Australia batter reflects on his journey ahead of landmark match at Headingley

Andrew McGlashan04-Jul-2023As he prepares to play his 100th Test, Steven Smith, among the greatest batters to have played the game, has picked out the moment when he gained the belief that he would be a successful international cricketer.Smith’s story of beginning as a legspinning-allrounder against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010 is well-told. His first Test century came three years later, against England at The Oval but, despite two more against the same opposition in the 2013-14 Ashes, it was a month after that when he had his own personal breakthrough moment.Facing an attack that included Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander at Centurion, Smith struck an even 100 batting at No. 6 having walked in at 98 for 4, which set up a convincing Australia victory.”I probably didn’t feel like I could make it until my fourth hundred, which was at Centurion against the South African line up of Morkel, Steyn, Philander and [Ryan] McLaren,” Smith said. “Particularly the first three, they were tremendous bowlers. They had great careers. And to be able to score a hundred against them gave me a lot of confidence to know I belong at this level.”That was probably the first time I felt it. From there I was pretty confident in my ability. I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted to play. It was just playing the game and enjoying it and trying to score as many runs as I can.”Smith has now scored 32 Test hundreds, putting him level with Steve Waugh and only behind Ricky Ponting for Australia, the latest of which earned him the Player-of-the-Match award at Lord’s as Australia went 2-0 up in the Ashes. Few would bet against him marking his century with another century, something David Warner did last year with a double ton against South Africa.”Proud is the word I suppose,” Smith said of his landmark. “The longevity I have had in the game and what I have been able to achieve across those 100 [games]. I have been lucky to play with some tremendous players in the dressing room. Some great teams. I think our team right now is right up there. It’s been a hell of journey. I have enjoyed every bit of it.”His run-scoring feats have been remarkable. Since the maiden hundred in 2013 he has barely had a slump, indicated by the fact that from the moment his average hit 50 – which came against India in 2014 – he has never slipped below that mark. When challenges have presented themselves, he has found solutions, most recently demonstrated by moving to a stiller, side-on stance last year when he felt he was getting closed off, then returning to a more pronounced back-and-across trigger in the Ashes.”That’s my job isn’t it? To score runs,” he said matter-of-factly. “And something I pride myself on is being able to solve problems out in the middle and get through different scenarios of how people are trying to bowl at me and things like that. Over the years people have come at me with so many different plans, and the majority of the time I have been able to navigate myself through those.”File photo: Steven Smith, the Don of the 2019 Ashes•Getty ImagesHis average has topped out at 64.81, achieved during his prolific 2019 Ashes where he made 774 runs in four matches following his year-long ban from the game. The ban, for his part in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, will forever be part of Smith’s career – you only need to listen to the crowds at this Ashes to know that. “Everyone can say what they like, it doesn’t bother me,” he said of still being booed. “I am comfortable in my own skin.”Smith added the only time he had not enjoyed cricket was shortly before his ban ended, in early 2019, when he underwent elbow surgery and had his arm in a brace.”I don’t know why for some reason I didn’t enjoy the game or want to play the game,” he said. “The moment I had my elbow brace off I was suddenly in love with the game again back in 2019. Outside of that I am grateful for everything the game has given me.”Headingley, the scene of his 100th Test, is where he made his first Test half-century, 77 batting at No. 8 against Pakistan in 2010, in a hint of what was to come. “[I’ve] got myself pushed up the order a little bit,” he joked. It is also the ground where he was absent four years ago following the concussion he suffered at Lord’s, which means this will be his first Ashes appearance at the venue as he becomes the 15th Australian to reach a century of Tests.”I didn’t enjoy that at all,” he recalled about 2019. “Just sitting and watching the Ben Stokes show, that almost occurred again [at Lord’s].”At 34, Smith could have a good few years ahead of him to keep churning out runs. He made some headlines earlier this year when asked during the Sydney Test against South Africa whether it could be his last home appearance, and he responded with “we’ll see”. He has since flat-batted talk of what his career timeline will look like, although this will likely be his final Ashes tour, but added that enjoyment was a key factor.”I will take it game by game. Just enjoy myself out in the middle,” he said. “And while I am enjoying myself and feel like I can improve and contribute to the team, and feel good about helping the team, then I will keep playing.”There isn’t much Smith hasn’t achieved in the game, but winning an Ashes series in England is still to be added to the accolades. Having slipped up four years ago, Australia are already just one win away this time.”I have said it for a long time, it is something that has been on my bucket list to win an Ashes series in England,” Smith said. “What a way to top it off, if I could do it in my 100th game, it would be special for sure.”

