India seam bowler Jaydev Unadkat believes IPL experience is valuable, even if the India bowlers have not played many internationals

Liverpool having been pursuing Romeo Lavia for a while now and it hasn’t been the easiest of transfer sagas. Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has now given an update on the future of the Southampton midfielder to GIVEMESPORT.

Where will Romeo Lavia move to?

Despite being relegated to the Championship, Southampton are remaining strong and holding out for mouth-watering fees regarding their most valuable assets.

At the heart of this is Romeo Lavia, who has Liverpool on red alert and has done for a while. The midfield turnover at Anfield is well and truly happening with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both having made the move to Saudi Arabia.

Chelsea have also been linked to the 19-year-old from Brussels, Belgium and if their pursuit of Brighton’s Moises Caicedo proves unsuccessful, then Liverpool could be presented with yet another headache.

Chelsea themselves are looking at wholesale changes in the middle of the park. Conor Gallagher has been linked with a move to fellow Londoners West Ham United as he goes in search of more regular playing time whilst Mason Mount has of course joined Manchester United.

Lavia, who has been hailed as a "shining star", would certainly be a welcome addition to the Chelsea side.

What has Ryan Taylor had to say?

“It's hard to say in the transfer window because as we've seen so many times in the past, something can happen out of the blue within the space of an hour.

"My personal opinion is that if Lavia is to leave Southampton, he's going to be joining Liverpool. I think negotiations are already, I don't want to say advanced as in they are at an advanced stage, but there has been a lot of dialogue between the two clubs.

"Two bids have gone in, both of them have been rejected. There have been talks on the player side with his representatives as well, and Lavia would be happy to move to Liverpool.

"So when I say advanced, I mean a lot more groundwork has been done on the deal, and obviously we know Liverpool have lost Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.

"I say this cautiously, but I don't think Liverpool have anything to fear with a hijack. The only way that becomes the case is if Chelsea categorically decide that Moises Caicedo is too expensive, and then I think Chelsea will move for Lavia.

"But I still see Chelsea getting Caicedo anyway, so I think those two are expected to materialise."

What else is going on at Chelsea?

Chelsea have been one of the most active Premier League teams so far in this summer window whether or not Romeo Lavia moves to Stamford Bridge.

Christopher Nkunku is one of those arrivals but injury may keep him out for a number of months, potentially leading to another attacking signing. Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic is one name in that conversation, having been linked with the Blues previously.

A huge name being tied to Chelsea in the headlines, as per The Guardian, is the one and only Neymar. The Brazilian superstar wants out of Paris Saint-Germain, meaning that the unstoppable triumvirate of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi could all be moved on this year. Neymar is also being linked with a famous return to Barcelona, but could the pull of the Premier League make the difference?

