Tag Futebol

Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore01-Sep-2012Barely had the Saturday crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium finished savouring one of their favourite shots in cricket – a Sachin Tendulkar straight drive – when Tendulkar was bowled through the gate by Doug Bracewell and India were down at 80 for 4. As in 2010, the apparent no-hopers from New Zealand had again pushed India to a tight spot. The rescue artist VVS Laxman was no longer around, and it was down to the Test rookies to save them.Despite India still being nearly 300 behind, Suresh Raina didn’t opt for wait-and-watch cricket. Instead, he went on the offensive, with a hat-trick of fours off Bracewell, and a patented extra-cover loft for six off Jeetan Patel. Suddenly, the New Zealand attack was no longer as menacing and the Indian fightback was well and truly on.Raina said he was inspired by Ross Taylor’s hurricane hundred on the first day. “Whenever I got the ball in my area, I made sure to bat positively because Taylor was going really great against us so this is the style I would like to play in Test cricket,” he said. “At the same time I need to control my aggression, need to judge the line and length, so I am getting better. I have done well in one-dayers so hopefully I will be better in Test cricket too.”By the time Raina was dismissed for 55, India had progressed to 179 and Virat Kohli was looking assured. Though Raina was disappointed he couldn’t carry on to a bigger score, it was a vital innings for him, as his place is the most vulnerable in the Indian line-up. After the mauling in England last year where he looked completely out of depth, this is Raina’s comeback series and the challengers for his spot are plenty.Raina knows the importance of this series for him, and it helped that he is fresh off several match-turning knocks in the recent limited-overs series in Sri Lanka. “There was no pressure to score big runs but I always looked to enjoy the game,” he said. “I didn’t do well in England but I went back to the domestic cricket, played couple of matches, scored a double hundred and then played crucial knocks against Sri Lanka and did well in the IPL.”Now that we have a lot of young players, this is the time to score as many runs and book my place in the side because there are a lot of Test matches coming up in India and abroad as well.”With Raina’s exit, New Zealand had a look-in, but like India’s bowlers in the final session on Friday, the visitors also failed to produce breakthroughs late in the day, as Kohli and MS Dhoni helped India even up the match. Tim Southee, who justified his selection ahead of Chris Martin with three wickets, didn’t think his side flagged as the day progressed.”No, we’re still creating chances and getting edges,” Southee said. “I guess we didn’t
build enough pressure through dot balls. The ball got a bit old and it wasn’t carrying. I thought we bowled well. It just gets easier as the ball gets older and unfortunately we couldn’t get it to reverse.
.
“I don’t think it was a very abrasive surface so the ball hasn’t scuffed up as much as we would have liked. That’s why we couldn’t get it to reverse.”With the old ball proving ineffective, Southee said the first hour on Sunday will be crucial. “The wicket is a pretty good wicket. So I guess now it’s a pretty important time for us with the second new ball (which is two overs away) to see if we can pick up the rest of the wickets.”

England Under-19s scrapped hard to level the series against South Africa Under-19s with a four-wicket win in a low-scoring encounter at Northampton

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2011
Scorecard
Adam Ball’s 42 from 47 balls helped his side level the series•Getty Images

England Under-19s scrapped hard to level the series against South Africa Under-19s with a four-wicket win in a low-scoring encounter at Northampton.England’s bowlers fought back to restrict South Africa to 219 after the tourists had reached 121 for 1 and in pursuit the batsmen battled from 9 for 2 to reach the target with 23 balls to spare. Aneesh Kapil was the star with the ball, taking four for 36 on his debut, while Daniel Bell-Drummond led the way again with the bat, making 68 to set up the chase.Bell-Drummond and Sam Wood steadied England after the two early wickets with a stand of 90 before Wood was caught behind off Prenelan Subrayen for 42. A short rain break interrupted Bell-Drummond’s progress after he reached his half-century from 71 balls, and he was stumped shortly after the delay. His 68 included seven fours and a six and followed on from his classy 86 in a losing cause the game before.Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes and captain Adam Ball ensured Bell-Drummond would get the right result this time, adding 73 in 12.3 overs to all but take England over the finish line. Though they fell in quick succession, Kapil and Jamie Overton saw England home with plenty of time to spare.It was a disappointment for the tourists after they had looked so well placed on the back of Quinton de Kock and Shaylin Pillay’s 73-run second-wicket stand. de Kock advanced to a sprightly 69 from 83 balls before he was bowled by Wood.Wickets tumbled thereafter and though Pillay tried to drop anchor he was finally removed by Reece Topley for 47 and the tail was wiped out by Kapil, who earned three of his four wickets by hitting the stumps.

