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Manoj Tiwary feels he has matured as a person and that it has brought him more consistency, as reflected in two centuries and two fifties from his last four List-A innings

Abhishek Purohit30-Nov-2014Manoj Tiwary made his India debut in February 2008. In close to seven years, he has been given nine ODIs, but even those have been limited to an odd game or two in a series. Forget a full series, he has never played three successive matches.He would understandably become stressed at the lack of opportunities, but has stopped doing that now, he says. Tiwary no longer worries about India selection when he walks out to bat. He feels he has matured as a person and that it has brought more consistency, as reflected in two centuries and two fifties in his last four List-A innings, the latest being a match-winning 151 off 121 against North Zone in the Deodhar Trophy semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium.”To be honest with you, I don’t carry excess luggage while I go in to bat. Earlier I used to carry lot of baggage,” Tiwary said. “I used to think about other people who are watching, I have to impress them, I have to play on the up, I have to play lofted shots like others but over a period of time I have realised what is my game and tried to improve on that. That helped me a lot. I have become more consistent now. No added pressure. I just go out there, watch the ball and play my game.”In the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy final, Tiwary had made a second-innings 94 against Mumbai at the same Wankhede Stadium in the company of Sourav Ganguly, who scored 90. Tiwary said the difference between him then and now was that he had toned down his aggression.”Earlier I used to be very aggressive, now I have calmed down a bit. Earlier I used to be very short-tempered. I used to get upset about a lot of things, cricket as well as off the field. Earlier I used to throw away my wicket in the middle phase.”But as you grow older you tend to become more mature, that helped me in my batting as well. I know my game really better than before. The injuries that happened to me also gave me a lot of time to think about my game as a cricketer and also as a person.”Tiwary credited his family for the change in his personality and his game. “I spent a lot of time with myself and my family members have helped me a lot during my injury phase, made me realise what you have to do next, think about yourself, your game. Earlier I used to watch a lot of motivational videos as you all know. That also helped me a lot.”He may not fret over India selection like he used to but he hopes for another chance with the national team, and a decent run. “I hope and I believe that I will get an opportunity and when I get an opportunity, I think it will be a longer rope I guess. I am just hoping and hoping that I get into the team again.”Whoever is there in the team have also done really well for themselves and have performed at the given stages of their careers. It is very difficult to get into the team nowadays. Everybody scores runs. I wish I could play a lot of matches on wickets provided here, and in Rajkot.”

Angelo Mathews embarks on the Champions Trophy as a largely untested commodity. Can he use this platform to successfully secure his position at the helm and lead Sri Lanka to success?

