It will be a battle between Titans’ batsmen and Sydney Sixers’ bowlers in the second Champions League T20 semi-final in Centurion

Firdose Moonda25-Oct-2012The similarities between Titans and Sydney Sixers are startling, beginning with the simple fact that they are the only two champions left in the Champions League.Both won their respective domestic competitions and have established themselves as the powerhouses of cricket in their countries. Both have potent bowling attacks, although Sydney’s has more of the future with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood while Titans’ is more of a mix with CJ de Villiers in the youth corner and Alfonso Thomas adding experience.Both have stalwart wicketkeepers in Brad Haddin and Heino Kuhn – who is hoping to challenge for national selection – and both are without some big stars. Titans reached the final without the Morkel brothers, AB de Villiers or Faf du Plessis, Sydney have had it a little less severe.Shane Watson played in their first three matches, all of them which were Sydney victories, but was then ordered to return home. His team showed they could cope without him as they went on to win their last group stage game as well. The battle lines have been drawn on that premise: these two teams are fighters no matter what.”You can’t underestimate a side without their top stars. Titans have shown that in this competition and so have Sydney,” Titans coach Matthew Maynard said, further outlining where the duel will be waged. “We know Sydney are a very strong side and bowlers are suited to these conditions, but so are our batsmen. I think that’s going to be the contest that decides it.”Jacques Rudolph and Henry Davids have done the bulk of Titans’ work with the willow. They have featured in two half-century opening stands and, in both circumstances, Titans scored sizeable totals and won the match. The pair accumulated runs in more traditional ways, rather than relying on improvised 20-overs methods, which Maynard said is the way the shortest format should be played.”I don’t think slogging plays a massive part in 20-overs cricket, full stop,” he said. “Maybe it comes in towards the back end of an innings when people hit the ball in unusual areas. But generally, good cricket shots pay off and teams have learned that over the years. Henry and Jacques both play good cricket shots and they have done well.”But, the pair and Titans’ batting as a whole fell apart against Kolkata Knight Riders, when they were dismissed for 89. It was their weakest performance in recent memory but Maynard is not reading too much into the defeat, because Knight Riders could play with absolute freedom, having already been knocked out of the tournament.”The Knight Riders batsmen really went after our bowlers and hit our guys off their lengths. They had nothing to lose doing that, even if a couple of balls went in the air,” Maynard said, maintaining that building strategies on that type of gameplan does not pay off in the long-run. “It was high-risk, high-reward kind of cricket. You can’t keep playing your cricket as adventurously as Knight Riders did that day and [have it] keep coming off; there’s a time where that fails.”Maynard does not expect Sydney to approach the semi-final with that attitude. “I’ll be very surprised if Sydney are as carefree as Knight Riders were,” he said, but acknowledged that they are the favourites. “The favourites for the final, probably from the outset, would have been Delhi and Sydney. But the two local sides are in the semi-finals as well. I don’t think many people would have predicted that at the start.”The success of the South African sides has in some part been credited to their knowledge of local conditions but Maynard said there is something else Titans will be counting on come Friday. “A big crowd is what gives you the home ground advantage,” he said. “The players love playing in front of a crowd, as they showed against Perth in the first game.”Marcus North, the Scorchers’ captain, admitted that his side found it intimidating in front of the Centurion faithful and Maynard is hopeful they can repeat that against Sydney. “If the stadium is a third full or a quarter full, then I don’t believe there is any home advantage because there isn’t that atmosphere created by the supporters to make that much of a difference,” he said. “But 10,000 people … that’s different.”