A look at the staggering records and statistics that show how Rohit Sharma has excelled in ODIs

Sampath Bandarupalli12-Sep-2023

Struggling start to an elite club

Rohit Sharma, against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, joined the elite club of batters to complete 10,000 ODI runs when he reached 23 with a six straight over Kasun Rajitha. Rohit is now the second-fastest to the milestone among the 15 batters, needing 241 innings, well behind Virat Kohli (205) but 18 innings quicker than Sachin Tendulkar (259).ESPNcricinfo LtdThis feat looked like a far-fetched dream for Rohit about a decade ago, when he was yet to reach 2000 ODI runs even after playing more than 80 matches. But his promotion to open at the start of 2013 did wonders for his career. In his first four years as an ODI opening batter, Rohit scored 3153 runs in 66 innings with eight centuries, all being big hundreds.Two of the eight were double-hundreds, including a world record 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014. The next four years saw Rohit’s ultimate batting success, where he scored 19 hundreds in only 70 innings and nearly amassed 4000 runs while averaging more than 65. A different Rohit has been turning up since 2021, with his average dropping but his strike rate going higher than ever.Across 24 innings he played in this period, he scored 916 runs at 45.80 with only one century but has been striking at 106.38, about 16 runs more than his career strike rate. Rohit, who used to be a slow starter, is striking at 91.27 in his first 20 balls since taking up the job of India captain towards the end of 2021. Till that point, Rohit’s first 20 balls’ strike rate was only 64.22, and 65.42 since 2013.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The late bloomer

Rohit’s success as an opener in ODIs is unmatched, with 8001 runs in 160 innings, averaging 55.95, comfortably the highest for a minimum of 50 innings, with only Imam-ul-Haq (50.44) averaging 50-plus. The India batter has 28 hundreds while opening, only behind Tendulkar’s 45. Rohit is known for big hundreds – eight of those 28 hundreds have been 150-plus scores – including three double-hundreds, while no one else has even two.But the point where Rohit took his ODI batting to the next level was only after turning 30. Returning from a long injury layoff in mid-2017, Rohit began a streak of scoring hundreds in ten consecutive series. He followed up with a dream World Cup in 2019, where he became the first player to smash five hundreds in a single edition.

The Afghanistan coach looks back at his side’s World Cup campaign and ahead at what lies in store

Interview by Himanshu Agrawal07-Dec-20233:15

Trott: Want to see Afghanistan build on their success

Afghanistan made waves in India last month under head coach Jonathan Trott, nearly making the World Cup semi-finals. They beat top sides England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on the way and were on the verge of doing so against Australia before Glenn Maxwell played perhaps the most extraordinary innings in the history of ODI cricket. Trott spoke about the World Cup experience and the challenges of coaching Afghanistan during the tournament.How would you describe your time with Afghanistan so far?
Obviously very new and different. Though I went in not knowing a great deal about the side, I was straightaway impressed with the talent, as also the ambition. Then you have the challenges that you would assume you would normally have with developing nations. It’s a blend of the two.What has impressed you the most about the players? And where would you like to see some changes?
The talent is obviously there, and that’s evident when players go and play in franchise leagues. The Afghan players have always been very entertaining and dynamic with the way they play.Related

