Since making technical changes to his batting, the runs have flowed. In the last year, Karthik has understood himself better, approaching his game with renewed vigour

Nagraj Gollapudi in Cardiff05-Jun-2013Standing around Dinesh Karthik, you can feel a distinct sense of restlessness. He never stands still – with bat in hand, with wicketkeeping gloves on and even when doing nothing. He is constantly shuffling at something or moving around like a rabbit in the woods. But do not be fooled into misreading his attitude only because Karthik wants to be involved in the game at all times. Being an alert glovesman over the years has taught him never to take his eyes off the ball. Hence the itch to be heard.On Wednesday, in Cardiff, he did not bat in the nets. He was the first Indian player to step down the dressing room stairs for the training with wicketkeeping gear tucked under his hand. Having scored two centuries in India’s warm-up matches, probably he and the team management felt he should relax. With the rest of the team busy in the main nets, he asked the team’s analyst to accompany him to the side nets outside the main ground to take part in some keeping drills. Later, India coach Duncan Fletcher helped him with few hits before Karthik was put through the paces by the team trainer. With nothing else to do Karthik was happy to watch his team-mates and share some suggestions.A meritorious student during his young days, Karthik had the brains and the marks to finish an engineering degree. But he decided to make use of his intelligence in cricket. It was one reason the national selectors put their faith in him, giving him a debut even before he had turned 20. However, Karthik was never able to gain a strong foothold in the Indian squad, despite his talent and brains. He last played for India in 2010 and his comeback now comes on the back of a strong performance in the IPL where he was one of the pillars of Mumbai Indians’ title victory.In 19 matches, Karthik, who batted in the top order, scored 510 runs, 407 of them coming in Mumbai’s wins. That was almost double the runs he scored in any of the earlier IPL seasons; his previous highest was 288 runs from 13 innings in the 2009 edition. When he moved to Mumbai in 2012 from Kings XI Punjab, he scored just 238 runs from 14 innings at a strike-rate of 111.73 and an average of 18.30.But this year, Karthik returned with a renewed sense of vigour. He had also made a few important technical changes in his batting, having worked closely with the South African performance analyst Prasanna Agoram. Observe Karthik’s batting stance now and you will see he has got more time to play his shots. Having shot him extensively in the nets, Agoram worked out that Karthik had all the strokes, but the one key element missing was balance. Having ironed out a few other technical creases, Karthik has become more consistent. During the domestic season he finished as Tamil Nadu’s best batsman in both the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy (50 overs), which preceded the IPL.With the selectors not entirely convinced about the fitness of Yuvraj Singh, India have been looking for a stable head in the middle order. If you look at the Indian middle order’s performance (batting position 3 to 7) overseas, you can observe the pressure has been on the trio of Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni. The sketchy form of Rohit Sharma, the inability of Irfan Pathan to live up to the batting allrounder billing and the absence of Yuvraj only meant that India have been looking for a batsman who can be the pivot in the middle order, by being watchful initially before switching gears late into the innings. Karthik has shown that he has the potential.

Over the last 15 months, Karthik had experienced a metamorphosis especially in his personal life where he suffered a very big setback which took place just before the 2012 IPL

During his two match-winning partnerships with Kohli and Dhoni in the warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and Australia, Karthik has proved he is capable of being the answer. A big ask of a batsman in the long bracket of middle overs (15-40) is he needs to be a good runner between the wickets. Karthik’s agility was on display in both the practice games and especially with Dhoni at Cardiff, the pair ran the Australian fielders ragged, never shy to even take on David Warner’s arms.Against Australia, during their 211-run partnership , Karthik and Dhoni took 94 runs in singles, twos and threes. Against Sri Lanka, during their 186-run alliance, Kohli and Karthik ran 91 runs.Highlighting the big change in Karthik over years, Dhoni mentioned how he could play the key role in the Indian middle order. “He is someone who can bat really well in the middle order. He is a good runner. He reads the situation pretty well and he is someone who can look to go on and play big innings and that is what is really important in the middle order. He is technically sound and once he gets going he keeps himself busy throughout the innings,” Dhoni said. Also with the World Cup approaching fast in less than 20 months, India need to identify their specialist batsmen and that was the one reason Dhoni pointed out that he would like Karthik to bat anywhere between No. 3 and not deeper than No. 5 because, then, the team would not extract the maximum out of him.The other difference between Karthik of the past and present is his confidence. Against quality fast bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson, Karthik walked out of his crease, not a new step, but the conviction in his strokes, about placing the ball where he wanted to, was such that he could have dominated anyone.*********Over the last 15 months, Karthik had experienced a metamorphosis especially in his personal life where he suffered a very big setback which took place just before the 2012 IPL. The incident, which has not been made public to respect his privacy, occurred during the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2012. It is understood the incident coincided with Tamil Nadu’s match against Karnataka in Bangalore. On the eve of the match, Karthik was at the lowest point in his life. The circumstances were such that a normal man would have never found it easy to remain mentally stable. Yet, Karthik decided to play the next day and picked Tamil Nadu out of the woods from 45 for 4 to a strong 270, enough for Tamil Nadu to win the match.”It was so special,” S Basu, one Karthik’s closest friends from childhood, says. “The team required him to perform and he walked out and played like a champion. It was an amazing achievement.”Karthik showed similar resolve to recover from the personal debacle of last year. The positive influence of Basu and a good set of friends he had met recently are helping him keep things clear. Basu, previously the performance and conditioning coach at the National Cricket Academy and currently serving as a trainer with Royal Challenger Bangalore, says Karthik is now in a “great space” which has allowed him to perform consistently on the field.”Mentally he is in a better frame of mind in the last six to seven months. He has understood life. He has understood cricket. And he has understood the direction he needs to take in life. He now knows when to relax and when to switch on,” Basu says.One big influence in this IPL was Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, who was part of the Mumbai Indians’ leadership team. Ponting had said that he was highly impressed with Karthik’s attitude and that he sought out Ponting a few times and used him as an inspiration to never give up. Also, the move to Mumbai Indians in the IPL has helped Karthik immensely. The team’s quest to be nothing but No. 1 allowed him to contribute and uplift his own game.Karthik turned 28 on June 1. On Monday, the Indian squad started their training by clapping him their best wishes during the team huddle. Such a warm embrace from his team probably strengthened Karthik’s resolve further. For Basu, Karthik’s best characteristic is he never gets angry. “He is not 28 as he is really matured. He is a cerebral fellow and we friends always tease him that he is the perfect package for being a family man: a husband, a father and a grandfather,” Basu says.Karthik is a perfectionist. In his one-on-one sessions with Agoram, if he played 98 out of 100 balls well but missed out on the two, he would start all over again. His intelligence, his preparation and his maturity are allowing Karthik now to believe in himself more as well as enjoy his game.Next time you see Karthik walk out on the field, observe the number on his ODI shirt – 19 is the number Rahul Dravid wore. Apparently 1 and 9 are Karthik’s favourite numbers. In fact those are the numbers he rolls the dice when he plays the roulette. At the time Dravid was playing, Karthik had 91 on the back of his shirt. After Dravid’s retirement Karthik decided to take his number. It might not matter much, but Karthik would be proud to confess that he would like to imbibe all the characteristics that made Dravid a great player, a great batsman and a great man.

