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After a bewitching tactical approach carried them unblemished through the group stage, New Zealand’s flirtation with a maiden World T20 trophy came to a harsh end

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Delhi30-Mar-2016Like any good relationship, this one had been founded on mutual respect. When New Zealand came upon their first pitch of the tournament, there had of course been those familiar stirrings of early romance – the long searching gazes, the way it felt to touch, maybe a few butterflies in the stomach.But it was respect that set the fire alight. New Zealand saw the clay’s tawny complexion and were moved enough to wish to change themselves. The spearhead quicks were ditched. A small bouquet of spinners – an offie, a left-armer and a legbreak bowler – was brought forth.To this the pitch could not help but respond. It turned for them. The ball dived and jived and danced. Paris is the city of sweethearts, they say, but here was love forged in Nagpur. And it was no mild infatuation. A win was by 47 runs.On to three other destinations, and the connection between New Zealand and the Indian clay grew deeper. The Dharamsala pitch fell for Mitchell McClenaghan’s hit-the-deck pace. The slightly faster Mohali surface gave in to Martin Guptill’s strokeplay and Adam Milne’s energy. When the slow bowlers bloomed in Kolkata again, a sense of destiny became attached to this relationship.A far-off team going all the way on Indian pitches? A sixth winner in six tournaments? Many watching on pondered how lovely it could be. This match was so exotic, who could help but wish them well?But in Delhi, two steps away from the title, how quickly it all unravelled. Kane Williamson made the first mistake. A sense of destiny still running strong at 91 for 1, he swiped across the line to send the ball high into the air. But this was just a minor tiff, you thought. This could easily be survived. There was Corey Anderson to come, Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott.Later in the evening, New Zealand would go on to disrespect the pitch, but first they disrespected themselves, which was worse. Well-enough poised for a death-overs push, Luke Ronchi sent a Ben Stokes full toss high into the night, and was caught at long-off. Another full toss next ball, and Corey Anderson repeats the mistake. New Zealand were slurring words and making faux pas in public. The pitch itself was uninvolved at this stage, but looking on from close quarters, maybe cringing a little.The fall of those wickets helped ensure that only 20 runs were scored from the final four overs, in which three other dismissals also occurred. The surface could hardly be blamed for Mitchell Santner’s downfall either. Having received a length ball outside off stump from Stokes, he hit it into the hands of long-off, rather than striking it into the gap a little further towards cover.Martin Guptill was just one of many hot New Zealand batsmen who went cold at the wrong time against England•Getty Images/ICCAnd then, it was in the first few overs with the ball, that the wishes of the pitch itself were really ignored by New Zealand. Previous matches at the Feroz Shah Kotla had suggested this clay was more receptive to slow bowling than the quicks. Yet, even after an errant Anderson had been clattered for 16 in the first over, New Zealand kept forcing quicks upon it. Adam Milne’s first two overs went for 20. Mitchell McClenaghan’s first for 13.With England at 49 for 0 after four overs, the romance was nearly dead. Even Santner, who had been the tournament’s top-equal wicket-taker, found the stem of his flower wilting and the petals dropping off. He was smoked down the ground when he darted one at Jason Roy’s stumps, then swept to the fine leg boundary when he strayed to the legside. In later spells, he would join several other New Zealand bowlers in delivering the kinds of long hops that would disappear to the boundary on almost every pitch in the world.To New Zealand’s credit, they did not completely surrender. One last-ditch declaration of affection was made. When Ish Sodhi claimed wickets off successive deliveries in the 13th over, he was in a taxi en route to the airport departure gate, rehearsing a “Please, come back to me” speech.But too much had already happened. There had been too many bad shots, too many bad balls, too much bad blood. In the end, disappointment came upon them quickly. With seventeen balls still left in the game, the seven-wicket loss was a harsh farewell.New Zealand will go home with broken hearts, but when they look back on this day, they might feel the mistakes were so avoidable. The truth is, no surface in the world would have suffered their glaring flaws on Wednesday night.Still, it is a relatively young team, with a 25-year-old head. They will be back soon enough, a little wiser, full of pep, and making moves on other tracks. With time, they might even look back on this campaign with a sense of wistful fondness. And at least – let it not be forgotten – they will always have Nagpur.

Stats highlights from the final day of the final Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in Colombo

Bharath Seervi17-Aug-20160:58

By the numbers: Herath demolishes Australia

3 Consecutive whitewashes suffered by Australia in Asia. They had lost to India 0-4 in 2012-13 and to Pakistan 0-2 in 2014-15 before this 0-3 defeat to Sri Lanka. This is their ninth loss on the trot in the subcontinent since 2013, and 13th in 18 Tests in the region since 2008.5 Australian whitewashes in a series consisting of three or more Tests. They had gone 31 years without the ignominy, since being swept aside by Pakistan in 1982-83, but have been blanked twice in the 2010s.70 Wickets taken by left-arm bowlers in this series, easily the most in a series comprising three or fewer matches. Herath’s 28 and Mitchell Starc’s 24 contributed to most of those wickets.11/212 Previous best match figures by a Sri Lankan in a Test against Australia – Muttiah Muralitharan in Galle in 2003-04. Rangana Herath overtook him with 13 for 145 in this match. His figures are also the fifth-best for a Sri Lankan in Tests.28 wickets by Rangana Herath are the joint third-most by any bowler in a 3-match Test series against Australia•ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 Bowlers with more wickets in a three-match series against Australia than Herath’s 28 in this series. Richard Hadlee claimed 33 wickets in 1985-86 and Harbhajan Singh took 32 in 2000-01. Muralitharan also took 28 wickets in 2003-04. Herath’s tally is the joint second-most by a Sri Lanka bowler in any series.31 Herath’s bowling strike rate in this series – the best for any spinner with 15 or more wickets in a Test series against Australia in 100 years. Only two men – Bobby Peel and Colin Blythe of England – have performed at a better strike rate, both before World War I.136 Balls in which Australia lost all 10 wickets in the second innings at the SSC – their third-worst collapse in Tests (where ball-by-ball data is available). Their ten wickets had fallen in 106 balls in Cape Town in 2011-12 and in 109 balls in Nottingham in 2015.8 Five-wicket hauls for Herath in the fourth-innings of Tests – most by any bowler. He went past Muralitharan and Shane Warner, who had seven each.0 Instances of Australia’s Nos. 3 to 7 being dismissed for single-digit scores in an innings against any team other than England and South Africa prior to the Colombo Test. This was the 12th such instance; eight had come against England and three against South Africa.2004 The last time a bowler took two six-wicket hauls in a Test against Australia. Herath followed Anil Kumble’s feat in Chennai with his 6 for 81 in the first innings and 7 for 64 in the second innings in Colombo.6 Teams against whom Herath has 10-wicket hauls. Only Muralitharan has more, one against each of the nine Test teams. Hadlee, Imran Khan and Kumble have 10-fors against five teams. Herath hasn’t taken more than one 10-wicket haul against any team.24 Wickets for Starc in this series, nearly twice the number of wickets taken by all other fast bowlers combined. The other quicks accounted for 13 wickets at an average of 38.61, compared to Starc’s 24 at just 15.16. The difference of 11 wickets between Starc and the other seamers in this series is the most in any series, beating Hadlee’s difference of six wickets – 33 to 27 – in Australia in 1985-86.

