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Labuschagne unconcerned by omission of Murphy in favour of second allrounder

Andrew McGlashan19-Jul-2023Marnus Labuschagne is confident that Australia won’t be left regretting not selecting offspinner Todd Murphy for the Old Trafford Test, despite noting how Moeen Ali had found some turn on the opening day.For the first time since 2011-12 against India in Perth, Australia are playing a Test without a frontline spinner after Cameron Green was preferred to Murphy.Labuschagne’s half-century, his first in nine Test innings, was ended by Moeen shortly before tea but he believed that the help available on the first day may not last throughout the game.”It’s going to be interesting to say this, but think it will be one of those wickets, because [it’s] been undercover for a few days it didn’t have that rock hardness, the thatchiness of the grass is spinning,” he said. “Once that wears off, think the middle of the wicket will not spin so much. The ends will rough up eventually if the weather stays good, but think it will actually spin less as the game goes on from the good part of the wicket.”Stuart Broad thought Moeen had caused Australia some uncertain moments but, while noting they only need a draw at Old Trafford to retain the Ashes, he did not view their final selection as defensive.”They probably want to bat as long as they can knowing a draw is good enough for them in this game to retain the Ashes,” he said. “Ultimately when you’ve got two allrounders who both deserve to be in the team it’s a tricky decision.”Old Trafford historically is a place you would want a spinner. Moeen bowled great today so that’s something that worried them a little bit but ultimately it looks a very dangerous team. They’ve got 300 on the board and we’ve still got 12 wickets to get in the Test so it’s been a great battle so far and we can judge that selection when two innings have gone.”Related

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Whatever spin bowling is required by Australia in this Test will largely be in the hands of Travis Head, although Labuschagne is ready to play a part if needed. His legspin (he has also bowled medium pace in Test cricket and has tried offspin) is less frequently used these days than it was earlier in his career, but he was practising extensively prior to the match.”Will I be bowling? Hopefully not, because if I’m not bowling it means we are in a pretty good spot,” he said. “But if I need to bowl I’m always ready, always working on it. Think it will be leggies with the amount of left-handers and there might be some rough there if the sun continues to stay out.”With the bat, this series has been characterised by Labuschagne not being able to convert his starts and though that continued with 51 on Wednesday, he was more satisfied with his performance. “I was happy with my decision-making which has been the part that has really been frustrating me from a personal side,” he said.And he did not believe that Australia’s deeper batting order, with Alex Carey at No. 8, had led to complacency from those higher up.”I can’t talk from each individual’s mental state, but from own, no it doesn’t make a difference,” he said. “My job is to come in and score runs, and score big runs, especially when I get myself in. Our whole top-order, that’s our responsibility, so if those sorts of thoughts have crept in then that’s probably on the individual to stamp that out, if it was a thing for the second innings.”But think it gives you confidence as a player, because you bat deep and as you are able to see we were able to build partnerships there with Carey and Starc and Mitch and Greeny. Those runs are going to be vital, especially if we can get this lead up to 350. That’s going to be a pretty decent first-innings total.”

“This guy is your premier allrounder across all three formats of the game. Hear what I am saying. Three formats of the game.”

Sidharth Monga22-May-20223:29

Shastri: ‘Washington is going to be one of India’s premier all-format allrounders’

Washington Sundar, who has not made to any of the India squads named today, is a future all-format allrounder for India, former coach Ravi Shastri has said. Shastri was effusive in his praise for Washington, whose Test debut came under Shastri in the 2021 series-decider in Australia, where he helped India complete an unbelievable series win.”He is going to be one of India’s leading allrounders,” Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s analysis show T20 Time:Out. “He is the future. You have [Ravindra] Jadeja today. Three years down the line, if Jadeja is still fit, he will play. There is Axar [Patel] around. But this guy is your premier allrounder across all three formats of the game. Hear what I am saying. Three formats of the game.Related

