Solomon Mire, who was the architect of the win, also racked up the fourth fastest ODI century for Zimbabwe

Gaurav Sundararaman30-Jun-20170 Previous instances of a 300-plus target being chased down successfully in Sri Lanka in 32 attempts. Zimbabwe’s pursuit of 318 was the highest successful chase in the country. The previous highest was 289 by Sri Lanka against Pakistan in 2009. Sri Lanka becomes the twelfth country to witness a successful 300-plus chase. Out of 67 instances of teams successfully chasing 300-plus targets, India has hosted 13, followed by 11 in England.

2010 The last instance when Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka in ODIs. Friday’s win in Galle was also Zimbabwe’s first win over the home side in Sri Lanka in any format. Overall, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have met 51 times with Sri Lanka winning 41 times. This was only the eighth win for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in ODIs.1 Number of scores higher than 317 successfully chased by Zimbabwe in ODIs. They have won chasing 300-plus targets on two other occasions in ODIs – both against New Zealand at home. Their highest successful chase is 329 in 2011 in Bulawayo .85 Balls taken by Solomon Mire to score his first ODI century. This is the fourth-fastest century for Zimbabwe. Mire’s 112 is also the joint-highest for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, equalling Grant Flower’s 112 in 1998.79Runs scored from 47 balls by Zimbabwe through the sweep or reverse sweep in their total of 322. Mire scored 33 of those runs. In contrast, Sri Lanka scored 25 runs from 15 balls through the same shots.28 Innings taken by Kusal Mendis to reach 1000 ODI runs, making him the joint second-fastest Sri Lanka batsman to the milestone, after Roy Dias who got there in 27 innings. Since his debut in June last year, no other player has made more 50-plus scores in ODI cricket, with Joe Root tied with Mendis at the top of that table, having made 12 such scores.

The most consecutive wins for India, Hardik Pandya’s six-hitting prowess and Australia’s 11-match winless run feature in the statistical highlights from the third ODI

Bharath Seervi24-Sep-20179 – Consecutive ODI wins for India, which is their joint-longest streak in the format. Between November 2008 and February 2009, India had a run of as many successive victories. For Australia, though, this marks their 11th consecutive defeat in ODIs away from home.1 – This is the first time India have beaten Australia in each of the first three matches of a bilateral ODI series. This is, however, only the second instance of India registering four consecutive victories against Australia, the previous instance having occurred between 1996 and 1998.2 – Player-of-the-Match awards for Hardik Pandya in this series. In the first ODI, in Chennai, he had bagged the award for his returns of 83 runs and two wickets. He was also the Man of the Match in the third game in Indore for his tally of 78 runs and a wicket. Overall, this is his ODI career’s third such award after having got one on his debut in October last year. With 181 runs, he’s the highest run-getter in the series and only three bowlers have got more wickets than his five scalps.20 – Sixes hit by Pandya against spinners in his ODI career, compared to just the five against quick bowlers. He has struck 204 runs against spinners at a strike rate of 178.94 whereas against the fast bowlers, he has scored 285 runs at a run-a-ball. He has hit 24 fours off the fast bowlers and only six off the spinners. In this match, all his four sixes came off the left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, whom he smashed for 37 runs off 20 balls.69 – Runs for which Australia lost five wickets after being 224 for 1 in the 38th over. Only Marcus Stoinis made a double-digit score after the top-three batsmen departed.5-0 – India’s win-loss record in ODIs in Indore. The Holkar Stadium is the only venue where India have won all the matches, playing five or more games. They also won the inaugural Test at the venue against New Zealand last season.

Bowling type Runs Balls SR Wkts Ave Fours SixesSpin 204 114 178.94 3 68.00 6 20Pace 285 285 100.00 8 35.61 24 5 2014 – Last time India had a century opening partnership in ODIs at home, which came against Sri Lanka in Cuttack when Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane added 231 runs. Rahane and Rohit Sharma put on 139 runs in this match, which is the first century opening stand in 20 home ODIs. In this period, India have had only one fifty-plus stand.1403 – Runs for Rohit against Australia – the second most by an India batsman. He went past MS Dhoni’s 1342 runs to take the second spot behind Sachin Tendulkar’s 3077. Rohit averages 63.77 against Australia, which is the highest by 29 batsmen who have aggregated over 1000 runs against them. He is trailed by AB de Villiers, who has an average of 59.52.64 – Manish Pandey’s average when chasing in ODIs, having scored 256 runs in eight innings with four not outs. India have successfully chased targets in six of the eight games in which he has batted. When batting first, he has scored only 130 runs at an average of 26 in six innings.1- Instances of the highest individual score by an Australia batsman in a loss against India, apart from the 124 by Aaron Finch in Indore. In 2013, George Bailey’s 156 in Nagpur wasn’t sufficient for victory, which is the highest such score. Overall, Finch’s score is the third highest by an Australia opener in an ODI defeat.