Meet Geoffrey Toyana of the Lions, whose methods of achieving success aren’t too different from those of the man in charge of the No. 1 Test side

Firdose Moonda12-Apr-2013Mark Boucher. Makhaya Ntini. Ashwell Prince. Adam Bacher. Boeta Dippenaar.”Almost everyone I was with in the national academy went on to play Test cricket.” That is not quite correct but it is how Geoffrey Toyana remembers it. He can even laugh about it – these days, a little more.His first season as a franchise coach ended on Sunday with the Lions breaking a five-season trophy drought with victory in the domestic 20-over competition. They were joint holders of the one-day cup and got a second-place finish in the first-class competition, making Toyana’s maiden season among the most successful since the franchise system was put in place. (Matthew Maynard won two trophies and had a fifth-place finish in his first season at the Titans).It has also earned him national honours. Toyana will take a South African Emerging Squad to a quadrangular T20 tournament in Namibia later this month. It is not a position Toyana had imagined he would be in when he first decided he would embark on a career in cricket almost two decades ago.As a young man, Toyana was led to the pitch by his father, Gus, but he was not immediately taken in by the 22 yards in front of him. Gus played with the Majola brothers in the Eastern Cape and cricket was in his blood. He enrolled Toyana in the Baker’s Mini-Cricket programme, where Geoff remembered enjoying the free biscuits more than the games. Gus was disappointed that he did not show greater enthusiasm.”I was 15 years old when I told my father that I was not going to play cricket anymore,” Toyana said. “His response was that if I didn’t want to play his sport, I could go and find my own place to live. He was joking obviously, but it showed how much he wanted me to play cricket.”And so the boy did. Toyana’s journey began at the Soweto Cricket Club (SCC), where his talent was nurtured despite the struggle for equipment and good facilities. He quickly became one of their best players and was elevated to captain – a position he occupied for eight years. As one of the top club cricketers in the Gauteng province, he was on the radar of the higher-ups and was eventually hand-picked by Ali Bacher as one for the future.Bacher organised for Toyana to be included on the MCC’s ground staff programme in 1995. Toyana became friends with New Zealand opening batsman Matt Bell, alongside whom he played many times against county sides. “It was a fantastic learning experience. On match days at Lord’s we used to sell scorecards, and we got bowl to the internationals in the nets. I learnt a lot and when I came back, I was offered my first contract.”Toyana played at Gauteng and went to the national academy the next year but did not always live up to his potential. When he found himself on the fringes, Ray Jennings came to his rescue and took him to Easterns, just as changes began to take place on the domestic scene. When the franchises formed, Toyana considered himself lucky to receive an offer from the Titans. He had been playing for almost a decade and he knew time was not on his side.In 2007, 12 years after making his debut, the dreaded call came. “They told me it was over for me,” he said. But Easterns asked him to return and play provincially (a tier below franchise cricket), and he accepted. The following year, they needed a coach and Toyana was offered a joint role as a player-coach.He saw it as the right time to step off the field completely, took a Level 3 coaching course, and asked if he could take charge on a full-time basis. He turned out to be well-suited to the job and his stocks rose steadily. He was invited to tour as an assistant to the emerging side two years later and for last year’s Under-19 World Cup.Then came a call he had waited four years for. “Dave Nosworthy was on the line and he asked me, ‘Do you want to come home?’ I didn’t even have to think about it.”Nosworthy was in charge of the Lions, the team made up of players from Toyana’s old Gauteng and North-West, and he needed a second in command.
The Lions envisioned grooming Toyana to take over after three seasons, but when Nosworthy resigned at the end of the 2011-12 period, they made history by fast-tracking Toyana. He was the first black African to become a franchise coach, a significant fact, because the Lions were regarded as the least transformed of all teams. In a way, that made his appointment look like a quota one, but the board and Toyana didn’t let that suggestion provoke them.

At Soweto Cricket Club, they knew Toyana to be “always very analytical” but also a “very good listener”. He was the man people spoke to when they needed an ear but not necessarily an advisor, and they trusted him to be a sounding board

