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The BCCI did not seem to think it necessary to let anyone know that India’s first-choice Test wicketkeeper was nursing a potentially career-threatening injury

Sidharth Monga22-Jul-2018Santosh Rangnekar is the CFO of the BCCI. He is also known for alleging to the Supreme Court that BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry had issued him death threats. In March this year, Rangnekar received a “roll of honour” from “CFO 100 Forum”, which recognises top 100 finance professionals . The BCCI’s PR company, Adfactors, sent out a press release on a letter written under the BCCI logo to celebrate the award for Rangnekar. There had once been an unsigned press release to welcome Ravi Shastri as the coach of the team, an “elder buddy” to motivate the captain, the “gladiator” on the ground. Any achievement on the field is commemorated by a BCCI release carrying quotes from the CEO, the president and the secretary.There is a BCCI press release for everything under the sun it seems, except what follows. Over the last six months, India’s first-choice Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has been struggling with a shoulder injury, for which he has been to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for various rehab sessions, has seen three different doctors, has taken three injections, and will now need a surgery after which he won’t even be able to lift a cricket bat for two months. He is likely to lose a year of cricket, if you don’t count the few IPL matches he managed in between. If he doesn’t make it to the Australia tour at the end of this year, Saha will have missed 12 straight Tests, the only format he represents India in. He will be 34 by the end of this year. Who can be sure whether or not somebody younger will make that position his own in 12 Tests?A timeline of what we know

January 2018
Saha is ruled out of second Test in South Africa with a hamstring injury. Reaches the NCA on January 29, and complains of shoulder pain too.
February 2018
An MRI scan reveals a labral tear. Taken to Dr Narayanaswamy, who advises an ultrasound-guided injection. “Which was duly done,” says the bulletin, but not by whom.
March 2018
Cleared fully fit by the NCA.
May 7
During the IPL, falls on his shoulder twice.
May 8
Reports of pain made to Sunrisers’ physio, who takes him to a doctor in Delhi where he receives a second injection.
May 15
Gets himself reviewed at the NCA, where the state of the shoulder is similar to what it had been in January. Despite two injections.
May 25
Gets back on the field. Injures his thumb. No complaint of shoulder trouble.
May 28
Goes for scans on thumb. No need for surgery. No complains of shoulder discomfort. Rehab suggested.
July 2
Thumb healed.
July 3
Resumes training at the NCA and complains of shoulder trouble.
July 4
MRI scan reveals shoulder in worse state than the last scan
July 6
Sees a surgeon in Mumbai. Given another injection.
July 11
No improvement. Surgery the only solution.
July 18
Team announced for England. No mention of Saha injury.
July 21
Under media pressure, the bulletin is released, three days after the selection meeting.

