All posts by h716a5.icu

The Tigers can feel good as they near the final month of the 2025 MLB season. After sweeping the Astros this week and winning eight of their last 10 games, they seem to have come out of the slump they hit midway through the year.

Detroit was one of the hottest teams at the start of the season, but cooled off toward the All-Star break when they lost four games going into the break followed by eight of their first nine games after the Midsummer Classic.

That slump naturally brought out concerns from Tigers fans who initially thought their team was on track to contend for their first World Series title in over 40 years. Those worries don't bother manager A.J. Hinch though.

"I think we should just thank them for being passionate enough to care," Hinch said, via 97.1 The Ticket.

The Tigers not only have seemingly emerged from their slump, but regained their lead in the American League Central. Detroit holds a 9.5-game lead over the Royals and a 10.5-game lead over the Guardians, as well as the best record in the league. Hinch knows they can't slow down, but is glad to have the passion from Detroit as they head down the final stretch of the season.

"We’re still going to run the race, we still have a lot of games left, we’re still going to play our game, but I love the emotions that come with sports and respect them for loving us," said Hinch. "I don’t fault people for caring or being super passionate. That’s the kind of city that we want (to play in). But don’t forget to love on us a little bit when things are bad."

The Tigers have given reason for their fans to feel excited again, but they'll need to build off their momentum to keep them feeling confident as the postseason approaches.

The Brewers' dream to win the first World Series in franchise history is still alive.

Behind four strong innings from Jacob Misiorowski and three homers from three different players, Milwaukee defeated the Cubs 3–1 in Game 5 of the NLDS on Saturday night at American Family Field.

Milwaukee is heading to the NLCS for the first time since 2018.

All four runs scored in this game came on solo homers. William Contreras gave Milwaukee a 1–0 lead in the first inning, and Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki tied it up with one of his own in the second. Andrew Vaughn broke the tie in the fourth with a big swing to make it 2–1, and Brice Turang gave the Brewers an insurance run with a solo homer in the seventh for good measure.

As is custom in Milwaukee, the pitching was more of the story. The 23-year-old Misiorowski, pitching in his first postseason, allowed just one run across four innings to earn the win. Perhaps the most impressive outing of the night belonged to Chad Patrick, who got the Brewers out of a jam in the sixth and fanned the side in the seventh.

For the first time in seven years, Brewers fans at American Family Field are going home happy after watching their team win an elimination game.

Up next? The Dodgers. But first, here are three things we learned from the Brewers' big win:

No more heartbreak in Milwaukee

He became only the seventh bowler and the fourth pacer to the landmark

Sreshth Shah28-Jul-2020Courtney Walsh – March 2001 v South Africa, Port of SpainThe first man to reach 500 wickets, Walsh pinned Jacques Kallis lbw on the backfoot on the third day of the second Test. At the time of his dismissal, Kallis was displeased with the decision, suggesting an inside edge onto his pads; but Walsh didn’t care, and neither did the home fans. Walsh retired a month later, but not before adding a further 19 wickets to his tally.Shane Warne – March 2004 v Sri Lanka, GalleIn the spring of 2004, all eyes were on the two greatest spinners of the generation to see who would reach the 500-mark first. And it was the Australian who pipped Muttiah Muralitharan to the mark, when he forced Hashan Tillakaratne to top-edge a heave on the final day of the first Test with the visitors hunting for the win. Warne took 208 more wickets in the next three years to finish with 708 wickets, still the second-highest in the history of Test cricket.Muttiah Muralitharan – March 2004 v Australia, KandyWhile Warne got to 500 in the final innings of the first Test, Muralitharan got there in the first innings of the second Test, and that too at his home town. Fighting a stomach bug, Muralitharan took 4 for 48 in 15 overs, including the wicket of Michael Kasprowicz with an offbreak that bowled him through his defences. Although Warne’s match-winning performances dampened the Test match for Sri Lanka, Muralitharan reached the mark 21 Tests before the Australian. At the time, Muralitharan said that he wished to reach at least 650 wickets. He finished with 800, which is still 92 more than anyone else.Glenn McGrath – July 2005 v England, Lord’sMcGrath entered the iconic 2005 Ashes with 499 wickets, and the first English wicket – of Marcus Trescothick – helped the quick reach 500 when the opener edged one to Justin Langer at slip. It was a start Australia deperately needed, having been bowled out for 190 in the first innings. McGrath’s impetus helped them take a first-innings lead and even win the opening Test. Before the second game, however, McGrath injured his right ankle and the series turned on its head. Over the next 18 months, McGrath took 55 more wickets and at the time of his retirement, his tally of 563 was the most by a fast bowler.Anil Kumble – March 2006 v England, MohaliIn his 105th Test, Kumble became the second-fastest man to 500 when he trapped Steve Harmison lbw on the third day of the rain-hit second Test against England. It was his second wicket in two balls, with Kumble bowling Geraint Jones in the previous delivery with a wrong’un. He led through the game with nine wickets in a Player-of-the-Match performance. Kumble finished on 619 wickets, and remains the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.James Anderson – September 2017 v West Indies, Lord’sLord’s became the first ground to witness two men getting to the hallowed figure when Anderson bowled opener Kraigg Brathwaite at the start of the second innings, ending an 11-year wait for a man to reach 500 Test scalps. In typical Anderson fashion, it was an inswinger that did Brathwaite, crashing into the batsman’s middle stump. The day got even better as Anderson took another six to wreck West Indies, finishing with 7 for 42 for the innings. Anderson is currently inching towards the 600-wicket mark, and if he gets there, will be the first pacer to do so in Test history.Stuart Broad – July 2020 v West Indies, Old TraffordBroad was on the field when Anderson got to 500, and Anderson accompanied him too when Broad got there three years later. The opponents were the same, and co-incidentally, so was the batsman. Kraigg Brathwaite, looking to defend off the back foot, was trapped lbw with a ball staying low and hitting him on his back leg on the final day of the final Test of West Indies’ tour. Broad got to the mark in his 140th Test, and is the slowest in terms of matches to get there.

