Stats highlights from day two of the Australia-South Africa Test match in Perth

Gaurav Sundararaman04-Nov-20162 Number of times a team has been bowled out for a lower score than Australia’s 244 in a Test innings after a 150-plus partnership by the openers. Both these instances were by Zimbabwe: they had collapsed from 164 for 0 to 228 all out against West Indies in 2001, and from 153 for 0 to 236 all out against Sri Lanka in 2002. Incidentally, the lowest total Australia had put up after a 150-run stand by their openers before this was also against South Africa, 296 in 2011 at the Wanderers.86 Runs added by Australia’s last nine wickets. This is only the second instance of Australia’s last nine partnerships adding less than 100 in a home Test innings since February 1993 – in 2010 against England in Melbourne, they added 83. During the same period, there were 15 such instances for Australia in away Tests.1978 The previous time Australia lost their top five wickets while scoring less than 23 runs in a Test innings at home. Unlike in this match, Australia had started badly that occasion, hurtling to 24 for 5 in the first innings of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba. They had started well in this Test, reaching 158 for 0 before sliding to 181 for five.5 Number of 150-plus opening stands against South Africa in Tests in the last ten years. Including the 158-run stand between Warner and Shaun Marsh in this Test, the last-three such stands have been by Australia. Phillip Hughes and Shane Watson had added 174 in Johannesburg in 2011-12. Before that, Hughes and Simon Katich had added 184 in Durban in 2008-09.2 Batsmen who had made six consecutive fifty-plus scores in Tests against South Africa before David Warner. Warner joined Taufeeq Umar and Neil Harvey when he scored 97. Warner has three hundreds against South Africa and averages 91.42 against them in his last seven innings.184.61 Warner’s strike rate against Dale Steyn on the first day’s play. He scored 24 runs off just 13 balls including three fours and a six. However, Steyn came back strongly against Warner on day two, conceding just seven runs off 14 balls before dismissing him. While in South Africa Warner has made 117 off just 94 deliveries against Steyn and has been dismissed only once, in Australia the contest has been more even between the two: before this Test, Steyn had dismissed Warner twice in 93 balls, giving away just 59 runs.96 Warner’s batting average in Tests at the WACA – his best among venues where he has played more than one Test. Warner has scored 768 runs in Perth in just eight innings, including three hundreds and two fifties.4 Wickets by Vernon Philander in Tests in Australia before this. He had taken only four wickets from 67 overs at an average of 49.75 in two Tests. He returned figures of 4 for 56 from 19.2 overs in Australia’s first innings in this Test. This was also Philander’s first haul of three or more wickets in away Tests in 14 innings. Before this, he had taken 3 for 84 in the first innings of the Abu Dhabi Test in October 2013.2006 Previous instance of Hashim Amla scoring only one run in a Test match. It happened against India in Durban.

Sri Lanka’s marks out of ten after they bounced back from a winless tour of England to trample Australia 3-0 at home

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Aug-2016

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Rangana Herath (28 wickets at 12.75, 119 runs at 23.8)In 145 overs of lovable left-arm spin, Rangana Uncle took more wickets than any other bowler in the series, and also claimed many more hearts. His batting has always been wonderfully watchable, but since England, he has struck the form of his life, so the entertainment now lasts longer. He was hit in the box by Josh Hazlewood at the SSC, yet he collected the series’ best bowling analysis there. Really, it was Australia, who after almost every encounter with Herath, were left whimpering squeakily, knees together, clutching the crotch, writhing on the floor.

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Dhananjaya de Silva (325 runs at 65, 2 wickets at 31.50)Batting so effortless it is like he is slung in a hammock at the crease, a cigar between his lips. De Silva stroked Steve O’Keefe for six to get himself off the mark, then went on to top-score in a series dominated by the bowlers. He never failed to get a start, then turned the starts into big scores at the SSC. His offspin is only decent, rather than deadly, but the team already trusts him to field at backward point.Kusal Mendis (296 runs at 49.33)At 21 years old, Kusal Mendis has already played one of Sri Lanka’s great Test innings. The 176 at Pallekele was not just match-turning, it also transformed the series. Then he top-scored on the toughest pitch of the tour, in Galle, as well, and claimed some excellent catches at short leg to boot. Mendis was playing in the Moin-ud-Dowlah tournament merely a year ago. Coaches will encourage him to improve, knowing, no doubt, that at this rate of ascent, he could be overlord of the galaxy in just a few years.

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Dilruwan Perera (15 wickets at 24.80, 116 runs at 19.33)If Dilruwan so much as glanced in an Australia batsman’s direction, at Galle, they would give him their wicket. He generally only plays when conditions are stacked in a spinner’s favour, yet has played the second spinner role so well, he became the fastest Sri Lanka bowler to 50 Test wickets. He was often the straight man to Herath’s hilarity, when they batted together.Rangana Herath’s hat-trick headlined Sri Lanka’s series-clinching victory in Galle•AFPDinesh Chandimal (250 runs at 41.66, one stumping, one catch)Now seemingly a long-term No. 6 and wicketkeeper-batsman, Chandimal made an important 42 alongside Mendis at Pallekele, and played his most mature innings to date at the SSC, where the score had been 26 for 5 when he walked in. That hundred left him sapped. Chandimal is usually so chatty after a good performance that he is often found by cleaning staff the next morning, still answering a question from the previous day’s press conference. This time there were only one-sentence answers. The eight-hour innings was enough.

