All posts by csb10.top

The image of the day was of Rahul Dravid going down like he was shot. Dravid ducked under the Shahadat Hossain bouncer, perhaps anticipating that it would bounce more than it did, but he went straight into it and left the field soon after, clutching his jaw.”It was very much part of the plan,” Shahadat said. “Indian players, particularly Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag leave the bouncers well but are not very comfortable in playing it.”What stood out was the fact that the bouncer was not the result of an impulsive reaction from a fast bowler but part of a well-orchestrated plan. It could well have worked had the catches been taken and if Rubel Hossain’s left foot hadn’t landed a few inches beyond the crease. As it transpired, Sachin Tendulkar and Dravid battled through the tough times to put India in firm control of the game and barring a minor miracle, they should win this game. However, the day’s play was fascinating to watch for the careful thought that went behind the attack.Not every day does a bowler almost knock out Dravid with a bouncer and Shahadat was understandably thrilled with the feat, if not the effect. “Dravid is such a great batsman. To hit his helmet with a bouncer and make him fall on the wicket, I have to admit it felt good. I have hit batsmen before but this is the first time that a batsman has had to go back [after discontinuing batting],” Shahadat, who was unaware at that moment of Dravid’s hospitalisation, said.His reaction was understandable but what was really praiseworthy was that none of the bowlers overdid the bouncer attack. Not a single pull shot was played by an Indian batsman. Perhaps, it was because of the pitch. “It’s a two-paced wicket, the bounce is unpredictable, one ball is taking off, and other is not,” Sachin Tendulkar said. “It’s not an easy track to bat on. They bowled well. They had a specific plan and stuck to it.”The plan was to make the batsmen play the bouncers. For that, they had to direct it well and try to bowl it at the body. It was Shahadat who started it all with a nagging bouncer that cramped Sehwag, forcing a hurried prod to the keeper. Then, Shafiul Islam went round the stumps and fired a short one at Gautam Gambhir’s body to claim the second victim.This is where it got interesting. Dravid was in with Tendulkar and one wondered whether their reputations will force Bangladesh to shelve the short ones, but they stuck to the plan. Dravid was stunned by a wonderfully accurate bouncer from Rubel and Junaid Siddique even took a sharp catch, diving low to his right at slip, but unfortunately it was a no-ball. It took a moment for the fielders and even for Dravid to realise that he had been let off.And they nearly had Tendulkar. Twice. He was on 53 when he didn’t connect properly with an intended uppercut against a lifter outside off, from who else but Shahadat, but Raqibul Hasan, who had already dropped Tendulkar on 27, couldn’t hold on to a difficult chance despite a desperate dive to his left at gully.It was that kind of a day. Bangladesh did everything that was possible to create chances but it just wasn’t to be. When Tendulkar was later asked whether the bouncer attack surprised India, one could sense it hurt his pride as he retorted, “It [the bouncers] doesn’t mean much. The scoreboard reads something different.”That may be so but it is a significant moment in Bangladesh’s cricket history. It was the first time that a Bangladeshi fast bowler has made a batsman of Dravid’s stature retire hurt. Both Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat have hit top batsmen before – Shahadat pinged Ponting in a Test in 2006 – but not forced them to discontinue the innings, leave alone putting them in hospital.To understand the significance, you have to place it in the wider context. It was a coming-of-age moment for Indian cricket and its fans when Kapil Dev’s first Test bouncer screamed past a helmet-less Sadiq Mohammad in Faisalabad in 1978. Sunil Gavaskar later wrote, “The normally unflappable and quiet Syed Kirmani clapped with his gloves and screamed ‘Shabhash! Aur ek! (one more)’. To those of us in the Indian batting line-up who had only got used to facing a bombardment of short-pitched deliveries, with only a pea-shooter to return the fire, the sight of an opposing batsman asking for a protective helmet and then getting hit on it, was not only one for sore eyes, but also for cracked fingers and the badly bruised chests and thighs, that we had suffered over the years.” Previously fast bowlers were used exclusively to take the shine of the ball, before the spinners could come into play; everything changed after Kapil’s entry.Shahadat’s felling of Dravid isn’t quite as seminal as that Kapil bouncer, as both Mortaza and Shahadat have hit batsmen before but it will become a part of folklore in coming years and “I was there” stories will be told by people recounting the instance.

