Packed schedules, bio-bubbles, pandemic uncertainty, but a lot more cricket and substantially better rewards – do current players have it better or worse?

Ian Chappell23-May-2021The modern cricketer is substantially better rewarded than players of the previous century. However, like with all such things in life, there is a downside involved. This comes in the form of the numerous adjustments to be made because of the extra formats that are now played and the resultant crowding of the schedule.As if that wasn’t a big enough challenge, there are now the vagaries of the pandemic. There’s no better example than the chaos created by the postponement of the opulent IPL, resulting in a last-minute appeal to the ECB to rejig India’s tour dates in England to accommodate the completion of the tournament.Whoever said life wasn’t meant to be easy perfectly summed up the career of the modern international cricketer.The Covid-ravaged world has meant cricketers spend extended periods in bubbles, which challenges their skills and their mental health. It has also resulted in scheduling that has Test matches crammed together, which is physically and mentally demanding, especially for the fast bowlers.While the 20th-century cricketer had the occasional back-to-back Test over the Boxing Day-New Year period, now it’s more likely the schedule will include back-to-back-to-back Test matches than not, which is a real grind for all concerned.This was highlighted in the last Australia-India series, where the home side used the same fast-bowling trio in all four Tests. As the Australian pace bowlers wore down in the final stages of the series, their Indian counterparts may have caught a break as injuries meant they had to constantly change personnel.Related

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India is one of the few teams who have enough skilled quick bowlers in reserve to meet the challenges of the schedule and still remain competitive.Modern fast bowlers do a lot of varied training in order to prepare for the demands of constant cricket, but still the injuries continue to pile up. Fast bowlers in the past concentrated more on running and bowling a lot in the nets to gain their match fitness.Australian fast bowler Frank Misson, who toured England in 1961, was one who believed in running to build up stamina. The 1961 Australian team travelled to England by boat, but Misson was not to be denied his training regime. As he ran laps of the deck, some of the less physically minded players sitting in the bar saw Misson flash past the window. Perhaps embarrassed by Misson’s zealous workouts, they decided to complicate his exercise regime by placing deck chairs in his path. When Misson hurdled the first set of obstacles and did the same to yet another layer of chairs, the bar rats relented and left him to train in peace.The preparation a player goes through today in the build-up to a Test is extensive when compared to the past. Teams now arrive at a venue anywhere up to four days prior to the game, which is a far cry from what happened in 1921, when England were in disarray following their country’s involvement in a brutal war. The selections ranged from the haphazard to the bizarre, with ten England players who appeared in that series only being involved in a solitary Ashes Test.Lord Tennyson’s build-up to the Lord’s Test was extraordinary by any measure. Relaxing at his club in London at 1 o’clock on the morning of the game, smoking a cigar and imbibing, Tennyson received a phone call requesting him to report to Lord’s later that day to take part in the match. Not surprisingly he failed in the first innings – like the bulk of his team-mates, though he atoned in the second innings by remaining 74 not out.It would be interesting to discover if retired cricketers envied the rewards paid their modern counterparts or whether current players would swap today’s whirling merry-go-round for the casual approach of the past. I suspect most international cricketers are just happy to have played.

Sam Curran and Jonny Bairstow have delivered impactful performances while Eoin Morgan hasn’t found his best yet