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But the things that I wanted to change – and I think we could start seeing the changes in the way they approach the batting – are with the method. What is the method behind whatever you’re trying to do? Have you thought about it? Have you planned for it? They need to have a bit more of an understanding of what they are trying to do, instead of leaving it to by hook or by crook. [They need to think] let’s plan to win, let’s plan to be successful, and let’s not just rock up and compete. It’s that mindset of being ambitious, but also at the same time thinking: how is it going to happen?We are doing okay so far, though the players could be helped a little bit more off the field with regards to the support they get in the organisation of things. But again, that happens, that comes with developing nations and sides. You’ve got to remember where Afghanistan cricket comes from, and how long they’ve been around for compared to the other subcontinent teams.So I would just like to see them building on the success of this World Cup. Stage by stage getting better and more competitive. I know from now that Afghanistan is not going to be seen as [just another] match, they are going to be seen as a competitor and are never going to be taken lightly. I’m not saying they were taken lightly in the World Cup, but people are now starting to recognise the talent that the side has. And if they start playing together as a unit and have a bit of a plan, we’ll see what’s attainable.As the team’s coach, what did you learn during the World Cup?
My learnings were about the difference sometimes from when you go inland [in India] to when you are on the coast. It’s a bit more humid with regards to the dew, and also how the pitches change in night games. In India, the pitches are very difficult to read and very difficult to get right – certainly they were in the World Cup – and at that time of year especially.”What I can make sure is I try and leave Afghanistan cricket in a better place, and set the standards as high as possible”•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesThere are so many things that it is dependent on in India, but I think that’s what made the World Cup so entertaining and exciting. [It was] not necessarily the fact that if you won the toss, you had a huge advantage. Sometimes, I reckon, it was better if you didn’t win it because the pressure was off. You didn’t have to make a decision, so the players just got on with it. Sometimes when you make a decision – and, for example, say, you want to bowl first – there’s pressure to bowl a team out for maybe 250, or to limit them. Whereas if you didn’t win the toss, there was a sort of release of that pressure.Also, the learning for me was that there is still time for the old-fashioned way of playing. There need to be partnerships, building an innings, and being able to consolidate when things have not gone your way. You’ve got to be able to play in a number of ways: defend, attack, or rotate. So it was a good World Cup from that point of view. But yeah, just wish we’d been able to beat Australia!Who do you think are the Afghanistan players to watch out for in the next five years?
Ibrahim Zadran is obviously a fantastic player. The way he played as a batsman, and how he is as a person, means he’s a part of the future of the Afghanistan side.Azmatullah Omarzai, as an allrounder, is also going to be a very good player, I believe. Being promoted to No. 5, and not only taking that responsibility but also being able to excel and bat in tricky situations was fantastic. We saw the way he played in the South Africa game; he should have got a hundred but unfortunately just missed out.I was also impressed with the way that Ikram Alikhil kept wicket, as well as how he played as a batsman. We had Noor Ahmad come in as well, and it made selection really tricky. We were playing extra spinners, and so Fazalhaq Farooqi had to miss out.Allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai topped the batting averages for Afghanistan at the World Cup, with 353 runs at 70.60, and took seven wickets•Alex Davidson/Associated PressThere’s a good nucleus of players getting a lot of experience by playing franchise cricket around the world, being coached by the best coaches, and playing with the best players in the world. The side can only get better. So right now it’s exciting. Afghanistan is getting those players together and using those experiences, and making sure we compete on the world stage.What about Afghanistan’s fast bowlers, like Naveen-ul-Haq and Farooqi? Is the dependence on spin bowling lessening?
Yeah, it’s fantastic when you have got two skilful bowlers in Naveen and Farooqi. They are not express pace, and that’s the one thing we perhaps need to work on if we want to compete in all formats and in different conditions, or if we want to go and take on the bigger sides – certainly when the ball doesn’t spin or there isn’t any assistance for swing.That’s the one thing I have challenged the coaches [about]. I have challenged the high-performance centre too. We need some pace bowling. It’s exciting that we have two seamers now. And Azmat is obviously doing that job as well, but we need more seamers because injuries do happen with the amount of cricket the players play.Talk us through the planning that went into the England game.
I don’t think there was any special planning. It was just a case of the players executing the way that they wanted to, and the way we had spoken about.Against Bangladesh we had a bad game first game. Maybe we put a bit too much pressure on ourselves because it was the first game, and we came unstuck. We then saw a bit of progress against India in Delhi. The fact we had played in Delhi before gave us a bit of insight into how to play [against England].Gurbaz had got off to an absolute flier. We then had a bit of a wobble where we had a few wickets falling, including a run-out, but then Azmat steadied the ship with Ikram and we got ourselves to a defendable total.The coach who writes: Trott with his whiteboard, on which he broke games down into a series of small goals for his team to achieve•Darrian Traynor/ICC/Getty ImagesI think it was just the perfect game for us, with the way we bowled with the new ball, and with how the spinners bowled obviously. The win – and the manner in which they won what was only their second victory in a World Cup ever – gave the players a huge amount of confidence.Your dressing-room whiteboard, where you put down targets for ten-over blocks during the World Cup, became pretty famous. The obvious conclusion is that you helped break the target down, but what went into it in terms of the method?
It’s a case of just explaining it to the players, certainly for those who don’t have the huge experience of playing under pressure in World Cups, having not played as much ODI cricket as other sides. It’s predominantly T20 where they would’ve played under pressure a lot of the time – certainly in franchise [cricket]. So it helps just to break it down to smaller targets. We had to chase 283 against Pakistan, and when you’re starting on nought for nought, that can be quite challenging and seem quite far away. But just by breaking it down slowly, with those little targets, we were able to obtain it and win by eight wickets.And that’s the most amazing feeling. The players were able to put pressure [on the opposition] by just doing the small things really well. We had a great start from Ibrahim Zadran, and Gurbaz also played really well. That, I think, gave us confidence. Then [it was about] our ability not to panic, and not to feel like we had to slog our way to victory. We could actually just occupy the crease.It’s very hard for the opposition to stop our players because of their attacking nature. But sometimes our players have been guilty of perhaps going from gears one and two, skipping three and four, up to five and six straightaway – because of the excitement or perhaps because of a bit of clouded judgement. So we saw what was achievable with little things like the whiteboard, by just chatting about the different stages of the games or getting to drinks and breaking the game down and keeping it really simple.How do you ensure Afghanistan don’t get carried away after beating better teams like England? For instance, Afghanistan lost heavily to New Zealand in the game just after winning against England.