With the World Twenty20 a month away, here’s part one of our series on players who intrigue us with their potential and past performances

Daniel Brettig, Brydon Coverdale and David Hopps18-Aug-2012

Kamran Akmal

Pakistan
A fearless, aggressive batsman, Akmal’s career fluctuations have had largely more to do with the inconsistent nature of his wicketkeeping, which has oscillated between the competent and the contemptible. Only 22 when he took over the Pakistan keeping gloves from those longtime rivals Rashid Latif and Moin Khan in 2004, Akmal initially showed as much promise with the gloves as with the bat, but as time has gone on, his keeping has deteriorated, while questions have also been raised about his integrity. He kept himself in the frame with regular bursts of batting brilliance, and it is for those that the Pakistan selectors have called on him again for the World Twenty20.What’s he about?
Akmal has been cast in the Adam Gilchrist mould, though without his inspiration’s sustained neatness behind the stumps. As the possessor of six Test centuries and five of the ODI variety, Akmal can turn matches, and a domestic T20 average of 26.84 and strike rate of 133.10 are nothing to be sniffed at. At the age of 30, Akmal’s strengths and weaknesses are well known, and the selectors are gambling that he will play more to the former than the latter this time around. They were also encouraged by the clearing of his name by the PCB’s Integrity Committee last month.What the team needs
Explosive batting always helps, but a steady wicketkeeper’s hand would help Pakistan’s cause immeasurably, particularly up to the stumps in support of what is sure to be a vast array of spinners. Whether or not Akmal can provide this is open to question, but he will be keen to produce displays more in tune with his startling innings against India in Karachi in 2006 than the fit of fumbles that helped lose Pakistan the 2010 Sydney Test to Australia.Big day out
113 (off 148) v India, third Test, Karachi, 2006

Coming in at 39 for 6 in the wake of Irfan Pathan’s hat-trick in the first over of the match, Akmal blazed a century from No. 8 that granted Pakistan a defendable total and set them on the path to a memorable, series-clinching victory.Trivia and stats

In Bangalore, the visitors showed pluck and glimpses of the skills in their possession. Now, they must sustain their desire to do well in Test cricket

Andrew Alderson04-Sep-2012Five losses out of the last seven Tests makes poor reading for New Zealand, but there remains a feeling of respite in the aftermath of the Bangalore defeat. Despite a winning margin of five wickets, with Indian partnerships of 77 and 96 in the final innings, there was a sense of fight in the New Zealand ranks; something the first Test shambles lacked.The Hyderabad loss left a taste of insipid apathy; the Bangalore loss reinvigorated the Test appetite. Losing in a decent contest earns respect. New Zealand demonstrated pluck through the batting of captain Ross Taylor, the bowling of a youthful pace attack and the guile of offspinner Jeetan Patel. Even at 32, Patel showed he is an alternative coming out from Daniel Vettori’s shadow. In the second innings, Patel was treated lightly by Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina before bowling them, while Cheteshwar Pujara was hesitant before flicking a catch. Patel deserved his three wickets in challenging circumstances.Unlike December’s victory over Australia, New Zealand could not drag the Test their way. In that match in Hobart – also minus Vettori – they were assisted by a strip with bite. Bangalore provided more of a contest for bat and ball, where the will of India captain MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli proved unbreakable.Yet, until the last few balls, the pair had to work hard. The contest made for an absorbing evening’s viewing in New Zealand. Fans could afford to shelve channel-surfing contingency plans.Ross Taylor’s first-innings century and aggressive captaincy – placing a regular three slips in the cordon for Southee and a short leg and silly point for Patel in the fourth innings – showed a maturity and a quiet fury to propel his team into a better era. He was rewarded with tight bowling for moderate periods. Taylor backed his hunches; like refusing Patel the right to put a man back after Sehwag blasted him for a six over long-off. Sehwag was bowled three balls later.Sadly for New Zealand, Taylor was given little top order batting support in the first innings as he eased to his seventh test century. Fifty to 100 more runs could have taken New Zealand out of danger. Likewise, in the second innings, no New Zealand batsman could fully dominate the spinners, with seven batsmen scoring between 22 and 41. The hosts faced a manageable 261 to haul in, despite it being a record fourth-innings chase on that ground.