India have grown in strength since their 2015 defeat in Galle, but they need to be clinical for sustained periods to take down Sri Lanka at what has become an impregnable fortress

Sidharth Monga in Galle25-Jul-2017Galle Fort is a surreal place. It is unrecognisable from the time Test cricket first returned to Galle post-Tsunami. Every establishment inside the fort is now either a boutique restaurant or a hostel. Every second shop sells souvenirs and spices and coffee. The old corner shops that sold essentials, the mom and pop stores, have all but disappeared. The people who actually lived here have mostly gone, preferring the lease money they get from renting their houses out to tourism-based establishments.When Test cricket first came back to Galle, the fort was like an actual village where actual people lived. It doesn’t feel like Sri Lanka inside now. It is almost like you are on the set of some film based in the Mediterranean. The fort is not yet one of those Indian places that is out of bound for locals, but it is hard to imagine too many tourist-friendlier places in Asia. Metres outside the fort, though, is Sri Lankan cricket’s fortress, which has, despite many charges from the tourists, remained largely impregnable.Sri Lanka are a team in seemingly perpetual transition, which can give to the visiting sides an impression of friendliness, the kind seen in the fort. However, somehow they managed to find a way in Galle against India last time, after looking down and out.Unlike inside the fort, one wrong turn here can take you into the wilderness. India have won in Galle before, but not when it is the first Test of the series. In fact India have never won the first Test of a series in Sri Lanka. India’s last two opening defeats here in Galle are warning enough. In 2010, Virender Sehwag scored a dominating hundred before India fell apart. In 2015, India dominated for longer before Sri Lanka rose again.India are a stronger side than they were in 2015. They have rediscovered Cheteshwar Pujara as a batsman, Ravindra Jadeja is back as a solid foil to R Ashwin, and the seam attack looks more menacing. Sri Lanka have gained Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Asela Gunaratane and Dilruwan Perera, but they have lost Dhammika Prasad, Dinesh Chandimal and the confidence of Angelo Mathews as a batsman.Sri Lanka will need more magic than the last time to remain competitive in this series. The waves are hitting their fortress higher and stronger than the last time. Since then, they have lost to Bangladesh at home, and came close to doing so against Zimbabwe.Just remember the last day-and-a-half of their last Galle Test against India. They were so high on adrenaline they were bouncing off the walls. Chandimal played some blinding shots, sensational catches were taken, and every ball was an appeal when they bowled. India will need to deny them that state of mind. They will need to do what they did the last time around, but for longer. Just keep building that pressure, wave after wave. And be prepared if Sri Lanka suddenly find themselves in that roused state. Have a batsman deny them for longer when the ball starts turning. Have a bowler come up with new plans when somebody is playing a Kusal Mendis-like innings. As it is, India are making a slippery start because their openers are not available again.The middle three, the only settled batsmen in the side, will have to shoulder responsibility, especially knowing how difficult opening has been in this country this decade. If they are bored of those magic periods of play to stay afloat, Sri Lanka will need to prey on the fact that there is still a question mark on the Indian batting when they are put under pressure by continued spin bowling.There is a Test side struggling to stay afloat, hoping to use every trick it knows, every bit of familiarity with its own conditions, against a side that has progressively come closer to dominating them at home. Apart from that tussle, three of the best spinners of this decade, plus decent supporting spinners, will be on display over the next three Tests. Yet, there is hardly any palpable anticipation.But that’s how cricket in Galle is. You can be walking as if it is a normal day, but then suddenly chance upon the highest form of the game, and watch it for free for however long you can stand by the fence. If it catches your fancy, you can buy a ticket – and a beer – and watch it from the grass banks. Unfortunately, in the latest charge on the charms of Galle, SLC has decided to erect visual barriers to destroy one of the unique features of this singular venue. Now you can’t watch from the ground level on the outside.You can still watch from the fort rampart. The wall that stands between a cricketing fortress and a tourist haven, the wall where the winds of change have somehow hit and returned so far. The tourists might have taken over the fort, but outside Sri Lanka remains strong. In the coming week, there will be another charge made on that strength, a charge that could decide a series.