Australia were struck by another fitness concern ahead of the Leeds Test after Marcus North failed to train on Monday due to a stomach upset.

Brydon Coverdale in Leeds19-Jul-2010Australia were struck by another fitness concern ahead of the Leeds Test after Marcus North failed to train on Monday due to a stomach upset. Ben Hilfenhaus did not bowl during the practice session as he continues to recover from a shoulder problem picked up during the Lord’s Test.Although the Australians remain hopeful that both North and Hilfenhaus will be fine by the start of the match on Wednesday, Peter George and Usman Khawaja will be keeping a close eye on the pair. George would be in line for a debut if Hilfenhaus sat out, while the uncapped Khawaja is the only backup batsman in the squad.If North was to sit out, it wouldn’t be the first Test he had missed due to illness; a bout of gastro ruled him out in Cape Town last year and allowed Bryce McGain to make his debut. The Australians have called Clint McKay in as a cover player but the physio Alex Kountouris is still working with Hilfenhaus, who is hoping to play.”I don’t think he bowled today, he’s still seeing the physio but he’s certainly improving,” the vice-captain Michael Clarke said. “Fingers crossed, hopefully he’ll be right come day one of the Test match.”He’s had a few niggles over the last couple of years of his career. He’ll be disappointed if he misses the Test match but he’s in good hands with Alex, he knows what’s going on and has spent a lot of time with Hilfy over the last year or so. I think he’ll get him on the park. If he misses out it gives someone else an opportunity.”Australia have handed out plenty of baggy greens over the past two and a half years, with 17 debutants since the start of 2008. Tim Paine and Steven Smith were the latest additions to that list at Lord’s, and time will tell if George or Khawaja join them on this trip.

Australia report clean bill of health, but weather around Lord’s may influence contest

Alan Gardner26-Sep-2024

Big Picture: Ashes comeback redux?

Here we go, then. After finding themselves 2-0 down through a combination of hubris, inexperience and self-sabotage, Harry Brook’s bucks got themselves on the board up in Durham – from here on it’ll be Bazballs to the wall as they look to emulate last summer’s rip-roaring Ashes comeback (with the potential for a similarly underwhelming final outcome if the weather forecast holds true).Or perhaps not. Certainly, there won’t be the accompanying levels of interest, even if England can prove victory at Chester-le-Street to keep the series alive was not a flash in the pan. But there was undoubtedly something invigorating about the performance, with England’s one-day cricket perhaps at its lowest ebb since the disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign.Brook was to the fore as stand-in skipper, and one of the batters expecting to carry the side forward, scoring his maiden ODI hundred to make a chase of 305 look relatively straightforward (even if the rain meant England didn’t quite get to knock off the requirement themselves). With England seemingly floundering again at 11 for 2, the 156-run stand between Brook and Will Jacks was not only timely but demonstrated their ability to go through the gears in a format that requires stickability as well as crash, bang, wallop.It helped, of course, that Australia were missing their two best performers, in Travis Head and Adam Zampa – as did Brook winning the toss for the third time in a row. While England’s bowlers could not fully capitalise on useful seam-bowling conditions early on, as Alex Carey again lifted Australia clear of trouble, the pitch became more conducive to buccaneering strokeplay as the day wore on.For Australia, the end of their 14-game winning streak – second only to that put up by the legendary class of 2003 – will unlikely be cause for much lamenting. Steven Smith gave a reminder of his old-school qualities with his first fifty of the tour, while Aaron Hardie’s late-order cameo provided a glimpse of the future for this Australia side. The bowlers were not at their best but they have the experience and knowhow to saddle up and go again in a bid to seal the series at Lord’s.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WLLLW
Australia LWWWW

In the spotlight: Will Jacks and Alex Carey

While Brook took the headlines, Will Jacks was equally important to the Chester-le-Street turnaround. Although he was unable to press on to a maiden hundred, an innings of 84 from 82 balls was, by his own evaluation, his best international performance to date. Following his half-century at Trent Bridge, it suggested he is beginning to acclimatise to the format and his role at No. 3. Curiously, despite a body of work in T20 that dwarfs his List A experience (186 appearances to 32), it is in ODIs that he has currently had more of an impact with England.There was weather around as the teams trained at Lord’s•PA Photos/Getty Images

Alex Carey may have arrived back in the UK with a touch of trepidation, given his turbulent experience during last summer’s Ashes, but after being handed an unexpected opportunity with the ODI side after Josh Inglis’ injury he has seized it with both hands. Showing absolutely no ring-rust despite having not batted in a competitive scenario since March, Carey has top-scored for Australia two matches running while continuing to be an assured presence behind the stumps. It has, in the words of head coach Andrew McDonald, created a “good problem” for the team as preparation for the Champions Trophy gears up.