The inquisitions will come, but the truth is there is not a lot India could have done in the face of flawless fast bowling

Sidharth Monga19-Dec-2020There is a reason why batsmen are treated as the favoured children in cricket, and it can be easy to forget that in an era dominated by limited-overs cricket.Test batting is a fickle occupation. It turns many of its practitioners to compulsive behaviour, which can be loosely defined as feeling compelled to do things that you know have no bearing on your pursuit but somehow make you feel they help you control the outcome. Some carry a particular-coloured kerchief, some put a specific pad on first, some make sure toilet seats in the change rooms are up when they are batting, the list is endless.That’s because there are so many loose ends in Test batting that you can’t possibly control them all with your skill, technique and preparation. Watching Test cricket on demanding pitches, it is hard to imagine a batsman who is neither a philosopher nor insane.There is just not enough space in the scorebook to say “nought, but got the first shooter of the match”, or “15 but fell to one that swung one way in the air and nipped the other way after pitching”. Or even, “135 but dropped five times”, or “75 but it was predominantly a slog”.Related

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At the end of the day, staring you in the face are cold numbers with their absolute finality. It is hard to find a trade that is less unequivocal and yet has such an unforgiving currency.And the cold numbers will forever remain 36 all out. Scores of 4, 9, 2, 0, 4, 0, 8, 4, 0, 4, 1. Terms such as “humiliated” and “embarrassed” will be used. There will be an obvious inquest into the techniques of the batsmen, into their preparation, even chauvinistically into other virtues such as courage, but perhaps there is a simpler explanation.Virat Kohli himself spoke of a lack of intent, but he is a proud participant of a Test match that was in his grasp. Not just any Test but a Test that Australia have never lost: the day-night fixture. He perhaps felt that if India had been more positive and had scored a quick 20-30 runs in the morning, that would have deflated Australia.Virat Kohli walks back, the key wicket in the middle of an India collapse•Getty ImagesHowever, the intent or the technique was not too different to how it has always been. Even in the last Adelaide Test, which India won, they capitalised on their 15-run first-innings lead with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane batting at strike rates of 34 and 47. In terms of technique, pretty much everyone batted similarly to how they batted in the first innings for a lead of 53 runs.However, a few things happened that were not in the control of these batsmen, and proud competitors are loathe to admitting they couldn’t have done anything about it. What happened in the first session of the third day is the textbook definition of a perfect storm. The ball actually seamed less than it did in any of the sessions before this, which is what Kohli acknowledged but to say that his batsmen should have done better. Less movement meant more balls hit the edge than beat it.Usually in Test cricket, it takes a little over 10 balls of not being in control for a batsman to lose a wicket to a bowler. In this innings, India lost nine of them by not being in control only 32 times. Since the start of 2010, only once has a team’s bowlers taken nine wickets in an innings with fewer mistakes made by batsmen. That is true of all such spectacular collapses. When Australia were bowled out for 60 at Trent Bridge in 2015, they were not in control only 40 times. The number was the same in their 47 all out at Newlands in 2011-12. Fewer plays and misses, more nicks.It is also true that such spectacular collapses happen against exceptional bowling sides who have been at it for long and suddenly reap the rewards in a bunch. And this Australian attack is an exceptional one with three fast bowlers with three different skillsets and a high rate of accuracy, followed by an all-time-great spinner, but even they will be the first ones to admit they didn’t bowl much better than they did two days ago.Josh Hazlewood, who took five wickets for eight runs, was too stunned to explain what happened. He compared this to the time they bowled England out for 67. The bowlers, he said, didn’t do much differently: perhaps a touch fuller, perhaps a touch straighter. Those are his words.India bat in the dying moments of their horror innings against Australia•AFP/Getty ImagesSo the ball is moving just the right amount to take the edge, the length is just full enough to let it move without letting the batsmen drive, the bounce is steep thus keeping the batsmen stuck to the crease, and the last piece of the jigsaw is the quickening of the pitch from day one, giving you less time to adjust and also carrying the edges to hand. The proverbial “one of those sessions”, but one that has left the magnifying glass on the batsmen.Replay after replay will show you the batsmen stuck on the crease when edging in this innings, but not the countless number times when they drove for boundaries with the same technique. Or even the edges that didn’t carry as recently as two days ago. Or the plays and misses than now became nicks. This is what happens at the start of most innings. On most days you make your early errors and make the correction. On this day, your first error was your last. People will ask questions of Kohli’s drive away from the body, but on flat pitches, in this scenario, you had to capitalise on any width you got, rare as it was.Of course, if there are technical flaws, they need to be addressed. In New Zealand, when Prithvi Shaw’s lack of foot movement was exploited in the first Test, he had corrected himself by the second, getting closer to the ball when driving in his 64-ball 54. Shaw will be the first one to want to correct it again. Questions need to be asked, for example, why India repeatedly fail to get the better of overseas spinners in their conditions even keeping in mind the pressure that is created by their seamers. Coach Ravi Shastri knows he will be judged by these improvements, the growth of the players, and not just by the results produced by an amazingly talented group of players.Tim Paine and Virat Kohli catch up after the game•AFP via Getty ImagesOf course, there will also be schadenfreude around the world, which Shastri and the team will know comes with the territory if you deal in unfounded bluster and run down your own country’s legends to try to talk your current team up without acknowledging the dominance you enjoy now in terms of resources and finances. This is the day Shoaib Akhtar will not be the only one to tell them to “bear it, bear the criticism, this is gonna happen to you now.”However, this might be the day to listen to Sunil Gavaskar instead, who has been accused of firing blanks when criticising the team in the past and might have had reason to be opportunistic now. Gavaskar, though, knows batting too well to ignore what happened.”Any team that gets out for its lowest-ever total, it is never good to see,” Gavaskar told . “Having said that, most other teams, if they had been facing that kind of bowling, they would have also got into trouble. Maybe not all out for 36, maybe 72 or maybe 80-90, but the way Hazlewood, Cummins bowled, and the earlier spell of Starc, that asked a lot of questions. So it is not fair to blame the Indian batsmen for the way they got out because it was just simply superb by the Australians. Most of the teams would have struggled.”If ever there was need for bluster, to talk the players out of the misery they will no doubt be in, also keeping in mind how long they have been on the road and in biosecure bubbles, it is now.

