Tag Futebol

SLC confident they can keep the bubble secure with the tournament being staged in different venues unlike last edition

Madushka Balasuriya02-Dec-2021The SLC has confirmed that spectators will be allowed up to 50% of stadium capacity for the second edition of the Lanka Premier League, starting on Sunday.Fans entering the stadium will need to be double vaccinated, with a period of at least two weeks having elapsed since receiving their second dose, Arjuna De Silva, the head of SLC’s medical committee, revealed on Thursday. The board said that the tickets will be available for online purchase in the coming days.Related

• Mathews could miss entire LPL due to thigh strain

• Lanka Premier League to start on December 5

• LPL terminates 2020 champion franchise Jaffna Stallions

• So what's going on with Sri Lankan cricket?

“We have had discussions right along with the Ministry of Health, and they have agreed to give us 50% spectators,” Arjuna said at a media briefing ahead of the tournament. “There is a new variant [Omicron], but that is immaterial, as we always follow the health guidelines. We are asking for spectators who have been double vaccinated for at least two weeks.”The ongoing Test series between Sri Lanka and the West Indies is the first instance of fans being allowed in a stadium in Sri Lanka since the pandemic last year.Sri Lanka’s bio-bubble protocols were successful during the last year’s LPL, with no Covid-19 cases detected during the tournament – two cases were reported before its start. All the matches took place at a single venue last year. This time around, though, most of the games – including the playoffs – will take place at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, with the action switching to Hambantota for the start of the Eliminator and the final.”There could be a problem when moving from venue to venue,” Arjuna said. “That was the problem faced during the IPL, though that was also because many teams had to fly to different venues. But we’re confident we can keep the bubble secure.”As per the Covid protocols, players will be tested every five days during the competition. Before entering the bubble, a player who is already in the country must do a PCR test 48 hours prior, and quarantine himself for 24 hours. Double vaccinated (by an SL/WHO-recognised vaccine) foreign players and local players flying in from abroad will be required to show a negative PCR test 48 hours before arrival, as well as an on-arrival PCR. They will also need to quarantine for three days after that.Most of the protocols will remain the same for the non-vaccinated players too, except the quarantine period, which will be extended to six days. They will also need to undergo both a PCR and antigen test before entering the bubble.”This is just to further ensure the safety of the players and the security of the bubble,” Arjuna said.SLC will also be obtaining the services of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, along with the Sri Lankan sports ministry’s anti-corruption officers, to oversee the tournament.”There are three anti-corruption officers, nominated by the ICC. There were anti-corruption officers last year as well,” SLC CEO Ashley De Silva said.When asked if there had been any anti-corruption breaches reported during the inaugural edition, Ashley said: “We have not been notified of any approaches last year. But we do have their [ICC] anti-corruption unit and the anti-corruption unit from the ministry [of sport] officiating in this year’s tournament.”Although the inaugural edition of LPL had largely been deemed a success, the lead-up to the second season has faced significant hurdles. The tournament was postponed twice to avoid clashes with other T20 leagues around the world. And of the five franchises that competed in the first edition, three have been terminated by organisers, including the Jaffna Stallions franchise, who had won the first season. Colombo and Dambulla franchises are the other two to have been terminated.Upon the defending champions’ exit, the Stallions owners alleged mismanagement and a lack of transparency within the league. Earlier this week, the former owner of the Dambulla Giants made similar allegations.

Discussions on reciprocal tour in 2021 not on the table at the moment, says Wasim Khan