Team news: Archer set to play

Jofra Archer is expected to play back-to-back games so England could well be unchanged. Reece Topley has left the squad after suffering from illness.England: (possible) 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jamie Smith (wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Olly Stone, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Matthew PottsAfter the illness issues that dogged the start of the tour, Australia have reported a clean bill of health, which includes Adam Zampa, whose absence was significant at Chester-le-Street. The only issue is whether Inglis is yet match-fit, though Carey’s form makes that academic.Australia: (possible) 1 Travis Head, 2 Matthew Short, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Steven Smith, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Aaron Hardie, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

Lord’s is not foremost among English grounds when it comes to playing like a billiards table, although England did put up 311 in their previous ODI in north London against New Zealand last September. Given the amount of rain around recently, it could well be another seamer-friendly track – that’s if the weather relents enough to get a game, with showers forecast for the morning and early afternoon.

Stats and trivia

• With two wickets in Durham, Starc overtook Mitchell Johnson to go clear in fourth on Australia’s ODI wicket-takers’ list. He has a bit of a climb to reach Shane Warne in third.
• Brook’s hundred was only his second in the 50-over format – and first since 2019, when he scored 103 off 105 balls for Yorkshire against Leicestershire. In the intervening period, he made 13 first-class centuries (five in Tests) and three in T20.
• Australia have a strong record at Lord’s, winning six of their last seven ODIs against England at the ground – including their 2019 World Cup group stage encounter.
• England have only played three ODIs at Lord’s since the 2019 World Cup final, winning all three.

Quotes

“We said once we were 2-0 down, we’re going to stay true to how we play. And I think we’d done that at Durham and backed everyone to play their own game. It paid off at Durham, so I don’t see there’s any reason [to change].”
Matt Potts says England are on the comeback trail again“None of the blokes are training, we’re only here for lunch.”

Already without Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal was ruled out for the hosts on the eve of the game

Mohammad Isam13-Jun-2023

Big picture

A Test match between two nations will be played in one of the premier cricket stadiums, and in front of a live TV audience. If this is considered as enough of a context, then the Bangladesh vs Afghanistan one-off Test is relevant. Otherwise, sandwiched between the World Test Championship final and the upcoming Ashes, this contest in Dhaka, being held bang in the middle of Bangladesh’s monsoon season, struggles to gain significance for their fans.The Future Tours Programme originally had this series scheduled as a two-match affair, before one Test was cut off. That, perhaps, is an indication that even the solitary Test seems out of place, not least when both sides will be rather more keenly looking forward to the ODI World Cup, which is less than four months away.In fact, Bangladesh have played just one Test this year – the one-off game against Ireland in April – with their next matches in the format scheduled only for November, shortly after the World Cup.Related

• Hathurusinghe: Forget WTC, winning Tests for your country is motivation enough

• Litton Das: Test experience gives us advantage over Afghanistan

• Litton to captain Bangladesh in Afghanistan Test in Shakib's absence

• Rashid Khan rested for Afghanistan's one-off Test against Bangladesh

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s last Test had come a long time ago – against Zimbabwe in March 2021 – although one of their six games in the format so far has featured a 224-run win against Bangladesh, even as it came further back in 2019.Nevertheless, the hosts enter the Test against Afghanistan on the back of an A series against West Indies in May, where an impressive show by uncapped batter Shahadat Hossain helped him earn a call-up to the national side. Bangladesh will be without regular Test captain Shakib Al Hasan – he is out with a finger injury – and Tamim Iqbal, who was ruled out on the eve of the game due to a lower back pain.However, the visitors will be taking some positives into the game: allrounder Karim Janat, who hasn’t made his Test debut, was the highest run-getter in the last Ahmad Shah Abdali four-day tournament – he also had 18 wickets at an average of 20 – while Amir Hamza had topped the wicket-taking charts. There were several other performers in that competition among those who are part of the squad for the Test against Bangladesh, including left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan and legspinner Izharulhaq Naveed, who is also yet to play a Test.Ibrahim Zadran averages 44 after four Tests, where he has three half-centuries•Abu Dhabi Cricket