The Hyderabad loss left a taste of insipid apathy; the Bangalore loss reinvigorated the Test appetite. Losing in a decent contest earns respect

Tim Southee, backed by like-minded aggression from Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell, produced a gifted spell to knock India back. His 7 for 64 that places him sixth on the list of all-time best New Zealand bowling performances. His ability to trouble India’s line-up by moving the ball to and fro was a credit to his mental aptitude after he earned inclusion at the expense of veteran Chris Martin.Inspirational moments peppered the fielding performance too, like Daniel Flynn scampering crab-like from short leg to take a one-handed catch off the in-form Pujara.Hopefully, though, New Zealand fans can resist reverting to apologist-speak like “rebuilding” and “moving forward” to describe the current team. Those excuses tire quickly in an era where there is more exposure to the international game than ever before from age-group level up. There is plenty of talent but more consistency is required. On the bowling front the India batsmen worked too many loose balls to the boundary with their wrists or “on-the-up” limited-overs style. The batting top order remains more miss than hit with porous defence.Taylor said afterwards they were disappointed with how they played in Hyderabad and wanted to show some fight and courage. They did so, but the onus is now on the players to avoid losing that desire to apply themselves in the longer form. For several of the team, patience is about to be replaced with premeditation at the World Twenty20. The Sri Lanka Test series is shortly afterwards and New Zealand need to further demonstrate that they have serious aspirations in the Test game to keep the public with them.

It’s less than six degrees of separation when you tour the Caribbean

Subash Jayaraman06-Aug-2012July 24
As far as beginnings go, the trip to the Caribbean isn’t the smoothest. First, I have to cancel my flight from New York to Antigua when I am informed late that I need a visa. After running around midtown Manhattan for a few hours on a Monday morning, putting together the visa documents, thanks to helpful folks at the Antigua consulate, I am finally on my way – only, this time via Boston, San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Beef Island (British Virgin Islands). A four-hour trip has turned into a day and a half.On the way from the VC Bird International Airport to the Sir Vivian Richards Ground, there are no signs that a Test will be underway in a matter of hours. A giant billboard of Sir Viv close to the stadium is faded. I see the New Zealanders having nets, and then run back and forth from the media centre to the WICB office to get my media pass.July 26
On the morning of day two, when I take the elevator to get to the press box, an Antiguan kid – no more than seven – rides with me. He must be related to someone in there, I think. I ask him who he thinks will win the Test. “New Zealand,” he says with conviction. Taken aback, I ask why. “You see how well the New Zealanders apply themselves. The West Indians don’t seem to be doing so.”July 27
A West Indies v New Zealand Test doesn’t register high on anybody’s interest scale. There aren’t more than a few hundred fans in the ground on any day of the match. There aren’t a lot of media personnel covering it either. Not even with Chris Gayle coming back and the prospect of seeing Sunil Narine in home conditions. “Oh, there is a carnival in Antigua, and so the fans aren’t gonna come.” “New Zealand media is more focused on the Olympics.” I don’t buy the reasons. There is a deeper malaise arising from neglect of cricket.July 29
While taking notes during the match, I hear the unmistakable deep voice booming from the back of the press box. I don’t have to turn around to know it is Curtly Ambrose’s. He looks as if he can still take a five-for. I happen to be walking alongside to the post-match presentation. He looks at the track, shakes his head in disbelief, and says: “You could play another Test on this pitch.”July 31
In the West Indies you always seem to be running into someone who knows someone or is related to someone important. The lady who owns a little grocery down the road from where I am staying in Antigua, Claire, is the niece of Ralston Otto, who is a cousin of Ambrose. The bed and breakfast I stay in in Jamaica is run by the daughter of Hartley Neita, who was a well-known journalist and later a press secretary to a few Jamaican prime ministers. The daughter is the cousin of Jimmy Adams.August 1
It is the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence from Britain. The celebrations are in full swing and almost every car has a Jamaica flag fluttering on it. The success of Jamaica in international athletics has given its people a lot of pride and reasons to drape themselves in the national colours. Independence Day is August 6, the last day of the Test match, a national holiday. That should bring quite a few fans into the ground over the long weekend, but no one is sure.August 2
Sabina Park has a bit of an anachronistic feel to it, but it is still quite imposing, as if the ghosts of past West Indian glory still haunt it. A giant white cloth is stretched over the seats at one end to act as a sight screen, while at the other, an entire wall is painted white. As you gaze out from the media box, sitting in not the most comfortable plastic chairs, the view is breathtaking. Against a bright blue backdrop, you see the Norman Manley airport in the distance, with planes coming in to land, the Caribbean Sea, oil tankers, and the cricket. Think to myself: “Life’s good.”August 2
I take a seat in the media box, next to the one reserved for an HG “Dellmar” Samuels. Dellmar, a crusty old man named after George Headley (HG stands for Headley George), is a freelance photographer who has covered West Indies cricket for more than 30 years. He shows me a self-produced photo book of the World Cups from 1975 to 2003. I flip through the pages that capture nearly all the important moments and ask him why there isn’t much on the 1983 final, where India beat West Indies. “Hey maan, why ya joggin’ mah brain?” he replies.Locals and tourists by the sea at Montego Bay, Jamaica•AFPAugust 3
Taxis in Jamaica don’t have meters. So before you get in, especially for a long-distance ride, fix a price. Having grown up in India, the art of haggling comes easy to me. From time to time, I’ll let the cabbie tell me how much it will be for a particular distance. Usually he’ll quote three times the actual fare. But once I tell them I have done this before, they let me set the price.August 4
The Test match is hurtling towards a quick finish. Disciplined bowling and a slightly challenging pitch are exposing fragile batting line-ups. I decide to spend 30 minutes in the camera gantry right below the TV commentary box to take in the view. One of the cameramen, Hari from Bangalore, lets me put on the headphones and listen in on the TV commentary as well as the producer’s calls. It’s a crazy jumble of numbers, letters and colours. “Come in, come in, three, three, five, five, cut to yellow, Hawk-Eye, black, white, seven, seven, five, five.” Hari tells me what the calls mean.New Zealand’s second innings ends. Ian Bishop and Jeff Dujon show up for the highlights show, but Bishop seems distracted by the women’s 100m final at the Olympics coming up and keeps sneaking looks at the giant screen.August 5
Change of plans. With tropical storm Ernesto – which is expected to strengthen to a hurricane as it feeds off the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea – threatening Jamaica, I rejig my plans to leave by the earliest flight. Weather websites and headlines like “Ernesto: Jamaica next in line” don’t inspire much confidence. Choose to get out ahead of the storm instead of waiting for it to pass and be stuck with a possible airport shut-down.

