Also, India’s poor partnership numbers and their issues with bowled and LBW dismissals

Sampath Bandarupalli02-Mar-2023272 Runs scored by India across their two innings in Indore. It is the joint-third lowest aggregate for India in a home Test when all out twice. India’s lowest aggregate is 212 against Australia in 2017 in Pune, followed by 247 in Chennai against England in 1977.8 for 64 Nathan Lyon’s bowling figures in India’s second innings, the second best for Australia in Tests against India, behind his 8 for 50 in Bengaluru during the 2017 tour. His Indore figures also puts him second best overall in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, behind his Bengaluru performance.113 Test wickets for Lyon against India. He is now the leading wicket-taker in Border-Gavaskar Trophy history, surpassing Anil Kumble’s tally of 111 wickets.Related

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53 Test wickets for Lyon in India, the second highest among visiting bowlers behind Derek Underwood’s 54. Lyon’s five five-wicket hauls in India are the joint most for a visiting bowler along with Richie Benaud.35 India’s highest partnership in this Test, between Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer for the fifth wicket in the second innings. Only twice have India had a smaller top partnership in a Test where they lost all 20 wickets: 20 runs against South Africa in Durban in 1997 and 31 against Australia in Brisbane in 1947.18 Wickets for Australia’s spinners in Indore, the joint most by them in a Test match in Asia. The Australian spinners also took 18 wickets against Sri Lanka during the last year’s Galle Test. It is the joint most for Australian spinners in a Test since they took 19 against England in Nottingham in 1934.12 Number of bowled or LBW dismissals for India in Indore, their their most in a Test since 13 such dismissals against England at Lord’s in 1959.76 The target set by India in Indore. The lowest target any team has failed to chase is 85 . The dubious distinction belongs to England against Australia in 1882, the game that gave rise to the Ashes.

Having had sustained success for Australia and CSK, he appears most likely to start the tournament with Starc and Cummins

Deivarayan Muthu19-Oct-2021Do you remember the time when the Champions League T20 was a thing? Do you remember the time when Sydney Sixers won the title in Johannesburg? Do you remember that time when a certain Josh Hazlewood had the best economy rate (4.70) among bowlers who had bowled at least 15 overs in that tournament?In the 2013-14 Big Bash League (BBL), Hazlewood was the joint-second-highest wicket-taker, with 14 strikes in nine matches at an economy rate of 7.88. He could bounce out batters. He could york them. He could also best them with good lengths. Mumbai Indians, who would go on to become the gold standard of T20 cricket, snapped him up at the 2014 IPL auction for INR 50 lakh. He didn’t get a game at Mumbai in 2014 and he opted out of the next season, citing concerns around his workload.Related

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He made it to Australia’s squad in the 2016 T20 World Cup, but for the next four years, he didn’t play any competitive T20 cricket and went on to become a Test-match phenom. After he wasn’t selected in Australia’s 50-over World Cup squad in 2019, a hurt Hazlewood returned to where it all started for him, bowling thrifty spells for Sixers in the BBL. Hazlewood’s accuracy in the BBL attracted the attention of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. In 2021, he became a regular for Australia in T20Is and Super Kings in the IPL, in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.Sure, hitting heavy lengths with a high-arm action is Hazlewood’s traditional strength, but there’s more to him. He can now bowl slower offcutters into the pitch, cross-seamers, and even has a knuckle-ball in his repertoire.He made a telling contribution for Super Kings in the IPL final against Kolkata Knight Riders last week in Dubai. In his very first over, he found extra bounce and the edge of Venkatesh Iyer’s bat, but MS Dhoni dropped a fairly straightforward catch. In his next over, he drew another mis-hit, this time from Shubman Gill, but Shardul Thakur missed a more difficult chance in the infield.Thakur, however, brought Super Kings back with a double-strike in the 11th over. In the next over, Dhoni matched up Hazlewood with Sunil Narine and the seamer bashed a heavy length, having Narine holing out on the pull. He then had Eoin Morgan holing out with a similar short ball. His 2 for 29 in four overs was also vital to Super Kings pinning down Knight Riders after they had surged to 91 for 0 in the 11th over, chasing 193.Hazlewood had also played his part in the first qualifier against Delhi Capitals, returning identical figures. Earlier against Mumbai Indians, Hazlewood had got a full ball to skid into Kieron Pollard and trapped him lbw.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the first leg of the IPL in India, Pollard had knocked the living daylights out of Super Kings – and Lungi Ngidi – in Delhi, walloping an unbeaten 87 off 34 balls as Mumbai mowed down 219. Hazlewood, who had opted out of the India leg of the tournament, was specifically picked to counter Pollard in Dubai and he did his job, swinging the game Super Kings’ way.”Working on a range of things [in T20 cricket],” Hazlewood told during the IPL. “Probably it’s about putting it into practice at the right time in these situations and every game throws up something different. They [the opposition] can come hard at the start, through at the middle or in the end. It’s just about reading the play, I think, and I guess what you’re working on training, implementing that at the right time and executing it.”I think it [Test-match] length can work at certain times and the batter is probably going to use his feet or get deep in the crease or try something. You got to sort of be ready for that and try and pre-empt that I guess.”That Test-match length has worked for him in the powerplay, but it will become a slot length in the slog overs, a phase in which Hazlewood has conceded 9.62 runs an over since the 2016 T20 World Cup. Kane Richardson, in comparison, has gone at only 8.81 runs an over in T20 cricket during this phase. Richardson also brings with him more experience and hence could be a more compelling option at the death along with Mitchell Starc, the leader of the pack.It would be a tough call for the team management but having had sustained success for Australia – and Super Kings – in recent times, Hazlewood appears most likely to start the T20 World Cup with Starc and Pat Cummins.