“He played first-class cricket at a difficult time in our country, he showed promise as a coach and he was a local, so we decided to go for it,” said Mohammed Moosajee, a Lions board member who is also the national team manager. “We knew it was a position he would develop into and that mistakes would be allowed.”In Toyana’s first match in charge, the Lions lost by ten wickets and it seemed they would continue to languish near the lower half of the table as they had in the recent past. But they won the next week, against expectation. They set the Dolphins a mere 241 to chase and the conclusion seemed foregone on the third day at 149 for 4, but Chris Morris steamed in on the final morning, the Lions took 6 for 27, and for the first time in a long while, there was a sense of belief.As the summer burned brighter, they roared louder. They sauntered through the first-class competition, finishing second behind Paul Adams’ Cobras, dominated the one-day cup and reached the final, only for the fixture to be washed out twice. They also led the T20 table and were the first team to book a spot in the Champions League.Their remarkable turnaround was put down to a change in attitude that Toyana encouraged. “He didn’t go in with a headmaster’s style. He just wanted everyone to enjoy themselves,” Moosajee said.Toyana’s tactical ability had been well-honed through years of playing cricket, and so had his people skills. At SCC, they knew him to be “always very analytical”, according to current chairman Gordon Templeton, but also a “very good listener”. He was the man people spoke to when they needed an ear but not necessarily an advisor, and they trusted him to be a sounding board.At Lions, he did a similar thing simply by making players feel comfortable. “I expect that by the time players get to franchise level, they know what to do most of the time. My job is just to serve them. Even though I am a coach, I am a person as well, and that’s how I approached it,” he said.He paired some junior players with old hands, having Test opener Alviro Petersen watch over the prodigious talent that is Quinton de Kock, Neil McKenzie mentor Temba Bavuma, and Imran Tahir work with fellow legspinner Eddie Leie. “That way I knew they were in good hands,” he said.Those youngsters have been key to the Lions’ success and showed the health of cricket in the province is not as poor as was once suspected. “I suppose we were a little surprised in the way he backed the youngsters and stuck with them. It was quite brave,” Moosajee said. And it paid off.Confidence ran high and support swelled. At the T20 final, among the 14,000 fans at the Wanderers (a significant number for a domestic match), were 100 former players and administrators of the SCC, where Toyana regularly offers to help out despite his franchise duties. “We are so proud of him,” Templeton said.To know people from his childhood were behind him left Toyana “humbled, because that is a very special place for me”. The victory will have given them something equally special to celebrate with one of their own. But Toyana knows it will not always be this good.”My biggest challenge is to keep the guys focused, to keep them coming back and performing again and again. At the start of the season we said that our goal is to be the best franchise in the country and to do that we have to win year after year,” he said.There is a bit of Gary Kirsten in that statement. South Africa’s coach often says his aim is to make sure his team becomes (in limited-overs) and stays (in the Test arena) the best in the world and he wants his players to understand the processes that will help them do that.”I can see a lot of Gary’s methods in Geoff,” Moosajee said. “He gets the players to take responsibility, which is important when you want to build a successful unit.”Praise of that magnitude is something Toyana may only have expected to receive after years on the job. Even though it has come now, he said he has a long way to go before he can step into Kirsten’s shoes.”I am not even thinking that far. I am still trying to learn how to control the emotions of being a franchise coach. Maybe in ten years’ time I can think of things like that,” Toyana said. If it happens, he would have something to compare with his national academy team-mates.

Usually, anything less than a clean sweep against Bangladesh would have invited criticism, but not when Sri Lanka are trying out their next generation

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Apr-2013As Sri Lanka’s mixed tour arrived at a happy close in Pallekele, Twenty20 captain Dinesh Chandimal’s words after the game suggested an encouraging future, just as Angelo Mathews’ comments had done after a loss, three nights earlier. Amid a flood of praise for Kusal Perera’s bat speed and brutality, Chandimal explained how he would spend the imminent two-month break from international cricket, instead of travelling to India for the IPL.
“Over the next two months, I’ll be doing a lot of training,” he said. “I still have a few issues with my technique that need to be sorted out, so I will be working very hard with the national coaches to correct those issues, looking forward to a busy season.”It was heartening, honest, realism from a young captain, desperate to improve himself after having embarked on a season of sudden responsibility. Captaincy aside, he is now the Test side’s wicketkeeper, as well as vice-captain and a key batsman in all three formats. Four months ago, he did not find a place in any of Sri Lanka’s preferred XIs.Mathews had also been candid and introspective after the loss in the third ODI. A wet ball played its role in the result, as did a shortened chase that tilted the match slightly in the visitors’ favour, but Mathews refused to find fault anywhere but in Sri Lanka’s own performance. It has been a difficult tour for him, with his side having achieved worse-than-anticipated results in the Tests and ODIs. But although he could have justifiably called for patience as an inexperienced captain leading a regenerating side, he apportioned blame where it was deserved and emphasised a commitment to correcting specific shortcomings.Though as a side, Sri Lanka will be disappointed at not having whitewashed Bangladesh in all formats, as they have done in every home series before, their two young leaders have displayed an awareness of the bigger game that is afoot; that of preparing for a future without Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene or Tillakaratne Dilshan. It appears that Kusal Perera is likely to become a mainstay – particularly as he could relieve Chandimal of the gloves, if they are deemed too big a burden. Lahiru Thirimanne has also begun producing high-quality innings in earnest, despite not having a settled place in the top order. And Chandimal’s own batting has already made major strides towards fortitude and consistency.Mathews’ captaincy betrayed his inexperience at times, particularly as he rifled through bowlers in the Tests, as quickly as most captains would in an ODI. But he hardly allowed the game to meander either, as Dilshan did during his unsuccessful stint at the helm. Under Chandimal’s effervescent leadership, the side was electric in the field, and flourished as a collective. He will regret having given part-timer Angelo Perera an over, when plenty remained from his frontline bowlers, but there was much encouragement as well. In all three formats, Chandimal and Mathews were in constant, often animated discussion, before fields were set and bowling changes made.In the future, it is conceivable the pair might exchange leadership between formats. Chandimal is patently unready for Test captaincy, but his talents and temperament – immature though both still are – seem better suited to the longest format, where he has been most impressive for Sri Lanka. Mathews’ all-round ability, meanwhile, is a better fit for limited-overs cricket, where he rarely allows a game to pass in which he has not contributed in either discipline. Sri Lanka’s selectors have felt it wise not to overload either captain with all three formats for now, but even as they develop, Chandimal and Mathews appear to have a relationship that might empower a successful split captaincy in years to come.At any other time, as unconvincing a series as this against Bangladesh would constitute a substantial failing for Sri Lanka. A firm focus on youth during this tour has given the side a grace period, in which poor results will be easily forgiven and forgotten. But if Sri Lanka are to become a major force in cricket once more, Chandimal and Mathews must ensure the improvements they have spoken of come swiftly, and emphatically.