Poor footwork and old habits undid India in the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2020Prithvi Shaw bowled by Mitchell Starc, 1st innings
Shaw’s selection for the first Test was a point of contention after a poor run of form. One clear weakness he had shown was against the ball coming in, and it was exactly that type of delivery he was dismissed by in the first innings. Starc got the second ball of the Test to swing in from outside off. Shaw jabbed at it and left a big gap between bat and pad. The swing beat him, and he inside edged onto his stumps to be out for a duck.Virat Kohli run out, 1st innings
The second-innings collapse for 36 will forever be looked at as the reason India lost in Adelaide, but they may have had more of a lead in the first innings had Kohli not been run out for 74 on the first evening with three overs to go for the new ball. Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane had put on 88, and at 188 for 3, India looked in control of the Test. Then, Rahane drove to mid-off, called for a run, but then stopped after a few strides and sent Kohli back. Kohli was stranded down the wicket and had to walk off at a crucial stage of the game.Ajinkya Rahane lbw to Mitchell Starc, 1st innings
Having been responsible for Kohli’s dismissal, Rahane now had to shoulder the responsibility of seeing off the new ball under lights. Instead, he looked rattled by the run-out and did not move his feet at all to a straight delivery from Starc. There was a little bit of inswing, but it was Rahane’s lack of footwork that had him trapped on the crease and plumb.Prithvi Shaw bowled by Pat Cummins, 2nd innings
Out for a duck in the first innings, Shaw had a chance to correct the mistake he made in the second. But once again, he was out to the inswinger. The ball nipped back from outside off, and Shaw was slow with his footwork, still on the move as the ball went through the seemingly everpresent gap between his bat and pad and knocked back the stumps. The dismissal, late on the second evening, gave Australia something to feel positive about after India had taken a 53-run first-innings lead.Ajinkya Rahane caught behing off Josh Hazlewood, 2nd innings
Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowled some beauties during India’s third-morning collapse, but they were aided by some indecisive footwork by India’s batsmen. Rahane’s dismissal for a duck was the worst example. Hazlewood bowled it full on off, and Rahane made a small, tentative movement with his front foot and pushed at the ball in front of his body, nicking it to the keeper.Matthew Wade lbw to Jasprit Bumrah, 1st innings
After not quite finding the right line and length from over the wicket in his first spell, Bumrah went around the wicket to the left-handed Wade in his second. The idea was to attack the stumps and bowl a bit fuller than he had in his first spell. Bumrah pitched one on a length and hit Wade right in front. The fuller length meant it was clipping the stumps rather than going over, and Wade had to go back.Steven Smith caught off R Ashwin, 1st innings
In an excellent first spell, Ashwin had mostly attacked the stumps. Then he delivered one just outside off and without spin to threaten Smith’s outside edge. Smith played for the turn and edged to Rahane at slip. It was similar to the way Ashwin had dismissed Smith in Dharamsala in 2017 and was the first of four wickets for Ashwin in the first innings.The second Test begins on December 26.

Where does the Ahmedabad turner rank among the most bowler-friendly pitches in Test history? And which pitch was the most batsman-friendly?