Umar Farooq11-May-2020A watchful PCB is ready to do what it can – health and safety permitting – to ensure that its summer tour to England goes ahead. A panel of the board’s executives and directors as well as head coach Misbah-ul-Haq will meet its ECB counterparts on May 15 over a video link to take the discussion forward.The PCB is likely to seek a number of assurances from England around the situation in that country with regards to the Covid-19 pandemic. The UK has been one of the hardest-hit countries in the world in terms of infections and deaths, and has been in lockdown since the end of March. But, on Sunday evening, prime minister Boris Johnson announced a series of slow, gradual stages through which the lockdown will be eased.There have been suggestions that Pakistan touring this summer could have a favourable impact on England’s next scheduled tour to Pakistan, in 2021 – the PCB is keen to push harder on touring teams visiting the country now for home series rather than travelling the UAE. But Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive, said the summer tour wouldn’t be seen through that lens.”It’s a tough situation for everyone right now, and I don’t think it’s fair to take advantage of the situation,” Khan told reporters in Lahore. “The most important thing for us is to revive the game for all countries. If we don’t, we will be facing a lot of problems going forward.”The next 12 months will be tough for cricket financially… thankfully, the PCB is fine for the next 12 months but thereafter, in 18 months’ time, we will also have problems. Hopefully, by then, cricket will resume and I don’t think we are going to take our discussion with the ECB (with the reciprocal tour in mind), but we will definitely talk about it when we tour them. Look, the MCC toured Pakistan, an Australia delegation came as well, so there is no reason why England and Australia shouldn’t be here in 2021 and 2022.”As such, from the point of view of the PCB, the May 15 meeting will largely be about understanding the ECB’s plans about the resumption of cricket, and it is also expecting an update following ECB’s meeting with UK government departments vis-à-vis medical safety arrangements, logistics and the SOPs within the ground.Pakistan were not the only scheduled visitors this summer to England – West Indies were supposed to play a three-Test series in June-July. Reports have suggested that planning is underway within the ECB to set up a bio-secure environment in which six Tests can be played in July and August.Pakistan plans of a European summer has already been affected, with the series of three ODIs in the Netherlands postponed indefinitely with the Dutch government banning all sporting and cultural events till September 1. The tour of Ireland is also unlikely to go ahead, with Pakistan’s first Test against England slotted for a July 30 start at Lord’s, followed by fixtures at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge. If the tour does take place, it will run till September 2, with the last of a three-match T20I series.”Health and safety is paramount for our players and officials and we are not going to compromise on it,” Khan stressed. “The situation in England is poor right now, and we will ask them about their plans. We are not making any decisions, but we will assess and decide in next three to four weeks.”This isn’t an easy situation, and it isn’t an easy decision to make, because things are changing every day in England. There are so many things to be considered – flights, hotels and they are talking about bio-security stadiums… so if people ask me, I will tell them to wait and be patient.”The longer they stay there, the more our players will be exposed. So there is speculation that the tour might be extended, but I can confirm that this is presently not on the table. The West Indies tour to England is also uncertain, and we don’t know what to expect. So we are looking forward to the May 15 meeting and will see what are the options.”

India’s stand-in T20I captain also said running between the wickets was a ‘major difference’ between her team and others

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-20193:02

Our domestic players need to be more fearless – Mandhana

India women’s stand-in captain for the T20I series, Smriti Mandhana, has urged domestic players, particularly the batsmen, to step up and play more “fearlessly” to bridge the gap between domestic and international levels.Mandhana’s comments came after India scored a modest 111 for 8 against England in the second T20I, which they lost by five wickets to go 2-0 down in the three-match series. In the first T20I, India had been restricted to 119 for 6 in reply to England’s 160 for 4.”I think if you look at it, the batters we get in domestic [circuit], they face very different bowling and fielding attack to international cricket,” Mandhana said. “There is a huge gap between international and domestic cricket. That gap needs to be lessened. Our domestic circuit needs to step up. There should be a bit of fearlessness in domestic circuit because if you start playing fearless cricket in domestic, that is the only way you are going to play the same way in international cricket.”If you look at our domestic scores in T20s, it is generally around 110-120. I think we all need to go back, step up our domestic circuit, take those scores to 140-150. If that is happening then all the batters will come with the same mindset of playing a fearless brand of cricket. Fearless doesn’t mean careless. There is a thin line between fearless and careless. I think we need to play fearless.”Smriti Mandhana smashes one in the nets•PTI