Shaun Marsh put a calamitous start to the Test behind him to keep Australia on an even keel

Brydon Coverdale at the Gabba24-Nov-2017There was a fascinating sense of asymmetry when Shaun Marsh walked out to bat on the second afternoon at the Gabba. Shaun Marsh, who doesn’t bowl, has a bad back, stabbed Mitchell Starc with his spikes in a fielding mishap earlier in the day, and later dropped a catch on the boundary. Shaun Marsh, aged 34, and on his ninth life in Test cricket.At the same time in Sydney, Glenn Maxwell was about to pass 150, on his way to a first-class double-century – something neither he nor Marsh had ever achieved. Glenn Maxwell, who bowls offspin and is one of Australian cricket’s finest fielders and most athletic movers. Glenn Maxwell, aged 29, left out of the squad and told he needed big hundreds. Glenn Maxwell, flown in as injury cover for Marsh and David Warner, then flown out to play in the Sheffield Shield.As if the ledger could have been any more lopsided, Marsh played and missed at his first delivery, a ripper from James Anderson that nipped away just enough not to kiss the edge. When Moeen Ali bowled the next over, Joe Root pushed four men back to the boundary for Steven Smith, seemingly desperate to get Marsh on strike. It was as if he was a tailender, not a man with 22 first-class hundreds.He’s a nervous starter, Ricky Ponting said on television commentary. Likes to reach for the ball. It is true that Marsh inspires little confidence early in his innings, but the same could be said after he’s been at the crease for 100 balls, or 200. The odd delivery will still beat the bat, and bowlers must always feel they have a chance against him. But his record, which includes four Test tons, says he can play.So do the national selectors. Over and over. “He’s one of the class players,” Darren Lehmann said when Marsh was picked for this Test. He went on to praise Marsh’s recent Sheffield Shield form – “he’s got 50 or 60 and he got 90 against Hazlewood, Starc and Cummins” – while contrastingly declaring that Maxwell’s “pair of 60s” against South Australia were missed opportunities for big hundreds.Shaun Marsh drives through the off side•Getty ImagesThere is no escaping the fact that Marsh has had a charmed career. SOS, people call him – Son of Swampy. But it’s another ABBA song that better sums up Marsh’s journey: “If you change your mind, I’m the first in line, honey I’m still free, take a chance on me”. Again and again the selectors have taken a chance on Marsh. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Never has he played more than five Tests in a row.So this was the background when Marsh walked out at the Gabba, joining his captain Steven Smith with Australia in trouble at 4 for 76. The pitch was slow, the ball was turning, Root was doing his best to cut off all scoring opportunities, and the next man in was a wicketkeeper who has not played Test cricket for seven years or scored a first-class hundred since 2006. Marsh and Smith had to stay firm.A wide Anderson half-volley helped Marsh get away, his cover drive for four timed sweetly off the middle of the bat. But there were few chances like that, and it took until Marsh’s 50th delivery for him to score a run through the leg side. At the same time, a heavily lopsided field stopped Smith scoring a run through the off side until his 90th delivery.But Marsh and Smith stuck it out. The derided England as the “Bore-Me Army” after their slow scoring on the first day, but Smith and Marsh were hardly racing along either. The sluggish surface and constricting plans from England necessitated great patience, and both Smith and Marsh were up to the task.Mitchell Starc suffered a cut knee after a collision with Shaun Marsh•Getty ImagesOn a day when Usman Khawaja’s woes against spin continued, and David Warner fell to his troublesome short-arm jab shot, and Peter Handscomb was lbw playing deeper than the Mariana Trench, and debutant Cameron Bancroft nervously prodded and edged behind cheaply, Australia needed something strong from Marsh and Smith.By stumps, Australia were 4 for 165; the partnership was worth 89, and Smith had 64 and Marsh had 44. Much work remained, but already they had made a significant difference to the state of the game. Seven hundred kilometres south, Maxwell would go to bed on 213 not out for Victoria. But if Marsh can help turn this start into an Australian lead, plenty of backs will be slapped on the selection panel. And the odd brow might be wiped, too.