With their form and home advantage disappearing, Alastair Cook’s side are being viewed differently ahead of the Champions Trophy

George Dobell04-Jun-2013It is remarkable how quickly things can change. A week ago, in the eyes of many, England were favourites for the Champions Trophy. A week ago, the theory was that in home conditions and armed with two new balls, England would prevail in low-scoring matches. A week ago, England had a balanced attack, a settled team and a tried and trusted method that had brought them unprecedented success.Suddenly, that all seems like a long time ago. Suddenly, England’s top order are seen to lack urgency, the bowling to lack bite or control, and the middle-order to lack experience and form. England, in the eyes of many, have gone from favourites to no-hopers in the blink of an eye.It is true that there have been some worrying signs in the opening two ODIs against New Zealand. On excellent batting tracks and with the ball barely swinging, England’s methods have appeared obsolete. The support bowlers have been inadequate replacements for the injured Steven Finn and Stuart Broad and the batsmen, without the injured Kevin Pietersen, have lacked the firepower to mend the damage inflicted by their own bowlers conceding too many runs. In short, England’s best-laid plans have been torn to shreds.But it is worth thinking back a little further. It is worth remembering that this England side is, give or take a position here and there, the same one that rose to the top of the ODI rankings less than a year ago. This is the first time England have lost a home ODI series since 2009 and the same side that won a record 10 ODIs in succession a year ago. It is worth remembering how well New Zealand have played and it is worth remembering what happens when England abandon continuity of selection to chase results. They have been down that path. It does not have a happy ending.That is not to say all is perfect. If England have learned anything from this series, it is how important some of their key players are to their success. The reputations of Pietersen, Finn and Broad have all been boosted by their absence. Jade Dernbach and Chris Woakes are both admirable cricketers but, in these conditions and at this stage of their careers, they have struggled to manage the role they have been given.Recent results also suggest England have no Plan B. Not since 2006 have England suffered a whitewash in a home ODI series. On that occasion, when Sri Lanka thrashed them 5-0, just as now, England came unstuck on the flattest of pitches when scores in excess of 300 became par. England remain an excellent side in conditions when 260 is par, but there is little record of them excelling when that figure rises to 300. Indeed, while Ian Bell, speaking at Trent Bridge on Monday, reckoned England would have “knocked off 320 quite comfortably” it is worth remembering that no England side has ever done so. England’s highest successful chase in an ODI is the 306 for 5 they made against Pakistan in Karachi in October 2000.

Mitchell McClenaghan might have reserved his most uncomfortable delivery of the ODI series against England for his views on their leading player. He claimed there might be times when New Zealand could prefer not to dismiss Jonathan Trott as his run-rate was “not overly a threat”.
“We’re quite in control of being able to contain Trotty,” McClenaghan said. “He’s not one of the easiest batsmen to get out. You need to get him early but he’s not overly a threat for us when he’s out there. It’s more about really attacking the guy at the other end and putting the pressure on him. He’s definitely the rock of their unit but I don’t mind bowling to him.”

You could argue that if England require levellers such as helpful bowling conditions to allow them to compete they might simply not be a very good side. Certainly this squad would be ranked outsiders if this event was to be played in Asia or Australia.But the disappointment for England is that it appears there may be no home advantage to them in hosting the Champions Trophy. The white Kookaburra ball seems to offer their bowlers little swing and the pitches seem to have few of the characteristics that might usually define English conditions. Even the appearance of the sun – a rare visitor to the English cricket season of late – has appeared to mock them and reduce the potency of their seasons and exacerbate the limitations of their batsmen.Might there be other options who could have offered an alternative, more aggressive method? Of course. But for all the potential of Ben Stokes, who did himself no favours after being sent home from the Lions tour of the, Alex Hales, who didn’t take his chance as a senior player on the same tour, James Taylor or James Vince, much of England’s success in recent times has been built upon the solid starts provided by the current top three. It would have been extraordinary to change a winning formula after the success of 2012. Besides, it is too late to change the Champions Trophy squad now; alterations are only allowed in the event of injury. But if England are unsuccessful in the Champions Trophy, all four younger men will come into consideration ahead of the 2015 World Cup.It may be unfair to judge England’s batsmen too harshly, anyway. While many of them were chastised for making starts but then losing their wickets, the problem at the Ageas Bowl, at least, was that their target was simply too large. They have been forced to take too many risks, too early in their innings and lost their wickets as a result.There was some encouraging news for England on Tuesday. Finn and Broad both took a full part in training and bowled with good pace, though whether they play on Wednesday remains to be seen.With the series gone, England may well experiment a little at Trent Bridge. There is a strong case for resting James Anderson and, despite this being his home ground, Graeme Swann too. James Tredwell could come into the side and, if England decide to keep Finn and Broad on ice – in Finn’s case almost literally as he nurses his sore shins – Boyd Rankin could play, too. Bell described facing him as “absolutely horrible” and, while he has rarely enjoyed the sustained fitness levels to maintain the consistency required to be a top international bowler, there is little doubt that, on his day, Rankin, with his height, pace and movement, can be a nasty proposition for any batsman. What sense it makes to now play a man not included in the Champions Trophy squad may well be asked.Ravi Bopara will come into contention, too. While his form with the bat has receded, his worth as a bowler has increased and he could, perhaps in partnership with Jonathan Trott and Joe Root, fill a role as the fifth bowler. He also has a reputation as a skilled polisher of a cricket ball. In a game of fine margins, such factors can be crucial.

ESPNcricinfo presents the top five moments from the inaugural Caribbean Premier League

Renaldo Matadeen26-Aug-2013Devon Thomas’ catch of Dwayne Smith
Removing Smith off fellow Bajan Kemar Roach never looked as good as this. Thomas, known for his antics as a wicketkeeper usually for Leeward Islands, proved that plucking a ball out of the air in spectacular fashion was something not exclusive to baseball or the American National Football League. The fact that he took it leaping with his right hand stretched over his head made it much more dynamic. The nonchalant manner in which he performed this acrobatic feat left the crowd in disbelief.Krishmar Santokie dismantling Chris Gayle’s stumps
A perfectly pitched delivery. More than Gayle playing all over it, it was the ball beating the batsman comprehensively. Gayle was somewhat struggling to build his team’s foundation in the CPL and Jamaica Tallawah’s momentum was nowhere near the upswing as Guyana Amazon Warriors’. The Jamaican seamer Santokie was the focal point of Guyana’s early-stage campaign and this wicket exemplified that. Gayle’s look back at the stumps on his way out was priceless and Santokie knew this would be a scalp to remember.Ricky Ponting’s verbal tussle with Tino Best
Best’s exuberance and passion often gets the best of him, as the English would attest, and who better to prod at his strings than Ponting. Ponting’s often been chastised by West Indian fans, not because of his skill as a player or captain, but by his on-field “extra-curriculars”. As he and Best taunted each other, it was clear that one was playing mind games to get the other to react. Darren Sammy had to restrain Best but the Caribbean region surely enjoyed this exchange. Ponting’s wry smile said it all.Andre Russell’s 29* off 6
Seeing the second semi-final ending with three consecutive sixes was worth the price of admission. Russell was the leading six-hitter in the tournament with 16 and he pulled out shots from his arsenal at every juncture. These series of moments combined to form one of the most jovial sparks of the CPL and with each blow, Barbados captain Kieron Pollard’s head dropped lower and lower. How the tables were turned with Russell administering Pollard a bit of his own medicine. Russell was one of the most consistently entertaining factors of the tournament.Shakib Al Hasan’s sixth wicket
Shakib became the darling of the CPL with unbelievable figures of 6 for 6 against Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel. As he took his sixth wicket, the approval of the home crowd at Bridgetown roared through the night. Any one of these “superb six” could be counted as his most cherished. But it was his celebration on the final one that resonated the most. The CPL held a new appreciation for the Bangladeshi as he consigned Dwayne Bravo’s men to defeat. As Bravo slumped, resigned to his crushing loss, the high-fives and smiles of the Barbados players relegated T&T fans into acknowledging how much the CPL would gain from these international stars.