Yet the BCCI made no mention of the injury in its media release when Saha was not picked for the England tour. Everybody assumed the thumb injury he had picked up during the IPL had not healed in time. Even the chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad, was quoted saying as much by the Kolkata-based . It needed the media to get into action, to hound Tufan Ghosh, the NCA COO, who first agreed to take questions and then said the next day that Adfactors was going to send out a bulletin, for the BCCI to finally acknowledge that Saha had a shoulder injury.This bulletin was not sent through a media release or a tweet, just quietly uploaded on the BCCI’s website. The bulletin is not signed by anybody. It doesn’t say who is making these declarations: the CEO, the Committee of Administrators or the COO of the NCA. If this is information provided by the NCA, the bulletin doesn’t say if the BCCI has verified it. It doesn’t say which injection Saha was given. It doesn’t say which doctor administered the first injection. It doesn’t tell you the grades of the labral tear. It doesn’t try to explain why the injury is so complicated that it is taking a year off a player’s career. It doesn’t say why it took the BCCI so long to even acknowledge the existence of a potentially career-threatening injury.The bulletin brings up an interesting incident, though. “During this period, on 15th of May, Saha requested to visit the NCA head physiotherapist, Ashish Kaushik, so that he could also review his right shoulder,” it says. “Ashish assessed his right shoulder and concluded that its presentation was similar to how it had been in late January/early February. Ashish informed the Sunrisers [Hyderabad] physiotherapist of this, who then continued with his course of rehabilitation. The team India physiotherapist was informed of this sequence of events.”When Saha came back with the resurfacing of the same injury during the IPL, the bulletin doesn’t say why he was not referred to a specialist immediately. At this stage, let it not be forgotten, despite two injections, Saha’s shoulder was as bad as it had originally been four months previously. This should have sent the BCCI into panic. Why did nobody in the BCCI – the NCA claims the due communication was made at that time – act and try to withdraw Saha from the IPL? After all the BCCI had been managing the workload of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who incidentally played for the same franchise.Just as Saha – cleared fit by his IPL franchise physio – went back to playing, he broke his thumb. The BCCI sent an injury update on him immediately. There was no mention of the shoulder injury that first emerged in January and was just as bad despite two injections, the second of them just a week before the inspection. A few days later, the team for the Afghanistan Test was announced. No mention of the shoulder there either.There is no direct mention made in the bulletin that Saha aggravated the injury during the IPL. Even if he did, and even if Patrick Farhart, who is the India physio but is off duty during the IPL, was informed of it, somebody in the BCCI had to take the immediate responsibility of ascertaining the extent of the injury.More than everything, though, it is the hopelessly amateur attempts at hiding Saha’s injury that raise suspicion. Surely the old guard of the BCCI can’t be so Machiavellian that they orchestrate this attempt to hide an injury and then make the whole matter look smaller than it is? One of the biggest motives of the Lodha recommendations was to instil accountability and transparency into an organisation that was run – pretty darn efficiently when it came to protecting its interests – by honorary officials who couldn’t be pinned down when things went wrong.Unfortunately the situation seems not too different in this new professional set-up. In a professional set-up, things shouldn’t come to this stage in the first place. These are some of the central characters of this saga.Wriddhiman Saha
The player himself. Often in such cases, players are blamed for hiding the injury. However, as the bulletin clearly says, Saha followed all the protocols, revealed all the discomfort he had, and even when he was not supposed to report to the NCA, he did so anyway because his team happened to be in Bengaluru. There is a gap in the timeline between May 28 and July 2, when he was allowing his thumb to heal. During this period he didn’t complain to anyone of his shoulder problem, but this is when he had given up all training. As soon as he returned to training on July 3, Saha felt the pain in the shoulder again and reported it.Tufan Ghosh
The COO of the NCA. Told ESPNcricinfo he will get back through Adfactors. Quoted the next morning by as saying, “Why do you bother? It is not a life-threatening injury.” At the time of publishing this article, he hadn’t contested the report. Will not answer any questions.Ashish Kaushik
The head physio at the NCA. Has worked with the India national side before. On paper at least, the bulletin shows Kaushik followed all the protocols. Whenever things were beyond his expertise, he took Saha to a specialist. It is usual to not rush an athlete into surgery. The bulletin says he informed the India physio when the injury resurfaced. It is learnt others in the BCCI were informed too through the official channels.Saba Karim
The GM of operations at the BCCI. Former India wicketkeeper. The man responsible for overseeing the whole issue. Also the man responsible for communicating players’ fitness status to the selectors and team management before a selection meeting. Insists the systems are in place, and due protocols were followed.MSK Prasad
Chairman of selectors. Also former India wicketkeeper. Set the cat among the pigeons by telling the Kolkata-based this, hours after the selection meeting: “Saha’s recovery from a fractured right thumb hasn’t been satisfactory. He hasn’t responded well enough to the rehab at the National Cricket Academy, in Bengaluru… At this moment, therefore, Saha is uncertain for all five Tests, not just the first three.”Firstly he brought the NCA under the scanner. Then he said Saha has not recovered from the thumb injury, which suggests he was not even aware of the existence of a shoulder injury. That is extremely hard to believe. Because even if the communication within the BCCI had broken down to an extent that he wasn’t informed of the shoulder injury, a chief selector as well reputed as Prasad would have, on his own, been in touch with the Test wicketkeeper before a big tour, especially if his injury lay-off was mysteriously getting extended. If he wasn’t, there are more serious issues at hand.

As much as the runs what Azhar and Shafiq need to bring Pakistan’s batting is the unmistakable sense that they are in charge