Pakistan’s thrilling triumph at Lord’s was underscored by their captain’s serenity

Jarrod Kimber at Lord's17-Jul-2016″We don’t need to do this quickly” is what the Pakistan players are saying out on the field. It is probably the personal mantra of Misbah-ul-Haq. You can imagine him as a 28-year-old cricketing nomad saying it every morning in front of the mirror.It is that sort of man that you need in charge of a team that dealt with cheating and imprisonment, of their captain and lead bowlers, the last time they were here. That was history, but it was also present. There where ghosts everywhere. And Mohammad Amir isn’t even a ghost, he’s right there on the field.Far more docile situations than this have exploded in Pakistan cricket before.”They do have a reputation of being volatile, “Jonathan Agnew says on the BBC when he his talking about how calm Misbah is looking in the field. Phil Tufnell adds that leading them can be like “herding cats”. We have all seen it. That moment when Pakistan aren’t a team with a leader, but a team with 11 leaders, all yelling, pointing, and arguing, like this is the most important moment they will ever live through.And it’s all happening right now, at this very moment, everything is going on, good, bad, terror, earthquakes, wickets, runs, winning, losing, drawing; a moment in Pakistani cricket is a series of 12 novels. There is nothing that can’t happen, that isn’t happening, nothing that can stop it. The foundations of society are falling apart, the world has stopped turning, the sun is exploding, and that last lbw appeal was so out that 11 men screamed for it as if they were trying to save their life.How do you captain that, how do you harness it, how do you stand in front of a cyclone of passion, for cricket, for country, and just say: settle down. How do you be Misbah?The first ball of England’s second innings, bowled by Amir, was a short, wide piece of filth. Alastair Cook didn’t want to hit it, but he felt rude not going for it, so he took the four runs that were given to him. It was a terrible start.

Everyone bowls reverse swing now, but when it comes from a Pakistani hand, still has a trademark. You can almost see the tail, it seems to tell you what it is doing, and you know where it is going, but it just goes further and faster than you can handle

Misbah didn’t even react. It was just a bad ball. He’d seen them before.The ball also wasn’t really swinging, and his two new-ball bowlers were struggling to keep it dangerous, keep it anywhere – 283 could be disappearing quickly. But in the fourth over Rahat Ali bowled the best ball of his Test career and Cook was gone. The nation of Pakistan relaxed.Misbah clapped softly.But there was no over-attacking. The attacking fielders seemed capped at four. There weren’t five men around the bat for Yasir Shah. There were boundary riders everywhere. The bowlers weren’t looking for unplayable balls. They just continued to bowl well and wait. When Younis Khan dropped James Vince at slip, there was no concern, no worry.Misbah played with his beard.Yasir comes on, and his first over is pretty calm until he bowls a fullish ball that the batsman goes back to. It hits the middle of the bat, but the Pakistan players, the crowd, the media box all gasp as one.Misbah stretches.Vince starts to play recklessly, and thanks to the Younis drop and other luck, he gets away with it. The scoring rate rises. Suddenly Yasir isn’t ripping through anyone, Wahab Riaz isn’t controlling it from his end, and there are runs out there if you want them. Gary Ballance is crabbing around the crease with confidence not seen in a long time. But a wide one from Wahab is chased by Vince, and this time Younis takes the catch.Misbah jogs over to the celebrating group.Not long after Ballance nicks one, but something happens to Younis. Instead of standing up, he squats, and the ball goes through at a catchable height. No one can truly work out what has happened. Younis spent both his innings with the bat jumping up at the ball when he played it, and now that the ball is there to jump at, he’s on the floor.Edges fell short, appeals denied – but Misbah stayed clam•Getty ImagesMisbah walks off for lunch chatting.After lunch Pakistan decide to slow it all down. They have bowled for wickets and now they bowl for dots. England’s easygoing happy hour chase turns into a hard slog. It is a completely different game. Amir bowls wide for dots. That is one of the most exciting bowlers in the world, finally back in the side, who can bowl beams of pure energy from his magical fingers; and he is bowling his second spell – on a pitch he has destroyed England on before – as wide and boring as possible. His five overs go for six runs.Misbah’s only move is to occasionally change the angles of the sweepers out on the boundary.Yasir changes ends. Before the break he had bowled okay, but it never truly looked like he was going to run through anyone. Misbah makes the move and Yasir finds rhythm. He finds something extraordinary. Ballance had been moving across the crease when he was around the wicket earlier, taking lbw out of the contest, so Yasir rips one out of the footmarks that goes behind Ballance and bowls him. It comes from nowhere. It is obscene legspin porn, and before the heart rate can return to normal, Moeen Ali charges Yasir. The end change and Amir’s dry bowling have resulted in two wickets.Misbah smiles.But he doesn’t put in eight catchers or six slips. The plan is to bowl dry. They will continue to bowl dry. Yasir is to bowl wicket to wicket. The quicks are to bowl wide of off stump. It is England’s decision what to do next. Pakistan are going to wait. “We don’t need to do this quickly”.Rahat comes on and bowls so wide first ball that it is called. An actual wide, and that is where he intended to pitch it, as he bowls a bunch more out there as well. If England want to score, they have to reach for it. It’s there, runs and the win. All they have to do is have a go.

Shouldn’t Yasir change ends? Should we attack more? Should we attack less? Surely something, Misbah. David Gower says, “This is where as a captain you start to get twitchy.” Misbah doesn’t look twitchy. He looks Misbah