India’s woeful form in the shortest format continued after they were whitewashed 3-0 in New Zealand recently. In that series too, weaknesses in India’s batting were exposed, such as over-reliance on Mandhana, who scored two half-centuries, Jemimah Rodrigues and an out-of-form Harmanpreet Kaur. Only two India batsmen – Mandhana and Rodrigues – scored over 50 runs in the entire T20I series.When asked how the domestic players could express themselves more, Mandhana said, “We have spoken to all the batters, [Coach WV] Raman sir has spoken to them. Even me, Mithu (Mithali Raj) and Harry (Harmanpreet) have spoken to all the domestic batters regarding how the approach should be. We are definitely working on it. It is going to take some time because still our batters have the fear of getting out.”I think we need to leave that fear, including me. We need to just get off those fear and select the areas [to hit]. Our batters are not going out there and selecting the areas in terms of which balls to hit. I think another major difference between other teams and our team is running between the wickets. We either play a dot ball or boundary. We don’t take lot a of singles. Definitely we will be looking to work on reducing the dot-ball percentage, taking more singles and rotating the strike.”The third and final T20I of the series will be played on Saturday in Guwahati.

While the Heat captain disagreed with the third umpire’s decision of giving Alex Ross out for obstructing the field, he aimed his ire not at the them but at Hobart Hurricanes

Alex Malcolm10-Jan-2018Brisbane Heat captain Brendon McCullum has said Hobart Hurricanes captain George Bailey “missed an opportunity” to uphold the spirit of the game following a bizarre obstructing-the-field incident during a BBL clash at the Gabba.Batsman Alex Ross was given out obstructing the field at a critical point in the Heat’s chase of 180. Needing 49 runs from 19 balls, Ross pulled the ball to deep midwicket and looked to return for a second run. Jofra Archer fired a throw wide of the stumps at the striker’s end and hit Ross as he was sliding to make his ground. The ball eventually ricocheted onto the stumps off Ross.The Hurricanes initially appealed thinking he might have been run-out. Replays then showed he had made his ground but they also indicated he had veered off his line. Ross appeared to veer away from the ball to avoid being hit rather than get intentionally into the line of the ball to block the throw but the third umpire gave him out obstructing the field.
Law 37.1 says a batsman is out obstructing the field “if he wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action.”McCullum held long and animated discussions with both the umpires and Bailey after the end of the match. While he disagreed with the third umpire’s decision, he aimed his ire not at the them but at Bailey and the Hurricanes for not calling Ross back.”Firstly, I don’t believe it was the right decision,” McCullum said post-match.”We’re not righteous about our stance on spirit of the game. But I think every now and then you get an opportunity to stand up for the spirit of the game. Tonight, I think the Hurricanes and George (Bailey) missed an opportunity.”Bailey felt he had done nothing wrong and told broadcasters, , post-match that he had simply asked the question of the umpires and left the decision up to them.McCullum said he and Bailey did not budge from their opposing views during their tense conversation.”We were debating the philosophical merits of one another’s points,” McCullum said.”Whatever the rules are, to be honest I don’t really care what the rules are. To me that’s one of those grey areas about the definition of that rule, just like a Mankad is a grey area as well in terms of the rules that we have.”But to me it also falls into the spirit of the game and that was what I was making the point to George and he’s quite entitled to do differently.”As we say we’re not righteous about our stance. But I’m also going to be truthful about it and say that I think he missed an opportunity tonight. And perhaps in time, sometimes these opportunities are more important than the two points at play. I think he missed one of those tonight.”I think (Ross) was trying to veer away from the ball. If you do check the laws it’s about wilfully obstructing the field. Again, none of that matters because to me it is a grey rule. When it’s grey, then it comes into the definition of the spirit of the game.”They are quite entitled to do what they want. But I just get the feeling, speaking from experience that this is an opportunity that he, in time, will perhaps live to wish he had made the other choice.”I did the Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey lecture a couple of years ago and I openly admitted my own mistakes about not adhering to what was a great opportunity to, I guess, hold the spirit of cricket up where it needs to sit.”Look, that’s the way we want to play the game. Other teams don’t have to play like that. I think we’ll certainly endear ourselves to a select group of fans for the way we play and you can judge the others how you want.”McCullum did state that he felt the Hurricanes deserved to win the game because they had played the better cricket.The two teams are set to meet again in at Blundstone Arena in Hobart on Monday.