Dale Steyn aims to return to action after a year on the sidelines next month, most likely in South Africa’s franchise T20 competition which is expected to be played in the window created by the postponed T20 Global League. Steyn was set to play in the Global League and had been bought by the Cape Town Knight Riders, and his recovery remains on track.Following months of rest and rehabilitation after breaking a bone in his shoulder last November, Steyn started bowling again around three weeks ago, when the South African squad was preparing for the first home Test against Bangladesh. He spent a few days with them in camp in Potchefstroom and has since been working with trainers in Cape Town, bowling three time a week. Next week he will increase that to four times with a view to being back to his best in November.”It happens quite quickly. I go off three paces on the Monday, then Wednesday I go off five paces, but I bowl 26 balls. Then Friday, I bowl off five paces but I bowl 30 balls. At the moment, where I am at right now, I bowl Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and at about 70% or 80% of my full run-up, at about 60-70%,” Steyn told ESPNcricinfo at a sponsor event on Thursday. “Next week, I will move it to bowling on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday off and bowling again Thursday and Friday. And we just up the percentage every week so eventually when we play the T20s, I will going full run-up, full-pace.”After many months of not bowling at all, Steyn is finally finding the form and rhythm he needs to be match fit and, crucially, is not in any pain while doing it. “My arm is perfect, if anything its stronger than it was before because its reinforced with a pin,” he joked. “It’s 100% now. I’ve just got to start reminding myself how to bowl at high speeds because I haven’t done it for a year.”When Steyn was injured in Australia, he had only just recovered from a prior shoulder injury and a groin injury, all of which has limited his game time since the end of 2015. As a result, his recent list of injury concerns have caused questions over whether he could continue his career, the man himself wants to play “until either they don’t like me anymore, or I am not good enough”. He is confident he is fit enough to come back because it was not a case of poor conditioning but an unusually complicated problem that kept him off the field for so long.”There’s only ever been two of us that have ever broken this bone in cricket. To diagnose a time frame for how long it was going to take to come back was quite difficult. It’s not like a hamstring, where they’ve had ten billion people that have torn hamstrings and they say in six to eight weeks you will be up and running again. They can’t say three months and you will be up and running again, six months. I was kind of a guinea pig going through this whole process and the other guy never went back to playing cricket, he was a schoolboy,” Steyn said.”When I originally broke the bone, I also tore my bicep tendon, my pec and a muscle at the back called the infraspinatus. That’s three muscles that ruptured when I broke that bone. So the bone took a while to heal and strengthen but then those muscles took a long time to recover. That’s why it took so long and then when I started to bowl, typical me, I was trying to go from 0 to 100 quickly and I injured a pec. We are finally at a point where everything is strong, now it’s a case don’t do anything stupid. As cricketers we get injured all the time. I go for a run up the mountain and I could get a hamstring injury.”So does that mean Steyn is staying indoors for the next few weeks?Not quite. He confessed that he will still be surfing because “that’s fine” and enjoying an outdoor lifestyle, but knows the onus is on him to prove that he can cope with the workloads of international cricket. “It’s pretty tough bowling 150 kilometres normally. Now I’ve got to do it with a broken bone in my arm. It’s a tough ask but I think I am doing okay.”Steyn is also particularly “excited” to work under new coach Ottis Gibson, whom he met during the time he spent in Potchefstroom and whom he has had brief conversations with since.”It’s the first time in my career I have had a head coach who was a bowler. With all due respect to the previous coaches, they were all batters, they see the game differently to the way that bowlers see the game. When I sat in one or two meetings, I saw Ottis’ eyes light up when KG [Kagiso Rabada] was talking, I saw his eyes light up when Morne [Morkel] was talking; they didn’t light up so much when Hashim [Amla] was talking.It gets me excited because he is on the same wavelength as us. For the first time its also great to see that the head coach is out in the middle when the bowlers are bowling and not in the nets with the batters. The love is being shared a little and I think the bowlers will start to get taken a little bit more seriously when it comes to decision making. I do feel they have a lot of offer. It has been batter dominant for a long time, so I am quite excited about the head coach being an ex-bowler.”

Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on Jude Bellingham's younger brother Jobe off the back of his impressive start to life at Sunderland.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Jude Bellingham shining at MadridLos Blancos keeping tabs on JobeProgress at Sunderland not going unnoticedWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Madrid are closely monitoring Jobe, who has scored four goals in 21 games for Sunderland this season. The report states the 18-year-old's rapid growth has not gone unnoticed and there are similarities between his and Jude's playing style. Moreover, the younger brother, who is 5cm taller than the England international, is seen as more versatile than his more illustrious sibling.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Older brother Jude has proven to be a remarkably successful signing for Madrid since swapping Borussia Dortmund for the Spanish giants in a £88 million ($110m) move, scoring 16 goals in 19 games. The 20-year-old is one of the best players in the world right now and Madrid will, perhaps, hope Jobe will follow in his brother's footsteps and secure his services along the way.

DID YOU KNOW?

Both Bellingham's came through Birmingham City's academy before moving on to pastures new. The Blues retired Jude's No. 22 shirt in appreciation for his contribution to the club when he signed for Dortmund in 2020.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR THE BELLINGHAMS?

Jude's Madrid side will take on Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday, whereas Jobe's Sunderland travel to Bristol City in the Championship on Saturday.

