New Zealand 251 (50.0 ov)
Bangladesh 184 (42.4 ov)
New Zealand won by 67 runs
Another mind-numbing batting collapse from Bangladesh meant that they lost the Nelson ODI and along with it the series to New Zealand. They only had 252 to chase, and at one point were 105 for 1 but ended up losing the remaining nine wickets for only 79 runs. This meant that Neil Broom, who made his first ODI century nearly eight years after his debut, had something special to savour.
It was déjà vu for Bangladesh. Back in October, they were on course to chase England's 309 in Mirpur. After Imrul Kayes and Shakib Al Hasan added 118 runs for the fifth wicket, the hosts needed just 39 runs in the last 8.3 overs. But they ended up losing their last six wickets for 17 runs in the space of 39 balls. It seemed Bangladesh had carried the baggage from that game to their tour of New Zealand.
There was a rosy period, as with most Bangladesh batting collapses. After New Zealand were restricted to the first score under 300 batting first at home against Bangladesh, Kayes and Sabbir Rahman added 75 runs for the second wicket.
Kayes showed good patience, nudging singles off the wicket-to-wicket balls and taking full toll when he was given width. The pull also came out a number of times and when part-time seamer Colin Munro dropped him on 19, New Zealand would have been worried. Sabbir, from the other end, confidently cut and drove the fast bowlers as Bangladesh seemed to take control. They needed 146 runs off 163 balls with nine wickets in hand.
That was when the first domino fell, via a tragicomic run-out. Kayes pushed the ball into the covers and set off for a quick single. Sabbir responded initially before changing his mind. Kayes kept on running, and ended up reaching the non-striker's end before Sabbir who had turned him away. That meant the throw at the strikers' end essentially led to the the non-striker's run out.
Then, in the 26th over, an inswinging yorker from Lockie Ferguson toppled Mahmudullah's middle stump.
Three overs later, Shakib Al Hasan cut Kane Williamson to backward point. In the next over from the part-time offspinner, Mosaddek Hossain chipped a catch to mid-off.
Five balls later Kayes drove lazily at a Tim Southee delivery and Bangladesh's best hope for stemming the collapse was gone. He made 59 off 89 with six fours.
Bangladesh lost six wickets in 10 overs between the 23rd and the 33rd and were eventually bowled out for 184. One more damning sign of their collapse was that it was a part-timer, Williamson, who took the most wickets - 3 for 22.
It completed a highly satisfying series win for New Zealand after their torrid tours of India and Australia. One that might not have happened if the selectors hadn't thawed Broom out of ice. He had to wait six years to restart his ODI career, but ended 2016 with a maiden century that proved match-winning on a day bathed in sunshine, and on a pitch slower than normal at Saxton Oval, New Zealand struggled to bat at their usual high tempo.
Only Broom applied himself to any effect. He was particularly good driving through extra cover and used the sweep liberally - both shots were used to upset the spinners. His team was nine down when he was on 99, but Trent Boult hung in there just long enough and Broom finished unbeaten on 109 off 106 balls with eight fours and three sixes.
The rest of the New Zealand batting line-up faltered with Martin Guptill falling leg-before to Mashrafe in the first over. Kane Williamson was dismissed for 17 by Taskin Ahmed for the second time in as many games and the Boxing Day centurion Tom Latham, was lbw for 22.
Broom and James Neesham added 51 runs for the fourth wicket before the latter was stumped for 28, giving wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan his first ODI dismissal. Munro, another hero from Christchurch, lasted six balls before Mashrafe got one to scythe between his bat and pad and hit the top of off-stump. Luke Ronchi added 64 for the sixth wicket with Broom to push the total past 200 and in the end, it proved more than enough.
Thursday 29 December 2016
Monday 26 December 2016
1st ODI: New Zealand 1-0 Bangladesh
New Zealand 341/7 (50.0 ov)
Bangladesh 264 (44.5 ov)
New Zealand won by 77 runs
Tom Latham and Colin Munro set up New Zealand's 77-run win in Christchurch, after their 158-run stand for the fifth wicket pulled the hosts out of a difficult position. The result left Bangladesh with a lot of worries, from their fast bowlers' lack of discipline to Mushfiqur Rahim retiring hurt with a potential hamstring injury.
Latham played one of his more fluent innings and made a career-best 137. Along with Munro, who made a 61-ball 87, Latham led New Zealand to 341 for 7 - their highest total in ODIs against Bangladesh.
In reply, Bangladesh ended on 264 for 9 in 44.5 overs, after James Neesham's double-wicket maiden tilted the contest in New Zealand's favour, and Lockie Ferguson's short balls sealed it.
Latham had started with a punch through covers in the third over, and continued timing the ball well through his innings. His first six was a pick-up over square leg off Soumya Sarkar, before he dropped anchor. That Latham batted until the 48th over was a relief for New Zealand, considering how they had begun.
Hagley Oval had provided a pitch with true pace and bounce, and all a batting side needed was partnerships. Kane Williamson won the toss but every time two of his batsmen seemed to have the measure of Bangladesh, they faltered.
Mustafizur Rahman, in his first international match since July, got rid of Martin Guptill with a slower ball in the sixth over. Williamson had looked solid, becoming the joint fourth fastest to 4000 ODI runs - 96 innings - before he was caught behind off a short ball from Taskin Ahmed for 31. Shakib Al Hasan then removed Neil Broom, playing his first ODI in six years, and Neesham in the space of 4.1 overs, both lbw playing back to full deliveries.
New Zealand were 158 for 4 in the 29th over, their middle order exposed. In a matter of a few overs, however, they were in a position of strength. Munro walked in, struck the fifth ball he faced for six, and backed it up with a rasping cover drive off Shakib.
Latham and Munro lifted the score by 70 between the 30th and 40th overs, setting an excellent platform for the final ten. After Latham reached a hundred on his home ground - his father Rod was watching from the stands - with a pulled six off Taskin in the 40th over, Munro moved to his third fifty, peppering the boundaries at square leg and long-on.
Bangladesh conceded 103 in the last ten overs, but more grating to them were three dropped catches. Though none of them cost much - Broom was given a reprieve on 17 and fell for 22, Munro lasted only two balls after his second life, and Latham added 22 after he was dropped - Bangladesh's bowling and fielding suggested they were undercooked.
Mustafizur was returning from shoulder surgery on his bowling arm and his pace was markedly slower, though his cutters seemed unaffected. He finished with 2 for 62. Mashrafe Mortaza faded away after his first spell, and Taskin was far too short for most of his nine overs. Shakib, the lead spinner, had to settle for his most expensive three-for while part-timers Sarkar and Mosaddek Hossain hardly looked penetrating in their combined 11 overs. It begged the question: why didn't Mashrafe use Mahmudullah at all?
A good start was vital for Bangladesh to chase down the target but opener Imrul Kayes - after top-edging for four and six in the second over - was caught behind off Tim Southee in the eighth. The batsman opted for a review, and it confirmed the edge.
Neesham then put Bangladesh in more trouble when he dismissed Sarkar and Mahmudullah in his first over. Sarkar was caught at mid-off for 1, before Mahmudullah nicked off for 0, leaving Bangladesh 48 for 3 in the 12th over. Thirty-three runs were added for the fourth wicket before Tamim Iqbal's upper-cut found Mitchell Santner, who ran in from the sweeper cover boundary to complete the catch.
Shakib was faced with a bouncer barrage during his 54-ball stay and he took it on, striking five fours and two sixes, one of which was a massive blow over wide long-on off Ferguson. Against the following delivery, fast and short again, Shakib was late on the pull shot and was caught at short midwicket for 59.
Mushfiqur added 52 for the seventh wicket with Mosaddek Hossain, but hurt his hamstring while completing a tight single in the 38th over. He called for the physio immediately and hung around for a couple of overs after some medical attention, but eventually decided to retire hurt. He had made 42 off 48 balls.
Bangladesh's run-rate had matched New Zealand's until about the 40th over, but the visitors had lost too many wickets to keep up. Mosaddek's fast fifty, laced with three sixes and five fours, was one of the few positives they could take to Nelson for the remaining two ODIs.
Bangladesh 264 (44.5 ov)
New Zealand won by 77 runs
Tom Latham and Colin Munro set up New Zealand's 77-run win in Christchurch, after their 158-run stand for the fifth wicket pulled the hosts out of a difficult position. The result left Bangladesh with a lot of worries, from their fast bowlers' lack of discipline to Mushfiqur Rahim retiring hurt with a potential hamstring injury.
Latham played one of his more fluent innings and made a career-best 137. Along with Munro, who made a 61-ball 87, Latham led New Zealand to 341 for 7 - their highest total in ODIs against Bangladesh.
In reply, Bangladesh ended on 264 for 9 in 44.5 overs, after James Neesham's double-wicket maiden tilted the contest in New Zealand's favour, and Lockie Ferguson's short balls sealed it.
Latham had started with a punch through covers in the third over, and continued timing the ball well through his innings. His first six was a pick-up over square leg off Soumya Sarkar, before he dropped anchor. That Latham batted until the 48th over was a relief for New Zealand, considering how they had begun.
Hagley Oval had provided a pitch with true pace and bounce, and all a batting side needed was partnerships. Kane Williamson won the toss but every time two of his batsmen seemed to have the measure of Bangladesh, they faltered.
Mustafizur Rahman, in his first international match since July, got rid of Martin Guptill with a slower ball in the sixth over. Williamson had looked solid, becoming the joint fourth fastest to 4000 ODI runs - 96 innings - before he was caught behind off a short ball from Taskin Ahmed for 31. Shakib Al Hasan then removed Neil Broom, playing his first ODI in six years, and Neesham in the space of 4.1 overs, both lbw playing back to full deliveries.
New Zealand were 158 for 4 in the 29th over, their middle order exposed. In a matter of a few overs, however, they were in a position of strength. Munro walked in, struck the fifth ball he faced for six, and backed it up with a rasping cover drive off Shakib.
Latham and Munro lifted the score by 70 between the 30th and 40th overs, setting an excellent platform for the final ten. After Latham reached a hundred on his home ground - his father Rod was watching from the stands - with a pulled six off Taskin in the 40th over, Munro moved to his third fifty, peppering the boundaries at square leg and long-on.
Bangladesh conceded 103 in the last ten overs, but more grating to them were three dropped catches. Though none of them cost much - Broom was given a reprieve on 17 and fell for 22, Munro lasted only two balls after his second life, and Latham added 22 after he was dropped - Bangladesh's bowling and fielding suggested they were undercooked.
Mustafizur was returning from shoulder surgery on his bowling arm and his pace was markedly slower, though his cutters seemed unaffected. He finished with 2 for 62. Mashrafe Mortaza faded away after his first spell, and Taskin was far too short for most of his nine overs. Shakib, the lead spinner, had to settle for his most expensive three-for while part-timers Sarkar and Mosaddek Hossain hardly looked penetrating in their combined 11 overs. It begged the question: why didn't Mashrafe use Mahmudullah at all?
A good start was vital for Bangladesh to chase down the target but opener Imrul Kayes - after top-edging for four and six in the second over - was caught behind off Tim Southee in the eighth. The batsman opted for a review, and it confirmed the edge.
Neesham then put Bangladesh in more trouble when he dismissed Sarkar and Mahmudullah in his first over. Sarkar was caught at mid-off for 1, before Mahmudullah nicked off for 0, leaving Bangladesh 48 for 3 in the 12th over. Thirty-three runs were added for the fourth wicket before Tamim Iqbal's upper-cut found Mitchell Santner, who ran in from the sweeper cover boundary to complete the catch.
Shakib was faced with a bouncer barrage during his 54-ball stay and he took it on, striking five fours and two sixes, one of which was a massive blow over wide long-on off Ferguson. Against the following delivery, fast and short again, Shakib was late on the pull shot and was caught at short midwicket for 59.
Mushfiqur added 52 for the seventh wicket with Mosaddek Hossain, but hurt his hamstring while completing a tight single in the 38th over. He called for the physio immediately and hung around for a couple of overs after some medical attention, but eventually decided to retire hurt. He had made 42 off 48 balls.
Bangladesh's run-rate had matched New Zealand's until about the 40th over, but the visitors had lost too many wickets to keep up. Mosaddek's fast fifty, laced with three sixes and five fours, was one of the few positives they could take to Nelson for the remaining two ODIs.
Tuesday 20 December 2016
5th Test Day 5 IND 4-0 ENG
England 477 & 207
India 759/7d
India won by an innings and 75 runs
In Mumbai, England had slipped to an innings defeat after batting first and scoring 400. In Chennai, they batted first again and scored 477. At lunch on the fifth day, they were 97 for no loss in their second innings, trailing by 185. This was a flatter pitch than Mumbai, less bouncy and a lot slower. Surely it couldn't happen again?
It did. This time, they lost by an innings and 75 runs, their punishing seven-Test tour of the subcontinent ending at 3.56pm IST, with a draw nine overs away. In Mirpur, they had lost all ten wickets in one session. Here, in less frightening conditions, they lost all ten in 48.2 overs, for the addition of 104 runs, after their openers had added 103.
Ravindra Jadeja was India's match-winner, taking seven wickets for the first time in a Test innings and ten for the first time in a match as well as grabbing two catches, including what was surely the catch of the series. England, though, were their own worst enemy, batsman after batsman getting himself out to hasten India to a 4-0 series win.
England still had six wickets in hand when the final session began, and, in Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes, batsmen at the crease with three hundreds between them in the series. But Jadeja hounded them, pounding the rough outside their off stump relentlessly. Moeen stepped out, looking to hit him off his length, and only found a leaping R Ashwin at mid-on. Stokes went on the back foot, looking to work him with the turn. The ball stopped and popped to midwicket.
This was no longer an entirely flat pitch. It still wasn't doing much for the bowlers from the Pattabiraman Gate End, but there was something in it now for those approaching from the Anna Pavilion End. England could have negotiated it if the decisions made by their top order hadn't exposed Nos. 8 and 9 to it. Amit Mishra bowled the No. 8, Liam Dawson, with a googly as he looked to drive against the turn. Umesh Yadav had the No. 9, Adil Rashid, caught off the leading edge, at point, by, who else, Jadeja.
Out of the attack for seven overs, Jadeja returned with 12 overs remaining. Stuart Broad saw out the first over of his spell, but could do nothing about the first ball of the second; it jumped out of the rough as he stretched out to defend, and popped up off the glove to leg slip. Three balls later, it was all over. Turn and bounce again, this time to the right-handed Jake Ball. The No. 11 poked, and Karun Nair caught the ball at slip.
Broad and Ball, the Nos. 10 and 11, were the only two England batsmen dismissed while trying to defend. It was an indictment of their approach after they had made the best possible start to the fifth day, a wicketless first session.
Both sides of lunch, Jadeja had threatened to dismiss Alastair Cook for the sixth time in the series. He produced a loud lbw shout with his first ball of the day, turning the ball past the inside edge when Cook, on 25, pressed forward to defend. India did well not to review umpire Marais Erasmus' not-out decision: replays suggested the ball struck Cook in line with off stump but would probably have spun past leg stump. Then, on 47, Cook shuffled across his stumps and missed a flick; this time India reviewed, and ball-tracking suggested the ball was turning too much to hit leg stump.