Form guide

Bangladesh WLLLLL
Afghanistan WLLWW

In the spotlight

The green pitch in Mirpur would put the onus on Bangladesh’s fast bowlers to come up with a match-winning showing. Taskin Ahmed is considered the leader of the pack, which also includes Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and the uncapped Musfik Hasan. A three-man pace attack is most likely against Afghanistan, although coach Chandika Hathurusinghe hinted that Bangladesh might even consider fielding four pace bowlers.Ibrahim Zadran is the in-form batter for Afghanistan. The tall, graceful right-hand opener averages 44 after four Tests, where he has three half-centuries – including an 87 against Bangladesh – and enters this solitary Test on the back of a match-winning 98 in an ODI against Sri Lanka earlier this month. He has the fourth-highest runs for any Afghanistan batter in Tests, and with only 84 runs separating him from the topper, Zadran has the chance to get right on top in Dhaka.

Team news

Bangladesh will be forced to make at least two changes, with Shakib and Tamim out. On Monday, Litton said that he would like to go with five bowlers although it is unlikely that Taskin Ahmed will be brought back so soon after recovering from a side strain.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Khaled Ahmed, 11 Ebadot HossainAfghanistan last played a Test two years ago, with only four players from that side part of the squad to face Bangladesh. Rashid Khan has been rested. Thus, Abdul Malik is likely to open the innings with Zadran, while middle-order batter Bahir Shah, Janat and Naveed could be the debutants.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Ibrahim Zadran, 2 Abdul Malik, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Bahir Shah, 6 Karim Janat, 7 Afsar Zazai (wk), 8 Amir Hamza, 9 Yamin Ahmadzai, 10 Izharulhaq Naweed, 11 Zahir KhanMehidy Hasan Miraz is one away from 50 wickets at the Shere Bangla National Stadium•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

There was a surprising tinge of green on the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch when the ground staff unveiled it amid the rain breaks two days before the game. And if the forecast turns out to be true, there is likely to be a number of rain interruptions throughout the five days. Not much pace and bounce is expected at the venue.

Stats and trivia

Wijetunge, Abeywickrama appointed as spin-bowling coach and fielding coach respectively

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Apr-2022Naveed Nawaz, the former Sri Lanka batter, has been named the Sri Lanka men’s side’s assistant coach under new head coach Chris Silverwood.Nawaz had recently been Bangladesh’s Under-19 coach, and had overseen that side’s victory in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup. The term of his appointment is two years.Related

• Five key issues new Sri Lanka coach Silverwood must address

• Chris Silverwood named Sri Lanka's new head coach

Also appointed to Sri Lanka’s coaching staff is former seam bowler Chaminda Vaas, who has been bowling coach in several stints over the past 10 years. Piyal Wijetunge, for years the lead spin bowling coach in the country, has also been added to the top team’s staff as well, while Manoj Abeywickrama has been named fielding coach. These coaches, however, have only been appointed until the end of Sri Lanka’s forthcoming Bangladesh tour, in May.Nawaz had even been considered for the head coach role as Sri Lanka sought to replace Mickey Arthur, over the past few months, but it is understood that eventually the decision was made to appoint a better-heeled international coach. In Bangladesh, Nawaz had played a role in developing young players such as Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shoriful Islam, and Shamim Hossain, who have all since graduated to the senior men’s side.As a player, Nawaz played one Test and three ODIs for Sri Lanka, and was a force in first-class cricket in the late 1990s and early 2000s, hitting 6892 runs at an average of 36.27Vaas’ reappointment, meanwhile, comes only months after the board declined to renew his contract in December last year. He had been Sri Lanka’s bowling coach under Mickey Arthur, but did not do the job on the recent tour of India.