Andrew Miller26-Apr-2021Moeen AliAfter their blip in 2020, the Chennai Super Kings are back on their familiar perch: at the top of the IPL standings and threatening to canter towards the playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons. Few players have made a more selfless contribution to that resurgence than Moeen Ali.His second week of the tournament served up more of the same languid excellence, as he injected two more CSK innings with six-laden cameos – 26 from 20 balls against the Rajasthan Royals and 25 from 12 against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Against the Royals, he also pitched in with the small matter of 3 for 7 in three overs. The only disappointment for Moeen was that he was not able to take his rightful place for Sunday’s encounter with his old franchise, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, after picking up a niggle.Sam Curran The highlights in Sam Curran’s hair seem to be getting more blond each time he takes the field, or maybe that’s just the glow of burgeoning stardom radiating from his elfin features. Either way, this was another week of quietly formidable match-winning from a remarkable player. His only innings in three games was short but sweet – a straight-to-the-point 13 from 6 balls against the Royals, including a beautifully-timed six over the point boundary from a slower-ball bouncer.According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, his impact on that victory was even higher than Moeen’s, thanks to his three key overs in the powerplay, which included the wicket of Sanju Samson. He took a bit of tap in a high-scoring victory over Kolkata (but still dismissed a violently well-set Andre Russell). He then did for Virat Kohli in the powerplay against the Royal Challengers. He makes things happen, as you may have noticed.Jonny Bairstow Batting during the Chennai leg of this tournament has been an arduous business, with some of the most unfettered hitters in the business coming unstuck in spin-friendly conditions. But Bairstow has been a consistent source of forward momentum for the Sunrisers Hyderabad – even if his departure has consistently led to them adopting a reverse gear. As if to prove the point, their one victory to date came in the contest where Bairstow batted all the way through, as his unbeaten 63 from 56 balls anchored a nine-wicket win over the Punjab Kings.His experience against the Delhi Capitals was familiarly traumatic – none of his team-mates came close to matching his fluency as he launched their chase with 38 from 18, not even Kane Williamson, whose 66 not out dragged his side to a Super Over. But then, for some unfathomable reason, Bairstow was overlooked for the Super Over, and the Sunrisers paid the price.Jos Buttler Not much to write home about this week for the Royals’ last remaining Englishman. He made his top score of the season to date with a fluent 49 from 35 against the Super Kings, but his dismissal precipitated a shuddering collapse of 5 for 8 in 3.3 overs.Jos Buttler hasn’t quite found his fluent best during this year’s IPL so far•BCCIWith several of the franchise’s overseas players unavailable – Andrew Tye being the latest to join the exodus – the onus on Buttler is even greater. A run-a-ball 8 against the Royal Challengers and 5 from 7 against the Knight Riders haven’t exactly met the needs of the hour, even if the Royals escaped with a win in that latter game, thanks once again to their million-dollar man, Chris Morris.Eoin Morgan The Knight Riders’ captain has reached double figures just once in five attempts so far. Against the Royals, he didn’t even reach the striker’s end of the pitch – he was run-out without facing a ball after deflecting Rahul Tripathi’s straight drive into the path of Morris in his follow-through. His wry smile said it all. Morgan’s authority really could do with being backed up by a score of note. There are other issues stacking up in the absence of his own runs, not least the roles of Shakib Al Hasan and Russell, who seems a bit removed from the action at the moment.And the non-combatants … Chris Woakes was one of the outstanding performers of the first week but hasn’t got a look-in since the action shifted to Chennai, where the Capitals have opted to play an extra spinner in Amit Mishra, with Shimron Hetmyer taking over his overseas slot. At least he’s used to the feeling, after similar treatment by England following his Player-of-the-Year exploits in the 2020 home summer.Tom Curran hasn’t been seen for the Capitals since a bruising first week, while the Royals won’t be seeing anything more of Ben Stokes (broken finger), Liam Livingstone (bubble fatigue) or Jofra Archer, who was pulled out of the tournament by the ECB last week as they manage his recovery from finger surgery and a long-term elbow problem.Jason Roy (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Dawid Malan (Punjab Kings), Chris Jordan (Punjab Kings) and Sam Billings (Delhi Capitals) are still awaiting their first outings of the tournament.

India’s champion quick was the key catalyst behind a magnificent team performance

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Aug-20213:29

Laxman: This win on par with the Brisbane win for India

Jos Buttler flashed hard at a delivery that pitched just short of a length but well outside off stump. The thick edge flew to Virat Kohli at first slip. Kohli’s eyes bulged as he lined up to pouch the catch. But the ball burst through his reverse-cupped hands. A discordant chorus of loud cheers and sighs rang out around Lord’s, lit by floodlights in the late afternoon.Jasprit Bumrah, the man who created the chance, had begun to rush excitedly towards Kohli, only to stop mid-stride, raise his right leg high, and kick the turf in disgust. At the end of the over Kohli aplogised to Bumrah, indicating that he hadn’t quite sighted the ball as it flew quickly towards him. Bumrah accepted the apology, but a bit of disappointment may have continued to simmer underneath.Related