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“This guy is a serious cricketer. He is still very young, he has got to understand his own game, how good a player he is. Shot selection will come, especially for the white-ball format. [If he] works on his fitness so that he is not injury-prone, India have got a serious cricketer in him. Across all formats of the game. I think it is up to him really to do the hard yards on fitness. No excuse. He can’t depend on X, Y, Z. He has to look at himself in the mirror and say I want to work hard and I want to be the leading allrounder in Indian cricket over the next three years. And he can do it. Easy.”Shastri said Washington, 22, was an easy fit in the Test side, but needed some work on his batting in T20s. “T20 is again shot selection,” Shastri said. “In Test cricket he can occupy that No. 6 position in the future, 6 or 7. He bats, where he goes as the batting allrounder. Overseas he can bowl you those overs in a specialist spinner’s place and gives that balance. In India he can bat at no. 6. You are allowed to play two extra spinners. That’s how important a player he is.Washington Sundar takes the inventive route to send Kagiso Rabada for six•BCCI

“In T20 cricket he can bowl. No problem with his bowling. It is just understanding which player, which lengths. Batting. It is his shot selection, the ability is there. Danny [Vettori] mentioned that strike off [Kagiso] Rabada. How many people can play that shot? I know Wankhede Stadium well. When it hits that top tier halfway through, on the off side, off a fast bowler, off the back foot, that is an unbelievable shot. The guy can play shots. When I saw that shot, I was thinking of the hook he played off Pat Cummins at the Gabba. That six when we were chasing. That shot went 10-15 rows back. This guy has the ability. He has to be properly groomed, educated on how good he is. Especially when it comes to shot selection,. He is a serious cricketer, that kid.”Vettori, the co-panellist, said Washington needed more time in first-class cricket to become that No. 6 batter. “He sometimes has the technique of someone who doesn’t back himself to hit the big balls,” Vettori said. “You see how much room he gives himself and backs away. But Ravi is right, the skillset is there. He can actually stay still and still have the power to hit it. I have a question around, see someone like Jadeja who has built his batting around first-class cricket. He has faced thousands and thousands of balls. Does Washington Sundar get enough first-class cricket to develop his batting?”Because all the tailender batters who have grown from say No. 8 or No. 7 to a genuine No. 6, it is on the back of thousands and thousands of runs in domestic cricket. And Jadeja is the best example. Maybe not runs, but the opportunity. And if Washington is always in the white-ball team, always in large squad, he may never get that opportunity. That will be to the detriment of his batting ability.”Shastri said Washington needed not just first-class experience but in the upper middle order. “I had a chat with Washy when I was coach,” Shastri said. “I said you can’t bat later than No. 4 for your state. You are good enough at that level to get hundreds. You know what domestic cricket dishes out. There are a lot of people trying to occupy 1, 2, 3, 4 who are not good enough. Here is a bloke who bats at 6, on debut, gets a 70 against Australia, then gets a 90 against England to win us the series. These are serious innings under pressure. If you can do it for India, at that number, he has to bat for his state no later than 4, okay latest 5, but no later than that.”Washington has played only 17 first-class matches, four of them Test matches. Even when he debuted for India, he had not played any first-class cricket in over three years. Since then he is yet to play a first-class match for Tamil Nadu, but he also spends a lot of time touring with the India white-ball teams. The last 18 months have been tough for him with an injury ruling him out of T20 World Cup and then a split webbing in the middle of the IPL possibly cost him a shot at India selection.

Debutants Siraj and Gill provide the finishing touches on Day four

Andrew McGlashan28-Dec-2020Bowled out for 36. Virat Kohli goes home. Mohammed Shami out of the tour. Umesh Yadav limps from the attack. India had to overcome so much that their victory at the MCG, achieved midway through the fourth day by eight wickets, will forever have a part in their cricket folklore. Whether it is part of something even greater will depend on the next three weeks, but for now they can reflect on one of the great bounceback victories.