Comilla were the worst-performing team in the playoffs despite finishing first in the league stage

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-2017Tournament reviewComilla Victorians were the underdogs who became champions in 2015; they were the under-performing defending champions in 2016; this year, they ended up as the worst-performing playoff team though they were the table-toppers in the league stage.They had depth in the squad that most of the other BPL franchises envied, which gave them the luxury to rotate whenever they wanted. Rashid Khan’s early departure hurt them, but they did win a few games without him; however, a bowler of his quality would have certainly made the difference against Dhaka Dynamites and Rangpur Riders in the two qualifiers.With a motto that stressed on nothing but winning, this BPL campaign would be a disappointing one. They effectively finished third behind Dhaka and Rangpur, who are the other big spenders in the league. If this is the way to go in the BPL, then Comilla were on the right path. But they are not in the final.There were plenty of positives for them, though. Perhaps a less stringent method may be the way to go for Comilla next time, because in BPL, as it is in cricket, winning is not always everything.What workedSix of their batsmen scored more than 200 runs, with Tamim Iqbal and Marlon Samuels getting over the 300-run mark and Imrul Kayes making 299. Five of their bowlers got at least 10 wickets with Hasan Ali and Mohammad Saifuddin getting 16 scalps each. But it was Rashid whose 4.46 runs per over across seven games was a standout performance.What didn’t workSome may say that Liton Das and Kayes didn’t perform up to standards but they have also won Comilla some games. If a bowler had have stepped up to take Rashid’s place when he left, he could have given them the edge in the playoffs.Tips for 2018Comilla had at least two players for every position, so there was certainly a “problem of plenty” for them this season. If they trim the squad slightly, they could have a more focused selection of XIs.

Afghanistan are nowhere near experiencing the reward of going through it, but they need to keep wanting to do that

Sidharth Monga in Bengaluru15-Jun-2018Test cricket is many wonderful things, but it is also a harsh reality check. If you are not ready for it, it exposes you in the most brutal manner. There could have been arranged a softer landing than playing the best Test team in their own backyard, one of the toughest challenges in all sport today; there could have been better preparation with a warm-up match against a first-class side; but the message is clear: there is a long way to go for Afghanistan.Test wickets are like felling trees. You have to keep striking at the same point before the final fatal blow. Afghanistan kept striking in different places when they bowled, and were nowhere near as resilient as a tree when India began striking. They know all this surely, but unfortunately Test cricket doesn’t come with an elaborate manual.Afghanistan were not ready. There should be no shame in admitting it. Yet it is what happens from here that is important because not many of the 12 Test teams were ready for this beast when they first encountered it. Conceding a a century in the first session of a Test, getting bowled out twice in one day, losing a match in two days – it is all embarrassing, but it has happened to established Test teams too in the past, let alone one making a debut with limited first-class experience in their ranks.Afghanistan have come here because their current generation and the one before it wanted to get here so badly that they overcame obstacles no other cricket team has had to tackle. “Here” is not necessarily Test cricket but just cricket, whichever format the sport has thrown at them. They are Test cricketers now. One of only 12 countries to have played it. While nothing that happens now can take it away from them, it can also become a cross to bear. Ask Bangladesh, who have had their Test status questioned every step of the way.It is important that Afghanistan still want to be Test cricketers. It can be easy to fall into the trap of caring only for limited-overs formats because that is what they have done till now and done so with phenomenal results. It can be easy to give up on Test cricket because it is so difficult, because a tenth of the T20 crowd turns up and still chants for a T20 franchise, because a bad day in T20 ends in that finite period… the reasons are endless.Afghanistan are nowhere near experiencing the reward of going through it. They need to keep wanting to do that. As badly as they wanted to play the World Cup. As badly as they wanted to learn when they watched the Pakistan stars on their TVs.That applies to players, leaders in the team, leaders outside the team and leaders in world cricket. This is going to be the steepest learning curve for a team that has taught themselves so much about cricket in such little time. Ten years ago, they were in World Cricket League Division Five, playing Bahamas and Japan. Now they are here. Cricket shouldn’t lose them. Coach Phil Simmons has been telling them for weeks how tough it is, now they know it for themselves. Now it is up to them to start doing what they need to do to belong here.Afghanistan’s players turned up to the ground in traditional attire on the occasion of Eid•BCCIGood signs are there. As Afghanistan players stood crestfallen after the match, waiting for the presentations to begin, on , a day of celebration after almost a month of fasting, India captain Ajinkya Rahane walked up to talk to them. Rahane later reported that even during that chat he could see they wanted to learn already. That they wanted to talk about how they could get better.Ireland were more ready than Afghanistan. They had more first-class experience, but they also had a generation of players who have been desperate to play Test cricket, who have grown up wanting to play Test cricket. Afghanistan, much like West Indies, have gone for what is most popular at that time. The learning curve is going to be steeper for them, but even for Ireland it is going to be difficult because this generation is coming towards its end, and Simmons, who has coached Ireland, acknowledged they haven’t been producing the talent to fill the breach.Had Ireland been given this status eight years ago, they might possibly have inspired the next generation to take up cricket much more than they reportedly have now. We now have a side arguably brought to Tests too late and another possibly too early. As much as it will call for their desperation to stay here, they could do with less selfish member boards. Twelve is a good number to start two divisions if boards like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka can give up on the fear of missing out on India tours. It will reduce mismatches and will promote to the top group teams that are better prepared to face the best sides.At the end of it all, as India posed with the huge winners placard for a customary photograph, they invited Afghanistan to pose with them too. Cricket world needs to be as welcoming as Rahane’s team.