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-May-2013Both on and off the field, Angelo Mathews gives few emotions away. There was a time when he was among the team’s most exuberant men, but experience, and the onset of responsibility, have seemingly dulled his zest for public elation. He is now equally stoic with a dozen microphones set before him.As Sri Lanka departed for the Champions Trophy in England, Mathews had little to say, aside from trotting out worn-out assurances that the side would seek to capitalise on its strengths, and had set its sights on the semi-finals as their first target. Four months into his tenure, Mathews is already proficient in the art mastered by all jaded captains – that of talking without saying much at all. Only, Sri Lanka’s problems in the approach to the tournament did not need vocalising. The IPL has laid them bare.Nine of Sri Lanka’s probable first XI travelled to India for the tournament, and only Thisara Perera and Sachithra Senanayake have returned with any semblance of form behind them. Of the three Sri Lankan captains, Kumar Sangakkara dropped himself from the side, mid-season, citing a poor run, while Mathews himself surrendered the captaincy when his own place in an ailing team became threatened. Mahela Jayawardene remained at the helm of Delhi Daredevils throughout the tournament, but the team finished dead last, with him having done barely anything with the bat to prevent it.Among the others, Tillakaratne Dilshan failed to fire in five outings, while Jeevan Mendis and Kusal Perera largely warmed the dugout benches during the last two months. Lasith Malinga meanwhile, who had been among the IPL’s safest bets in previous seasons, was as bipolar for his franchise as he has been for Sri Lanka in the last 18 months.Over the past week, the team has arrived piecemeal from across the Palk Strait and headed immediately into Champions Trophy training sessions, to join the six non-IPL cricketers who have been at it for almost a month.”I’m not really worried about our form,” Mathews said. “The IPL is completely different to what we will play now. We are professionals, and we know how to prepare for a tournament like this. The boys are pretty confident of themselves. The guys who were in India and Sri Lanka have all trained well, and there was a training tournament here. When we prepare for the Champions Trophy, we put in a lot of effort, and as a team we are ready for this.”Despite his optimism, Mathews will know the team has further to go than if they had all embarked on their flight to England with runs and wickets to commend them. However, there is also truth in his assertion that the Champions Trophy is a different beast. Alongside Pakistan, Sri Lanka have been the most consistent side at major tournaments in the last six years, making it to four finals in their last six ICC events. Their results leading in to each tournament have not always suggested they would progress to the final.On each of those occasions, the team has ignited at the beginning of the tournament, finding, as a collective, gears that elude them in many bilateral affairs. By the time the group stage is complete, they have been marked as favourites, and have ridden that momentum to the final, where vexing decisions and uncharacteristic nerves have hastened their ultimate demise.Chief among the reasons for their sudden surge has, in the past, been leadership. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara matured as cricketers before they were handed the reins, and have proven shrewd as captains in major tournaments.Mathews may possess a steel temperament, but he has not yet shown himself as a canny leader, and his batting form is a law unto itself – failing abruptly just when formidable scores are beginning to cluster together. His bowling has been more consistent, and it is this that has helped make him a vital part of the Sri Lanka side since his arrival. He is yet, however, to truly establish himself on the international stage in the way that almost every Sri Lankan captain has before him.The Champions Trophy is his biggest assignment yet, as captain, and his challenge has been magnified by the state of his own game, as well as those of the side’s senior batsmen. If Mathews can stir up the familiar courage Sri Lanka teams have embraced in recent tournaments, he will emerge a secure leader, and repay the faith he has been afforded. If he cannot, he will remain a young captain on trial, with plenty still to prove.

Surrey made it two wins from three Friends Life t20 South Group matches by beating Kent by 31 runs at Canterbury with a second brilliant bowling performance inside three days

30-Jun-2013
ScorecardLuke Wright continued his recent good form with 81 off 49 balls•Getty ImagesLuke Wright smashed 81 off 49 balls as Sussex posted an impressive 202 for 3 on their way to a 24-run victory over Middlesex in the Friends Life t20 South Group clash at Lord’s.Dawid Malan hit back with 61 in 43 deliveries but even before he fell, heaving across the line in the 14th over, Middlesex had begun to lose their way. Neil Dexter blasted 27 off just 10 balls but it was too little too late for the hosts who finished on 178 for 8 – which included six penalty runs for Sussex’s slow over rate – with Michael Yardy taking 3 for 30.After winning the toss, Chris Nash got the visitors up and running with a swept six off Tim Murtagh in the third over. Murtagh suffered further punishment a couple of overs later when Wright hit four successive boundaries including a straight six.Sussex were pegged back briefly when Nash, who made 45 off 30 balls, dragged an attempted drive off Adam Voges on to his stumps to make it 84 for 1 in the 10th. But two overs later Rory Hamilton-Brown brought the hundred up for the Sharks with a sweetly timed four through extra cover off Voges.Wright then posted a 37-ball half-century in almost identical manner, off the bowling of Dexter, before flat-batting Josh Davey back over his head for six. Wright, whose impressive month had already brought him a first-class best 187 against the same opposition here at Lord’s, a YB40 century against Kent and a half-century in a Twenty20 international, was eventually caught at long-on off Murtagh for 81 but Hamilton-Brown, supported by Dwayne Smith, ensured there was no let-up.Hamilton-Brown scored 47 in 29 deliveries, including a straight six off Gareth Berg, before giving a steepling return catch to Kyle Mills in the final over. Smith, who had swatted the 34-year-old New Zealander over square leg for a maximum, finished with an unbeaten 21 off 12 balls to leave Middlesex needing to better the second-highest total at Lord’s in domestic Twenty20 cricket.Paul Stirling got the hosts off to a decent start by cover driving Chris Liddle for six in the third over of the Panthers’ reply and the Irishman was given a life on 28, when he was dropped at extra cover off the bowling of Yardy. Yardy had his revenge when Stirling (33) was caught a wide long-on and Joe Gatting then pulled off a superb one-handed catch, low to his right, off Will Beer to account for Joe Denly.Malan celebrated a 37-ball fifty by lifting Beer over long-on for a maximum but the pressure of needing to score at 10 an over eventually told and he was bowled by Nash for 61 before Voges reverse-swept Yardy to short third man. Adam Rossington fell to another good catch, this time by Chris Jordan running in from the midwicket boundary, though not before Dexter had lifted Yardy for a maximum.The Middlesex captain followed it up with two successive sixes off Liddle in the 17th over to leave his side needing an improbable 56 off 18 deliveries. The departure of Dexter, caught in the deep off Jordan, ended the Panthers’ hopes.