Australia fined, docked WTC points for slow over-rate

Australia have been fined 40% of their match fee and docked four World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate against India in the Boxing Day Test at MCG. David Boon, the match referee, imposed the sanction after Australia were ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

The early loss of two wickets will have left India grateful – and Australia rueful – that the target wasn’t in three-figures, but it never threatened to be become nervy and fittingly it was Ajinkya Rahane who secured the winning run. It is three wins in three Tests as captain for him and rarely can a team have gone from such a low to such a high in such a short period time.Australia’s lower order made them work for the final four wickets during the morning session but they could never break free of the stranglehold on their scoring, so by the time R Ashwin wrapped up the innings on the stroke of a delayed lunch the lead stood at only 69. The final tally of 200 in 103.1 overs was their slowest Test innings on home soil since 1986 and they managed just 10 boundaries and this was the first home Test since 1988, against West Indies also at the MCG, where they did not manage an individual half-century.Ajinkya Rahane walks back to the applause•Getty Images

The ghosts of 36 were just about looming, but it would have needed a miracle. Still, when the struggling Mayank Agarwal edged a big drive off Mitchell Starc and Cheteshwar Pujara got a flat-foot outside edge to gully it momentarily lifted the occasion. While not having a bearing on this match, it was the third time in four innings that Pat Cummins had removed Pujara.A brace of boundaries by Shubman Gill, who played another attractive innings, chipped into the target and there was a dismissiveness in the on-the-up drive played by Rahane, the prime architect of India’s victory, against Josh Hazlewood as the target grew near followed by a pull from Gill off the same bowler.Australia had resumed just two runs ahead and while Cummins and Cameron Green survived until the second new ball the scoreboard went nowhere – 16 runs in the 14 overs. The harder ball then provided the breakthrough when Jasprit Bumrah bounced out Cummins although the fact India did not race through the rest of the batting went on to highlight Australia’s problems higher up the order.Related

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Green played very well, looking as assured as any of the top order had in the innings, defending with a solid front foot stride and occasionally showing his strokeplay. A first Test fifty was looming when he was cramped for room by a short delivery from Mohammed Siraj, splicing a pull to midwicket, which removed the last realistic chance of Australia setting a target to really challenge India.Starc thought he was caught at slip on 9, so much so that he was two thirds of way to the rope having forlornly reviewed when the DRS showed he had hit his boot as the ball ballooned off the pad, but Nathan Lyon gloved down the leg side a few moments later to leave Australia nine down. Lunch was delayed as the final pair clung on before Hazlewood was finally befuddled by Ashwin when he left a delivery that clipped off stump.

Part-time spinner wrecks Surrey’s resistance after coming on due to the onset of poor light

ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2019
Part-timer spinner Felix Organ sent Hampshire to their first Specsavers County Championship win in eight games as his maiden five-wicket haul condemned Surrey to a 272-run defeat at the Ageas Bowl.Usually an opening batsman, Organ celebrated figures of 5 for 25 on his fifth first-class appearance- having only come on to bowl due to the umpires declaring it too dark for fast bowling.Organ, who had scored a half-century with the bat earlier in the match, found good turn as he dismissed Ben Foakes, Jamie Smith, Rikki Clarke, Conor McKerr and Jordan Clark as Surrey were skittled for 151.Hampshire, who hadn’t tasted Championship victory since winning on the Isle of Wight in May, took 21 points to reigning champion Surrey’s three – although both sides were safe ahead of the match, with no hope of challenging for the title.It was also Hampshire’s first victory over Surrey at the Ageas Bowl.Surrey were given an imposing target of 424 in a smidgen under five sessions, knowing that a solid start was needed to platform any hopes of victory.But that didn’t come as Keith Barker struck with his first delivery, the seventh of the innings, as Dean Elgar was caught behind off the face of the bat while attempting to leave.In the fifth over, Kyle Abbott found Scott Borthwick attempting a straight drive but a slight nip away off the seam saw another nick through to Lewis McManus’ gloves.That left the visitors 12 for two, and it became 37 for three six overs later as Mark Stoneman walked across his stumps and Ian Holland dislodged his leg stump.Ollie Pope caressed a fine 40 but he too edged Abbott behind – the England hopeful furious with his nothing shot as he trudged back to the dressing room.As bad light descended on the Ageas Bowl, the umpires advised that only slow bowling could be utilised, which Organ used to his advantage.The 20-year-old off-spinner wouldn’t have been too proud of the long hop that Foakes lunged to Sam Northeast at mid-wicket but beautifully deceived Smith before McManus stumped him.Organ then lured Clarke into an attacking hoick, which picked out Holland at deep midwicket, and McKerr was lbw.Clark top-edged to Fidel Edwards to give Organ his fifth and Liam Dawson castled Morne Morkel for his 200th first-class wicket to wrap up the three-day triumph.Earlier, McManus and Dawson both completed half-centuries as Hampshire extended their lead with 100 day three runs.Dawson, who was 39 overnight, reached the milestone first from 82 balls, before McManus followed in two deliveries more slightly later – the pair putting on 117 for the seventh wicket.The duo were both dropped, McManus on 21 at gully and Dawson on 78 at cover, before the second new ball dismissed them.The former brilliantly caught by Pope at gully 61 while the latter moved to 88 before he was snaffled by Clarke at first slip.Barker and Abbott scored 16 and 18 runs respectively to see the tail wag – but both departed, caught behind and stumped, to round off the innings.