Osman Samiuddin at Headingley03-Jun-2018Pakistan were minus 16 for four when they joined each other in the middle. It was the first over after tea on the third day and Abu Dhabi was muggy, with heavy cloud overhead. Misbah-ul-Haq had just been dismissed and though his hero years were actually just beginning, Pakistan were twitching around looking for any new heroes.It was only the third time they had batted together and in the two innings before then had put on a total of four runs together. One was in his 20th Test, the other in his 12th. One was the guy who had sweated himself into a batsman; the other, the guy who came into this world wearing a box instead of an umbilical cord.In opposition was the world’s No. 1 Test team, in a brief moment in time when it meant something. England were good and their attack, for that series, was perfect – two good pacemen on the way to becoming a great pair, plus Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann. Three-quarters of this attack would win England a series in India later in the year.It was a proper tiptoe through fire, a life lesson masquerading as a batting partnership. Panesar was in a late-career peak, out-bowling Swann, who wasn’t bowling badly to begin with. There were close calls and lovely shots, taut defence and the drama of an occasional review, and a missed run-out chance less than halfway into the stand (thanks KP).They never looked in absolute control of their fate, but it was never out of their hands either. That’s what made the stand, the idea that it could end at any moment, but also that it if it didn’t it could be game-changing. Tightrope stuff, life one side, death the other – Pakistan wouldn’t have it any other way.It took its time. “In such a situation you have to back your strengths,” one of them would say years later. “If you are the sort of player who counterattacks then you do that. Others look to tire out the bowlers. Our strength at the time was to bat like this. [He] is a strokemaker, but that wasn’t the sort of wicket where you could play freely, so we thought the correct approach was to absorb pressure.”A reader on ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary said they wished Pakistan had an opener like Virender Sehwag because the lead would have been long gone however long he batted. It was an early example of the refrain that would hound the team right until they became number one, and even that was not enough for many to drop it.They took Pakistan from minus 16 to plus 72, which is no daddy partnership. But in actual terms Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq took them across the border from Nobody’s Pakistan to Misbah’s Pakistan.***When he was walking back at Headingley today, having played a shot that made sense like life makes sense (it doesn’t really), Azhar air-played the shot he should’ve played. Straighter, not trying to clip the straight ball somewhere between mid-on and midwicket – straight, like he was driving in Australia at the end of 2016.When Shafiq walked back after being dismissed, strangled down the legside, nobody really noticed what he was doing. It’s never important with Shafiq because he’s not one of life’s great emoters. This wasn’t a poor shot per se, but a poor dismissal, an intensely irritating one in the way a nagging fly on a sweaty day is irritating. There’s no need for it and you’d rather wish it dead.The dismissals were part of a tapestry of horror dismissals, as if the discipline they had shown at Lord’s had not only become a distant memory, but a trick of it: did it really exist?You can’t put the rest of the dismissals at the feet of Azhar and Shafiq. Batsmen, over everyone else, take responsibility for their own downfalls. Misbah and Younis Khan were hardly averse, over long careers, to poor or ill-timed dismissals. And they were themselves part of plenty of batting blowouts together.But when they were at the crease together, Pakistan somehow felt more tied together, even if on the bad batting days of their era it could turn out to be a fleeting illusion. Heck, together they presented such a well-defined identity at the crease, if we’d given them enough time they might have carved out an entirely separate country (and yes, Younis would’ve seceded eventually). As circumstance would have it, in the process they mentored others, lead among them Azhar and Shafiq.Both were leaders just that Younis, it turned out, was leader best as captain. He wasn’t a straightforward man, but such was the force of his commitment to success, others had no choice but to be taken along. Misbah was a leader through and through, just not the kind anyone in Pakistan had been used to. Once they figured it out, he grew in aura, in stature, in performance, in result, and, most importantly, in impact.ESPNcricinfo LtdThis, as much as runs, is what Azhar and Shafiq need to bring to this batting order, the unmistakable sense that they are in charge and that they will be there when it matters and when it doesn’t.It won’t be easy. Azhar already bears the wounds of captaincy. Ridiculously, 65 Tests into his career, there’s still doubt over whether he is – and Pakistan are – best served by opening or coming one-down. It doesn’t make too much of a difference with Pakistan’s openers, you might snigger, but to him it can’t not.If Shafiq knows where the limelight is, it is only because he seems to know exactly how not to be in it. Whether that is behind the big guns at No. 6, or in crafting pleasant hundreds in non-winning games that nobody tallies, his career has played out a little on the periphery. It’s not a poor career by any means, but the vitality, the urgency, is absent.Together, but not necessarily as a pair yet, they have dipped at just the time Pakistan needs them to stand up most. They were both important at Lord’s, but Shafiq is averaging 37.44 in nine innings post-MisYou and Azhar just 23.40 in 10. And they’ve only batted together three times in five Tests. These aren’t big samples, which is part of the problem.Pakistan’s Test itinerary tends to have long empty periods followed by sudden bursts of activity and for two players who are more or less Test specialists, that hurts. Having not played an international game since October last year before they arrived in Ireland, Azhar and Shafiq will likely not play an international game till October again, which is when Pakistan’s next Test is scheduled. How to become the leaders of a batting order brimming with potential when you’re not actually there? Even MisYou couldn’t pull that trick.***The mind goes back to another partnership, the one Misbah thought most important to his career. He had batted together with Younis before, but only seven times in eight years, so when they joined each other in the middle in Dubai, with a Test to save, they were strangers.They batted out the day, in the process of a 186-run stand getting to know each other’s ways and moves, and understanding perhaps some of the chemistry between them. It was also the day they established themselves unequivocally as leaders of the side.Azhar and Shafiq are at an advantage. They know each other well already. They average nearly 54 in partnership over 21 innings. They’ve already been through one bond-forging partnership, the one that took Pakistan into a new era. That one’s done now and a new one emerging. It will need Azhar and Shafiq taking them through again.

They were on their way to a fourth T20 crown before being stopped by West Indies. In the Caribbean, they will look for a reboot

Sruthi Ravindranath06-Nov-2018The squadBeth Mooney, Alyssa Healy, Nicole Bolton, Meg Lanning (captain), Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Delissa Kimmince, Ellyse Perry, Elyse Villani, Megan Schutt, Nicola Carey, Jess Jonassen, Sophie Molineux, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia WarehamWorld T20 pedigreeWith a hat-trick of titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014, Australia are the most-successful side in the tournament’s history. They would’ve believed a fourth was nearly in the bag, until they ran into West Indies in that famous final in Kolkata.Recent T20I formAustralia are heading into the tournament on a run of nine successive T20I wins and three series wins. Australia began this year with a win in the T20I tri-series in India in March. There they posted their highest-ever total of 209 in the format. This was followed with a clean sweep against New Zealand at home in September before heading to Malaysia to whitewash Pakistan in the limited-overs series. It’s hard to look beyond them on current form.Top performersAlyssa Healy has been in scintillating form heading into the tournament. The wicketkeeper-batsman has made six 30-plus scores – including four half-centuries – in ten T20Is. Behind the stumps, too, she’s been electrifying, having effected six catches and eight stumpings in these ten games.Meg Lanning gets her game face on•Getty ImagesCaptain and coachMeg Lanning suffered a shoulder injury and missed all the action through the 2017-18 summer, but made a solid return in March in the tri-series in India with 175 runs in four games. Her 12th ODI hundred recently took Australia to a 150-run win in the second ODI against Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur. She is undoubtedly the side’s biggest asset, and although she sat out Australia’s final T20I against Pakistan with a minor back issue, she is believed to have recovered. “I think it’s all settled down, it was just a minor one the physio wasn’t too concerned about,” coach Matthew Mott told ahead of the tournament.Mott, whose contract was extended last year until 2020, has been a pillar in the background. His rich coaching experience has lent freedom to a bunch of ambitious and talented individuals. With Shelley Nitschke, the Australia women allrounder, as his deputy, he will now eye another piece of silverware.Where they will finishPlaced in Group B, Australia will play Pakistan, Ireland and New Zealand in the space of five days, all at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, before their final group match against India at the same venue, after a three-day break. Australia are favourites to clinch the title, with their stiffest competition likely to come from New Zealand in the group stage.