Isuru Udana clubs 34 off 12 in tied chase of 219 before bowling Super Over

Madushka Balasuriya26-Nov-2020
Super Over How the game played outAfter what seemed like endless setbacks, the first game of the Lankan Premier League is finally in the books, and it could hardly have been scripted better. Over 400 runs, dropped catches, monster sixes, quick fire fifties, an Andre Russell cameo – and a Super Over. Welcome to the LPL, ladies and gentleman.In the end though, it was the Colombo Kings that emerged victorious in a game that neither team really deserved to lose. The one-over eliminator saw the Kings set a target of 17, with the Tuskers only able to respond with 12, but that was arguably the least of the game’s highlights.While showcase knocks from Kusal Perera and Dinesh Chandimal would have pleased many of the cricket-starved Sri Lankan fans watching at home, it was 18 year-old Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Afghanistan that gave the LPL its first taste of firepower, punishing a lacklustre Angelo Mathews to kickstart the Tuskers’ innings. He and Perera put on 75 for the opening partnership inside the Powerplay period.After Gurbaz fell, Perera continued to carry his bat virtually throughout the innings, eventually falling in the final over. Perera’s partnerships with Kusal Mendis and Asela Gunaratne were calculated in their execution, and ensured that an ideal platform was in place for a late assault that saw 70 taken off the final five overs to propel the Tuskers to 219 for 3 – the highest ever score at Sooriyawewa – and one that should have been match-winning.However a reinvigorated Chandimal kept the Kings in the chase, with his 46-ball 80, and cameos from Laurie Evans, Thikshila de Silva and Russell kept the scoreboard ticking. But it was Isuru Udana’s outrageous late heroics that took the game into a decisive super over.Star of the dayThere were several that could have made this section. There was young Gurbaz’s blistering 22-ball 53, Perera’s brand of measured belligerence which brought him a 52-ball 87, and Chandimal’s homage to his early maverick years as he kept the Kings in the game with a 46-ball 80.Rahmanullah Gurbaz launched the LPL with a rapid half-century•LPL

But in the end it was Udana’s clutch innings of 34 from 12, inclusive of four monster sixes, that stole the show. When Russell holed out with 53 still needed from 19 deliveries, the Tuskers could have been forgiven for thinking the game was as good as done. But in Udana the Kings have a genuine game-changer, and really the only surprise by the end was that he was unable to finish the game off in regulation play.Turning pointIn the 18th over, with Russell back in the pavilion, the Kings’ hopes were waning. Udana, new to the crease, then top-edged one to Kusal Mendis coming in from cover, only for the chance to be grassed. With 50 runs needed off 16 balls, it seemed a mistake of little consequence at the time.The big missThe Tuskers executed their game plan almost flawlessly with the bat, but they will know that they lost the game in the field. Three catches were dropped over the course of the Kings’ chase, and while Udana’s was ultimately the most costly as noted above, it’s arguable that the Kings might not even have been in that position if Chandimal hadn’t been reprieved in just the second over of the chase.There was also a dubious non-wide call in fourth ball of the Tuskers’ Super Over chase. With 6 needed off 3 deliveries, Udana strayed down Gurbaz’s leg side – an obvious wide. If called it would have given the Tuskers an extra delivery and brought the equation down to 5 from 3. Instead, the subsequent dot ball saw the them needing 6 off 1.

South Africa batsman also believes they have got an opportunity to make a strong statement in the series against India and bounce back from the World Cup debacle

