ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2016Tamim Iqbal struggled for timing and fell to Jasprit Bumrah for 13 in a slow start•Associated PressAshish Nehra sent Soumya Sarkar back as the hosts suffered an early wobble•Associated PressShakib Al Hasan then flourished briefly before he top-edged a sweep off R Ashwin to short fine leg•AFPSabbir Rahman and Mahmudullah, however, added 45 together in 20 balls to muscle Bangladesh to 120 for 5•AFPIndia were hurt early in their chase as Rohit Sharma fell to Al-Amin Hossain the second over•Associated PressShikhar Dhawan then combined with Virat Kohli to add 94 for the second wicket and set India’s chase up nicely•Associated PressDhawan fell with India on 99, but Kohli and MS Dhoni took India home with eight wickets and seven balls to spare•Associated Press

South Africa may not go in as tournament favourites, but they will be keen to carry on their good recent form in the shorter formats

Firdose Moonda17-Mar-2016Big pictureSouth Africa’s hour of reckoning is here. Again.Every time South Africa go into an event, there’s the yin and yang of those expecting them to fail and those willing them to succeed. This time, that has been played down by South Africa’s first summer of struggle in seasons. They lost successive Test series and were toppled from the top ranking, but redeemed themselves with victories in limited-overs matches. Still, they go into the World T20 under the radar, especially because they still have questions over team composition.In their line-up, South Africa are trying to make room for all of AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla without sacrificing anyone in the middle order. In their attack, they are choosing between a fit-again Dale Steyn and the men who have played in his absence, including Kyle Abbott and Chris Morris.There are also the unsaid undercurrents controlling selection. South Africa’s transformation targets require four players of colour and at least one black African in the playing XI. This increases the focus on the opportunities afforded to Farhaan Behardien and Aaron Phangiso, the latter of whom traveled to the 2015 World Cup and did not play a game. Like many things about South Africa, there are layers upon layers to consider, but a trophy will peel them all away.At the helmFaf du Plessis had only played four T20I matches for South Africa when he was appointed their captain in December 2012 but seemed a natural choice. Of the three leaders South Africa have had recently – Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and du Plessis – du Plessis appears the most in control, the most tactically aware, the calmest under pressure and the most articulate with the press and the public. His own performances have blossomed with the additional responsibility. Du Plessis has scored 905 T20I runs at 43.09 including a century since taking over and is five runs away from becoming the second South African to 1,000 T20I runs. He has overseen series wins in Bangladesh and India ahead of the tournament and has built a squad he believes “ticks all the boxes” for this tournament.Key stat17The number of matches South Africa have played between the last World T20, which ended on April 6, 2014 and this tournament. Among the eight teams who automatically qualify for the main draw, only Pakistan have played more T20 matches – 20 – in that period, with India also playing 17. West Indies (8), England (9) and Australia (11) have had the fewest games, while Sri Lanka (14) and New Zealand (13) have had a decent run. South Africa try to pack in as much practice as possible, to allow for as much experimentation as they can, but it has backfired on them in the past. Over-preparing and over-complicating sometimes gives them too many choices, although they will hope that’s not the case this time.Leading menAB de Villiers His reputation for innovation may lead to assumptions that AB de Villiers is a record-breaker for South Africa in the format but the numbers prove otherwise. De Villiers is not South Africa’s top run-getter in T20s – that’s JP Duminy – or top-ranked batsman – that’s Faf du Plessis – and his average is just 22.87. “I’m a little bit short in international T20 runs, my record doesn’t look very good and I’m well aware of that. I really want to improve on that,” de Villiers said. His promotion to the top of the order means he will have more time at the crease and face more of the bowling, giving him a chance to set things right. His performance in the PowerPlay will be crucial to getting South Africa off to good starts.Kagiso RabadaAt just 20-years-old, Kagiso Rabada has impressed with his accuracy, aggression and astute thinking, making him South Africa’s go-to man. Rabada is used to setting the tone at the start of the innings, sometimes even ahead of Dale Steyn, and bowling at the death, where he has achieved feats like defending 11 in an over with MS Dhoni at the crease. He was South Africa’s joint-highest wicket-taker in their most recent series, against Australia, and is expected to lead the attack into a new era.Imran TahirWho would have thought that South Africa’s main weapon would be a spinner? That is exactly what they have in Imran Tahir. Ranked third in the world behind Sunil Narine and R Ashwin, Tahir has proved himself as both an attacker and a containing bowler who can control the middle periods of innings. He uses his googly with deception and discernment. On surfaces that should suit him, his skills could give South Africa an edge.At the age of 20, Kagiso Rabada has emerged as South Africa’s go-to man with the ball•Associated PressBurning questionIs this the one?At press conferences in South Africa, this question gets asked as though it is some sort of code. South Africans are done with the hand-wringing and perennial wondering about when they will be able to add a major trophy to their accolades and have reached a consensus that the law of averages dictates that at some point they will be crowned champions. For now, they’re pretending to be patient enough to wait for the wheel to turn while secretly hoping it has spun in their favour and that this really is the one.World T20 historySouth Africa have reached the semi-finals twice, in 2009 and 2014 and both times lost in close encounters. They were knocked out in the first round of the 2007 event, despite losing just one game, and bombed out at the same stage in 2010 and 2012. Overall, they have won 16 and lost 10 matches across the five tournaments.In their own words”In the build-up to this World Cup there have been some real pressure moments when the team has stood up and done well. The only way you can get rid of that [the chokers tag] is when you manage to perform under pressure. I suppose that is 2 or 5 percent difference that you get in a World Cup, it is just a little bit more pressure. For me it is about our preparation, which has been really good.” – South Africa captain Faf du Plessis