Despite being one of the most accurate, consistent and wicket-taking bowlers in domestic cricket, Pankaj Singh has been consistently ignored by the national selectors

Amol Karhadkar20-Nov-2012″ [You have to give it all every time you bowl],” Pankaj Singh, the Rajasthan bowling spearhead for well over half a dozen years now, said after having bowled three spells at his best on the last day of their Ranji Trophy Group A tie against Madhya Pradesh. Such was Pankaj’s energy that each one of his three spells on a meaningless last day, was as good as – if not better than – his opening spell of the match under a blazing sun on the first morning at the KL Saini Stadium.Even though Pankaj, 27, tried to be as optimistic as possible, there was a hint of frustration in his voice. And soon, rather than answering a question, he himself raised one that has been pondering not only him but a lot of Indian cricket followers. “Can someone tell me why is it that I am not picked for India [in Tests]?” he asked. “I have picked 150 wickets in the last four domestic seasons and there have been so many others who have been given an opportunity. Why I am not presented with an opportunity? What more do I need to do to seek attention [of the selectors]?”There’s no doubt that Pankaj has a point while venting out his dejection. After all, despite being one of the most accurate, consistent and wicket-taking bowlers on the domestic scene over the last five seasons, he has been consistently ignored by the national selectors. The only time he was part of the Test squad was during the tour to Australia in 2007-08 but he didn’t get an opportunity to bowl in a competitive game during the tour.The only time he wore the national jersey was during the tri-nation series in Zimbabwe in June 2012 as part of a second-string India squad led by Suresh Raina. While all the other India pace bowlers on that tour have played at least one Test, Pankaj is still waiting for his chance. Since then, he has consistently picked wickets in domestic cricket. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2010-11 Ranji season with 43 wickets [53 in the whole domestic season] and was the third highest wicket-taker in Rajasthan’s victorious campaign last season.Did he try and ask any selector – none of whom is a member of the refurbished national selection panel – about what he needed to do in order to get a national call-up? “I had asked one of them about three years ago. I was told I was lacking in pace, so I worked on it and now, I can consistently bowl 135+ [kph] for hours,” he said. “Then they said I don’t perform against the big teams. I can tell you that I have played six games against Mumbai and barring two of them [including last week’s Group A tie], I have picked rich hauls in the other four games.”Despite his returns of one for 90 against Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai in Jaipur last week, Pankaj has picked three five-wicket hauls in six outings against the domestic stalwarts.While the likes of Ashok Menaria and Robin Bist have gone on to represent India A after starring in Rajasthan’s back-to-back Ranji triumphs, Pankaj’s impressive record has been overlooked. “Let alone the India side,” he said.But howsoever frustrated a sportsperson is, a ray of hope is what keeps him going through the paces day and day out. The case was no different for Pankaj, who signed off with: “I have been ignored even in the A squad for a long time. I just hope that my efforts will be recognised soon.”