Misbah rubs his beard.In Pakistan’s innings, Misbah saw this happen right in front of him. England bowling dry, keeping the pressure on Pakistan, waiting for them to make a mistake. And it was Misbah who tried to change the pace. There was method to his madness, but there was a lot of madness. Misbah thought he could snap England’s hold over his middle order by taking Moeen out. Instead, he took himself out.Misbah now set the game up for someone else to make that mistake.England inched along with Jonny Bairstow using every inch of his restraint to not play a big shot and Chris Woakes using his straight bat to great effect. The partnership was working. Pakistan had to do something.Misbah brought on Wahab.It was only five overs, and technically there were no wickets, and only a few runs, but it felt like the entire Test was going to explode, or implode, or Pakistan. It felt like Pakistan. Not Misbah’s Pakistan, but Pakistan Pakistan.Everyone bowls reverse swing now, but the shape of the ball, when it comes from a Pakistani hand, still has a trademark. It looks heavy, like a falling comet. You can almost see the tail, it seems to tell you what it is doing, and you know where it is going, but it just goes further and faster than you can handle. Wahab did all of that.If there is anyone in this Pakistan team that you can’t tame, you can’t control, you can’t hold back, it’s Wahab. Every fibre of his being is un-Misbah, so this wasn’t going to be bowling dry, not intentionally. He wasn’t going to bowl wide floaters and hope for an error. He was going to make the error, force the error, head-butt the error. He was going to do it while dancing on the pitch’s danger zone like a drunk at a cemetery, right after hurling reverse-swinging rockets at Bairstow and Woakes, and then go down the wicket to look them in the eyes. So there was a snorting, heaving monstrous cocktail of danger flying at Woakes and all he could do was poke his bat near the flash he saw before him. Wahab was breathing pure fire and couldn’t see details, so he decided that one of them was an edge, and when his bone-curdling, screaming appeal was turned down, he wanted a DRS, and who dare deny him. Wahab Riaz, bowler of thunderbolts.Pakistan waited, and waited, then the moment came•Getty ImagesMisbah shook his head.Wahab walked back toward his mark, slowly, but didn’t get there as umpire Kumar Dharmasena stopped him and gave him his last warning for running on the pitch. One more mistake and Wahab wouldn’t bowl again in the Test. So he came around the wicket and bowled his fast, snarling comets from hell at the batsmen and then watched them veer away violently.Around the wicket he was even better. One ball is so good, you’re just surprised to be in the same universe. Fast, dangerous, invisible, it was so good that Dharmasena asked for the ball, looked at it for a second for signs of something illegal, but mostly he wanted to see how a normal cricket ball could do something like this. He doesn’t get it, so he shrugs and hands it back to Wahab, who bowls another ball. It isn’t as good, because this time Woakes can see it enough to get an edge that Asad Shafiq pouches smoothly on the bounce. And finally the over ends, the over that almost had Woakes twice, that could have had the ball taken away, that Wahab almost was banned from finishing; the over that made the crowd change noise, the commentators change pitch, the world turn over the TV. It is now finished, but the others that follow are the same. You can feel your skin tightening 100 metres away, over after over, tighter, can’t breathe, too much, please, Wahab, Jonny, Chris, someone, end this.Misbah just tilted his head to the side and smiled.Teams who lose six wickets and need over 100 runs to win a Test almost never win. But who is using Statsguru out on the ground calming the Pakistan team with facts? They just saw Woakes and Bairstow survive their biggest force of nature. England are on their way, runs are getting easier. It might be one of the slowest partnerships in modern English history, or ever, but it’s over 50 runs, and as they crawl the chase comes under 100, and the crowd let them know by breathing for the first time since lunch, and then cheering. England are going to do it. Maybe part-timers should come on. Rethink the field plan. Shouldn’t Yasir change ends? Should we attack more? Should we attack less? Surely something, Misbah. David Gower says, “This is where as a captain you start to get twitchy.”

How do you stand in front of a cyclone of passion, for cricket, for country, and just say: settle down. How do you be Misbah?

Misbah doesn’t look twitchy. Mishab doesn’t look worried at all. He looks Misbah. Any worries he has, they are buried down so deep that no one can ever find them. Misbah does nothing.Yasir continues to bowl wicket to wicket. He does what he has done most of the day to Bairstow. The field is mostly the same, there is no panic, there is no magic ball. Pakistan just wait for England to make the mistake. And Bairstow makes it. It is not a Pakistani death ball of doom, it isn’t unplayable. He just makes a mistake and it bowls him. Then Stuart Broad misses one. Steven Finn almost misses another one next ball that is given out, and the bowlers go up to the umpire to ask why it was overturned on review.Not Misbah. He is back at mid-off, waiting for the next ball.Finally the waiting is over. The stumps are on the ground, Pakistan have won, and it was the ball that came from Amir that did it. He puts out his arms like he did six years ago, and he just runs as fast as he can. His face is one that has seen six years of self-inflicted pain and has just overcome it all. He didn’t win the Test, he wasn’t the difference, but there he is crossing the crease.The crease where he ruined his life, hurt the thing he loves, and broke his nation’s heart, and he is smiling like he has never smiled before as he crosses it in a different direction, in every way, on one of the best days of his life. The whole team chase him, celebrating his second chance and their win.Not Misbah. Misbah stands at mid-off smiling and clenching his fists. Eventually he walks over to the stumps, picks up one, grabs Amir’s hat off the umpire and shakes the batsman’s hand.It is Younis who leads the team in their army camp celebration as they get in line, salute and then get down for their push-ups.Misbah is on the second line of the celebration, out the back, and it is Misbah who gets down last for his push-ups. It was the first time all day he didn’t lead his country. Not that it mattered. He had won the Test at Lord’s. These were just celebration push-ups. There was no need to do them quickly.

Sunil Joshi recalls his Ranji Trophy debut in which he struck an unbeaten half-century, before the match was cut short by the Ayodhya riots in 1992