Eventually, Cook's shuffling unease about getting lbw caused him to play at a ball fired a long way down the leg side, and he effectively glanced the ball straight to leg slip. He fell one short of a half-century in his final innings of this long and difficult tour of the subcontinent, and what might possibly be his final innings as England's captain.
It was a typical innings in cussedness if not in length, taking no risks and forcing India to bowl their best balls at him even as he struggled against both Jadeja and Ashwin, who had beaten his outside edge frequently in the first hour. There was a dropped catch too, Ashwin finding dip and turn in the third over of the day to find his outside edge, but not the desired support behind the wicket, the ball bouncing off Parthiv Patel's gloves.
Keaton Jennings had played the spinners well, sweeping and reverse-sweeping confidently and also using his feet to try and get to the pitch and work Jadeja and Amit Mishra with the turn. This enabled him to clip both of them for fours through midwicket, but having done this to go from 50 to 54, he stepped out again, premeditatedly, and Jadeja fired it in low and full. The ball hit Jennings on the front foot, and then bounced up into the face of his bat, and looped back for a simple return catch.
Joe Root, England's best batsman of the series, got himself out six overs later, sweeping unwisely off the line of the stumps. The ball was too full for the shot, and it sneaked under his bat and hit his front pad instead. India reviewed Simon Fry's not-out decision - a fair call, given it wasn't immediately apparent whether the ball had straightened enough to hit the stumps - and ball-tracking said it was hitting more than 50% of leg stump.
Jonny Bairstow was next to go, perhaps unfortunate to see a perfectly acceptable flick, off a full, leg-stumpish Ishant delivery balloon into the air, the ball perhaps stopping on him. He was even more unfortunate that Jadeja was the fielder sprinting from midwicket towards the square leg boundary with his back to the pitch, looking over his shoulder to keep his eye on the ball. Perhaps no one else on the field would have been able to pull off the catch.
India 759/7d
India won by an innings and 75 runs
In Mumbai, England had slipped to an innings defeat after batting first and scoring 400. In Chennai, they batted first again and scored 477. At lunch on the fifth day, they were 97 for no loss in their second innings, trailing by 185. This was a flatter pitch than Mumbai, less bouncy and a lot slower. Surely it couldn't happen again?
It did. This time, they lost by an innings and 75 runs, their punishing seven-Test tour of the subcontinent ending at 3.56pm IST, with a draw nine overs away. In Mirpur, they had lost all ten wickets in one session. Here, in less frightening conditions, they lost all ten in 48.2 overs, for the addition of 104 runs, after their openers had added 103.
Ravindra Jadeja was India's match-winner, taking seven wickets for the first time in a Test innings and ten for the first time in a match as well as grabbing two catches, including what was surely the catch of the series. England, though, were their own worst enemy, batsman after batsman getting himself out to hasten India to a 4-0 series win.
England still had six wickets in hand when the final session began, and, in Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes, batsmen at the crease with three hundreds between them in the series. But Jadeja hounded them, pounding the rough outside their off stump relentlessly. Moeen stepped out, looking to hit him off his length, and only found a leaping R Ashwin at mid-on. Stokes went on the back foot, looking to work him with the turn. The ball stopped and popped to midwicket.
This was no longer an entirely flat pitch. It still wasn't doing much for the bowlers from the Pattabiraman Gate End, but there was something in it now for those approaching from the Anna Pavilion End. England could have negotiated it if the decisions made by their top order hadn't exposed Nos. 8 and 9 to it. Amit Mishra bowled the No. 8, Liam Dawson, with a googly as he looked to drive against the turn. Umesh Yadav had the No. 9, Adil Rashid, caught off the leading edge, at point, by, who else, Jadeja.
Out of the attack for seven overs, Jadeja returned with 12 overs remaining. Stuart Broad saw out the first over of his spell, but could do nothing about the first ball of the second; it jumped out of the rough as he stretched out to defend, and popped up off the glove to leg slip. Three balls later, it was all over. Turn and bounce again, this time to the right-handed Jake Ball. The No. 11 poked, and Karun Nair caught the ball at slip.
Broad and Ball, the Nos. 10 and 11, were the only two England batsmen dismissed while trying to defend. It was an indictment of their approach after they had made the best possible start to the fifth day, a wicketless first session.
Both sides of lunch, Jadeja had threatened to dismiss Alastair Cook for the sixth time in the series. He produced a loud lbw shout with his first ball of the day, turning the ball past the inside edge when Cook, on 25, pressed forward to defend. India did well not to review umpire Marais Erasmus' not-out decision: replays suggested the ball struck Cook in line with off stump but would probably have spun past leg stump. Then, on 47, Cook shuffled across his stumps and missed a flick; this time India reviewed, and ball-tracking suggested the ball was turning too much to hit leg stump.
Eventually, Cook's shuffling unease about getting lbw caused him to play at a ball fired a long way down the leg side, and he effectively glanced the ball straight to leg slip. He fell one short of a half-century in his final innings of this long and difficult tour of the subcontinent, and what might possibly be his final innings as England's captain.
It was a typical innings in cussedness if not in length, taking no risks and forcing India to bowl their best balls at him even as he struggled against both Jadeja and Ashwin, who had beaten his outside edge frequently in the first hour. There was a dropped catch too, Ashwin finding dip and turn in the third over of the day to find his outside edge, but not the desired support behind the wicket, the ball bouncing off Parthiv Patel's gloves.
Keaton Jennings had played the spinners well, sweeping and reverse-sweeping confidently and also using his feet to try and get to the pitch and work Jadeja and Amit Mishra with the turn. This enabled him to clip both of them for fours through midwicket, but having done this to go from 50 to 54, he stepped out again, premeditatedly, and Jadeja fired it in low and full. The ball hit Jennings on the front foot, and then bounced up into the face of his bat, and looped back for a simple return catch.
Joe Root, England's best batsman of the series, got himself out six overs later, sweeping unwisely off the line of the stumps. The ball was too full for the shot, and it sneaked under his bat and hit his front pad instead. India reviewed Simon Fry's not-out decision - a fair call, given it wasn't immediately apparent whether the ball had straightened enough to hit the stumps - and ball-tracking said it was hitting more than 50% of leg stump.
Jonny Bairstow was next to go, perhaps unfortunate to see a perfectly acceptable flick, off a full, leg-stumpish Ishant delivery balloon into the air, the ball perhaps stopping on him. He was even more unfortunate that Jadeja was the fielder sprinting from midwicket towards the square leg boundary with his back to the pitch, looking over his shoulder to keep his eye on the ball. Perhaps no one else on the field would have been able to pull off the catch.
Monday 19 December 2016
5th Test Day 4 IND 3-0 ENG
England 477 & 12/0
India 759/7d
England trail by 270 runs with 10 wickets remaining
Back in March 2008, the MA Chidambaram Stadium witnessed the first triple-hundred on Indian soil, as Virender Sehwag plundered 319 against South Africa. Eight-and-a-half years later, the stadium's revamped stands became the backdrop to the first triple-hundred by any Indian batsman apart from Sehwag. That batsman, Karun Nair, was playing his third Test match, and was only playing because India's middle order had lost two of its regular occupants to injury.
When India next play a Test match, they will need to choose who to leave out - and perhaps even which two - among Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Nair, a man with an unbeaten 303 in his last innings. Three hundred and three, not out. A square-cut brought up the landmark; Alastair Cook had brought all his men into single-saving positions with Nair on 299. Adil Rashid dropped short, Nair slapped it away, and Cook just happened to be the fielder diving uselessly to his left from cover point.
The declaration came right then, with India 759 for 7. It was their highest-ever total, against anyone. It was the highest total against England, by anyone. It left England, starting their second innings with a deficit of 282, 16 minutes to get through to stumps.
By the time Virat Kohli called his batsmen off the field, they had inflicted as much mental disintegration upon England as they have faced anywhere in the time since Carl Rackemann coined the term during the 1989 Ashes. At lunch, India still trailed by 14 runs. At tea, they led by 105. So far, so Mumbai, on a pitch that was rather flatter than Mumbai, and England didn't seem in any immediate danger of defeat. By the time India declared, an innings defeat wasn't out of the question. Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings got through to stumps unscathed, but their task has barely begun.
England have it all to do on the last day of a sapping tour of the subcontinent. This is still a flat pitch, by the standard of Indian pitches, but R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja bowling on it with raucous voices clustered around the bat is an entirely different prospect to England's spinners bowling with five fielders on the rope.
Ashwin and Jadeja did their bit with the bat as well, scoring 67 and 51 as the sixth- and seventh-wicket partnerships added 319 to India's total. Post-tea, India clattered 177 runs in 25.4 overs. That's 6.9 runs per over. Nair, on 195 at tea, scored his last 108 runs in 78 balls. If his triple-hundred wasn't uniformly Sehwagian in tone, it certainly was now.
England tried to bounce him with a fine third-man - almost a long stop - in place for the ramp over the keeper. Nair tennis-forehanded Jake Ball through the vacant mid-on region. Then he played the ramp anyway, against Stuart Broad, and it carried all the way for six. When the spinners returned he reverse-swept Moeen Ali, and tonked four fours and a brutally clubbed six off successive overs from Adil Rashid. This when Rashid had five men on the boundary.
Nair's innings wasn't chanceless, of course. Cook had put him down at slip on day three, a hard chance flying to his right when Nair edged Ball on 34. Then, on 154, he had tried to reverse-sweep Rashid and sent the ball into Jonny Bairstow's gloves. Replays and Ultra Edge suggested it had deflected off the face of his bat. The umpire said not out, and England had no reviews left.
On 217, he edged Ball again, the third new ball going low to Joe Root's right at slip. He only got his fingertips to the ball. And finally, on 246, he stepped out, heaved at Moeen, missed, and turned around to see the unsighted Bairstow fluff the stumping chance. Destiny was clearly on Nair's side, and he chased it in a hurry, scoring 57 off 39 balls after the missed stumping.
All this merrymaking, of course, would not have been possible without the restraint he displayed on day three - he walked in with India 211 for 3 and still trailing by 266 - and in the morning session of day four. India went at less than three runs an over in the session before lunch, but lost only one wicket, M Vijay lbw to a Liam Dawson arm ball.
Resuming on 71, Nair took 49 balls to reach his maiden Test hundred. M Vijay saw him through a nervy period in the nineties, exhorting him from the other end to stay calm and wait for the scoring opportunity. Having played out five dots from Ben Stokes on 99, he reached the landmark by defying a packed off-side field, which included two short covers for the uppish drive, stretching out to a full, wide ball and letting it come to him to steer it past the diving backward point fielder.
That was only the third boundary Nair hit in those first 49 balls - and one of them had been unintentional, off an edge when he tried to leave the ball. It reflected the hard-nosed approach India had had to take in a session where England set defensive fields, bowled with discipline, and got a bit of help from the surface, largely through inconsistent bounce. Dawson nearly bowled Vijay with one that crept low, and Ben Stokes, hitting the pitch hard, got the ball to lift disconcertingly as lunch approached, taking a chunk off the shoulder of Nair's bat and hitting Ashwin's right glove.
Cook's use of his spinners also contributed to India's caution in the first session: he bowled the accurate Dawson unchanged from one end - he sent down 13 overs for 31 runs - and his seamers from the other, only using Rashid for one over - the last one before lunch - and not using Moeen at all.
Rashid's introduction brought a little spike of aggression from Nair, who made himself a bit of room and drove him inside-out to the cover boundary. It was just a teaser of what was to come after lunch.
India 759/7d
England trail by 270 runs with 10 wickets remaining
Back in March 2008, the MA Chidambaram Stadium witnessed the first triple-hundred on Indian soil, as Virender Sehwag plundered 319 against South Africa. Eight-and-a-half years later, the stadium's revamped stands became the backdrop to the first triple-hundred by any Indian batsman apart from Sehwag. That batsman, Karun Nair, was playing his third Test match, and was only playing because India's middle order had lost two of its regular occupants to injury.
When India next play a Test match, they will need to choose who to leave out - and perhaps even which two - among Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Nair, a man with an unbeaten 303 in his last innings. Three hundred and three, not out. A square-cut brought up the landmark; Alastair Cook had brought all his men into single-saving positions with Nair on 299. Adil Rashid dropped short, Nair slapped it away, and Cook just happened to be the fielder diving uselessly to his left from cover point.
The declaration came right then, with India 759 for 7. It was their highest-ever total, against anyone. It was the highest total against England, by anyone. It left England, starting their second innings with a deficit of 282, 16 minutes to get through to stumps.
By the time Virat Kohli called his batsmen off the field, they had inflicted as much mental disintegration upon England as they have faced anywhere in the time since Carl Rackemann coined the term during the 1989 Ashes. At lunch, India still trailed by 14 runs. At tea, they led by 105. So far, so Mumbai, on a pitch that was rather flatter than Mumbai, and England didn't seem in any immediate danger of defeat. By the time India declared, an innings defeat wasn't out of the question. Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings got through to stumps unscathed, but their task has barely begun.
England have it all to do on the last day of a sapping tour of the subcontinent. This is still a flat pitch, by the standard of Indian pitches, but R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja bowling on it with raucous voices clustered around the bat is an entirely different prospect to England's spinners bowling with five fielders on the rope.
Ashwin and Jadeja did their bit with the bat as well, scoring 67 and 51 as the sixth- and seventh-wicket partnerships added 319 to India's total. Post-tea, India clattered 177 runs in 25.4 overs. That's 6.9 runs per over. Nair, on 195 at tea, scored his last 108 runs in 78 balls. If his triple-hundred wasn't uniformly Sehwagian in tone, it certainly was now.
England tried to bounce him with a fine third-man - almost a long stop - in place for the ramp over the keeper. Nair tennis-forehanded Jake Ball through the vacant mid-on region. Then he played the ramp anyway, against Stuart Broad, and it carried all the way for six. When the spinners returned he reverse-swept Moeen Ali, and tonked four fours and a brutally clubbed six off successive overs from Adil Rashid. This when Rashid had five men on the boundary.
Nair's innings wasn't chanceless, of course. Cook had put him down at slip on day three, a hard chance flying to his right when Nair edged Ball on 34. Then, on 154, he had tried to reverse-sweep Rashid and sent the ball into Jonny Bairstow's gloves. Replays and Ultra Edge suggested it had deflected off the face of his bat. The umpire said not out, and England had no reviews left.
On 217, he edged Ball again, the third new ball going low to Joe Root's right at slip. He only got his fingertips to the ball. And finally, on 246, he stepped out, heaved at Moeen, missed, and turned around to see the unsighted Bairstow fluff the stumping chance. Destiny was clearly on Nair's side, and he chased it in a hurry, scoring 57 off 39 balls after the missed stumping.
All this merrymaking, of course, would not have been possible without the restraint he displayed on day three - he walked in with India 211 for 3 and still trailing by 266 - and in the morning session of day four. India went at less than three runs an over in the session before lunch, but lost only one wicket, M Vijay lbw to a Liam Dawson arm ball.