The former South Africa fast bowler was previously heading a successful academy at the University of Fort Harte, and has served in several coaching capacities since his retirement

Firdose Moonda07-Jun-2018Former South Africa fast bowler Mfuneko Ngam has been appointed the assistant coach of the Eastern-Cape-based Warriors franchise. Ngam, who played three Tests for South Africa between 2000 and 2001 before his career was cut short by injury, had previously been heading a successful academy at the University of Fort Hare, which concentrated on providing elite coaching in South Africa’s black African heartland.Ngam has worked in various coaching capacities since his retirement, including at CSA High Performance Programmes. He started an academy in Motherwell, a township 25 kilometres north of Port Elizabeth, and holds a Level 4 coaching qualification. He will work under head coach Rivash Gobind, who took over from Malibongwe Maketa after the latter was named South Africa’s assistant coach last September.Despite losing their coach on the eve of the 2017-18 season, Warriors had a good summer, sharing the one-day cup and finishing second on the first-class points table. The Warriors have not won a trophy outright since the 2009-10 season, but have faced several challenges, including the absence of a sponsor and a lack of high-profile players, something which is set to continue this summer.The Warriors squad for the 2018-19 season does not include a single nationally-contracted player. Kolpak player Simon Harmer, who was also named first-class cricketer of the season at the recent CSA awards, and Colin Ackermann, who plays as a local for Leicestershire because of an EU passport, remain on the Warriors’ book, but Kyle Abbott, who moved to the franchise from the Dolphins two seasons ago, was not on the list.Warriors squad: Andrew Birch, Jon-Jon Smuts, Aya Gqamane, Basheer Walters, Anrich Nortje, Gihahn Cloete, Clyde Fortuin, Mohammed Vallie, Simon Harmer, Colin Ackermann, Sinethemba Qeshile, Sithembile Langa, Lutho Sipamla, Eddie Moore, Matthew Breetzke, Sisanda Magala, Christiaan Jonker, Lesiba Ngoepe

Mitchell Marsh’s injury will see Australia making a mandatory change in their batting line-up ahead of the third Test between India and the visitors in Ranchi