Time is running out and he’s under immense scrutiny. Time will tell if Delhi ODI is make or break with the big prize looming

Deivarayan Muthu in New Delhi12-Mar-2019If you’re Rishabh Pant, every step you take, every stumping you miss, every run you score, every catch you take and every move you make has the potential to be scrutinised, even more so now with India in their final stretch of World Cup preparation.Pant was handed an opportunity in the fourth ODI after MS Dhoni was rested for the final two games. He showed his boundary-clearing ability during his 24-ball 36 – no worries as far as the batting goes – but Pant, the keeper, struggled to collect the ball cleanly.His two missed stumpings – when Ashton Turner was on 38 and 41 – elicited chants of “Dhoni! Dhoni! Dhoni!” from the Mohali crowd. A cheeky attempt to underarm flick the ball onto the stumps resulted in an overthrow.Earlier, he had missed a more difficult stumping chance via a deflection off Peter Handscomb’s pads when left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav drew the batsman out of the crease. Handscomb was on 105 at that point. He added 12 more to his tally before being dismissed, but Turner made India pay dearly, blasting 84 off 43 balls to tip the chase of 359 Australia’s way.Clearly, it wasn’t his night. Turner announced himself in style, in just his second ODI, to win the match and give Australia World Cup selection headaches. What about Pant, who is also trying to make that flight to the UK?It can be intimidating for a 21-year old, but Pant is now into his third year of international cricket. Having become an IPL star and a Test regular, he must be familiar with such pressure, but there’s no doubt the spotlight will be on his wicketkeeping. However, both Shikhar Dhawan and bowling coach Bharat Arun defended Pant’s wicketkeeping ability.Not too long ago, Dinesh Karthik was India’s finisher and he even said that this version of him relished high-pressure situations. In the past two years in ODIs, Karthik has been unbeaten in seven out of ten matches India have won while chasing. Only Joe Root (nine), Virat Kohli (eight) and Dhoni (eight) have been better in this period.While Karthik has had a fairly extended run since the Champions Trophy – he had played 17 ODI innings – Pant has got only three innings in this period. Yet, he has been deemed good enough to earn a Category A central contract, the the second-most lucrative retainer. The team management is impressed with his six-hitting ability and is prepared to be patient despite his limitations as a wicketkeeper and outfielder.The reason why they’re heavily invested in him is for the six-hitting prowess he brings to the middle order, a factor that could be crucial if Hardik Pandya isn’t available. But now, he’ll return to his home ground with the series on his line. Among the existing options, Vijay Shankar doesn’t bring such raw power: he is more a technically correct batsman who provides a few tight overs with the ball. Can Pant capitalise?Virat Kohli insists the IPL will have no impact on World Cup selection, effectively meaning Wednesday presents Pant one last chance before the World Cup. Karthik has already shown the management what he’s capable of, and by the time Pant was fumbling behind the stumps in Mohali, Karthik was having fun at his good friend and Tamil Nadu team-mate Abhinav Mukund’s wedding. Who’ll have fun at the World Cup: Karthik or Pant?

Stats highlights from Rohit Sharma’s 24th ODI hundred

S Rajesh16-Jun-20191:40

Agarkar: Effortless Rohit making this his World Cup

85 – Balls for Rohit Sharma to complete his century, the joint third-fastest among his 24 hundreds. His fastest was off 82 balls, against England at Trent Bridge last year. He also got an 85-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2017. Both those innings came in chases.ESPNcricinfo Ltd136.5 – Rohit’s strike rate against the fast bowlers; against the spinners, it fell slightly, to a still-impressive 110.7. Rohit was especially scathing on Hasan Ali (41 off 26 balls) and Wahab Riaz (32 off 23). Mohammad Amir bowled only eight balls to him, and conceded five. Among the spinners, Imad Wasim was the best, conceding only 20 off 24.

Rohit v Pakistan’s bowlers

Bowler Runs Balls SR 4s/6sHasan Ali 41 26 157.69 5/2Shadab Khan 34 27 125.92 3/1Wahab Riaz 32 23 139.13 4/0Imad Wasim 20 24 83.33 1/0Mohammad Amir 5 8 62.5 0/0Mohammad Hafeez 5 2 250 1/0Shoaib Malik 3 3 100 0/0196 – Rohit’s strike rate off back-of-a-length or short balls off Pakistan’s fast bowlers – he scored 53 off 27 such balls, including six fours and two sixes. Amir escaped unscathed, however, conceding only four off seven balls of those lengths, while Wahab conceded 25 off 12, and Hasan Ali 24 off 8.