As assistant coach of Peshawar Zalmi in the inaugural Pakistan Super League, Andy Flower has dipped his toes into T20 franchise waters

Charles Reynolds in Dubai10-Feb-2016The last the world remembers of Andy Flower, he was watching his Rome burn around him. The England team he had transformed from 51 all out in the Caribbean into winners of three successive Ashes series – with a stint as World No.1, a World T20 title and a series win in India thrown in for good measure – were reduced to smouldering ruins by Australia.In the eyes of many he had morphed into a cartoon villain, the demon headmaster whose strengths had slowly become his weaknesses under the strain of five relentless years in charge.Where once he had been loyal, now he appeared obstinate, his determination had become belligerence and the respect he had once ruled with appeared to be approaching something closer to fear.He has, of course, not disappeared off the face of the earth. Within two months of his resignation he was safely ensconced in a new role at the ECB, as ‘technical director of elite coaching’, but it was out of the limelight – even if taking on the role of England Lions head coach in mid-2014 pushed him a little closer to the glare of the media.Now though he has a new challenge, as assistant coach of Peshawar Zalmi in the inaugural Pakistan Super League, a first dip of a toe into T20 franchise waters that feels slightly ironic given the friction they have caused the ECB in recent years.The role, though, seems to be one Flower is relishing, a smile – a sight all too often absent in the latter stages of his England reign – is firmly back on his face. There was even the odd joke, admittedly unlikely to trouble the scorers at the Perrier Awards, but the sign of a man clearly enjoying himself more than the last time he appeared before the media hordes.So what then of the differences between the international stage and his new job?”The assistant coach’s position is a nice job to have,” he said, with a smile, after a fairly long pause for thought. “You don’t have some of the other responsibilities that a head coach has and you can develop a different type of relationship with the players, so I’ve really loved my first few days here.”For Flower too this was an opportunity to shake off the image he had left behind, that of the stony faced captain joylessly steering his ship onto the rocks. When questioned whether his style was at odds with that of Peshawar’s maverick captain Shahid Afridi, he offered a wry grin.”I know him fairly well from playing against him a long time ago,” the emphasis on long almost certainly not a deliberate joke about the rumours surrounding his skipper’s age, but amusing nonetheless.”Reputations can sometimes be misleading and the things you read in the press can sometimes be misleading. There’s a nice easy atmosphere in the dressing room, so it’s a really enjoyable position for me to hold, it’s a nice coaching job,” he said, adding “thank you” as an afterthought as if pleased to be able to express the sentiment.This more relaxed edition of Flower seems to be a hit with his players as well. Darren Sammy, a man who could probably look laid-back and cheerful in a warzone – or in the WICB offices for that matter – has clearly benefitted from the input of his coach.Flower dusted off his trusty old dog-thrower for pre-tournament practice to give the big Saint Lucian a session of throw-downs – interspersed, you imagine, with more than the odd piece of sage advice. Lessons Sammy appeared to have taken onboard three days later when his rearguard innings almost snuck a win after his team’s fairly disastrous start.”He’s been great you know,” said Sammy after that narrow defeat. “Obviously it’s a big change between the roles he’s played before but he’s been fantastic. He has a good cricket brain and with the success he’s had coaching, especially with England, taking them to No.1 he knows a lot about batting, especially in these type of conditions, so I think he’s been good. It’s a great mix, the guys have gelled really well together, coaches and players.”They say players learn new things playing franchise tournaments, perhaps the same is true for coaches too, with Sammy’s natural ebullience rubbing off on Flower – it would certainly appear so given his new-found penchant for smiling.There has also been a reminder too of the man of real moral character, marked out, on this day 13 years ago, by his black armband protest with Henry Olonga in Zimbabwe, as he deliberately took the time to acknowledge the work his franchise had done in bringing 150 students over from the Army Public School in Peshawar – scene of a horrific terrorist attack in 2014.”It is nice being involved in a franchise and an owner that have included a cause greater than just winning a tournament.”This, then, appears to be Flower unchained, a man unburdened from the need to win at all costs and the never-ending grind of the international calendar, a man happy it seems to be slowly painting a new picture of himself.