Mervyn Westfield has been issued with a summons from the High Court in London compelling him to appear at Danish Kaneria’s ECB disciplinary appeal

George Dobell11-Apr-2013Mervyn Westfield has been issued with a summons from the High Court in London compelling him to appear at Danish Kaneria’s ECB disciplinary appeal.The development is an unusual one and there is some doubt as to whether the High Court has any jurisdiction in the affairs of a sporting body’s disciplinary procedure. The appeal is currently scheduled for April 22, with Kaneria expected to travel from Pakistan to England on April 17 to mount his defence against a life suspension from cricket.Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, was banned and charged £100,000 in costs by an ECB panel in June 2012 for his part in the spot-fixing case involving former Essex bowler Westfield. Kaneria had been found guilty of inducing his former Essex team-mate to underperform in a limited-overs game in 2009 and of bringing the game into disrepute. Westfield, who was jailed for his role in the case, gave evidence against Kaneria at the hearing.As all boards under the governance of the ICC have an agreement to mirror bans imposed in such circumstances, Kaneria’s ban has been effective worldwide.Kaneria’s appeal hearing was originally scheduled for December but, after the ECB was unable to gain Westfield’s cooperation, it was postponed until April. Without Westfield’s evidence, the ECB’s case against Kaneria is severely compromised. Kaneria’s lawyers are looking not just for his ban to be overturned – at 32, he harbours hopes of a reviving his international career – but they are also claiming “very substantial damages” from the ECB.Westfield remains reluctant to appear at the appeal. He feels that the harshness of his penalty – a four-month prison sentence and a five-year ban from the first-class game (he is allowed to return to club cricket after three years) – did not reflect the fact that he pleaded guilty and gave evidence and helped the authorities with their investigations.ESPNcricinfo understands that Westfield’s lawyers are currently considering their reaction to the summons. Both the ECB and Kaneria insist they want Westfield to appear at the appeal hearing, although it seems the ECB is the party with most to lose from his absence. Kaneria’s lawyers remain adamant that, without Westfield’s evidence, the ECB “has no case”.

Auckland won their second one-day title in three seasons, taking the 50-over Ford Trophy after beating Canterbury in a low-scoring final at Eden Park Outer Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsCanterbury were bowled out within 35 overs•Getty ImagesAuckland won their second one-day title in three seasons, taking the 50-over Ford Trophy after beating Canterbury in a low-scoring final at Eden Park Outer Oval. Canterbury were bowled out for 139 in under 35 overs and though Auckland chased it down in 25.1 overs, they made heavy weather of the target, losing seven wickets in the process.A combined bowling effort and impressive fielding sunk Canterbury. The Auckland bowlers, after winning the toss, reduced the visitors to 60 for 5. Canterbury’s Rob Nicol and Peter Fulton had added 56 for the second wicket before Nicol was run-out backing up too far at the non-striker’s end. Fulton fell the following over when he tried to go big over the off side and only managed a leading edge down to third man. Michael Bates was on a hat-trick when he had Dean Brownlie caught behind and Auckland had removed three international batsmen in the space of seven balls.Tom Latham resisted with 42 but kept running short of partners. After hooking Bates over fine leg for a six, Latham tried to clear mid-off but a brilliant bit of fielding ended his knock. Colin de Grandhomme ran backwards and managed to pluck the catch one-handed. Auckland wrapped up the innings the following over with Bates leading the way with 3 for 30.Auckland progressed comfortably, reaching 57 for 1 at the end of 10 overs, when lunch was taken. Anaru Kitchen was aggressive from the outset, but fell in the first over after the break, trying to slap Hamish Bennett, only managing an edge to the keeper. Gareth Hopkins and Craig Cachopa had added 34 before Andrew Ellis broke the stand, the keeper Latham in the action again diving in front of first slip to take a one-handed catch.Ryan McCone gave Canterbury hope with a three-wicket burst that reduced Auckland to a nervy 131 for 7. De Grandhomme was caught at the boundary, Donovan Grobbelaar caught at slip and Kyle Mills bowled going for the heave as Auckland lost three wickets for 11 runs. Bruce Martin, who never got a chance to bowl, was the unlikely hero for Auckland as he smashed two consecutive fours to calm the nerves. Hopkins, who remained unbeaten, finished things off with a boundary to cover, closing the curtain on the domestic season.