Despite the pitch assisting spin, the legspinner came on only in the tenth over of Daredevils’ innings

Dustin Silgardo10-May-2018Why was Rashid Khan’s entry delayed?On a slow pitch that was offering some grip, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson may have thought about bringing on legspinner Rashid Khan early, especially after Delhi Daredevils lost two early wickets to spin. But Rashid has made it clear that he prefers bowling to right-handers than left-handers, and the statistics tell you why. He’s been going at nearly 10 an over against left-handers, compared to just over six an over to right-handers. So, with Rishabh Pant at the crease, and the rest of the Daredevils line-up packed with right-handers, Rashid was held back till the 10th over. The Sunrisers fast bowlers were successful with their ploy of bowling wide slower balls to Pant in the first game between these sides, and were charged with doing the same again.ESPNcricinfo LtdHarshal Patel gets promotedAfter the Powerplay, it seemed like Daredevils would target a score of between 140 and 160 on the slow surface. But once they lost their third wicket, they chose to send in allrounder Harshal Patel as a pinch-hitter. Daredevils were guided, perhaps, as much by the form of their specialist batsmen as by Harshal’s abilities. Maxwell has struggled and has been shifting up and down the order. He’s been dismissed four times by spinners, so Daredevils may have wanted to use him as a specialist finisher. Vijay Shankar was the other option, but he had really struggled against spinners, managing just 25 runs off the 29 balls he’d faced. In contrast, Shankar had struck at 200-plus against pace. So, the plan was to keep Shankar and Maxwell for the death and hope Harshal could get some quick runs in the middle overs. He made 24 off 17 balls.

Batting with the confidence of a man who averages 50 over the last two years, the hometown hero shepherded the tail expertly to reach his maiden Test hundred

Alagappan Muthu in Rajkot05-Oct-20181:41

‘I would like to dedicate this hundred to my mom’ – Jadeja

A Ravindra Jadeja Test hundred. It has finally happened. He got ever so close at The Oval and was left stranded on 86. A month later, the opportunity arrived again. At his home ground. Against a West Indies attack that had a large part of its potency taken out and the rest burnt to a deep crisp.In the 150th over of India’s innings, he pushed a tossed-up delivery from Kraigg Brathwaite to mid-off, scrambled across to the other end, and leaped into the air like David Warner. That long-cherished century was his and he took a little time to soak it all in.Thought Hetmyer had given up – Jadeja

Funnily enough, it was his fielding – his strongest suit – that very nearly let Ravindra Jadeja down on his special day. In the 12th over, with both the West Indies batsmen at the same end, Jadeja thought he had the time to show off a bit. But Shimron Hetmyer spotted that and almost made him pay.
“I did not think he would give so much of effort, in that heat he would do that (run towards the non-striker’s end),” Jadeja said. “I was relaxed thinking that I would complete the run-out normally but his effort was good. I literally did not think he would put in so much of an effort and would be run-out by [only] 3-4 metres. I was sure that he won’t run and I had it in mind to clip the bails off comfortably.”
In the end he had to throw down the stumps and had he missed his target, the old Sir Jadeja jokes might have made a comeback.