The ICC is keen on having an edge-detection tool to go with the existing ball-tracking tool as minimum requirements for DRS

Alagappan Muthu03-Nov-2016The ICC is keen on having an edge-detection tool – Realtime Snicko, UltraEdge or HotSpot – to go with the existing ball-tracking tool as minimum requirements for DRS. However, that depends on the ICC cricket committee headed by Anil Kumble, and a planned meeting with the member boards in February 2017 to “prepare a road map for the use of technology moving forward”. For the ICC, the ideal outcome of the meeting will be some sort of agreement to have DRS for every Test no matter where it takes place, with the decided minimum requirements in place.As it stands now, DRS is employed even in those Tests where no edge-detection technology is available whereas India have been playing without DRS even with the required technology available. That India have agreed to use it on a trial basis against England is a step forward, but ICC’s general manager of cricket operations Geoff Allardice knows there is some way to go.”I look at matches in different parts of the world, and I see the different levels of technology and you see umpires are left without conclusive evidence in one series where in another series they might have conclusive evidence with all tools available,” Allardice said. “There are some logistical challenges as well about having every type of technology in every match but I think overall we should be striving for a more consistent delivery of technology at all international matches.”Ball-tracking is standard in DRS at the moment, and we won’t see that changing. I think you certainly need an edge-detection tool as a standard. If you go back to times gone by with the umpires listening to the stump microphone audio and trying to judge whether that was the sound of bat on ball or bat on pad or whatever, it was very difficult to make a decision [for the umpire] and also for the people watching at home to know what the umpire was thinking. And sound-based edge detection systems like Realtime Snicko and UltraEdge have simplified those kinds of decisions.”HotSpot is another tool that helps in edge detection, and while Allardice said it “has a lot to add to a DRS system”, its inclusion posed “logistical challenges”. India’s home Tests against England, for example, could have had HotSpot but the BCCI was told it would take too long for the equipment to arrive in the country. The cameras used by HotSpot are high-end military cameras, whose shipping needs special permissions from governments.The BCCI’s opposition to DRS arose from a perception that it wasn’t 100% fool proof. Some other boards do not employ it because of the high cost of equipment. As such there has been pressure on the ICC to assume control of the system itself. Allardice was open to the possibility.”If we get the support of members for the ICC to take a greater role in providing consistent technology at every game, we think that’s the right way to go forward. If we can map that out to the countries, and they like that, then the plan will be to start putting it in place.” he said. “Generally in DRS series, we deliver 98 to 99% correct decisions, and what that does is provide a consistency of correct decisions, whether the conditions are difficult for umpiring, or whether the umpire is having a good day or a bad day.”There has also been protest against DRS because of the possibility of human error. When asked if the ICC might be interested in training people to operate the various technologies to assuage that concern, Allardice said it was the technology provider who was best placed to understand the nuances of the system and implement it correctly. He did, however, admit there was a need for the ICC to oversee operations.”At this stage, I wouldn’t see us wanting to be technology providers ourselves, because the expertise and product development work that’s taken place over a long period of time, has been conducted by the technology providers. But I think there is a greater role for the ICC in the coordination of technology that goes to each match, and the oversight of the performance at matches.”DRS’s impact on the umpires is also a point of debate. In the Chittagong Test between England and Bangladesh, eight out of 18 decisions made by Kumar Dharmasena were overturned. Allardice said the number of incorrect calls an umpire makes factors into his assessment by the ICC, but he is judged over a longer term than just one match.”It’s quite a test for an umpire in those conditions, because you can often be making good umpiring decisions that are later proven to be incorrect,” Allardice said. “Like getting a glove on a sweep shot that then leads to an lbw being overturned.”One of the skills of an umpire at all levels, whether there is DRS or not, is his resilience to mistakes. In the old days, you used to find out when you came off the field whether you had made a mistake or not, and now that feedback is a little bit more immediate. And being able to process feedback about your decisions, and then try to either use it to improve your decision‑making, or to not let it affect your decision making, is the thing that determines an elite umpire from the next level down.”