And is Mitch Marsh the only man to score a century and take a wicket on the first day of a Test?

Steven Lynch11-Jul-2023How many people have scored a century and taken five wickets in an ODI, as Bas de Leede did in the World Cup Qualifier? asked Carsten Wulff from the Netherlands
That astonishing performance by Bas de Leede, which almost single-handedly propelled Netherlands into the World Cup later this year, was only the fourth instance of a man scoring a century and taking a five-for in the same one-day international. But it’s fair to say that none of the others faced the pressure de Leede had: in his own version of “Basball”, he followed 5 for 52 with 123 off 92 balls as the Dutch beat Scotland in Bulawayo to clinch their place in the main event.The first to do this particular double was Viv Richards, with 119 and 5 for 41 for West Indies against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1986-87. He was followed by Paul Collingwood, with 112 not out and 6 for 31 for England vs Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in 2005, and Rohan Mustafa for United Arab Emirates against Papua New Guinea in Abu Dhabi in 2017.In women’s ODIs, New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr followed 232 not out with 5 for 17 against Ireland at Clontarf (Dublin) in 2018. And in men’s T20Is, Francisco Couana combined 104 with 5 for 19 for Mozambique against Cameroon in Rwanda in 2021-22.Mitch Marsh scored a century and later took a wicket on the first day of the third Test. How many people have done this? asked Keith McKenzie from Australia
Mitchell Marsh, in his first Test for nearly four years, scored 118 on the first day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley, and then took the wicket of Zak Crawley.I was surprised to find that only two men had previously achieved this particular double, both of them New Zealanders. The first was Giff Vivian, against South Africa in Wellington in 1931-32; he made exactly 100, and then dismissed the visitors’ captain Jock Cameron. He was joined many years later by Scott Styris, against West Indies in Auckland in 2005-06 – he followed an unbeaten 103 with the wickets of Chris Gayle and nightwatchman Ian Bradshaw.Records for women’s Tests are rather more sketchy, but it looks as if two women have also done it: Myrtle Maclagan for England against Australia in Blackpool in 1937, and Betty Wilson for Australia vs England in Adelaide in 1948-49Danni Wyatt recently made her Test debut after over 200 white-ball internationals. Was this the most, by a man or woman? asked Chris Merchant from England
Danni Wyatt made her Test debut for England recently, against Australia at Trent Bridge, after 245 white-ball internationals – 102 ODIs and 143 T20Is. That is indeed the most before a Test debut, beating 189 by Sune Luus of South Africa.The men’s record is 184 (125 ODIs and 59 T20Is) by Kevin O’Brien before his Test debut in 2018. His Ireland team-mate William Porterfield is next with 175 matches, then comes Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi with 161.The record for most white-ball internationals without ever playing a Test is 295, by New Zealand’s Suzie Bates; next comes the West Indian Deandra Dottin with 270. At the moment she’s one ahead of the leading man, South Africa’s David Miller, who has so far played 155 ODIs and 114 T20Is.Suzie Bates has played 295 internationals but is yet to make her red-ball debut for Zealand•AFP/Getty ImagesImran Khan dismissed Sunil Gavaskar with the first ball of the first Test played at Jaipur. How many other international grounds have seen a wicket from their very first ball? asked Rafay Iqbal from England
The match you’re talking about was the third Test of the 1986-87 series between India and Pakistan: Imran Khan had Sunil Gavaskar caught off the opening ball in Jaipur, which was staging its first – and to date only – Test match. Note that the Sawai Mansingh Stadium had previously held two ODIs, so this was not the first ball in international cricket there.Two other grounds have seen their Test careers begin with a wicket: Pakistan’s Mohsin Khan was trapped in front by Kapil Dev of India off the first ball of the only Test played at Burlton Park in Jalandhar, in 1983-84; it had also staged an ODI before this. And West Indies’ Chris Gayle was lbw to Suranga Lakmal of Sri Lanka off the first ball of the first Test – and first international – at the new stadium in Pallekele in 2010-11.Looking at all internationals, pride of place goes to the City Oval in Pietermaritzburg, which saw Chaminda Vaas take a hat-trick for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh with the first three deliveries there, during the 50-over World Cup early in 2003.Two other grounds have had a wicket go down to their first ball in men’s internationals: Scarborough (Barry Wood bowled by Andy Roberts for England vs West Indies in an ODI in 1976) and Windsor Park in Dominica (Tamim Iqbal caught behind off Kemar Roach for Bangladesh vs West Indies in an ODI in 2009). I remember a Sunday League game at Chelmsford many years ago, when the umpire had two walking sticks. Do you know who he was? asked Keith Mardell via Facebook
The gentleman you are thinking of was Roddy Wilson, a Yorkshireman who had one full season on the English first-class umpires’ panel, in 1978. He stood in some additional first-class games in other years, and more than 100 in the Minor Counties Championship. In his year on the first-class panel he umpired Essex’s County Championship and Sunday League games against Hampshire in Chelmsford.Roddy Wilson died in 2001 aged 69. He used a stick, sometimes two, to get around. I’m not sure why, but would hazard a guess at childhood polio. There was another Wilson umpiring at around the same time – the Lancastrian Tommy Wilson, who died earlier this year – who by coincidence had also suffered from polio as a child. Tommy remembered that Roddy, seven years his senior, eventually had to give up umpiring because he found his hands were being affected by constantly having to put weight on his arm crutches.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