Western Australia have clarified that the side strain their overseas star Chris Gayle sustained during the defeat to South Australia in Perth is only a minor one, and that it will not keep him away from international duty. Gayle, who is playing for Western Australia in the ongoing domestic Twenty20 tournament, strained a side muscle and had to retire hurt on 40, but scans revealed no tear.The team’s medical staff have decided not to allow Gayle to feature in Western Australia’s next game against Tasmania on Friday, and are confident the West Indies captain will be fit for the clash with New South Wales on January 5.”We’ll be working in consultation with their [the West Indies] medical team but at the end of the day we’ll be wanting the best for Chris Gayle,” said Western Australia’s coach Tom Moody. “We are certainly not going to wheel him out there if he’s not fit. It’s unfair on him as a professional athlete and it’s unfair on the team to play a guy that’s half fit. At the end of the day we’ll be making sure we do the best thing for him.”This means Gayle will should easily be fit for the five-match one-day series between Australia and West Indies, starting February 7.Gayle suffered the injury in the second over of the team’s chase. He immediately grabbed at his left side after attempting to heave a Mark Cleary delivery over the rope. He batted on for three more overs but left the field after smacking 40 from just 16 balls. Gayle returned in the 16th over but was clearly hampered by the injury.Gayle is one of the finest Twenty20 batsmen in the world and remains the only man to have scored a century in a Twenty20 international.

Michael Clarke is confident of overcoming his long-term back injury, but continues to have daily treatment as he prepares for next week’s first Test. Clarke, the vice-captain, proved he is ready for a spot in the squad to face West Indies at the Gabba, which is named on Thursday, with a century for New South Wales against Tasmania.However, he won’t risk going into the game next Thursday under-prepared and has asked to play in Sunday’s all-star game at the Gabba to continue to build up his workload. “For me it is about being 100%,” he told AAP after scoring 106 at the SCG. “I need to be able to give the team 100% because if I can’t there is certainly someone else there that can and will perform better than me. So I would not dare go into a Test match not knowing if I could give 100%.”Clarke won’t have total faith in his body until he gets through a full day in the field. “[It’s] not bad actually, I thought I would be stiffer than I was,” he said after his innings. “I think I was the sorest after the one-day game and not just my back but general body stiffness, and I pulled up pretty well. Again I am having treatment every morning and I have been seeing the same physio for the last couple of weeks. So I have just got to get that regular treatment.”Clarke missed the Champions Trophy and the one-day tour of India and one benefit of his time off is he remains a lot fresher than his team-mates, such as Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, who have been weighed down by the heavy schedule. “I am more confident now of being able to bat for that amount of time,” he said, “and waking up feeling pretty good is a positive for me.”He has asked not to bowl in the Sheffield Shield game this week but won’t give up his left-arm spin to ease the problem. “I will be using that week leading up to the Test match to do a bit of bowling and get back into it,” he said.

Shane Warne hadn’t bowled for six months until he went to training on Saturday and his greatest fear on his return to the Australian Twenty20 scene is embarrassing himself. Warne will join up with his old team-mates Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden when they appear in an Australian Cricketers’ Association XI captained by Warne at the Gabba on Sunday.”For us it’s about not embarrassing ourselves, not bowling too many double-bouncers and full-bungers,” he said. Warne, 40, spent part of Saturday afternoon “trying to land a few” at the Gabba nets under the eye of Dennis Lillee, the guest coach.The pair stopped briefly to outline their plans for the match against an Australian XI led by Michael Clarke. And it was just long enough for Warne to doubt the West Indies’ credentials for the three-match series against Australia, which starts on Thursday, and Lillee to defend the future of Test cricket.While Greg Chappell, the guest coach of the Australian XI, fears for the five-day game, Lillee is confident it will remain strong. “Something that has lasted for nearly 150 years, I don’t think it’s in danger in the short term,” Lillee said.Warne believes the West Indians face too much of a challenge to upset Australia, despite the hosts’ current ranking as the world’s No. 4 team. “Let’s just hope the West Indies surprise us, at the moment their form is pretty ordinary and they need to hopefully lift,” he said. “Otherwise it’s just going to be a summer of enjoying our blokes bat and bowl.”Australian Cricketers’ Association XI Shane Warne (capt), Travis Birt, Lee Carseldine, Adam Gilchrist, Daniel Harris, Matthew Hayden, Jason Krejza, Rhett Lockyear, Graham Manou (wk), Glenn McGrath, Nathan Reardon, Nathan Rimmington.Australian XI Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White, George Bailey, Brad Haddin (wk), David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner.

