The Plays of the Day from the match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai

Sidharth Monga05-May-2013The hat-trick
One of the most surreal sights seen on a cricket field. Forget the quality of the fielder and batsman involved, and it is still unbelievable. A batsman hitting three catches off three successive deliveries to the same position, and the same fielder dropping the ball on each occasion. Now to the artists involved. Mitchell Johnson bowling to his Western Australia team-mate Michel Hussey, and one of the best fielders going around, Kieron Pollard, at point.The first burst through his hands just over his head, the second was a low offering and popped out, and the third ricocheted off his hands into his face and cut his nose.Sample Suresh Raina’s misfortune, though. The first ball he faces, he edges it towards point, and the same man Pollard takes a low one diving forward.The co-ordination, lack of
In the third over, the newly reunited Chennai Super Kings opening pair of M Vijay and Michael Hussey went chasing a ball and hit it wide of mid-on. Hussey followed Vijay, and it was implied the throw would be relayed on. Vijay, though, seemed to have held on to the ball for a bit longer than was ideal and ended up throwing it wide of Hussey, towards deep midwicket. A third ensued.The interruption
When Dwayne Bravo got Dwayne Smith, catching a top edge himself, he broke into a full-blown dance. Suresh Raina, fielding at cover at that time, stood and waited for the dance move to finish, but Bravo kept going and going. After a while, Raina thought “chuck it” and stopped him midway and hugged him. A good team man, Raina knows his captain is often flirting with over-rate bans. He shouldn’t be allowing such expansive time-wasting celebrations.The contest, in two parts
At the fall of the fifth wicket in the Mumbai innings, out came India’s most successful offspinner to face the man who threatens to take that title away from him in the future. R Ashwin tossed the first ball up, and Harbhajan Singh smacked it clean over long-on for a six. In the same over, Ashwin came back with a well-disguised carrom ball that beat Harbhajan, which drew a nod of acknowledgement from the veteran.The contest returned when Ashwin was promoted by the floundering Super Kings to bat at No. 6, ahead of MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja. In the first over itself he backed away too far to play a cut to a length ball, and had his leg stump handed to him. The veteran had the last laugh.

Plays of the day for the match between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur

Kanishkaa Balachandran27-Apr-2013The promotion
If you’re a legspinner for Sunrisers Hyderabad, be prepared to bat at No.5. On Thursday, to everyone’s surprise, Amit Mishra walked in at that position and didn’t quite satisfy his role as the pinch-hitter scoring 15 off 21. In Jaipur, with Sunrisers reeling at 7 for 3 after two overs, the team management didn’t fail to surprise again, promoting Karan Sharma. For the second time, the experiment failed, as Sharma tried pulling Faulkner and got a top edge to fine leg. Any legspinners left to promote?The drop
Rahul Dravid, one of the game’s safest catchers, pulled off one of the tournament’s headline catches when he showed off his reflexes at midwicket against Pune Warriors, taking a one-handed catch. His reflexes weren’t as sharp today, when he stretched his right hand at extra cover and failed to catch Ashish Reddy. Dravid appeared to move a bit late towards the ball and only ended up patting the ball away. It was a chancy innings by Reddy, who was dropped again, by Stuart Binny, three balls later.The celebration
Darren Sammy delayed his arrival for the IPL to be at home for the birth of his daughter, who he calls Princess Skai. Never shy of showing off his colourful celebrations, usually a dance move, Sammy had a treat for his little girl when he reached his fifty, his first in T20s. He took out the baby pacifier tied around his neck and sucked on it, bringing his arms together for a cradling action.The half-hearted appeal
Shane Watson was starting to look dangerous against the spinners, punishing anything marginally short. When Mishra bowled a flatter one, Watson pounced it down the pitch and the ball brushed the stump, knocking the bails down with Dravid out of the crease. Mishra appealed half-heartedly, appearing unsure whether he got a finger to the ball. Shortly after, Sunrisers withdrew the appeal. Should be good for their Fairplay points.