Resuming on 71, Nair took 49 balls to reach his maiden Test hundred. M Vijay saw him through a nervy period in the nineties, exhorting him from the other end to stay calm and wait for the scoring opportunity. Having played out five dots from Ben Stokes on 99, he reached the landmark by defying a packed off-side field, which included two short covers for the uppish drive, stretching out to a full, wide ball and letting it come to him to steer it past the diving backward point fielder.
That was only the third boundary Nair hit in those first 49 balls - and one of them had been unintentional, off an edge when he tried to leave the ball. It reflected the hard-nosed approach India had had to take in a session where England set defensive fields, bowled with discipline, and got a bit of help from the surface, largely through inconsistent bounce. Dawson nearly bowled Vijay with one that crept low, and Ben Stokes, hitting the pitch hard, got the ball to lift disconcertingly as lunch approached, taking a chunk off the shoulder of Nair's bat and hitting Ashwin's right glove.
Cook's use of his spinners also contributed to India's caution in the first session: he bowled the accurate Dawson unchanged from one end - he sent down 13 overs for 31 runs - and his seamers from the other, only using Rashid for one over - the last one before lunch - and not using Moeen at all.
Rashid's introduction brought a little spike of aggression from Nair, who made himself a bit of room and drove him inside-out to the cover boundary. It was just a teaser of what was to come after lunch.
Sunday 18 December 2016
5th Test Days 2 and 3 IND 3-0 ENG
Day 3
England 477
India 391/4
India trail by 86 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
KL Rahul fell one short of a maiden double-hundred after leading India's response to England's 477 in excellent batting conditions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. India dominated the first and third sessions of day three, thanks to two big partnerships involving Rahul: 152 for the first wicket with Parthiv Patel, and 161 for the fourth with Karun Nair. At stumps, India trailed by 86 with six wickets in hand, with Nair batting on 71. With him on 17 was M Vijay, who came in at No. 6 rather than his customary position at the top of the order because of a shoulder injury sustained while fielding.
Having been at the crease for more than 100 overs, Rahul fell with stumps imminent. He walked off distraught, after reaching for a loopy, wide ball from Adil Rashid and spooning a catch to cover point, but by then he had ensured India were the likeliest of the two sides to force a win over the last two days.
The draw, though, still seemed the likeliest result. It took until the 102nd over of India's innings for England to call for their first review (another followed in the very next over; both were unsuccessful), indicating how friendly conditions were to bat in. But given the skill of India's spinners, they may yet coax more life out of the Chepauk soil than their England counterparts.
Rahul has had a stop-start series, missing the first and third Tests with injury, and had only made a top score of 24 in his three previous innings. He had been out to loose shots in all three innings, and he made at least one noticeable adjustment here, standing with his feet either side of the crease against the seamers rather than outside it. Perhaps the extra time this gave him allowed him to judge his off stump better, and he was far more certain when tested in the corridor.
But his best work came against the spinners, against whom he laid down an early statement of intent, hitting Liam Dawson for sixes in the third and fifth overs of the morning. He continued to use his feet decisively thereafter, and reverse-swept with authority. Rahul's mastery of the spinners played a big part in Rashid and Moeen Ali ending day three with a combined economy rate of 4.19 across 41 overs. Dawson, who offered more control but less of a wicket threat, bowled 23 overs, getting through more work than Alastair Cook may have wanted from his left-arm spinner.
Nair joined his Karnataka team-mate Rahul at 211 for 3, after India had lost three wickets for 59 runs. This mini-slump began before lunch, with the wicket of Parthiv. Both openers had scored freely - at a run-rate of 3.63 overall, and at 4.21 on the third morning - and had looked in no trouble, with Parthiv playing some stunning straight and on-drives, showing the full face of his bat, off Stuart Broad. Then, having entered the 70s for the first time in his Test career, he fell in a moment of overconfidence. Having stepped out and whipped Moeen Ali over wide mid-on two balls previously, Parthiv left his crease again. This time, the ball drifted in a touch further, making him aim squarer and close his bat face. It also turned more, and looped to cover off the leading edge.
On a pitch that offered them little help, England's seamers took the key wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. Pujara had begun ominously, hitting Adil Rashid for two fours in one over, but fell to an uncharacteristic shot in the third over after lunch, poking at a shortish, fifth-stump ball from Ben Stokes and edging to slip.
Then Stuart Broad sent back Kohli, who hadn't been dismissed for under 40 in his seven previous innings in this series, for 15. With Broad moving around the wicket and slanting the ball across him, Kohli had looked intent on putting bat to ball, leaving only occasionally, more often moving across his stumps to defend punchily into the off side. Then Broad slipped in a full, wide slower legcutter. Failing to spot the change of pace, Kohli drove early and into the lap of short cover.
Rahul, who had by then moved to his fourth Test hundred, made a strategic retreat once Kohli fell, quietly picking up the runs offered to him by England's defensive fields and cutting out the reverse-sweep entirely. Every now and then, he reminded England of his range of strokes: an inside-out drive through the covers off Rashid, a ramp over the slips when Stokes banged it short, and a beautifully placed flick off the legs, off Joe Root, when he deigned to bowl to him without a deep square leg.
That shot brought up Rahul's 150, in the 83rd over of India's innings. England took the new ball two overs later, and the runs flowed quicker. Both batsmen sent edges flying through the slips - a loose drive from Nair was edged close enough to Cook at first slip to count as a half-chance - but there were also some pretty shots: a square-cut from Rahul off Broad, and a straight drive from Nair, also off the same bowler. This was the second time he had hit him in that direction, though this time it was the full-faced version rather than the wristy whip that had brought him his first boundary, before tea.
India scored 35 runs in the eight overs that Broad and Jake Ball bowled with the second new ball, and continued to score quickly when the spinners returned. Nair reverse-slapped Moeen to the point boundary, then Rahul launched him for a straight six. A swept four off Rashid took him to 199, before he played, as he later put it, "a horrible shot".
Day 2
India 60 for 0 trail England 477 by 417 runs
England made a shaky start to the second day, but got to a sizeable first-innings total courtesy a century stand for the eighth wicket between Adil Rashid and the debutant Liam Dawson. The two came together at 321 for 7, after India had taken three wickets for 37 runs at the start of play, and scored half-centuries that reiterated the depth of England's batting and lifted their score to 477. Only once - Australia in 2010 - has a team scored more than 450 batting first and lost a Test in India.
India began confidently in reply, reaching 60 for 0 at stumps, their only real moment of discomfort in 20 overs occurring when KL Rahul, jumping back to slash Stuart Broad, jarred some part of his leg, causing him to hobble between wickets for a short while thereafter. The runs came at a steady clip, and the openers picked up five fours between them, in their contrasting styles: mostly off the front foot for the tall, languid Rahul, and mostly off the back foot for Parthiv Patel, who opened because M Vijay had hurt his shoulder while diving to stop the ball at point during the second session.
Playing his first Test, Dawson only bowled one over of left-arm spin. By then, though, he had already made a significant impact, finishing unbeaten on 66, the highest score by an England debutant batting at No. 8.
Dawson and Rashid had begun cautiously before lunch, scoring the first 31 runs of their partnership in 15.2 overs. Dawson had been the dominant partner, shrugging off a nasty welcome to Test cricket - an Ishant Sharma bouncer that followed him as he tried to sway and clattered the badge of his helmet - and moving to 27 with three fours: a flick off Umesh Yadav, a square-cut off R Ashwin, and a cover drive, against the turn, off an Amit Mishra googly. Rashid, in that time, had made 8 off 55 balls.
The roles were reversed somewhat after lunch, as Rashid unshackled his wrists, stepping out to Mishra to whip him through the leg side - on one occasion over the infield to bring up England's 400 - and driving Ravindra Jadeja for two inside-out boundaries in one over: the first through the covers, the second past point's right hand. He overtook Dawson, reaching his half-century first, before edging an attempted slice off Umesh to the keeper.
Stuart Broad was run-out after tea, caught short of the crease at the keeper's end by a flat throw from Rahul at third man following a mix-up with Dawson. Jake Ball, who hit two big sixes off R Ashwin in one over, was last man out, bowled trying to cut a Mishra googly.
India's bowlers were impressive at the start of play, with a ball that was only 4.4 overs old. Ashwin struck in the first over of the day, drawing Ben Stokes forward and getting him to reach out at a dipping and sharply spinning offbreak to get him caught behind. Then Ishant, defying the age of the ball, began getting it to reverse, producing a series of awkward induckers against Jos Buttler, two of which led to loud lbw shouts. The first one was turned down - and India reviewed unwisely, the ball clearly striking pad outside off stump - and the second, off a full, straight ball, was so plumb, Buttler's head falling over as he missed a flick, that the batsman barely thought of reviewing.
Moeen Ali now held the key to England's hopes of a big total, but he wasn't looking like a man batting on 120 overnight. This had a lot to do with India's method of attack against him. They hadn't tested him with the short ball on day one, puzzlingly, but now they did. He played two uppish pulls against Ishant that dropped short of fielders in the deep, and an attempt to flick the ball against Umesh resulted in a blow to the chest.
Umesh's next ball was another bouncer, which struck Moeen on the armpit as he looked to ride the bounce and keep it down. Perhaps the lack of success with two attempts at defence caused Moeen to change his mind and revert to the pull. Umesh bounced him once more, and this time the ball carried nicely to Ravindra Jadeja, who was a few yards in from the backward square leg boundary, placed with the miscontrolled hook in mind.
England 477
India 391/4
India trail by 86 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
KL Rahul fell one short of a maiden double-hundred after leading India's response to England's 477 in excellent batting conditions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. India dominated the first and third sessions of day three, thanks to two big partnerships involving Rahul: 152 for the first wicket with Parthiv Patel, and 161 for the fourth with Karun Nair. At stumps, India trailed by 86 with six wickets in hand, with Nair batting on 71. With him on 17 was M Vijay, who came in at No. 6 rather than his customary position at the top of the order because of a shoulder injury sustained while fielding.
Having been at the crease for more than 100 overs, Rahul fell with stumps imminent. He walked off distraught, after reaching for a loopy, wide ball from Adil Rashid and spooning a catch to cover point, but by then he had ensured India were the likeliest of the two sides to force a win over the last two days.
The draw, though, still seemed the likeliest result. It took until the 102nd over of India's innings for England to call for their first review (another followed in the very next over; both were unsuccessful), indicating how friendly conditions were to bat in. But given the skill of India's spinners, they may yet coax more life out of the Chepauk soil than their England counterparts.
Rahul has had a stop-start series, missing the first and third Tests with injury, and had only made a top score of 24 in his three previous innings. He had been out to loose shots in all three innings, and he made at least one noticeable adjustment here, standing with his feet either side of the crease against the seamers rather than outside it. Perhaps the extra time this gave him allowed him to judge his off stump better, and he was far more certain when tested in the corridor.
But his best work came against the spinners, against whom he laid down an early statement of intent, hitting Liam Dawson for sixes in the third and fifth overs of the morning. He continued to use his feet decisively thereafter, and reverse-swept with authority. Rahul's mastery of the spinners played a big part in Rashid and Moeen Ali ending day three with a combined economy rate of 4.19 across 41 overs. Dawson, who offered more control but less of a wicket threat, bowled 23 overs, getting through more work than Alastair Cook may have wanted from his left-arm spinner.
Nair joined his Karnataka team-mate Rahul at 211 for 3, after India had lost three wickets for 59 runs. This mini-slump began before lunch, with the wicket of Parthiv. Both openers had scored freely - at a run-rate of 3.63 overall, and at 4.21 on the third morning - and had looked in no trouble, with Parthiv playing some stunning straight and on-drives, showing the full face of his bat, off Stuart Broad. Then, having entered the 70s for the first time in his Test career, he fell in a moment of overconfidence. Having stepped out and whipped Moeen Ali over wide mid-on two balls previously, Parthiv left his crease again. This time, the ball drifted in a touch further, making him aim squarer and close his bat face. It also turned more, and looped to cover off the leading edge.
On a pitch that offered them little help, England's seamers took the key wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. Pujara had begun ominously, hitting Adil Rashid for two fours in one over, but fell to an uncharacteristic shot in the third over after lunch, poking at a shortish, fifth-stump ball from Ben Stokes and edging to slip.
Then Stuart Broad sent back Kohli, who hadn't been dismissed for under 40 in his seven previous innings in this series, for 15. With Broad moving around the wicket and slanting the ball across him, Kohli had looked intent on putting bat to ball, leaving only occasionally, more often moving across his stumps to defend punchily into the off side. Then Broad slipped in a full, wide slower legcutter. Failing to spot the change of pace, Kohli drove early and into the lap of short cover.
Rahul, who had by then moved to his fourth Test hundred, made a strategic retreat once Kohli fell, quietly picking up the runs offered to him by England's defensive fields and cutting out the reverse-sweep entirely. Every now and then, he reminded England of his range of strokes: an inside-out drive through the covers off Rashid, a ramp over the slips when Stokes banged it short, and a beautifully placed flick off the legs, off Joe Root, when he deigned to bowl to him without a deep square leg.
That shot brought up Rahul's 150, in the 83rd over of India's innings. England took the new ball two overs later, and the runs flowed quicker. Both batsmen sent edges flying through the slips - a loose drive from Nair was edged close enough to Cook at first slip to count as a half-chance - but there were also some pretty shots: a square-cut from Rahul off Broad, and a straight drive from Nair, also off the same bowler. This was the second time he had hit him in that direction, though this time it was the full-faced version rather than the wristy whip that had brought him his first boundary, before tea.
India scored 35 runs in the eight overs that Broad and Jake Ball bowled with the second new ball, and continued to score quickly when the spinners returned. Nair reverse-slapped Moeen to the point boundary, then Rahul launched him for a straight six. A swept four off Rashid took him to 199, before he played, as he later put it, "a horrible shot".
Day 2
India 60 for 0 trail England 477 by 417 runs
England made a shaky start to the second day, but got to a sizeable first-innings total courtesy a century stand for the eighth wicket between Adil Rashid and the debutant Liam Dawson. The two came together at 321 for 7, after India had taken three wickets for 37 runs at the start of play, and scored half-centuries that reiterated the depth of England's batting and lifted their score to 477. Only once - Australia in 2010 - has a team scored more than 450 batting first and lost a Test in India.
India began confidently in reply, reaching 60 for 0 at stumps, their only real moment of discomfort in 20 overs occurring when KL Rahul, jumping back to slash Stuart Broad, jarred some part of his leg, causing him to hobble between wickets for a short while thereafter. The runs came at a steady clip, and the openers picked up five fours between them, in their contrasting styles: mostly off the front foot for the tall, languid Rahul, and mostly off the back foot for Parthiv Patel, who opened because M Vijay had hurt his shoulder while diving to stop the ball at point during the second session.
Playing his first Test, Dawson only bowled one over of left-arm spin. By then, though, he had already made a significant impact, finishing unbeaten on 66, the highest score by an England debutant batting at No. 8.