Liam Brickhill11-Sep-2019Rassie van der Dussen believes Quinton de Kock will “lead by example” in the upcoming three-match T20I series against India. With regular captain Faf du Plessis rested, de Kock has been given the chance to lead the T20I side, as South Africa trial leadership options ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.”Quinton is one of those guys who leads by example,” van der Dussen said. “He doesn’t always say a lot, but when he speaks he says really valuable things. You get some guys who talk a lot, and some guys who don’t. Quinny is one of those guys who prefers to lead from the front in terms of action. Everybody respects him for that.”De Kock, 26, is a regular starter for South Africa across formats and has lead the team twice before in ODIs in du Plessis’ absence during South Africa’s trip to Sri Lanka last year. He will be in charge of a fairly young side post a World Cup shake-up.”We obviously know what he is as a player and how many games he’s won for South Africa, and what he brings to the team in terms of cricketing capability. I think having the leadership band around his arm is just going to bring more out of him. He really wants to do well in India, always. We as a team really want to walk away with a series win. Everything we do is gearing up to that.”The South African squad has been put through their paces during the course of two “very tough” training sessions since their arrival in Dharamsala, where they will play the first of three T20Is on Sunday. Van der Dussen said the conditions there were “just a bit worse in terms of humidity and heat” compared to that of Durban’s.”The boys have really worked hard. But we’re playing against India, so we know we have to be at our best and put the hard yards in,” van der Dussen said. “A few years ago, the Proteas played here and we beat India by seven wickets, chasing down 200. So it’ll be a very good wicket to bat on. It will be challenging for the bowlers. The boundaries are about 65 metres all around, which is not very big. We know what India is going to throw at us, and we’re preparing accordingly.”Just two members of South Africa’s squad – David Miller and Kagiso Rabada – were part of the playing XI that beat India at this venue the last time South Africa visited, but de Kock also has extensive experience of Indian conditions from his several IPL stints.”Wherever you go, you’ve got to look at the conditions and the guys who know the conditions.”Guys like Quinton and David Miller have played a lot of cricket here, so all of us that are having our first experience in T20 cricket here will look to feed off them and talk to them, and ask a lot of questions about how the conditions will play, the different bowlers. We’ve got to use everything we can to our advantage against a very strong Indian side, so we’ll definitely look to do that.”The upcoming T20Is will mark South Africa’s first international engagement since the World Cup in England earlier this year. Van der Dussen said that the games will allow South Africa to bounce back from their disastrous run at the tournament and also begin their preparations for the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.”We had a disappointing World Cup campaign, so now we’ve got the opportunity to make a really strong statement and bounce back from that,” he said. “There’s a T20 World Cup in just over a year. We’ve got 20 T20 games before that, so this will show us exactly where we are, playing against one of the strongest teams in the world. If we win, we know we’re on the right track. If we fall short in one or two of the games, we’ll know exactly what we need to work on.”India is one of the strongest teams in the world. They’re in their home conditions. For us, it’s going to be a massive challenge. They’ve been together and played some cricket recently against the West Indies. That will give us the advantage of seeing who is in their squad and what they’re likely to do.”

The decision to retire from international cricket became much easier once he had made peace with the fact that his career wouldn’t be defined by not winning a World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2018When AB de Villiers announced his surprise retirement from international cricket in May, he left the question of playing overseas in any form vague. De Villiers has now confirmed that the IPL will be part of his post-international retirement plans, while reiterating that he also hopes to play for his domestic franchise, Titans, for a while.”I will keep on playing IPL for a few years, and I would like to play for the Titans, and help some of the youngsters. But there are no set plans. I haven’t been able to say that for a long time,” de Villiers told . “There are some offers on the table from around the world, but it will be nice to wake up and wonder what to do; to be normal.”When he had retired, de Villiers had stated he had “no plans to play overseas, in fact, I hope I can continue to be available for the Titans in domestic cricket”, likely referring to taking up a Kolpak deal the way several of his South African team-mates did.The timing of his retirement also meant that de Villiers would end his career without a World Cup winner’s medal, but he said he had made peace with that fact.”For a long time, the World Cup was a massive goal,” de Villiers said. “But, in the last few years, I have realised that it isn’t realistic to measure yourself purely on what you achieve in that tournament. That will not be the be-all and end-all of my career.”Yes, I would have loved to win it, but I have great memories from World Cups. The 2007 tournament – my first – was very special. We fell short against Australia, when we tried to play too much cricket too soon, but that shift in mentality probably helped us to go over there and win the Test series we then won over there. Personally, I scored my first ODI century in that 2007 tournament, and I loved the whole experience of being in the Caribbean.”The same goes for the others, in 2011 and in 2015. India has always been close to my heart, because of the passion for cricket, and then obviously 2015 was an amazing game,” he further said about the classic semi-final against New Zealand in which South Africa fell agonisingly short. “We fell on the wrong side of it, but we gave it everything.”De Villiers said that his decision to retire was made simpler when he accepted that the World Cup wouldn’t define his career, and that he didn’t want to pick and choose when he would be playing for South Africa in an effort to carry on until the 2019 event.”I guess that once I acknowledged to myself that I didn’t have to measure my career on one tournament, place so much emphasis on it, it became easier to make my decision,” he said. “I also didn’t want to be picking and choosing my way through fixtures from now until then. It wouldn’t be fair.”