With only one match left in IPL 2013, here’s a look at some key numbers from the tournament, with specific reference to the finalists

S Rajesh25-May-20130.67 – The difference between the batting run-rate and the economy rate for Super Kings, which is the best among all teams in IPl 2013. They have scored at 8.31 runs per over, and conceded 7.64 per over. Royal Challengers Bangalore are next with a difference of 0.45, while Mumbai Indians are fourth on 0.22, having scored 7.98 runs per over and conceded 7.76.16 – The number of 50-plus scores for Super Kings, again the best among all teams in this tournament. That includes one century – Suresh Raina’s 100 not out – and 15 fifties. Mumbai Indians are third on this list with 14, behind Royal Challengers’ 15.114 – The number of sixes struck by Mumbai Indians, the most in by any team in this tournament. Royal Challengers are next on 103, while Super Kings are third with 78. Chris Gayle leads the count among individual batsmen with 51, but the next two are from Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma has 28, and Keiron Pollard 26. Among the Super Kings batsmen, MS Dhoni leads with 20, followed by Suresh Raina on 18 and Michael Hussey on 17.40.89 – The percentage of dot balls bowled by Super Kings, the fourth best in the tournament. Sunrisers Hyderabad lead this list with a percentage of 44.26, well clear of the second placed Rajasthan Royals (41.13). Mumbai Indians are fifth with a percentage of 40.58.43.18 – The average opening partnership for Super Kings in this IPL, the best among all teams. Super Kings have scored 691 runs for the first wicket – the highest among all teams – at a run rate of 7.47 per over. They’ve also put together six partnerships of 50 or more for the first wicket, the most among all teams. Mumbai Indians are a distant fifth in terms of average partnership, with 27.27 runs per dismissal, at a run rate of 6.60.531 – The partnership runs added by Michael Hussey and M Vijay, the second best by any opening pair in this IPL, behind Aaron Finch and Robin Uthappa’s 606 for Pune Warriors. Hussey and Vijay have averaged 48.27 runs per dismissal at a rate of 7.46 runs per over, with one century stand and four half-century partnerships. Mumbai Indians’ best opening pair has been Dwayne Smith and Sachin Tendulkar: in nine innings they’ve added 271 at an average of 30.11, and a run rate of 6.37 per over.578 – The partnership runs scored for the second wicket between Hussey and Raina, easily the highest by any second-wicket pair. They’ve averaged 57.80 per completed partnership, at 8.96 runs per over, and have two century stands and four half-century partnerships in 11 innings. The leading second-wicket pair for Mumbai Indians is that of Smith and Dinesh Karthik: they’ve put together 273 in eight innings at a rate of 9.80 per over.6.42 – Mohit Sharma’s economy rate in the IPL, the best among bowlers on either team contesting the final (with a cut-off of 30 overs). The best for Mumbai Indians is Harbhajan Singh’s 6.59, while R Ashwin’s economy rate is 6.69.11.49 – Super Kings’ scoring rate in the last five overs of this IPL, the best among all teams. They’ve averaged 30.29 runs per wicket, also the best among all sides. Mumbai Indians have averaged 10.43, third among all teams after Royal Challengers. Mumbai Indians have struck 57 sixes in the last five overs, the best among all sides, 19 clear of Super Kings’ 38.253 – The runs scored in the last five overs of an innings by Dhoni, the highest among all batsmen. He has scored these runs in 122 balls, giving him a run rate of 12.44 per over. Next in line is Rohit Sharma, with 234 in 114 balls, a rate of 12.31 per over. The next two batsmen in this list will also be in the playing XIs for their teams on Sunday – Pollard has 222 from 136 balls, while Raina’s aggregate in the last five is 193 from 86.15 – The number of wickets taken by Mitchell Johnson during the Powerplay overs in this tournament, at an economy rate of 6.05. In second place is Super Kings’ Mohit Sharma, with 14 at an economy rate of 6.33. No other bowler has taken more than nine wickets in the Powerplays in this year’s IPL.20 – The number of wickets taken by Dwayne Bravo in the last five overs, the most by any bowler. He has taken 20 wickets in 201 balls, at an economy rate of 7.40 per over. James Faulkner is next with 16 at an economy rate of 8.10. Mumbai Indians’ main man in the death overs, Lasith Malinga, has taken 11 wickets in 152 balls at an economy rate of 7.50.