Worcestershire Rapids turned current form on its head by beating arch-rivals Birmingham Bears by five runs in the NatWest T20 Blast at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2017Worcestershire Rapids turned current form on its head by beating arch-rivals Birmingham Bears by five runs in the NatWest T20 Blast at Edgbaston.In front of a bumper crowd of 15,113 (a record for a Bears home T20 group game) the Rapids totalled a meaty 190 for 7, built on a lightning start supplied by openers John Hastings (51 from 20 balls) and Joe Clarke (34 from 15).That target proved too much for the Bears who ended on 185 for 7, their challenge undermined by the excellent spin of Mitchell Santner who claimed 3 for 16 despite resistance from debutant Dominic Sibley and Grant Elliott.Put in, the Rapids made a seriously rapid start as Hastings and Clarke thrashed 75 in 28 balls. At one stage, five successive balls – three from Colin de Grandhomme in an over that cost 30 and two from Boyd Rankin – were lifted for six.John Hastings’ 20-ball 51 set up Worcestershire victory•Getty Images

Hastings hit four fours and five sixes and Clarke clubbed two fours and four sixes before both perished to calm catches by Aaron Thomason at deep midwicket.A brake was applied by the spin of Sibley. The new signing from Surrey delivered 4-0-20-1, collecting his first Bears wicket when Santner was well-caught by Jeetan Patel at long-on.The innings lost momentum in the middle but gathered impetus again later thanks to the improvisation of Brett D’Oliveira who made an unbeaten 35 off 24 balls.Birmingham also started briskly but were pegged back by tandem spin. The fifth over, from Santner, cost just one run and brought the wicket of Ian Bell, caught at short third man. Santner then added the wicket of Sam Hain, stumped, in his next over before Adam Hose fired a fierce return catch back to D’Oliveira.Sibley was within a single of a debut half-century when he skied Mitchell to Santner at long-on. The Bears’ were running out of potential match-winners and another one disappeared when Elliott reverse-swept Santner to short third man.De Grandhomme thumped two sixes on his way to 23 from 12 balls but after he was superbly caught by Ed Barnard on the point boundary off Joe Leach, the Bears’ challenge subsided – and the Rapids’ qualification push was well and truly rebooted.

The gap at the summit is now up to seven points following Friday's meeting of the top two that saw the Portugal forward cut a frustrated figure

Was that the match that decided the Saudi Pro League title race? In early December, it's likely too early to say, but Al-Hilal's 3-0 win over Al-Nassr means there is now a seven-point gap at the top of the table as we approach the halfway point of the campaign.

That clash between Riyadh's top-two sides headlined another weekend of exciting Pro League action as the rest of the table begins to take shape in the Middle East.

Away from Friday's top-of-the-table clash, Al-Ittihad continued their recovery under new coach Marcelo Gallardo, as they recovered from an injury suffered by star striker Karim Benzema to beat Al-Khaleej 4-2 on Thursday.

That same night, there was a big win for third-placed Al-Ahli, who ran out 6-0 winners on the road at Abha, while surprise package Al-Taawoun remained in touch of the top-three with a comeback win over Al-Shabab on Saturday.

The news was less good for Steven Gerrard and Al-Ettifaq, however, who went down 1-0 to relegation-threatened Al-Akhdoud to maintain the pressure on their English coach.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the latest round of Saudi Pro League action…

Getty ImagesLOSER: Cristiano Ronaldo's title dreams

If Al-Nassr were to become the first team to beat Al-Hilal in the Pro League this season, they needed their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to step up and lead the way. However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner struggled to impose himself on the game as he cut a frustrated figure.

Ronaldo struggled with the physicality of Hilal's Saudi international defender Ali Albulayhi (much like Lionel Messi did in the 2022 World Cup) and spent much of the game complaining to Colombian referee Wilmar Rondan as he looked for a decision that would change the complexion of the contest.

As it was, three second-half goals condemned Nassr to their first loss in 21 games, and leaves them facing an uphill task to win the Pro League title as they look to bridge the seven-point gap which has now opened up at the summit.

AdvertisementWINNER: Al-Hilal's Serbian stars

Though it was Neymar who stole the majority of the headlines when it came to Al-Hilal's summer signings, a number of their other new arrivals have stepped up in the absence of the injured Brazilian, and none more so than their Serbian duo, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

The pair shared all three goals in Hilal's win over Al-Nassr on Friday, with Milinkovic-Savic heading in the opener midway through the second half before Mitrovic added some gloss to the scoreline with a late double.

