Category Uncategorized

Greg Chappell, the Indian coach, has dismissed out of hand reports in certain Indian television channels that he had threatened to resign if Sourav Ganguly decided to involve Jagmohan Dalmiya to sort out their mutual differences.”I have no time to respond to such reports, it’s absolute bull shit,” he said from his hotel room in Harare. “Neither have I threatened to resign nor do I intend to resign.”I have a job at hand and I want to do it to the best of my ability. What happens outside that is not in my control and I am not going to bother about what’s not in my control.” He refused to comment on the controversy subsequent to Ganguly’s public disclosure that he had been asked to step down before the Bulawayo Test. Chappell said he wanted to focus on what he had to do rather than get caught up in all the controversy.Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar have both suggested that Ganguly and Chappell thrash the issue out before it snowballs into something even bigger. “If I was them, I would sit right now and tell each other to get their heat out and be over with it,” Shastri was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India. “It must be handled now before the ugly issue rears its head again in six months’ time.”Shastri also said that it was important to understand the context of the point that Chappell made. “It’s important to know in what context Chappell said so. He might have privately gone to him and said ‘you are feeling the pressure and it would not be a bad idea to step down’. Or, ‘you feel your own personal batting form is not the greatest, you feel the responsibility is too much so you should step down’. In what context he said it, nobody knows. You got to get the truth.”Gavaskar, who along with Shastri is part of the review committee appointed by the board to look into India’s recent poor form, suggested that a selector travel with the team on tour. “When Australia came to India last year, they had selectors Trevor Hohns and Allan Border, accompany the team. It would give him a fair idea of what’s happening in the dressing room. There could be some guys who are not good for the spirit of the dressing room. A selector sitting back in India wouldn’t be able to see it.”Shastri also saw nothing wrong in Chappell taking on a more proactive role than John Wright, his predecessor as India’s coach, in instilling greater discipline in the team. “Towards the end of his reign, I don’t think John [Wright] was pulling his weight. It is very important for Chappell to instill discipline, get the right kind of camaraderie between the seniors and the juniors. If a senior player gets out of hand, it is his job to reprimand him. He must tell him that it’s a team sport and by what he is doing, the team performance can get affected.”Meanwhile, Chappell and Ganguly headed, quite literally, in different directions before the second Test at Harare. While Chappell headed for the venue of the match with four other players, Ganguly went off to catch a glimpse of the Victoria Falls.The second Test starts on September 20.Click here to send us your feedback on the issue.

Steve Tikolo has delayed making a decision whether to stand down as Kenya’s captain in the light of their poor performances in the ICC Champions Trophy. In the aftermath of the loss to Pakistan at Birmingham, he told the media that he was ready to quit but he appears to have reconsidered his position following his return home.Tikolo was still insistent that he wanted to pass the reins on to a new captain and concentrate on his batting, but there are signs that he might wait until later in the year.Sharad Ghai, the board’s chairman, said that he was surprised by the original announcement. “We had talked about it," Ghai said, "and even if he felt the captaincy was affecting his batting, I thought he would come back home and at least lead the team through the Intercontinental Cup." Kenya meet Namibia in the Africa-group decider in Nairobi next month.Tikolo repeated his criticism of the ICC over their treatment of the team during the tournament. "Had it been Australia, England or South Africa batting under the conditions that we were in, the game could have been stopped," he explained. "There is no fairness in some of these things.”

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has suggested the inclusion of cricket in the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games as part of a move to end the cricketing deadlock between India and Pakistan. “ACC will officially request the South Asian Sports Federation (SASF) to include cricket in the SAF Games, which we think can be stepping stone for the revival of cricket between India and Pakistan,” ACC development manager Zakir Hussain Syed told AFP.India snapped bilateral cricket links with arch rivals Pakistan over political tension in 2000, but recent efforts to normalise relations between the two nations have raised hopes of ties being revived soon. “We are sure that cricket can increase the appeal of the games to a great extent, and besides Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – the four Test playing nations – Nepal can also chip in,” said Syed.Pakistan announced last week that it would stage the biennial SAF Games in January 2004. The games, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in September 2001, were first cancelled following security fears in the wake of the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the United States and the ensuing war in neighbouring Afghanistan. Later, Pakistan was twice forced to cancel the Games, first in March 2002 and then in March this year, after India refused to participate.The SAF Games events include athletics, badminton, boxing, football, volleyball, weightlifting, taekwondo, karate, table tennis, wrestling, shooting and swimming. Hockey was included on expiremental basis in the Games held in India in 1995.”Cricket can have more representation in the Games and even a fledgling nation like Afghanistan can participate in it,” said Syed. The Games were initiated in 1984 under the auspices of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and are contested by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal. Afghanistan was also included in the SAF Games fold last year. The last edition of the Games were held in Nepal in 1999.