Lengths bowled by Pakistan’s fast bowlers to Rohit

Length Runs Balls SR 4s/6sBack of a length 34 21 161.90 3/1 short 19 6 316.66 3/1length 15 19 78.95 2/0full 10 11 90.91 1/0 58 – Runs scored by Rohit off the pull and cut shots – he scored 30 from 14 cuts, and 28 from eight pulls. Against the pacers, he scored 21 from seven cut shots, and 20 off six pulls. Overall, his most productive scoring region was backward point, where he scored 28 of his 140 runs.ESPNcricinfo Ltd125 – Rohit’s strike rate in his first 20 balls, which was surprising considering he generally gets off to measured starts. In fact, his innings progression in Manchester highlights how well he stepped up at the start of the innings, in the absence of his regular partner Shikhar Dhawan. He kept up an impressive 100-plus strike rate through each of the 20-ball intervals, except in the 41-60 ball period, when he scored 16.

Rohit’s innings progression

Balls Runs0-20 2521-40 2641-60 1661-80 2781-100 25101-113 21

After some early trouble against the new ball, the India opener hit his stride and never looked back

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Pune10-Oct-2019There are no secrets in international cricket. An air of mystery may briefly surround a debutant, but by the time he’s batted or bowled for a session, dossiers containing the smallest detail about his technique are already on the way.Watch cricket on ESPN+

India v South Africa is available in the US on Hotstar and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the three Tests.

Mayank Agarwal had played four Tests before South Africa met him for the first time. Even if they hadn’t spent as much time planning against him as they might have for, say, Cheteshwar Pujara or Virat Kohli, they would have arrived in India with a fair idea of how to bowl to him.During the first two Tests in Visakhapatnam and Pune, some of those plans have been evident, and there have been moments when they have threatened to get his wicket. And yet, here we are, three innings into the series: 330 runs, two hundreds, an average of 110.00.There was a fair amount of grass on the first-day pitch in Pune, and the fast bowlers could extract a bit of seam movement and bounce right through the first session, and sporadically thereafter. South Africa had three quicks in their attack, and each of them tested Agarwal early, homing in on the same technical issue: his tendency to get closed off with his front-and-across trigger movement.It’s a good position to get into against the full ball outside off stump, and quite naturally he’s an excellent driver through the off side, whether it’s the straight-bat punch, where his power comes from his front-foot weight transfer, or that whippy drive with the bottom-hand flourish. It’s also a good springboard for the square-cut, helping keep the batsman side-on and in the ideal position to slap away at any width.Agarwal was quick to pounce on any opportunities to play these shots, and 36 of his 63 runs against pace came via the cover drive, the cut and the off drive.A close-in fielder is airborne as Mayank Agarwal drives•Associated PressBut that front-and-across movement can also get batsmen in trouble against the incoming ball. Vernon Philander had a tight lbw call turned down – it returned an umpire’s-call verdict on both line and height when reviewed – when Agarwal was on 5.Agarwal can also get into awkward positions against the rising ball on or just outside off stump, thanks to that front-and-across press. Batsmen often hop back and across to ride the bounce of this kind of delivery, and get behind the line – close your eyes and think of Rahul Dravid negotiating this kind of ball.But since Agarwal starts from such a closed-off position, his back foot has a longer distance to travel before his body is behind the line of the ball. When he’s facing a bowler of Kagiso Rabada’s pace, there usually isn’t enough time for this, and he ends up jabbing away from his body, employing a roll of his wrists to try and keep the ball down.WATCH: South Africa’s bowling coach Vincent Barnes says Rabada is nearing his bestIt’s a risky shot when there’s a bit of extra bounce, which Rabada can extract from almost any pitch. On 1, Agarwal edged one of these wristy jabs and sent it flying between third slip and gully.The other weakness of the front-and-across press is that it can cramp the batsman for room against the short ball at the body. Agarwal was batting on 9 when he ducked into one such delivery from Anrich Nortje, who hit the high 140 kph consistently on debut, and the ball pinged off the top of his helmet.But opening batsmen expect this test of their technique, particularly when there’s a bit of help for the quicks, and learn to accept that they need some luck early in their innings. It helps to have a flawless technique, of course, but who has that?Mayank Agarwal negotiates a short ball•BCCIHaving come through that testing early period, Agarwal became increasingly secure. He got a bit of a helping hand in moving his innings into gear, with Nortje following that bouncer up with four half-volleys in his next seven balls, and all of them flew to the off-side boundary.Thereafter, Agarwal was in for the long haul.South Africa still tried various things to get him out. Nortje, for instance, returned after lunch with a short leg and a leg gully in place, and bowled short and into Agarwal’s body from both over and