The stakes are higher than ever, and the stage is set for Jonny to be Jonny

Vithushan Ehantharajah04-Jul-2023The international schedule rightly gets a hammering for matches backing up on to one another. But all praise to it for ensuring we only have one more day of “spirit of cricket” discourse.Alex Carey’s Sunday stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s will have ideally run out of fumes by the time the third Test gets underway on Thursday. The actual cricket could not come back soon enough.That will certainly be how both protagonists feel. And though Carey might be the man in the sightlines of the frothier pearl-clutchers, he has the best insulation. The laws help keep the conscience clear, the 2-0 scoreline gives comfort of a job well done. One win away from enacting Australia’s first overseas Ashes win since 2001 keeping him focused.For Bairstow, things are not quite as clear cut. His mood is said to be pretty much as you would expect. And as such, his England team-mates are getting around him. On Tuesday evening, they head over to his house for a barbecue, which has become a loose tradition when the squad is up in these parts. Having numbers over will provide relief from the noise. But it would not be a surprise if some of them use the opportunity to wind him up a little further. Such is the situation England find themselves in, with three must-win games in a row, they need the angry Bairstow more than ever.Related

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“Jonny does thrive off things like this,” Joe Root said on Tuesday at Headingley, a homecoming for both of them as well as Harry Brook. “Playing at his ground, I’m sure he will want to entertain the local crowd. I think it is set up nicely for him but you have still got to go and do it. You can bet your bottom dollar he will have the bit between his teeth.”When asked of Bairstow’s current mood, Root, who has played alongside Bairstow since Under-12 level at Yorkshire, opted for sarcasm: “No, he has been really placid,” before adding, “you can spot him from a mile off.” No one wears anger as obviously.The general awareness of Bairstow’s frame of mind is a good thing at a time like this. “Jonny is Jonny” is a phrase you often hear when asking after him. Essentially, an answer acknowledging the motivation of the question, with a knowing nod to how things are. Not too dissimilar from “it is what it is”.A rekindling of his talents in 2022 – 681 runs for the summer, four centuries, at an average of 75.66 – was down to Ben Stokes’s empathy, recognising exactly what Bairstow needs to thrive. After an eight-month spell out with a broken leg, Bairstow’s belief and ball-striking remain undimmed. But a reaction is needed from the most pugnacious cricketers going. No one wants it more than him, partcularly against these opponents.Bairstow has one of the more peculiar relationship with Australia. On statistics alone, they are a bit of an oddity, averaging more there (32.29) than he does over here (27.45). Both of his Ashes hundreds have been scored in Australia, a place where few modern English batters have excelled.His first taste of this rivalry came in 2013, playing the first four Tests in a forgettable 3-0 England win. A second, more bitter taste was around the corner during the 2013-14 whitewash. Bairstow, who replaced Matt Prior behind the stumps for the final two matches, was so on the periphery