Dawson and Rashid had begun cautiously before lunch, scoring the first 31 runs of their partnership in 15.2 overs. Dawson had been the dominant partner, shrugging off a nasty welcome to Test cricket - an Ishant Sharma bouncer that followed him as he tried to sway and clattered the badge of his helmet - and moving to 27 with three fours: a flick off Umesh Yadav, a square-cut off R Ashwin, and a cover drive, against the turn, off an Amit Mishra googly. Rashid, in that time, had made 8 off 55 balls.
The roles were reversed somewhat after lunch, as Rashid unshackled his wrists, stepping out to Mishra to whip him through the leg side - on one occasion over the infield to bring up England's 400 - and driving Ravindra Jadeja for two inside-out boundaries in one over: the first through the covers, the second past point's right hand. He overtook Dawson, reaching his half-century first, before edging an attempted slice off Umesh to the keeper.
Stuart Broad was run-out after tea, caught short of the crease at the keeper's end by a flat throw from Rahul at third man following a mix-up with Dawson. Jake Ball, who hit two big sixes off R Ashwin in one over, was last man out, bowled trying to cut a Mishra googly.
India's bowlers were impressive at the start of play, with a ball that was only 4.4 overs old. Ashwin struck in the first over of the day, drawing Ben Stokes forward and getting him to reach out at a dipping and sharply spinning offbreak to get him caught behind. Then Ishant, defying the age of the ball, began getting it to reverse, producing a series of awkward induckers against Jos Buttler, two of which led to loud lbw shouts. The first one was turned down - and India reviewed unwisely, the ball clearly striking pad outside off stump - and the second, off a full, straight ball, was so plumb, Buttler's head falling over as he missed a flick, that the batsman barely thought of reviewing.
Moeen Ali now held the key to England's hopes of a big total, but he wasn't looking like a man batting on 120 overnight. This had a lot to do with India's method of attack against him. They hadn't tested him with the short ball on day one, puzzlingly, but now they did. He played two uppish pulls against Ishant that dropped short of fielders in the deep, and an attempt to flick the ball against Umesh resulted in a blow to the chest.
Umesh's next ball was another bouncer, which struck Moeen on the armpit as he looked to ride the bounce and keep it down. Perhaps the lack of success with two attempts at defence caused Moeen to change his mind and revert to the pull. Umesh bounced him once more, and this time the ball carried nicely to Ravindra Jadeja, who was a few yards in from the backward square leg boundary, placed with the miscontrolled hook in mind.
Friday 16 December 2016
5th Test Day 1 IND 3-0 ENG
England 284 for 4 (Moeen 120*, Root 88, Bairstow 49, Jadeja 3-73) v India
Moeen Ali's fifth Test century steered England past a shaky start and moved them to a solid 284 for 4 at the end of day one in Chennai. Moeen added 146 for the third wicket with Joe Root to rescue England after they had slumped to 21 for 2, and then put on 86 with Jonny Bairstow to strengthen their position, before the wicket of Bairstow brought India their only success of the final session. On a pitch that offered plenty of turn but only slow turn, Ravindra Jadeja's extra pace brought him three wickets while the other two spinners went wicketless.
The wicket of Root half an hour before tea seemed to give India a bit of an opening but Bairstow and Moeen disabused them of any such notion, counterattacking at the start of the final session. Bairstow led the way, slog-sweeping the spinners at every opportunity, hitting Jadeja and Ashwin for sixes in successive overs, and looked in sizzling form before Jadeja did him in one short of a half-century, pulling his pace back cleverly to invite an uppish drive to short-extra cover.
The dismissal came in the 81st over, and India waited until the 86th to take the second new ball. By that time, Moeen had moved to his hundred. He went from 95 to 99 with the shot of his innings, skipping down the track to hit Amit Mishra inside-out, against the turn, through the covers, and reached the landmark next ball with a nudged single into the off side. He continued playing his shots against the new ball, driving Ishant Sharma for successive fours on the up, both in the air, once to the right of point, once to the right of cover.
Those two shots were emblematic of Moeen's innings, which contained periods of unease and vulnerability, notably at the start, but also some gorgeous strokeplay, particularly through the off side.
He began scratchily, and looked particularly insecure before lunch, when Ashwin beat his outside edge repeatedly, scrambling his footwork with his changes of pace, trajectory and angle. Before he got off the mark, he enjoyed a life when he flicked Jadeja uppishly and through the hands of KL Rahul, who mistimed his jump at midwicket. He survived a couple of reviews as well, when Jadeja and Mishra beat his inside edge and hit him on the front pad. The on-field umpire gave him out both times: first, when he was on 20, replays showed the ball hitting his pad outside the line of off stump; on the second occasion, when he was on 83, the ball was shown to strike him in line but ball-tracking returned an umpire's call verdict.
On 7 off 44 balls at lunch, Moeen grew in confidence after the break, using the sweep to hit fours off Ashwin and Jadeja and going after Amit Mishra when he returned for his second spell, unafraid to use his feet and hit him against the turn.
Mishra, who came back into the side because Jayant Yadav was out with a hamstring niggle, only bowled seven overs before tea and went for 30, too often straying from a good length. The pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium offered generous turn, but it was slow turn, accentuating Mishra's lack of zip off the pitch.
Root fell half an hour from tea, trying to sweep Jadeja and getting a thin inside edge - revealed by Ultra Edge, after India reviewed the on-field not-out decision - through to the wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel. That shot apart, the sweep was a productive stroke for Root, who made his 11th 50-plus score in 11 Tests against India. He was judicious in choosing the right line to sweep, avoiding it against stump-to-stump deliveries, but showed a dazzling ability to play the shot against a wide range of lengths. He paddled a near half-volley from R Ashwin from outside off stump towards fine leg, and held his shape, without getting down fully on his back knee, to stay on top of the bounce and flat-bat a back-of-a-length ball from Jadeja through midwicket. In all, the sweep and the slog-sweep fetched him 29 runs off 13 balls, including five fours.
There were a couple of other excellent shots too, including a deft dab to the third man boundary off an Umesh Yadav yorker and a skip down the pitch to hit R Ashwin over the top when he brought mid-on up. Not for the first time in the series, he batted with a calm fluency in conditions where his team-mates looked uncertain.
Jadeja apart, India's only successful bowler was Ishant Sharma, who, returning to the side for his first Test of the series, bowled accurately, brought the batsmen forward more frequently than he usually does, and gave India their first breakthrough in the sixth over of the morning. Both he and Umesh had kept Keaton Jennings quiet, giving him nothing to drive, before Ishant slipped in the sucker ball - wide outside off, full, but not quite a half-volley. Jennings, on 1 off 16 balls, drove without getting his head over the ball, and nicked to the keeper.
Virat Kohli brought Jadeja on as early as the ninth over, and he produced a loud lbw shout with his first ball to Alastair Cook. Kohli took too long to decide to review Marais Erasmus' not-out decision, which was just as well, because ball-tracking suggested the ball would have missed leg stump. That ball - and the three times he had been lbw to Jadeja in this series - probably played a part in Cook's dismissal in the left-arm spinner's third over. This time, Jadeja floated it up outside off stump, a little slower than usual. Cook poked uncertainly, the ball turned less than he expected, and Kohli took a sharp, low catch at slip. With that, Jadeja had dismissed Cook for the fifth time in the series.
Moeen Ali's fifth Test century steered England past a shaky start and moved them to a solid 284 for 4 at the end of day one in Chennai. Moeen added 146 for the third wicket with Joe Root to rescue England after they had slumped to 21 for 2, and then put on 86 with Jonny Bairstow to strengthen their position, before the wicket of Bairstow brought India their only success of the final session. On a pitch that offered plenty of turn but only slow turn, Ravindra Jadeja's extra pace brought him three wickets while the other two spinners went wicketless.
The wicket of Root half an hour before tea seemed to give India a bit of an opening but Bairstow and Moeen disabused them of any such notion, counterattacking at the start of the final session. Bairstow led the way, slog-sweeping the spinners at every opportunity, hitting Jadeja and Ashwin for sixes in successive overs, and looked in sizzling form before Jadeja did him in one short of a half-century, pulling his pace back cleverly to invite an uppish drive to short-extra cover.
The dismissal came in the 81st over, and India waited until the 86th to take the second new ball. By that time, Moeen had moved to his hundred. He went from 95 to 99 with the shot of his innings, skipping down the track to hit Amit Mishra inside-out, against the turn, through the covers, and reached the landmark next ball with a nudged single into the off side. He continued playing his shots against the new ball, driving Ishant Sharma for successive fours on the up, both in the air, once to the right of point, once to the right of cover.
Those two shots were emblematic of Moeen's innings, which contained periods of unease and vulnerability, notably at the start, but also some gorgeous strokeplay, particularly through the off side.
He began scratchily, and looked particularly insecure before lunch, when Ashwin beat his outside edge repeatedly, scrambling his footwork with his changes of pace, trajectory and angle. Before he got off the mark, he enjoyed a life when he flicked Jadeja uppishly and through the hands of KL Rahul, who mistimed his jump at midwicket. He survived a couple of reviews as well, when Jadeja and Mishra beat his inside edge and hit him on the front pad. The on-field umpire gave him out both times: first, when he was on 20, replays showed the ball hitting his pad outside the line of off stump; on the second occasion, when he was on 83, the ball was shown to strike him in line but ball-tracking returned an umpire's call verdict.
On 7 off 44 balls at lunch, Moeen grew in confidence after the break, using the sweep to hit fours off Ashwin and Jadeja and going after Amit Mishra when he returned for his second spell, unafraid to use his feet and hit him against the turn.
Mishra, who came back into the side because Jayant Yadav was out with a hamstring niggle, only bowled seven overs before tea and went for 30, too often straying from a good length. The pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium offered generous turn, but it was slow turn, accentuating Mishra's lack of zip off the pitch.
Root fell half an hour from tea, trying to sweep Jadeja and getting a thin inside edge - revealed by Ultra Edge, after India reviewed the on-field not-out decision - through to the wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel. That shot apart, the sweep was a productive stroke for Root, who made his 11th 50-plus score in 11 Tests against India. He was judicious in choosing the right line to sweep, avoiding it against stump-to-stump deliveries, but showed a dazzling ability to play the shot against a wide range of lengths. He paddled a near half-volley from R Ashwin from outside off stump towards fine leg, and held his shape, without getting down fully on his back knee, to stay on top of the bounce and flat-bat a back-of-a-length ball from Jadeja through midwicket. In all, the sweep and the slog-sweep fetched him 29 runs off 13 balls, including five fours.
There were a couple of other excellent shots too, including a deft dab to the third man boundary off an Umesh Yadav yorker and a skip down the pitch to hit R Ashwin over the top when he brought mid-on up. Not for the first time in the series, he batted with a calm fluency in conditions where his team-mates looked uncertain.
Jadeja apart, India's only successful bowler was Ishant Sharma, who, returning to the side for his first Test of the series, bowled accurately, brought the batsmen forward more frequently than he usually does, and gave India their first breakthrough in the sixth over of the morning. Both he and Umesh had kept Keaton Jennings quiet, giving him nothing to drive, before Ishant slipped in the sucker ball - wide outside off, full, but not quite a half-volley. Jennings, on 1 off 16 balls, drove without getting his head over the ball, and nicked to the keeper.
Virat Kohli brought Jadeja on as early as the ninth over, and he produced a loud lbw shout with his first ball to Alastair Cook. Kohli took too long to decide to review Marais Erasmus' not-out decision, which was just as well, because ball-tracking suggested the ball would have missed leg stump. That ball - and the three times he had been lbw to Jadeja in this series - probably played a part in Cook's dismissal in the left-arm spinner's third over. This time, Jadeja floated it up outside off stump, a little slower than usual. Cook poked uncertainly, the ball turned less than he expected, and Kohli took a sharp, low catch at slip. With that, Jadeja had dismissed Cook for the fifth time in the series.
Monday 12 December 2016
AB De Villiers steps down as SA test captain
AB de Villiers has stepped down as South Africa's Test captain with immediate effect and has been ruled out of the three Tests against Sri Lanka as he continues to recover from elbow surgery. De Villiers endorsed his stand-in, Faf du Plessis, to take over permanently and the CSA board have confirmed du Plessis' appointment.
"The interests of the team must always outweigh the interests of any individual, including me," de Villiers said. "It was a fantastic honour for me to be asked to captain the Test side but I have missed two series and I am still in doubt for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Following the squad's outstanding performances in Australia, it is clearly in the greater interests of the team that Faf du Plessis should be confirmed as the permanent Test captain."
De Villiers has been out of action since the Caribbean Premier League in July and was expected to be fit for the Sri Lanka Tests but still needs another three to four weeks before being declared fully fit. He will target the ODIs later in January, a format in which he remains captain, for a comeback.
De Villiers had surgery on his left elbow in early October, after initially adopting a conservative approach to recovery, and his surgeon was aiming for a three-month rehabilitation period. De Villiers tried to push that forward and was even talking about a comeback in November's Adelaide Test but only had his first net session last Tuesday. He has been practicing with his franchise, Titans, and had hoped to turn out for them in the ongoing domestic T20 competition but CSA's medical committee did not give him clearance to play. He has also been instructed not to play in Friday's final.
"AB's left elbow is much improved but is still regaining the last few degrees of straightening. Fitness to play requires full range of elbow movement and this may take another 3-4 weeks to achieve," Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa's team manager, said.
De Villiers' unavailability means he would not have captained South Africa since he was named permanent Test captain in February, after taking over from Hashim Amla in the middle of the home series against England. South Africa lost one Test and won one under de Villiers. In his absence, du Plessis led the team to a 1-0 Test series win over New Zealand, a 5-0 ODI whitewash over Australia at home and a 2-1 Test series win in Australia and was widely praised for his leadership skills.
Despite calls for him to stay on, du Plessis remained committed to being a deputy and said he was "100% behind" de Villiers, who also enjoyed the support of the convener of selectors Linda Zondi and premier fast bowler Dale Steyn. Both were quoted in these pages as saying they believed de Villiers was the man for the job, although they noted that du Plessis could not be ignored.
But du Plessis is also under scrutiny because he too may be unavailable for the first Test against Sri Lanka, depending on the outcome of his ball-tampering appeal. Du Plessis was found guilty of breaching the code of conduct in relation to changing the condition of the ball after being caught shining the ball with saliva that also come into contact with a mint during the Hobart Test. He was fined 100% of his match fee but escaped a suspension. He is appealing the verdict and runs the risk of a one-match ban at the judicial commissioner's discretion.
The odds appear stacked against du Plessis after the MCC Committee meeting in Mumbai, where it was decided the body would not recommend any changes to the ball-tampering law, believed it to be clear despite CSA's assertion that the definition of "artificial substance" needed clarity and John Stephenson, MCC's head of cricket, who sat during du Plessis' original hearing, said he had "flagrantly contravened the law". ESPNcricinfo has learned that du Plessis has no intention of withdrawing the appeal. The hearing will take place on December 19, a week before the Test.