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2016A few of those nerves were calmed when Alyssa Healy chipped one back to Hayley Matthews in the second over•IDI/Getty ImagesElyse Villani and Meg Lanning produced a 77-run stand in quick time, striking 52 each to build pressure on West Indies’ bowlers•AFPLanning anchored the innings after the Powerplay, but West Indies found late wickets to pull things back•AFPDeandra Dottin conceded only one off the final over to keep Australia down to 148 for 5•IDI/Getty ImagesEighteen-year-old Matthews began West Indies’ tough chase in nerveless fashion, finding boundaries at will•Getty ImagesShe was given ideal company by captain and tournament top-scorer Stafanie Taylor, who used power and deft touch to find her runs•Getty Images/ICCMatthews struggled with some cramps in her innings but soldiered on to a 45-ball 66 to dominate the chase as West Indies passed 100 in the 14th over•Getty Images/ICCMatthews picked out midwicket off the bowling of Kristen Beams but Taylor’s fifty took West Indies within touching distance•Getty Images/ICCWest Indies reached the target with three balls to spare, and Deandra Dottin flung her bat away as the celebrations began•AFPMembers of the West Indies men’s team, including Dwayne Bravo, joined in the celebrations•Getty Images/ICCOn the other side of the result, Australia’s captain and top-scorer Meg Lanning was left contemplating some of her decisions•Getty ImagesCaptain and Player of the Series Stafanie Taylor accepted West Indies’ maiden World T20 title•AFPAs soon as the winning runs were scored, the champions had begun their song and dance, and it is unlikely to stop for a while•Getty Images/ICC

A stats preview of the England-Pakistan Test at Lord’s, where Mohammad Amir is set to return to Test cricket for the first time since the spot-fixing scandal in 2010