ScorecardWest Indies women continued their winning ways by taking the first of three Twenty20s against England in St Kitts. A day after they edged home by one wicket at the same venue to take the one-day contest, the home side sealed a four-wicket success with one ball to spare to go 1-0 up in the series.A fierce downpour delayed the start of play by three hours, after which Merissa Aguilleira won the toss and elected to put England in to bat. The England openers Charlotte Edwards and Danielle Hazell did not get off to a strong start as Stafanie Taylor dismissed Hazell lbw in the fourth over. Taylor added a second when Jenny Gunn gave Cordel Jack a catch. Edwards, the captain, put on 24 with Beth Morgan, but Morgan’s run-out for 10 triggered a collapse to 68 for 6.Aguilleira suffered an interception from the ball which forced her off the field, and in her absence Shermaine Campbelle took the wicketkeeping gloves. Holly Colvin’s 17 and a 5-ball 13 from Isa Guha helped England post 112 for 8.Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole, who dismissed Deandra Dottin with his first delivery, soon had West Indies at 22 for 2. A third-wicket partnership of 69 between Pamela Lavine and Cordel Jack took the hosts to 91for 2 but another stumble unfolded, triggered by Guha. Lavine (26), Jack (39) and Stacy-Ann King (1) all fell to the impressive Guha and West Indies needed 16 from 17 balls. Aguilleira was run out for 13 attempting a nonexistent second run, leaving the equation to two from three deliveries. The winning runs were hit by Shanel Daley with a ball to spare.

Stuart MacGill has warned the Australian selectors that taking away young players as understudies is “fraught with danger”, but he hopes Jon Holland, the Victorian spinner, has been picked on the India one-day tour for the right reasons. Holland, a 22-year-old left-arm orthodox, appeared in only eight 50-over games for Victoria and Australia A before winning his elevation, with Andrew Hilditch and his fellow panellists searching for an answer to Australia’s long-term slow bowling problems.While MacGill, who gained 208 wickets in 44 Tests, said selections like Holland’s did not devalue the national cap, he felt the spinner had to be picked in the unit because he was wanted to play. “There’s nothing wrong with giving him a go,” MacGill told the Sydney Morning Herald. “The only way it’s damaging is if they’re taking him along to get a feel for being around the squad, without having any plans to throw him into a game. That can blow up in your face if there’s an injury or someone is forced out.”Nathan Hauritz is Australia’s No. 1 slow bowler and will be called upon for a lot of action in the seven one-day matches, which start on October 25. Holland has been tipped for big things by Allan Border, but has played only 17 senior games and is ranked behind Bryce McGain at Victoria.”I really hope they have picked Jon Holland because they want him to play and make a proper contribution,” MacGill said. ”Taking players away as understudies is fraught with danger. If they play when it wasn’t part of the plan, that’s when you’re in the s***. That’s when the cap is devalued. But I don’t think that’s the case with Jon.”MacGill knows the damage an early elevation can do after his mid-series retirement in the West Indies in 2008 led to Beau Casson, the left-arm wrist spinner, being called up. “They picked [Beau] for the West Indies tour but didn’t expect him to play,” he said. “They thought I’d be playing for another year so they could ease him in. But then I retired on that tour, he got a Test and …” Soon after his arrival home Casson was not in the New South Wales side and hasn’t been a serious national contender since, with Cameron White, Jason Krejza, Hauritz, McGain and Holland being preferred.MacGill said Holland looks like a “naturally gifted bowler”. “I can’t see why he won’t go well,” he said. “He’s mature and down to earth, which is well and good, but that doesn’t make him the Messiah. Give him time.”