around the wicket. It must have caused a bit of discomfort, but the impressive thing about Agarwal’s response was his decisiveness: he either ducked or went for the pull or hook. He didn’t get trapped in between the two options, or fend at the ball with his gloves rising to protect his face.There was one hook that he didn’t fully control, but he kept it down, having got into a good position before he played it, moving back and across so the ball was over his left shoulder.There was only so long that Nortje could keep going with this line of attack. By the fifth over of his spell, and the 43rd of the innings, the ball was sitting up with no venom, and Agarwal pulled him for two dismissive fours.”When it comes to short-ball bowling, sometimes it can give you an advantage as a batting team, because if you try and use it too often, the bowler, especially in this weather, gets tired,” was how Cheteshwar Pujara summed up Nortje’s efforts, at the end of the day’s play. “But at the same time I think we handled it well.”Cheteshwar Pujara dispatches a short ball•BCCIThe left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj, tried to keep Agarwal quiet with a packed off-side field: long-off, three men in the covers, backward point, slip, and occasionally silly point as well. He left one big gap, though, between backward point and the squarest of the covers, in an attempt to tempt Agarwal into cutting good-length balls.Agarwal was wise to this, and he kept punching into the covers with a straight rather than angled bat. Perhaps Maharaj could have forced an indiscretion had he shown a little more discipline; instead he gave away a pair of early boundaries with flighted half-volleys.In any case, it was only after facing 36 balls from Maharaj that Agarwal finally managed to pierce that gap to the left of square cover, off a ball that was just short enough for him to stab it away with an open face. That shot brought up his half-century, and the fielder immediately dropped back onto the boundary.At this time, Agarwal was batting with Pujara, who was dominating his individual battle with Maharaj. Pujara used his feet at every opportunity, and got into excellent positions to whip the left-arm spinner against the turn. Because of this, Maharaj always needed an extra leg-side fielder against Pujara. What this also meant, though, was less protection square of the wicket on the off side when he overcompensated and dropped his length back.Pujara moved to his fifty with a pair of boundaries off Maharaj – a dancing flick wide of mid-on, and a square cut – in the 50th over of India’s innings. At this point, he had scored 27 off 36 balls against Maharaj, while Agarwal had made 23 off 60.Agarwal had been content to play his own game against Maharaj, uninfluenced by Pujara’s at the other end. He didn’t try and leave his crease, or try and sweep or manufacture any other shot against the turn. Through his innings, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data, he only played three balls from Maharaj into the forward square leg, backward square leg, and fine leg sectors of the field.Mayank Agarwal plays one straight•BCCIPujara fell to Rabada just before tea, and Agarwal would join him in the dressing room shortly after. Both were out in near-identical fashion, playing defensive shots to balls that straightened in the fourth-stump channel, and getting caught by Faf du Plessis falling to his left at first slip.By then, though, Agarwal had brought up his century, and broken free of the Maharaj strangle in the most emphatic fashion, going from 87 to 99 with a pair of majestic straight sixes. A late cut off Philander in the next over, a shot that showed off his deft hands, moved him into three figures.”He’s an experienced player, he’s scored so many first-class runs, which has helped him a lot,” Pujara said of Agarwal. “When it comes to being nervous in the 90s, I think he’s someone who is fearless, and since he has scored so many first-class tons, he knows how to convert his fifties into big scores, and once he goes past hundred, as we saw in the last game, he can score heavily and he can score a big hundred.”That habit has come from first-class cricket, and I’ve seen him bat in first-class cricket. I didn’t have to tell him much. To be honest, we were just communicating about what [South Africa’s] gameplan was. At times, if there was an error from his batting, I would just tell him to play close to his body when his bat was going away, but apart from that I think he’s batting really well and I don’t have to guide him much.”All that first-class experience that Pujara alluded to has also helped Agarwal become selective in his strokeplay, depending on the conditions and the bowling. The lofted drive, for instance, was a regular feature in Visakhapatnam, and made its first appearance when he was batting on 32. He played that shot off Dane Piedt, who turned out to be a weak link in South Africa’s attack in that game.Here, Agarwal was facing a better-balanced attack capable of maintaining pressure from both ends. His range of strokes, therefore, was less expansive; there were no sweeps, paddles or reverse-sweeps, and the lofted hits only came out of the kitbag when he was in his 80s.Agarwal’s centuries in this series, in effect, have both been ideal responses to the circumstances they came in. Not much more can be asked of an opener playing in just his third Test series.