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Lakshan Sandakan (9 wickets at 23)A little raw still, and he didn’t always have control, but when Sandakan got it right, at Pallekele, he was a delight. In that match he relied heavily on his googly. Some batsmen claimed they could pick him, but most looked baffled, like he was bowling hieroglyphs. Was barely needed in Galle, and was superfluous in the second innings at SSC. He bowled the delivery of the series, when in the second innings at Pallekele, the ball came at Joe Burns like a mugger in a dark alleyway.Nuwan Pradeep (2 wickets at 26)Played only in the first Test before taking his government-mandated hamstring injury leave. He is in better control of his swing than he used to be, so he can now stake a claim in Sri Lanka’s top XI, when fit. If he, Dushmantha Chameera and Dhammika Prasad are ever available to play in the same game, Sri Lanka may even have a decent pace attack. But a great many stars would have to align for this to happen. Like the SLC balloon trip in which officials float off into space through an abundance of hot air, this is merely a Sri Lanka fan fantasy.Kusal Perera (146 runs at 24.66, three stumpings, four catches)Having run around the world trying to prove his innocence to the ICC earlier this year, Kusal now finds himself run around in the batting order, sometimes opening, sometimes batting at No. 3, occasionally coming down the order, and at other times, taking the gloves. He played two manful innings at Galle, and made rapid stumpings at the SSC. He says he is happy to bat anywhere the team needs, and given his recent history of success in a polygraph test, fans may be inclined to believe him.

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Angelo Mathews (155 runs at 25.33)Despite looking out of form, Mathews still found a way to make runs at Galle, sweeping, and reverse-sweeping his way to 54 and 47, though his impact in the remaining innings of the series was limited. At times his bowling changes seemed so effective, if he had thrown the ball to a spectator, they might have finished with five wickets. The SSC declaration was too conservative for many. Given the rate at which Australia collapsed, though, perhaps Sri Lanka could have happily batted on.Vishwa Fernando (1 wicket at 16)He had been in at least two Test squads before this tour, without getting a debut. When he got his chance, he was only required for two overs. Thankfully he did take one wicket in those overs, so at least he can claim to have had marginally more impact on the series than, say, the sightscreen attendants.Kaushal Silva overcame an injured left hand, and five single-digit scores in a row, to make a century at the SSC•Associated Press

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Kaushal Silva (133 runs at 22.16)Kept playing loose drives until, by his own admission, having to get six stitches in his left hand, prevented him from playing that stroke, and he went on to get an important hundred. Having learned the cure for that mode of dismissal now, he may consider taking a small knife and bandages with him on future tours. Caught well at Pallekele and Galle, but was slightly less sprightly at the SSC – perhaps understandably so.Suranga Lakmal (1 wicket at 54)Was ruled out of the first two Tests through injury, but took the important wicket of Shaun Marsh at the SSC – breaking Australia’s biggest stand of the series. Was slightly expensive in that innings, but that wasn’t to be of great consequence.

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Dimuth Karunaratne (41 runs at 6.83)He has played some outstanding innings in tough conditions, but the paucity of his recent scores will be difficult for the selectors to ignore. Caught well, especially in Galle.*One of the scores was accidentally omitted at original time of publishing. This has been corrected.

Stats highlights from Australia’s seven-wicket win in Adelaide

S Rajesh27-Nov-20162 Instances, in Test history, of two debutants staying unbeaten in the fourth innings of a Test win. The only previous such occurrence was in 1880, in the fourth Test ever, when England beat Australia by five wickets at The Oval.9 Instances of Australia successfully chasing down targets between 100 and 150 out of ten, in Tests since 2000. The only time they failed was on treacherous Wankhede pitch in Mumbai in 2004, when they were bowled out for 93 chasing 107 for victory. In ten previous instances before 2000, Australia had lost four out of ten such chases.

Score Result Opposition Ground Year127/3 won South Africa Adelaide 2016130/6 won India Brisbane 2014141/5 won Sri Lanka Sydney 2013106/0 won New Zealand Wellington 2010135/1 won New Zealand Christchurch 2005127/1 won Pakistan Melbourne 200493 lost India Mumbai 2004147/1 won West Indies Georgetown 2003107/5 won England Melbourne 2002130/5 won West Indies Adelaide 20005 Wins for Australia in their last six Tests in Adelaide – they have beaten India (twice), England, New Zealand and South Africa, and drawn against South Africa in November 2012.23.08 Mitchell Starc’s bowling average in Tests since the start of 2015. Among fast bowlers with 50-plus wickets during this period, only James Anderson has a better average. In 17 Tests since the start of 2015, Starc has taken 84 wickets; in 14 Tests before 2015, he had 45 wickets at 36.22.24.04 Matt Renshaw’s strike rate in his debut Test – he scored 44 runs off 183 balls over the two innings. Among Australians who have faced 150-plus balls in their debut Test, only four players have had a lower scoring rate; the last such batsman with a slower rate was John Dyson, when he scored 57 off 239 balls (strike rate 23.84) in his debut Test against India in Perth in 1977.6 South African openers who have scored a Test hundred in Australia – Billy Zulch, Eddie Barlow, Gary Kirsten, Graeme Smith, Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook. Cook’s was the 11th century here by these openers, but eight of those have been scores of less than 130.4 Instances of Cook scoring more than 25 in his ten Test innings. He has converted two of those into hundreds.1 Number of times David Warner had been run out in 100 Test innings before the start of this series; in this series he has been dismissed in this manner twice – in the second innings in Perth and in Adelaide. His only previous run out in Tests was against Sri Lanka in Hobart in 2012.