Ishant Sharma Dhammika Prasad, Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne have been charged by the ICC for their roles in several angry exchanges during the fourth day of the SSC Test

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2015India fast bowler Ishant Sharma and Sri Lankan players Dhammika Prasad, Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne have been charged by the ICC for their roles in several angry exchanges during the fourth day of the SSC Test.”Details to be announced after the conclusion of the Test,” the ICC said on Twitter.Ishant and Prasad faced off during the final session of the fourth day when Ishant, after being bounced several times by Prasad, smacked his helmet repeatedly while running down the pitch, as if asking the bowler to aim at his head. Chandimal walked over from slip, his shoulder brushing Ishant’s, and exchanged words with the batsman.Once India’s innings ended and as Ishant ran back to the dressing room to get ready to bowl, Prasad followed him at a full sprint all the way back. These two incidents were the flash points of an ill-tempered passage of play that involved several stares and words being exchanged between Ishant and Sri Lanka’s players.There was further tension when Ishant gave Upul Tharanga an angry send-off and then went on to celebrate Chandimal’s dismissal by striking the side of his own head repeatedly.Ishant had been docked 65% of his match fee at the end of the second Test for send-offs to Thirimanne and Chandimal. Thirimanne, too, was fined 30% of his match fee for showing dissent at the umpire’s decision during the second Test.

A key figure of the Pakistan Super League, its managing director Salman Sarwar Butt, has stepped down and will be replaced by Javed Miandad in the interim

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2013A key figure of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), its managing director Salman Sarwar Butt, has stepped down from his post and will be replaced by the director general PCB Javed Miandad in the interim. The inaugural season of the Twenty20 tournament was indefinitely postponed because of logistical issues.Butt, a banker by profession, was instrumental in setting up Pakistan’s domestic T20 competition, whose first edition in 2005 was sponsored by his then employer, ABN-AMRO Bank. He is an influential figure on the Pakistan corporate circuit and was involved in setting up the PSL since 2011.”Before joining, I had intimated the PCB of my plans and commitments beyond April 2013, which would prevent me from working on future editions of PSL,” Butt said in a statement. “As the league is now most likely to be held after April, I will not be available to work further on this first edition. We have therefore mutually agreed that it would make sense to appoint a successor sooner rather than later.”I would naturally be happy to provide all possible assistance to PCB and PSL even if I am not officially associated with the league, and would remain an ardent ambassador of PSL.”The PSL was supposed to be held between March 26 and April 7 in Pakistan but was delayed to give investors more time to submit bids and also to avoid scheduling conflicts with other cricket tournaments. It was also going to clash with the pre-poll campaigns ahead of general elections, expected to be held in May. The PCB is working on another slot for the league and no precise timeframe has been indicated.”A committee is working full time to find available and appropriate dates and we are hopeful that the process for the sale of various rights will restart soon,” said Butt. “We are constantly in touch with all parties who have shown interest in our League and we hope to announce new dates soon.”

Brendan Taylor’s 58 was the only resistance the New Zealand bowlers faced, as they bowled Zimbabwe out cheaply to secure a 90-run win

The Report by Andrew Fernando02-Feb-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMartin Guptill’s brisk 70 earned him the Man-of-the-Match award•Getty Images