In de Villiers' absence, South Africa will also be looking for a reserve batsman. Rilee Rossouw traveled in that capacity to Australia but cannot be considered because he is nursing a foot injury that will sideline him for up to six weeks. Omphile Ramela, who will captain a South African Invitation XI against the touring Sri Lankans, could come into contention. Alternatively, the former Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Aiden Markram, who has been in fine form for Titans, may be considered.
"The interests of the team must always outweigh the interests of any individual, including me," de Villiers said. "It was a fantastic honour for me to be asked to captain the Test side but I have missed two series and I am still in doubt for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Following the squad's outstanding performances in Australia, it is clearly in the greater interests of the team that Faf du Plessis should be confirmed as the permanent Test captain."
De Villiers has been out of action since the Caribbean Premier League in July and was expected to be fit for the Sri Lanka Tests but still needs another three to four weeks before being declared fully fit. He will target the ODIs later in January, a format in which he remains captain, for a comeback.
De Villiers had surgery on his left elbow in early October, after initially adopting a conservative approach to recovery, and his surgeon was aiming for a three-month rehabilitation period. De Villiers tried to push that forward and was even talking about a comeback in November's Adelaide Test but only had his first net session last Tuesday. He has been practicing with his franchise, Titans, and had hoped to turn out for them in the ongoing domestic T20 competition but CSA's medical committee did not give him clearance to play. He has also been instructed not to play in Friday's final.
"AB's left elbow is much improved but is still regaining the last few degrees of straightening. Fitness to play requires full range of elbow movement and this may take another 3-4 weeks to achieve," Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa's team manager, said.
De Villiers' unavailability means he would not have captained South Africa since he was named permanent Test captain in February, after taking over from Hashim Amla in the middle of the home series against England. South Africa lost one Test and won one under de Villiers. In his absence, du Plessis led the team to a 1-0 Test series win over New Zealand, a 5-0 ODI whitewash over Australia at home and a 2-1 Test series win in Australia and was widely praised for his leadership skills.
Despite calls for him to stay on, du Plessis remained committed to being a deputy and said he was "100% behind" de Villiers, who also enjoyed the support of the convener of selectors Linda Zondi and premier fast bowler Dale Steyn. Both were quoted in these pages as saying they believed de Villiers was the man for the job, although they noted that du Plessis could not be ignored.
But du Plessis is also under scrutiny because he too may be unavailable for the first Test against Sri Lanka, depending on the outcome of his ball-tampering appeal. Du Plessis was found guilty of breaching the code of conduct in relation to changing the condition of the ball after being caught shining the ball with saliva that also come into contact with a mint during the Hobart Test. He was fined 100% of his match fee but escaped a suspension. He is appealing the verdict and runs the risk of a one-match ban at the judicial commissioner's discretion.
The odds appear stacked against du Plessis after the MCC Committee meeting in Mumbai, where it was decided the body would not recommend any changes to the ball-tampering law, believed it to be clear despite CSA's assertion that the definition of "artificial substance" needed clarity and John Stephenson, MCC's head of cricket, who sat during du Plessis' original hearing, said he had "flagrantly contravened the law". ESPNcricinfo has learned that du Plessis has no intention of withdrawing the appeal. The hearing will take place on December 19, a week before the Test.
In de Villiers' absence, South Africa will also be looking for a reserve batsman. Rilee Rossouw traveled in that capacity to Australia but cannot be considered because he is nursing a foot injury that will sideline him for up to six weeks. Omphile Ramela, who will captain a South African Invitation XI against the touring Sri Lankans, could come into contention. Alternatively, the former Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Aiden Markram, who has been in fine form for Titans, may be considered.
4th Test Day 5 IND 3-0 ENG
England 400 & 195
India 631
India won by an innings and 36 runs
With a victory over England by an innings and 36 runs, India have secured their fifth consecutive series and regained the Anthony De Mello trophy. R Ashwin picked up his second five-for of the match, and the 24th of his career, to make sure the formalities were complete by the first half hour on the fifth day. He took his first wicket when the visitors were 180 for 4. They were all out for 195. It was only the third time in Test history that a team had made 400 in the first innings and then lost by an innings.
The end was very quick and very messy. Jonny Bairstow was sent packing in the second over and Chris Woakes in the fourth. Their dismissals provided a simple little summary of the difference in skill between the sides in subcontinent conditions.
Ashwin flicked a carrom ball on middle and leg with the intention of making Bairstow play across the line and the batsman obliged. Bairstow failed to pick the variation, was squared up when the ball turned the wrong way, and sharply, and was plumb lbw. Woakes, in the next Ashwin over, went for a loose cover drive, but the ball dipped on him and stormed through the gate to hit the stumps. Reading the ball out of the hand is key to playing on turning tracks, as is avoiding strokes that have a high degree of risk, like hitting against the break.
Adil Rashid gave an example of the other thing batsmen weren't supposed to do: throw their wicket away. He lobbed a catch to deep midwicket off Ashwin's third over. James Anderson came out and was promptly pulled into some polite conversation by the close-in fielders after his criticism of their captain. He popped a catch to midwicket to give Ashwin his sixth wicket and the best match figures by a spinner at Wankhede stadium - 12 for 167.
With the win in Mumbai, India were unbeaten for 17 matches in a row - equalling their longest such streak in Test cricket.
India 631
India won by an innings and 36 runs
With a victory over England by an innings and 36 runs, India have secured their fifth consecutive series and regained the Anthony De Mello trophy. R Ashwin picked up his second five-for of the match, and the 24th of his career, to make sure the formalities were complete by the first half hour on the fifth day. He took his first wicket when the visitors were 180 for 4. They were all out for 195. It was only the third time in Test history that a team had made 400 in the first innings and then lost by an innings.
The end was very quick and very messy. Jonny Bairstow was sent packing in the second over and Chris Woakes in the fourth. Their dismissals provided a simple little summary of the difference in skill between the sides in subcontinent conditions.
Ashwin flicked a carrom ball on middle and leg with the intention of making Bairstow play across the line and the batsman obliged. Bairstow failed to pick the variation, was squared up when the ball turned the wrong way, and sharply, and was plumb lbw. Woakes, in the next Ashwin over, went for a loose cover drive, but the ball dipped on him and stormed through the gate to hit the stumps. Reading the ball out of the hand is key to playing on turning tracks, as is avoiding strokes that have a high degree of risk, like hitting against the break.
Adil Rashid gave an example of the other thing batsmen weren't supposed to do: throw their wicket away. He lobbed a catch to deep midwicket off Ashwin's third over. James Anderson came out and was promptly pulled into some polite conversation by the close-in fielders after his criticism of their captain. He popped a catch to midwicket to give Ashwin his sixth wicket and the best match figures by a spinner at Wankhede stadium - 12 for 167.
With the win in Mumbai, India were unbeaten for 17 matches in a row - equalling their longest such streak in Test cricket.
Sunday 11 December 2016
4th Test Day 4 IND 2-0 ENG
England 400 & 182/6 (47.3 ov)
India 631
England trail by 49 runs with 4 wickets remaining
With his sublime 235 off 340 balls, with 25 fours and a six, Virat Kohli became the first Indian to three double-centuries in a year. As soon as he left the crease and England were in to bat the pitch began to look like a minefield.
The visitors were trailing by 49 runs at stumps and had only four wickets in hand to mount a challenge. Their plight - especially after scoring 400 in the first innings - was largely due to one man. And it was to see that man bat that people thronged to Wankhede stadium.
Kohli broke a slew of records. The most runs by an Indian in a series against England - Rahul Dravid was left behind. The most runs in an innings by an India captain - MS Dhoni was left behind. In 2016, he has made 1200 runs at an average of 80 and a strike-rate of 60.
Making the day sweeter for India was Jayant Yadav, who made 104 off 204 balls in a record stand of 241 for the eighth wicket. He had the highest score at No. 9 (211) and was part of the largest eighth-wicket partnership (392) in Indian first-class cricket. Having replaced the man with whom he put on that partnership - Haryana's Amit Mishra - he came to hold the corresponding records for India in Test cricket too.
The spotlight wouldn't budge from Kohli, though. A crunching straight drive in the first over of the day converted his fourth successive hundred into a 150-plus score. In the 162nd, he only rolled his wrists on a straight delivery, but it skipped away to the backward square leg boundary. The timing was such that it beat England's best fielder Ben Stokes, and the placement was such that it was well to the right of the man.
Kohli batted for over eight hours. The concentration it must have taken, the mental and physical strain he must have felt to play an innings of such quality on a difficult pitch was finally on view as he walked off for lunch with a tired smile on his face. In the dressing room, everyone from the support staff to his team-mates patted him on the back. When he came out in the second session, he biffed Chris Woakes back over his head for a six and ran like mad for a single next ball.
The shot the fans cared about most came a little earlier. A gentle little flick in the 165th over, all along the ground, to the left of midwicket. It raised Kohli's 200. Smart phones were out to record the moment. Anil Kumble's camera didn't miss it either. A little slice of history to put in the back pocket. In all of Test cricket, only five men have made three or more double-hundreds in a year: Don Bradman, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Brendon McCullum and now Kohli.
England's response to that innings came from Joe Root. If it hadn't been for his firebrand style of play England may never have reduced their deficit to 49 at stumps. Root made 77 off only 103 balls against two of the best spinners in the world on a surface that had become rank.
Considering it had waited 312 overs to do so should make it immune to criticism. Besides, it's pace was true. That meant batsmen picking length early and looking to score first and defend second would flourish. Root exemplified those characteristics well as he swept the spinners hard and stepped down the track often to take balls on the full and paste them through the covers. India were forced to pull the close catchers out and Root inside edged Ashwin to short leg when there was no one there. He fell lbw to Jayant in the last hour of play, deceived into going back to a full delivery because its pace was quicker and trajectory was flatter.
These are the kinds of tricks that made India such a force in their own conditions. That and their accuracy, which separated them from England's, especially where the scorecard was concerned.
Anything on the fourth day at Wankhede would turn. A straight line drawn on it would come out a semi-circle. India turned to spin in the eighth over and Ravindra Jadeja got the ball to turn square thrice in a row. Close catchers buzzed around the batsman like mosquitoes, and puffs of dust erupted even off the undisturbed parts of the surface let alone the rough.
Alastair Cook was the visitors' best bet at playing time. Two overs before tea, however, he went back in an effort to flick a good length ball with the turn through square leg. But Jadeja, by virtue of being quicker through the air, had the England captain hurrying into his shot, losing his shape and out lbw. It was Jadeja's 100th wicket in his 24th Test; equal fastest to the mark with Ryan Harris and Lance Gibbs and one match slower than Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Saqlain Mushtaq.
Moeen Ali came out to bat with four men crowding him. He picked one of them out, extra bounce making his little nudge off the hip carry to M Vijay's right at leg gully. In the five minutes to tea, England had lost two wickets to add to Keaton Jennings' golden duck.
Jonny Bairstow resisted with an unbeaten 50, producing some memorable moments. He tried to shoulder arms to a ball from R Ashwin pitching about four feet outside the line of off stump only to have it strike him on the stomach. He went to cut the same bowler and was beaten by the turn that was so sharp it went past the wicketkeeper's left. His use of DRS was pristine as well. He was given out twice in the space of five overs but used the technology to save himself. Not everyone enjoyed Bairstow's street-smarts though. Umpire Bruce Oxenford actually threw his head back in exasperation at the second review, which was asked for so quickly he possibly knew he had made a mistake and giving the batsman out caught at short leg.
England were very nervy in the last 15-20 minutes minutes, into which India squeezed five overs. Indeed, Jadeja finished one in a minute or so to give Ashwin a go at the nightwatchman, Jake Ball, and did him with a topspinner to end the day. They had lost Ben Stokes prior to that, reverse sweeping the ball onto his boot for second slip to catch it on the rebound.
It was a bit cruel all this happened to England on the same day they conceded 180 runs at 4.44 runs per over.
India's overnight lead was 51. They had got seven wickets and if the remaining three had fallen quickly, Cook and his men may have felt they still had a chance. In 34 overs on the fourth morning, there wasn't a single breakthrough. When India were finally all out after lunch, they had pulled ahead by 231 runs.
Kohli was the ninth wicket to fall when his lofted drive carried to deep extra cover. Plenty of England players came to congratulate him, including Stokes and Bairstow. All at the Wankhede stadium were on their feet.
His partner for much of the day, Jayant, had begun by scything a half-volley from Rashid through the covers and then the ensuing short ball was cut behind point. He was more than a match for an inswinging yorker from Ball in the 149th over and the good length delivery that followed was driven to the cover boundary with some style.
Jayant seems to think like a top-order batsman. He spotted mid-on was up with Moeen bowling around the wicket in the 155th over, danced down the track and lofted the ball over the fielder's head. Cook put a long-on in for the next ball and the batsman tapped a single to him. Jayant outscored Kohli in the first hour, 42 runs to 36, en route to sweeping records of his own.
Having allowed the opposition's eighth wicket to post more than 200 runs for the first time since 1908, England were able to knock India's No. 10 and 11 quickly enough. Small mercies.
India 631
England trail by 49 runs with 4 wickets remaining
With his sublime 235 off 340 balls, with 25 fours and a six, Virat Kohli became the first Indian to three double-centuries in a year. As soon as he left the crease and England were in to bat the pitch began to look like a minefield.
The visitors were trailing by 49 runs at stumps and had only four wickets in hand to mount a challenge. Their plight - especially after scoring 400 in the first innings - was largely due to one man. And it was to see that man bat that people thronged to Wankhede stadium.
Kohli broke a slew of records. The most runs by an Indian in a series against England - Rahul Dravid was left behind. The most runs in an innings by an India captain - MS Dhoni was left behind. In 2016, he has made 1200 runs at an average of 80 and a strike-rate of 60.
Making the day sweeter for India was Jayant Yadav, who made 104 off 204 balls in a record stand of 241 for the eighth wicket. He had the highest score at No. 9 (211) and was part of the largest eighth-wicket partnership (392) in Indian first-class cricket. Having replaced the man with whom he put on that partnership - Haryana's Amit Mishra - he came to hold the corresponding records for India in Test cricket too.
The spotlight wouldn't budge from Kohli, though. A crunching straight drive in the first over of the day converted his fourth successive hundred into a 150-plus score. In the 162nd, he only rolled his wrists on a straight delivery, but it skipped away to the backward square leg boundary. The timing was such that it beat England's best fielder Ben Stokes, and the placement was such that it was well to the right of the man.
Kohli batted for over eight hours. The concentration it must have taken, the mental and physical strain he must have felt to play an innings of such quality on a difficult pitch was finally on view as he walked off for lunch with a tired smile on his face. In the dressing room, everyone from the support staff to his team-mates patted him on the back. When he came out in the second session, he biffed Chris Woakes back over his head for a six and ran like mad for a single next ball.
The shot the fans cared about most came a little earlier. A gentle little flick in the 165th over, all along the ground, to the left of midwicket. It raised Kohli's 200. Smart phones were out to record the moment. Anil Kumble's camera didn't miss it either. A little slice of history to put in the back pocket. In all of Test cricket, only five men have made three or more double-hundreds in a year: Don Bradman, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Brendon McCullum and now Kohli.