The century stand between Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott may not have had the crowd swooning but England know their strengths and they played to them admirably once again

George Dobell at Edgbaston08-Jun-2013Rudyard Kipling almost certainly wasn’t thinking about England’s top-order when he wrote the lines “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you” but it did seem strangely fitting as they made unhurried progress against Australia.You could almost feel the frustration around Edgbaston as Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott added 111 runs for England’s second wicket in 22 overs. You could almost feel the crowd urging them to pick up the pace and play more aggressively. And you could hardly move at the interval between innings for someone wanting to tell you that the stand had left England 30 short of par and in danger of losing the game.But in a match that featured only one other 50 partnership – an unbroken stand of 56 for England’s seventh wicket – Bell and Trott had, once again, provided the foundations for victory. That the pair of them remained calm against some tight bowling, kept their heads and judged more accurately than the hordes urging them to accelerate what a winning total was on this pitch, played a huge part in this win.England play, by and large, percentage cricket. They are not pretty. They are not exciting. While West Indies or Pakistan attack their opposition like tigers, England attack like a python, slowly squeezing the life out of matches. In some ways, they play the sort of cricket that the limited-overs game was invented to cut out. While marketing types sell the game on the basis flying stumps and flurries of sixes, England try to bowl dot balls and turn ones into twos. Few kids in Birmingham beg their parents for a chance to watch Trott nurdle one into the leg side.But that is not England’s concern. What matters to them is that they have a method they trust and understand. While other teams can thrash and heave, England will nudge and accumulate. While other teams attempt the killer punch, England pick up points and refuse to open themselves up to danger. They apply pressure and look to make fewer mistakes than their opposition. It is not a fashionable way to play limited-overs cricket, but it is England’s way.You might compare it to Wimbledon playing the long-ball game in order to compete with the top football English football sides. Their supporters will find beauty in the result if not the method.They will be times when it proves an inadequate method. There will be times when an opposition batsman plays a brilliant match-winning innings and when an opposition bowler finds a way to unlock the England batting. It will happen. But it may not happen very often and it may not happen in this tournament.It was, after all, a method that took them to the top of the ODI rankings last year. It took them to their record of 10 successive ODI victories. It is a method that really should have won over the critics by now. That it hasn’t perhaps says more about the inflexibility of some in the media – particularly former players – than it does an inflexibility in England’s methods.The point that the critics fail to understand is that England are playing the hand that fate dealt them. They are not trying to play the hand they wish they were dealt. They are no longer trying to ape the methods of Australia or Sri Lanka or whoever the latest fashionable ODI side may be. They have recognised their key strength – technically correct batsmen – and embraced it. Without Kevin Pietersen they are a decent but limited ODI side, but rather than attempting to bat like Sanath Jayasuriya or Adam Gilchrist, they have accepted their strengths lie elsewhere. Nations need accountants as well as warriors.Bailey praises England bowlers

Australia captain George Bailey credited England’s ability to gain reverse swing as one of the key differences between the sides. “We were very surprised by how quickly England gained reverse swing,” he said. “It’s a good skill. It went from swinging conventionally to reverse swinging within an over or two. No doubt they worked on it a bit; they bowled cross-seam and bowling some spin early played a part. They are highly skilled and it’s something we need to look at and exploit. It made their bowling plans so simple for the quicks once it started reversing: they could just hit a good length throughout the entire innings.
“England didn’t bowl many bad balls. They were very disciplined and made it hard for us. They are a very experienced bowling line-up and there was nothing there we hadn’t seen before. They just executed their skills very well. They exploited the wearing nature of the pitch very well.
“James Anderson is so skilful. He has the record he has because of the skills he has. We were expecting him to reverse it, but he gave us nothing on the pads and nothing to cut. He’s so accurate. It’s testament to the bowler he is and how important he is to England.”