Anantha Narayanan13-Mar-2021I know what you are thinking – that I am going to write about the pitch used for the recent day-night Test in Ahmedabad. Yes and no. Yes, I will be looking into it, but I will cover the entire range of pitches, not just the Ahmedabad type, where 20 wickets fell in three sessions but also pitches on which ten wickets were taken across five days. In my opinion, it is not right to have pitches that make batting a complete lottery or ones that force bowlers to consider quitting the game.I will select ten extreme pitches at either end of the spectrum using the PQI (Pitch Quality Index), one of my derived measures. The PQI is an excellent measure to determine the true nature of the pitch. Because the expected performances of the players are built in, PQI allows for normalisation across players at the extreme ends of the spectrum.The PQI is dependent on six values: The expected runs from the batsmen (based on Career-Location Weighted Batting Average values), actual runs of the batsmen, expected wickets from the bowlers (based on Career-Location Balls-per-Wicket figures), actual wickets of the bowlers, average Runs-per-Wicket, and actual Runs-per-Wicket values. Actual career figures are used rather than career-to-date figures since this is a secondary value and I want some stability in the calculations. All these figures are used to derive the PQI. A low PQI indicates a bowler-friendly pitch and a high PQI indicates a batting pitch.To start with, the following ratios are determined:- actual runs to expected runs
– actual wickets to expected wickets
– actual RpW to base RpW (determined for that particular period)Since each of these PQI-R values has a range of 0.0 to 3.0, the sum of the PQI-R values, which is the first-level PQI, has a range of 0.0 to 9.0. However, since the median of this distribution is 3.047, I have mapped these to a 100-based PQI. The raw PQI of 3.0 maps on to 50.0. There is graded extrapolation on either side, on ranges of 0.0 to 3.0 and 3.0 to 9.0 respectively. The mean PQI value across the 2414 Tests played in the history of the game is 49.9, indicating the solidity of the analyses. The median of PQI values is 50.5.Let us first look at Tests in which bowlers ruled. This is a table ordered on PQI. To say that the batsmen struggled in these matches is a huge understatement. At this point, let us not start looking at whether the batsmen lacked technique or not. This analysis uses the numbers on the scorecard, which is the only source of data one can work with.Anantha NarayananWhen South Africa toured Australia in 1931-32, they encountered a typical vicious MCG “sticky” and were dismissed for 36 in less than an hour and a half. Bill O’Reilly did not even have to bowl. Don Bradman twisted his ankle while going out to field, but he certainly was not needed. Australia took just over two and a half hours to score 153 at a run a minute and South Africa were then dismissed for 45. The numbers speak for themselves. The PQI is an astonishing 14.5.England’s tour of the West Indies in 1934-35 saw, arguably, the craziest Test match ever. On a difficult pitch in Barbados, West Indies managed 102 in their first innings, which was followed by two declarations for very low scores, and a win for England by four wickets. The batting order looked like it was decided by a draw of lots. Wally Hammond’s 43 and 29 not out looked gold-wrapped. The PQI was 18.0.The third Test on this list was played at Lord’s in 1888. Twenty-seven wickets fell on the second day – the most over a single day. Australia’s first-innings score of 116 was enough to give them a winning margin of 61 runs (the other three innings scores were 53, 60 and 62). The RpW figure is 7.3 and the BpW figure is 19.8 – both the lowest ever in Tests.The next Test featured – at The Oval in 1896 – is similar to the one above it in many ways, except for two innings going past 100. The PQI value, accordingly, is just over 20.In 2002, India were caught on a seaming pitch in Hamilton, but despite being dismissed for 99, they still managed to secure a five-run first-innings lead and eventually set New Zealand a target of 160. New Zealand were struggling at 105 for 5 before Jacob Oram saw them home. A mere 14 runs per wicket and a wicket every five overs gave it a PQI of just over 20.In the next entry, a match RpW of 12.9 and a wicket every five overs, the fact that the two teams had good batsmen, and that two novices, Axar Patel and Joe Root, took 16 wickets between them, all contributed to the day-night Ahmedabad Test’s low PQI of 21.5 – the sixth-worst pitch ever. It does not matter what those in favour of the pitch have said. The numbers tell you that this pitch was a diabolical one, making it 80-20 in favour of the bowlers. It must be acknowledged here that the skiddy nature of the pink ball played an important part in the extreme discomfiture of the batsmen.In the same series, it was possible for batsmen to put their heads down and play a reasonable innings in the second Test, in Chennai, and in the fourth Test, in Ahmedabad. But it was not possible to do that in the day-night Test. Those who talk of batsmen lacking in technique, can they tell us how England could have handled the first few overs of their second innings? Play forward and pop up a catch to any of the close fielders, if the ball turned. Play back and get hit on the bat or pad, if the ball zipped in off a length. Go out to attack, score a few runs and convert every ball into a book-cricket lottery. That is not Test cricket. Yes, India won. But in an alternative universe, they could have lost. Would the comments have been similar from both sides of the pitch divide then?VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar’s 91-run stand on a deteriorating Mumbai pitch helped India win the in 2004-05 Test against Australia by 13 runs•Rob Elliott/AFPThe next Test on the list is the famous 1882 Ashes Test at The Oval. Australia won by seven runs. The RpW was below ten and it required less than five overs for a wicket to fall, on average. The PQI remained around the 22-mark.In Wellington in 1945-46, New Zealand’s 42 and 54 bookended an Australian total just below 200. The RpW was a very low 10.5. Australia, with seven debutants, beat New Zealand, who had six of their own, by an innings.The ninth Test on this list also had one a couple of crazy declarations, this time on a Brisbane “sticky” in 1950-51. Australia made 228 in the first innings and then England declared on 68 for 7 and Australia on 32 for 7. England were set a target of 193, collapsed to 46 for 8, and were eventually dismissed for 122. Len Hutton’s 62 not out from No. 8, is one of the greatest bad-pitch innings ever played.The last Test featured here will still be fresh in the minds of many current watchers of Test cricket. This was the Wankhede match of 2004. In India’s second innings total of 205, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar made half-centuries, and while they were at the crease, the pitch looked totally different from when others batted. Their sure-footed movement, silken touch and propensity to punish the loose balls made the partnership a visual delight. And their stand won the match for India – the Indian spinners were incidental. Michael Clarke’s 6 for 9 at the Wankhede and Joe Root’s 5 for 8, 18 years later in Ahmedabad, confirm that the pitches were minefields as far as batsmen were concerned.The PQI values for these ten Tests run from 14.5 to 22.9. The RpW values range from 7.3 to 15.1, and the BpW values are all below 31.1. What has differentiated these Tests is the quality of players who played in these matches – that has separated the PQI values. Five of these Tests were played before World War II and three in the new millennium (all three featuring India). Maybe there is food for thought there.The PQI is a very complex derivation; however, interested readers will be pleased to know that the RpW and BpW serve as reasonable and simpler replacements if anyone wants to do their own analysis. Later in this article I have a couple of tables ordered on these two secondary metrics. You will see the correlations between the three values at that point.The average aggregate runs for these ten Tests is 383 and on average, 35 wickets fell in each. The average RpW is 11 and the average BpW is 27. Finally, the average PQI value is 20.5.Now, we will move to the other extreme. There is a tendency to ignore these batsmen-friendly matches when it comes to criticising pitches, for various reasons:- Batting records are set, which brings a high degree of acceptability to the matches