as England’s most successful collection of players of the modern era tore themselves apart that he often got mistaken for a Barmy Army supporter when walking the streets in team stash.Jonny Bairstow is back on home turf at Headingley•Getty ImagesThen there was the “headbutt” that wasn’t to Cameron Bancroft at the very start of the 2017-18 tour. A quieter 2019, saw him pitch in with an underrated 36 during the great Headingley heist, outscoring Stokes in a partnership of 86 for the fifth wicket.And then there was last Ashes, in 2021-22, when Bairstow was heckled and told to lose weight by an Australian fan as he returned to the pavilion at Sydney. He went on to score the only England century of the tour.The on- and off-field incidents of this series could end up trumping the lot. A fine opening knock of 78 was overshadowed by some lacklustre glovework, allowing Australia to triumph by two wickets in the first Test and restarting the Ben Foakes bandwagon.An over into the second, he was carrying a Just Stop Oil protester back to the Grandstand with one hand. Between that and idly strolling out of his crease was another tough spell as keeper, taking his byes this series to 31. He failed to make those runs up in front of the stumps, with an avoidable dismissal in the first inning as he punched Josh Hazlewood to mid-on for 16.Have we ever been more certain that Bairstow is going to do something this week in what will be his 93rd Test cap? His team-mates believe something special is in the offing.”You want to be watching every ball this week,” Root said. “There is always something in these big series and this is it I guess. And it would have to involve Jonny. What a week he had.”It was last year at Edgbaston that Bairstow previously dialled himself up to 11. He walked out against with England 44 for 3 after India had posted 416 in their first innings. Virat Kohli decided to engage Bairstow in some typically frosty back and forth. Bairstow responded with a 72-ball century and followed it up with an unbeaten 114 in the second innings to chase down 378.This time around, the stakes are even higher. An Ashes on the line, Australia and Australians gunning for him, Bairstow will step into his home ground with every corner mimicking the fervour of the Western Terrace knowing his country needs him more than ever before.The stage is set for Jonny to be Jonny.

Vote for your memorable moments from England’s past tours of the Caribbean

Andrew Miller and Srinath Sripath23-Jan-2019

In an interview to ESPNcricinfo, the 37-year-old wicketkeeper describes the communication and reasons given for dropping him from the India Test side

Sidharth Monga20-Feb-2022You seem angry, going by your recent public comments.
I never get angry. Nor am I now. I was told about this selection decision in South Africa, but I didn’t tell anyone that till now. Now that the team is out, I have only answered questions that people have asked me.How was this communicated to you?
After the South Africa series, Rahul [Dravid, the head coach] called me to the room and said, “Wriddhi, I don’t know how to say this, but for some time now the selectors and the team management have been wanting to look at a new face (as wicketkeeper). Because you are not our first-choice wicketkeeper, because you haven’t been playing for a while, we want to use this time to groom a younger wicketkeeper.” I said “okay, no issues”.Related