Bell admitted that, at the halfway stage of the match, England were just a little disappointed by their total. He admitted that “at 35 overs we were looking at 300” but felt they fell short as “it was an extremely dry pitch and it was a lot easier to bat up front against the new ball. It got a lot harder to bat.” In a perfect world, of course they would have liked to score more. But instead of being bowled out for 230 in an attempt to reach 300, they settled for 269. They settled for the better percentage.Are there other players within the county game who might provide an alternative method? Of course there are. There is Ben Stokes, a vast talent, who may develop into an international class allrounder, there is Alex Hales, who has earned a place in the T20 side, and there is Jonny Bairstow. But Stokes and Hales both failed to cover themselves in glory on the Lions tour to Australia and Hales is also in a horrid run of form. Their time will come. If England’s method proves inadequate in this event, it may come sooner rather than later.It would be simplistic to suggest that England’s method is solely reliant on their top three. In this game, the acceleration in their innings was provided by Ravi Bopara – on other occasions it will be Eoin Morgan or Jos Buttler – and their bowling was deeply impressive.That is hugely encouraging for them. On a pitch offering traditional English-style bowlers little, they still found a way to trouble the Australia batsmen. James Anderson, in the style of Malcolm Marshall or Zaheer Khan, reacted to the flat surface by going up a gear and bowling with more pace than for some time. He successfully utilised the same tactic on a docile track during the Nagpur Test at the end of last year.England also gained reverse swing that was all but absent for the Australia seamers. There will be those who claim there is something untoward about this but, as was the case when the English used to complain about Pakistan bowlers, it is generally teams that cannot do it who moan.Allied to their admirable accuracy – Anderson was especially impressive in that regard – the movement England gained allowed them to concentrate on bowling a good length and tight line. There was a noticeable absence of variation – the slower balls and slower ball bouncers – that marked their disappointing performances against New Zealand. Bell rated his bowlers’ performance as “exceptional”.There was some bravery in England’s selection, too. The decision to leave out Steven Finn, the No. 3-rated ODI bowler, left them reliant on Bopara and Joe Root to fulfil the role of fifth bowler. It showed a willingness to adapt. It showed flexibility.But those are not the main strengths of this team. England’s real strengths are calm under pressure, a knowledge of their role definition and a shared belief in their methods. They are not the most exciting qualities, but they form a powerful combination.

Mahela Jayawardene is adept at making hard runs when his team needs him, and he did so again in this match