– The attitude of the viewing public is generally batsman-friendly
– Broadcasters are satisified because such Tests go the distance – over 30 hours means a lot of advertising spots. In contrast, all the low-PQI Tests are decisive, but on average, have lasted less than half the time allotted to a match.How do I chronicle ten Test matches in which the average RpW value was nearly 100 and it took more than 31 overs to take a wicket; In which four triple-hundreds, nine doubles and 30 hundreds were scored? That means an average of over four hundreds per match. It is also difficulty to evaluate these Tests in a proper manner because they contain a few world records. I am sure there will be righteous indignation over the first lot of Tests, irrespective of the fact that all ended in results. I think these ten Tests, despite all being drawn, will not bring that level of condemnation.Anantha NarayananThe first of these Tests, in Delhi in 1955-56, captures a time when India did not want to lose a match to lowly New Zealand. Such pitches were the order of the day and New Zealand were happy to secure a draw. The number of overs bowled tell the story: 176 for 450 runs and 242 for 531 runs. The PQI was a mind-blowing 93.4. The BpW was a staggering 285. I wonder why anyone – me included – would want to go and watch a Test match of this sort.Next on the list is a high-scoring draw in Lahore in 2006, in which Pakistan scored nearly 700 and India replied with a first-wicket stand of 410. However, no one could say that this was a dull match. Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal scored hundreds at better than a run a ball, and Pakistan’s run rate was 4.71 an over. Virender Sehwag’s 254 was also over a run a ball, and India scored at 5.32 per over. The RpW is a staggering 136. And all this happened in just over two-and-a-half days’ play, as the match was marred by rain and bad light.If that match was a real entertainer, India’s Colombo marathon in 1997 was an eminently forgettable one. India scored 537 and Sri Lanka batted nearly three days to reach the innings record total of 952. Rajesh Chauhan and Anil Kumble together conceded one run less than 500. This was the third Test to have a PQI higher than 90.In Georgetown in 1971-72, only ten wickets fell over five days of play. The RpO was a painfully low 2.24. Glenn Turner batted nearly 12 hours for 259 and his first-wicket stand of 387 with Terry Jarvis lasted nine hours. It took 44 overs to take a wicket – nearly half a day’s play.If nothing else, the next Test on the list contained a world record – Brian Lara’s 375 overtaking Garry Sobers’ 36-year-old record for most runs in an innings. However, with both West Indies and England making 593 in their first innings, there was no chance of anything other than a bat-athon.The West Indies-England Bridgetown Test in 2008-09 contains the lone five-wicket performance on this list of matches – by Graeme Swann. The story of the match can be seen from the team totals: England’s 600 for 6 and 279 for 2 versus West Indies’ 749 for 9, which featured 291 by Ramnaresh Sarwan.In Faisalabad in 1985-86, Sri Lanka took 200 overs to score 479. Pakistan responded in kind, albeit going a little faster. Two bloody-minded double-hundreds, by Qasim Umar and Javed Miandad, took them to 555 for 3 in 162.5 overs.Antigua again, West Indies vs Africa this time. It was Chris Gayle who scored a triple in this game; seven other batsmen reached 100.In Wellington in 1987-88, New Zealand batted for nearly 200 overs and declared at 512. With the last two days lost to rain, the match could only be a dead draw.The last Test here – in Karachi in 2008-09 – contains two big double-hundreds, by Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera, and a triple by Younis Khan. The combined first innings of both teams lasted more than 400 overs and produced over 1400 runs. But for the loss of a few wickets in the third innings, this Test would have been much higher up on the list.The average aggregate runs for these ten Tests is 1227, and on average 13 wickets fell in them. The average RpW is 97 and average BpW is 189. Finally, the average PQI value is 88.4.Now let me provide two alternative tables for the bowler-friendly pitches, ordered by RpW and BpW respectively. If the Test already features on the first table ordered on PQI, the innings scores are not shown.Anantha NarayananSix of these ten Tests feature in the PQI table. That indicates there is a fair degree of correlation between the PQI and RpW.Anantha NarayananIn this grouping, by BpW, five Tests are from the PQI table. Among the other five there is the 2019 Test between England and Ireland. The BpW figure for that amazing match was just over 26. The totals in the second and third innings of the Test exceeded 200 and 300, but the other two innings were under 100.Anantha NarayananAt the higher end, there is a greater correlation. Eight Tests find their place in both tables – albeit in different positions. Two recent Tests in Sri Lanka come into this list: against India in 2010 in Colombo, with a huge RpW value of 87; Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara scored double-hundreds. And against Bangladesh in Galle in 2012-13, which featured eight hundreds.Anantha NarayananIn the above table, ordered by BpW, seven Tests from the PQI table find a place. The three new Tests that come in are from the post-war period. One of these is the 1964 Ashes Test at Old Trafford in which both teams crossed 600. Bob Simpson scored 311 and Ken Barrington made 256. The bowlers required more than 30 overs per wicket.Conclusion
There is no doubt that the pitch for the day-night match in Ahmedabad was a sub-standard one. However, it must be accepted that India won because they batted and bowled better. England’s series loss was due to poor management of resources, quirky selection, and lack of consistency. The World Test Championship final will be contested by two well-deserving teams – the teams that took advantage of the opportunities offered. Australia missed no fewer than six opportunities to seal a spot over the past couple of years and England had a poor series in India.I do not agree with most statements from the players and others who supported the first Ahmedabad pitch. However, I have to agree with Virat Kohli about the fact that ultimately the low-scoring, seemingly poor, pitches offer a result. Two days or three, the quick fall of wickets does lead to a conclusion. Unlike the other type of pitch. There is only one result in the top 65 Tests of the high-PQI value table, the one in which Garry Sobers scored 365. So, on balance, one should prefer the lesser of the two evils, the result-oriented pitches.It was to India’s credit that they qualified for the WTC final. However, it was surprising to see both Kohli and Ravi Shastri strongly protesting the revised WTC rules. Surely they did not expect to play more series than the other contenders and still expect teams to qualify based on aggregate points secured? How would it have been fair to those teams who played fewer series – Australia and New Zealand?The PQI for the low-scoring two-day Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe is a reasonable 34.3. This is mainly because the “expected numbers” for Afghanistan and, to a lesser extent, Zimbabwe, are not that high, and so to say, the low scores are expected. This is compensated to some extent by the better bowling performances of both teams.The PQI for the fourth Test in Ahmedabad was 38.2. This is a single-PQI match because it was an innings win and the three innings went towards constituting the PQI. It is clear that it was not necessarily a very good wicket with the weight of two sub-par England innings playing a big part. And let us not forget that India were 146 for 6. But it was much better than the strip for the day-night match at the same venue.