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He was in the middle of an incisive second spell. Buttler was batting on 2. India were five wickets away from clinching a Test of several twists and turns. Bumrah had influenced a number of those twists. One of them had come barely a minute into the final session of the match, when he induced an error from the best batter in the series so far, Joe Root.Root had been England’s unshakeable rock in this series, scoring unbeaten 180 in the first innings here to go with 64 and 109 in the first Test at Trent Bridge. Despite the rest of England’s line-up being riddled with uncertainty, Root had remained on the lookout for runs at all times. On this afternoon, he had walked in after both openers had fallen for ducks – a first for England at Lord’s.At Trent Bridge, Bumrah had utilised the second new ball to find Root’s edge late on the fourth afternoon to put India in a favourable position before rain wiped out the entire fifth day. In the first innings here Root had lorded over the Indian bowling, and walked back undefeated.A five-Test series allows both batter and bowler to keep finding ways to stay one step ahead of the other. Out of that can emerge duels so engrossing they become theatre.Root had once again settled down and rushed into the 30s, but India’s pace quartet had kept the pressure constant, chipping away at the other end. Bumrah had sent alarm bells ringing in the England dressing room in the very first over their innings when he scrambled Rory Burns into closing his bat face early and spooning a leading edge to mid-off. Burns’ expression, and his slow head-shake before unwillingly leaving the crease, told you all you needed to know about the pressure Bumrah had put him under.Bumrah had attacked Root’s off stump constantly, making the England captain play at almost everything with utmost vigilance. The ball that eventually got Root was masterful: from his usual spot wide of the crease, Bumrah angled the ball into the corridor outside off stump, with the seam canted towards the slips. The ball pitched on a length, the initial angle drew Root into a defensive shot, and then it straightened to take a quick edge that Kohli lapped up, low and in front of him.Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli react to Rory Burns’ early dismissal•Getty ImagesPop-eyed, finger on lips, Kohli took off, and the Indians in the crowd screamed in delight. Root dug his bat and head down in disappointment. In front of him was Bumrah, who stamped the Lord’s turf with relief as well as the authoritative air of a man who had just sprung the perfectly laid trap.None of this was surprising, of course. In the morning, however, Bumrah had punched England in the gut in the most unexpected manner, with bat in hand, as he and Mohammed Shami had turned the match with a surreal, unbroken stand of 89 for the ninth wicket.Monday had begun with all four results possible, and England quickly took the initiative with the wicket of Rishabh Pant – India’s last recognised batter – in the fourth over of the morning. In less than two hours, however, Shami and Bumrah had shredded that script apart.Now Bumrah had taken out England’s best batter, but the match was still to be won. When he returned to the attack with 16 overs remaining, England were seven down, but the pair at the crease – Jos Buttler and Ollie Robinson – had been there for 5.4 overs, with the former having already faced 68 balls.Minutes before, Buttler had had a quiet word with Kohli, who had been chirping away incessantly throughout the innings. Irritating as that might have been, surviving Bumrah was a task of an altogether more serious magnitude.Straightaway Bumrah attacked Buttler, forcing him to defend his off stump, then to duck a bouncer, and then squared him up and drew an outside edge that landed in front of KL Rahul at second slip. The over ended with another edge, this one racing between second slip and gully. Drinks came onto the field. The match was into its final hour.Buttler and Robinson were not going to be separated easily. Five more overs went by, the tension growing by the minute. Then Bumrah went around the wicket to Robinson. He began this new line of attack with a pair of bouncers, overstepping on the second occasion. Would there be a change-up next? And what would it be?Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah added an unbroken 89 for the ninth wicket•Getty ImagesThe next ball, the penultimate ball of the over, would also turn out to be the penultimate ball of Bumrah’s match. And possibly, quite simply, the ball of the match. From around the wicket, Bumrah whirred that fast arm once again, with a last-minute flick of fingers and wrist at the last instant to take pace off the ball. A slower offcutter, coming down at Robinson with a scrambled seam.Robinson, stuck on the crease, played for the angle, opening his bat face to steer it square on the off side. It beat him twice: for lack of pace, and then with wicked inward movement past the inside edge to hit his back pad. A delivery to move anyone, but not, on this occasion, umpire Richard Illingworth.Kohli checked with Bumrah if the ball had pitched in line, and asked for a review. The ball had pitched in line with leg stump, and was straightening enough to hit middle, according to ball-tracking. Bumrah clapped enthusiastically, a smile lighting up his face. “Absolutely brilliant bowling” was the on-air verdict of Michael Holding, never a man for easy praise.The end was nigh, and it only took Mohammed Siraj five balls to take out the last two wickets, knocking back James Anderson’s off stump to send the Indians into a frenzy. At square leg, Bumrah jumped high and punched the air wildly.It has been an emotional series for Bumrah. After the Trent Bridge Test he tweeted the words: “Still don’t need you.” Was he shushing everyone who had criticised him after he’d gone wicketless in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand? Who knows.In the first innings of this Test, Bumrah went wicketless again. He ended that innings with an incident-packed 10-ball over that included four no-balls and a barrage of short-pitched deliveries at Anderson, including one that hit him on the helmet. England’s highest wicket-taker did not take kindly to it, and he argued animatedly with Bumrah as they walked off the ground at the end of the innings.That incident prompted England to attack Bumrah with short balls on the fifth morning, including one that smacked into the earpiece of his helmet. It fired him up, and he engaged in several verbal jousts with the opposition. The nervous energy of those early minutes of his innings dissipated as the Bumrah-Shami partnership grew, gradually loosening England’s hold on the Test match.And by the time he was done with the ball, India were well on their way to victory. Bumrah’s display wasn’t single-handed, but even if it was part of a magnificent team performance, it was a key catalyst behind India taking the series lead.