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the second day of the third Test in Kolkata

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2012Milestone of the day #1
When he reached 89, Alastair Cook became the youngest man in the history of Test cricket to score 7,000 Test runs. Cook, aged 27 years and 347 days, overtook Sachin Tendulkar, who was 28 years and 193 days. But neither are top in terms of innings required to reach the landmark. That record still belongs to Wally Hammond, who took 131 innings. Cook required 151, while Tendulkar required 136. Virender Sehwag, who took 134 innings, was actually the second-quickest to the landmark in terms of innings required.Milestone of the day #2
The generous ovation Cook received for his century – his 23rd in Test cricket – spoke volumes. The crowd at Eden Gardens may have come in the hope of a far better performance from India, but they stayed to appreciate a fine performance from an Englishman. Cook has now scored more Test centuries than any England batsmen. He has also scored centuries in his first five Tests as captain; three on this tour and two in Bangladesh in 2010 when he stood-in for Andrew Strauss.Drop of the day
Cook was on just 17 when he was drawn into prodding slightly half-heartedly at one that left him a little from Zaheer Khan and edged to slip. Cheteshwar Pujara, at first slip, seemed to have the catch under control but, perhaps fearing the ball was dying on him, unnecessarily attempted to scoop the ball up and, in the process, put the chance down. Bearing in mind Cook’s form, it may prove to be the defining moment of the series.Moment of the day
If there was one moment that defined the performance of India in the field it came when Cook, on 53, prodded forward to a delivery from R Ashwin and set off for a sharp single. Yuvraj Singh, at mid off, took an age to run to the ball, pick it up and unleash a throw so wide that it eluded not just the stumps, but MS Dhoni and first slip too, as it flew for four overthrows.Shot of the day
There were few moments of cheer for India on the second day. But at least Dhoni raised a few smiles with the bat. Left with only the tail for company, he selflessly hogged the strike and turned down numerous chances to reach his 50. He also took the opportunity to attack, driving Monty Panesar for successive sixes over long-on. The second of them, a monstrous blow, must have cleared the long-on boundary by at least 40 yards. Pragyan Ojha did not score a single run in the 10th wicket partnership of 20 that took India above 300.

South Africa are becoming fearsome on their home patch and Pakistan have just over a week to come up with a method to make the series a contest