A round-up of the Logan Cup matches on December 12, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-2014A strong first-innings batting display from Matabeleland Tuskers set up the team’s 230-run victory against Mashonaland Eagles in Bulawayo. After being inserted, Tuskers posted 405 for 9 before declaring, thanks to fifties from Bornaparte Mujuru (86), Brian Chari (81) and Godwill Mamhiyo (60). Wellington Masakadza picked up five wickets for Eagles, but conceded 109 runs from his 27 overs. Eagles’ reply lasted only 48.1 overs, as the team was bowled out for 112. Ryan Burl was the only player to score in the twenties, as Tawanda Mupariwa, Brian Vitori and Sean Williams all picked up three-fors to run through the line-up inside four hours. With a 293-run lead in hand, Tuskers batted for just 24.1 overs in their second essay, declaring after scoring 94 for 4. This meant that Eagles needed 388 for the win, and once again, none of their batsmen were able to make a big score, as Vitori (4 for 30) and Keith Dabengwa (3 for 15) struck at regular intervals to dismiss the team in 76 overs.A seven-for from Tapiwa Mufudza in the second innings was the cornerstone behind Mountaineers’ nine-wicket win against Mid West Rhinos at the Kwekwe Sports Club. Mountaineers made the early running in the game, as Rhinos, batting first, were bundled out for 193 thanks to Natsai M’shangwe’s 4 for 45 and Tatenda Mupunga’s 3 for 39. Rhinos’ left-arm spinner responded with a five-wicket haul in Mountaineer’s innings, but Mountaineers were guided by half-centuries from Timycen Maruma (62), Roy Kaia (54) and M’Shangwe (61). They scored 317, earning a crucial lead of 124. Rhino’s opener Bradley Wadlan top-scored in his team’s second innings, hitting 60, but with no other batsman contributing more than 36, they were bowled out for 169. Mufudza collected 7 for 31 to dismiss Rhinos in 62 overs, meaning that Mountaineers needed just 46 to win. They overhauled that target in 5.3 overs, despite losing Kevin Kasuza early.

Andy Flower, the England team director, could miss the ODI tour of India in January as the ECB looksto ease his workload

George Dobell20-Nov-2012Andy Flower, the England team director, could miss the ODI leg of England’s tour of India in January as the ECB looks to ease his workload.Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s director of cricket who is currently in India as England’s selector on tour, is in contention to deputise for Flower along with his long-regarded natural heir, England assistant coach Richard Halsall.Flower’s relentless schedule has been a concern to the ECB for some time. Few players are required for all three formats of the game but Flower is intimately involved in the planning, selection and management of the ODI, Test and T20 teams. While individual players have enjoyed rest periods, Flower has been granted only an occasional, brief absence. It is understood there is a particular concern that the Kevin Pietersen saga left Flower drained.The ECB has, therefore, urged Flower to take a break. It believes that investing in a period of rest will help retain Flower’s services for several more years and ensure he remains enthused and motivated.Halsall has deputised for Flower in the past. He stood in for two days of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane in November 2010 when Flower required surgery to remove a melanoma from below his right eye and also when Flower was given a break for the ODI in Dublin in August 2011.But it is understood that Giles is seen as a more suitable long-term substitute. Giles, a former England player and current national selector, recently led Warwickshire to the County Championship title and is emerging as the obvious natural successor to Flower. There could be an element of succession planning in his temporary appointment.No final decision has been made and other options are being considered. Flower could also skip the ODI or the Test section of the New Zealand tour in February. But, with the next World Cup to be played in New Zealand and Australia in 2015, Flower will be reluctant to miss an opportunity to see players in those conditions.