After long wait for a go, batter follows up Test success with match-winning hand at Taunton

Valkerie Baynes01-Jul-2021Having waited a long time for a chance to cement a place in England’s batting line-up, Sophia Dunkley’s successful rescue mission against India on Wednesday in her maiden ODI innings bodes well for the future.With England stumbling to 92 for 4 in pursuit of what had appeared a comfortable target of 222 in Taunton to win the second ODI and take a 6-2 lead in the multi-format series, Dunkley’s 73 not out hauled England out of trouble and her unbroken stand of 92 with Katherine Brunt for the sixth wicket saw them to victory.Dunkley put on a semi-steadying partnership of 41 for the fifth-wicket with Amy Jones and, once Jones departed, Dunkley and Brunt guided England to safety.Let off on 23 with England 144 for 5 when her slash through point off Jhulan Goswami sailed through the hands of a leaping substitute fielder, Radha Yadav, Dunkley kept a cool head, rotating the strike and exuding confidence.She reached her fifty off 62 balls, including four fours and a commanding six off Shikha Pandey over long-on. She picked another four off Goswami, smacked through midwicket, and watched as Brunt struck the winning runs, a four off Deepti Sharma midway through the 48th over.Related

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Kate Cross, whose five-wicket haul had contained India to what looked like a below-par total of 221 from exactly 50 overs, said their partnership was a joy to watch.”I was a bit nervous when we still needed 120-odd to win, however I thought it was amazing to see the likes of Sophia Dunkley and Brunty – a girl who’s not batted in ODI cricket, and a girl who’s batted a lot in ODI cricket – put us over the line,” Cross said.”I thought it was an incredible partnership and it just looked so calm. When they’re calm, I’m not nervous anymore so it was good.”There were a few nerves around, I think the girls that were padded up were a bit nervous to go in, but I think it was just good to show the depth that we’ve got in the batting line-up and that we’re not just reliant on our top four to be scoring the runs all the time.”It is four months since Dunkley spoke during the tour of New Zealand of her desire to make an England team place her own. Having played 10 T20Is during 2018-19, including five T20 World Cup matches, she spent the next 18 months on the sidelines of selection.Recalled for last summer’s five-match T20I series against West Indies, she was unable to make an impression in her two innings. Overlooked for the ODI leg of the New Zealand tour in February and March, she played all three T20Is, but was only required at the crease twice for scores of 0 not out and 26.A century and a 92 across the first three rounds of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy saw her called into England’s squads for the Test and ODI legs against India, complete with an England central contract for this year.She scored an unbeaten 74 when she became the first black woman to play Test cricket for England in the drawn Test which kicked off the series. Then, after not being required to bat in the first ODI in Bristol, she produced a stellar performance when her side needed it most in Taunton after Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight and Nat Sciver all fell cheaply.Opener Lauren Winfield-Hill, the last debutant to pass 100 career runs in either ODI or T20I cricket for England, scored 42 but it was the record stand between Dunkley and Brunt that secured victory for the home side.Dunkley had worked hard in the field too, her wonderful athleticism called upon time and again, the ball seeming to find her in the deep with uncanny regularity during the India innings.She took a catch at deep midwicket to give Cross her fourth scalp, that of Sharma for 5, and ran out Mithali Raj, the India captain, for 59 with a throw from deep square-leg. It might be a job to shift her from the side if she can keep those performances up.

The left-arm quick last played for Pakistan almost a year ago but has eyes on the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup

Aadam Patel28-Nov-20213:31

“What I get from playing for Pakistan, I don’t playing all these leagues”

Like so many of his compatriots, Wahab Riaz was left in tears when Australia beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup semi-final.As Matthew Wade ripped the heart and soul out of Pakistan’s campaign, with three consecutive sixes off the bowling of one of Pakistan’s shining stars in Shaheen Shah Afridi, there must have been a part of Wahab wondering what he would have done differently. After all, this is the man whose ferocious spell against Australia in the 2015 World Cup still lives on in the memory.Related

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“I still want to play for Pakistan. It’s been a year [since he last played internationally] and what I’m trying to do is show what I am capable of wherever I’m playing, whether it’s T10, PSL, CPL, or domestic T20 competitions,” Wahab, currently captaining Deccan Gladiators at the Abu Dhabi T10, says in an interaction with ESPNcricinfo. “All I can do is show what I’m capable of and I will keep doing that because my heart still beats for Pakistan. So until I have that passion in me to play for Pakistan, I’ll keep doing my best.”Since 2010, no Pakistan bowler has taken more wickets in T20s. And he has shown that he still has that ability – he finished the recent PSL as the second-highest wicket-taker.Not part of the recent T20 World Cup squad, Wahab spent the month working as a pundit on Pakistani television, alongside the likes of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. His schedule this year alone has seen him trot the world, playing short-form cricket, including in Pakistan, at the CPL for St Lucia Zouks, at the Hundred for Trent Rockets and now in the UAE.Wahab stands second, behind only Wasim Akram, in the list of wicket-takers for Pakistan at the World Cup, and he admits to having an eye on next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia and also the 2023 World Cup.First comes the scowl, then come the variations. It’s Wahab Riaz!•Getty Images”I think there’s two-three years still in me to serve my country. And to be very honest, I’m playing all around the world, all these leagues… but my country comes first for me and I just love playing for them because my country has given me this name,” he says. “Nobody would have known Wahab Riaz if he wouldn’t have played for Pakistan and if Pakistan hadn’t given him a chance to prove himself.”I miss being with them, but my heart still beats for them and all I know is that I believe in my hard work and my skills. And I believe in Allah that if I keep working hard, I’ll get my reward.”At the Abu Dhabi T10, Wahab is leading a side that has the likes of Andre Russell and Wanindu Hasaranga, and is coached by Mushtaq Ahmed. The two had previously worked together when Mushtaq was Pakistan’s bowling consultant between 2014 and 2016, and Wahab is full of praise for him.”The best thing about Mushy is that he gives us that responsibility and he asks us to own what we have to do. It’s T10, so you can’t plan many things because the format is so quick, so you don’t really know how to go about it,” Wahab says. “To the bowlers, Mushy has talked about having plans A, B and C, so you should know when and where to execute. And to the batters, he’s given that freedom as it’s only 60 balls. He has given them the ownership and the boys are responding really well.”Wahab Riaz is captaining his T10 franchise but is clear he wants to play for Pakistan again•PA Photos/Getty ImagesThe responsibility of captaincy is another thing that Wahab is thriving on in the UAE. After leading Peshawar Zalmi to the PSL final, he has captained Deccan Gladiators to five wins in seven games so far: “I’m still learning, but I’m enjoying it a lot.”It is a challenge, he admits, to isolate the bowler from the captain. “When things aren’t going your way, it probably affects my performance at the same time, so it’s difficult to cope with that but it gives you further motivation on the field to do well and lead from the front,” he says. “You have to set an example as a bowler or as a captain out there.”Wahab has played most of his cricket – like many others – when Pakistan have not been able to play at the highest level in their own country. But, given that West Indies, Australia, England and New Zealand are all expected to travel to Pakistan over the coming year and the 2025 Champions Trophy will also be held in the country, Wahab feels “it would be a great opportunity for the fans” to finally see cricket of the highest quality on a regular basis in Pakistan.”A lot of players are coming for the PSL and it has given them a clearer picture that Pakistan is a safe country,” he points out. “You’ll enjoy the cricket, you’ll enjoy the hospitality and you’ll enjoy the crowd. Trust me, if the game starts at 7pm, the gates will close at 5pm and you’ll see a packed-out stadium by 4pm… All I can say to all those teams is that once you will come to Pakistan, you’ll enjoy one of the best times of your life there.”