Chris Rogers scored a century that was scratchy, ugly and lucky. It was also the equal of any made by an Australian in the past 18 months

Brydon Coverdale at Chester-le-Street10-Aug-2013Michael Hussey and Simon Katich were masters of scoring hundreds with barely a memorable stroke. A nudge here, a push there, a crisp drive, an efficient pull. Nothing too extravagant, nothing too risky. GPS-like knowledge of off stump’s position. The willingness to leave balls outside it. Repeatedly. The patience to make bowlers come to them. Repeatedly. The hunger to do so day in, day out, year in, year out. Repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly.Through future planning, Australia no longer have Katich. Through a breakdown of it, they no longer have Hussey. But they do have Chris Rogers, who works in the same understated way. Rusted on to first-class cricket since last century, Rogers has piled up hundreds for Victoria, Western Australia, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Middlesex. Sixty, in fact. All the while, he has made them by making bowlers come to him.It was fitting that Rogers’ maiden Test hundred was a trial of technique in seriously testing conditions, against high-class seam and swing bowling. Such situations have been Australia’s downfall in recent years, from 88 against Pakistan in Leeds in 2010 to 47 to 98 against England on Boxing Day later that year, to 47 in Cape Town in 2011. This was why Rogers was recalled at 35. To add some guts to Australia’s batting order. To provide some resolve.When Rogers was asked if his 60 first-class centuries helped him as he approached his maiden Test hundred, he was unequivocal. “They don’t count for a thing,” he said. Perhaps that was true once Rogers reached the nineties. As Graeme Swann attacked the stumps, Rogers became possessed by paranoia. Every ball could make or break a dream he had nurtured through boyhood, maintained through manhood and abandoned in veteranhood.An empty, echoing MCG, a tranquil county ground in Derby, nothing could prepare Rogers for the pressure of nearing an Ashes ton. But it was precisely such experiences that allowed him to reach the point at which paranoia could kick in. There are those who will say Rogers was lucky to get to his century. Of course he was. What batsman has ever made a hundred in trying conditions and not enjoyed a measure of good fortune? But Rogers allowed himself to still be there to be lucky.Broad praise for Rogers

England bowler Stuart Broad paid tribute to Chris Rogers, Australia’s centurion. “It’s tough for an Englishman to feel pleased for an Aussie scoring a hundred in an Ashes Test,” Broad said. “Especially when you’re bowling against him. But there’s no doubt he’s been a great servant to Australian cricket and English cricket. I played with him at Leicester when he played a game against the Aussies. He’s scored 20,000 first-class runs, which is an amazing effort, and he played fantastically well.
“You have to give a lot of credit to the way he dug it out. He realised that the wicket’s not made for flashy strokeplay. It is a real grinding wicket where you have to accumulate your runs. It’s certainly the best wicket we’ve had to bowl seam on in this Ashes series.
“I don’t think a batsman’s ever fully in on that wicket. But it’s conducive to players who really fight for their runs and who aren’t overly flashy. Again that fills us with confidence going into that third innings, because we have three players at the top of the order who really dig in and fight and fight for their runs. We know from the past that, in the third innings, when we do bat and have targets to go for, we are very good at that.”

His opening partner David Warner was bowled, late on a ball he appeared set to leave, unaware of his off stump’s position. Usman Khawaja was also the victim of his own uncertainty, bottom-edging a ball he shaped to play and then tried to leave. Michael Clarke drove recklessly outside off and edged behind, Steven Smith also poked and tickled to Matt Prior. On a seaming pitch, they were balls Rogers would have left.His approach seemed to rub off on Shane Watson, who started tentatively but worked his way into Test-match touch. When Watson leaves outside off, he does it with the reluctance of a new dieter leaving half a plate of food untouched. Rogers leaves it out of habit; he knows there will always be a better choice, a healthier option. Here, he waited for the balls on his pads, working runs behind square or through midwicket.And there were enough bad balls that he was able to not get bogged down. He reached his half-century from 87 deliveries, a fine effort in such difficult conditions. This is a man who knows his scoring areas. At the crease, Rogers is still, efficient in his movements. Here, he played the ball late, not reaching, just deflecting, nudging, driving when the fast bowlers overpitched.Often his leaves looked like plays and misses, for really he was just getting to off stump and dragging the bat inside the line of the ball. Of course, there were plenty of times, particularly in a searching spell from Stuart Broad, he was genuinely beaten outside off. But rarely was he beaten while chasing wide balls he could have left, and when he was he chastised himself greatly, as when he flung the bat at a wide tempter from James Anderson.Unlike Warner, he covered his off stump scrupulously against the fast bowlers. It was that practice that saved him from one of his closest calls, when he was given out caught behind and asked for a review. The replays showed Rogers had not hit the ball but Broad’s delivery might have hit the stumps had it not clipped the batsman’s leg on the way through. It was, however, an “umpire’s call” on the lbw, which saved Rogers as he had been given out not lbw but caught behind. Protecting his off stump had saved him.There were moments of genuine good fortune, as when he was dropped at slip on 49, but even then his style of stroke kept the ball low. He was lucky, but he contributed to his own good fortune. By the close of play, Rogers had survived the nervous 96s and was a Test centurion.The biggest Test hundreds are not always the finest, and his effort was the equal of any by an Australian since late 2011, when Clarke scored a magic 151 on the Cape Town surface on which Australia were later bowled out for 47, and David Warner’s bat-carrying effort on a seamer in Hobart the following month.They were the kind of innings that featured more regularly when Katich and Hussey were around. Australia may no longer have either of those men but they now have Rogers. And having waited so long, he is hungry. They can have him as long as they like.

Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa

Firdose Moonda in Abu Dhabi17-Oct-2013Doosra of the day
Saeed Ajmal knew he would be able to test South Africa’s lower order with his wrong’un and he did so on several occasions. The most eye-catching of them came early on, when he bowled one to nighwatchman Dale Steyn from around the wicket. The ball fizzed past the outside edge of the bat and had Steyn completely foxed. Adnan Akmal might have been too because he launched into a vociferous appeal for caught behind, although the ball had missed absolutely everything.Catch of the day
Just as Faf du Plessis was starting to frustrate Pakistan with his stoic style of resistance, Ajmal produced a blinder to get rid of him. Du Plessis drove back towards Ajmal, who had to reach low down to his right to take the catch. Ajmal reacted quickly, stepping in the correct direction just in time and stretching as far as he could to end du Plessis pained stay in the middle.Mistake of the day
Pakistan have hardly put a foot wrong in this match but as the South Africa tail kept them in the field, they started making a few. Akmal committed the most glaring error, dropping Robin Peterson on 46 to deny Ajmal the breakthrough. Peterson was tentative against spin early one but settled nicely. When he moved back to cut Ajmal, he got a faint edge but Akmal could not hold on. Ajmal only stared darkly in irritation.Redemption of the day
Seven balls later, Akmal made up for his blunder – but he almost did not. Vernon Philander got a thick outside edge to an Ajmal ball that turned into him. The edge nearly had the better of Akmal who saw the ball pop out of his hand on first take. He juggled, no doubt anxiously, before securing his fingers around the ball and taking Pakistan to within one wicket of chasing a small total.Celebration of the day
Perhaps in the assumption that he would not have to come out to bat and score the winning runs, Ajmal celebrated the final wicket as though the Test match had been won. Morne Morkel presented him with a straighforward chance, a leading edge and an easy catch. Ajmal stood mid-pitch, arms spread, back bent, chest puffed out and let out an almighty roar while the crowd joined in. This result is big for Pakistan and that expression illustrated just how big.Nervous moment of the day
Being on the verge of an upset of this magnitude would have generated nerves of excitement for Pakistan but few would have believed it would leave them on 9 for 3. When Shan Masood and Azhar Ali were undone by a decent ball and a loose shot it may have been seen as par for the course but when Khurram Manzoor was drawn into a drive, it seemed the impossible may become possible. South Africa celebrated the scalp with glee, with AB de Villiers particularly vocal, while the partisan crowd went quiet with worry. The hush that descended over the ground reflected the disbelief that Pakistan could self-destruct from such a position of strength and was only eased by the presence of Pakistan’s Mr Reliable, Misbah-ul-Haq walking out to calm things down.

As the cricketing world goes into a farewell frenzy, the city’s humble and school playgrounds that moulded Sachin Tendulkar into the cricketer he is today remain as simple and unpretentious as ever