Andrew Fidel Fernando at The Oval18-Jun-2013″Power” is batting’s buzzword of the modern age. In limited-overs cricket, players are no longer measured by how well they hit a ball, but how hard and how far. That quest has spawned a subset of relatively modern phenomena – setting a stable base, not losing one’s shape, swinging through the arc. As Twenty20 salaries expand, and cricket strides close to the glamour that has eluded it in the past, only a handful of batsmen still swear by the old laws.At the Oval, Mahela Jayawardene crafted a limited-overs innings that like so many he has played before, was a triumph for romantics in an age when muscles and brutality abound. Batting lower down than is customary – for only he has the game versatile enough to fit where the team requires him – he stroked 84 of the most alluring runs in the competition, all made under pressure, at a strike rate exceeding 100.To label Jayawardene a purist is not to say he is a stickler for tradition, for he wields a slog sweep and over-the-shoulder scoop as well as anyone in the game. But although new strokes have been learnt in the last five years, the essence of his cricket remains as lovingly refined as it has always been. Twenty-first century aggression filtered through age-old method, yielding savagery that seems fashioned from silk. The reverse-sweep he hit off Glenn Maxwell in the 30th over was played late, beneath the eyes, head still, hands sure, wide of the fielder for four.Like most artists, Jayawardene is fragile too. Early in his innings, any seam bowler worth his salt should fancy an edge to keeper or slip. If he gets through that initial gauntlet, there is still risk in his progress. A creature of instinct, he does not back down to a ball he fancies, and even when well set, the hankering to attack has brought his downfall countless times. At the Oval, inside-out strokes over cover flew perilously close to fielders’ hands, and an attempted reverse-sweep off a fast bowler could easily have left his stumps splayed. The joy of his success is heightened by his daring. Every four feels like a caper, each big innings an adventure.On days where he does not mishit a single ball, like in 2011’s World Cup final, the result is fantasy come alive. There are far greater batsmen than he in the game today, but is there a more compelling force in full flow? Sachin Tendulkar perhaps, but few others. In the penultimate over, Clint McKay bowled one at his body, and Jayawardene backed away and stroked it in the two-metre gap between backward point and short third man. Both men had been placed there for exactly that kind of shot, but neither had a hope of preventing four.Even in the last three years, the fine innings that he alone among Sri Lanka’s batsmen could play are numerous. The World Cup final ton is one, the 42 against Pakistan on a World Twenty20 semi-final dustbowl is another. In Tests, the 105 against Australia on a brute in Galle, and the 180 against England at the same venue a year later will linger in the mind. Hard runs, all, though you would never know from the grace with which he beats them out. He is a big-match performer, and with bigger matches than this virtual quarter-final to come, Sri Lanka will hope Jayawardene’s hunger intensifies, as it has done in the major tournaments before.”You could see how desperate I was today,” Jayawardene said. “So I’ll be desperate for every game to win, simple as that. It’s not about trophies or whatever – it’s just to win matches. So I’ll have that same passion and same desperation to win games, doesn’t matter if it’s a semifinal or final or just a group game. As long as I have that attitude and the rest of the boys, we’ll go a long way.”It is easy to read his figures and remark that Jayawardene’s record is fairly mediocre, mistakenly assuming the one-day tracks in Sri Lanka are as conducive to stroke-making as pitches north, beyond the Palk Strait. It is Sri Lanka’s lot to be lumped with the giants of the subcontinent, but spinners have long reigned over batsmen on the island, and lately the quicks have had their days as well. In any case, Colombo’s humidity had made swing bowling effective in ODIs even before the recent renaissance in seam-friendly pitches. No Sri Lanka batsman has ever retired with an average over 40, but the team has rarely failed to be a force in ODIs since 1996.They arrive now, at another semi-final – their sixth in the last eight world tournaments. Kumar Sangakkara’s diligence and drive saw the side through the early matches, but it took a little Mahela magic to propel them in a squeeze.

Vote on our shortlist of classic Ashes moments that have taken place in England since 1981

10-Jul-2013To coincide with the 2013 Investec Ashes series, we are asking you to vote on our shortlist of classic Ashes moments that have taken place in England since 1981. You can watch each episode of our series and then vote for your winner.Part 1 – most memorable TestWe have chosen the following shortlist from the great Ashes contests in England over the past 30 years.Headingley 1981
England win as 500-1 outsiders thanks to Ian Botham’s explosive hitting and the ferocious fast bowling of Bob WillisHeadingley 1989
Steve Waugh’s finest Ashes knock, plus a century for Mark Taylor, gave Australia 601 for 7 in the first innings and an advantage they never relinquishedOld Trafford 1993
The Ball of the Century. Need we say more? Well, there was also a hundred for Ian Healy and a handled-the-ball dismissalEdgbaston 2005
The Greatest Test? A nerve-wracking finish fuelled by a memorable Australian last-wicket partnership from Brett Lee and Michael KasprowiczTrent Bridge 2005
Another from the 2005 vintage. Andrew Flintoff’s rumbustious hundred set up England for a victory that was ultimately far tighter than they had ever imaginedRelive these great Tests above, select your favourite using our poll and then let us know your thoughts below.Coming soon: most memorable momentVote Now – Most Memorable TestHeadingley 19810% Headingley 19890% Old Trafford 19930% Edgbaston 20050% Trent Bridge 20050%