Bharath Seervi13-Jul-20162010 Pakistan’s last Test in England was also at Lord’s, where they lost the four-match series 1-3. This is Pakistan’s second-longest gap between Test series in England – there were seven seasons between their England tours in 1954 and 1962. Those two tours were Pakistan’s first two in England.7 Number of Tests played by Pakistan outside Asia (excluding Zimbabwe) since their last tour of England – significantly fewer compared to the other top subcontinent teams India (27) and Sri Lanka (18). Pakistan have played those seven Tests across three series: a two-match series in New Zealand in 2010-11, a two-match series in West Indies in 2011 and a three-match series in South Africa in 2012-13.4-3 England’s win-loss record against Pakistan in Tests at Lord’s. Three of those four were innings victories, and the other was a nine-wicket win. Two of those wins came in the last three meetings between them (2001 and 2010) while the other Test (2006) was drawn.3-3 England’s win-loss record at Lord’s in their last eight Tests. But they had not lost in 13 matches at the ground between 2006 and 2012. England did not win their last two Tests at the venue – they lost by 405 runs to Australia in 2015 and drew against Sri Lanka earlier this season.45.08 The average runs per wicket in the first innings of Tests at Lord’s since 2006. It is the highest among nine venues that have hosted more than 10 Tests in this period. In three of the last five Tests, the team batting first has scored in excess of 400. There has been only one instance in the last 10 years of a team losing at Lord’s after batting first. 19.80 Mohammad Amir’s bowling average in Tests in England – his best in any country. Amir has taken 30 wickets in six Tests in England, while his other 21 wickets in eight Tests elsewhere have come at 42.38. In his last Test appearance, also in England, he took 6 for 84.6.25 Joe Root’s average in his last two Tests at Lord’s. He made 1 and 17 against Australia in 2015, and 3 and 4 against Sri Lanka this season. In contrast, he scored 773 runs in his first 10 innings there at an average of 85.88, with two centuries and four fifties, including scores of 180 and 200 not out in in 2013 and 2014.2 Number of uncapped players in England’s squad for the first Test – Jake Ball and Toby Roland-Jones. In absence of James Anderson, either of them is likely to make his Test debut. Ball has taken 35 wickets in nine first-class matches in this season in England at an average of 22.22 with five four-wicket hauls and his average is the third-best in domestic first-class matches in this season who have bowled 150 or more overs (it excludes Anderson and Chris Woakes who have played Tests this season). Roland-Jones on the other hand has averaged 29.06 with ball taking 30 wickets in as many matches as Ball. Roland-Jones scored unbeaten 51-ball 79 in his last first-class match, batting at No. 9, for Middlesex against Yorkshire. He averages 22.96 with bat in his first-class career and has scored his only century at Lord’s last season.12 Number of Tests for England without their No. 3 scoring a century. The last century at this spot was by Gary Ballance against West Indies in North Sound in 2015. Since then, there have been only two half-centuries in 22 innings by England batsmen. Root is likely to play at No. 3, who averages just 28.71 at that position in eight innings with a highest of 87.37.23 Spinners’ average in the third and fourth innings of Tests at Lord’s since 2006, which is the second-lowest among the six England venues that have hosted five or more matches in this period. Yasir Shah, who will lead the spin-attack for Pakistan, has not played any Test outside Asia so far in his 12-match career.33.64 Ballace’s average in first-class matches in England this year in 15 innings compared to his first-class career average of 50.13. He has scored just two half-centuries and a century in this period. Also in Tests, he has averaged just 17.50 in his last five Tests with just one half-century and four single-digit scores.

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2016… before Alex Hales edged Mohammad Amir one over later …•Getty Images… to be caught at second slip by Younis Khan•Stu Forster/Getty ImagesHales had added four runs to his overnight 50•Getty ImagesJames Vince bedded in for his longest England innings to date•Getty Images… while Joe Root survived a chance to slip …•Getty Images… to bring up an important half-century•Getty ImagesHowever, Yasir Shah made the breakthrough when Root top-edged a sweep•Getty ImagesRoot trooped off for 62, frustrating at giving it away•AFPVince, too, fell when well set, edging Amir to slip for 42•Getty ImagesAt first, Jonny Bairstow was made to battle for his runs•Getty ImagesAs was Gary Ballance, who made 28 …•Getty Images… before being caught at leg slip off Shah•Getty ImagesBut Bairstow upped the ante with a fluent half-century•Getty Images… adding 132 for the sixth wicket with Moeen Ali, as England closed with a lead of 132•Getty Images

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2016Kane Williamson was undone by one that ripped back in sharply from R Ashwin. New Zealand had slumped from 159 for 1 to 170 for 4•BCCIAshwin and Jadeja led India’s fightback, splitting the four wickets to fall in the first session•Associated PressLuke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner made 38 and 32 respectively to help reduce New Zealand’s deficit•BCCIBut Jadeja picked up three wickets in an over after the lunch break to dismantle New Zealand’s lower order, helping India earn a 56-run lead•BCCIBCCIKL Rahul struck eight fours, including a few delicate reverse sweeps, in his 38 before falling to an attempted cut that was brilliantly pouched by Ross Taylor at slip•BCCICheteshwar Pujara continued from where he left off, defying New Zealand’s spinners with swift footwork•BCCIVijay, who showed restraint against the pacers, opened up to play some delightful strokes and bring up his second half-century of the Test•BCCIAs the partnership flourished, New Zealand went on the defensive in an attempt to limit the damage as India ended the day 215 ahead with nine wickets in hand•BCCI