Sunil Joshi27-Oct-2016Karnataka v Hyderabad, Hubli, 1992-93I got into the Karnakata team in 1992-93 after performing well in the local leagues. The Ranji Trophy debut came in my hometown, Hubli, where I used to practice, in December 1992. From 1983 to 1993, I had rigorous travel from Gadag to Hubli for 40 miles. I used to get up at 3.30am, catch a train at 4, reach Hubli at 6, practice, and then go back to school.I will never forget AK Industries where I was taken care of and trained. I spent a lot of time at Nehru Stadium in my younger days and luckily I made my debut at the same ground. I was very fortunate to have my family – my mom, my brother, sisters, friends – at my home ground for my debut. Those ten years of hard work gave me an opportunity.The buzz ahead of the match was that I had a chance but there was still a question mark because Raghuram Bhat was also there in the squad. It was a tough call for the management. Raghuram’s fitness was a concern, so I was the back-up. It was a doubtful start for me, I did not get any hint that I will debut. As soon as K Jeshwant was going for the toss, suddenly he said: “Sunil, you’re playing.”That time I was just giving some knocking to one of our opening batsmen – PV Shashikanth. After hearing the news of my debut, there was a smile on my face. There was a little bit of nervousness too, but more than that I was happy I was making my Ranji debut at my home ground, where I practiced all those years. The comfort of family and the home ground pushed the nervousness to the back seat.I still remember the first ball I faced. I took my guard and Arshad Ayub was bowling and the wicket was a slow turner. But when I went forward for the first ball, it went over my head for wides, and the keeper was also beaten. After that I got my fifty, then after that I never looked back. I ended up getting 83 not out, hitting Arshad Ayub for five towering boundaries. Luckily my good friend Venky [Venkatesh Prasad] was there during that partnership. He got out in the end, otherwise, maybe I could have reached three figures. Or maybe not. Who knows?We got 500-odd runs and unfortunately the match got stopped after the second day because of the Ayodhya riots and curfew. We did not come to the ground after the second day. We got the news that the match was called off, and as soon as we left the hotel that night, we went to Bangalore. We were taken very well with the police escort and security. That incident actually rocked the whole of India.At the back of my mind, I did feel little disappointed the match was cut short, but, nevertheless, I started on a positive note. Not many players will get 83 on debut. In the end, I was very pleased with my performance. Jeshwant, K Srinath, who got a hundred in that match, supported me well.I also got to share the dressing room with Syed Kirmani, Rahul Dravid, and Venky. I went on to have a great relationship with Kirmani. I got my first hundred against Bombay at the Chinnaswamy Stadium with him. Kirmani and I had a great partnership of 240-odd runs. I think somewhere it is still in the partnership records for the seventh wicket for Karnataka. Ravi Shastri was leading Bombay at that time. I was on 99 one over before lunch and I tried to sweep a ball. Kirmani came up to me and said: “Joey, just hang on, just one over to go for lunch. Just play a single, you don’t need to get a six for the hundred.” The next ball was bowled on the leg stump, I just flicked, and got to a hundred. I was fortunate to also see Kirmani keeping for me during my career.I played with Rahul in junior cricket, Ranji Trophy, and we shared the dressing room in international cricket between 1996 and 2002. His focus and consistency somewhere rubbed off on me and I wanted to have a longer career in domestic cricket.With Venky I bonded more because he was my room-mate from age-group cricket and then during various stages. Venky himself was a great player and he motivated me. Before my debut match, Venky, R Ananth, and K Srinath came to my home and I remember having a typical North Karnataka roti meal with them.Then my second match was in Chennai. Kris Srikkanth was back with Tamil Nadu after the Pakistan tour. I think he didn’t have a great tour there and he was out of form. But he got a hundred, and then I got him out. My first wicket was a Test captain, or a former captain I could say. It was a great first wicket to start with. I did face a tough time against the best batting of Tamil Nadu at that stage. But it felt great to have Srikkanth, that too Kirmani caught him at slips.I went on to play 117-odd Ranji games, and the most important thing is I always looked to get better.

Yuvraj Singh’s return to international cricket will understandably be the talking point from the India selection for the limited-overs series against England, but here are the other – smaller – talking points

Sidharth Monga06-Jan-2017Presence of a wicketkeeper-batsman back-up in T20Is
MS Dhoni left his fate in the hands of the selectors and the new captain when he relinquished limited-overs captaincy, and the first impact of that might be visible in the T20 squad. While he continues to enjoy enough faith in the ODIs, Dhoni potentially has two players breathing down his neck in the shortest format.All season long Rishabh Pant has dared the selectors to ignore him. An average of 81 is hard enough to overlook, but how long do you keep out a man who has scored all those runs at a strike rate of 107.28 in a first-class season? The cricketing set-up is positively excited at the prospect of having him turn Tests around once he has matured as a wicketkeeper, but his selection in the T20I side is no less significant. KL Rahul, who will open the innings in the three matches against England, can keep wicket in T20Is, too, as he did in the IPL.There are murmurs a World T20 might be squeezed in in 2018 before the proposed 2020 edition. Forget the 2019 50-over World Cup, that’s what India might have to prepare for first. Dhoni – no fifty yet in T20Is – will be under pressure in this format more than the ODIs, where experience and longer innings matter more.Under MS Dhoni, R Ashwin did not always complete his quota of overs in T20Is. How will Virat Kohli use his ace spinner?•Getty Images/ICCR Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja return
With the return of the Test spin twins, we are headed for interesting scenarios. Under Dhoni, Ashwin did not finish his quota in six of the last 10 T20 internationals. In ODIs, Dhoni dropped him after two matches in Australia in last January. The theme continued in the IPL when Dhoni captained Ashwin at the Rising Pune Supergiants franchise. It could be consistent with the trend of fingerspinners – especially offspinners – struggling in limited-overs formats or that Dhoni lost his faith in Ashwin, or a combination of both, but it is now interesting how Kohli will use his Test talisman in the limited-overs sides. Also will Kohli play all the three spinners available to him or will one out of Jadeja, Ashwin and Amit Mishra have to sit out in the ODIs?The presence of Mandeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal in the T20I squad shows India want to be prepared if there is a World T20 before the scheduled one in 2020.•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesYoungsters in T20I squad
Mandeep Singh. Yuzvendra Chahal. Pant. Never mind the experience of Ashish Nehra, the T20I squad is where the selectors have punted. Unlike in 2016, when more T20Is were played than ODIs, we are back to normalcy. So should there be a World T20 ahead of the proposed one in 2020, India want to be prepared. “That is the reason why we have given a couple of youngsters chances in T20,” chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad, said. “That’s why we backed Rishabh and Mandeep Singh. Because there is not much T20 cricket coming up.”Amit Mishra’s first T20I since the 2014 World T20 came about largely due to logistical reasons•BCCINo Amit Mishra in T20Is
Amit Mishra can stake claim to perhaps the weirdest T20 international career. There is no doubt that the shortest format has rejuvenated his career. In 20-over cricket, Mishra can use all his experience against batsmen who feel obligated to hit him and thus don’t watch his variations as closely as in first-class cricket. On the back of his IPL performances, Mishra has resurrected his career in the longer formats, but for some reason he can’t find a place in the India T20 sides despite an average of 13.71, an economy rate of 6.4 and a wicket every two overs.You could argue those numbers can be skewed because he has played just eight T20 internationals, but that is half the story. He keeps getting dropped for no fault of his in T20s, and stays in the Test squad despite the reinforced focus on fitness in the longest format.Mishra was India’s second-best bowler in the World T20 in 2014 in Bangladesh, but, without getting a chance to fail after that, he was dropped from the next World T20. His only T20 international match following that came because of logistics. India were travelling back from the West Indies, and had two T20 internationals in the USA. So instead of flying in new spinners, India stuck with Mishra. He came in for the second match, bowled four overs for 24 runs and three wickets, and found himself out again. Originally out for inexplicable reasons, comes back in for logistical reasons, does well, goes out again.Ajinkya Rahane had a middling series as an opener against New Zealand, scoring 143 runs in five ODIs•Associated PressRahane’s last chance?
Ajinkya Rahane has justifiably gained the reputation of the most versatile of the new crop of Indian Test batsmen, but in shorter formats, MS Dhoni has said, he tends to struggle when the pitches are slow or when the ball is soft. So you would think that the best place for him to bat would be at the top of the innings, a slot that Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have made their own. Add Rahul in the mix, and you would think that room is full. However, with injuries to Rohit and Dhawan – Dhawan is now back in the ODI squad – Rahane had a whole series against New Zealand as an opener, but failed to grab that spot.Being left out of the T20 squad at such a time can’t be good news for Rahane. To regain confidence, he will have to do something special in the three ODIs either as an opener or against the softer ball in the middle, should Virat Kohli choose to open with Dhawan and Rahul.