Left-hand opener Chris Gayle powered his way towards a century, but rainintervened again on the second day of the West Indies last practice game atMatara on Friday.Dark clouds had skirted menacingly around this coastal ground all day beforefinally encircling during the tea interval and forcing the abandonment ofthe final session.West Indies, though disappointed to have missed two precious hours ofbatting practice, would have been delighted by what play there was.Sri Lanka A started the day on 216-5, but added only 53 more runs, asleg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine picked up three wickets, to finish with fourin the innings.Then, on a easy paced pitch, the West Indian openers, Gayle and Daren Ganga,provided fresh hope that they may be able to bridge the large void left bythe retirement of Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge, when they added 134runs for the first wicket.The pair, complimenting each other by their contrasting styles, hurtledalong at nearly five runs an over. Ganga was solid in defense, preferring towork singles and rotate the strike, whilst Gayle’s innings was ruthlesslyhigh-powered.Gayle, who has played 11 Tests to date at 36.35 and has lofty ambitions (hesaid recently that "breaking Lara’s Test record of 375 is my ultimate"), maylook slightly awkward because of his great height and hunched stance, butwith little flourish he hits the ball with thunderous power.He finished the day four runs short of his century having scored 96 off 92balls and hit 17 fours. Ganga, dismissed for a duck in the first warm-upgame, is on 27 off the same number of balls.The pair coped easily with a Sri Lankan bowling attack, which has beenpacked full of fast bowlers on a bland pitch that cried out for spinners.Sri Lanka A, though, were reluctant to give the West Indian batsmen exposureto spin before next weeks first Test and played just a solitary youngleg-spinner.So, although runs are runs and the manner in which they came were mightyimpressive, the satisfaction gained from this sturdy opening partnership bythe West Indies management should be tempered by the reality that the teamfaces very different challenges ahead.In the morning, the West Indian fast bowlers had operated in tandem with theleg-spin of Ramanarine and quickly moped up the Sri Lankan innings.Suresh Perera had batted with his captain, Hashan Tillakaratne, with unusualresponsibility and added 66 runs for the sixth wicket, but he couldn’tresist the slow bowling of Ramarine and was stumped for 27, as he danceddown the wicket in the wrist spinners first over of the day.Tillakaratne, 74 not out overnight, never regained the fluency of yesterdayand faced 75 balls his 12 runs today, before Reon King picked up his firstwicket of the match.Colin Stuart, who suffered from leg cramps in both legs after his 12 oversyesterday, did not bowl, but that was only because he had been off the fieldfor so long the previous day and he is not considered an injury concern.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews added 127 for the fourth wicket•AFP

Angelo Mathews scored his sixth Test century and dominated a wicketless first session but Sri Lanka lost their way thereafter, losing their last seven wickets for 65 runs as India ran to a dominant position at the end of day three. Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne resisted the steady drip of pressure exerted by India’s bowlers, adding 127 for the fourth wicket, but the rest of Sri Lanka’s batting couldn’t cope with it. Having secured a first-innings lead of 87, India extended it to 157 for the loss of just one wicket.

Thirimanne fined for dissent

Sri Lanka batsman Lahiru Thirimanne has been fined 30% of his match fee after he was found to have breached Article 2.1.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an International Match”.
The incident in question occurred in the 85th over of Sri Lanka’s innings, when Thirimanne stood his ground after being adjudged caught behind, and eventually left the field shaking his head.
The charge was laid by on-field umpires Bruce Oxenford and Rod Tucker, and third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge.
Thirimanne admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, meaning there was no need for a formal hearing.