Jadeja was halfway to the steps going up to his dressing room, his arms spread wide and his head tilted up, listening to his heart pound against his chest, listening to the crowd bellow with pride, watching his team-mates and coaching staff on the balcony smile and clap and hoot.”Obviously, it is always special to score a hundred,” Jadeja said at the end of the day’s play. “It was my first Test hundred, so it was very special for me, since it has happened in the past that I got to 80s and 90s and could not score a century. I felt bad at those times but luckily today, on my home ground I scored a hundred. I would say that it was a special day for me.”Want to dedicate this century to my mother. It was her dream that I play for India. Today she is no more. This is a special day. I can’t gift anything bigger than this to anyone. So this century is for my mother.”Jadeja is in his 10th year of international cricket and ever since that massive home season in 2016-17, he has been batting with greater belief in his ability. He has averaged exactly 50 since the start of that home season, over a span of 21 Tests. When he goes out to the crease now, he looks calmer, and has the confidence of a proper batsman, which certainly helped today because there was just so much drama.0:42

Didn’t expect Hetmyer to run back in the heat – Jadeja

It began when the eighth wicket fell and he was on 46. The fifty was academic, and so was the celebration. In England, he had to dust his bat and perform a sword dance with it. Here there was no need. He was in form and he was back home – that’s Jamnagar, but Rajkot is close enough.Much like they did in the city’s first Test in 2016, the crowd hung onto every move their boy made, screaming when he hit straight sixes and going hush when he couldn’t find a single to retain the strike, cheering when he was dropped on 78 and grumbling when Umesh Yadav was dismissed next ball.India now had only one batsman left but Jadeja wasn’t the least bit fussed. He gave Umesh a pat on his shoulder as he walked off as if he knew that come what may he’d get his beloved century. He was 21 runs away when Mohammed Shami walked in. He got them in eight scoring shots, two of them sixes.”Today I was very calm, not in a hurry and not thinking about the runs,” Jadeja said. “I was just looking to play till the last ball.”I was just talking to myself that I don’t want to play a loose shot, I don’t want to play a wrong shot and get out. I was talking to Umesh and Shami as well that I need to play and score that hundred.”It caps an excellent year for Jadeja in international cricket – and yet it was only two months ago that it seemed like the team didn’t want him. He wasn’t picked until the final Test in England and he was only called up for the Asia Cup after an injury to Hardik Pandya.”When you are not in the playing XI consistently and get a chance suddenly, there is obviously pressure to perform,” Jadeja said. “You feel that this chance that you have got needs to be utilised. Even in England, I had that in mind that I have got a chance here and I have to do well here. I am lucky that I performed well with both bat and ball. And then at the Asia Cup, I got opportunity there and did well too.”I am working hard to develop my game as much [as possible]. If you see in the whole of 2018, I have played only about 5-6 matches. Suddenly you get a game and you have to perform in that, you don’t have so much time to think and luckily I have done well in the Test in England and this one too. Overall, I am happy with my batting and bowling.”By the sound of it, so was Rajkot.

With 14 overs to go and 90 runs to get, Virat Kohli, for once, couldn’t finish off a chase. And that was because he only had the bowlers to bat with – something he isn’t used to