Bowlers have it better, timekeeping is key, women have equal billing as men… there’s a lot to get behind

Alan Gardner30-Jul-2021Bowlers catch a break
Reducing the number of deliveries a team needs to bat, without cutting the resources (i.e. wickets) at their disposal, usually sees the rate of scoring go up – just think T10, or any rain-affected five-over thrash you have been to. But that doesn’t seem to have been the case in the early stages of the Hundred, admittedly when players are still working out how best to approach the format. In the men’s competition, there have only been three totals above 150 (which is roughly the equivalent of 180 in a T20), and only two above 140 in the women’s. Overall, there have been 14 half-centuries from 17 completed matches, and the only player to have got close to scoring a century is Jemimah Rodrigues.As has been pointed out, several of the changes seem to have made the Hundred more bowler-friendly – from the shorter powerplay, the ability to bowl ten balls if things are going well or bail out after five if not, and the fact new batters almost always take the strike. That last feature seems increasingly significant and is something for teams to start factoring in. In Trent Rockets’ dramatic Alex Hales-led resurrection against Northern Supercharger, Hales faced 19 balls in the first half of the chase, and then 15 in the second as wickets fell around him, limiting the damage he may otherwise have been able to inflict in a small chase.Watching the opening stages, it has often felt as if timekeeping is meant to be one of the foremost skills on show•Getty ImagesA matter of timing
“Every ball counts” is the tagline of the Hundred, but perhaps “every second counts” would have been more apt. Watching the opening stages, it has often felt as if timekeeping is meant to be one of the foremost skills on show; that the major reason T20 hasn’t brought floods of new fans to the game in this country is not down to the arcane workings of the county system, or a (relative) lack or star signings, or the absence from free-to-air television, but rather a somewhat tardy over rate.Then again, the ability to complete 100-ball games inside two-and-a-half hours was supposedly an appealing factor to broadcasters – in particular the BBC, which isn’t keen on prime time cricket running over and disrupting the schedules. Although a requirement for there to be 50 seconds between each change of ends, presumably for advertising purpose, sits at odds with the need for speed.Related

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Whatever the truth, discussions of the cut-off time – after which teams lose fielders outside the ring if they have not started to bowl the final set of five – have been a near ubiquitous feature of the closing stages of innings, only missing the theme being played over the top.Women on the rise
The ECB’s scrapping of the successful Kia Super League was one of the more perverse decisions around the creation of the Hundred. But giving the women equal billing with the men, as well as first use of the pitches, has helped create a genuinely uplifting narrative as well as an entertaining drawcard, while the presence of England players throughout the competition looks set to ensure high standards.While official attendance figures for the double-headers have looked on the generous side, attempting as they do to account for people who have tickets for both games but don’t arrive until late in the day, there’s no doubt that the crowds in general have been good. Remember that the first-ever KSL match, at Headingley in 2016, was watched by fewer than 1000 people at the ground – compared to nearly 8000 at The Oval for last week’s curtain raiser. To have internationals such as Rodrigues, Dane van Niekerk and Stafanie Taylor command the stage alongside emerging stars like Lauren Bell and 16-year-old Alice Capsey, in front of thousands of spectators and a large televised audience, is tangible progress for the sport.Jemimah Rodrigues is the only batter to have come close to scoring a century•Getty ImagesNew vibe, same crowd?
The in-game experience has clearly been pitched more at families and those potentially coming to a cricket match for the first time: DJ sets and live music, pitch-side interaction on the big screens, and a simplified scoreboard, counting up to 100 balls during the first innings and then down for the second. Anecdotally, and from watching on TV, there seems to have been a greater proportion of women and children coming through the gates, certainly for the early fixtures; however, the evenings have rung to the sound of here-for-beers chanting familiar to anyone who has ever been to a T20 Blast match.Some of the spin around the competition has been laughable – notably TV presenters standing in front of near-empty stands while continually hailing the “great crowds” – but somewhere in between the PA-renditions of “Happy Birthday” to seemingly nonplussed kids, and the obligatory sunset choruses of “Don’t Take Me Home” as the business at the bars gets brisker, the ECB will be hoping a section of that near-mythical new audience has found its way through the turnstiles. The next step is to turn them into Hundred diehards.Talent show
Whether you think the new format is a ground-breaking moment for the game or a gimmicky rip-off of T20 cricket, the introduction of a pseudo-franchise tournament (because none of the new teams is technically a franchise) to the UK has certainly condensed the competition and turned up the temperature for those domestic players lucky enough to be involved.The opening rounds saw little-heralded names such as Chris Benjamin, Harry Brook, Calvin Harrison and Matthew Carter – as well as Capsey, Bell, Emma Lamb, Linsey Smith and Katie Levick – rise above the established talent to seize their moment. After the double-header at Lord’s on Thursday, London Spirit captain Eoin Morgan hailed a “finer-tuned, highly skilled competition” that pitted international regulars against the best from the county circuit, creating an environment for “young talent [to] come through and really shine”. And that’s a proposition many can get behind.