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Plays of the day from the second day of the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa in Abu Dhabi

Firdose Moonda in Abu Dhabi15-Oct-2013The scene-setter Hashim Amla and the South African tail would have hoped to take the total as close to 300 as possible, but Pakistan put paid to any of those thoughts as early as the second ball, courtesy Mohammad Irfan. After showing how well he could use his feet yesterday, Amla was stuck in his crease as he prodded at one that only just left him and offered a catch to second slip. Younis Khan collected, to become Pakistan’s joint record-holder for catches, with Javed Miandad.The butterfliesTo take first strike against the attack lauded as being the best in the world is an anxious experience for any opening batsman, much less a debutant. The first ball Shan Masood faced might only have increased his nervousness. With Dale Steyn focused on pursuing a fuller length, Masood stepped forward and got an outside edge which beat third slip and gully. The result was four runs but the way it came would have served as an indication to Masood about what he would be up against.The chanceSouth Africa did not have many of these but Masood presented one in the fifth over when he edged to second slip. Jacques Kallis’ usually quick reactions were a milli-second slower and in taking the tiniest bit of extra time to move his hands forward, the ball dropped short and scooted through his legs to give Masood a run and a lifeline.The crack Forget tuk-tuk, Misbah-ul-Haq put his first runs on the board with the fire and fury of a sports car. With Morne Morkel trying to generate something special, like the delivery that caught Younis Khan offguard, he went short and wide and Misbah smashed the ball past point. Even from behind the glass windows of the press box, which seem to be insulated from most sounds, the crack was audible. In the field, no one moved, as though they had been stunned by Misbah’s aggression.The celebrationThis was only Khurram Manzoor’s third Test since making his comeback against Zimbabwe in August and he is quickly making the opening spot his own. He followed up his back-to-back fifties in Harare with a century here and had a fitting celebration to enjoy it. Manzoor lost two of his partners during the last 14 runs needed for his ton and had to slow down. But on 91, he punished Robin Peterson with two strong sweeps, and a push through cover later, he was punching the air as he completed the first run. The 4000-strong crowd were on their feet, applauding and cheering, and Manzoor gave them a prolonged arms-in-the-air pose, before kneeling down in and embracing his captain.