Zafar Ansari believes that Saqlain Mushtaq’s calm influence as England’s spin consultant has helped England’s slow bowlers find their feet on the tour of India

George Dobell in Visakhapatnam15-Nov-20162:20

‘Saqlain acts as our cheerleader’ – Ansari

At first glance, Saqlain Mushtaq seems an unlikely cheerleader. At second glance too.Certainly in the modern sense. He’s never been seen with a pair of pom-poms and his dancing days are probably behind him.But that was the description of his role on England’s tour of India offered by Zafar Ansari. It was not meant as faint praise, either. It was meant to underline the unstinting support he has given to England’s spinners in his role as coaching consultant and, in a subtle way, it recognises the sensibly soft touch he has taken.These brief coaching stints are tricky. On one hand, the coach is keen to make as much of an impact as possible in the short period they are with the team. In the case of Saqlain, that was originally only going to be for two weeks on this tour, though it has now been extended to something approaching a month.On the other hand, such short-term coaches can be reluctant to force themselves on players. One highly respected batting coach who was invited to spend a session or two with the team during the summer departed having hardly spoken to the players for fear of tinkering without sufficient time to make substantial progress.Saqlain understands this. He understands that, as a consultant, his role is not to completely overhaul anyone’s technique and that, going into a game, the worst thing he could do is inject any negativity or doubt into a player’s mind.”He has made it explicit that he didn’t want to come in and change anything,” Ansari said after England’s training session at the not especially catchily named Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. “He hasn’t had time to change our actions and, in the lead-up to Test, the last thing you want to be doing is changing what you’re doing.”He acts as our cheerleader to some extent. He boosts us and makes us feel good about ourselves. And as someone who has been so successful to come in and say ‘I think you’re a good bowler and I think you can take wickets at this level’, that gives you a lot of confidence and that is important for Test cricket.”Saqlain may have learned a thing or two in this regard. During his first stint with the England team, just ahead of the Manchester Test against Pakistan, he mentioned to Moeen Ali that he may like to alter his grip a little in a bid to gain more bounce. But when the result was a couple of head-high full tosses, they both concluded that the time for technical changes is not a couple of days before a Test.His input is not limited to bowling, either. Moeen credits his improvement against spin bowling in part to Saqlain’s comments. So when Saqlain mentioned that Javed Miandad had recently told him how much he admired Moeen’s batting, Moeen was thrilled and more receptive to the advice – advice offered many times previously by Mark Ramprakash – that he might like to come down the pitch more often against spin bowlers. Sometimes the source of the advice is just as important as the subject.Zafar Ansari felt more settled in his second Test than he did in his first•Getty ImagesThat’s not to say that Saqlain is nothing but a cheerleader. He also has the experience to offer practical advice. So, while Adil Rashid’s Test career has previously been characterised by coaches suggesting that he would need to bowl quicker to succeed in international cricket, Saqlain has recognised that Rashid has several gifts but that speed will never be one of them.Instead, he has encouraged him to embrace his natural strengths: to give the ball some air, to give the ball a rip and to back his own skills to defeat the batsmen. On the evidence of the Rajkot Test, where Rashid produced probably the best bowling performance of his Test career, it seems to be working well.”It’s more about your approach to bowling and bowling in Test cricket,” Ansari said. “How you can maintain your composure when batsmen are coming at you, when the crowd is loud and when you’re playing on TV. All these external factors, he brings a certain perspective to that.”Saqlain’s background may be relevant, too. Four of this England squad identify as British Muslims and three – including all three of the spin bowlers from the Rajkot Test – have family roots in Pakistan. Saqlain is a man they can identify with, and not just as a cricketer.Ansari, while reluctant to think of himself as a role model as an individual at this stage of his career, nevertheless celebrates the success of the collective and feels their visible success is “a good thing for society”.”As a group of four British Muslims there is something in that,” he says. “There’s no doubt. That’s really exciting and something we’re proud of. A lot of people outside the group clearly care about that and value that a lot. And that is a good thing in our society.”From a personal point of view, I wouldn’t hold myself up as a role model. At least in that way. I’m from a very privileged background. I don’t necessarily challenge norms in a particularly obvious way or even in a superficial way. So I wouldn’t necessarily characterise myself as breaking down boundaries. But Moeen, Adil and Haseeb Hameed – all of them are doing a wonderful job representing their communities. And that’s not an easy role to play.”On a day of optional nets – the seamers from the first Test plus Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow took the opportunity to rest – James Anderson ran in hard and looked as if he was raring to go. But it was Steven Finn who troubled the batsmen most, generating unpleasant bounce from just back of a length. Both are set to be frustrated, though, with England likely to play the same XI that featured in Rajkot.And that would mean another chance for Ansari. Though he is modest about his own talents – he describes himself as “not a natural ball-player” and seems somewhat in awe of Moeen having spent a month or so watching him at close quarters – he concedes that he is growing more comfortable with the glare of life in international cricket.”The second game felt easier from a psychological perspective,” he says. “Just the attention being removed from you to some extent – as an England player, people are always observing – but that singular attention shifting away is a big thing for the second Test and going forward. It allows you to play the game as a game rather than as an event that you are the centre of.”I’m not a natural ball-player. I guess it’s all relative. I’m probably comparing myself with Moeen or people like that. They work incredibly hard but, from the outside, they have a certain touch that maybe I don’t feel like I quite have. But this is just my perspective. Other people might say you’re talking rubbish; you’re being self-deprecating. But that’s genuine.”Ansari’s skills are likely to be tested to the full in the second Test. While the pitch at Visakhapatnam currently has some grass on it, the groundsman expects it to turn from day two. It is likely that spin will play a greater part than it did in Rajkot and likely that the toss will, once again, prove important.