India lost KL Rahul in the first over of their second innings, bowled off the inside edge by a Dhammika Prasad inducker, before Vijay and Rahane saw them through to stumps. They did this without too many alarms, though Rangana Herath troubled both batsmen with his straighter one, having two strong lbw appeals turned down. Rod Tucker made the right decision each time, with one striking the inside edge and two seeming to be missing leg.Just as they had done on day two, India’s bowlers probed away with discipline on a pitch offering them just enough to keep asking questions, but Mathews and Thirimanne were more than equal to the task. In all, it was riveting Test cricket, with Mathews using his nous and Thirimanne showing impressive patience to strengthen Sri Lanka’s position and leave them the happier of the two sides at lunch.India seemed to be letting the initiative slide even further when, in the second over after lunch, Ishant Sharma went around the wicket to try and bombard Mathews with bouncers. He had long leg and deep square leg in place, but the deliveries he sent down were so lacking in venom that Mathews still managed to pull and glance him for three successive fours. Wisely, India shelved the short-ball tactic.The round-the-wicket angle, however, brought Ishant reward in his next over, though it was Thirimanne who succumbed, nicking behind while trying to drive one that straightened from a fullish length. He looked displeased with the umpire’s decision, but replays were inconclusive.A short rain interruption followed, after which Ishant struck again to remove Dinesh Chandimal, who pressed forward and pushed away from his body at one that seamed away. During his spell, Ishant’s use of the bouncer became less predictable and harder to play, and he struck Chandimal’s helmet and Jehan Mubarak’s glove while they ducked with their eyes off the ball.Mathews moved to his hundred – his sixth in Tests – with the most audacious shot of his innings, reverse-sweeping R Ashwin against the turn, off a ball that straightened from middle stump, and finding the gap to the left of point. But he was gone three balls later, poking at a good-length ball outside off – a shot he may not have played had he not been batting on three figures – to give Stuart Binny his first Test wicket. The frenetic action continued in the next over, when Mishra bowled a legbreak laden with overspin and bounce to force Dhammika Prasad to pop a simple catch to slip.Ishant Sharma exults after taking the wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne•AFP

Five overs into the post-tea session, Sri Lanka were all out. Mishra picked up two of the last three wickets, and bowled the ball of the day to ensnare Mubarak. The left-hander pressed forward to defend, not realising that late drift away from him had subtly changed the line of the ball; it pitched on off stump, rather than off and middle, and straightened past his outside edge to clip off stump. It had taken India only 22.1 overs to pick up the last seven wickets. Sri Lanka’s situation had been utterly transformed from the calmness of the first session.There was a sense of opportunism about the way Mathews batted, using the angles to create run-scoring opportunities, particularly through the leg side. In the sixth over of the morning, Mathews flicked Umesh Yadav square of midwicket, from an off-stump line, to pick up a boundary. The last ball of the over wasn’t quite as full, and he delayed the moment when he closed the bat face to work it wide of mid-on for a single. First ball of the next over, he repeated the same shot against Ishant Sharma. Three fairly good balls, six runs scored.But above all, the innings showcased Mathews’ ability to make his game work for him. His technique isn’t flawless – his front-foot stride isn’t the longest, and his bottom hand often dominates – but while the odd ball leaves him looking uncomfortable, he finds ways to minimise any damage it may cause.Late on day two, Umesh had opened him up three times with his outswinger. But he made sure he didn’t edge any of them, refusing to follow the ball with his hands. It happened again when Umesh was re-introduced to the attack ten minutes before lunch on day three. Again, Mathews played with bat close to body, happy for the ball to beat his edge by a fair distance. In between, Amit Mishra frequently puzzled him with his flight and dip, but he adjusted and played the second line, with soft hands.Thirimanne, usually easy on the eye but prone to errors, followed Mathews’ example beautifully. There was an early period of discomfort against Ishant, who angled it across the left-hander from a tight, off-stump line and found bounce and occasional seam movement, but he grew increasingly solid as the day progressed.Thirimanne was happy enough to defend ball after ball, and waited for the delivery he could cut: that shot brought him all three of his fours in a morning session that saw him advance his score by 29 runs, off 74 balls. In the process, he showed a glimpse of what he could offer Sri Lanka if he marries grit to his natural ability on a more frequent basis.