England's response to that innings came from Joe Root. If it hadn't been for his firebrand style of play England may never have reduced their deficit to 49 at stumps. Root made 77 off only 103 balls against two of the best spinners in the world on a surface that had become rank.
Considering it had waited 312 overs to do so should make it immune to criticism. Besides, it's pace was true. That meant batsmen picking length early and looking to score first and defend second would flourish. Root exemplified those characteristics well as he swept the spinners hard and stepped down the track often to take balls on the full and paste them through the covers. India were forced to pull the close catchers out and Root inside edged Ashwin to short leg when there was no one there. He fell lbw to Jayant in the last hour of play, deceived into going back to a full delivery because its pace was quicker and trajectory was flatter.
These are the kinds of tricks that made India such a force in their own conditions. That and their accuracy, which separated them from England's, especially where the scorecard was concerned.
Anything on the fourth day at Wankhede would turn. A straight line drawn on it would come out a semi-circle. India turned to spin in the eighth over and Ravindra Jadeja got the ball to turn square thrice in a row. Close catchers buzzed around the batsman like mosquitoes, and puffs of dust erupted even off the undisturbed parts of the surface let alone the rough.
Alastair Cook was the visitors' best bet at playing time. Two overs before tea, however, he went back in an effort to flick a good length ball with the turn through square leg. But Jadeja, by virtue of being quicker through the air, had the England captain hurrying into his shot, losing his shape and out lbw. It was Jadeja's 100th wicket in his 24th Test; equal fastest to the mark with Ryan Harris and Lance Gibbs and one match slower than Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Saqlain Mushtaq.
Moeen Ali came out to bat with four men crowding him. He picked one of them out, extra bounce making his little nudge off the hip carry to M Vijay's right at leg gully. In the five minutes to tea, England had lost two wickets to add to Keaton Jennings' golden duck.
Jonny Bairstow resisted with an unbeaten 50, producing some memorable moments. He tried to shoulder arms to a ball from R Ashwin pitching about four feet outside the line of off stump only to have it strike him on the stomach. He went to cut the same bowler and was beaten by the turn that was so sharp it went past the wicketkeeper's left. His use of DRS was pristine as well. He was given out twice in the space of five overs but used the technology to save himself. Not everyone enjoyed Bairstow's street-smarts though. Umpire Bruce Oxenford actually threw his head back in exasperation at the second review, which was asked for so quickly he possibly knew he had made a mistake and giving the batsman out caught at short leg.
England were very nervy in the last 15-20 minutes minutes, into which India squeezed five overs. Indeed, Jadeja finished one in a minute or so to give Ashwin a go at the nightwatchman, Jake Ball, and did him with a topspinner to end the day. They had lost Ben Stokes prior to that, reverse sweeping the ball onto his boot for second slip to catch it on the rebound.
It was a bit cruel all this happened to England on the same day they conceded 180 runs at 4.44 runs per over.
India's overnight lead was 51. They had got seven wickets and if the remaining three had fallen quickly, Cook and his men may have felt they still had a chance. In 34 overs on the fourth morning, there wasn't a single breakthrough. When India were finally all out after lunch, they had pulled ahead by 231 runs.
Kohli was the ninth wicket to fall when his lofted drive carried to deep extra cover. Plenty of England players came to congratulate him, including Stokes and Bairstow. All at the Wankhede stadium were on their feet.
His partner for much of the day, Jayant, had begun by scything a half-volley from Rashid through the covers and then the ensuing short ball was cut behind point. He was more than a match for an inswinging yorker from Ball in the 149th over and the good length delivery that followed was driven to the cover boundary with some style.
Jayant seems to think like a top-order batsman. He spotted mid-on was up with Moeen bowling around the wicket in the 155th over, danced down the track and lofted the ball over the fielder's head. Cook put a long-on in for the next ball and the batsman tapped a single to him. Jayant outscored Kohli in the first hour, 42 runs to 36, en route to sweeping records of his own.
Having allowed the opposition's eighth wicket to post more than 200 runs for the first time since 1908, England were able to knock India's No. 10 and 11 quickly enough. Small mercies.
Saturday 10 December 2016
4th Test Day 3 IND 2-0 ENG
India 451 for 7 lead England 400 by 51 runs
An old cricket cliche is that batsmen regard poor deliveries as their bread and butter. Virat Kohli, however, seems to prefer it the other way around. He likes a challenge. He wants every bit of his considerable skill tested. It is almost as if he feels shortchanged when things are easy. At Wankhede stadium, Kohli rose above scoreboard pressure on a turning track to make his 15th Test century in front of a packed crowd. In doing so, he became the first Indian captain in 35 years to make 500 runs or more in a series and took his team into the lead.
Mumbai has a history of being a very difficult place to bat in the third and fourth innings so even the slimmest of advantages can prove decisive. That was incentive number one. Incentive number two was the opportunity to make tough runs, Kohli's favourite kind. There was quick turn and steep bounce. England's spinners exploited them to pick up four wickets for 45 runs in the middle session. India, at that point, were 307 for 6 and 93 runs behind. Four good balls would have had them on the mat.
But Kohli had his plans. Simple ones. He moved back and across to the offbreaks of Moeen Ali, knowing the bowler doesn't use his wrong 'un often. So he was always in a good position even when a few deliveries kicked up off a length. He would lean over the legbreaks of Adil Rashid and from that position his powerful wrists were able to do what they wanted. Those skills were bolstered by a new-found restraint.
He was careful outside his off stump, even his leaves were characterised by a giant front-foot stride and the bat stabbing at the air above him, and was content despite scoring only 11 runs off 47 balls in the first hour after lunch. Kohli recognised that England had hit their rhythm and the sensible thing to do was to wait it out. He was having the time of his life doing it all, of course, winking at his partner after hitting boundaries and sticking his tongue out at the pitch when it misbehaved.
It didn't hurt that there were nearly 20,000 people at the ground chanting his name. Kohli draws from them. He did at Eden Gardens, where India became the No. 1 team in the world. He did in Visakhapatnam, where he produced a couple of masterclasses on a slow and low surface. At Wankhede, when he got his 100th run, he screamed in delight, leapt up to punch the air and spread his arms in triumph. The noise was deafening. He batted through the entire day and remained unbeaten on 147.
England had to deal with another Indian batsman showing his class on Saturday. M Vijay made 136 sublime runs. They were important runs too, with his partner Cheteshwar Pujara falling off the second ball of the day.
Alastair Cook took a punt. He had a man with 467 wickets at the ready but chose the one playing his first Test since his debut in July to bowl the opening over. Jake Ball repaid that trust emphatically when he bowled Pujara neck and crop. The batsman had shouldered arms, having misread the line of a delivery that pitched on fifth stump and seamed in.
At this point, India had a choice to make. It was very early in the day. They were 254 runs behind on a turning pitch. Their usual No. 5 Ajinkya Rahane, who averages 47, was injured. So their middle order comprised of Karun Nair, playing his second Test, and Parthiv Patel, recalled this series from an eight-year cryogenic freeze. But this team is probably allergic to taking steps back.
Kohli guided Ball to the third man boundary twice in the fourth over after the breakthrough and then thumped a fist onto the face of his bat when Vijay hoisted Moeen Ali a straight six. India went from 150 to 200 in only 66 balls - after the wicket had fallen.
Vijay reached his hundred off the 231st ball he faced, benefiting from an outside edge as Moeen tried bowling around the stumps and got one to hold its line. He celebrated pointing to his left shoulder, while looking at someone in the dressing room. Soon after, he took a perfectly good delivery from James Anderson and lofted it back over his head for four.
It would sicken England that they had a chance to dismiss both of India's centurions for a lot less. Rashid fumbled a tough return catch offered by Kohli on 68 and had watched the wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow miss a stumping off Vijay on 45 the previous evening.
It was even more of a shame because England's spinners had put in an impressive performance. They worked the rookie Nair over beautifully. Rashid beat the outside edge three times in a row before Moeen, bowling around the wicket, had him lbw with a good length delivery that straightened sharply enough to overrule the on-field umpire's not-out decision when England went for DRS. They had their revenge over Parthiv, who questioned their quality last evening only to fall to part-timer Joe Root's first over of the day. R Ashwin was then caught brilliantly by Keaton Jennings at short leg, the fielder staying in line with a full-blooded flick and being rewarded for it when the ball just stuck in his midriff.
At that point, England had a sniff at securing a lead but handy cameos from Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav meant India pulled ahead. Their seventh wicket added 57 runs in 82 balls and the eighth an unbroken 87 off 145. However, England had their chances. Jayant was dropped on 8, by Root at second slip, when England had belatedly taken the second new ball in the 130th over then survived an edge down the leg side on 28 which the umpire did not spot only for England not to have any reviews left.
An old cricket cliche is that batsmen regard poor deliveries as their bread and butter. Virat Kohli, however, seems to prefer it the other way around. He likes a challenge. He wants every bit of his considerable skill tested. It is almost as if he feels shortchanged when things are easy. At Wankhede stadium, Kohli rose above scoreboard pressure on a turning track to make his 15th Test century in front of a packed crowd. In doing so, he became the first Indian captain in 35 years to make 500 runs or more in a series and took his team into the lead.
Mumbai has a history of being a very difficult place to bat in the third and fourth innings so even the slimmest of advantages can prove decisive. That was incentive number one. Incentive number two was the opportunity to make tough runs, Kohli's favourite kind. There was quick turn and steep bounce. England's spinners exploited them to pick up four wickets for 45 runs in the middle session. India, at that point, were 307 for 6 and 93 runs behind. Four good balls would have had them on the mat.
But Kohli had his plans. Simple ones. He moved back and across to the offbreaks of Moeen Ali, knowing the bowler doesn't use his wrong 'un often. So he was always in a good position even when a few deliveries kicked up off a length. He would lean over the legbreaks of Adil Rashid and from that position his powerful wrists were able to do what they wanted. Those skills were bolstered by a new-found restraint.
He was careful outside his off stump, even his leaves were characterised by a giant front-foot stride and the bat stabbing at the air above him, and was content despite scoring only 11 runs off 47 balls in the first hour after lunch. Kohli recognised that England had hit their rhythm and the sensible thing to do was to wait it out. He was having the time of his life doing it all, of course, winking at his partner after hitting boundaries and sticking his tongue out at the pitch when it misbehaved.
It didn't hurt that there were nearly 20,000 people at the ground chanting his name. Kohli draws from them. He did at Eden Gardens, where India became the No. 1 team in the world. He did in Visakhapatnam, where he produced a couple of masterclasses on a slow and low surface. At Wankhede, when he got his 100th run, he screamed in delight, leapt up to punch the air and spread his arms in triumph. The noise was deafening. He batted through the entire day and remained unbeaten on 147.
England had to deal with another Indian batsman showing his class on Saturday. M Vijay made 136 sublime runs. They were important runs too, with his partner Cheteshwar Pujara falling off the second ball of the day.
Alastair Cook took a punt. He had a man with 467 wickets at the ready but chose the one playing his first Test since his debut in July to bowl the opening over. Jake Ball repaid that trust emphatically when he bowled Pujara neck and crop. The batsman had shouldered arms, having misread the line of a delivery that pitched on fifth stump and seamed in.
At this point, India had a choice to make. It was very early in the day. They were 254 runs behind on a turning pitch. Their usual No. 5 Ajinkya Rahane, who averages 47, was injured. So their middle order comprised of Karun Nair, playing his second Test, and Parthiv Patel, recalled this series from an eight-year cryogenic freeze. But this team is probably allergic to taking steps back.
Kohli guided Ball to the third man boundary twice in the fourth over after the breakthrough and then thumped a fist onto the face of his bat when Vijay hoisted Moeen Ali a straight six. India went from 150 to 200 in only 66 balls - after the wicket had fallen.
Vijay reached his hundred off the 231st ball he faced, benefiting from an outside edge as Moeen tried bowling around the stumps and got one to hold its line. He celebrated pointing to his left shoulder, while looking at someone in the dressing room. Soon after, he took a perfectly good delivery from James Anderson and lofted it back over his head for four.
It would sicken England that they had a chance to dismiss both of India's centurions for a lot less. Rashid fumbled a tough return catch offered by Kohli on 68 and had watched the wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow miss a stumping off Vijay on 45 the previous evening.
It was even more of a shame because England's spinners had put in an impressive performance. They worked the rookie Nair over beautifully. Rashid beat the outside edge three times in a row before Moeen, bowling around the wicket, had him lbw with a good length delivery that straightened sharply enough to overrule the on-field umpire's not-out decision when England went for DRS. They had their revenge over Parthiv, who questioned their quality last evening only to fall to part-timer Joe Root's first over of the day. R Ashwin was then caught brilliantly by Keaton Jennings at short leg, the fielder staying in line with a full-blooded flick and being rewarded for it when the ball just stuck in his midriff.
At that point, England had a sniff at securing a lead but handy cameos from Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav meant India pulled ahead. Their seventh wicket added 57 runs in 82 balls and the eighth an unbroken 87 off 145. However, England had their chances. Jayant was dropped on 8, by Root at second slip, when England had belatedly taken the second new ball in the 130th over then survived an edge down the leg side on 28 which the umpire did not spot only for England not to have any reviews left.
Friday 9 December 2016
4th Test Day 2 IND 2-0 ENG
England 400
India 146/1 (52.0 ov)
India trail by 254 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara led India's bid towards parity in the fourth Test. They are a long way off though - 254 runs to be precise - but the start was promising. They got through 52 overs of play for the loss of only one wicket.
England had fun at Wankhede stadium too. The total they put up - 400 - was exactly the same as that in 2006. A left-handed, South African-born opening batsman had made a century then too, and set up a famous victory. India have a task on their hands to prevent this Test from reaching a similar conclusion.
They would have gone to stumps feeling relatively comfortable though. Vijay did as he does in Test cricket, making an unbeaten 70 off 169 balls. His concentration rarely blipped, his drives were invariably elegant and his sixes were stunning and sudden. Along side him, as has become custom in recent times, was Pujara, hurtling down the pitch at the spinners and punching England's fast bowlers for fours through point and cover. The second wicket added 107 runs mitigating some of the scoreboard pressure that was on India.
The pitch offered plenty of turn and bounce to the spinners. The question, though, was whether Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid had the quality and consistency to exploit that. At first, it did not seem so. They tended to push the ball through quickly, which works well on slow pitches, but was unnecessary here. Then, in the 14th over, Moeen looped one up for the cover drive. A little bit before that, Alastair Cook pulled the fielder out of that region. KL Rahul couldn't resist the temptation. He went for the shot, the ball dipped on him, burst through the gap between bat and pad and bowled him.
Moments like these would likely happen often in this Test for the surface has pace. Spinners willing to be slow through the air and give the ball enough flight could expect wickets. But England have only two of them in their ranks and India would still back themselves to upset them. Vijay did so when he tonked Rashid for a four and a six in the third over after England had made the breakthrough. Pujara was dancing down the track for his second ball. The match was superbly set up.
It could have swayed in England's favour in the 32nd over had Jonny Bairstow converted a stumping change. Vijay seemed to have picked the googly, but he was a bit lazy on the flick. The wicketkeeper was perhaps blinded because he did not react until the ball hit his left thigh and wandered off to fine leg. More such chances could have been created had England's spinners been able to hold their line and lengths better.