That was because it’s such a new and exciting thing for Afghanistan [to beat England]. It’s great when you win, but the challenge, like I always say, is to back it up and do it again. If you lose, the great thing about cricket is, you get another opportunity with another game to try and correct what happened in the last game. So the challenge is always to win back to-back games.Fazalhaq Farooqi (centre, with black wristband) after the win against England. Players like Farooqi have been changing Afghanistan’s reputation of having a spin-dominant bowling attack•ICC/Getty ImagesIf you look back at the New Zealand game, we dropped four simple catches. We dropped two players that went on to get over 50, and also two catches in the powerplay after choosing to bowl first. I feel that decision was the right one. If we had executed it, we could have bowled them out for quite a low score. But New Zealand also played fantastically. [Glenn] Phillips and [Tom] Latham had a really good partnership after being about 115 for 4. We were in a good position there, but then they batted for something like 25 or 26 overs.And that’s what I mean when I say there’s still room for old-fashioned cricket; not typically old-fashioned, but different types of cricket – like consolidating. New Zealand did that really well and showed our players just how important partnerships are, and how important it is to have impact players going into the last ten overs. And it’s very hard to stop those players.That’s something our players saw when we were batting against India. And then they were able to do that against Pakistan. So that shows to me the players are learning from playing in World Cups like this one, and by playing against better opposition. They’re starting to see the traits and the habits of the top players and teams. So the New Zealand game was obviously very disappointing, but I think we learned how ruthless international sport is.How did you motivate the players after the loss against Australia?
It was a tricky one because New Zealand beat Sri Lanka, which then almost eliminated us. But, you know, we had to play against South Africa, which is a fantastic side, in the amazing stadium in Ahmedabad. So there was really no need for me to motivate them. What I said to them was, “Let’s make sure that we try and leave here with five victories, because that sets the standard for the Afghanistan side playing in the next 50-over World Cup.” It’s always about the process. You’re not going to play for Afghanistan forever. I’m not going to coach Afghanistan forever. But what I can make sure is I try and leave it in a better place, and set the standards as high as possible for the next person and players to take over.Unfortunately, we didn’t quite get there. Rassie van der Dussen just played a really good innings, and we didn’t bat as well as we could. Azmat didn’t have as much support as he could have had. But the Australia game was tough and we saw something very, very special from Maxwell to beat us. If people are going to have to play like that to beat us, then as long as we are doing as much as we can, you can’t complain too much. But I still complain a little bit!”I think it’s good when international cricket is catching the headlines. It’s good building towards a World Cup, whereas franchises seem to be together for a month and then there’s another franchise in another country”•Matt Roberts/Associated PressWhat did the ODI Super League mean for Afghanistan in the lead-up to the World Cup?
It’s a good case of seeing how you’ve gone over the course of quite a long period of time. That’s how qualification is done, and all sorts of things are taken into account. So every game and series, you’re playing against good opposition, every game’s important, and there’s always something on the line. For me, there are lots of benefits to that. And there’s also the case that the major playing nations get to play against sides that perhaps they previously wouldn’t play against. Sometimes South Africa, Australia or whoever, played a game in Ireland or in the Netherlands, it was as a sort of warm-up game, but with the Super League there was importance to it.A year ago we saw England go and play three games [against Netherlands] in Amsterdam. The cricket was not only very important to the side, it also took cricket to the Netherlands, who saw a world-class side playing there. And the players got to test themselves. So whenever we get the opportunity – like how we’ll be going to India in January to play T20Is – it’s fantastic and really exciting.So does the absence of the Super League now take some motivation away? Added to it, nowadays ICC tournaments alternate between ODIs and T20Is. And though Afghanistan have qualified for the next Champions Trophy, it’s more than a year away.
For me, world tournaments are good because they get everyone’s attention onto the game. It gets the world’s imagination, really. I think it’s good when world cricket or international cricket is catching the headlines. Maybe that’s just me being old-fashioned. I like it when there are tournaments and trophies to be won. And it’s always good building towards a World Cup, whereas franchises seem to be together for a month and then there’s another franchise in another country. And I think the meaning and the feeling behind winning a World Cup or a Champions Trophy brings a lot of happiness and joy to whole nation instead of just to people supporting a region because they’re from that city or area. I think when you can bring countries together, that’s very powerful.What are the challenges now for Afghanistan looking to the T20 World Cup next year?
The one thing I would say is, we need to make sure that we start the T20 World Cup having taken the positives from what we learned [during the ODI World Cup], and deal with the pressure and the anticipation. The spotlight has suddenly been thrust on the players, so [it’s about] making sure that we don’t just rock up because we won four games and did well in that World Cup.We can’t think we’re going to be just as successful, or are entitled to win games. We’ve got to go out there and beat opposition. Oppositions are going to be more ready for us. They’re going be more wary, and they’re going to expect us to play better cricket. So it’s about managing those levels of expectation from the players to make sure that we can go one step further. That’s the ambition, or the challenge.Would you like to continue as Afghanistan coach if you were given the chance?
Yeah, I’d like to, obviously. But I’m still waiting to see if they want me to stay on or not. I’m not sure what the process is or what’s going on, but I know there are matches in January against India and UAE. Obviously I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with them so far. It’ll be nice to be able to build on the success we had at this World Cup.