The teams, the format, the stakes, and everything else you might have been wondering about

Srinath Sripath16-Oct-2019A high-stakes global T20 tournament, starting this week…Say what? Oh, just one of these 200 domestic leagues right?Nope. International cricket, with plenty riding on it. Fourteen teams.Wow, is this the T20 World Cup?Not quite, but almost. This is the tournament through which teams will qualify for next year’s men’s T20 World Cup. It starts this Friday (October 18) and ends November 2. There are 14 sides competing for six spots on offer at the main tournament.The 14 teams competing for six spots at next year’s T20 World Cup•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhere are the big teams? India, Australia, England…Already in the main event. The top ten teams on the ICC rankings qualify automatically, while the other six are decided through a long qualification process.Is this a little like what happens in football? A World Cup qualifier?Sort of. Not all teams go through a three-year process of trying to qualify. The 14 teams playing this week have come through the competitions in their respective zones – Africa, Asia, East Asia Pacific, Americas and Europe. You get the drift…These six qualifiers, how are they decided? Top three from each group?Not so straightforward, although you should be familiar with the format if you follow the IPL or CPL. This is how it goes…The 14 teams, divided into two groups of seven, play a total of 42 league games. The two group-toppers qualify directly for the T20 World Cup. Teams finishing second and third face off in a couple of playoffs (similar to the IPL Qualifiers). Win the playoff, seal your World Cup spot. That’s four spots.For the last two, the losers from the two playoffs face the fourth-placed teams in the group (like the IPL Eliminator). The winners of those games go through. So, after 42 games, as many as eight of these teams have a shot at qualifying for the World Cup.Complicated, but fair. I’m assuming I won’t be able to watch any of this live?Not quite. Roughly half of the 42 league games and every game from the play-offs onwards will be broadcast live. And, of course, ESPNcricinfo will have extensive coverage from the ground.Oh, completely forgot, where’s all this happening?In the UAE, across two cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The group stage is fairly frenetic, with as many as five games played on some days, and most days having at least three games.Crazy. So who are the favourites to get through?If you go by the rankings, Scotland and UAE should find it easy, but sport is never so straightforward. UAE have been rocked by some of their biggest stars not featuring in the tournament, and the team that would have been among the favourites – Nepal – have not even made it this far, with newbies Singapore knocking them out in the Asia regional final.Did not know Singapore played cricket till I got into this conversation.Yes, more on that here.Coming back to your question, this is a 20-over game, and the shorter the format, the greater the chances of an upset. The cliche “anyone can beat anyone on their day” rings truer here than anywhere else. So watch out for a lower-ranked side toppling a “favourite” every other day. Having said all of that, Ireland, Oman and Scotland should be tipped to finish in the top three or four.And the underdogs…?In a larger cricketing sense, all 14 of these sides are underdogs. But within this pool, the likes of Bermuda, who are making a comeback with some young stars, Jersey (one of the Channel Islands off Britain, which has its own national cricket team) and Singapore, who recently beat Zimbabwe in a T20I, are teams that could shake up the established order on their day.But Kenya used to be so good, and I can see them here among the teams…You’re right, they used to be very good back in the day, even getting to a 50-over World Cup semi-final in 2003. But all it takes, sometimes, is for a few things to go wrong for teams to fade away. Kenya, Bermuda, Namibia and Canada have all featured at World Cups in the past, but aren’t outright favourites heading into the Qualifier.Last question. What’s the point of all this when these teams are all going to be crushed by the big boys at the actual World Cup?Easy there. Afghanistan, who struggled to get out of this same tournament last time in 2015, ended up being the only side to beat eventual world champions West Indies at the World Cup proper. Netherlands beat England at Lord’s in the 2009 edition, a fledgeling Oman side put it past fancied Ireland at the last World Cup.And Associate cricket is at its most competitive these days, with players gaining top-level experience playing in T20 leagues around the world. It’s hard to rule out an upset in pretty much any game anymore.

Ashish Nehra picks the best performance he saw this decade

As told to Nagraj Gollapudi27-Dec-2019by Ashish NehraVVS Laxman
96 v South Africa, second Test, Durban, 2010
I was torn between between VVS and Nathan Lyon’s 8 for 50 in Bengaluru. Lyon’s was a great performance because it came against Indians batting in India. Importantly, it was the first day of the Test match. Yes, there was a little moisture in the pitch, and because of that he was getting turn, but that was only for the first hour or 90 minutes. An Australian fingerspinner taking eight wickets is something spectacular.However, in the end, I opted for VVS, because of the circumstances. When India reached Durban, they were behind in the series already. They had lost badly by an innings in Centurion in the first Test.VVS’ innings was crucial: it was the reason India could set a formidable target of close to 300 for South Africa to chase. The Durban wicket was very tough to bat on, against a South African bowling attack that had Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, who were on top of their game at the time. Other than VVS, nobody barring Viru [Virender Sehwag] even touched 30.Some might say VVS has played similar innings before. But that innings was very special. He batted along with the tail, including stitching a partnership of about 70 with Zak [Zaheer Khan]. And VVS was the last man to get out.With that innings, not only did India win the Test and level the series, they also came close to winning a Test series in South Africa. They were denied because Jacques Kallis scored a century in each innings in the third Test.VVS’ performance is one that comes easily to my mind if you are talking about great Test batting.More in the decade in review, 2010-19

Chelsea took another big step towards Champions League qualification last night, with Enzo Fernández’s second-half strike securing all three points over Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca’s men now occupy a place in the Premier League’s top four with just eight games to go, looking to end the league season on a high alongside a potential Europa Conference League title.

Whilst it wasn’t a vintage game, a triumph over your London rivals is always a good result, with points on the board being the crucial factor at this stage of the campaign.

The Blues welcomed back numerous key players during the victory, undoubtedly boosting their credentials of returning to the biggest competition in European football.

One of which managed to impress in West London last night, finally looking back to somewhat near his best after a tricky few weeks compared to his usual high standards.

Chelsea’s star performers against Tottenham

Midfielder Moises Caicedo enjoyed another superb display at the heart of the Chelsea side, with his British-record £115m fee now looking to be a bargain.

The 23-year-old featured for the entirety of the contest, winning four tackles and nine duels – with both of his subsequent figures the highest of any player on the pitch.

Attacker Cole Palmer was recalled to the starting eleven after missing the clash with Arsenal before the international break – finally ending his unheard-of drought within the final third.

The England international had gone eight games without a goal and an assist before setting up Fernandez, who landed the match’s winning goal in the 50th minute.

However, despite the performances of the aforementioned duo, one player is undoubtedly becoming the club’s most important player, with any hopes of landing Champions League qualification falling onto his shoulders.