Brendan Taylor’s 58 was the only resistance the New Zealand bowlers faced, as they bowled Zimbabwe out cheaply to secure a 90-run win in the first one-dayer in Dunedin. Pace and bounce were the visiting batsmen’s bane once more, with the New Zealand seamers sharing four of the top seven scalps between them. But Zimbabwe’s own bowlers had enjoyed those same conditions, having dismissed New Zealand for a spluttering 248 in the 49th over.Taylor had spent two months playing in the HRV Cup prior to his side’s arrival, and the experience clearly showed, as only he mastered the hosts’ steady seam on a lively, green-tinged track. With three batsmen perishing in 6.1 overs, in what seemed a continuation of Zimbabwe’s rolling collapse in Napier, Taylor counter-punched with a volley of calculated straight boundaries, while Tatenda Taibu groped his way past early jitters to help erect a 52-run partnership.The pair first averted another top-order collapse before Taylor began hauling in a rapidly rising run-rate, with boundaries to the leg side and some hurried running. Taibu perished attempting aggression, but Taylor found the rope when he looked for it, hitting debutant Andrew Ellis for two successive leg-side boundaries to close in on a 25th ODI half-century, which he completed in 59 balls.Zimbabwe’s hopes of successive one-day wins over New Zealand effectively ended with Taylor, who holed out to long-off to leave his side at 97 for 5 in the 26th over. Taylor had hit Rob Nicol out of the University Oval off the previous delivery, but the bowler’s bravery in flighting the ball once more brought him his first scalp, and all but secured the result.Malcolm Waller had struck a match-winning unbeaten 99 in the sides’ last encounter, in Bulawayo. But rarely seemed comfortable here, and though the tail added late runs and entertainment after his demise, New Zealand simply stayed patient to close out the Zimbabwe innings at 158.Zimbabwe had repeatedly threatened to derail New Zealand in their innings, but managed only to contain them. The hosts’ innings never found fluency following the loss of two early wickets, with regular blows thwarting hopes of a commanding total. But Zimbabwe never closed in for the kill, with inconsistent bowling allowing New Zealand’s inexperienced batting order to lurch their side to an underwhelming, but competitive total in spurts.Martin Guptill’s 66-ball 70 at the top of the order was the only notable score for the hosts, as he and Kane Williamson rescued New Zealand who threatened a familiar collapse at 4 for 2. Opener Rob Nicol was undone by a Meth’s outswinger on zero, before Brendon McCullum padded up to a Kyle Jarvis indipper three deliveries later, with the ball shown to be clipping the top of off stump on review.Zimbabwe should have had Guptill soon after too, had they been more patient. Having been stifled by early movement, Guptill lashed out at Meth with a lofted drive over mid-on and Tatenda Taibu saw enough cause in the batsman’s first boundary to move up to the stumps. He regretted his decision the very next delivery, when he spilt an edge he would have comfortably pouched in his regular position. A chance that would have restricted New Zealand further and perhaps changed the match’s outlook.Placement and sharp running was the hallmark of Guptill’s association with Kane Williamson, as the pair put on 88 to rebuild, then consolidate after early losses. Both men eased runs through the leg side as the Zimbabwe seamers strayed straight too often – perhaps spurred by early success to look for big swing. Guptill’s fifty came from 44 deliveries as he punctuated singles and twos with regular boundary blows, particularly to the off side.None of his team-mates though, could convert starts into innings of substance. Five of New Zealand’s middle-order batsmen failed to reach fifty having made more than 15 in not unfriendly conditions. Promising partnerships were crimped just as they sought to wrest the advantage, with an occasionally lively pitch and canny limited-overs bowling from Zimbabwe hauling the hosts back at regular intervals.Shingi Masakadza bagged 4 for 46 from his 9.3 overs, while Elton Chigumbura was also effective through the middle overs, taking 2 for 46. Both bowlers bowled a consistent off stump line and found slight movement on occasion, as well as uncomfortable bounce and carry to prevent the hosts’ batsmen from settling.Nathan McCullum and Ellis put on 57 at almost a run a ball to reverse a wicket-induced mini stagnation towards the end of New Zealand’s innings. But though Zimbabwe dismissed them and the tail without much ado, their batsmen failed once more and New Zealand take the early lead in the three-match series.

Plays of the day from the fourth day of the 5th Test between Australia and England at Sydney

Peter English and Andrew Miller at the SCG06-Jan-2011Third time lucky
There is one statistic in this series in which Australia’s bowlers have completely trounced their English counterparts. Unfortunately the statistic in question is their no-ball count. Two further oversteps from Shane Watson took Australia’s tally to 21 for the series, compared to England’s seven – and two of those, Mitchell Johnson at Melbourne and Michael Beer at Sydney, resulted in wickets being overturned on review. Today, Ben Hilfenhaus came within millimetres of a third such reprieve, as Matt Prior thrashed uppishly at a short wide bouncer, to be caught behind for 118. After a wait that was more agonising for the bowler than the batsman, the signal was finally given for umpire Bowden to send Prior on his way. But it was a mighty close call.Watson’s woeful running
As a makeshift opener, Shane Watson has forged an impressive career since his call-up at Edgbaston in the 2009 Ashes. But there’s one aspect of his game that keeps undermining his performances, and those of his team-mates – his running between the wickets. In the first over at Adelaide he stuffed Simon Katich before he’d faced a ball, and at Melbourne last week he sold Phil Hughes a dummy to end his most promising start of the series. Today, he and Hughes reprised their comedy routine, as they jogged a single through midwicket, only for Watson to turn without thinking and hare back for a second. Hughes thought for a split-second about responding, deciding better of it, and planted his bat back in his crease, even while his team-mate continued coming unabashed. It was the seventh time in 49 innings that Watson had been involved in a run-out, but only the second time he’d emerged on the wrong end.Hughes on the way down
Despite surviving Watto, Hughes could not kick on, and his gradual improvement since re-entering the Test team has stopped. After scores of 2, 12, 16, 23 and 31, he fell for 13 in Australia’s second innings, edging a Tim Bresnan ball going away from him to Matt Prior. Katich’s heel injury in Adelaide gave Hughes three games to secure his place in the medium term, but he has failed to show he is an essential choice. Australia’s next Test series is in Sri Lanka in August and the selectors will have to pick between the experience of Katich and the unpredictability of Hughes.Tremlett’s hat-trick assault