Talking points: with the next T20 World Cup not far away, a number of players have points to prove, and both teams have spots to fill

Hemant Brar22-Nov-20231:37

Finch on Australia’s plans with Smith for T20Is

Suryakumar back to his favourite format

After a lukewarm ODI World Cup where he scored 106 runs at an average of 17.66, Suryakumar Yadav will return to his favourite format. He is the No. 1 T20I batter in the ICC rankings, but Australia exposed a weakness in his game in the final on Sunday. They challenged him with slower bouncers with a deep third and a fine leg in place. They might continue with the plan in the T20Is.In the absence of Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar will also have the added responsibility of leading the side. He has captained Mumbai 36 times across formats in domestic cricket, and Mumbai Indians once in the IPL, but this is the first time he will lead at the international level. It needs to be seen if that will change his batting style.

Head’s IPL audition

While the two teams focus on this series, and the T20 World Cup build-up, the IPL franchises will be keeping an eye out for the potential buys for the mini-auction, scheduled for December 19. And one player has to be on everyone’s radar: Travis Head.Head, who was the Player of the Match in the ODI World Cup semi-final and final, has been part of the IPL previously; he played ten games for Royal Challengers Bangalore across 2016 and 2017. Batting mostly in the middle order, Head registered decent numbers but nothing spectacular.But ever since his comeback to the Australia national side last year, he has been a different gravy opening the innings in ODIs and, of course, across formats. He has played only three T20Is so far this year but in one of those games, he smashed 91 off 48 against South Africa. A couple of similar knocks and he could be in for a big payday come the auction.

Three-way race for India’s opening slot

Shubman Gill has been rested for this series, but otherwise, he is India’s first-choice opener in T20Is. That leaves Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan and Yashasvi Jaiswal fighting for the role of the second opener.Given Gaikwad is the vice-captain for the first three T20Is, one would assume he is ahead of the other two in the pecking order and will start. Meanwhile, Kishan provides the wicketkeeping option, and Jaiswal, apart from being capable of giving explosive starts, can roll his arm over. It will be interesting to see who walks out at the start.He might be Australia’s T20I captain at the moment, but Matthew Wade isn’t sure of making the T20 World Cup side next year•BCCI

Can Wade be Australia’s first-choice T20I keeper?

With Mitchell Marsh rested, Matthew Wade will lead Australia in this series. However, he is not sure if he will be the first-choice wicketkeeper at the World Cup next year.Josh Inglis has already replaced Alex Carey in the ODI squad. The last time Australia played a T20I series, against South Africa, Inglis played all three games while Wade warmed the bench. But since Wade is the captain for this series, he will be expected to play all five matches and, therefore, will have an opportunity to strengthen his case.

End of the T20I road for Samson and Chahal?