Varun Shetty in Pune28-Oct-2018Each time Virat Kohli has broken a record this series, he seems to have redefined the benchmarks of the format itself, to the extent the gag that Kohli can do anything has become potent. Case in point: when he became the tenth player to make three consecutive ODI hundreds, he also became the first of those to do so in a win, a loss, and a tie. Not a legitimate record by any means, but in this new paradigm of immortality, you’d imagine Sir Jadeja’s sword itself has been laid in surrender at Kohli’s feet, and Rajinikanth is battling Chuck Norris for second place.On Saturday, he almost did everything, but the situation he was in with 14 overs to go – India needed 90 with only the bowlers to come – is not something he is used to. He’s been around to bat with a No. 7 on some occasions, but there’s usually a specialist allrounder in there.Bhuvneshwar Kumar accompanied Kohli in an unbeaten 67-run partnership for the seventh wicket earlier this year, but he is at best a specialist No. 8: a bowler who has strong batting basics and the composure to stick around. He does not possess the skills or power of Hardik Pandya or Ravindra Jadeja, the men Kohli would usually have for company for the seventh wicket.A look at Kohli’s career partnership summary shows most conspicuously that he enjoys batting with openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, and being part of the trio that has shown unprecedented superiority lately. As you move down the list, you notice how many of his partnerships are with top-order batsmen, and how staggeringly few are with lower-order players.Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, just hanging out•AFPKohli has batted eight times each with Pandya and Jadeja. Players in a similar vein that Kohli has batted with are Yusuf Pathan (five innings), Irfan Pathan (one innings, when they opened together), Stuart Binny (one innings), and Axar Patel (one innings, when the pair added 57 unbeaten runs in a three-wicket win). Apart from those, he has batted thrice each with Bhuvneshwar, R Ashwin, and Harbhajan Singh.In Visakhapatnam, during the second ODI, Kohli batted with a tailender for the first time in his career. That was Mohammad Shami, who faced one out of the seven balls they batted together. As of now, Kuldeep Yadav is the famous second partner.That is an interesting ratio for a 214-match career. It further emphasises the point about India’s current heavyweight top three taking turns to score big, often in each other’s company. But more significantly, it shows that even though Kohli is adept as a finisher, the presence in the middle order of players like Suresh Raina and an in-form MS Dhoni has had a big impact on his batting and on India’s success.At one point in the third ODI, a reader on ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary pointed out that it has probably been more than a decade since India had two batsmen with more than 10,000 ODI runs batting together. They should have seen India through together or, at the least, got into a position where Dhoni steered India’s chase with the bowlers. A partnership summary of his career shows that Dhoni would have been the specialist in such a situation. Historically, there could not have been a better pair of finishers than Kohli and Dhoni with just over run a ball to get. But Dhoni’s recent form has been questionable, and his old abilities have only appeared sporadically.It was going to be hard in that case for Kohli. He prefers playing the anchor’s role around the big-hitters and isn’t accustomed to scoring the bulk of the runs in an ODI partnership.The best batsmen in those situations often talk about taking the match as deep as possible. Kohli took a risk with a cross-batted shot against Marlon Samuels in the 42nd over, when the required rate was just over seven per over. Considering that Kuldeep was the next best batsman, and considering the form he is in, Kohli might have had more time than he thought. And in that final phase of India’s loss was probably embedded the one thing that Kohli cannot do. But that would be like dismissing a 21-year old Kohli, saying he couldn’t make centuries because he hadn’t got one in 13 games.

Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan credited their coach Phil Simmons for “raising the bar”

Shashank Kishore in Dubai26-Sep-20182:05

What do Afghanistan need to do to reach the next level?