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers04-Feb-2013Pakistan have ten days and a two-day match to revive themselves ahead of their next bout with South Africa. They will play a Western Province Invitation XI at the Vineyard Cricket Club next Monday and Tuesday to get game time and will look at plans to counter the new ball specifically in the training sessions before the Cape Town Test.After becoming the third team in 14 months to be bowled out for less than fifty in South Africa, Pakistan “took the emotion out,” of what happened, according to their coach Dav Whatmore, and “tried to understand the facts.” What they have surmised is that South Africa’s potent new-ball attack can be as unplayable as they look, especially when conditions are in their favour and Pakistan need to find a way to counterattack.”It’s really important to negotiate the new ball,” Misbah-ul-Haq said afterwards. “We need to concentrate on how to tackle outswing with the new ball. If you look at this match, the way Dale Steyn bowled was the turning point, the line that he bowled and the way he swung the ball. For a team from Asia, it a very difficult to deal with that kind of thing.”The batsmen’s ability to adjust was always expected to be the biggest challenge Pakistan would face on the first trip to South Africa in five years. While many would argue that most batting line-ups around the world would have been equally blown away by South Africa’s bowling performance, there are some who will question Pakistan’s preparation.Ramiz Raja is one of them. In his analysis with ESPNcricinfo, he was critical of the team’s build-up, said they should have arrived in the country weeks earlier and asked for more than one warm-up match before the Test series in order to acclimatise.That cannot be changed but what Pakistan can do is use the substantial amount of time between matches to fully cook what was perhaps a little raw when they arrived and rectify the situation somewhat. The Western Province bowlers will not be of the quality of the South African attack but the match will provide Pakistan with an opportunity to play in local conditions and, although it is not a first-class match, in fairly competitive situations instead of endless nets.They will also take heart from their second attempt at the Wanderers as a sign that they are settling in. Three players, Nasir Jamshed, Asad Shafiq and Misbah himself, had some measure of the conditions. They showed a little more certainty outside the offstump and more discretion with their aggressive intent.It showed them what they need to do to overcome South Africa. “We had an improved performance with the batting in the second innings,” Misbah said. “When you go there and hang in, it gives you a little bit of confidence. It’s not that we can’t do it. Everybody has learnt a lesson. It’s a good batting unit so now it’s about applying yourself and getting starts.”With Pakistan’s batting the focus, their strong bowling performance on the first day has just about been forgotten about. But Misbah is mindful that the attack too, has work to do. “Against such a quality batting line up we need to improve day by day because they are not going to give you anything,” he said.Pakistan’s reliance on spin could also help to even things out for the second Test. Although Cape Town is not exactly the sub-continent, it does take a bit of turn. Graeme Smith said: “From a style factor, of using majority spinners and seamers in short bursts, it will suit them better than it did here.”While Newlands could be a leveller in some respects, it is also the ground that South Africa call their fortress. They last lost 11 Test matches ago in 2006, against Australia. It is not a thought that will leave Misbah feeling very comfortable, especially as he acknowledged that he does not need his mission to become any more difficult. “They are the No.1 side world, it’s not easy and everybody knows that. We have to improve and we have to play well,” he said.

What does a live falcon show in the Arab desert tell us about Shoaib Akhtar’s career?

Osama Baig13-Apr-2013I’m sitting on top of a small sand dune in a remote part of Ras Al Khaimah in UAE, waiting for a falcon show to begin. The falconer comes up, with the falcon fastened to his gloved hand by a few hooks on her leg. He explains how the falcon is capable of reaching speeds in excess of 300 kph. A friend quips (“The falcon flies faster than Shoaib Akhtar bowls.”) Shoaib Akhtar?The falconer unhooks the falcon. Freed, she stands perched on the glove and surveys the crowd gathered round her for a few seconds while also giving the crowd an opportunity to watch her closely; clearly she’s into showmanship. She takes off. The falconer proceeds down the sand dune to a clearing some distance away, and pulls out a length of rope at the end of which are quail feathers rolled into a ball. He swings them over his head like a lasso trying to get the attention of the now quite far away flying falcon. Sure enough, the falcon spots the quail feathers and starts her dive. She’s getting bigger as she’s getting closer, and seems to be getting faster too. And just as she is sure to grab the quail feather ball, the falconer pulls it away: she misses and whizzes past him.It’s at this point where I get an image of Shoaib Akhtar charging in, off his insanely long run. Getting bigger as he’s getting closer, hurling down a ball which rips past the batsman. I never got an opportunity to watch him live.The falcon flies back to her original far away position even though the falconer had started swinging his rope right after she missed. The falcon wants to charge back again. She doesn’t want to disappoint the expectant watching crowd by diving from a shorter starting point, and sneakily snatching the quail feathers. Thrill is an important part of her image; she isn’t going to give it up.She misses again, and then again. Finally the falconer calls out for what was going to be the last time, and she doesn’t miss. I walk closer. She’s panting quite heavily. The falconer had let her get the quail feathers in her fourth go so she could stop. He understands that she can only be allowed to hunt in short spells. It’s demanding on her to put so much effort, and since it isn’t in her nature to back away and stop, her caretaker would have to intervene.Show over, the falconer puts on a hood over the falcon’s head. Can she see through it? “No,” the falconer explains. “After all the excitement, the hood helps the falcon calm down. They can injure themselves, you know.”I start leaving. Everyone’s excitedly taking about the show. I’m gutted though, for this isn’t Shoaib Akhtar. He wasn’t always used in short bursts. The effects of his craft on his body weren’t always considered. He was never protected from hurting himself.If only this falconer from a remote area in Ras Al Khaimah had been consulted by the Pakistani cricket management, the country’s fast bowling situation could have been slightly better.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line