Rahul Tewatia, who picked 2 for 18 in his first game this season, and Mohit Sharma applied the choke in the last five overs as Kolkata Knight Riders went down by 14 runs

The Report by Shashank Kishore09-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:25

Bangar: Tewatia’s introduction turned the match

A sensational display of end-overs bowling from Mohit Sharma and strangulation by legspin from Rahul Tewatia, playing his first game this season, helped apply the choke on Kolkata Knight Riders. By securing one of three wins they needed, Kings XI lived to fight another day.In what was an engaging last five overs off which Knight Riders needed just 50, Mohit brought out all his slower variations – the knuckleball, back-of-the-hand slower deliveries and offcutters – and delivered them with precision to deny Chris Lynn, who wiped out half of Knight Riders’ 168-run target off just 52 balls, and Manish Pandey. The pair’s dismissal off successive deliveries off the 18th over helped close out a tight game, with the Sharmas – Mohit and Sandeep – defending 29 off the 12 deliveries to ensure three playoff spots were still up for grabs.Knight Riders’ productive first sixKings XI made four changes, two of those being forced. One of them – Hashim Amla – had just smashed a 60-ball 104, his second century of the season, in the previous game. Even so, the rest of the batsmen stuttered as they finished with just 189 when they should’ve posted 210. Now, without Amla, who along with David Miller was unavailable because of national duty, Kings XI needed a robust beginning from the openers. Manan Vohra, who had earlier in the tournament shunted up and down the order to accommodate both Shaun Marsh and Martin Guptill, sparkled briefly, but his dismissal brought about a restrained approach. The first six overs fetched just 41 for the loss of the openers. Knight Riders had begun well.Maxwell, Saha keep the innings aliveOn a surface where the ball was deviating just about enough to keep the medium-pacers interested, Chris Woakes and Colin de Grandhomme bowled six overs in tandem, conceding just 22 off the first four immediately after the Powerplay. Kings XI limped to 63 for 3 in the first half. They went 17 deliveries without a boundary after Shaun Marsh’s dismissal in the ninth over, before Maxwell cut loose – hitting de Grandhomme for two successive sixes off legitimate deliveries to trigger a surge. Maxwell’s picking of lengths was impressive as he played the pull effectively against the pacers. Wriddhiman Saha, on 10 off 17 at one stage, pinched crucial boundaries to move to a run-a-ball 26. At 115 for 3 with five to play, Kings XI needed big back five overs. But they were denied.Kuldeep Yadav, returning in place of Piyush Chawla, was rewarded for his willingness to flight the ball as he had Maxwell caught at wide long-off in an attempt to hit him for a third successive six. In his next over, he had Saha stumped after being biffed across the line one ball earlier. A cameo from Tewatia lifted them to 167, not underwhelming but not match-winning either.Getty Images

Narine tees off, Lynn consolidatesTwo quiet men, who don’t believe in intimidating opponents with words, let their blades talk. Sunil Narine’s no-frills approach fetched him four fours in a 10-ball 18. Lynn, playing in only his second game after returning from a shoulder injury that kept him out for three weeks, didn’t show signs of “not being a 100 percent” as he revealed during a flash interview. Time and again, he was tested against the short ball, only for the deep midwicket and wide long-on boundaries to be peppered with regularity.The best shot of his knock – a flat-batted swat off Matt Henry which he fetched from outside off – showed how brutally effective he can be even if not at full tilt. Yet, this wasn’t as brutal a knock as the one against Royal Challengers Bangalore. By bringing up a half-century off just 29 deliveries, Lynn ensured Gautam Gambhir’s struggle against spin – he scratched around 17 deliveries for 8 before mistiming a slog to deep midwicket – didn’t deeply disturb the asking rate.Tewatia spins a webOne ball after sending back Gambhir, Rahul Tewatia, playing his first game this season, saw off Robin Uthappa, but to not give any credit to Axar Patel would be doing injustice to his efforts. Running around from straight deep midwicket, he covered quick ground before putting in a dive to catch the dipping slog sweep inches from the ground near deep square leg. Now, the choke was on. Axar followed it up by conceding just three in his next over. The spinners – Tewatia along with Axar and Swapnil Singh – at that stage had combined figures of 2 for 30 off six overs. Knight Riders needed 86 off 54 balls.Maxwell’s punt on Mohit pays offBy leaving two overs of Mohit in the last five, Maxwell gambled. Considering the form Lynn was in, it was a tough proposition. But the pressure applied by the spinners left Knight Riders with a steep task against a bowler, who justified the INR 6.5 crore investment, at a crunch moment when the game was on the line and Kings XI’s chances of staying alive was hanging by a thread. That he bowled just three overs may have been a decision Kings XI could have rued, but on the night, it was his experience that prevailed.