Daniel Brettig13-Mar-20170:53

Quick Facts – Marcus Stoinis

One of the quirks of international cricket can be the pitting of two players from the same state for the same role even though the pair may take on quite different posts in domestic ranks. Throw in an argument within the same state over who should bat where and the identity of Australia’s new No. 6 batsman becomes even more fascinating.Ahead of the pivotal third Border-Gavaskar Test in Ranchi, Australia’s selectors seem to be pondering one of the Victorians Marcus Stoinis or Glenn Maxwell for the No. 6 batting position in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh and ahead of the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade – another Bushranger. While Maxwell has the advantage of being part of the touring squad for the entire trip so far, Stoinis seems a smoother replacement for Marsh given his all-round skills and strong seam bowling.Maxwell was not even in the Victorian Shield side at the start of the summer, having been dropped seemingly as a result of his unsuccessful attempt to move north to New South Wales during pre-season. When he did return, runs were not so easy to come by, though one innings of 81 illustrated his qualities. A tally of 129 runs at 25.80, batting largely at Nos. 6 and 7, underwhelms.Stoinis, meanwhile, has been the Bushrangers’ preferred choice at No. 3 for several seasons and has done so with some distinction – until this season. In seven matches he has tallied a mere 197 at 17.90, making his highest score of 46 in his most recent match against Western Australia in Alice Springs. Much has been made of Stoinis’ improved bowling in the past 12 months, but as a batsman only his breakout 146 in an ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park last month has provided a reminder of the composure and power that led Victoria to pick him at first drop in the first place.Wade, Victoria’s captain, has watched Stoinis closely over several seasons. “He has developed beautifully,” Wade said. “He has batted at No. 3 for Victoria over a three or four-year period now and averaged quite high in first class cricket. I think he’s only got improvement, I said that to him before he got picked in the one day team in New Zealand and we saw what he did there.Marcus Stoinis got Matthew Wade’s vote of confidence•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

“He’s not a finished product that’s for sure. He’ll come in and play a really strong role for us if we need him but he’ll improve playing each game at international level. No one expects people to come in and start dominating international cricket from ball one, but he’ll improve from game to game that he gets at international level.”In terms of roles, Wade acknowledged that Stoinis’ use in the top order had been devised partly to help his chances of international selection. “I think he’s a very strong batter. Obviously batting No. 3 in Shield cricket has placed him in a really good spot to play an allround role for Australia,” Wade said. “He can bat anywhere in the order.’But the last couple of years we’ve seen improvements from his bowling. [Playing for] Australia A he really, really took the pace off. He knocked off a couple of their big players in that series so I think the last couple of years that’s probably what the selectors have seen a bit more in him. They always knew he was a really strong batter, but his bowling has improved out of sight the last few years.”Stoinis and Wade, of course, have been two of the batsmen coming in earlier in the Bushrangers’ order than Maxwell, a point he raised earlier in the season and was subsequently fined as a result. At the time, Steven Smith said Maxwell’s comment that it was “painful” to be batting below Wade in the Bushrangers order had been highly disrespectful.”I think probably batting below the wicketkeeper is also a bit painful as well,” Maxwell had said. “I think the wicketkeeper should be batting at seven unless you’re trying to squeeze an extra bowler into your line-up.”That same week, the coach Darren Lehmann had retorted to questions about Maxwell’s possible Test selection with the words: “Are you going to pick a bloke who hasn’t made a hundred in two years?”Given all that history, it was perhaps not so surprising that Wade was unsure how Maxwell would bat if given the nod to rejoin the Test team in Ranchi.”In Test cricket, you’ve got to show defence first, obviously,” he said. “But I’ve got no idea how Glenn’s going to come out and play if he gets the opportunity, that’s probably a question you would have to ask him. But in Test cricket, your game is built around defence at times, but I’m not sure how he’ll play if he comes out.”As it stands, the selectors seem left to choose between Maxwell, and an alternative in Stoinis who hasn’t made a Sheffield Shield half-century this season. The apparently least likely option is to recall Usman Khawaja, a player with far more recent runs behind him.

Tasmania wrapped up a dominant victory over Victoria to keep them from sealing a home Sheffield Shield final berth with two rounds of the competition remaining

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Tasmania’s huge win was built on Ben Dunk’s 190•Getty Images

Tasmania wrapped up a dominant victory over Victoria to keep them from sealing a home Sheffield Shield final berth with two rounds of the competition remaining.Cameron White and Scott Boland delayed the Tasmania’s completion of an innings victory on the final morning, taking their stand to 130 for the eighth wicket before White was caught behind off the bowling of Hamish Kingston, who plucked six victims for the match.The last two wickets fell soon after to complete the rout, an intriguing twist to the season given Tasmania’s struggles – they remain at the bottom of the table – and Victoria’s previously dominant campaign.Ben Dunk was deservedly awarded Man of the Match for his first innings 190, an innings that overtook Victoria’s poorly 165 all on his own.