“Afghanistan are doing well. I don’t know why we are only focusing on Pakistan. Afghanistan are also a force to reckon with.”This was Rahul Dravid speaking a few days ago at an event in Delhi, more than 2000 kilometres from Dubai, when asked about the India-Pakistan rivalry. An Afghanistan media outlet picked up the quote and it went viral immediately, even splashing itself on whatsapp timelines of the players who were preparing to play India on Tuesday. The Afghanistan players use social media to keep track of developments back home. So when they received an endorsement from Dravid, it was the ultimate reinforcement of confidence and positivity.As such, they didn’t need any more motivation, even though the game was a dead rubber. They had lost heartbreakingly in the final over to both Pakistan and Bangladesh, so this was another chance to use that experience and get over the line. This time, Rashid Khan, their premier spinner, was held back to bowl the final over, and he defended six to force a tie.MS Dhoni, India’s stand-in captain, may have equated the result to a ‘handicap in golf’ – referring to Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s rest – but for Asghar Afghan, the Afghanistan captain, this was their “best ODI result of 2018″.”I was sure we’ll play in the final. I knew the conditions in Dubai were suitable for us, because the amount of cricket we’ve played here. For us the hard luck was all our matches were in Abu Dhabi,” Afghan said with a sheepish smile, before wondering if he had entered the ‘poor scheduling, why us?’ territory. “If it was on this track, I can tell with confirmation that Afghanistan would’ve been in the final. (This was unfair to us).”Only three nights ago against Pakistan, Afghan watched young Aftab Alam sit on his haunches and sob after failing to defend nine off the final over. While there was momentary disappointment, they returned to train next afternoon, the long drive back to Dubai from Abu Dhabi notwithstanding.As shattering as it may have been to the team, their coach Phil Simmons was gladdened by the fact that they had put behind the loss so quickly. So even before they took the field on Tuesday against India, Simmons had already identified their biggest takeaway: the hunger to win.The Afghanistan team celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesHe has repeatedly stressed upon his young team the need to move on from their ‘they-will-learn-and-grow-with-exposure’ narrative. He wants them to now start challenging teams across conditions. “The first sign of change in attitude came after our inaugural Test,” Simmons said. “When you saw them come out of the Test looking inward and what they needed to do to improve every game, you knew there were positives even in defeat.”I’m just trying to make sure everything gets to the level of the bigger nations. We want to beat the bigger teams, that’s how we improve. At the end of the day, winning is important to me. These guys are playing Tests, they know that once they cross the rope, every single time they have to perform. That’s something that has to [be] worked on. That’s something we’ve to be consistent with.”A lot has to do with the mindset of the players. Simmons believes they’re now starting to think like winners. Afghan, meanwhile, believes the spin-off effects of having the likes of Rashid, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi playing in different leagues around the world is starting to show.”I think the leagues were very important for our players. Few of our guys have played different leagues and sharing dressing room with experienced international players has helped,” Afghan started in Pashto before expressing his thoughts freely in Urdu. “They’re bringing back those experiences and sharing it in our dressing room. Cricket is the same, it’s just about the psychological thinking – where do I stand? When you play at the elite level and bring back that experience, your level goes up. This change in thinking has reflected positively.”This change in belief and thinking hasn’t come overnight. Life hasn’t been the same since they were nearly shunned out of the World Cup Qualifiers following back-to-back losses to Scotland, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong. Not even their optimistic home fans believed it was possible when they had to not just win every game from there but also hope for several results to go their way for the stars to align. It happened. That confidence has now rubbed off on the players.”For the kind of bowlers we have, the wicket in Abu Dhabi was against us. Even before the Asia Cup I said it in a press conference that this time Afghanistan didn’t come just to play, but also do something. And we did. I’d say we’ve now got the experience, the boys know what to do going ahead. It has been a brilliant tournament for us.”Their Asia Cup campaign was another reminder that Afghanistan were more than just about Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi. On Tuesday, Mohammad Shahzad, in an entertaining manner typical of him, huffed, puffed, whipped, cut, pulled, hopped and hobbled his way to a century. Here was a man Afghanistan nearly gave up on four years ago because he was unfit, and couldn’t stop binging on his biryani even as the rest of his mates traded rich Afghan food for oats and boiled vegetables.Shahzad has admitted to carrying that hurt, but has channeled it now, churning out runs over the last three years to ensure he is undroppable for the World Cup. If ever there was a statement made to demarcate cricket fitness to yo-yo fitness, this was it. A man fighting his own body, fighting the UAE heat, battling cramps and dehydration to eke out a century that elicited praise and a handshake from his hero, MS Dhoni.Shahzad doesn’t believe much of the talk around his fitness is justified. He admits to enjoying his food and desserts, but insists he can whack the ball longest over deep midwicket. It’s not arrogance but the confidence he derives from reading Rashid and Mujeeb expertly in the nets.Mohammad Shahzad celebrates his century•Associated PressAfghanistan have two fine allrounders in Samiullah Shenwari and Gulbadin Naib, while the top order looks formidable with the presence of Afghan, Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi, all of whom made at least one half-century in the tournament. Simmons believes the batsmen still have some distance to travel before they are on level with their bowling. Afghan acknowledged his coach’s words, and hoped they had taken some strides towards parity.”Definitely, we have improved in our batting,” Afghan said. “Previously this was our weak area and we’re working on it regularly. In the Asia Cup it was okay but when we’re going to a mega event like the World Cup, there is still lots to improve because conditions in Asia and Europe are different. But it has improved if you compare to our previous outings.”The batting improvement was visible, with the team scoring 250 in almost all of their matches. This consistency wasn’t because of one contribution. The lower order has been given equal attention at the batting nets, for the need to ensure they’re able to hold their own whenever needed to bail the team out, like the match-winning unbroken 95-run stand for the eighth wicket between Rashid and Naib in the group stage game against Bangladesh.For this, Afghan credits coach Simmons. “The important thing he has done is he has understood what the team’s level is. Previously we didn’t understand the level we were at. When Phil came in, he had played a lot of games against us (as Ireland coach), so he showed us our level. As a team, we didn’t aim high, but Phil raised the bar. In my opinion, all our performances with Phil have been brilliant and we’ve learnt a lot. We’ve learnt a lot from other coaches too, but we’ve learnt a lot more from Phil.”The tournament statistics will read two straight losses in the Super Four stage and one tie. But you would have to skim past that to get to the heart of Afghanistan’s rise as an ODI team, one that can’t be measured without having watched them fight till the end. They rallied with the confidence of a newly elevated-prince fighting for his territory amid emperors who assumed the territory belonged to them. But as Afghan said, “when you tie with a team like India, it’s like winning.”