At a time when it is in danger of disappearing from Test cricket, Visakhapatnam showed why the fifth day makes this form of the game special

Alagappan Muthu in Visakhapatnam21-Nov-2016One of the world’s premier batsmen was furiously practicing his forward defensives. He lunged as far as he could and leaned over the imaginary ball so his bat could sing a little lullaby. Elsewhere, a bowler capable of waking every last demon in a pitch warmed up with great vigour.There was activity everywhere. Some seemed nervous, others excited. Visakhapatnam had never hosted a Test before and its people were being spoiled rotten by India, England and the theatre of the fifth day.They saw a debutant produce the delivery of the match, making it drift in the air to force Ben Stokes to square up and play inside the line. Not even Liam Neeson could have stopped the off stump from being taken. So now Jayant Yadav has a decision to make. He had said dismissing AB de Villiers in a warm-up match last year was the best wicket of his career.Then Mohammed Shami conjured reverse-swing in the eighth over with the new ball. Neither of these incidents would have happened had the pitch not been so abrasive. It had needed a fifth day to get that way. The fifth day is under threat.There is merit to the argument that Test cricket needs help. It asks a lot of people who prefer their news in 140 characters and their videos to get to the point in 120 seconds. Besides, there are far more convenient ways to follow the game.The Andhra Cricket Association allowed free entry on the first day here and while the crowd was impressive it didn’t threaten the stadium’s capacity. Why would it, when instead of travelling outside the city, getting probed by security, sitting in the sun, and barely getting to see your favourite players, you just touch a button on your phone, get your info and move on with your life. It is hard to imagine making Tests a day lighter would change any of this. A better effort might be to make the pitches more responsive, redress the balance between bat and ball and add context to every match that happens.Besides, why must we push for something that won’t allow for Haseeb Hameed and Alastair Cook’s remarkable stonewalling. Something that could lead to a savage pursuit for home advantage and limit the chances for a team to grow. Something that reduces the time available for a narrative shift – like in Visakhapatnam when four days of hard-fought cricket and spirited counters culminated in two and a half hours of spectacular action.R Ashwin tossed the ball up with cover open for the right-hander to beat his inside edge by miles. Ravindra Jadeja did not care for point as he aimed for the footmarks to generate variable bounce. No reasonable person will grudge this when it happens on the fifth day.Good batsmen go so far as to enjoy it. Kohli produced a masterful innings in tough conditions. Joe Root combated them by adjusting his technique mid-match, crouching more in his stance and shortening his backlift to be ready for the grubber.At a time when cricket is under pressure to shed its flab, this series has strengthened the argument to keep it roly-poly.

After a promising first day in Port Elizabeth things quickly unravelled for Sri Lanka, and that was meant to be the ground most suited to them. It does not bode well