It is not often that the first day of a four-day game begins and ends under floodlights. But Owais Shah didn’t seem to mind as he landed some telling blows for Essex on day where the September sun was second best.

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Canterbury11-Sep-2013
ScorecardOwais Shah made valuable runs for Essex•Getty Images

It is not often that the first day of a four-day game begins and ends under floodlights. But Owais Shah didn’t seem to mind as he landed some telling blows for Essex on day where the September sun was second best.The artificial lights, which were restarted as the players walked off at 4:21pm, allowed us a prompt start yet failed to salvage the 19 overs left in the day, which Kent probably edged on points.Thanks to Shah, and Gautam Gambhir who has returned from India, the visitors lost only two wickets in the first session: a morning fraught with danger but navigated by experience.Inserted by Geraint Jones – standing in for James Tredwell, who is away on international duty – the combination of a chilly morning, a spicy track and artificial lighting was always likely to assist Kent’s bowlers.The third ball of the day popped on Jaik Mickleburgh for a simple catch to Daniel Bell-Drummond at forward short-leg. Eleven overs later, Darren Stevens nipped one away from Greg Smith, who nicked the ball to Adam Riley in the slips with only 19 on the board. But despite some probing spells – Mark Davies’ opening seven overs, which included five maidens and the wicket of Mickleburgh, went for just three runs – Shah and Gambhir left the ball with ease.There were a couple of missed opportunities. Jones made up good ground to give him an outside chance of clinging to a top-edge from Shah, on 7 at the time, but was unable to make up the ground fully with an impressive dive. An over later, Gambhir was out of the frame when crossed wires had him skipping out of his crease for a run that Shah had no intention of making. The throw from point was off target by a whisker if the reaction of the fielders was anything to go by.When Gambhir failed to make his hard work count, dropping his back knee to dispatch a beautiful looking drive off Charlie Shreck into the hands Brendan Nash at cover-point, something stirred within Shah.Having not scored a post-lunch run up to that point, he freed his arms to put the pressure on Kent’s bowlers, most notably Davies; a trio of fours in the 52nd over – one square, one over mid-on and one straight – taking the score past 100. He then brought up his fifty off 118 balls (his first of the season), with a sumptuous late-cut off the same bowler that contained all the elegances associated with the stroke, but with the added oomph that Shah generates from his dexterous wrists.Ben Foakes came to the crease at 117 for 4 – after Ryan ten Doeschate was lbw attempting to sweep to Riley’s very first ball – to assist Shah, as they scored at exactly three an over to ensure they made the most of the best batting conditions of the day. The morning of day two will be another test, but Shah, with over four hours at the crease under his belt, has shown he has enough game to thrive on this pitch. Foakes certainly has enough about him to do the same, and their survival could see some quick, valuable runs added before 110 overs are through.

Unmukt Chand has said winning the World Cup in Townsville was a fitting end for an Under-19 side that began its journey over a year ago and has enjoyed so much success along the way