A collective bowling performance, and dominant batting by Shikhar Dhawan gave India A a smooth eight-wicket win over Bengal in Rajkot

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details A collective bowling performance, and dominant batting by Shikhar Dhawan gave India A a smooth eight-wicket win over Bengal at Rajkot’s new Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. A target of 194 proved to be too meagre for India A’s strong batting line-up. Eventually, only four batsmen were required to achieve the target, with more than 12 overs to spare, led by Dhawan’s innings. Dhawan batted right through the innings, and finished the game with a boundary through extra-cover, a shot that took him to 99.Opener Robin Uthappa was his more dominant partner at the top, but when he departed in the seventh over, Dhawan and the in-form Ajinkya Rahane added 150 runs to control the chase, making the contest one sided. Rahane’s 63, which contained five boundaries, was his fourth fifty in seven domestic games across all formats. The stand was broken by offspinner Jayojit Basu, but by then it was too late for Bengal as India A only needed ten more runs to win.Bengal’s innings was anything but dominant, and stuttered all the way through, led by effective bowling spells by the seamer Ishant Sharma and spinner Pragyan Ojha. The duo accounted for seven of Bengal’s wickets as apart from a recovery stand of 84 between wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and No. 8 Arnab Nandi, there was nothing much the batsmen could offer. Saha, who last played international cricket in January, started his innings sedately and defended solidly in the first half of his innings, but as wickets kept falling around him, attacked assuredly towards the end. His 65 only rescued Bengal from further trouble when they were reduced to 92 for 6 at one stage.Ojha started the rot, claiming two of the first three wickets to fall, the other being a run out. He bowled with precision, allowing his deliveries to grip the surface well, and reaped rewards, claiming 3 for 40 in 9.1 overs. But the major damage was done by Ishant, who took four wickets, and was economical at 3.22 runs per over in his nine overs. It was his second domestic match since his return from an ankle surgery that had ruled him out of the IPL, his last international appearance for India being the Adelaide Test against Australia in January this year.India A take on India B in the next match of the Challenger Trophy on Sunday.

AB de Villiers, the South Africa captain, said he expected India to bounce back in the third ODI, after his side beat the visitors by 134 runs to win the second ODI and the series in Durban

Sidharth Monga in Durban08-Dec-20130:00

A big series win for SA – AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers said he was happy with the hold that South Africa’s bowlers had established over India’s batsmen•Getty ImagesBeat the No. 1 side by 141 runs. Beat them again by 134. In the first game, put them under a mountain of runs and straitjacket them with exceptional quick bowling. In the next, watch the same batsmen capitulate through low-percentage shots. This tour has all the makings of being to South Africa what the West Indies series was to India in November. And never mind what Dale Steyn feels, South Africa’s elder statesmen are not getting ahead of themselves. AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla both laughed heartily when asked if this Indian team was proving to be too easy, but they wouldn’t get drawn into making what could be seen as inappropriate statements that might come back to bite them later.De Villiers was at pains to not be seen as arrogant when ahead. When asked if it was becoming a bit easy, because it felt so from the outside, de Villiers repeated the “no” five times.”They are a world-class unit,” de Villiers said. “They are world champions. I can go for an hour if I talk about the Indian team. [I] still expect them to come back in the third ODI. A lot of pride to play for. It will be massive for us to beat them 3-0. A lot to play for. They are still a world-class unit. We will always have respect for them as a team.”After his press conference, de Villiers moved to the right, and gave unassuming Hashim Amla the seat in front of the microphones. Now Amla and Quinton de Kock have added more than 150 in back-to-back games against India’s bowling, becoming only the second pair in ODIs to do so. At times in the Durban ODI, it looked like they were not tested at all. Like de Villiers, Amla, too, was asked if the Indian bowling was “easy meat” for the openers.Amla let out a loud laugh and said, “You want such a controversial thing for me to say.”After everyone had had their laughs and drawn their own inferences, Amla went on to say: “Nothing at all like that. Fortunately for me and Quinny [de Kock] – to score runs you need things to go your way. In both games, we could have got caught with leading edges, caught third man… Things have just gone our way in the last two games. India have bowled well upfront. We haven’t gone off to blistering starts, just knocked it around a bit and bided our time. In the first game, AB and JP [Duminy] were the guys who did a bulk of the damage at the back end. Before that, they had bowled quite well. So there is no such thing as easy meat. We have fortunately got things going our way.”Having said that, de Villiers was pretty pleased his side had beaten the No. 1 side in ODIs so comprehensively in successive matches.”We are nowhere near the No. 1 team in the world at the moment even though we have beaten them two in a row now,” de Villiers said. “We know tournaments like the World Cup, they are about 11 games, this is just two in a row. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but in a humble way we would like to work hard on our game and make sure we still compete with the best in the world consistently.”Steyn’s remarks that a few of the Indian batsmen might have been scared were still being talked about, but de Villiers also said that his batsmen have been setting up the games. He was “chuffed” that his lower order got him crucial runs in this match – especially the 29 in the last two overs – that turned a total just over par into a superlative one. Especially given South Africa’s bowling, which now seems to have established a hold on the Indian batsmen.”Hopefully, we did scare off a few of their batters going into the final ODI and the Test series,” de Villiers said. “It’s always nice to sort of scare a few batters going into a big series like this, especially a batting line-up like the Indian team has. I think they are very talented and to sort of get under their skin is always important, especially in home conditions.”