Andrew Fidel Fernando31-Dec-20165:25

Five things we learned in Port Elizabeth

If you are a Sri Lanka fan with plans to come to the picturesque Newlands ground to watch your team play in the New Year Test, perhaps you will think to do something more useful with your money, like feed it to a goat.At Port Elizabeth, Sri Lanka’s five-Test winning streak was punctured. The Australia-series bubble was popped. Reality set in.In place of the optimism of the last few months in which five consecutive Tests were won and promising players bucketed down upon the island, there is now sudden fear the whitewashers could become whitewashees. Before the series, the Port Elizabeth pitch seemed the low-slow promised land. It was thought Sri Lanka could ease themselves into the series with manful batting and Rangana Herath’s sleight of hand. Instead Herath’s fingers took a battering, and the batsmen wound up nursing blows to their outside edges. Perhaps it was inevitable. Watching the edges of your bat blush redder and redder through the course of several weeks has recently become the essence of a Sri Lanka batsman’s away tour.You can see the parallels with the Australia series can’t you? Due to a quirk of scheduling, that tour had begun in Pallekele, where Australia hoped to establish their dominance on one of the most seam-friendly pitches on the continent. Instead they were mugged by Sri Lanka’s trio of spinners, and then were led down an alley and merrily stabbed, at Galle. At the SSC, the corpse was briefly reanimated only for Herath to draw his shiv and waddlingly chase Steven Smith and his men around the field again.If Sri Lanka have failed to score 300 in Port Elizabeth, how will they fare at Newlands, where South Africa have never lost to an Asian team; where Sri Lanka themselves have been defeated soundly thrice (by an innings and infinity on one occasion)? The Wanderers, where the third Test is scheduled, is also spoken about by locals as a bouncy, high-altitude, cricketing abattoir. Will Sri Lanka make it down the hill alive?Perhaps the selectors’ and management’s most pressing question is what they can now do at No. 3. Since Sri Lanka’s greatest Test batsman retired, the best remaining batsmen have been reluctant to bat there, as if the ghost of Kumar Sangakkara still haunts his old spot. Angelo Mathews likes it down there at No. 5, as he also fancies himself as a first-change bowler. Dinesh Chandimal prefers to take the gloves and come in at No. 6. Kusal Mendis’ returns have been so much better at No. 4 that selectors are reluctant to move him. And Dhananjaya de Silva is still so green and goes so purringly at No. 7, there is a strong case for his retention there as well.The No. 3 spot has now chewed up at least three batsmen, and each time a new man plays a bad shot to get himself out, the ghost of Sangakkara can be seen cover-driving the same ball to the boundary. When a stumping chance is missed, as with Chandimal in the second innings, Sangakkara’s ghost has so much time he collects the ball between butt cheeks and backs seductively into the wickets.Strategic problems in the field – which had a long and lavish airing in England – have also re-emerged. Mathews’ Plan A in Port Elizabeth seemed to be to attack conventionally with the seamers; Plan B was to wait endlessly for Plan A to work; while Plan C was to make fans want to throw themselves from tall buildings. Any semblance of energy fled the fielding effort. New batsmen were practically welcomed to the field with garlands and offers of massages. And the (mis)use of Herath was brought into relief by Faf du Plessis’ excellent handling of a much less experienced spinner: Keshav Maharaj.There are brief and brilliant glimpses of potential in this Sri Lanka squad, but on away tours, how atrociously it has been harnessed. If Sri Lanka don’t activate the ability at their disposal, if they fail to prod consistency from batsmen, or fashion coherent tactics for their limited seam attack, they may as well find something more worthwhile to do with all their talented youth. Like feed them to a goat.

Keshav Maharaj has more wickets than any of Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander or Kagiso Rabada this series. For a change, the quicks were creating pressure so the spinner could profit. How South African cricket has changed