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And he said, “Don’t be shocked if you are not selected for the Sri Lanka Tests. In the meantime, if you want to take some other decision, you can do that.” So I told him I was not thinking about retirement; not even close to doing so. I told him, “I started playing cricket because I liked playing it, and will continue till I like doing so. If you are not looking at me for the Indian team, that is your decision.”And the selectors?
Ten-twelve days later, I got a call from Chetan Sharma [chairman of selectors]. He asked me if I was playing Ranji Trophy. I said I hadn’t decided yet. Then he went on to tell me what Rahul had said. So I asked him if this decision was for just this series or for the upcoming series against Australia and England too. Then he paused for a couple of seconds and said, “From now on, you will not be considered.”Then I asked him why, is it because of my performance and fitness or is it because of my age? He said fitness and performance were not an issue. “We want to look at new faces and if we bring in a new face, we can’t drop him without playing him.” That’s why he said “from now on”.I said, “Okay, this is your decision.”And he said, “You can play Ranji Trophy if you want to. It’s your call.”

“If they were going to consider me after this series, then why would Rahul say, you can take ‘some other’ decision if you want?”Wriddhiman Saha

You haven’t been playing the Ranji Trophy.
It has got nothing to do with the selection. Some time ago my wife fell sick with dengue, and she hasn’t recovered fully. We have two young kids too. So I have to give my family some time too. I told the Cricket Association of Bengal clearly that I was not playing for personal reasons.Do you feel you are being nudged to retire?
When the selectors and the coach say they have been thinking about this for a while, it is not an isolated call. It means other officials – president, vice-president, etc – are in the loop too.The biggest shock was that when I scored 61 against New Zealand in Kanpur despite being injured, Dadi [Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president] texted to congratulate me and said I didn’t need to worry about anything till he is there. Naturally, I was shocked at what I was told immediately one series after.But the board president doesn’t get involved in selections.
I don’t know all that. I don’t complain about selection. If I am selected, I try to deliver. If I am dropped, I don’t say why I have not been picked. If I am not picked now, the team must not be needing me, which is why they have decided. I am not going to say anything against it.Are you satisfied by the reasons and communication?
They said performance or fitness is not an issue. “We just want to look at a new face. You are with the squad, not getting to play, so we will not consider you ‘from now on’.” So if I play Ranji or not, if I score double-centuries or triple-centuries, “from now on” means out. That means we will not consider you from now on.If you score a thousand runs in a Ranji season, your fitness will be obvious, then how can they not consider you?
If they are saying fitness and performance are not an issue, what is the issue? Age.One person indirectly asked me to consider retirement. One said, “From now on you won’t be considered.” It is clear they won’t take me whatever I do. I have been told that Chetan Sharma yesterday said you are not being considered only for these two Tests. That version is different. I have been told “from now on”. If they were going to consider me after this series, then why would Rahul say, “You can take some other decision if you want”?Have you spoken to Ganguly after that?
No. Not after that text.

Allen’s happy jig and Azam’s superb knock also made the headlines in the final week of CPL 2023

Rvel Zahid25-Sep-2023Resurgent Tallawahs continue their upward curveAfter staging a remarkable recovery from a five-game losing streak, Jamaica Tallawahs continued their form and knocked St Lucia Kings out of the competition in a low-scoring Eliminator. Tallawahs suffered a blow when Mohammad Amir pulled out after bowling the third delivery of his first over because of a hamstring niggle. But on a seething Providence track, Fabian Allen stole the show, prising out four batters whereas Chris Green was frugal, finishing with 2 for 19 in four overs.Captain Brandon King (30 off 19) was quick off the blocks in the small chase. There was a slight hiccup when Tallawahs lost 4 for 30 between the fifth and the eighth over, but Raymon Reifer and Imad Wasim steadied the ship. The duo added a 42-run stand for the fifth wicket to all but seal Tallawahs’ Qualifier 2 berth.Allen’s happy feet celebration draws the attentionFabian Allen’s happy jig stole most of the limelight in the final week of the CPL on social media. Not one to shy away, the allrounder brought out a unique wicket-taking celebration during the Eliminator, one which was reminiscent of Happy Feet’s penguin dance. It sure made his team-mates burst into laughter, while the crowd danced along with his moves.

Fabian Allen is on fire… and so are his feet! How do you describe this celebration?
2 in the over, a clear @BetBarteronline Magic Moment #CPL23 #SLKvJT #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport #BetBarter pic.twitter.com/ZSFgUGcPng

— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 20, 2023