The South Africans brought a big splash of colour and zing to the Wanderers

Kapila Hari06-Dec-2013Choice of game
I was glad to eventually see some on-field action after months of wrangling and grand-standing off the field. I relished the chance to see the one-day champions take on the Test champions. My prediction was for a close contest, with India prevailing.Team supported
I was rooting for India.Key performer
Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and MS Dhoni entertained with their swashbuckling batting, but it was Dale Steyn who proved to be the destroyer-in-chief. His initial spell of four overs for a miserly five runs was hostile and accurate. He set the tone for the rest of the South African quicks, who, having drawn first blood, hunted as a pack. Steyn returned later in the game to continue to torment the Indians, running out Suresh Raina and taking three wickets including the prize scalp of Dhoni.One thing I’d have changed about the match
I would have settled for a maiden in the 15th over, by Ryan McLaren. India lost two key wickets, including the master of the run chase, Virat Kohli.Face-off I relished
Steyn v Kohli. Kohli scored 11 off 11 balls from Steyn, including two stylish boundaries and a half-hearted appeal. This, however, proved to be an appetiser with no main course as Steyn was taken off.Wow moment
Hashim Amla’s dismissal in the 30th over precipitated an inspiring sea of Indian flags.Close encounter
Kohli, McLaren and Lonwabo Tsotsobe fielded at fine leg. They all attracted hordes of autograph and photograph hunters, with Kohli being the major drawcard, especially amongst the female fans. McLaren was considerate and obliged the fans, not only between overs but also between deliveries.Shot of the day
In the 33rd over, R Ashwin dispatched Tsotsobe’s second ball to the midwicket boundary. This evoked a thunderous applause from the die-hard Indian fans hoping for a late onslaught.Pink day
Cricket South Africa and their sponsor declared the day a “Pink Day” in an effort to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer. The Proteas and the crowd responded with turning the Bullring into a vision in pink. The Highveld sky completed the picture at sunset. The batsmen, especially the home team, helped raise thousands of rands as huge donations were made for every boundary and six scored. That may have been the only plus of the night for the beleaguered Indian bowling attack.Crowd meter
The stands were sparsely populated initially but filled up as the match progressed. The chants of “Sachin, Sachin” – a perennial favourite at Indian matches – was not unexpected, especially in the face of their capitulation early on. The crowd support for both teams was considerable, with the Proteas being crowd favorites. Interestingly only a small number of their fans stayed to witness the end of the game and the presentation ceremony. De Kock, the youngest Protea, received a well-deserved standing ovation upon reaching his first ton at home. The youngster was a study in grace and humility as he acknowledged both the crowd and dressing room.Fancy dress index
The multi-cultural identity of the Rainbow Nation of Madiba was evident in the costumes that ranged from sadhus in the tri-colour of the Indian flag to a band of Santa Claus in red hats. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow belonged to the bearded, slightly rotund man in the shocking pink ballerina outfit complete with matching tutu and wig.Entertainment
A real mid-innings crowd puller was allowing people on to the ground during the interval. This enabled a large section of the crowd to indulge their passions, which seemed to be either selfies or mini-cricket.Marks out of 10
6.5. The quality of cricket from the Proteas was excellent, especially in light of their recent performance against Pakistan. The world champions were disappointing, which was to be expected considering their minimal preparation time and lack of warm-up games . The atmosphere was festive with the South African fans obviously buoyed by their team’s performance and the Indians deriving pleasure from the innings of their unflappable captain and his allrounders, Jadeja and Ashwin.

It is hard to pin-point one single reason for Pakistan’s capitulation in Dubai; there were many chinks in their armour

Umar Farooq12-Jan-2014

Where is the home advantage, asks Misbah

The unresponsive pitches in the UAE that have not played out to Pakistan’s strengths have left the team disappointed and bewildered. After losing the second Test against Sri Lanka in Dubai, Misbah-ul-Haq said flat pitches were not what he had wanted and it blunted the home advantage.
“Obviously, we are not getting support as per our strength [of spinners] and that is a worry for us,” Misbah said. “The PCB is not preparing pitches, obviously the curator [in UAE] is preparing pitches. But as far as satisfaction goes, it’s not there because we have not given instructions for such flat tracks.
“Maybe the groundsman wants to make another kind of pitch but they are not able to do that. It is surprising that there is no turn here on the pitch. Normally the pitches here help spin, on the second or third day but even on the fifth day the pitch did not spin.”