Chris Tremlett was memorably denied a hat-trick on his ODI debut against Bangladesh in 2005 when the crucial delivery bounced off the top of Mohammad Ashraful’s bails and rolled away to safety. He didn’t quite come as close to that today, but nevertheless, Peter Siddle – who himself claimed three-in-three on the first day of the series – was still required to dig out a pinpoint yorker to prevent his own stumps being rattled. It was an inspired burst from Tremlett, who prised open the tail by bouncing out Brad Haddin, before serving Mitchell Johnson his eighth duck in 11 Tests with an inswinger that took out off stump. In a pumping atmosphere, England claimed the extra half-hour, but couldn’t quite force victory with a day to spare.Not so super Mitch
The Barmy Army have a couple of songs about Johnson and neither are complimentary. In one they say: “He swings left, he swings right, he bowls a lot of shi**”. In the other they are being ironic when belting out . Johnson was Australia’s leading bowler with four wickets for the innings, but he finished it on an expensive low. Graeme Swann was the chief aggressor when Johnson’s final two overs went for a crushing 35, taking his return to 4 for 168 off 36.Delayed Tied Test anniversary
It was a month late but the nine surviving members of Australia’s squad for the 1960-61 Tied Test finally got their anniversary lunch. The match occurred at the Gabba in December 1960, but a 50-year celebration of the event was delayed because Cricket Australia didn’t want it to diminish the start of the Ashes series. Richie Benaud remembered Bob Simpson hitting Wes Hall’s first over of the MCG Test for 18, a perfect example of a man following his captain’s orders to attack the damaging fast bowler. Neil Harvey, Alan Davidson, Bob Simpson and Ian Meckiff were some of the other former Test stars in attendance.

A series win in India is a big box any team other than India needs to tick if it wants to be the best in the world

The Preview by Sidharth Monga13-Feb-2010

Match facts

February 14-18, 2010
Start time 0915 (0345 GMT)

Big picture

VVS Laxman’s return means plenty to India•AFP

This is not merely about the ICC rankings. A series win in India is a big box any team other than India needs to tick if it wants to be the best in the world. Think Australia in their modern heyday and the frustration and the eventual satisfaction the “Final Frontier” brought them. India, on the other hand, pride themselves on their home record, and their claims to being the best will take a big beating if they lose.A hurriedly planned series plays into South Africa’s hands: they have to protect their lead for only one match. In 2008, before they beat both England and Australia in away series, South Africa were in a similar situation – a draw short of a series win in India. Then they failed at one of the more difficult tasks in Test cricket: beating India on a raging turner in India. When South Africans talk of that Kanpur loss now they don’t complain about the surface, but what they say has that “Final Frontier missed” ring to it.Less than two years later, Kolkata is not quite the raging turner. Kolkata is not quite the Final Frontier either: South Africa’s last two series have been a loss and a draw at home to Australia and England respectively. Yet this could mark the start of South Africa’s return towards the top a fortnight after turmoil hit them through the sacking of their coach and selection committee. The No. 1 ranking, should they win or draw, will be a bonus. Between that and now stands a hurt Indian side that will give it its all to protect that proud record at home.Not for no reason do India hold that proud record at home. South Africa know that. Only seriously good teams can win series in India, injury-hit or not. Of late this Indian side’s immediate response to a Test loss has been a resounding win. After Sydney came Perth, and after Colombo came Galle. After Nagpur, what?