Heath Streak has been appointed as Zimbabwe’s bowling coach, ending a stand-off with the board which dates back to his removal as captain in April 2004, a move which triggered a player strike that threatened the international future of the game inside the country.”We’ve been talking to Heath for some time and now that the modalities ofhis relationship with ZC have been concluded, we have every confidence thathis presence in the changing rooms can only be good for the development ofour national team,” Ozias Bvute, Zimbabwe Cricket’s chief executive, said. “A lot has been said and done in the past but the fact is that Heath has made an undisputable contribution to the game of cricket in Zimbabwe and is perhaps the finest bowler this country has had to date. We have collectively agreed to draw a line in the sand and allow for cricket to be the winner.”Streak, who has made no secret of his wish to see Zimbabwe regain their international reputation, said that it was a “great honour” to be back on board. “I am looking forward to being part of the vision to re-build Zimbabwe as a powerful cricket playing nation. I have amassed a wealth of knowledge during my international career and look forward to imparting this knowledge onto Zimbabwe’s up and coming talent.”In addition to his duty of setting up the technical structures for the bowling side, Streak will also be seconded to the franchise squads to help them in their first full season.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outIt was butchery from Tillakaratne Dilshan yet again, only this time he ensured he crossed three figures•AFP

There was no case of second-time-unlucky for Tillakaratne Dilshan, and ablazing century pushed a tummy-bug-hit New Zealand to the brink as theGalle Test entered its climactic phase. Having taken a 153-run lead, withMuttiah Muralitharan taking his 100th wicket in Galle, Sri Lanka piled onthe misery either side of lunch, with stroke-filled cameos from KumarSangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera buttressingDilshan’s stunning effort. By tea, when the declaration came, the lead was412 and with several batsmen ill, New Zealand’s chances of survival werevery much dependent on the weather.But though it rained for nearly an hour after tea, their task was madeharder as soon as play resumed, with Daniel Flynn – promoted to open asTim McIntosh was indisposed – brilliantly caught an inch off the ground byMahela. Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, batting at No.3 forthe first time, defended stoutly to prevent further damage, before badlight took the players off for the final time.Sri Lanka had amassed 183 in the second session, and the tone was set inthe very first over after the interval, as Sangakkara took three fours offJacob Oram. At the other end, Dilshan eased to 50 from just 35 balls and greetedJeetan Patel with a paddle sweep for four. To worsen Patel’s mood, ReeceYoung, the substitute wicketkeeper, couldn’t hold on when Dilshan openedthe face and tried to run one down to third man. He was on 62 at the time,and New Zealand had plenty of time to reflect on the lapse.With Sangakkara timing the ball so beautifully, the century partnershiptook just 113 balls, and it required a massive stroke of luck for NewZealand to break through. Dilshan drove one hard and low, and it justbrushed Daniel Vettori’s fingers before crashing into the stumps with Sangakkaraa few inches short of his ground.It was merely temporary respite though. Mahela announced himself witha meaty mow over square leg, and as the batsmen continued to pick the gapswith effortless ease, Vettori was forced into adopting a defensive linefor both himself and Patel – spearing the ball into the leg-stump rough.Mahela continued to sweep, but Dilshan’s scoring did stall as he didlittle more than pad the ball away.Once Dilshan dusted off the sweep and started to attack, New Zealand ranout of options. Patel did finally get a wicket, as Mahela popped up areturn catch, but Samaraweera buried any thoughts of celebrationwith two mighty leg-side swipes for six. He fell trying to repeat the featagainst Vettori, and the stage was then set for Dilshan to get the hundredwhich eluded him in the first innings.A single to mid-off got him there, and a fusillade of strokes followed.Prasanna Jayawardene chipped in with cuts behind point, heaves over coverand the odd edge, but it was Dilshan who ran the show, peppering theboundaries as the 50 partnership came up in just 41 balls. By then, mostof the New Zealanders were looking as sick as Brendon McCullum and JesseRyder, both of whom had been taken ill.It hadn’t taken Sri Lanka’s bowlers long to wrap up New Zealand’s firstinnings. Murali had Iain O’Brien caught behind before Thilan Thushara cameback to take his fourth wicket of the innings, bowling Vettori off theinside edge. Vettori’s had been a desperate shot, but with the haplessChris Martin at the other end, he really had no option but to go for thesingle off the last ball of the over.It was desperation of another kind when Dilshan, who had clattered 92 from72 balls in the first innings, arrived at the crease. Once again, NewZealand had no answer to his aggression, and O’Brien appeared stunned whenhe was hooked for six and then flayed for four through cover at the startof the innings.Tharanga Paranavitana went, edging to slip, but with Sangakkara caressing gorgeousstrokes through the covers, Dilshan was once again given the license to flirtwith the boundaries of Test-match batting. Both O’Brien and Martinsuffered as the ball was cut, square-driven and pulled ruthlessly eachtime it was even fractionally off length. The deluge that came after teawas nothing compared to what had gone before.