Pakistan entered day five amid prediction of heavy rain in Dubai and although thick clouds prevailed over the stadium all day, the rain never came down. Pakistan may have considered themselves unfortunate, but they were out-batted and out-bowled by an efficient Sri Lankan team that beat them by nine wickets – their biggest win in terms of wickets, against Pakistan. The home team may have walked out with positives after the draw in Abu Dhabi, however, the loss in Dubai, once again, exposed a number of chinks in the Pakistan team.Top-order conundrum
Pakistan’s top order was praised for their contribution in the first Test but their failure in the second means the team will have to take a fresh look at their options. The No. 3 position remains a talking point after Mohammad Hafeez, drafted back into the Test side after a stellar run in the ODIs, couldn’t reprise the same form, scoring 21 and 1 in the second Test. Ahmed Shehzad’s introduction as an opener didn’t work either; the move disturbed the left-right combination of Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood which had set-up Pakistan’s win against South Africa in Abu Dhabi in November.Middle-order frailties
Pakistan’s over-reliance on Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq is no secret and it’s high time other batsmen started delivering. The technically sound Asad Shafiq, who scored a century against South Africa at the same venue three months back, has been struggling since. Though he played some elegant back-foot shots on the fourth day, he wasn’t able to stay for an extended period; he contributed 6 and 23.The overworked workhorse
Saeed Ajmal has toiled for 114.2 overs in the two Tests in this series and conceded 248 runs. On top of the workload, he also took a blow on his foot while batting in the second innings. It can be argued that Sri Lanka batsmen played him with caution and neutralised him well, but he did look off-colour with his line and length.The ineffective seamer
Rahat Ali, who went into the series as the second seamer, failed to make an impact in the two Tests. His inability to pick up wickets was excused by the captain, the coach and the team manager, who suggested the bowler had been unlucky. But for someone who bowled more than 100 overs in the series for just two wickets, it can’t be just about luck. It also points to the lack of skill.The flat tenure
Dav Whatmore’s tenure as the coach of Pakistan is soon coming to an end; he is with the team for another nine days. In the two years with Whatmore at the helm, Pakistan didn’t show any signs of improvement and failed to win a single Test series. The record will leave a blot on Whatmore’s coaching credentials.

Stats highlights from the fourth day’s play in Abu Dhabi, when Sri Lanka staged a magnificent fightback

S Rajesh03-Jan-2014 Sri Lanka’s total of 420 for 5 is their eighth-highest score in the second innings of a Test, but only twice have they gone past 450. Their highest second-innings score is 537 for 9 in a drawn game against England at Lord’s in 2006. On that occasion, they were forced to follow on after trailing by 359 in the first innings, and ended up batting for 199 overs in the second innings to save the Test. Five of their eight top second-innings totals have been against Pakistan. In terms of overs faced, this is already Sri Lanka’s sixth-highest in the second innings. Angelo Mathews’ 116 not out is his highest Test score, and his second century. His previous hundred was an unbeaten 105 against Australia in Colombo in 2011. He also scored 91 in the first innings of this Test, which gives him a match total – so far – of 207, the sixth-highest for a Sri Lankan captain. In nine previous Test innings before this match, Mathews’ highest score had been 38 not out. This is also Mathews’ fifth 50-plus score in 18 Test innings against Pakistan – his average against them is 53.08. Sri Lanka’s Nos. 5, 6 and 7 have contributed 253 runs so far, which is their second-highest aggregate from those positions against Pakistan. Sri Lanka’s highest contribution from those positions is 374, in the ill-fated Lahore Test of 2009 which was called off because of the terrorist attack against the Sri Lankan team. The 138-run stand between Dinesh Chandimal and Mathews is Sri Lanka’s third-best for the fifth wicket against Pakistan. If Prasanna Jayawardene gets two more runs, he’ll become the fifth Sri Lankan to score at least 50 in this Test innings, which will be a new record for Sri Lanka against Pakistan. There have been seven instances of four 50-plus scores from Sri Lanka’s batsmen against Pakistan in a single innings. The most fifties scored by Sri Lanka’s batsmen in a single Test innings is seven, against England at Lord’s in 2006. Saeed Ajmal has already bowled 42 overs in the second innings without taking a wicket, which is a new low for him in Tests. Ajmal has never waited so long for his maiden wicket in a Test innings: his previous-longest wait was 41.1 overs, in the first innings against England at Lord’s in 2010. On that occasion, he took a wicket off his 248th delivery, and ended with figures of 2 for 126 from 44 overs. This is only the third time Ajmal has bowled more than 40 overs in the opposition’s second innings, and all three of these instances have been against Sri Lanka. On the two previous occasions, he had figures of 1 for 95 from 43 overs (in Colombo in 2009), and 1 for 167 from 55 overs (in Abu Dhabi in 2011). Both those Tests ended in draws. Pakistan have successfully chased a target of more than 240 in the fourth innings only three times – once each against Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh. Their highest in the fourth innings of any Test is 343 for 3 in a drawn game against South Africa in Dubai in 2010.