A five-match one-day series gives those jostling in the ranks for England recognition a chance to impress the selectors

David Hopps in Dambulla01-Mar-2017If England Lions needed any reminder that they are just one step away from the international stage as they embark upon a five-match series in Sri Lanka, Tom Curran’s dead-of-night text message from the national selector, James Whitaker, duly provided it.When Curran went to bed in Dambulla after the four-day leg of the tour, he was an England Lion, just looking forward to advancing his reputation in a series that he knew would make little impact back home. When he awoke around 4.30am it was to discover instructions to pack his bags and join England’s senior tour of the Caribbean. All it took was a couple of sentences for his aspirations, at 21, to move a step nearer reality.Andy Flower, full of vim again in his relatively new role as England Lions coach, recognises that fact. “The loss of a player from our squad and being promoted to the full England squad is always a reminder to them about how close they are to fulfilling their dreams,” he said.Such reinforcement does no harm as the Lions prepare the face Sri Lanka A, a series which will be quickly followed by the North v South affair, another 50-over series, in the UAE. Together they realistically represent the last chance for players to advance their case for late inclusion in the Champions Trophy in England this summer. It is quite a prize. Unbeloved in some eyes it might be, its future permanently under question, but this is the tournament that will dominate the first part of the English summer.Clarke, Overton set to play

Joe Clarke and Craig Overton, the only two members of the England Lions’ four-day squad not to get a game in Kandy or Dambulla, will both play in the opening 50-over match against Sri Lanka A.
Clarke will play as a specialist batsman at No. 4, with Ben Foakes keeping wicket. Overton will join a pace attack which is missing Tom Curran, after his call to join the senior England squad in the West Indies.
Keaton Jennings, who continues as captain, is expected to open with Ben Duckett, who is one of five new arrivals for the one-day section of the tour with his Northamptonshire club-mate Graeme White, the Warwickshire legspinner Josh Poysden, Kent opener Daniel Bell-Drummond and Middlesex seamer James Fuller.
Lions one-day squad: Keaton Jennings (capt), Ben Duckett, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran, Toby Roland-Jones, Craig Overton, Tom Helm, Ollie Rayner, Josh Poysden, Graeme White, James Fuller, Tom Alsop

Curran might yet become a Champions Trophy bolter especially as the composition of England’s seam attack remains uncertain: Mark Wood’s recovery from injury is ongoing, Liam Plunkett’s enforcer role has not entirely convinced and Stuart Broad’s ambitions about a white-ball comeback have yet to receive much official encouragement.To come into the reckoning as a batsman seems a harder task, but Ben Duckett, in particular, will want to restate his credentials over the next 10 days after his blip in the Test series in India when his technique against spin, most strikingly involving his method of staying markedly leg side of the ball, was unpicked by R Ashwin.Duckett’s prolific 2016 was never more wondrous than during his appearances for the Lions last summer. Against the same Sri Lanka A opposition, he registered the highest-ever score by an England Lions player, making 220 in Canterbury in an unbeaten stand of 367 with Daniel Bell-Drummond, the joint-second highest List A partnership of all-time. Duckett and Bell-Drummond will be reunited on Thursday, but it remains to be seen whether confidence will come flooding back on subcontinental pitches.It might be asking a lot of Liam Livingstone to make his own case. He is only two years into his first-class career, still not all that well known outside Lancashire. But two hundreds in a match in the last four-day game against Sri Lanka A have already done much for his self-belief and reputation, revealing him as a destructive hitter with a selective cricket brain. “He hits the ball as hard as anybody I can remember,” said Flower, and he does not give praise glibly.In cricket’s brave new world, where international cricket and Twenty20 jostle for attention, England Lions tours can these days pass by almost unnoticed. Spectators will be virtually non-existent, media interest patchy at best. Passion has to come from within. England might no longer be able to discover at Lions level who can withstand the pressure of a shrieking and hostile crowd, but they can still find out a lot about the internal drive that should rightly turn every representative match into something to cherish.Flower accepts this fact of life. “Ideally we would love a packed crowd but realistically these days we aren’t going to get it so recreating the atmosphere of a true international game with that regard is not going to happen,” he said.”However, what they are getting is scrutiny. They have selectors watching their results constantly and they are competing with their peers. These are all ambitious young guys, looking at each other and judging each other. There is that individual ambition, but there is also the fact that they are representing their country with a lot of pride.”The presence of a selector on Lions tours is an admirable development (Mick Newell has replaced Angus Fraser for the one-dayers). It adds to the sense of scrutiny, enables players to develop a working relationship with those who sit in judgment on their careers, and also provides an opportunity for selectors to gain an impression of the next generation not just as players but as personalities.There was a time when a developmental side pulled in the crowds. Twenty-five years ago, with such trips still in their infancy, England A fulfilled a ground-breaking tour to Sri Lanka, which had been starved of international cricket for several years because of a nationalist uprising. Now tourism is booming; then a Sri Lanka dressing room attendant was able to say without too much exaggeration: “You are the first foreigner I have seen for years – I am lucky to be alive.”An unorthodox spinner called Muttiah Muralitharan attracted attention for the first time and, for England, Nasser Hussain, Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe all emerged with credit. The crowds flocked in. In Murali’s first appearance, the stand roof fell down like a pack of dominoes, but nobody much seemed to mind.These days, beginning with the first match in Dambulla on Thursday, the only certainty is that the ubiquitous Dambulla dog will put in an appearance. It sat attentively for England’s sole practice session before it was curtailed by a heavy downpour. Most of these young Lions might only have a dog’s chance of a Champions Trophy spot, but that won’t stop them trying to make it over coming days and weeks.

Where do you think Pakistan winning the 2017 Champions Trophy stands in their list of achievements?