Firdose Moonda in Wellington18-Mar-20173:08

‘I rely on my consistency’ – Maharaj

The strength of a team’s character, Graeme Smith used to say, is not seen when they scale a peak but when they remain steady at the top when strong winds threaten to blow them off. Smith was speaking figuratively after South Africa took the No.1 ranking from England in mid-2012. South Africa were acting out those words literally in Wellington almost five years later, where they are no longer the holders of the mace but pushed a position of authority so hard that they inflicted defeat on New Zealand inside three days to take an unassailable advantage in the three-match series.Let’s start with the wind. It was blowing from the south, the Antarctic, and filtering through the Cook Strait at speeds of around 50kph. So it was not just a wind but an icy scythe cutting through everything but the enthusiasm of the Wellington faithful, who arrived at the Basin Reserve with blankets to put over their singlets and shorts. South Africa, though, were more sensibly dressed.Their bench-warmers wore soft-shell jackets, beanies and gloves. On the field, Kagiso Rabada, big, strapping Kagiso Rabada, had hand-warmers in his pockets and he held on to them like a kid to his security blanket. Faf du Plessis also had them in his pockets and when one of the warmers broke, it leaked a dark substance onto his fingers. Thank goodness du Plessis did not go near the ball with that.And there were real consequences attached to this cold. When JP Duminy dropped the catch that would have dismissed Jeet Raval on 53, he immediately looked at his fingers, as if to blame them. Stephen Cook, who put Raval down at square leg on 76, was more stoic but there was more hand-rubbing than wringing in response. Temba Bavuma joked that he would have to bat with bricks in his pockets to avoid being blown away in the Wellington southerly. Would Keshav Maharaj need a whole house? Although not as short as Bavuma, Maharaj is certainly lighter. And he would have to do more than just keep himself upright, he would have to control a ball too.Being a spinner on a cold, windy day isn’t easy. Being a spinner in a South African attack, who tend to view their slower bowlers as gatecrashers at a private party, isn’t easy either. And being a spinner on a pitch that showed no signs of deterioration early on and was as green as the outfield wasn’t supposed to be easy. But with a bit of drift, an inviting line outside off and some help from New Zealand’s batsmen and his own quicks, Maharaj must have wondered whether this gig was really as tough as it was made out to be.After Maharaj tried to lure Neil Broom and Raval into a mistake, he succeeded in getting first-innings centurion Henry Nicholls to make one. The positivity Nicholls showed on the first day was misused on the third when he reached for a sweep and played on. That brain fade opened the over, Jimmy Neesham’s closed it. Knowing the situation called for some responsibility, Neesham stepped down the track and tried to flick Maharaj over midwicket where he was met by a Plessis one-handed signature stunner. New Zealand were effectively -1 for 5 at the end of that over and mostly had themselves to blame.Jeet Raval was one of Keshav Maharaj’s six wickets in the second innings•AFPAs did Raval when he threw away the chance at a first hundred by making almost the same mistake Neesham did by stepping out, but instead of hitting the ball, he missed and was stumped. As did Tim Southee and BJ Watling, who both holed out when the heat was on. The only New Zealand batsman who was outfoxed by a delivery, and not by a tactic to force a mistake, was Colin de Grandhomme, who received a ripper that turned passed the outside edge and hit the top of off.So why did the rest allow Maharaj, who bowled 14 overs into the wind, to make such a mess of their attempts to set a target? Because at the other end, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Rabada were operating. Philander has bowled brilliantly throughout the two Tests with scant success; Morkel has returned to greater rewards and has used his aggression well and Rabada’s pace is unmatched. Yet, Maharaj has more wickets than any of them. For a change, the quicks were creating pressure so the spinner could profit. How South African cricket has changed.The last time a South African spinner took six wickets in an innings was eight years ago: Paul Harris against Australia in Cape Town. The last time a South African spinner took consecutive five-fors was 14 years ago: Paul Adams against Bangladesh in 2003. And the last time a South African spinner took 15 wickets in a series was 16 years ago: Nicky Boje West Indies. Maharaj has already bettered the first two and with 13 wickets so far he could overtake the third too. Those numbers are impressive but they don’t fully explain what Maharaj adds to this attack: certainty.While Adams lost his mystery, Boje and Harris did their job without setting the world alight. In searching for someone with a bit more spark, they moved on to Imran Tahir who tried so hard and got it so wrong that they went all the way back to Robin Peterson. Dane Piedt was an interesting experiment and that may continue as early as next week in Hamilton, where South Africa are expecting a turner. But there is no doubt that Piedt is No. 2.The No. 1 is a character whose confidence in his on-field performances – even with bat in hand Maharaj isn’t afraid to give it horns – morphs into boy-scout bashfulness off it. He is a man who has mastered the role of a South Africa spinner which is mostly a behind-the-scenes one but can step up when needed. He is the one who withstood the wind.

Despite its share of hiccups, the opening night of Pakistan Super League 2017 showed the competition may be starting to gain a foothold in its home away from home

Osman Samiuddin in Dubai09-Feb-2017Fahad Mustafa is the king of Pakistan television. Pakistanis know this, but to those who don’t, take it as true that he is. By occupation he is an actor but really he is the host of a wildly successful game show that works on the simple formula that you cannot go wrong if you give prizes to anyone with a pulse within a 100m radius.He is the show. Imagine the Energizer bunny. Imagine that Energizer bunny a few cans down of an energy drink. Imagine the Energizer bunny a few cans down of an energy drink and then a shot of pure adrenaline to the good. Then multiply that by some. What you have is about half the energy Mustafa brings to his shows, day in, day out.So to have him as the hype man for the opening ceremony of the second Pakistan Super League in Dubai was, at so many levels, the rightest thing organisers could do. This wasn’t quite the canvas for him to do his thing, and the crowd was already feeling the occasion, but still: he was just the man for the moment and mood.He was one of a few things they got right. Altogether there was something more polished about this opening than last year. That evening had burned through on emotion alone. Until the very last moment, it had felt like it might not even come to be. There had been little marketing in the build-up because the budgets were so tight. Ticket sales had been an issue. The broadcast deal was unheard of. There was confusion over where they would play. It was sharing space with the Masters Champions League – which then seemed like a workable idea and even a threat.But somehow they got it up and running and Peshawar Zalmi flew in 143 students and teachers from the Army Public School, the scene of a terrible terrorist attack the year before, and the stadium had enough people in it, and it didn’t matter that the opening ceremony felt slightly disjointed and nervous because the night felt so redemptive. Pretty much the whole season surfed through on the emotion of that night.This year there has been more control. In the run-up there has been greater promotional visibility around Dubai for the league. And it showed, in the number of fans that had been streaming into the ground a good 90 minutes before the opening ceremony was due to start.Big names at the PSL? Of course•Pakistan Super LeagueIt showed in the ceremony itself, slicker, smarter and not averse to a few tugs at the heart. Any other time, for instance, a rendition of “Dil Dil Pakistan” might pass by unnoticed – it is just what you get at any Pakistan game. Nobody missed the significance this time, just two months removed from the death of its singer Junaid Jamshed. And there is no occasion that isn’t fit for a little Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Feels, they say these days, proper feels.But like Sean Paul last year, Shaggy was an odd intrusion. When and where indeed was Shaggy not an odd intrusion other than, perhaps, for a brief period in the 90s? Perhaps not as odd as the PSL’s original wish – Justin Bieber – would have been though. Given how much Pakistan’s music industry is bubbling currently, another Pakistani to accompany Ali Zafar and Shehzad Roy could not have been difficult.This being a Pakistani production, there had to be a fashionable delay before the game actually began. Last year there had been a 20-minute delay. Tonight it took 50 minutes to start because of what appeared to be difficulties in dismantling the stage without affecting the sightscreen behind it. Don’t miss the symbolism, given how long and how many delays there have been in getting the league off the ground in the first place. By this point the stadium was all but full – in itself a revealing achievement given how sparse crowds have been for recent Pakistan internationals here. Some of the energy that Mustafa had generated had gone though.And once the game began, the evening assumed an oddly familiar feel, as if this is precisely what we have come to expect – a little razzmatazz, the biggest Pakistani names, team-mates and opponents to some of the world’s finest talent. Yep, this is what the PSL is. Which is odd given that it is not being played in the country it is supposed to be played in and that it was only the 25th match in the short history of the league. Increasingly, this is the thing about popular T20 leagues, that you can identify with them and that you pretty much know what to expect as an experience when you go to any one of their games.Indeed it would have passed by in that haze of familiarity had it not been interrupted by a brief shower. Those are not as unusual as you might think, especially as it comes at the end of an unusually cold spell. But still – how many would have predicted that? Coupled with the late start and the shower – which came after midnight with the second innings not yet 10 overs in – it meant that about a third of crowd had left well before the end of the game.Which is a shame because the action – the very thing that will sustain this league – was promising. Last year, slow surfaces had made for lower-scoring Twenty20 cricket, intriguing in its own way, but not necessarily a recipe for long-term success. If this game is anything to go by – a first innings total near enough 200, a significant chase by the champions, though with only two balls to spare – this season might be a correction.