Sidharth Monga and Amol Karhadkar13-Nov-2013They’re naming gymkhanas after him, they’re minting gold coins with his face on it, politicians are falling over each other to honour him, jealous administrators are trying to pull the rug out from under each other’s feet, but thankfully they have left alone the places that made Sachin Tendulkar, some of which were made by Tendulkar. More than any other cricketer of his era, Tendulkar has been about his fans. How nice it would have been had the politicians, businessmen and administrators running Indian cricket sent some of them to visit these places in the weeks leading up to his farewell.The unkempt maidans (fields), the unassuming school, the residential buildings, they all have something genuine to say about Tendulkar. Mumbai cricket even. Mumbai even. They don’t stand out or lose their simplicity just because Tendulkar was there. In the week in which Tendulkar will end his international career, it is business as usual in the places where Tendulkar has spent most of his life outside international cricket.Shivaji Park in Dadar has kids playing even at 11am because the Diwali holidays are on. Different clubs, teams and individuals own plots here, as on other maidans, where they hold their nets sessions, training and games. Some parts of the ground are bald, some have long, untended grass, and some are well taken care of. There is no boundary rope, and no white-paint markings anywhere, though. The young Tendulkar’s coach, Ramakant Achrekar, used to teach at the Kamat pitch. Not all the players here can point to it. It is not a patch of great interest.The Kamat pitch is close to the centre of the ground, leaning towards the northeast. Next to it, a serious match of cricket is on. The whites worn by the kids – no older than 15 – are immaculate, there is no sightscreen, the umpire moves to the other end at the end of the over, and the keeper wears a helmet. The field is pretty attacking, but there is no boundary here either. That’s the Mumbai way: you don’t think of hitting boundaries, you just bat. You have to run your runs, and are not allowed to hit in the air. “Hawet maaraycha nahee.” These kids have picked up a lot of mannerisms from televised cricket, but the coaches here are making sure they play proper cricket, at least in their formative years. The Bombay school of batsmanship lives on, at least for the time being. There is something peaceful about Shivaji Park despite its being bang in the middle of busy mid-town Dadar. You get to watch innocent cricket, sit in the shade of the many trees, eat (peanuts) and wonder what others whiling away their time here are up to. Some of them are fast asleep on the benches.Shardashram school teacher Ragini Desai flanked by a young Vinod Kambli and Sachin Tendulkar•ESPNcricinfo LtdAbout three kilometres to the southeast is Shardashram, Tendulkar’s school since 1984. Except you can’t spot it without having gone past it two or three times. The Shardashram residential society opposite the school is more prominent. The school doesn’t have a single photo of Tendulkar. The only signs that he – and others like Chandrakant Pandit, Pravin Amre, Vinod Kambli, Ajit Agarkar and more than 100 Ranji cricketers – studied here are the trophies in the cabinet in the principal’s office. The board outside is small, the front of the building is rented out to a bank and a gym, and its simple colour scheme makes it look every bit like a school meant for, as principal Krishna Shirsat puts it, the “lower-middle and middle class”.Shirsat used to teach maths and chemistry when Achrekar brought Tendulkar here in 1984. Cricket was the sole reason for his move from a school in his suburb, Bandra. Shardashram would even move its internal exams when they clashed with the cricket. And cricket was all Tendulkar did.”We used to win everything,” says Shirsat. “Harris Shield, Giles Shield, Vinoo Mankad, Matunga Shield… And because we won everything, there would be a first round, second round, third round, and so on. So as soon as the cricket season started in July, you would rarely see Sachin in school.” Shisrat would always be available to help Tendulkar, should he need help with maths and chemistry after school hours. When he was selected for Mumbai in 1988-89, the match clashed with a practical board exam, and Shirsat tried to use all his influence to make a special allowance for Tendulkar so he could take the exam after the match.About two years after Tendulkar enrolled, along came Ragini Desai, a physical training and Hindi teacher, a jovial woman with an expressive face and constantly moving eyes. Achrekar was Shardashram’s cricket coach, she was the team’s manager. She was present when Achrekar blasted Tendulkar and Kambli for batting on and on and putting on a 664-run partnership against a weak team. She knows of all the (a street food) escapades of the two friends, and she has a valuable notebook titled “Cricket”.When she went to matches with the team, Desai recorded brief scores in this notebook. She added clippings from newspapers next to the scores as the kids became more and more famous. She has preserved that notebook, and would love to show it to Tendulkar, but she hasn’t ever had the opportunity to meet him after he left school. She hasn’t tried to do so either. She would love to go to the Wankhede Stadium for Tendulkar’s last match, but she is not complaining about how the chances of getting a ticket are minimal.A view from the corridors of Shardashram Vidyamandir•ESPNcricinfo LtdThis school-playground duo is complemented by the tag team of Sahitya Sahawas and MIG cricket club, further north, in Bandra East. Along the way you pass two other influences on Tendulkar’s life: the Siddhivinayak temple where he sneaks in to pray late in the night, and St Michael’s church in Mahim, where his wife, Anjali, lights a candle for him every week.Sahitya Sahawas literally translates to “literature living together”. A building in Worli where Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Dilip Vengsarkar and Ajit Wadekar lived is named Sportsfield. Sahitya Sahawas is the Sportsfield of Marathi literature. It is where Tendulkar lived as a child. The Tendulkars have neither sold their house here nor rented it out. The guard – stern but not rude – says it will take an application to the secretary of the building a day in advance for him to even point to the window of the Tendulkars.A stone’s throw away, MIG is more open to intruders. A huge Tendulkar mural has come up only a couple of days ago on its main wall. So close to his childhood home, in a city with houses with no outdoor spaces to play sport in, MIG has been Tendulkar’s personal laboratory. Over the years – 25 to be precise – MIG has fulfilled his odd wishes, says Aashish Patnakar, the club’s secretary.Before going to Australia, Tendulkar would practise on half-pitches with rubber balls; he got that here. Before going to England he wanted to bat against wet balls on moist, grassy pitches; he got that here. When he was recuperating from a back injury, he wanted to jog here, but not during the day; they would open up for him at 4.30am. During the busy season when all grounds are occupied, Tendulkar can come to MIG and expect to get a proper facility during the lunch break, which is extended to one hour for his benefit.The Sahitya Sahawas colony, where Sachin Tendulkar lived as a child•ESPNcricinfo LtdIt is here that Tendulkar and his friend Atul Ranade used to do what technology has just started doing: simulate different bowling actions and release points on a bowling machine. Ranade was a master at doing impressions, and he would run in imitating different bowlers and help Tendulkar prepare for different actions. Even when Tendulkar moved to Bandra West – closer to the sea, posher – he would come here to practise.In Bandra West, Shirsat went to meet Tendulkar about five years ago at his residence in his new building, La Mer. “I told his PA I wanted to meet Sachin,” Shirsat says. “His PA said I would have to wait for 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, he came and told me Sachin was too busy. I got angry, and asked the PA to tell Sachin that Shirsat sir has come, does he want to meet him?”And Sachin came running like a four-five-year-old kid comes running to his parents. And then we spoke for 15 minutes with him looking down. Even in school he would look down after saying something “Tendulkar has now given up that apartment for a bungalow of his own, not too far away, in the same suburb. A police van outside the bungalow is a permanent presence nowadays. He is also a member of parliament, although the other day he drove himself far into the north of the city, to the suburb of Kandivli, for a Mumbai Cricket Association function. The bungalow now looks like a fortress.When he was desperate to move in here, he got the workers to do double shifts. The noise in the night obviously disturbed the neighbours. The neighbours were each given a handwritten letter from Tendulkar, asking for their co-operation with the Tendulkars who needed to shift there as soon as possible. No one complained after that.It’s back in south Mumbai that the boy became a man in the world of cricket, playing Kanga League matches in senior sides on wet pitches at Oval Maidan, Cross Maidan and Azad Maidan. His debut as an 11-year-old came for a side housed at Azad Maidan, which is equally well known for being a venue for strikes and agitations. Two days before Tendulkar starts his final Test, about three kilometres from here, fasts until death are being observed for 100% subsidy by the higher-secondary school committee, for railway admissions under notification 1/2007; and an indefinite protest – among others – for an 8% reservation for a particular community. Big photos of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and Che Guevara abound.Many such protests would have been on when Tendulkar went into the tent of John Bright Club in 1984. These maidans are all heritage sites, so no club can build permanent structures here. The notices outside clearly ban any kind of commercialisation in the form of posters, banners or advertisements on the fences of the maidans; cooking, hawking, peddling et cetera are outlawed; water connections can only be used by proper authorities for “in general, only cricketing activities”.Tendulkar’s next club, SF Sassanian, is like John Bright in betraying no signs that Tendulkar was first seen by the cricketing world while playing in the Kanga League for them. All it has for a dressing room is six ramshackle benches and a few cupboards.All this, Tendulkar’s world before he scored a century on first-class debut, hasn’t changed much over the years. Everywhere you go, Shivaji Park, Oval Maidan, Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan, you can imagine that curly-haired boy squeaking away – he was quiet only while teachers were around, every teacher of his says – from net to net, from to riding pillion on Achrekar’s scooter, having fun with not a bother in the world, eating , going to school once in a while.You can find a bit of Tendulkar all over Mumbai. And you don’t need plaques, commemorative coins or extravagant felicitations to establish that bond.