Sanju Samson has never got an extended run in the T20I side. At the same time, he hasn’t been able to make the best use of whatever chances he has got. He played all five T20Is when India toured the West Indies and the USA earlier this year. He got three innings, in which he scored 32 runs at a strike rate of 114.28. Overall, he has a T20I average of 19.68 with just one half-century in 21 innings.While his IPL record in the last three years is much better (average 32.60, strike rate 144.56), he bats mostly at No. 3 there. Right now, the selectors seem to be looking for someone who can bat at No. 5 or 6. That’s why they seem to have shown faith in Jitesh Sharma, who has been impressive in those slots in the IPL.Yuzvendra Chahal, too, seems to have lost the selectors’ backing. After being dropped for the ODI World Cup, he has been left out of the T20I squad as well. Against West Indies, Chahal picked up five wickets in as many T20Is at an economy of 9.05. In comparison, Kuldeep Yadav took six in four matches going at only 5.75. With none of India’s first-choice bowlers particularly good with the bat, a dip in bowling form has made things difficult for Chahal.

LSG have enough firepower in batting but what they lack is a big-name proven fast bowler who can lead the attack

Vishal Dikshit19-Mar-2024Where Lucknow Super Giants finished last seasonAfter finishing third on the points table with eight wins from 14 games, LSG’s batting ran out of steam in the Eliminator to get walloped by Mumbai Indians.LSG squad for IPL 2024KL Rahul (capt, wk), Quinton de Kock (wk), Kyle Mayers, Devdutt Padikkal, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, Ashton Turner, K Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Prerak Mankad, Arshin Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan, Shamar Joseph, Yash Thakur, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mayank Yadav, Yudhvir Singh, Shivam Mavi, Arshad Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Amit Mishra, M Siddharth, David WilleyRelated

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Player availability – is Rahul good to go?Captain KL Rahul had missed the second half of the 2023 IPL with a hamstring injury. Nearly 12 months later, he has been out of action for almost two months now because of a quadricep tendon injury. While the BCCI provided no updates on him when they gave the latest on Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami and Prasidh Krishna in the lead-up to the IPL, the PTI reported on Monday that he would be fit for LSG’s first game after getting an all-clear from the NCA. He may not keep wicket in the first few games though, and they have solid keeping options in Quinton de Kock and Nicholas Pooran.There’s one change in their bowling ranks. The ECB pulled out fast bowler Mark Wood to manage his workload before the T20 World Cup in June. He has been replaced by West Indies’ latest pace sensation Shamar Joseph.On Wednesday, Justin Langer also said David Willey will miss the first few games of the IPL for personal reasons.What’s new with LSG this year?LSG bolstered their seam-bowling stocks at the 2024 auction by acquiring Shivam Mavi, David Willey, Arshad Khan and Arshin Kulkarni who became a star during the recent Under-19 World Cup. M Siddharth was the only spinner they added to their ranks as a back-up for Ravi Bishnoi.To boost their batting, they traded in Devdutt Padikkal, who recently earned a Test cap, and bought hard-hitting middle-order batter Ashton Turner at the auction.LSG have made changes in the coaching staff, too. After not renewing Andy Flower’s contract, they brought in Justin Langer as the head coach and Lance Klusener as assistant coach. It will be Langer’s first assignment in the IPL although he has won three BBL titles with Perth Scorchers and the T20 World Cup with Australia in 2021.LSG’s musclemen: Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis•BCCIThe good – batting firepower and allroundersWith enough top-order options in Padikkal, de Kock, Kyle Mayers and Deepak Hooda, Rahul may slot in the middle order this IPL. He will be accompanied by Pooran and Marcus Stoinis there, who are already a big threat to any bowling attack. But what they missed the last time, especially in the Eliminator, was the lack of runs from Indian batters. Hooda managed just 84 runs in 12 innings. The LSG management would be hoping for much better returns this time.LSG also boast a line-up studded with allrounders in Stoinis, Willey, Krunal Pandya, K Gowtham, Prerak Mankad and Kulkarni.The not-so-good – where’s the experienced fast bowler?They have an aggressive Naveen-ul-Haq. A wicket-taking but expensive option in Yash Thakur. A vivacious Shamar Joseph but with an experience of only two T20s to date. A penetrative Mohsin Khan.What this line-up lacks is that big-name fast bowler who has proven himself at the international stage for some years and can lead the attack. Thakur was their only quick among the top 20 wicket-takers last IPL and the sooner one of them goes higher on that list this time, the better LSG’s season will be.Schedule insightsLSG play four games in the fixtures announced so far, with a spread-out schedule. After their opener against Rajasthan Royals on the first Sunday of this IPL, they have a five-day gap. Then they have two matches in four days and a four-day gap before returning to Lucknow for their second home game.The big question

She reined her batting in at the start as the WACA conditions demanded, before unleashing boundaries all around the strip to break records in front of her proud parents and awed opponents