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2017

Three moments of brilliance in the field, two by the most likely candidate and a third by one of the least likely, boosted South Africa toward an opening win at the Champions Trophy

Firdose Moonda at The Oval03-Jun-2017South Africa seemed slightly out of sorts in the field in the recently completed England series and put down as many as five catches in the first of the three matches, but they redeemed themselves with a trio of match-changing moments in their Champions Trophy opener against Sri Lanka. The man responsible for two of them was captain AB de Villiers, who was particularly pleased with the improvement in athleticism.”Those moments happen when you build a bit of pressure on the opposition, when you create a bit of pressure through dot balls and through good bowling,” de Villiers said. “That’s when the little moments started happening. It’s always important to take those moments, those little opportunities that come your way, which we did. So I was very happy with the way we fielded. We worked really hard at that part of our game, and very happy with the way it went today.”ESPNcricinfo relives the three moments of magic in the field:The one-handed snatch Faf du Plessis has made a habit of stealing balls out of the sky but AB de Villiers showed he has not forgotten the art of the stunner when he plucked a one-handed catch to dismiss Kusal Mendis. De Villiers had positioned himself at short mid-on in line with the standing umpire, a cunning spot for Mendis’ flick, which initially seemed to be going over de Villiers’ head as he slightly mistimed his jump, having leapt up fractionally early, but he grabbed the ball just as it started to dip behind him.”The old man can still move,” du Plessis joked.”I don’t know what I was thinking. It happens quickly those things, I’m just happy it stuck,” de Villiers said.The pick-up-and-throwNot content with one game-changing moment in the field, de Villiers pulled off another exquisite one to remove Dinesh Chandimal, who hoped for a single after striking an Imran Tahir delivery firmly to extra cover. De Villiers pulled off a sliding stop to cut the ball off, though he didn’t field it cleanly in his initial effort and the ball ricocheted several yards towards mid-off. Chandimal thought he saw an opening for a single and took off after the misfield but de Villiers scampered to track the ball down, then picked up and flicked at the stumps, all in one motion while airborne. His direct hit found Chandimal inches short of his ground at the non-striker’s end.”There was one [run] there. AB de Villiers was like a Superman and straight away, he hit the wickets. I didn’t realise it but credit goes to him,” Chandimal said.The unlikely fielder Having seen a runout off his own bowling, Tahir effected one of his own to top off one of his best efforts in the field in which he finished with 4 for 27. Tahir already had three to his name when Suranga Lakmal hit a length ball from Chris Morris to mid-on. Lakmal thought a run was on and had started to go but Kusal Mendis stayed put at the non-striker’s end as he saw Tahir moving in. Lakmal was about a third of the way down the pitch before turning around, giving Tahir just enough time to collect, aim at all three stumps and fire directly at the striker’s end.”It always shows me where the player is at when he shows that kind of dedication and commitment in the field,” de Villiers said of Tahir’s effort.”It was very cool. We work really hard as a group but I do a little bit extra because I have to, because there are so many good fielders in the team,” Tahir said. “So I need to make my name somehow. I was quite pleased that I got a runout in my pocket.”

AB de Villiers has been the ghost at South Africa’s feast during their tour of England, but his chirpy presence on social media has hinted at a conflicted mindset

Firdose Moonda at Old Trafford06-Aug-20172:39

Talented South Africa haven’t performed

Twenty-eight tweets. More than the batting average of half the South Africa top six on this tour.Almost 4,000 characters. Greater than the total number of career runs of three of the current top four.As much as South Africa should not be bogged down by looking at what they don’t have, AB de Villiers’ social media presence has served as a constant reminder of what could have been.Currently on a sabbatical from the longest format, and one that seems certain to end in retirement when a new coach is announced before the home summer, de Villiers has spent this series as a cheerleader, spurring his mates on – a clown-doctor of sorts, trying to make them smile even though their problems need more than jokes to fix, and a confused elite sportsman, whose tone carries a hint of conflict between country and commercial obligations that compete for space on his timeline, and in his life.De Villiers’ first tweet came before 5am on the opening morning of the series. Perhaps that’s the time he would wake up when he used to play Test cricket, when the butterflies he described as active even as his career matured to the point where they should have been stilled, fluttered. Or perhaps he was up early tending to his young son, who has just turned two, and whose presence in his life helped prompt a rethink of his own priorities. Either way, de Villiers was excited and expectant.

The day has arrived! Come on the boys, the whole of SA is right behind u guys. Enjoy it out there @deanelgar & co. #ProteaFire @OfficialCSA

— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) July 6, 2017

Like many fans, he was engaged throughout the first hour. After Vernon Philander had dismissed the England openers, de Villiers praised the seamer for being “on a different level”, and was impressed with the bowlers “hunting together”. But before the day was up, Joe Root had scored a hundred and de Villiers conceded England had won it. “Credit to Joe Root & Eng for a good fightback! Still in it, we can roll them tomorrow with the new ball.” The next day England added 101 runs before lunch to post 458.De Villiers reserved comment until the end of the second day when he responded to a message from a well-known comedian, Joey Rasdien. “We’re gonna win this Test. The boys will fight all the way,” de Villiers said. South Africa were 214 for 5.A silent third day caused de Villiers to go into overdrive on the fourth. First he called the comeback from the South African bowlers, especially Morne Morkel and Keshav Maharaj, “special”. South Africa took 9 for 114 to set themselves a target of 330. De Villiers would have preferred “under 300”, but decided it was “not impossible” for South Africa to successfully chase it down. He wanted Heino Kuhn and Dean Elgar, who “both know how to score big”, to get in and, “they’ll get us in a position to pull it off”.Instead, the pair were out inside 10 overs, both for single figures, and South Africa were shot out for 119. De Villiers was gutted but somehow saw valiance in what most, including Faf du Plessis, assessed as a limp and error-filled performance:

Well played England. 2nd half of the day didn't work out, but the boys still fought like champions! We'll be back next Test. #ProteaFire

— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) July 9, 2017

Exactly 14 minutes later he had moved on, to reality television.Between the first and second Test de Villiers retweeted condolences Cricket SA sent out to Russell Domingo following the passing of his mother and then fulfilled a sponsor obligation to advertise a luxury wrist-watch. Then it was back to business.He acknowledged Hashim Amla’s achievement of 8,000 Test runs, which came up 15 minutes into the Trent Bridge Test. South Africa were already one-down. Ordinarily de Villiers may have been padded up to bat next. Instead, South Africa had a middle-order wobble and lost four for 56 in the evening session. “Too many wickets”, according to de Villiers. He backed Vernon Philander and Chris Morris to take the score over 300 and they did in a 74-run “match-changing partnership”, as de Villiers put it. “This is what this team is all about.”The second day underlined that resilience. South Africa bowled England out for 205 and were 75 for 1 by the close. “What a day for SA Cricket,” de Villiers purred.When the victory was wrapped up, he became nostalgic and then reminiscent. He described South Africa’s performance as “beautiful cricket”, and said there was “nothing better than a Test victory”. He would know. He sounded like he wanted to know again.A 10-day break followed in which de Villiers’ second child was born, the reason he would probably have missed some part of this series even if he had not opted out of it entirely. And then on the eve of the third Test, de Villiers posted a photo inviting sports-loving South Africans to light up some of Graeme Smith’s new product – braai-wood – and enjoy some grilled meat before the game. Another endorsement and this one close to cricket, though Smith is understood to have raised an eyebrow at de Villiers’ social media engagements and, as he said on commentary, “lack of clarity over his future”.For the time being, his only say is on the current series and before the second day of the third Third Test began, with England on 171 for 4, de Villiers was at it again. “Early wickets and we’re right in it” he said. South Africa’s first scalp came at drinks and England were batting until just before tea.By the time de Villiers tweeted again, South Africa were in a mess at 61 for 7. Their top-order had failed again; the No.4 spot still a problem. Dropping JP Duminy seemed a no-brainer but there were now questions over Quinton de Kock’s promotion. The No.4 spot used to belong to de Villiers but, instead, he could only offer support from the sidelines. “A tough day at the Oval,” he posted, “no doubt the guys will keep fighting.”South Africa were bowled out for 175 and then conceded 313 in England’s second innings. They were set an improbable 492 to win, or four sessions of blocking to save the game. De Villiers thought it was possible. “We can still do it if we don’t lose more than 4 today. Keep fighting boys, we’ve done this before! @tbavuma10 & @deanelgar there at the end.”His enthusiasm was well-founded, except that when the ‘we’ had done it before, the ‘we’ included him. In Adelaide in 2012, in Johannesburg in 2013, even in Colombo in 2014, de Villiers was there. This time, they’d need someone else and they didn’t have it.With the chance to win the series gone, South Africa had to prepare for a must-win match at Old Trafford. In that time, de Villiers spent some time at the University of Pretoria Academy and wore his expensive watch again before wishing Faf du Plessis and “the boys” well. As the final Test got underway, de Villiers had just completed a satisfactory trip to a dental spa. “Great team, great service,” he posted, without any intended irony.AB de Villiers is expected to announce his Test retirement this month, but he clearly misses the team vibe•Getty ImagesOld Trafford has so far been an action replay of The Oval but both the team and de Villiers have stayed positive. On the first day, he encouraged the bowlers to get a “good start” on the second morning and the batsmen to show some “grit” to put the team in a “great position”. Forty minutes after lunch on the third day, with England three down, he figured the right result was still in South Africa’s grasp. “Proteas fighting! Love it. Keep going lads. Hoping for a target under 300.”England’s lead swelled to 360 by the time rain stopped play. South Africa’s hopes of saving the series have shrunk and they will return home with questions about the quality of the players the domestic system is producing. They will also return home with uncertainty hanging over them.It is all but confirmed that Ottis Gibson will take over from Russell Domingo but what that means for de Villiers is not known. He has previously said the decision over the coaching position will influence his future and has made it plain he wanted Domingo to continue in the role.It seems as though de Villiers still cares about the South African team and it is obvious that they still need a player of his proven talents. But it is increasingly hard to see how he would manage to fit Test cricket into his life, given his other commitments. His absence in England has become glaring, though, everywhere besides social media.

ESPNcricinfo looks at how the usual suspects stack up ahead of the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy quarter-finals

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-20171:44

The Ranji Trophy 2017-18 Story

KarnatakaLeague Phase: WDDWWWKnockout history
Karnataka have been among the most frequent visitors of the knockouts in the past decade. This will be their tenth appearance in the last 11 editions. They hit their peak in 2013-14, when they won the title, and successfully defended it the following year. After an aberration in 2015-16, they were back in the quarterfinals last year, but were routed inside two days by Tamil Nadu in Visakhapatnam.Season so far
Karnataka’s season has been underpinned by the manner in which they have shed their dependence on their biggest stars. With the likes of KL Rahul – who won’t be available for the quarter-finals – and Manish Pandey making isolated appearances at best, their less heralded performers courageously took the mantle. Mayank Agarwal buried opponents under a mountain of runs. R Samarth seized his moment to become one of their lynchpins. Abhimanyu Mithun left opposition batsmen on shaky ground with his scorching pace. K Gowtham’s evolution as an offspinner took him to the top of their wicket charts. And Shreyas Gopal proved his utility with his loopy legspin and solid lower-order runs.The men they need to thank
Agarwal ascended unprecedented run-scoring heights, amassing over 1000 first-class runs in a single month. After opening his season with 31 against Assam and a pair against Hyderabad, Agarwal hit back with 304*, 176, 23, 90, 133*, 173 and 134. Together with Samarth, he has formed the most prolific opening pair this season. Mithun’s renewed intensity has been unmissable. He has had his issues with fitness in the past, but Karnataka have found a workaround by judiciously using him in short bursts. Successive five-fors on flat surfaces against Maharashtra and Delhi showed that he wasn’t a spent force yet. Along with his tall and muscular frame, sharp bounce and lively pace have made him a fearsome prospect.Karnataka have revelled in Pandey’s experience and quick runs. With 454 runs at 151.33, he has made every chance count. In four innings, Pandey has struck two centuries, including a double century, and a 74. As a result, he has shot up to third on Karnataka’s run charts despite having played half the number of innings as that of the next-best Karun Nair.Areas of concern
Karnataka’s fielding has been lackluster at times. It was especially true in their second match in Shimoga. Though they picked up an outright win against Hyderabad, they dropped a few catches, with Vinay Kumar later citing difficulty in sighting the ball. They have subsequently brushed up and even managed some moments of absolute brilliance, but it has been a mixed bag.Coach and captain speak
“We’re settled in all departments now. Against an opponent like Mumbai, the best will come out of our boys. Mumbai have had their ups and downs and we need to capitalise on that. You have to plan for everybody against a side like Mumbai. We will not get overawed or overconfident.”

“It’s very important to dominate the first session, but it’s not a one-innings game. Five days is a lot of time for anybody to come back and we need to be very careful. It’s all about being fresh and focused. It’s my responsibility to make sure the team remains in the present. On the bowling front, we need to cut down those boundary balls.”

Squad: R Vinay Kumar (capt), Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, R Samarth, D Nischal, Stuart Binny, CM Gautam (wk), Shreyas Gopal, K Gowtham, Abhimanyu Mithun, S Aravind, Pavan Deshpande, J Suchith, M Kaunain Abbas, Sharath Srinivasan, Ronit More