A set of ignominious records that the Black Caps now own after their dismal display in Mumbai

Sampath Bandarupalli04-Dec-20212:50

Vettori: Great day for Ajaz but poor for New Zealand

62 New Zealand’s total in the first innings in Mumbai, the lowest in Tests played in India. The previous was 75 by the home team against West Indies in Delhi in 1975.

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62 New Zealand’s 62 is also the lowest total by any team against India in Test cricket, South Africa’s 79 in 2015 in Nagpur being the previous lowest. Two of the three lowest Test totals against India came in 2021 with England all out for 81 in February this year.1 Instance of New Zealand registering a total lower than 62 since 1959, when they were bowled out for 45 against South Africa in 2013 in Cape Town. Until 1958, New Zealand had as many as four all-out totals in Tests which were lower than 62.1 All-out total lower than New Zealand’s 62 in the subcontinent. Pakistan held West Indies to just 53 runs in 1986 in Faisalabad. New Zealand’s total in Mumbai is also the joint fourth-lowest total in Tests in Asia with Pakistan recording totals of 59 and 53 respectively against Australia in the Sharjah Test in 2002.28.1 Overs faced by New Zealand during their first innings. Only South Africa (19.2) and England (22.3) have dismissed them in fewer overs. They faced 27 overs while registering the lowest total ever – 26 all out against England in 1955. The 28.1 overs at Wankhede are third-fewest India needed to bowl out an opponent at home in Test cricket.17 The lowest highest individual score in an all-out innings against India in Tests. It belongs to Kyle Jamieson now. Only once had India bowled an opposition out with no batter reaching 20 runs – in Melbourne 1981 when Doug Walters was Australia’s top-scorer in the second innings with 18*.325 India’s first-innings total is the second-lowest for any team to end up with a lead of 250-plus runs. Australia, in Sharjah in 2002, earned a lead of 251 runs after bundling Pakistan out for 59 while bowling first.332 India’s lead at the end of the second day, the highest they have taken at this stage in a Test match. The only other instance of India leading by 300-plus runs in the second innings by stumps on day two was against South Africa in 2006 (311).

A look back at the day-night matches at the ground, which has hosted the most number of such fixtures

Andrew McGlashan13-Dec-2021Australia vs New Zealand, 3rd Test, 2015
A new era dawned (or was lit up) with an intriguing Test full of unknowns that produced a tight, bowler-dominated contest, although Australia’s chase was perhaps a little more comfortable than the final margin suggested. But it could have been very different for New Zealand if Nathan Lyon had been given out caught at slip via a sweep onto his arm, on 0, when Australia were still 84 behind – the third umpire deemed Hot Spot inconclusive and there was no mark on Snicko. A combination of seam and spin had brought New Zealand back into the game after Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood had shared six first-innings wickets. However, after Lyon’s reprieve, him and Starc, who was injured and did not bowl in the second innings, helped Peter Nevill add 108 runs for the last two wickets. In the absence of Starc, Hazlewood shouldered the burden and claimed six wickets while Mitchell Marsh nipped out three to set up the chase. When Steven Smith was lbw to Trent Boult, Australia were wobbling on 66 for 3, but Shaun Marsh made a superb 49 while there were vital hands from Adam Voges and Mitchell Marsh to bring the target in sight.Related