Plus, what are some of the greatest first-class feats by non-Test players?

Steven Lynch27-Mar-2017Who is Test cricket’s biggest heartbreaker – by which I mean the bowler who dismissed most batsmen in the nineties? asked Alpesh Krishnan from India
The answer to this unusual question is India’s Anil Kumble, who despatched ten batsmen in sight of their hundreds – Jonty Rhodes (in 1992-93), Aravinda de Silva (1993), Craig McMillan (1998-99), Jacques Kallis (1999-2000), Marcus Trescothick (for 99, in 2001-02), Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq (in the same innings in 2005-06), Ashwell Prince (2006-07), Graeme Smith (2006-07) and Andrew Strauss (2007). Kapil Dev dismissed nine batsmen in the nineties, and Graeme Swann seven. In one-day internationals, the leader is Wasim Akram, who inflicted six dismissals in the nineties; Sanath Jayasuriya, Jacques Kallis, Kapil Dev, Manoj Prabhakar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Waqar Younis each managed four.Steven Smith scored 499 runs in the Tests in India. Is this the best for Australia there? asked Mahesh Guha from India
Steven Smith’s 499 runs in the series was the fourth-highest for Australia (and the sixth-best for either country) in a Test series between the two sides in India. Kim Hughes tops the list, with 594 runs in 1979-80, but that was in six Tests. Next comes Matthew Hayden, with 549 in just three matches in 2000-01. Allan Border collected 521 runs in 1979-80. For India, Gundappa Viswanath made 518 in that same six-Test series in 1979-80, and VVS Laxman 503 in the three Tests of 2000-01. Overall (including Test series in Australia), Smith leads the way: he amassed 769 runs in the four-Test series against India in Australia in 2014-15, which eclipsed Don Bradman’s record of 715 from 1947-48. Ricky Ponting made 706 runs in the 2003-04 series, while Virat Kohli is top for India with 692 in 2014-15.BB Nimbalkar found that even an innings of 443 was not enough to get him into the Indian national team•Picture Post/Getty ImagesWho scored the most runs without ever playing Test cricket? asked Adrian Cooper from England
The list of leading first-class run-getters is dominated by English players, as so much more first-class county cricket was played there in the past. And most of the leading names won at least a few international caps: the first man who didn’t play an official Test match is the Glamorgan opener Alan Jones, in 35th place with 36,049 runs in first-class cricket. Jones’ only England appearance came in what was eventually designated an unofficial Test, against the Rest of the World at Lord’s in 1970. Seven places further down the list, with 34,378 runs, is the Sussex batsman John Langridge, who never won a cap at all – unofficial or otherwise – although he did appear in seven Tests as an umpire.What’s the highest first-class score by someone who never played a Test? asked Pari Vandra from England
This one follows the previous question neatly. And there’s a different answer: the highest individual score by a non-Test player is 443 not out, by BB Nimbalkar, for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in Pune in 1948-49. The unfortunate Nimbalkar was denied a shot at the record for the highest individual innings at the time – Don Bradman’s unbeaten 452 for New South Wales v Queensland in Sydney in 1929-30 – as the Kathiawar captain forfeited the match to spare his bowlers any more punishment. Nimbalkar’s innings remains the fourth highest in all first-class cricket.Sanath Jayasuriya made 34 zeroes in one-day internationals•Getty ImagesYou wrote recently about Brian Close’s long Test career, which lasted from 1949 to 1976. Was it the longest of all? asked Nick Henderson from England
Brian Close’s Test career, which lasted about a week short of 27 years, was actually the second longest overall. Another Yorkshireman, slow left-armer Wilfred Rhodes, won his first cap in 1899, and his last – aged 52, the oldest Test player ever – in 1929-30: his international career lasted 30 years 315 days in all. Fifteen other players have had Test careers spanning more than 20 years, the most recent being Sachin Tendulkar (24 years plus one day) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (just over 21 years). Tendulkar had the longest one-day international career – 22 years 91 days from his debut in 1989-90. Sanath Jayasuriya played ODIs for more than 21 years, and Javed Miandad for 20.Which batsman has the most ducks in one-day internationals? asked Nilanjan Banerjee from India
The batsman most often out for 0 in one-day internationals is Sanath Jayasuriya, with 34 ducks. Next come Shahid Afridi, with 30, and Mahela Jayawardene and Wasim Akram, with 28 apiece. The Sri Lankan pair of Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas each bagged 25. Top of the list in Tests is Courtney Walsh, with 43, ahead of Chris Martin (36), Glenn McGrath (35), Shane Warne (34) and Murali (33). The most innings batted without ever making a duck in Tests is 37, by the Australians Jimmy Burke and Reggie Duff. In ODIs it’s a remarkable 98 innings, by Kepler Wessels (Samiullah Shenwari is currently second, with 51).And there’s an update to last week’s question about fathers and sons in the same first-class match, from Sreeram via Facebook
“It seems there is a more recent instance than 1931 of a father and son scoring half-centuries in the same first-class innings. CK Nayudu and one of his sons, CN, did it in 1956-57.” This does seem to be true: it possibly escaped general attention as the son is listed as “CN Bobjee” in ESPNcricinfo’s scorecard of the match, in Benares in February 1957. Probably the most remarkable aspect of this particular feat is that CK Nayudu was 61 at the time!Post your questions in the comments below