Form guide (last 5 completed matches, most recent first)

India LWWWW
South Africa WWDLD

Watch out for

Nothing calms the Indian dressing room like VVS Laxman does. No one handles crisis like Laxman does. India are in right trouble, and Laxman usually delivers at such times.Dale Steyn is on a roll. Bowling fast, accurate, and swinging it both ways. He has got the ideal support from Morne Morkel and Paul Harris. He knows his job is not done yet.Gautam Gambhir is not known for going easy on himself. He may have scored five centuries in consecutive matches, and 11 fifty-or-above scores in consecutive matches, but his failure in the Nagpur loss will hurt him more than the preceding success pleased him. And once again, he will be facing Steyn and Morkel at their freshest.Graeme Smith has announced via Twitter that he is ready to play, despite a fracture in one joint of the small finger on the left hand. “It really is about dealing with pain…” he said in the pre-match press conference. Don’t worry about him, though. If he can hold the bat, he will be there. The sight of Smith, still in batting gear, mobbed by his mates, looking the biggest, the most imposing of them all, after the Edgbaston win that finally brought them a series win in England, is still fresh in memory. He won’t pass up a chance of similar heroics. Not if he can hold that bat.

Team news

Laxman will be back, but he might not bat at No. 3, as is being implored by many, the former coach John Wright included. The idea is to split up the two inexperienced batsmen in the middle order and have them bat at Nos 3 and 6, as opposed to 5 and 6. Amit Mishra is a doubtful starter with the ball after his wicketless sojourn in Nagpur. There are two scenarios that can see him out: Pragyan Ojha coming back or India playing three seamers on a pitch that has some grass, an eventuality MS Dhoni didn’t rule out. Sreesanth should come back in any scenario after Ishant Sharma went wicketless in the first Test. India could also fiddle with the idea of getting a left-hand batsman, Suresh Raina, in to break Harris’ leg-stump line to the right-hand batsmen.India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 M Vijay, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 S Badrinath, 7 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 8, Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Amit Mishra/Pragyan Ojha/Ishant Sharma, 11 Sreesanth.South Africa will like to go in with the same XI, but it all depends on how painful Smith’s finger fracture is. Should Smith be ruled out, Alviro Petersen is the back-up opener. It doesn’t help that Mark Boucher is still not 100% with his back. He passed the gloves to AB de Villiers midway into the training session on match eve and did some low-back exercises.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Ashwell Prince, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Paul Harris, 9 Wayne Parnell, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel.

Pitch and conditions

Ever since it became obvious India were losing in Nagpur, speculation was rife that another underprepared track might come to India’s rescue in the decider. Not this time. “There is a bit of grass on the wicket so I think the seamers will get a bit of help,” MS Dhoni said of the pitch. “It looks quite hard… I don’t see much turn happening on the first two days.”Because the Eden Gardens is being redone, the atmosphere won’t quite be the same. Forget 90,000, they will struggle to get 45,000 in. “There is no stands on one side of the ground so you can see a bit of breeze going across the field so there will be a bit of help for the seamers,” Dhoni said.

Stats and trivia

• Virender Sehwag’s 109 in Nagpur was only his fifth score between 100 and 150 – out of 18 centuries.
• Among bowlers with a minimum of 100 Test wickets, Steyn’s strike-rate of 38.7 is the second-best, behind only George Lohmann who took 112 wickets at 34.1. Steyn is also just five short of becoming only the fifth South African to have taken 200 wickets.
• Laxman and Harbhajan Singh are the big Eden Gardens players. Laxman’s average at the Eden Gardens is 81.63 as opposed to a career average of 45.70/ Corresponding figures for Harbhajan are 23.1 and 31.3

Quotes

“I know players have been saying that the rankings are really not at the forefront of our minds, and it’s the truth. For me, to look back and know that you have won a Test series in India, that is a terrific achievement. If you look back at some of the things you have achieved as a team, those are the sort of things to have memories of.”
“It is challenges that make our life interesting. We are looking forward to coming back in the series and doing well, but if it was so easy it would not be called international cricket. We are expecting from the players who are part of the side right now to try to level the series.”
.