ESPNcricinfo LtdMumbaiLeague Phase: WDDWDD (most recent first)Knockout history:
Since 2005, Mumbai, the 41-time champions, have been in the quarter-finals every season, barring 2007-08. They have converted five of those appearances into championship wins, the last of which was the vanquishing of Saurashtra in little over two days in February 2016.Season so far
It’s been a huff-and-puff journey, to put it mildly. After four matches, five teams from the group were in the race. Andhra and Madhya Pradesh were frontrunners. Mumbai had just one outright win and were in the middle of the table, with Tamil Nadu trailing. Baroda were further down, but couldn’t be ruled out. Up against the table toppers Andhra in an away game, Mumbai pocketed a crucial first-innings lead to remain in contention. They couldn’t have asked for an easier game in the final round: a home match against Tripura, a side that had returned winless in five outings. Mumbai had a simple equation: win and stay in contention. They did more than that, pocketing a bonus point with a ten-wicket win, to sneak in. For the quarter-final, they will be without their batting mainstay Shreyas Iyer, who will be away on India duty. Can a new hero emerge?The men they need to thank
Siddhesh Lad has been a crisis man, delivering consistently for the side. His numbers – 613 runs in ten innings with two hundreds and three half-centuries – become even more impressive because a majority have come batting with the lower order. His unbeaten 71 in the second innings against Baroda helped stave off an innings defeat, after the top order had caved in. He occupied the crease for over five hours and faced 238 balls, and Mumbai had three wickets standing when stumps were drawn. Then, against Andhra, he arrested a top-order slide with a knock of 86 that shored up Mumbai’s total to 332, big enough for a first-innings lead. He topped it off with a century in the must-win game against Tripura.Areas of concern
With pace spearhead Shardul Thakur ruled out due to a shoulder injury, the bowling is thin on experience. Mumbai will also be without one man who has been at the center of several recent triumphs – Abhishek Nayar, who was dropped because of poor form. At the best of times, Nayar has stood up to score vital lower-order runs or eke out crucial wickets. Now, Dhawal Kulkarni will lead a young pace attack consisting of Akash Parkar, Shivam Dubey and Sagar Trivedi; Dubey and Trivedi are yet to make their first-class debuts. Vijay Gohil is the lone specialist spinner. Fair to say the batsmen will have to do the running.Captain speak
“There was a time when we struggled to find openers. We kept trying out five or six pairs after Wasim Jaffer moved out. That was the only puzzle in the jigsaw we were yet to find. Now, we’re in a position where our first-choice and most-experienced opener Akhil Herwadkar is struggling to come back in because Prithvi Shaw and Jay Bista have established themselves.”Squad: Aditya Tare (Captain), Surya Kumar Yadav (Vice Captain), Dhawal Kulkarni, Siddhesh Lad, Jay Bista, Prithvi Shaw, Akhil Herwadkar, Sufiyan Shaikh, Akash Parkar, Karsh Kothari, Sagar Trivedi, Vijay Gohil, Shivam Malhotra, Shivam Dube and Shubham Ranjane.

Ashok Dinda celebrates with the match ball•PTI BengalLeague phase: DWLDWD (completed matches, most recent first)
Knockout history
Since 2005, Bengal have progressed to the knockouts five times – in 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2013-14, and 2015-16. They made the finals in 2005-06 and in the following season, but came up short on both occasions.Season so far
Bengal had a chaotic build-up, with the state association initially unwilling to release Pragyan Ojha to play for his home state Hyderabad. After weeks of confusion, the Cricket Association of Bengal ultimately let him go on eve of the season opener. Manoj Tiwary’s men, however, have brushed that off, and scrapped their way to the final eight with two wins in six matches.The new-ball pair of Ashok Dinda and Mohammed Shami and opening batsmen Abhishek Raman and Abhimanyu Easwaran have led the resurgence. Raman, who had played only two first-class games before this season, has rewarded the management’s faith with 549 runs in 10 innings. They’ve also benefited from Wriddhiman Saha’s presence in the first half of the season. Nineteen-year-old medium-pacer Ishan Porel – who was picked in India’s Under-19 World Cup squad – has impressed in the two matches he’s played. His form bodes well, given they won’t have Shami’s services for the remainder of the season because of national duty.The men they need to thank
Dinda and Shami account for 48 of the 98 wickets Bengal bowlers have picked up. The two quicks produced visual moment of the season when they had nine slips in place in the dying moments of Bengal’s bonus-point victory over Chhattisgarh in Raipur. After Shami joined the India squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka, Dinda took up the extra load and prodded the side into the knockouts with a five-wicket haul against Goa.The area(s) of concern
Ojha’s departure has punched holes in the spin attack. Aamir Gani, the offspinner, has managed only 12 wickets at 41.50 while medium-pacers B Amit and Koushik Ghosh haven’t done enough to ease the pressure off Dinda. Porel’s availability for the quarter-final, after which he’ll be joining the Under-19 camp, is significant because of this.Captain speak”I always believed we will qualify for the knockouts. While I cannot disagree to the fact that there have been slip-ups from our end, I feel that we will have to give emphasis on our fielding and develop for the knockouts. In addition to that, I feel that the bowlers who are bowling alongside Dinda need to do better as we cannot afford mistakes in the knockouts. The team will definitely look into this.”

Squad: Manoj Tiwary (capt), Sudip Chatterjee, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shreevats Goswami (wk), Anustup Majumdar, Abhishek Raman, Amir Gani, Pradipta Pramanik, Ashok Dinda, Ishan Porel, Mukesh Kumar, Kanishk Seth, B Amit, Ritwik Chowdhury, Saurabh Singh, Writtick Chatterjee

GujaratLeague phase: WWDWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Knockout history
Since 2005, Gujarat have made the knockouts thrice – in 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2016-17. They wrested their maiden Ranji Trophy title last season on the back of a sublime 143 from captain Parthiv Patel.Season so far
Gujarat amassed 34 points – the most by any team in the league phase this season – with five wins and draw. In the absence of premier bowlers Jasprit Bumrah – who hasn’t featured since their semi-final win last year mainly because of a packed international calendar – Axar Patel and Rush Kalaria, who is nursing a shoulder injury, Gujarat’s rejigged attack has stepped up, taking 20 wickets in five of their six games.The spinners – veteran legspinner Piyush Chawla has benefitted from bowling on red-soil tracks with bounce, and 17-year-old left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai – have led the way. They’ve been complemented well by medium-pacers Chintan Gaja, who claimed a career-best 8 for 40 against Rajasthan, and debutant Kamlesh Thakor, who helped them secure a bonus-point win over Jharkhand to seal a knockouts berth.The men they need to thank
No Axar, no problem. Desai has grabbed 28 wickets and two Man-of-the-match awards in four matches while Chawla has three wickets more than Desai at an average of 17.51. Having started shakily, last season’s top-scorer Priyank Panchal has peaked heading into the quarter-finals: he has hit 538 runs in nine innings at 67.25The area of concern
It might not be a major worry but Parthiv has 313 runs in eight innings – of which 173 came against Rajasthan. He had five double-digit scores but failed to convert the starts. There’s no better time than now to hit big runs and carry the confidence to South Africa, where he’ll be India’s second wicketkeeper on tour.Coach speak
“We are [the] defending champions but there is no pressure on us. In 2014-15 we won the T20 tournament, in 2015-16 we won the Vijay Hazare Trophy, last season we won the Ranji Trophy. The boys have realised their full potential. Parthiv has led them brilliantly. We did not have Axar this year, but there was this young boy Desai with a lovely high-arm action – he has nearly 30 wickets and that is something great. Even in batting we have everybody scoring. We are not dependent on one individual and confident in the knockouts.”
Squad: Parthiv Patel (capt & wk), Rujul Bhatt, Samit Gohel, Manprit Juneja, Chirag Gandhi, Dhruv Raval, Mehul Patel, Priyank Panchal, Piyush Chawla, Hardik Patel, Bhargav Merai, Ishwar Chaudhary, Chintan Gaja, Kamlesh Thakor, Siddharth Desai