Tristan Lavalette16-Feb-2024In the last over before tea on day two, just 10 runs away from a historic Test double-century, Annabel Sutherland was desperate to reach the milestone. With Australia’s first innings lead nearing 450 runs against South Africa at the WACA, she was unsure when her captain Alyssa Healy would declare.Sutherland made her intent clear by smashing seamer Nadine de Klerk for a gorgeous boundary through mid-on off the first ball. Just six runs away, Sutherland then swung wildly across the line aiming to hit over midwicket but did not connect. The crowd of 1300, a figure that had surpassed expectations with history in the air, almost simultaneously groaned.”I was keen to just get it out of the way and played a dodgy shot… tried to hoik one over midwicket. I had to take a bit of a breath,” Sutherland told reporters after play.Related

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She had words of encouragement from batting partner Kim Garth and regained her composure. Sutherland smashed boundaries off the last two balls before tea to become just the 10th player in women’s Test cricket history to score a double-century.”It’s pretty special, probably hasn’t quite sunk in yet what exactly it means to me,” she said. “So nice just to spend the day out there and soak up what a great place it is to bat on the WACA.”Having reached the landmark on her 248th delivery, she had easily smashed the fastest double-ton – the previous record (308 balls) was held by Australian great Karen Rolton. At 22, Sutherland became the youngest batter to reach the feat behind only India’s Mithali Raj.Sutherland was within reach of the world record women’s Test score – 242 by Pakistan’s Kiran Baluch against West Indies in 2004 – but firstly she needed to surpass the Australian highest score of 213 by team-mate Ellyse Perry – a player she has often been compared to.Shortly after tea, unaware of the records in her wake, Sutherland fell agonisingly short on 210 after failing to execute a scoop shot off left-arm spinner Chloe Tryon.”I’m very happy for her to keep that record, she deserves it,” Sutherland said of Perry. “I’ve definitely picked her brains along the way.”The dismissal ended her 256-ball masterpiece, which included 27 fours and two sixes. Sutherland earned a standing ovation from the crowd, including from her parents. James Sutherland, her father, was a long-time former Cricket Australia chief executive.”I just gave him a hug before. I think they’re just super proud and so nice for them to be here,” she said of her parents.

“I’m very happy for her to keep that record, she deserves it. I’ve definitely picked her brains along the way.”Sutherland on not beating Perry’s record for highest women’s Test score by an Australian

With a number of batters in the match undone on a green-tinged surface by driving on the up early in their innings, a cardinal sin at the WACA, Sutherland superbly implemented a disciplined approach.She was extremely watchful early and only scored seven runs off her first 35 balls faced. Once settled, Sutherland unfurled belligerent strokes around the wicket. She confidently counterattacked the second new ball to smash consecutive fours off debutant quick Masabata Klaas – who had torn through Australia’s top order on day one – and registered her second Test century shortly before lunch.”First 20 to 30 balls… the most challenging at the WACA, just getting used to the bounce and the pace,” Sutherland said. “I was thinking about that and felt like I left pretty well early.”It was just about staying sharp, but if the ball was there to hit, keep in good position and go with it.”It continued a superb all-round performance for Sutherland, who had taken 3 for 19 in South Africa’s first innings of 76.Sutherland’s knock earned high praise from her opponents. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that good an innings live,” de Klerk said. “She put bowlers under pressure and was aggressive even when we took the new ball and just took us on.”Spin didn’t work, seam didn’t work and she was just smashing us all around the ground. That was a brilliant innings.”

He showed his hitting skills at the death once again, scoring an unbeaten 57 off 25 balls to take DC to a winning total

Abhimanyu Bose15-May-20243:13

Moody: Stubbs is a ‘must-keep’ for Delhi Capitals

If you were told at the start of IPL 2024 that a South African batter, who can keep wickets no less, would be the fastest striker at the death this season, you wouldn’t be blamed for guessing Heinrich Klaasen. And you wouldn’t be too far off with that guess, but it’s Tristan Stubbs who has emerged as the premier finisher (minimum 100 runs). Oh, and he is also the first, and so far the only, player to score 200 runs in the last four overs this season.He achieved that distinction with a match-defining 57 not out off 25 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in DC’s last league game.Stubbs finished the season with a death-overs strike rate of 297.33 – the highest in an IPL season ever for a minimum of 100 runs. He faced 75 balls in this phase, of which only two were dots.But the season could have gone very differently for Stubbs if DC had stuck to their Plan A. England batter Harry Brook, who was bought at the auction for INR 4 crore, was the first choice in the middle order.Related