Match facts

January 7, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0200 GMT)1:03

Sri Lanka seek revenge in T20s

Big Picture

It might be tempting to view the two games in this series as a sort of first glimpse at each team’s form ahead of the World T20. Will Sri Lanka have the attack of the tournament again? How will New Zealand compensate for the Brendon McCullum-shaped hole in their top order? But the thing with T20s, we are often told, is that matches can sometimes be defined by just “one big over”. Two months out, there is not much to be learned, particularly outside Asian conditions.Premature though team assessments would be, the series could be crucial for the fringe players hoping to make that 15-man squad to be named next month. Sri Lanka had filled their side with youngsters and panned for T20 gold last year – with legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay among the better talents they unearthed. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson, meanwhile, has said that he and the selectors have about 17 players in mind for the World T20. These games may help trim two men from that list.Among those on the cusp of the World T20 side may be Colin Munro, whose late salvos have sometimes raised New Zealand without quite cementing his place in the XI, and fast bowler Matt Henry, whose situation may be described as: “How many top orders does a guy have to embarrass to get some kudos around here?”Sri Lanka’s squad is full of hopefuls as well. There’s Danushka Gunathilaka, who will know he can’t live on just one good ODI innings. There’s Chamara Kapugedera, on a quest for redemption. And Isuru Udana, who will want to prove he is more than just a slower-ball machine.Both Angelo Mathews and Kane Williamson admitted to misreading the Mount Maunganui surface. It was both slower, and more given to turn than Mathews, in particular, had expected. It is not quite Delhi, but spin may play a pivotal role nonetheless.

Form guide

New Zealand: WLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka: LWLLW

In the spotlight

Kane Williamson is seemingly destined to conquer batting, but how will he be as a captain? He is as likeable a current cricketer as exists in the world, and his team-mates seem to adore him. But he is reserved and soft spoken, which means he is a significant departure from McCullum’s style of leadership. An astute tactician with blade in hand, it is now his job to strategise for the whole team. Great players have not historically made great leaders, but then, Williamson’s ego has never been as awesome as his talent.Dumped from the T20 captaincy during 2014’s World T20 (though the official line still is that he stepped down), Dinesh Chandimal finds himself leading the team again. He is a different man now. Caught in a petty political game at the time, Chandimal has set himself and his batting free over the past 18 months. He has at times seemed a natural leader, but it remains to be seen how his own batting fares under the strain of responsibility. Chandimal is only the acting captain while Lasith Malinga recovers from a knee problem. As Malinga’s career is increasingly beset by injury though, this may be an audition of sorts for Chandimal.

Teams news

Having taken 13 wickets from three ODIs, surely Matt Henry has done enough to earn a place in the T20 XI. With 13 squad members to choose from, New Zealand are likely to omit one quick and one batsman. Mitchell McClenaghan and Grant Elliott may be the men to miss out. Corey Anderson will likely play – but as a specialist batsman only, as he continues to recover from a back injury. Williamson could move up to open in McCullum’s absence.New Zealand (probable): 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Corey Anderson, 5 Colin Munro, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Adam Milne, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Ish SodhiSri Lanka may bank on spin, as they often do in this format, meaning Sachithra Senanayake and Jeffrey Vandersay could both play. They also have a penchant for allrounders, so Thisara Perera may play ahead of batsmen such as Kithuruwan Vithanage.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka , 3 Dinesh Chandimal (capt & wk), 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Milinda Siriwardana, 6 Chamara Kapugedera, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Jeffrey Vandersay

Pitch and conditions

The strip had just begun to take good turn towards the end of the ODI game. Conditions are expected to be cloudy, but dry, with temperatures in the high teens.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka remain the top-ranked T20 side in the world, but have lost three of the five T20s they played since their 2014 World T20 triumph
• Tillakaratne Dilshan is the second on the T20 internationals run-scorer’s list with 1590 runs, but is still 550 behind the leader, Brendon McCullum
• Corey Anderson has not played a T20 since December 2014, but has been in good list A form, hitting 88 and 98 for Northern Districts in the past eight days

Quotes

“It has been nice to contribute for Northern Districts. Being a specialist batter at the moment, I’ve got to get runs. It has been nice to go back to a domestic scene and prove a point.”
Corey Anderson on having just one discipline to contribute in, for the moment