The visitors remain ahead of the game, though, and pivotal to that was Jos Buttler's 76. Early on, he looked unsure against spin and was springing out of his crease without minding the length of the ball. He was able to put the times he was beaten behind him quickly, though. His one-day style - nudging through midwicket, dabbing behind point and reverse-sweeping too - came in handy as he batted with the tail. Eventually, he grew assured enough to pick Ashwin's carrom balls and even manipulate the field to marshall the strike.
Jake Ball, in at No. 10, kept getting better with time, so much that he thumped Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the cover boundary immediately after India took the second new ball in the 122nd over. He stole 54 runs in partnership with Buttler and pushed England's total above 350. No team has ever lost at Wankhede going past that mark in the first innings.
That's because of the danger that lurked in the pitch. Rashid faced a ball that was speared into middle and leg by Ravindra Jadeja, and beat his outside edge. Another one, also meant to dart away, held its line and knocked the off stump over as the batsman shouldered arms. India would, therefore, be disappointed that their spinners could string only 12 maidens despite bowling 106.1 overs. They did, however, take all the wickets.
R Ashwin picked up his 23rd five-for. He had Ben Stokes caught behind in the third over of the day, stirring up a DRS debate for, at the time the ball seemed to deviate off the edge, the bat had been touching the ground as well. It was because of this doubt that umpire Bruce Oxenford ruled against the appeal.
Shamshuddin - who continued as stand-in third umpire because Marais Erasmus was required on the field again with Paul Reiffel sidelined after suffering a concussion - overturned the decision. It appeared to be the correct call, though, for there was a visible deflection as ball passed the bat. The only reason it became a talking point was because the evidence that swayed Shamshuddin came from Ultra Edge, which may have picked up the sound of bat hitting ground.
Amid the drama, Ashwin had his 47th wicket in 2016, the most by a spinner in India in a calendar year, going past Erapalli Prasanna's record that had stood since 1969. He bowled 44 overs for his 6 for 112 and led India off the field.
India 146/1 (52.0 ov)
India trail by 254 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara led India's bid towards parity in the fourth Test. They are a long way off though - 254 runs to be precise - but the start was promising. They got through 52 overs of play for the loss of only one wicket.
England had fun at Wankhede stadium too. The total they put up - 400 - was exactly the same as that in 2006. A left-handed, South African-born opening batsman had made a century then too, and set up a famous victory. India have a task on their hands to prevent this Test from reaching a similar conclusion.
They would have gone to stumps feeling relatively comfortable though. Vijay did as he does in Test cricket, making an unbeaten 70 off 169 balls. His concentration rarely blipped, his drives were invariably elegant and his sixes were stunning and sudden. Along side him, as has become custom in recent times, was Pujara, hurtling down the pitch at the spinners and punching England's fast bowlers for fours through point and cover. The second wicket added 107 runs mitigating some of the scoreboard pressure that was on India.
The pitch offered plenty of turn and bounce to the spinners. The question, though, was whether Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid had the quality and consistency to exploit that. At first, it did not seem so. They tended to push the ball through quickly, which works well on slow pitches, but was unnecessary here. Then, in the 14th over, Moeen looped one up for the cover drive. A little bit before that, Alastair Cook pulled the fielder out of that region. KL Rahul couldn't resist the temptation. He went for the shot, the ball dipped on him, burst through the gap between bat and pad and bowled him.
Moments like these would likely happen often in this Test for the surface has pace. Spinners willing to be slow through the air and give the ball enough flight could expect wickets. But England have only two of them in their ranks and India would still back themselves to upset them. Vijay did so when he tonked Rashid for a four and a six in the third over after England had made the breakthrough. Pujara was dancing down the track for his second ball. The match was superbly set up.
It could have swayed in England's favour in the 32nd over had Jonny Bairstow converted a stumping change. Vijay seemed to have picked the googly, but he was a bit lazy on the flick. The wicketkeeper was perhaps blinded because he did not react until the ball hit his left thigh and wandered off to fine leg. More such chances could have been created had England's spinners been able to hold their line and lengths better.
The visitors remain ahead of the game, though, and pivotal to that was Jos Buttler's 76. Early on, he looked unsure against spin and was springing out of his crease without minding the length of the ball. He was able to put the times he was beaten behind him quickly, though. His one-day style - nudging through midwicket, dabbing behind point and reverse-sweeping too - came in handy as he batted with the tail. Eventually, he grew assured enough to pick Ashwin's carrom balls and even manipulate the field to marshall the strike.
Jake Ball, in at No. 10, kept getting better with time, so much that he thumped Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the cover boundary immediately after India took the second new ball in the 122nd over. He stole 54 runs in partnership with Buttler and pushed England's total above 350. No team has ever lost at Wankhede going past that mark in the first innings.
That's because of the danger that lurked in the pitch. Rashid faced a ball that was speared into middle and leg by Ravindra Jadeja, and beat his outside edge. Another one, also meant to dart away, held its line and knocked the off stump over as the batsman shouldered arms. India would, therefore, be disappointed that their spinners could string only 12 maidens despite bowling 106.1 overs. They did, however, take all the wickets.
R Ashwin picked up his 23rd five-for. He had Ben Stokes caught behind in the third over of the day, stirring up a DRS debate for, at the time the ball seemed to deviate off the edge, the bat had been touching the ground as well. It was because of this doubt that umpire Bruce Oxenford ruled against the appeal.
Shamshuddin - who continued as stand-in third umpire because Marais Erasmus was required on the field again with Paul Reiffel sidelined after suffering a concussion - overturned the decision. It appeared to be the correct call, though, for there was a visible deflection as ball passed the bat. The only reason it became a talking point was because the evidence that swayed Shamshuddin came from Ultra Edge, which may have picked up the sound of bat hitting ground.
Amid the drama, Ashwin had his 47th wicket in 2016, the most by a spinner in India in a calendar year, going past Erapalli Prasanna's record that had stood since 1969. He bowled 44 overs for his 6 for 112 and led India off the field.
3rd ODI: Australia 3-0 New Zealand
Australia 264/8 (50.0 ov)
New Zealand 147 (36.1 ov)
Australia won by 117 runs
Different crowd, different context, similar result. Australia returned to the scene of their 2015 World Cup final hiding of New Zealand and duly inflicted another enormous defeat on the visitors, completing the first clean sweep of a Chappell-Hadlee series in a decade, in front of a far smaller gathering than last time.
Only 20,591 spectators were on hand to see the heavy lifting done by the vice-captain David Warner, who soared to his second ODI hundred in as many innings and seventh of the year, in conditions far more challenging than those prepared for either of the first two matches of the series.
Warner's innings was all the more laudable for the fact that most batsmen found scoring difficult on a slow and capricious pitch. After his 156, the next best score on either side was a doughty supporting hand of 37 by Travis Head, part of the only century stand of the match.
On a chilly December day in Melbourne, the visitors had bowled with accuracy to some nifty plans devised by the captain Kane Williamson, notably catching out Aaron Finch and Steven Smith with a fielder placed at a shortish square leg. However Warner endured through the difficult passages and accelerated during a rearguard stand with Head, reaching his century, then going on to guide the Australians to a total that proved well beyond New Zealand.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood both proved fiendishly difficult to counter in the evening, while Head made a further contribution to the match with the wickets of Martin Guptill and BJ Watling. James Faulkner chimed in with the vital dismissal of Williamson. The failure of New Zealand's batsmen to make any impression on the scoreboard undermined some decent work earlier in the day by their bowlers, Warner's excellence excepted.
Trent Boult performed nicely for New Zealand, while the recalled Lockie Ferguson again demonstrated the high pace he is able to generate from a fast-arm action. It was Ferguson who came closest to dismissing Warner early on, but Henry Nicholls was unable to cling onto a difficult, diving outfield chance when the opener was on 18.
The hosts had gone in with an unchanged team for the third match, retaining their fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins while also continuing to ignore the all-round skills of Glenn Maxwell. New Zealand had to leave out Jimmy Neesham due to continued pain in the arm that was struck by Starc in Canberra, while also recalling Ferguson at the expense of Matt Henry.
While the new ball did not swing a great deal, Boult bowled the ideal lines to coax Finch and Smith into false strokes towards the leg side that were snapped up by Nicholls. Smith's wicket was a particular source of satisfaction after his tall scores in the first two matches of the series.
George Bailey, again showcasing his backside-to-the-bowler stance, hung around to add 62 with Warner, but when his dismissal by Colin de Grandhomme was swiftly followed by Mitchell Marsh being bowled off bat and body, the Australians were in difficult straits.
Warner was able to find a useful ally in Head, who struggled with timing but was at least able to rotate the strike and form a partnership, ultimately worth 105. That stand gave the hosts something to work with, and Warner was able to push on further once he passed three figures, surging beyond 150 and only being dismissed via a run out on the final ball of the innings.
Matthew Wade and James Faulkner had provided some support at the back end of the innings, ensuring Australia were able to set New Zealand a total of good value on a sluggish pitch and expansive outfield. Guptill and Tom Latham made a fair start to the chase, reaching 44 in good time before Pat Cummins coaxed Latham into granting another catch to square leg, this time patrolled by Faulkner.
Williamson was pinned in front of the stumps by Faulkner from around the wicket, and two overs later Guptill cracked Head's very first ball into the outstretched hands of Bailey at cover. Nicholls was comprehensively yorked by Starc, and when Watling was found to be lbw to Head on a DRS review the game was all but up.
Smith ended the match with another ripping catch, this time diving to his right at slip. While a vast match and series victory over a New Zealand side lacking both confidence and sharpness, this was no World Cup final. By their restrained celebrations it was clear that both Australian players and spectators alike were well aware of this fact.
New Zealand 147 (36.1 ov)
Australia won by 117 runs
Different crowd, different context, similar result. Australia returned to the scene of their 2015 World Cup final hiding of New Zealand and duly inflicted another enormous defeat on the visitors, completing the first clean sweep of a Chappell-Hadlee series in a decade, in front of a far smaller gathering than last time.
Only 20,591 spectators were on hand to see the heavy lifting done by the vice-captain David Warner, who soared to his second ODI hundred in as many innings and seventh of the year, in conditions far more challenging than those prepared for either of the first two matches of the series.
Warner's innings was all the more laudable for the fact that most batsmen found scoring difficult on a slow and capricious pitch. After his 156, the next best score on either side was a doughty supporting hand of 37 by Travis Head, part of the only century stand of the match.
On a chilly December day in Melbourne, the visitors had bowled with accuracy to some nifty plans devised by the captain Kane Williamson, notably catching out Aaron Finch and Steven Smith with a fielder placed at a shortish square leg. However Warner endured through the difficult passages and accelerated during a rearguard stand with Head, reaching his century, then going on to guide the Australians to a total that proved well beyond New Zealand.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood both proved fiendishly difficult to counter in the evening, while Head made a further contribution to the match with the wickets of Martin Guptill and BJ Watling. James Faulkner chimed in with the vital dismissal of Williamson. The failure of New Zealand's batsmen to make any impression on the scoreboard undermined some decent work earlier in the day by their bowlers, Warner's excellence excepted.
Trent Boult performed nicely for New Zealand, while the recalled Lockie Ferguson again demonstrated the high pace he is able to generate from a fast-arm action. It was Ferguson who came closest to dismissing Warner early on, but Henry Nicholls was unable to cling onto a difficult, diving outfield chance when the opener was on 18.
The hosts had gone in with an unchanged team for the third match, retaining their fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins while also continuing to ignore the all-round skills of Glenn Maxwell. New Zealand had to leave out Jimmy Neesham due to continued pain in the arm that was struck by Starc in Canberra, while also recalling Ferguson at the expense of Matt Henry.
While the new ball did not swing a great deal, Boult bowled the ideal lines to coax Finch and Smith into false strokes towards the leg side that were snapped up by Nicholls. Smith's wicket was a particular source of satisfaction after his tall scores in the first two matches of the series.
George Bailey, again showcasing his backside-to-the-bowler stance, hung around to add 62 with Warner, but when his dismissal by Colin de Grandhomme was swiftly followed by Mitchell Marsh being bowled off bat and body, the Australians were in difficult straits.
Warner was able to find a useful ally in Head, who struggled with timing but was at least able to rotate the strike and form a partnership, ultimately worth 105. That stand gave the hosts something to work with, and Warner was able to push on further once he passed three figures, surging beyond 150 and only being dismissed via a run out on the final ball of the innings.
Matthew Wade and James Faulkner had provided some support at the back end of the innings, ensuring Australia were able to set New Zealand a total of good value on a sluggish pitch and expansive outfield. Guptill and Tom Latham made a fair start to the chase, reaching 44 in good time before Pat Cummins coaxed Latham into granting another catch to square leg, this time patrolled by Faulkner.
Williamson was pinned in front of the stumps by Faulkner from around the wicket, and two overs later Guptill cracked Head's very first ball into the outstretched hands of Bailey at cover. Nicholls was comprehensively yorked by Starc, and when Watling was found to be lbw to Head on a DRS review the game was all but up.
Smith ended the match with another ripping catch, this time diving to his right at slip. While a vast match and series victory over a New Zealand side lacking both confidence and sharpness, this was no World Cup final. By their restrained celebrations it was clear that both Australian players and spectators alike were well aware of this fact.
Thursday 8 December 2016
4th Test Day 1 IND 2-0 ENG
England 288/5 (94 ov) v India
Only 24 years old, playing his first game at any level in India, arriving in the country only four days before taking up one of the sternest examinations of technique. The deck wasn't so much stacked against Keaton Jennings as it was competing for the Burj Khalifa in height. He might have stared at the real thing in Dubai, getting ready to play UAE with the rest of the England Lions. But in a case of reality kicking fantasy's butt, he ended up as the fifth England opener and 69th player in cricket history to make a century in his first innings. On his coattails, England went to stumps at 288 for 5.
"Bar waking up at 5 'o clock in the morning thinking I'd missed the bus" everything was the same as a County game for Jennings. His cover drives were effortless. His pulls were a warning. And his soft hands against spin were a revelation. Wankhede stadium, traditionally, affords plenty of bounce to fast bowlers and spinners alike. Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow found that out to their detriment in the final session. But Jennings - having been dropped at gully on 0 after being surprised by it - coped rather well. The trick was in how he always brought the bat down on top of the ball and never tried to overhit. Ironically, that put him in a much better position to profit from the most audacious strokes. He got to his hundred with a reverse swept four.
India were chasing the game for most of the day, and though Virat Kohli put on a brave face after the toss, saying the early movement would help the fast bowlers, he cut a frustrated figure when England began with 117 runs in the first session at 3.77 per over. R Ashwin helped pull things back in the final session when he took two wickets in three balls but Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler were able to survive the rest of the day. With five wickets still left, England would be keen to get as close to 350 or 400 as possible.