The Chelsea player who’s becoming their most important player

There’s no denying that over the last couple of years, Palmer has constantly been the player to deliver the goods for Chelsea, often getting the side out of various tricky scenarios.

However, his recent drought is evidence that other players need to come forward to help Maresca achieve his ambitions of leading the club back to where they belong.

Argentine midfielder Fernandez has done exactly that over the last couple of months, notching 14 goal contributions since the start of November – undoubtedly the best run of his Blues career.

Questions were raised about his talents after the hierarchy forked out £106.8m for his signature in January 2023, but his showing last night was further evidence that he was worth the big money fee.

The 24-year-old took the armband with Reece James on the bench, with his performance just that of a captain, managing to complete 91% of the passes he attempted.

Minutes played

89

Touches

61

Passes completed

41/45 (91%)

Goals scored

1

Tackles won

1/1 (100%)

Interceptions made

1

Recoveries made

4

Fernandez also registered 61 touches and made nine passes into the final third – looking to have a positive impact on proceedings at any given opportunity.

Defensively, the former Benfica star was just as impressive, winning 100% of the tackles he entered, whilst making one interception and four recoveries, helping the side register another clean sheet.

His goal was the cherry on the cake of a phenomenal outing, with The Express’ Alex Turk handing him a 7/10 match rating to reinforce his positive display in West London.

He’s certainly stepped up his game under Maresca in the last couple of months, with the Italian now reaping the rewards of the faith he showed in the midfielder during his tricky start to the campaign.

Such showings could prove vital between now and the end of the season, with Fernandez potentially playing a crucial role in any success the club endures between now and the end of May.

Maresca's own Drogba: Chelsea plot summer move for "phenomenal" CF

Chelsea could land a player this summer who could be their next Didier Drogba.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 3, 2025

While he hasn’t got everything right since taking the job at Arsenal, it would be fair to say Mikel Arteta has signed some incredible players.

The likes of David Raya, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber have all played their part in taking the club forward, but when it comes to the Spaniard’s best signing, one name stands out above all others: Declan Rice.

There was plenty of pressure on the former West Ham United captain’s shoulders when he moved to the Emirates for a club-record £105m in 2023, but since then, he’s more than proven his worth, as exemplified by his two Man of the Match Awards against Real Madrid in the Champions League this month.

So, fans should be excited about recent reports suggesting the manager could be about to make his best signing since the Englishman.

Arsenal transfer news

Regardless of what happens in Europe, this summer looks set to be a massive one for Arsenal, and as such, the club have been linked with a whole host of extraordinary players, such as Nico Williams.

According to reports from late last week, the Gunners have maintained their intense interest in the Spanish international and would be willing to activate his £50m release clause, which could be a fair price considering he’s scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 42 games this term.

Another talented winger from Spain who has reportedly caught the North Londoners’ attention in recent weeks is Real Betis youngster Jesús Rodríguez, who has a release clause of around £42m in his current deal.

However, while there is plenty of excitement around the 19-year-old, he is far rawer than the Athletic Bilbao star, and with just four goal involvements in 25 senior appearances this season, he might be too big of a gamble, which some might have said about Benjamin Šeško a couple of years ago.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, it’s now claimed that the RB Leipzig dynamo, who was also a target last summer, is said to hold ‘strong interest’ in joining the Gunners this summer.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that talks have already taken place between the player’s camp and new Sporting Director Andrea Berta as the Gunners look to make a fast start to the upcoming transfer window.

Regarding a potential fee, the story reiterates reports that the Slovenian has a £58m release clause in his current deal, which, given his age and output this season, may prove to be a bargain a few years from now.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It would still require a significant investment from Arsenal, but Šeško looks like a player worth bringing to the Emirates, and he could even end up being Arteta’s best signing since Rice.

Why Šeško would be Arsenal's best signing since Rice

So, when it really comes down to it, there are two reasons why Šeško would be Arsenal’s best signing since Rice, and the first is his output.

For example, despite it being his first campaign in a top-five league, the Slovenian “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, managed to rack up an impressive tally of 18 goals and two assists in 42 first-team appearances, totalling just 2057 minutes.

That means the Radeče-born phenomenon managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 2.1 games or every 102.85 minutes, which, again, is undeniably impressive for his first season in the big-time.

Appearances

42

41

Starts

22

37

Miniutes

2057′

3041′

Goals

18

20

Assists

2

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

0.63

Minutes per Goal Involvement

102.85′

116.96′

This season, he’s managed to score 20 goals and provide six assists in just 41 appearances, totalling 3041 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.57 games, or every 116.96 minutes.

Just imagine the level of output at the tip of this Arsenal side, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and a recently rejuvenated Gabriel Martinelli, or even Nico Williams, around him – he’d surely be the 20-goal-a-season striker the team so desperately need.

Now, that alone could be what makes the former RB Salzburg gem the Gunners’ best signing since Rice.

However, what makes him an even more attractive acquisition is that he’s still just 21 years old and 6 foot 5, so not only could he get exponentially better over the next five to six years, but he also should have the physicality to thrive in the Premier League.

Ultimately, while he’s not going to be cheap, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Šeško this summer, as he might be just the player they need to reach that next level.

Worth £37m more than Huijsen: Arsenal hit gold on "monster" Emery signing

The sensational international is one of Arsenal’s best players.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 18, 2025