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Australia vs South Africa, 3rd Test, 2016Usman Khawaja’s magnificent 145 put Australia on course for victory – after the team had undergone a clear out following a series-deciding thrashing in Hobart – and cancelled out equally fine centuries from Faf du Plessis and Stephen Cook. Hazlewood continued to show his craft with the pink ball as his four wickets reduced South Africa to 161 for 7 on the opening day before du Plessis turned the innings around with the lower order for company. Then, having noticed David Warner was off the field and would be unable to open, he declared late on the first day to try and catch out Australia’s top order. It didn’t work, and the promoted Khawaja played one of his finest innings, while half-centuries for Smith, debutant Peter Handscomb and Starc secured a strong lead. South Africa could never quite form the substantial partnerships needed second time around with Cook the last man out to give Starc his fourth wicket. Warner, Smith and the obdurate Matt Renshaw ensured the chase was always in hand.Jonny Bairstow was bowled to confirm Australia’s victory by 120 runs in the second Test in 2017•Getty ImagesAustralia vs England, 2nd Test, 2017Australia took hold of this match with a hefty first innings, having been put into bat by Joe Root, but England hauled themselves back into the contest as James Anderson showed his mastery under lights before the batting failed again. Shaun Marsh’s century was the cornerstone after the early hard work of Warner, Khawaja and Smith on a stop-start opening day. England were then largely dismantled in daytime conditions with Lyon backing up the work of the three quicks, but Smith decided against the follow-on even though the night session loomed. That gave England a glimmer with Anderson and Chris Woakes often unplayable as Australia slipped to 50 for 4. The pair ended up sharing nine wickets with only Khawaja and Starc making it to 20. Still, 354 was a huge chase. When Root and Dawid Malan were adding 78 for the fourth wicket, taking the runs required below 200, there were thoughts of a grandstand finish; but Cummins struck late on the fourth night and the final morning was a procession.Australia vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, 2019Tough for batters against the pink ball? Warner make a mockery of that with the second-highest individual score for Australia in Test cricket (behind Matthew Hayden’s 380) as Pakistan were overwhelmed despite finding an unlikely century-maker. Warner, who was caught off a no-ball on 226, and Marnus Labuschagne, feasted on some awful bowling to add 361 in 80 overs for the second wicket with Tim Paine declaring when Warner passed Mark Taylor’s mark and as the lights took hold. Pakistan’s top order was blown away by Starc, but on the third day, Australia’s fielding went to pieces while Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan counterattacked in a 105-run stand. Babar fell short of an elegant hundred, but Yasir brought up an unexpected milestone. Still, Paine was able to enforce the follow-on just as another night-time session took hold amid stoppages for rain, and the quicks again made inroads. In daytime on the fourth day, Lyon mopped up the rest.India bat in the dying moments of their horror innings against Australia in Adelaide in 2020•AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia vs India, 1st Test, 2020The match hurtled to a conclusion on an extraordinary third morning when India were bowled out in 21.2 overs with none of their batters making double figures. It turned what had been a nip-and-tuck contest – with India in front after two days – into an Australian cakewalk done by mid-afternoon. There had been a dramatic start with Starc striking with the second ball of the Test, but Virat Kohli was masterful to lead India to the relative strength of 188 for 3 when the innings turned on a run-out created by Hazlewood’s athleticism and an awful mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane which exposed the middle order under lights. However, India’s 244 was enough for a handy lead, with R Ashwin taking out the middle order, and it would have been more without one of the best innings of Paine’s Test career. Though Prithvi Shaw again fell early, the talk was of India building a lead of somewhere around 250. Those ideas disappeared amid a flurry of edges against Hazlewood and Cummins in a scarcely believable 15 overs on the third day. It did not, however, define the series.

Next stop New Zealand, and Australia are well placed after a season of overcoming challenges