If Bopara had begun this season with a bang then a return would have been more understandable, but a Championship average of 23 is not compelling – even though his latest selection is for white-ball, rather than red-ball cricket

Andrew McGlashan03-May-2013Ravi Bopara has previously talked about being a dog lover, but perhaps a cat would be a more suitable companion for him. After all, he appears to have nine lives when it comes to his England career.England do not cast off players on a whim. It is a loyal, inclusive, set-up where snap judgements are rare. But Bopara is becoming this generation’s Graeme Hick or Mark Ramprakash with the number of chances he is being given, in the hope that he will flourish as an international cricketer as many expected when he was a rare bright spot to emerge from the 2007 World Cup. In the six years since there have been fleeting suggestions that he has cracked the top level only for his game to come tumbling apart as it did last summer.Bopara’s difficulties last year were not purely to do with cricket, and he had hinted at another breakthrough against Australia before his problems, but it was not the first time a seemingly fragile mindset had been disturbed.A one-day tournament, which is almost a knockout from start to finish, is not a place for someone easily shaken off course although Paul Grayson, his coach at Essex, believes the mental side of Bopara’s game is in good order. “I’ve seen him when he’s been down. He’s not down at the moment and I think he’s due some runs,” Grayson told earlier this week.When Bopara last played for England, bizarrely recalled for the must-win match against Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20, he looked bereft of form and confidence. It was not nice to watch. He needed some time away to clear his head, but when he returned to action during the winter he could not maintain a place for his Bangladesh Premier League franchise although he enjoyed slightly more success (190 runs at 27.14) in South Africa’s domestic Twenty20.If he had begun this season with a bang then a return would have been more understandable, but a Championship average of 23.60 is not compelling – even though his latest selection is for white-ball, rather than red-ball cricket.His recall for the Champions Trophy suggests he was going to be there all along. His bowling, which became more effective as his batting slumped last year, has clearly had a persuasive impact on Geoff Miller and Ashley Giles – and it was impressive against Australia and South Africa last year – but it would be stretching the point to suggested he could be regularly entrusted with 10 overs even in English conditions.And, for all his ability (a word so often associated with Bopara), is he really needed at No. 7 behind Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler? His best one-day innings for England have actually been higher up – he averages 33.12 at No. 4 with five fifites in 19 innings and 34.37 at No. 5 – but it is very hard to see how he finds a place anywhere from No. 3 to No. 6.As that suggests, being part of the 15-man squad could be the closest Bopara comes to actually getting in the team. Tim Bresnan and Chris Woakes should be vying for the No. 7 spot (Woakes edges it on batting, Bresnan on bowling) and Joe Root has slotted almost effortlessly into one-day international cricket, showing a versatility to play a variety of innings.But regardless of whether Bopara actually plays, it is another significant decision in the early days of Giles’ one-day team. He has not been afraid of putting his stamp on the side after assuming control from Andy Flower in January having previously dropped Craig Kieswetter and Jade Dernbach. The form of that pair had made it clear they needed a break from the international stage, whereas the form of Bopara has not convinced that he deserves another opportunity and although a skill of selecting is looking beyond the numbers his career is more than a fair sample size.Everyone will wish Bopara the best, of course, but there are plenty of doubters that need convincing. His lives are running out.