The former Fulham striker has now scored 20 goals in as many games since arriving in Saudi Arabia, including 13 in the Pro League, which puts him just two strikes behind Ronaldo in what has become an intriguing Golden Boot race.

Milinkovic-Savic, meanwhile, insists that he is "not even in my best shape yet", but the way the ex-Lazio star controlled the midfield against Nassr suggested otherwise. With he and Mitrovic in fine form, it's difficult to imagine Hilal throwing away their seven-point advantage at the top of the table.

Getty ImagesLOSER: Karim Benzema

Benzema cannot catch a break this season, it seems. Just as the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner looked primed to finally kickstart his Al-Ittihad career under new manager Gallardo, the striker suffered an injury that, while not serious, is yet another frustrating chapter to add to his Pro League story.

The former France striker limped off after 32 minutes against Al-Khaleej on Thursday and was clearly tearful as he left the pitch just three minutes after doubling his side's lead from the penalty spot in their 4-2 victory.

Fortunately, it seems that he will only be out for around 10 days, though that does put his chances of playing in Ittihad's first-round Club World Cup match against Auckland City on December 12 in jeopardy.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty ImagesWINNER: Marcelo Gallardo

He's only been in charge for three matches, but already the Al-Ittihad fans are chanting the name of their new manager Gallardo. The Argentine has overseen two wins and a draw since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo, but the early signs are that the defending champions are starting to find their best levels once more.

Spirits are high, then, as Ittihad look ahead to the Club World Cup, where they are aiming to at least emulate Al-Hilal's achievement of reaching the final in 2022, where the Saudi side succumbed to Real Madrid in a 5-3 thriller.

Potential Liverpool addition Khephren Thuram can help the Reds improve immediately whilst also being a strong option for the future, presenter Terry Flewers has claimed.

What's the latest on Thuram and Liverpool?

A recent report from David Lynch has suggested that Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for the Frenchman, to follow Alexis Mac Allister as midfield signings this summer.

The 22-year-old attracted strong transfer interest following a standout season for Nice in which he made 48 appearances across all competitions, providing ten goals and assists from central midfield.

Liverpool are searching for midfielders following the departures of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and could recruit Thuram in their bid to return to the top four next season.

Speaking on The Football Terrace, Flewers raved about the midfielder, claiming that he has the quality to improve Liverpool now and the potential to become a star in the future.

"In terms of Thuram, from my point of view, I think this guy is quality, I think this guy has such an upside," he stated.

"He has such a good ceiling, wonderful athleticism, ability for days, and he's a player that has the potential to improve Liverpool in the short term.

"He has the ceiling and the potential to become a star in this Liverpool side for years to come."

What will Thuram bring to Liverpool?

Thuram has typically played as a central midfielder, and his standout ability is his strength on the ball. He ranks very highly amongst European midfielders for ball carries and take-ons, as per FBref, highlighting his ability to retain possession and drive forward.

Alongside Mac Allister, Thuram can bring technical security and physicality to a midfield which lacked both last season.

Fabinho and Jordan Henderson both drew criticism as their ages started to show, and Thuram's youthful dynamism should provide a sharp contrast to both Liverpool stars.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will sign any other midfielders alongside Thuram and Mac Allister, but they will go into next season with a better roster of central options, and if Thuram settles well, he can become a mainstay in the Liverpool side for years to come.

His Nice teammate, former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey, referred to Thuram as "very dangerous" and praised his dribbling ability, and he could be the perfect addition to Jurgen Klopp's side as Liverpool aim to recover from their slump and return to challenging at the top of the table.

Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has expressed “shock” at the level of aggression India showed in the second Test in Bengaluru, a testy game the hosts won by 75 runs to level the series

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2017Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has expressed “shock” at the level of aggression India showed in the second Test in Bengaluru, a testy game the hosts won by 75 runs to level the series. Wade said while it wasn’t entirely in their control, Australia will try to get ahead in the game to stave off India’s assertiveness.”Indian teams are always quite aggressive,” Wade said. “The change from the first Test to the second Test was probably the initial shock. They certainly came out a little harder on day three, but we expect them to come hard. [MS] Dhoni was a different captain to [Virat] Kohli, but that’s just personality. When you’ve got a caged lion you expect them to come out pretty hard, to get away.”Indian teams always go quite hard; if you give them a sniff they’ll run with it. Our job is to make sure they can’t get in the game so they can’t get aggressive with us, and then really take the momentum away from us. But it’s not really our issue. We’ve got to play good cricket and beat them on skill. Emotion doesn’t win Test matches.”A feisty character himself, Wade also said if Australia could gain an advantage by expressing outward aggression, he would readily use it. “I feel like I play my best cricket when I get in the contest,” he said. “If there’s a time I think it can be an advantage for us, I’ll go for it.”When your back’s against the wall you’ve got to find a way to get up and about, so I still feel like that’s a big part of my game. Getting older I probably tamed it down a little bit and I probably know when to use it a little bit more now, and when I need it myself. I probably don’t use it a 100% of the time anymore, but I’ve still got it there if I need it.”Wade said using the DRS in India was tricky while fielding, considering the number of people involved in the decision-making process. “Steven [Smith] is generally close to me, so if there’s an appeal, he’ll come to me first,” Wade said. “If we think there’s something to look at, we’ll speak to the bowler and go from there. DRS is a lot of common sense. Every country is the same: it’s the keeper, captain and bowler. If someone is convinced, they’ll come on top of that. But when you get five to eight people involved, it becomes tricky which is happening here.”

Lions management stressed that Jack Leach was left out to allow him more time to prove his remodelled action in the nets before testing it in a match situation

George Dobell17-Feb-2017

Jack Leach, the Somerset left-arm spinner, has been left out of the England Lions team for the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Pallekele after struggling with his new bowling action.Leach, the second-highest wicket-taker in Division One of the County Championship in 2016 with 65 at 21.88, was thought by some to be unfortunate not to win selection in the England Test squad that toured Bangladesh and India. But his action was found to be illegal during routine tests at the national performance centre in Loughborough after the season and he was obliged to remodel it before departing on tour.While Leach initially thought the remedial work had gone well, the pressure of playing in a match situation and for a national side appears to have exposed some unfamiliarity with the new action. He conceded 68 in 14 wicketless overs in the second-innings of the warm-up match against the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI – the other specialist spinner, Ollie Rayner, took 3 for 55 from 22 overs by comparison – which led to the tour management going into the unofficial Test with Rayner as the only specialist spinner. Tom Westley and Liam Livingstone will provide spin back-up as required.The Lions management have stressed that there is no suggestion Leach has been left out due to any fears of illegality with his new action. It is, they say, to provide him more time to groove it in the nets before testing it under the pressure of a match situation. He has not been ruled out of the second match in Dambulla.While a period of readjustment was probably inevitable for Leach, it may be worth noting his county captain’s views towards the end of the season. Chris Rogers suggested Leach “emotionally… still has a bit of a way to go”, and suggested he may not quite be ready for international cricket where “the challenges… are a lot more difficult.”The ECB is also painfully aware of the case of another left-arm spinner, Simon Kerrigan, who endured a chastening Test debut at The Oval in 2013 and has never fully recovered. England are keen to ensure Leach has a more robust action and, as a consequence, a more robust sense of confidence, before he is thrust into relatively high-pressure situations.

Karun Nair has been part of India’s Test dressing room before, but a debut seems ever closer with his inclusion as one of only six batsmen in the squad to take on England; he says he is prepared to bat anywhere when his turn comes