India could have mitigated the damage if Karun Nair had been able to hold on to a tough catch at gully in the fourth over of the day. Jennings was on 0 when he fended at a lifter from Umesh Yadav at 143 kph. The batsman had committed to a glide behind point and the extra bounce inherent in a Wankhede pitch had made him lose control of his shot. Nair moved to his left, leapt up and stuck one of his hands out in desperation but he couldn't hold on to the ball. That he found himself at gully in the first place was because India's specialist Ajinkya Rahane had broken his finger on the eve of the match and was ruled out of the whole series. It was the first time in 83 years that a Test in Mumbai did not have a local player in action.
Jennings warned India against bowling short at him quickly enough with a rip-roaring pull to the midwicket boundary two balls after he was reprieved. He took guard rather deep in his crease and, early on at least, appeared reluctant to come forward. But with time he understood the surface was true and outfield was fast. He struck 13 boundaries in an innings of 219 balls, basically carrying on with his first-class form. Jennings came into the Test with 1548 runs in Division One of the 2016 County Championship, the most by any player.
It wasn't until the 20th over, when Ashwin made a ball dip and take a bit of the pitch with it to the wicketkeeper that India were able to create some pressure. Prior to that - in the first half an hour - there was a dropped catch, a DRS review was struck down and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who replaced the injured Mohammed Shami, was warned for following through on the danger area.
Ravindra Jadeja removing Alastair Cook for 46 in his first over of the match helped. The England captain struck back-to-back fours and was coming down the track again, but the ball was slower this time, it sneaked through his bat and pad and led to his being stumped for only the fifth time in 250 innings. That broke an opening stand of 99 and India built on it well after lunch when Ashwin had Root driving away from his body as a result of the drift on his offbreak and had the batsman caught at slip. Kohli was lucky, though, for he had moved in the wrong direction before having to grab at the ball.
These incidents made it clear that the pitch had plenty for the spinners. But Jennings was able to keep all three at bay by playing late and being judicious with the sweep. He would play the shot only when the ball was full enough that he could smother it, used the conventional one when the line was on leg stump and went for the reverse when the line was outside off. All of that meant he reduced the risk of being caught or lbw. His innings eventually ended in the 71st over of the day, jabbing at a beautiful delivery from Ashwin. It was tossed up, but hit a length the batsman could not reach with his front foot, not even one as tall as Jennings. The turn thereafter took the outside edge and Cheteshwar Pujara at gully - newly installed for this reason - snapped up the catch. In the same over, Moeen Ali had gone for a rash sweep shot and was caught off the top edge.
England had gone from 230 for 2 to 249 for 5 and the pitch was already breaking up. All three of India's spinners beat the outside edge regularly or had balls bouncing over the stumps but, at the end of the day, it ended up a warning for their own team. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid were the only two slow bowlers the visitors have opted for, with Jake Ball coming back into the XI, but if there was a surface on which they could be dangerous, it was this one.
Only 24 years old, playing his first game at any level in India, arriving in the country only four days before taking up one of the sternest examinations of technique. The deck wasn't so much stacked against Keaton Jennings as it was competing for the Burj Khalifa in height. He might have stared at the real thing in Dubai, getting ready to play UAE with the rest of the England Lions. But in a case of reality kicking fantasy's butt, he ended up as the fifth England opener and 69th player in cricket history to make a century in his first innings. On his coattails, England went to stumps at 288 for 5.
"Bar waking up at 5 'o clock in the morning thinking I'd missed the bus" everything was the same as a County game for Jennings. His cover drives were effortless. His pulls were a warning. And his soft hands against spin were a revelation. Wankhede stadium, traditionally, affords plenty of bounce to fast bowlers and spinners alike. Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow found that out to their detriment in the final session. But Jennings - having been dropped at gully on 0 after being surprised by it - coped rather well. The trick was in how he always brought the bat down on top of the ball and never tried to overhit. Ironically, that put him in a much better position to profit from the most audacious strokes. He got to his hundred with a reverse swept four.
India were chasing the game for most of the day, and though Virat Kohli put on a brave face after the toss, saying the early movement would help the fast bowlers, he cut a frustrated figure when England began with 117 runs in the first session at 3.77 per over. R Ashwin helped pull things back in the final session when he took two wickets in three balls but Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler were able to survive the rest of the day. With five wickets still left, England would be keen to get as close to 350 or 400 as possible.
India could have mitigated the damage if Karun Nair had been able to hold on to a tough catch at gully in the fourth over of the day. Jennings was on 0 when he fended at a lifter from Umesh Yadav at 143 kph. The batsman had committed to a glide behind point and the extra bounce inherent in a Wankhede pitch had made him lose control of his shot. Nair moved to his left, leapt up and stuck one of his hands out in desperation but he couldn't hold on to the ball. That he found himself at gully in the first place was because India's specialist Ajinkya Rahane had broken his finger on the eve of the match and was ruled out of the whole series. It was the first time in 83 years that a Test in Mumbai did not have a local player in action.
Jennings warned India against bowling short at him quickly enough with a rip-roaring pull to the midwicket boundary two balls after he was reprieved. He took guard rather deep in his crease and, early on at least, appeared reluctant to come forward. But with time he understood the surface was true and outfield was fast. He struck 13 boundaries in an innings of 219 balls, basically carrying on with his first-class form. Jennings came into the Test with 1548 runs in Division One of the 2016 County Championship, the most by any player.
It wasn't until the 20th over, when Ashwin made a ball dip and take a bit of the pitch with it to the wicketkeeper that India were able to create some pressure. Prior to that - in the first half an hour - there was a dropped catch, a DRS review was struck down and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who replaced the injured Mohammed Shami, was warned for following through on the danger area.
Ravindra Jadeja removing Alastair Cook for 46 in his first over of the match helped. The England captain struck back-to-back fours and was coming down the track again, but the ball was slower this time, it sneaked through his bat and pad and led to his being stumped for only the fifth time in 250 innings. That broke an opening stand of 99 and India built on it well after lunch when Ashwin had Root driving away from his body as a result of the drift on his offbreak and had the batsman caught at slip. Kohli was lucky, though, for he had moved in the wrong direction before having to grab at the ball.
These incidents made it clear that the pitch had plenty for the spinners. But Jennings was able to keep all three at bay by playing late and being judicious with the sweep. He would play the shot only when the ball was full enough that he could smother it, used the conventional one when the line was on leg stump and went for the reverse when the line was outside off. All of that meant he reduced the risk of being caught or lbw. His innings eventually ended in the 71st over of the day, jabbing at a beautiful delivery from Ashwin. It was tossed up, but hit a length the batsman could not reach with his front foot, not even one as tall as Jennings. The turn thereafter took the outside edge and Cheteshwar Pujara at gully - newly installed for this reason - snapped up the catch. In the same over, Moeen Ali had gone for a rash sweep shot and was caught off the top edge.
England had gone from 230 for 2 to 249 for 5 and the pitch was already breaking up. All three of India's spinners beat the outside edge regularly or had balls bouncing over the stumps but, at the end of the day, it ended up a warning for their own team. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid were the only two slow bowlers the visitors have opted for, with Jake Ball coming back into the XI, but if there was a surface on which they could be dangerous, it was this one.
Tuesday 6 December 2016
2nd ODI AUS 2-0 NZ
Australia 5 for 378 beat New Zealand 262 by 116 runs
Fourteen years and one month after Nasser Hussain infamously offered Australia first use of a Gabba pitch that proved brimful of Ashes runs, Kane Williamson gambled similarly and was left with an equally bitter taste of defeat, surrendering the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in the process.
Now, as then, there were mitigating circumstances: the pitch looked to have something in it after rain, and humid, overcast weather suggested apt conditions for swing. But after a couple of useful early deliveries things cleared for Australia's batsmen; so much so that they accelerated to the team's second highest total on home soil.
David Warner and Steven Smith set a platform that a supercharged Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh took full advantage of, leaving Williamson's visitors to chase in hope rather than expectation. Granted so many runs to defend, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all put in strong stints, while Head's part-time off spin was frugal.
After the toss was delayed by more than half an hour due to light drizzle in Canberra, the hosts were given an ideal start by Warner and a noticeably tighter Aaron Finch, getting through an early period of new ball movement to ease the pathway for the rest.
Warner's hundred combined judicious shot selection with plenty of hustle between the wickets and power off the bat, his sixth in ODIs this year. Most notable were his muscular, punched drives down the ground that gave New Zealand's seamers very little margin for error.
Smith, following up from his ground record 164 at the SCG on Sunday, produced another innings of substance and style in Warner's wake, as the pair combined for a stand worth 145 at better than a run a ball. Head was promoted above Marsh when Warner exited, and vindicated the decision by clattering 57 from 32 balls, before Marsh himself followed up with a bullying 76 from 39 - the swap appeared to suit both players.
Needing to win to keep the series alive, New Zealand dropped Lockie Ferguson after his Sydney debut for the more experienced swing bowler Tim Southee. Australia dropped Adam Zampa from the side that won handsomely at the SCG, replacing him with the allround skills of James Faulkner.
Having gambled on overcast skies and the potential for a slightly tacky pitch, Williamson needed early wickets but did himself no favours when placing only two slips for Warner. In his first over, Trent Boult found enough swing and bounce to draw an edge from Warner, but it flew past Jimmy Neesham's outstretched left hand at slip rather than straight into the lap of where third slip might have been.
Finch, meanwhile, showed he had worked on his first ball dismissal at the SCG, getting forward and across to cover the moving ball, and ensured that Williamson resorted to the spin of Mitchell Santner in only the 11th over of the innings. By the time Finch was bowled behind his pads trying to sweep Santner, there were 68 runs on the board and a platform had been laid.
Smith wasted little time picking up the thread left by his Sydney innings, while Warner played shots all round the ground without ever losing control of his tempo. Through strong running and the occasional boundary, he pushed on to three figures, doing so with near enough to 20 overs of the innings still remaining.
It took a fine low catch from Williamson at cover to account for Warner, before Smith skied an attempt to loft over cover and so missed out on consecutive hundreds. Head was rapidly into stride, pinging boundaries with relish, in contrast with a more halting effort from Marsh.
These two had traded places in the batting order, and it was not hard to imagine Head keeping his new-found place at No. 5 in the future, even if Marsh gradually found his rhythm to strike the ball with the sort of power associated with his best batting days. He put an exclamation point on the innings with a trio of straight sixes in the final over from a humbled Matt Henry.
Of the New Zealand bowlers, only Santner avoided considerable punishment; a trio of no-balls and the resultant free hits did not help either. They commenced their pursuit with a brazen Martin Guptill, following up from his SCG hundred. But Guptill was robbed of his opening partner Tom Latham via a return catch from Josh Hazlewood, before the ball of the night from Pat Cummins found his outside edge.
From there the visitors were always facing a dreadfully difficult task. Williamson put together a typically organised innings, and had staunch support from Neesham - even after he was struck a stinging blow to the right arm by Mitchell Starc. But their efforts did little to prevent the asking rate blowing out, and the consequent pressure delivered a steady stream of skied catches to Smith's infielders.
After a horrid start to summer, the Australians have found a little of their former strut - Hazlewood and Starc can expect to be given a breather from the third match at the MCG on Friday. Williamson's men, meanwhile, have some thinking to do, starting with the coin toss.
Fourteen years and one month after Nasser Hussain infamously offered Australia first use of a Gabba pitch that proved brimful of Ashes runs, Kane Williamson gambled similarly and was left with an equally bitter taste of defeat, surrendering the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in the process.
Now, as then, there were mitigating circumstances: the pitch looked to have something in it after rain, and humid, overcast weather suggested apt conditions for swing. But after a couple of useful early deliveries things cleared for Australia's batsmen; so much so that they accelerated to the team's second highest total on home soil.
David Warner and Steven Smith set a platform that a supercharged Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh took full advantage of, leaving Williamson's visitors to chase in hope rather than expectation. Granted so many runs to defend, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all put in strong stints, while Head's part-time off spin was frugal.
After the toss was delayed by more than half an hour due to light drizzle in Canberra, the hosts were given an ideal start by Warner and a noticeably tighter Aaron Finch, getting through an early period of new ball movement to ease the pathway for the rest.
Warner's hundred combined judicious shot selection with plenty of hustle between the wickets and power off the bat, his sixth in ODIs this year. Most notable were his muscular, punched drives down the ground that gave New Zealand's seamers very little margin for error.
Smith, following up from his ground record 164 at the SCG on Sunday, produced another innings of substance and style in Warner's wake, as the pair combined for a stand worth 145 at better than a run a ball. Head was promoted above Marsh when Warner exited, and vindicated the decision by clattering 57 from 32 balls, before Marsh himself followed up with a bullying 76 from 39 - the swap appeared to suit both players.
Needing to win to keep the series alive, New Zealand dropped Lockie Ferguson after his Sydney debut for the more experienced swing bowler Tim Southee. Australia dropped Adam Zampa from the side that won handsomely at the SCG, replacing him with the allround skills of James Faulkner.
Having gambled on overcast skies and the potential for a slightly tacky pitch, Williamson needed early wickets but did himself no favours when placing only two slips for Warner. In his first over, Trent Boult found enough swing and bounce to draw an edge from Warner, but it flew past Jimmy Neesham's outstretched left hand at slip rather than straight into the lap of where third slip might have been.
Finch, meanwhile, showed he had worked on his first ball dismissal at the SCG, getting forward and across to cover the moving ball, and ensured that Williamson resorted to the spin of Mitchell Santner in only the 11th over of the innings. By the time Finch was bowled behind his pads trying to sweep Santner, there were 68 runs on the board and a platform had been laid.
Smith wasted little time picking up the thread left by his Sydney innings, while Warner played shots all round the ground without ever losing control of his tempo. Through strong running and the occasional boundary, he pushed on to three figures, doing so with near enough to 20 overs of the innings still remaining.
It took a fine low catch from Williamson at cover to account for Warner, before Smith skied an attempt to loft over cover and so missed out on consecutive hundreds. Head was rapidly into stride, pinging boundaries with relish, in contrast with a more halting effort from Marsh.
These two had traded places in the batting order, and it was not hard to imagine Head keeping his new-found place at No. 5 in the future, even if Marsh gradually found his rhythm to strike the ball with the sort of power associated with his best batting days. He put an exclamation point on the innings with a trio of straight sixes in the final over from a humbled Matt Henry.
Of the New Zealand bowlers, only Santner avoided considerable punishment; a trio of no-balls and the resultant free hits did not help either. They commenced their pursuit with a brazen Martin Guptill, following up from his SCG hundred. But Guptill was robbed of his opening partner Tom Latham via a return catch from Josh Hazlewood, before the ball of the night from Pat Cummins found his outside edge.
From there the visitors were always facing a dreadfully difficult task. Williamson put together a typically organised innings, and had staunch support from Neesham - even after he was struck a stinging blow to the right arm by Mitchell Starc. But their efforts did little to prevent the asking rate blowing out, and the consequent pressure delivered a steady stream of skied catches to Smith's infielders.
After a horrid start to summer, the Australians have found a little of their former strut - Hazlewood and Starc can expect to be given a breather from the third match at the MCG on Friday. Williamson's men, meanwhile, have some thinking to do, starting with the coin toss.
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