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“If Harry Brook would have been there then Stubbs’ chances [would have been reduced]. Stubbs was actually a back-up,” DC assistant coach Pravin Amre said at the post-match press conference. “But it was important that we picked a good back-up. In SA20, he had done very well, he contributed to the winning team there, and we were very hopeful that he could do [well], because he got a triple-hundred in first-class cricket also.”He is a cricketer who can play well against spinners also and that is the biggest plus we saw. And he also looks like he is very hungry for success, very composed. He always makes his routine very well, and is very focused.”Stubbs came to DC having spent two years as a back-up option at Mumbai Indians. He made just four appearances across those two seasons.But Brook pulled out of the IPL following his grandmother’s death, and that opened up a slot for Stubbs, who cemented it with his exceptional hitting abilities at the death.Stubbs was one of the few positives amid a dreadful start to DC’s season, which saw them win just one of their first five games. It was only fitting that he finished the season with a knock that helped them go past the 200 when at one point it looked like they would finish closer to 180.Coming out to bat in the 12th over on Tuesday, Stubbs started slow, getting to 7 off his first nine balls.”It was quite tough when I walked in,” Stubbs told the host broadcaster between innings. “I didn’t feel like I could get myself any intensity. But we got a bit of flow going and we managed to put some runs on the board.”Tristan Stubbs brings out the reverse scoop•BCCIStubbs got going in the 16th over, pumping an Arshad Khan length ball down the ground for six. With the left-arm seamer angling it across him, Stubbs stood with his back foot outside off stump, and his front foot around middle and leg. This allowed him to access balls going outside off. Two balls later, Arshad again angled it away from him, and Stubbs hit it straight of the long-off fielder for four.His first two boundaries came in the V, but he was about to start expanding his range. The next ball was an attempted yorker outside off and Stubbs was quick to launch a reverse scoop over the wicketkeeper and a very fine short third for another boundary.When Mohsin Khan tried to go full and wide, Stubbs was again able to get close enough to the line due to his stance and loft it for a six over long-off, despite not middling it.Then came the all-important 19th over. Against Naveen-ul-Haq, Stubbs ditched his back-and-across stance. When Naveen dug in a slower one outside off, Stubbs stayed leg side of the ball and flat-batted it wide of long-on for four. Another back-of-length slower ball was hit high onto the second tier of the pavilion over long-on for a 101-metre monster.His most elegant shot was perhaps the one that brought him his half-century, off 22 balls, as he leant into a full delivery and lofted it wide of long-off.”I always feel I can give myself a bit of time and then can catch up later on,” Stubbs said. “Especially if you get one or two away and the bowler feels some pressure, then you’ve got a lot of momentum.””I can see that this is a player for the next five years if we can go there,” Amre said. “And the temperament he has shown. Even after ten balls, he was 6-7 runs. But so many times he has done that. [In] 22 balls he got a fifty. In today’s game, 19th over he got 21 runs. That really mattered for our victory.”Tristan Stubbs is elated after the wicket of Ayush Badoni•BCCITom Moody, speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, said that Stubbs was playing the finisher’s role like an experienced player.”The way he is finishing games, it’s like he’s been doing it for ten years,” Moody said. “He’s been composed, his shot selection is absolutely bang on and he’s not trying to overhit the ball, but he still hits it for miles. So he’s been a real find for Delhi Capitals.”I think he didn’t get a regular opportunity and he was quite young when he was in the Mumbai squad; he was an evolving player. He was still finding his way. Where he really took off was the SA20, and he had a good season for the championship-winning side. So I think he has gained confidence, he is getting more opportunities. With opportunities, he is repaying that faith.”In SA20 2024, Stubbs made 301 runs for Sunrisers East Cape at a strike rate of 168.15. Only two players who scored more than him scored quicker. In the IPL, he took his finishing game to a different level.Moody, who has plenty of experience coaching in franchise leagues, suggested that Stubbs should be high on DC’s list of players they want to retain ahead of next year’s mega auction.”At the end of the day, when you look at retentions, whether it is overseas or Indian players, you look at the supply and demand, and there are not too many players in world cricket who can finish like that. So it makes him exclusive. So he is a must-keep.”And it’s not just his finishing skills. He is an excellent fielder and can also roll his arm over if needed. On Tuesday, he took just three balls to get Ayush Badoni holing out in the eighth over.He has bowled just two overs of his part-time offspin this season and picked up three wickets for 15 runs, which means he finishes with the best batting and bowling average for DC.Stubbs came into the season not guaranteed opportunities. By the end of it, he became someone DC would hate to have to let go.