Shashank Kishore02-Nov-2016In July, six people drowned and a few others were reported missing when a boat with more than a hundred people on board capsized in a river in Kerala. Karun Nair was on that boat, taking part in a temple festival with his family as thanksgiving for making his India debut. Nair was one of the survivors – he had to swim some distance before being rescued by a group of locals.The incident came in the middle of a mixed few months in Nair’s life. He had just played for India for the first time, during their ODI tour of Zimbabwe, his selection a reward for his consistency both in first-class cricket – he averaged more than 50 after three seasons – and the IPL. He hadn’t really grabbed the chance, scoring only 46 in two innings while opening the batting in fairly low-pressure chases. The lack of form continued through India A’s tour of Australia, but he was back in form at the start of the 2016-17 domestic season, when he was also handed the captaincy of the Karnataka side for the first time.Now, he is part of India’s Test squad for the first two Tests against England. He has been part of the squad before, but this time he is one of only six specialist batsmen included.”I was disappointed with the way my ODI debut series panned out. I don’t think I lived up to the standards I set myself,” Nair tells ESPNcricinfo. “Probably I didn’t grab my chances. But after the tour I decided to put that behind me and look forward to the new season. I didn’t want to sit and keep hoping, but I knew my chances will come sooner than later if I keep scoring runs.”Rohit Sharma’s quadriceps injury means, Nair – who has scores of 74, 54*, 53 and 145 in his first four innings of the new Ranji Trophy season – could get his Test cap in Rajkot on November 9 if India play six specialist batsmen. With Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane entrenched at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, Nair could be in line for the No. 6 slot.”I’m not too fussy about batting positions, honestly,” Nair says. “I’ve been playing up the order in the IPL, so in white-ball cricket, I’ve enjoyed batting up the order. I started off as an opener for my state side in my junior-cricket days and then settled at No. 4. In Zimbabwe, I was asked if I would be ready to open. As a debutant, you can’t have preferences, and it was a challenge I readily accepted.”Having been on the fringes of the Test team, you do think of all this while sitting outside, but eventually it’s about being confident in your abilities and trusting the technique that has got you to this level.”It hasn’t always been the case. A few years ago, Nair was full of self-doubt, which stemmed not from an inability to score runs but an inability to convert starts. Till he was 19, he hadn’t scored a century at any age-group level.”I had a mental block while growing up, but that also made me learn you don’t throw away starts,” Nair says. “Not being able to convert starts made me tougher. I became more attacking. I used to make 60s and 70s and get out. When I started to attack and bat more freely, I realised the 30-40 runs came quite easily. That change in mindset made a big difference. Now, I tend to play to the situation even though I believe I’m an attacking batsman.”The vote of confidence about Nair’s technique came from the India A coach Rahul Dravid, whom he sought out ahead of the home series against South Africa A in September 2015.”Once I got the confidence from him, all my self-doubts vanished,” Nair says. “I was batting within myself initially. I asked him about the areas I needed to work on. It felt reassuring to hear him tell me there was nothing wrong.”Someone like him saying that was of real value, so I’ve never had any batting conversations with him since. He has been very supportive, backed me in pressure situations and given me the opportunity to express myself. At that stage, he had more confidence in me than I did. That sort of gives you a boost from within.”There were signs of Nair having erased that self-doubt when he made a match-saving fourth-innings century in the first unofficial Test. That earned him a maiden call-up to India’s squad, for the third Test in Sri Lanka.Dravid, who has worked closely with Nair while coaching or mentoring India A, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, picks out his hunger and attitude as qualities that have helped him transition to the next level.”Karun is still a work in progress, but obviously his skills and temperament have got him to this stage,” Dravid says. “He picks lengths early; his instincts as a batsman are solid now.”So where did he see Nair evolve into the batsman he is today?”I think the role change at Delhi Daredevils brought out the best in him,” Dravid says. “At Rajasthan Royals, he was batting behind the main guys like Shane Watson, Steven Smith and Ajinkya Rahane. At Delhi, we gave youngsters responsibility to drive the innings, and let seniors lower down the order handle the slightly challenging situations. He showed his ability to adapt there.”Having been part of the Test squad on two occasions without getting a look-in, Nair says the experience was an eye-opener in terms of what he needed to do to remain in those environs, and he soaked in the feeling of being in the dressing room and chatting with Kohli and the support staff.”It was a great feeling being around legends and future legends,” Nair says. “It felt amazing when they spoke of your domestic performances. That gave me a sense of belonging. Being a part of the dressing room for the first time, I still can’t describe. The Test cap is special and I’ve seen the seniors treasure it. When my chance comes, I’ll be ready.”