22-Sep-2016On a dry-looking pitch with plenty of cracks, India opted to bat and opener KL Rahul got off to a brisk start•BCCIBut he fell to spin, which was introduced early, when he edged a delivery off Mitchell Santner•BCCIM Vijay was his usual self, displaying patience and concentration. He left plenty of short deliveries from Neil Wagner and…•Associated Press… forged a solid stand with Cheteshwar Pujara, who looked at ease against the spinners and used his feet very well against them•BCCIBoth struck fifties in their partnership of 112•Associated PressBut persistence from the New Zealand spinners paid rich dividends after lunch. Mitchell Santner took a return catch to dismiss Pujara for 62•BCCIAnd Neil Wagner’s short-ball weapon worked when Virat Kohli top-edged to fine leg on 9•Associated PressThe wobble continued as M Vijay edged Ish Sodhi behind for 65 just before tea…•Associated Press… And Ajinkya Rahane lobbed an easy catch to short leg off Mark Craig, falling for 18. India had slipped from 154 for 1 to 209 for 5•BCCIR Ashwin and Rohit Sharma steadied the innings through a 52-run sixth-wicket stand•BCCIBut before he had pulled India out of trouble, Rohit gave it away, lofting one to long-on•BCCIWriddhiman Saha received a peach from Trent Boult that kissed the top of leg stump after swinging back in•BCCIBoult followed it up with the scalps of Ashwin and Mohammed Shami to give New Zealand the edge as stumps neared•BCCIRavindra Jadeja, not out on 16, along with Umesh Yadav who was unbeaten on 8, hung in there as India closed out the opening day on 291 for 9•BCCI

England were the better team in the drawn Rajkot Test, but the series is still 0-0 and India are still playing at home, on a Visakhapatnam pitch that looks likely to favour their strengths

Alagappan Muthu in Visakhapatnam16-Nov-2016Is momentum in cricket real?Captains talk about it in earnest. Commentators go one step further, looking for the actual tipping point. It becomes part of the answer to why a player is in form and can even lay out why he isn’t. It impacts a side’s performance no matter the format. It even supersedes arguments such as conditions being different or that not all people tend to be affected by something in the same way.Clearly, physics was never big enough to hold momentum all to itself and having transcended into the sporting arena, it has become a buzzword that nobody can escape.In Rajkot, Virat Kohli said momentum “sort of defines if you have an advantage of a disadvantage as a team”. By that logic, can England consider themselves as being on top going into the Visakhapatnam Test? They made more runs in Rajkot. They took more wickets. They even took the awards. Assuming momentum is as powerful as everyone says, perhaps.Only, before the series began, India had crushed New Zealand, a team that seemed well-equipped to handle spin-friendly conditions. They hadn’t lost a Test in over a year and the last time they did so at home was in 2012. If momentum was such an irresistible force, Kohli and his men shouldn’t have been given the scare they were. Besides, they’ve insisted it wasn’t a scare. That tense situations like being six down with 10 overs left on a fifth-day pitch are a learning experience. You can imagine how desperately disappointed they must have been as kids when school was out.Momentum seems to have a tendency to vary with points of view as well. Alastair Cook is buoyed by the strength of England’s performance in the opening Test of one of the toughest series of his career. Kohli believes he will get a track that is conducive to India’s strengths so he is barely bothered about the events in Rajkot. Ask them who has the momentum, both men, would likely say they do. Makes sense. Not.Look at the things that have changed. India have brought back their first-choice opener. KL Rahul comes into the second Test on the back of a first-class century which not only points to his form but importantly establishes that he has recovered well from a hamstring injury. On the other hand, England are worried over the availability of Chris Woakes, who has been among their best performing players since the start of their home summer.Then there is the surface, which may start out better than hoped but would certainly deteriorate a lot quicker than the one at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Ground. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have exploited such conditions in the past. All they need is one to spin big. That combined with their ability to undercut the ball and make a few go straight has led many a batsmen to confusion. It is not an easily replicable skill. A spinner hoping for as little deviation as possible has to avoid the seam hitting the deck. Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Zafar Ansari may have made a fine start to the series, but can they match the Indians’ tricks? None of them is experienced enough in this format to carry a bowling attack.Finally, the batting. It is never black and white in touch conditions, which arguably, neither of these sides has had to deal with so far. Visakhapatnam – from day three onwards – appears set to remedy that. So defensive techniques need to be tight. Partnerships become crucial for any time a new batsman comes in, the likelihood of him getting out quickly may as well be a blaring red light on top of his head.Even if someone is in form, he has to be mindful of the ways in which the bowler is targeting him. Just because he made a hundred in the last innings doesn’t give him the right to pass go and collect 200 the next time. Monopoly rules sadly don’t apply in cricket.All these factors – the pitch, each team’s plans, each individual’s plans, the outcome of the toss – dispute the impact momentum can have across matches. Within a match then. Does one team pulling ahead immediately set them up in a match? Four years ago, in Ahmedabad, Cook made a resoundingly defiant 176 while following-on which forced the Indian bowlers to tire themselves out and may even have had a bearing on their potency in the next Test in Mumbai.Hard work, skill, and just that little bit of chance, make up a cricket match. Momentum – whatever it is – is a far weaker influence.