Since January 2021, the Test vice-captain is the only South African to hold a 50-plus batting average

Firdose Moonda22-Feb-2022It used to be one of the most talked-about issues in South African cricket: when will Temba Bavuma score a second Test century?After his breakthrough hundred in January 2016, six Tests into his career, Bavuma has scored 16 fifties, but has routinely run out of time or partners to convert. A critical analysis of his batting is that he scores too slowly and his career strike rate of under 48 for the first three-and-half-years underpinned that. Since then, South Africans have come to accept that maybe a batters’ value, especially at home, can’t be measured in centuries.In the last eight Tests in South Africa, dating back to January 2020, there have only been two hundreds scored by their batters. And in that time, Bavuma holds the highest average by a South African player – 46. Since January 2021, he is the only South African to average 50 and thus, even though the likes of Herschelle Gibbs are still not convinced, Bavuma has earned his stripes at this level.”It’s helped that I’ve played a fair number of Tests, so there’s an acceptance that there will be good days and there will be bad days,” Bavuma said, after two days off following South Africa’s innings defeat to New Zealand in the first Test. “I’m at peace with my role in the team, how I fit in. It’s not just about the batting and the currency of runs, but also my presence in the team and how I contribute towards building the culture and environment. That’s helped me be more at ease with where I fit into the team. It’s not the case of every game is my last opportunity to cement my position.”

“I understand his vision as a captain and what he would like to achieve. I back it 100%. I back him as a leader and as a player. For me, it’s about trying to help and serve him as best I can so he can execute his vision for the team”Bavuma on working as Dean Elgar’s deputy

Instead, Bavuma has concentrated on things like scoring quicker. This year, though the sample size is small at three Tests, his strike rate has improved to 57. He has been part of some of the most important partnerships in the South African cause, like the match-winning 82 and 68 with Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen respectively at the Wanderers against India, and he has often stood man-alone in collapses. He was the only South African to score more than 30 in an innings in Christchurch.But Bavuma knows better than to celebrate his form keeping in mind the inconsistency from the line-up that continues to sparkle and then stutter as it finds its feet. “It’s hard to separate the team cause from your individual cause, especially after a performance like that [in the first Test],” he said. “Where I am with my game, I think there are more positives than anything. I’m not down and out, I’m not disappointed in myself. But the team is in a space where we need someone to put up their hand. My form has been decent over the last while, but while it’s still a bit of a concern for the team, I won’t be fully happy with myself.”South Africa slumped to their second-biggest-ever defeat in the first Test against New Zealand and looked far from the team that chased successfully against India twice last month. No-one, not coach Mark Boucher or captain Dean Elgar, has been able to explain their lack of intensity and energy, and Bavuma wasn’t even going to try. “It wasn’t good enough,” he said. “That’s not the standard we pride ourselves on. We know we have to improve in all three disciplines.”Related

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His bluntness may be a result of his growing closeness with captain Elgar, for whom Bavuma deputises. The pair has adopted a no-nonsense approach to leadership, which they both advocate. “Our relationship has been built on honesty and not any bull***t,” Bavuma said. “Dean’s a very blunt type of person. If you stray, he’ll call you out, and if you’re good he’ll let you know as well. That resonates with me.”While Elgar does not shy away from telling his players when he thinks socks need to be pulled up – Kagiso Rabada after the Boxing Day Test, for example – Bavuma plays good cop and keeps things cool, hoping that their contrasting personas will take South Africa forward in all formats.”Being Dean’s vice-captain, I’m trying to be his calming voice. Dean can be emotional at times,” Bavuma said. “We work hand-in-hand with each other. I understand his vision as a captain and what he would like to achieve. I back it 100%. I back him as a leader and as a player. For me, it’s about trying to help and serve him as best I can so he can execute his vision for the team. We’d like to bring respect to the Proteas badge. We’d like to leave the Proteas in a much better state than they’re in, or than they were when we came in. We’re there to support each other. We’re in this fight together. His success is my success, and vice versa.”So far, South Africa have had no success in New Zealand. Of the seven sessions that made up the first Test, they won none, but Elgar and Bavuma don’t believe that makes them a team in trouble. “You don’t become a bad player because you haven’t scored runs in a certain game,” Bavuma argued.Bavuma was the only South African to cross 30 in Christchurch•AFP/Getty ImagesIf that were the case, both Elgar and Bavuma would have been labelled bad players many times, and the numbers show they are not. They are the best South Africa have got. For Bavuma, it comes down to playing with more responsibility but also knowing he occupies a senior place in the XI. “I remember as a new player coming in, the main thing you wanted was to be accepted by everybody and the best way to do that is through your performances,” he said. “I’m at a point where I truly believe I’m accepted and valued in the team. That’s probably the reason my performances have been good over the last while.”Now, it’s for the rest of the batters to feel the same way. Sarel Erwee, who debuted in the first Test, won’t because he doesn’t know if he will keep the opening berth, or if it will be given back to Aiden Markram once Petersen is back. And Markram doesn’t know if he is going to be dropped after averaging 9.7 in his last ten innings. Kyle Verreynne doesn’t know if he will keep the wicketkeeper-batter’s spot or it will go to Ryan Rickelton, who averages over 100 this season. Zubayr Hamza doesn’t know if he will play as a sixth specialist batter or lose the spot to Rickelton or be benched in favour of an allrounder or spinner.South Africa’s selection decisions remain a mystery with Boucher only explaining that they do things as they “feel they need to be”, with selection convener Victor Mpitsang providing answers that directly contradict what insiders at the organisation say. In South Africa’s top seven, only Elgar, Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen are secure and it’s no surprise that they are the most consistent run-scorers.So the questions over when next Elgar will score a hundred – he hasn’t done so in eight Tests – to if Bavuma will ever score another, to if van der Dussen will touch three figures in Tests are not nearly as important as what South Africa can do to solidify their line-up and give it long-term structure and shape. That’s what they need to start answering in the second Test, and maybe the hundreds will come.