Virender Sehwag has said that he was happy he took advantage of an ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ by scoring a double-century against West Indies in Indore

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2011Virender Sehwag has said that he was happy he took advantage of an ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ by scoring a double-century against West Indies in Indore. Sehwag had slammed 219 off 149 balls, a new record in one-day cricket, which set up India’s win by 153 runs.”I am happy to have broken my role model Sachin Tendulkar’s record,” Sehwag said. “It won’t be easy for people to score double hundreds. Over the last so many years only two have done it. This opportunity will come only once in a lifetime and I am happy I have taken it. I dedicate this knock to my father who is no longer with us.”It is one of my very best innings. Unlike in Test cricket when one can bat longer, in one-dayers you have to keep an eye on the run-rate. The wicket was very good for batting but the bowlers are also trying to get you out.”Sehwag said that he thought a big score was there for the taking at the Holkar Stadium. “While opening the innings, I told Gautam Gambhir that if we can show some patience on this track, we will be in for a big one. The outfield is fantastic and the distance of the boundary is only 50 yards.”He needed just 140 balls to get his double-century and his 219 broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the highest individual score in an ODI. It included 142 runs in boundaries – Sehwag smashed seven sixes and 25 fours. “It was a true batting wicket. Whenever I hit the ball into the gaps, it would go for four. Whenever I decided to hit a six, I would hit with a straight bat and it would go for six.”The first time the double-century crossed his mind, he said, was during the batting Powerplay between the 35th and 40th overs. “I never expected to score a double hundred. It was only after the batting Powerplay started, I felt that I could reach double hundred. Also when Sammy dropped me [on 170], I knew that God was with me.”The record-breaking innings ended a string of underwhelming performances in spectacular fashion, as Sehwag and Gambhir – who returned to the opening slot with Parthiv Patel dropping down the order – gave India the fine start they had been looking for in the series. “In the last match I said our top order was not contributing and it was my job and the other guys’ [in the top order] job to give a good start to the team,” Sehwag said. “The moment you give this kind of start, you end up with 400.”We [the openers] said to one another that if we can play together for 15 to 20 overs we could put up a good stand and give the middle-order the chance to build on it. But the wicket was so good, we decided we can bat till the 30-35 overs. I am sorry Gautam was run out [for 67]. I was very upset.”Sehwag did not take the field during the chase. Having batted for 46.3 overs, Sehwag said the innings had taken a toll on his body. “I’m very tired because I’m 33-years-old. I’m an old man and my back and glutes are tight.”Previously in the series, India had bowled first on all three occasions after winning the toss, with mixed results. India had initially planned on bowling in Indore as well, Sehwag said, but changed their plan at the last minute. “We had decided to field first but we were told by players who had played in the Challenger Trophy [a domestic one-day tournament] on this ground that the wicket had deteriorated in the second innings. That’s why, I changed my mind.”Legspinner Rahul Sharma was very effective on debut, claiming three wickets off the last ball of each of his first three overs, to derail the chase. India went on to complete a comfortable victory to seal the series 3-1. Rahul’s performance was very satisfactory, Sehwag said. “I was very impressed with his bowling. It was his debut. He has a very good future.”