Pat Cummins was outstanding on the third day in Ranchi, but he couldn’t find a way past Cheteshwar Pujara

S Rajesh and Bharath Seervi18-Mar-2017Two players took all the honours on the third day in Ranchi – Cheteshwar Pujara and Pat Cummins. Pujara batted all day, stitched together useful partnerships with M Vijay, Ajinkya Rahane and Karun Nair, and ensured that India remained in the game; Cummins bowled with pace and hostility all day, took three wickets off superbly directed short balls, and ensured that Australia still had a chance of taking a handy first-innings lead.The battle between the two was engrossing as well. While Cummins troubled most of the Indian batsmen with his pace and variations in length, against Pujara he came out second best. Pujara scored 35 from 50 balls off Cummins, while all the other Indian batsmen collectively managed only 24 off 100. Pujara’s control stats against Cummins were outstanding too, compared to his team-mates.While the other Indian batsmen struggled to score against Cummins, Pujara went at more than four runs an over against him. The key was his ability to get the short balls away for runs: he scored 23 of his 35 runs off 29 deliveries that were either short, or short of a good length. The cut shot fetched him ten runs, including two fours. The other batsmen only managed 16 off 51 such deliveries that Cummins bowled.

While Pujara kept him at bay, Cummins won the battle against the other Indian batsmen: Vijay scored one run off 19 balls against him, Rahul 17 off 37, Rahane three off 13, and Ashwin three off 20, while Virat Kohli was dismissed off the first ball he faced from Cummins.Cummins’ pitch map shows how well he changed his length to combat a slow pitch that wasn’t offering much by way of pace and bounce. And even though he changed length and pace quite liberally, he consistently maintained a line on or around off stump, thus giving the batsmen few opportunities to work him away for easy runs.Pat Cummins varied his lengths superbly, but the line remained consistent outside off•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

More stats from day 32010 The last time India’s top three all made 50-plus scores in the same innings, against New Zealand in Nagpur. India had eight such instances between 2006 and 2010, but this innings is the first since then.6 Century partnerships between Vijay and Pujara in the 2016-17 season, the second most for a season. Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting had seven such stands in 2005-06. No other Indian pair has more than two century stands in the season.7 Centuries by Pujara in this first-class season in India. Only VVS Laxman has more in a season – eight tons in 1999-2000. MAK Pataudi in 1964-65 and Sunil Gavaskar in 1978-79 also made seven centuries each. Pujara scored four centuries in Tests and three in domestic first-class games.2.76 India’s run rate in this innings – 360 for 6 in 130 overs – is their fourth lowest in last 10 years when scoring 300-plus. They made 120 in 40 overs on the second day, scoring at three per over, but on day four they accumulated only 240 runs in 90 overs at 2.67. Apart from Rahul, no batsman scored at a strike rate of more than 50.0-179 Nathan Lyon’s figures since he picked up 8 for 50 in 22.2 overs in the first innings of the previous Test. He went wicketless for 82 runs in 33 overs in the second innings of the Bangalore Test, and had figures of 0 for 97 at stumps on the third day in Ranchi.