“I took it right down to the bare bones of it and drilled a lot yesterday to try and be able to turn up today and make it as natural as possible,” says Brunt

Valkerie Baynes24-Mar-2022About time. That was the overriding sentiment for Katherine Brunt and Danni Wyatt as they each played a key role in putting England into the World Cup top four with a commanding victory over Pakistan that largely followed the defending champions’ script.Brunt had taken just one wicket in five matches at this World Cup before her 3 for 17 from eight overs helped restrict Pakistan to 105 all out. Wyatt’s unbeaten 76 off 68 balls then saw England home by nine wickets in the magic number of 19.2 overs, knowing that they needed to chase down 106 in 19.3 overs to edge ahead of India on net run rate and into fourth on the table.Related

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Brunt, who turns 37 in July, set England off right when she had Nahida Khan caught at slip by Heather Knight off the first ball of the match, an expression of sheer relief spreading over her face as she looked to the sky, arms outstretched as if to say: “Yes! Finally!”It was like a penny-dropping moment after some hard graft fixing “bad habits” she had slipped into during what will be three months on the road by the end of the World Cup.Before the tournament, Brunt had been joint leading wicket-taker in the Ashes with 11 strikes, despite playing two fewer matches than Australia’s Tahlia McGrath while managing a niggle she picked up during the series. But Brunt’s form had deserted her in New Zealand.Fortunately for Brunt and England, she was able to pinpoint the problem and felt she had gone a long way towards resolving it on the eve of their latest match, although she didn’t want to divulge the technicalities.”I’ve been struggling for a bit of form,” Brunt said. “We’ve been on tour a long time, gaining 11 weeks away from home, and this is something I don’t think any cricketer, female cricketer certainly, will ever have done and probably won’t do in their career. So, you’re figuring out how best to work things.Katherine Brunt dismissed three of the top five batters•Getty Images”Normally after a tour, you go home, you go back to the nets, you fix things. You have that bit of time before you go back on tour and we haven’t had that. I got into bad habits and although I won’t point out specifically what that technical thing was, I have spotted it – thankfully – there is something wrong.”I worked really hard on it yesterday in the nets, I took it right down to the bare bones of it and drilled a lot yesterday to try and be able to turn up today and make it as natural as possible. So, I’m certainly going in the right direction.”The result was devastating for Pakistan, who – aside from Sidra Ameen’s 32 – never really recovered, despite an impressive six-over spell from Diana Baig in which she took 1 for 14 and threatened briefly to derail England’s pursuit of their run-rate target.”It’s been a while – longer than I’d like – for it to have gone on for but that’s sport, in and out of form,” Brunt said. “We’ve been away a long time, things can creep up on you that you don’t necessarily intend to happen and it’s just about training, working hard, putting things right, going out and doing it again. I’m just really happy to have contributed today.”I’m a really competitive person and I want so badly to contribute to every game in any way… so when you’re not, it genuinely feels rubbish. I do feel great about this day. It’s a long, too long a time coming.

“That’s our most complete performance. Nice to not have a nervy one for a change. Obviously, we went in to win but the secondary goal was to up our run rate a little bit, so I’m really pleased with how we’ve done today.”Heather Knight

“We have played on some brilliant backing tracks. It’s been hard to not overly criticise myself in this situation. I’m sure a lot of the seam bowlers in this tournament will have done that.”Wyatt, meanwhile, had only reached double figures three times in eight ODI innings this year before this match, her 33 batting at No. 7 against West Indies – her best during that time and coming before she was promoted to replace opener Lauren Winfield-Hill.Upon scoring her first half-century at a World Cup in 17 innings, Wyatt’s sentiments were similar to Brunt’s. “It’s about time really,” Wyatt told the host broadcaster as she accepted her Player-of-the-Match award.”I’m really pleased with how it went today, but credit to the bowlers,” Wyatt added. “Katherine Brunt, big shout out to her, she’s come back and bowled her heart out today, so I’m really pleased for Brunty, and hopefully, we can get another win against Bangladesh.”If England beat Bangladesh on Sunday, they will qualify regardless of other results, but whether they finish third or fourth will depend on the result – and margin – of India’s match against South Africa. However, if Bangladesh upset England and if India beat South Africa, then England will be knocked out.Knight, England’s captain, felt her side was heading in the right direction after losing their first three games and overcoming some tense moments in wins against India and, particularly, New Zealand.”That’s our most complete performance,” Knight said. “Nice to not have a nervy one for a change. Obviously, we went in to win but the secondary goal was to up our run rate a little bit, so I’m really pleased with how we’ve done today.”Katherine, I was so pleased for her because she’s had a little bit of a tough tournament so far but to see her come back to her best was brilliant.”