First Test cricket, now one-day cricket. There has been a hint of Virender Sehwag with the way Shikhar Dhawan has launched his career

Nagraj Gollapudi in Cardiff06-Jun-2013Twice during his innings Shikhar Dhawan escaped to the dressing room to relieve himself. Earlier, even before Morne Morkel had bowled the first ball of Champions Trophy, Dhawan had signalled the 12th man to fetch his elbow guard, which he had forgotten before walking in.Those were the only times Dhawan looked unsettled on an otherwise glorious day where he played the situation better than any other batsman. Just like he had done in Mohali during his debut Test match, Dhawan opened his arms to embrace Cardiff and proudly celebrate his maiden ODI century.In February, Dhawan sent a shudder through the world of cricket with the fastest century on Test debut, easily on the shortlist for the innings of the 21st century. It was an innings played with ferocious intensity where Dhawan never took his foot off the accelerator. Today was completely different.Dhawan had scores of 1 and 17 in the two warm-up matches. This was the first time he was opening with Rohit Sharma, who himself had failed to get past single-digit scores in those two games in the past week. So both men had to fight their individual nerves even before they could face the short deliveries sent down by Morkel and Ryan McLaren.Both men were hit, but both did not relent. The key was to leave the ball before they could start dictating their terms. In the first 10 overs India scored 53 for no loss. Although not sedate, it was a watchful beginning.The challenge was to build on the start and both men helped the other by showing the keenness to rotate the strike. On the back of that good understanding, the pair managed to get past the 100-run mark, a feat not achieved since the Hamilton ODI in 2009 when Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag were involved in a 153-run opening stand. But when they finally seemed to have hit a confident stride, Rohit departed with a stroke that was an error in judgement.Shikhar Dhawan is not the finished article just yet, but is certainly on his way•Getty ImagesBut Dhawan hung in there and took advantage of the bad balls while imposing himself on unthreatening bowlers. Twice in Robin Peterson’s second over he charged the left-arm spinner for confident fours. But the bowler he really felt comfortable against was Rory Kleinveldt. Numerous times Dhawan just walked out to swat, pull, hook, cut and loft Kleinveldt smartly, converting the bowler’s aggression to his advantage.One line of thought being suggested as to why Dhawan managed to prosper was the exaggerated use of the short-pitch ball by the South African bowlers and the other was the absence of Dale Steyn. While there is a merit in those points it is equally important to recognize Dhawan’s talent and the supreme confidence he has at the moment.Dhawan was forced to miss the final Test of the Australia series and the first half of the IPL, where he plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad, due to a finger injury sustained during the Mohali Test. But he made an instant impact on his comeback, ending up as the best batsman for Sunrisers, and in the top 20 for IPL, in his 10 matches. His success played an important role in Sunrisers entering the play-offs as the fourth team.It is his bravado that makes Dhawan stand out. Being fearless was the basis of Sehwag’s greatness and Dhawan plays the same brand of cricket. He does not have the gifted hand-eye coordination of Sehwag, but Dhawan has the courage. The courage to constantly walk out of his crease, to tease the bowler and tempt him to either attack him or force a change of line. And he has the flair. On 94, when Kleinveldt pitched on a good length and moved away from off stump, Dhawan went on the back foot to place a delicate cut between gully and deep point for a classy four.AB de Villiers, who was Dhawan’s team-mate at Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, said that he was not surprised at Dhawan’s development. “He has got the whole package and I am sure he’ll get better as his career goes along. He is a good player.”Yet Dhawan will agree that he is very new and soon teams will work him out. He is riding the wave of success at the moment and is on a high. Also this pitch was, barring the bounce it possessed, completely in favour of the batsmen. If they resisted anything silly they could convert the starts into big scores like Dhawan managed. But Dhawan also knows his back-foot play still is not convincing. His default trigger movement is to go forward and play the ball on the rise. And he is not afraid. But a good bowler can take advantage and in moving conditions that kind of technique could be fatal.For now Dhawan is basking in his, and India’s, success. He has the time to erase the grey areas one by one. And he is not worried for now. Asked to explain his cheerful personality on the pitch, Dhawan simply said: “Enjoy watching my partner’s batting. Enjoy running between the wickets. Enjoy taking the pressure.”His team-mates, too, cannot thank him enough. As soon as Morkel, the final South African wicket, was bowled, Suresh Raina ran from long-on to long-off and hugged Dhawan. Virat Kohli, a good friend of Dhawan, plucked a stump and handed it to him.