A look at the top statistics after David Warner raced to a century before lunch on the first day at the SCG

Bharath Seervi03-Jan-20175 Batsmen to score centuries before lunch on the first day of a Test. David Warner became the latest to join Victor Trumper, Charles Macartney, Don Bradman and Majid Khan to achieve this feat. The last such instance was more than 40 years ago when Majid did it against New Zealand in Karachi in October 1976. The first three were all before World War II.1 Instance of an individual scoring 100 or more runs in the first session on any day of a Test in Australia. Warner is the first to do so. The previous highest was 98 by Clive Lloyd at the WACA in the first session of the third day in 1975-76. The previous highest by an Australia player at home was 95 by Adam Voges against West Indies in Hobart in the first session on second day in the last season.78 Balls in which Warner completed the century – the fastest by any player at the SCG. The previous record was off 82 balls set by himself in the last New Year Test against West Indies. This is Warner’s second-quickest Test century after his 69-ball effort against India at the WACA in 2011-12. Overall, this is the fourth-fastest century among Australia batsmen.

1 Quicker centuries against Pakistan by any batsman compared to Warner’s 78-ball effort. Brian Lara had scored one off 77 balls in Multan in 2006-07. Brendon McCullum also scored in 78 balls in Sharjah in 2014-15.2 Australia openers younger than Matt Renshaw, who is 20 years, 281 days, to score a Test century – Archie Jackson at 19 years, 149 days and Phillip Hughes 20 years, 96 days. Overall, Renshaw is the seventh-youngest centurion for Australia. Among openers overall, he is the fourth-youngest to score 150 or more in an innings.3 Higher scores by Australia openers at SCG than Renshaw who is unbeaten on 167 at end of the day. The highest is Sid Barnes’ 234 in Ashes 1946-47. Among all openers, Renshaw’s score is the tenth-highest at the SCG.18 Test centuries for Warner – the most by any player since his debut in December 2011. However, he has converted only three of those hundreds into scores of 150 or more.240 Previous highest aggregate by Australia openers in an innings at the SCG, against England in 1987-88. Warner and Renshaw have already added a combined 280 runs. This is also only the third instance of both home openers scoring centuries in the same innings at the SCG and the first since Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden did so against South Africa in the 2002 New Year Test.3 Consecutive centuries by Warner in New Year Tests. He had also made 101 against India in 2015 and 122 not out against West Indies in 2016. He is only the fourth player after Wally Hammond (four), David Boon and VVS Laxman (three each) to score centuries in three consecutive Tests at the SCG. Warner now has three centuries each in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth.150.33 Australia’s average opening stand in the first innings of last three SCG Tests. Chris Rogers and Warner added 200 runs against India in 2015, Warner and Joe Burns shared 100 against West Indies in 2016 and now Renshaw and Warner added 151 runs in this innings. Before these three Tests, they had only one century stand in 21 innings in 11 Tests.