George Binoy in Townsville26-Aug-2012India’s captain Unmukt Chand has said winning the World Cup in Townsville was a fitting end for an Under-19 side that began its journey over a year ago and has enjoyed so much success along the way. The World Cup was the fourth tournament Chand’s team has won, after two quadrangular titles and a shared Asia Cup trophy.”It has been a great journey and a great finish I can say,” Chand said after scoring an unbeaten century in India’s chase of 226. “We don’t know when we will play again [as a team], probably we won’t play again together, so that’s a bit of an emotional thing as well. Really happy that we could pull it off and finish it on a high.”India’s World Cup campaign was not entirely smooth: they lost the first game against West Indies and it wasn’t until the semi-final that their batting began to show collective promise. “That’s the good part,” Chand said of the challenges India had overcome. “Initially we have had a few jitters but we carried on really well and that’s what matters the most. We peaked at the right times and that’s a quality of good teams.”In the final, the bowlers, after reducing Australia to 38 for 4, had a rare off day and India’s batsmen needed to achieve the highest successful chase of the tournament at Tony Ireland Stadium to win the World Cup. Chand, however, praised his bowlers for keeping Australia to a total as low as 225 for 8.”It happens at times. Our bowlers have done really well in all the previous matches and I guess they bowled really well today as well,” Chand said. “You can’t expect a bowling side to restrict the opposition to 150 all the time. 225, we have restricted them to a very low target I feel.”India’s chase got off to a poor start, when Prashant Chopra was caught down the leg side in the second over. That changed quickly, though, when Baba Aparajith joined Chand and gave a masterclass in driving on the off side. They added 73 in quick time and gave India a buffer in case they lost quick wickets, which they did.”It’s only a matter of one partnership. One good partnership on this wicket, it was a dream wicket to bat on,” Chand said. “We knew that we would pull it off if we had one good partnership and that’s what I was telling the other batsmen with me. To back yourself, believe yourself and keep communicating.”India went from 75 for 1 to 97 for 4, though, but Chand found another steady partner in Smit Patel, who had scored a fighting half-century in difficult conditions against West Indies in the opening group game. Both were dropped, when Chand was on 38 and Smit on 2. India needed 91 off 90 balls when the batting Powerplay had to be taken but Chand and Smit did not change their approach much, scoring only 18 off the first four overs during the restrictions.”What I was thinking inside, and I had heard Dhoni speak of this before, that in the 38th over I won’t take a risk because the bowler is not under as much pressure as he is in the 46th or the 47th over. I was just thinking that I should take it to the last moment, because you know six, seven or eight runs, you can get anytime in an over. The important thing was to save wickets. If you have wickets in hand, even eight or nine [per over] on this track was not a difficult task.”As it so happened, Chand carted Ashton Turner’s off-spin over the midwicket boundary in the last over of batting Powerplay, the 40th. After three more overs of accumulation, India needed 49 off 42 when Chand chipped Alex Gregory to midwicket, where William Bosisto dropped the chance. Chand hit a six down the ground two balls later.”I was not thinking anything at the time,” he said about the drop and the following six. “I was just thinking to get to 226. I was talking to Smit, I didn’t look at the score … I didn’t know I had scored a century until the crowd shouted and that’s when I took out my bat and all. I was in … what do people call it? The zone? I was trying to stop Smit from hitting unnecessary shots, I was going and speaking to him and telling him to play within his limits.”The boundaries came quickly after that as India made a dash for the target, Smit achieving it with a pull to the midwicket boundary in the 48th over. India’s coach Bharat Arun said their success was in part due to the manner in which his team approached the final. The Indians had appeared remarkably relaxed on the field in the lead-up to the toss. Arun, Chand and Kamal Passi were in conversation while sitting on the grass, and a few of the others were having low intensity warm-ups and drills.”We felt we needed to be absolutely relaxed. We’ve been insisting right from the beginning,” Arun said. “You cannot ask the boys to relax and then be intense with these guys, so you’ll have to be cool. Unless they are relaxed they won’t focus on the process, if they are pressurised the process goes kaput.”We said today’s game was just another game for us. There was a big tag attached to it, added pressure, I guess we played by what we decided we would.”

Bangladesh have named Jason Swift, the Australian who has worked with Lancashire for the past six years, as their fielding coach

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2011Bangladesh have named Jason Swift, the Australian who has worked with Lancashire for the past six years, as their fielding coach. Swift, 40, has signed a two-year contract and is expected to join the Bangladesh team ahead of their tour of Zimbabwe later this month.Swift is a Level 4 qualified coach, the highest under the ECB programme, and is assistant coach of the Lancashire Academy besides being in charge of the county’s Colts team. He played nine domestic one-day matches for the Australian Capital Territory in the late ’90s, and was also a dependable middle-order batsman in league cricket in Canberra.Bangladesh’s newly appointed coach, Stuart Law, had a lengthy stint as a player at Lancashire, towards the end of which he worked with Swift.