Andrew McGlashan08-Feb-2022It started in Mackay and ended in Melbourne. The summer of cricket for Australia’s women’s team brought just one defeat in 14 matches – a loss which halted a world-record winning run in ODIs – and was capped off by the first undefeated Ashes series of the multi-format era. There have been numerous injury challenges to confront along the way, some tricky match situations to overcome not to mention the Covid-19 protocols. As they prepare to head across the Tasman for the ODI World Cup, the one missing piece of silverware from their cabinet after the semi-final exit in 2017, here’s a look back some of the talking points from the 2021-22 home season.Mind the gap
There remains daylight between Australia and the next-best. And it’s because of the depth available. It had often been spoken about but this season it has been on show. At various times they have had injuries to Rachael Haynes, Beth Mooney, Sophie Molineux, Jess Jonassen, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck as well as the absence of Megan Schutt. Three of them – Wareham (ACL), Molineux (foot) and Vlaeminck (foot) – are absent from the World Cup squad while Hannah Darlington has also withdrawn for mental health reasons. There is a chance that the double loss of Wareham and Molineux could be felt at crunch moments in the World Cup, but Alana King has slotted into international cricket impressively while Ashleigh Gardner’s offspin was barely needed in the ODIs against England. Annabel Sutherland, player of the match in the last Ashes one-dayer, is far from a certain starter at the World Cup. A look at the Australia A team that went unbeaten against England A is reminder of those who can’t get in the main squad.Related

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Sutherland savours role in dramatic Test finish: 'No place I'd rather be'

They can be beaten, but opportunities must be taken
However, they are human. In a number of matches against India and England they were pushed. India could have won the ODI series but were beaten in the second game by Mooney’s brilliance and a damp ball. They held their nerve in the next match to inflict Australia’s first one-day defeat since 2017. They also dominated the pink-ball Test and should have lost the corresponding fixture against England. And that’s the crux. Opposition sides cannot afford to let any chance to beat Australia slip away. Heather Knight may forever rue her team not being table to get 45 off 10 overs with seven wickets in hand. In the ODI a few days later Australia were 152 for 7 before finding a way to 205 which proved enough to defend. There will be times during the World Cup when an opposition team will be on top. But are they good enough to make it count?Ellyse Perry finished the Ashes strongly•Getty ImagesThe summer of McGrath
Tahlia McGrath was not an incumbent in any of the formats at the start of the summer. She finished it with two player of the series awards. It spoke volumes of her development as a cricketer and of the professional system now in place in Australia which allowed a player who had a previous taste at the top level to go away and return better. Her 74 in the second ODI against India – just her sixth innings in the format – was as crucial as Mooney’s hundred. She has yet to earn an average in T20Is with scores of 42 not out, 44 not out against India and a magnificent 91 not out against England. It was that latter performance that she earmarked as her standout moment of the summer, which came alongside three wickets, on her home ground in Adelaide. There was a maiden Test fifty for good measure. “I’ve just got a real confidence, a plan about my game at the moment and just simplify everything,” she said. “I try to take the scoreboard out of it, take the situation out of it and just back my game and my strengths with bat and ball.The Ellyse Perry debate
There was a fascinating narrative during the Ashes where Ellyse Perry, the greatest allrounder the game has seen, was dropped from Australia’s T20I side. It was another marker in how the sport is developing in Australia with talk of more role-specific selection in the format. There was never any risk to her positions in the other formats, but it was still noteworthy that she finished the ODI series producing some of her best cricket since before the serious hamstring injury she suffered at 2020 T20 World Cup. Her bowling looked back to somewhere near its best and with the bat she was in her element marshalling a couple of small chases. It will be interesting to watch her bat in a situation with run-rate pressure but she looks ready to have a big say in New Zealand.

West Indies coach claimed he was not nervous as England pushed for final-day win

Cameron Ponsonby13-Mar-2022Phil Simmons, West Indies’ head coach, says that he wasn’t nervous as his side successfully batted out 70.1 overs to force a draw on the final day’s play in Antigua, but joked that the teams had been “playing in Trent Bridge for the last few days” after the home supporters had been outnumbered by England’s travelling support.Speaking after West Indies had negotiated a final-day wobble to close on 147 for 4, Simmons praised man of the match Nkrumah Bonner, who scored a fantastic 123 in the first innings and was instrumental in securing the draw with an unbeaten on 38 from 138 balls second-time around.”He started doing it for us against Bangladesh,” Simmons said, recalling Bonner’s scores of 86 and 90 in his debut series in February 2021. “When he came and played Sri Lanka he did the same thing [with a maiden Test century]. So we’ve seen that with him and it’s getting more and more consistent, so that’s brilliant for us.”I’m hoping for a little more in the wicket [in Barbados] as it’ll make for a better Test match,” Simmons added. “I used to be a batter but you can’t let batters have it easy all the time and it’s hard for bowlers on wickets like these. You need an even surface and let’s compete.”Despite the apparent serenity of the final scoreline, West Indies endured a dicey passage of play either side of the tea-break, when four wickets fell for eight runs in the space of 9.3 overs to leave them awkwardly placed on 67 for 4. Bonner, however, found steadfast support in Jason Holder (37 not out), whose unbroken 80-run stand for the fifth wicket guided the team to safety.”I was more nervous when the review went up for Jason’s caught at slip [on 32] so no, I was not really nervous,” Simmons said. “The wicket has been flat so once you get your head down it’s difficult to get wickets on that, so I wasn’t that nervous.”After England had added 132 more runs in 25 overs in the morning session, Root declared shortly before lunch to set West Indies a teasing target of 286 to win from 71 overs. Simmons joked that he would have preferred 250 to win in 80 overs, but said he was pleased that England made a proactive decision that kept the game alive.Related

• Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Holder dig for draw as Windies resist bold declaration

• Mark Wood elbow injury rules him out of action in Antigua

• Zak Crawley makes his mark to begin his repayment of the faith

• After ten-year wait, Nkrumah Bonner scripts a nine-hour epic

“It’s good, we ended up being put under pressure because they’ve given themselves a chance with 70 overs to bowl against us and that’s how you want to finish a Test match looking to win.”They’ve come here to play a hard-fought series and they’ve shown that they’re not going to lie down so it’s good to see the fight from them and the other two matches are going to be just as hard.”This Test match in Antigua has been played out in front of thousands of fans, of whom the vast majority have been English. The lack of home support in West Indian cricket has been an issue for a number of years with the Caribbean Cricket Podcast confronting the issue in a recent episode by asking what can be done to effect change and encourage more local fans to attend.There are numerous reasons for the lack of local support, including a low vaccination rate within the population of Antigua, the location of the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, which is a fair distance outside of the capital St John’s, and also the fact that the match started on a Tuesday, meaning locals were working for all but the fifth and final day. Sure enough, Saturday’s play did lead to a slight, but noticeable increase in the number of local fans.”We’ve been playing in Trent Bridge for the last few days and we were playing in Lord’s for the T20s,” Simmons joked. “We have no support … but it’s great because we went through a period where we played with no fans in the stands, and I had to jump over and fetch the balls. So it’s great to see the fans and it’s great to see the music up on the hill. It’s great that people are coming back to cricket and things are getting back to normal.”Asked whether he’d like to see more support from home fans across the series Simmons responded that “we’ll see what happens. In Barbados? I’m not too sure.”

A look at how each playoffs team has fared in the tournament so far

ESPNcricinfo stats team, Mathew Varghese, Illustration by Kshiraja K24-May-2022ESPNcricinfo Ltd

There have already been four successful chases of 200-plus targets in 2022. Is this a golden age for fourth-innings pursuits?

S Rajesh20-Jun-2022Twice in two Tests in the current series against New Zealand, England were set challenging fourth-innings targets to chase down: 277 at Lord’s, and 299 at Trent Bridge. On each occasion they had a centurion – a serene Joe Root at Lord’s and scintillating Jonny Bairstow at Trent Bridge – as they romped home with plenty (five wickets) to spare.Add South Africa’s feats against India earlier this year, when they chased down 240 in Johannesburg and 212 in Cape Town, and there have been four significant fourth-innings batting performances in less than six months in 2022. And we haven’t even mentioned Pakistan’s epic-fourth innings response to a target of 506 in Karachi three months ago, when they gave Australia an almighty scare before finally settling for a draw with a score of 443 for 7.Four successful run-chases in a relatively short timespan give rise to a few questions: are these targets being hunted down more often now than in the past? Has fourth-innings batting generally become easier over the last few years? Let the numbers tell the story.ESPNcricinfo LtdTo start with, there have only been four other years when 200-plus targets have been chased down more often: five times in 2006, six times each in 1998 and 2003, and seven times in 2008. With half a year to go, 2022 has a decent chance of challenging that all-time record. Since the start of 2019, there have been 12 successful 200-plus chases; in the six-year period from 2013 to 2018, it had only happened seven times.However, these fourth-innings wins only highlight the success stories, without looking at the number of opportunities teams have had to chase such targets. To know the success rate in these situations, you’d also have to know the number of times teams have been set such targets, in the last few years and earlier.In 2022, there have been 14 instances when teams have been asked to chase 200 or more; the targets have ranged from 212, for South Africa against India in Cape Town, to 506 for Pakistan against Australia. As mentioned earlier, four of those chases have been successful, six have ended in defeats, and the remaining four have been draws. Four out of 14 gives a success percentage of 28.6. That is a huge improvement from 2021 (three out of 24) and from 2018 (zero out of 29).