When he isn’t hurling them at batsmen, Domnic Joseph manufactures bullets at Ammunition Factory Khadki in Pune’s cantonment area

Amol Karhadkar in Mumbai07-Jan-2014Seldom does Indian cricket see a pace bowler who hurls bullets at batsmen. In Domnic Joseph, Maharashtra have someone who not only bowls bullets but makes them as well. Literally.Joseph, who consistently clocks speeds around mid-130 kph, is employed with Ammunition Factory Khadki (AFK) in Pune’s cantonment area. It’s an erstwhile British arms manufacturing unit that has now been converted into the Indian government’s premier small arms production company. For eight years now, whenever Joseph is not playing cricket, he is busy manufacturing revolver bullets.Joseph is 32, and only began playing first-class cricket three years ago. There are two reasons for this. The death of his father, who had been a driver at AFK, meant cricket was not a priority. “I had three older sisters, and I started playing again only after all of them were married and settled and once I got married as well.”The second reason is his unconventional cricketing journey. A major step in this journey was a change in job description. “After doing a desk job at the High Explosives Factory for three years, I sought a transfer to AFK,” Joseph says. “We have about six stations with massive machines. Every minute we produce 100 bullets and 17,000 in each of the two shifts.”The transfer to AFK allowed him to pay more attention to his cricket. Working at AFK, where he manufactured .32 bullets – “the same ones that are used in all the police revolvers” – he became eligible to represent them in the Industrial League. This prompted his employers to let him leave two hours earlier than usual so he could train. Soon, he became a familiar face in Pune’s club arena.After facing him in the Industrial League, a couple of Maharashtra regulars recommended his name to Surendra Bhave, then an India selector and now Maharashtra’s coach.”We invited him for a session at the Cadence Academy (where Bhave is head coach) just before the 2011 season and I was mightily impressed,” Bhave says.What followed over the next three days was a fairytale for Joseph. Bhave asked the then Maharashtra coach Shaun Williams to have a look at him the next day. On the third day, both approached Pandurang Salgaoncar, the former fast bowler who was the chief selector. “All three of us were convinced that he was ready for first-class cricket, so we selected him and he didn’t let us down at all,” Bhave says.Though he has been plagued with injuries during his roller-coaster career, Joseph has impressed most of his opponents with his heavy ball. This season, it has fetched him 13 wickets in four matches at 22.84. Even Wasim Jaffer, the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy history, was watching him closely while he bowled at the Wankhede nets on the eve of Maharashtra’s quarterfinal against Mumbai.Joseph hasn’t fully recovered from a hamstring pull that forced him to skip Maharashtra’s last league game, but the team management might take a chance with him, considering the Wankhede pitch is likely to assist pace bowlers. If he does get a go, the bowler who had “never ever imagined playing competitive cricket, let alone Ranji Trophy” will play the biggest match of a short career.

Stats highlights from the fourth ODI in Hamilton, which New Zealand won to seal the series

S Rajesh28-Jan-2014

• New Zealand’s seven-wicket win means they have an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series, thus giving them their first series victory in a bilateral home series, against an opposition other than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, since 2008-09. In that season they would beaten West Indies 2-1, with two games being washed out. (They also beat England 3-1 in February 2008.) Since then they lost at home to India, Australia, Pakistan, South Africa and England, and drew 2-2 against West Indies earlier this season. (Click here for the full list.) It’s also New Zealand’s first win in a series of five or more matches since that 2008-09 victory against West Indies.
• New Zealand’s total of 280 for 3 is their biggest score in a successful run-chase against India; their previous-best was 278 in Harare in 2005. They also scored 334 in Christchurch in 2009, but they lost that one, as they were chasing a target of 393.
• The difference between the two teams over the series has largely been the manner in which they have tackled the first ten overs. Over these four matches, New Zealand averaged 5.35 runs per over, and thrice exceeded 50 after ten; India, on the other hand, went past 45 only once at the end of ten overs, and averaged 4.37 per over. In the first ten, New Zealand struck 30 fours, compared to just 17 by India. In the middle overs there was little to differentiate the two teams: India had the marginally higher run rate despite playing more dots. And in the last ten both teams were absolutely even in terms of runs scored, run rate, and dot balls. The difference in stats in the first ten, though, tilted the balance in New Zealand’s favour. That was the biggest difference in Hamilton too: India’s ten-over score was 28 for 2; New Zealand’s was 65 for 2.
  

  How New Zealand and India scored their runs in the series

  Overs	Team	Runs/ balls	Dots	4s/ 6s	Average	Run rate
  1-10	New Zealand	214/ 240	158	30/ 2	35.67	5.35
  	India	175/ 240	169	17/ 7	29.16	4.37
  11-40	New Zealand	685/ 720	327	56/ 14	57.08	5.70
  	India	704/ 720	348	61/ 17	44.00	5.86
  41-50	New Zealand	258/ 181	66	17/ 15	28.67	8.55
  	India	258/ 181	66	22/ 10	23.45	8.55

• New Zealand’s chase was fashioned around a superb 130-run partnership between Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson, both of whom have had a wonderful series. Taylor’s unbeaten 112, the ninth hundred of his ODI career, pushed his series aggregate up to 241, the first time he has scored more than 200 runs in a bilateral series. Williamson’s 60 is his fourth 50-plus score in as many innings in this series, thus putting him in a select band of three New Zealand batsmen who’ve topped 50 four or more times in a bilateral series. The other two are Nathan Astle, who achieved the feat twice, and Andrew Jones.
• The record for most runs by a New Zealand batsman in a bilateral series is 351, by Astle against Zimbabwe in 1998. Williamson, currently on 273, needs to score at least 79 in the last match to go past that mark.
• India lost for the sixth time in eight ODIs in Hamilton, which is clearly one of their least favourite overseas venues: among overseas grounds where they’ve played at least five ODIs, only at two grounds do they have a worse record: in Port Elizabeth and Christchurch.
• India’s total got up to a respectable 278 thanks to the 127-run unbeaten stand between MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, the second-highest by any team for the sixth wicket in Hamilton, and the third-best for that wicket for India when playing away from home.
• When the match started, Dhoni was 80 away from 8000 ODI runs; he finished not out on 79, which means he is still a run short of that landmark. If he gets there in his next innings, he would have played 214, which will make him the fourth-fastest in ODI history to get to 8000 runs – only Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara have got there in fewer innings.