Eden Park likes to produce a tight game. Six of New Zealand’s last eight ODIs here can certainly lay claim to the tag of a nipper. On the eve of the decider against South Africa (these two have history at the ground) here’s a rundown

Andrew McGlashan in Auckland03-Mar-2017Lost by two wickets v West Indies, 2013Darren Sammy carried West Indies over the line in a low-scorer•Getty ImagesFor all the talk of short boundaries at Eden Park, the bowlers have more than their fair share of moments. Having been put in, New Zealand crashed to 156 all out (98 of the runs coming from the McCullum brothers) as firstly Jason Holder and Ravi Rampaul – plus one of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor’s mix-ups – then Dwayne Bravo did the damage. But West Indies made heavy weather of the chase as Mitchell McClenaghan took 5 for 58. The innings had barely passed halfway when Holder fell leaving them needing 10 to win with two wickets in hand. Darren Sammy was not taking any chances, clubbing McClenaghan for a six and a four in the space of three balls.Tied v India, 2014Ravindra Jadeja starred in 2014 when India earned a tie•Associated PressA Martin Guptill century had anchored New Zealand towards 314, although India’s bowlers fought back when it looked like 350 was touchable. In turn, they were swiftly out of the blocks but 64 without loss became 79 for 4. MS Dhoni helped rebuild, but when he fell for 50, brilliantly caught by Tim Southee, the game again looked lost at 184 for 6 in the 36th over. However, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja produced a rollicking stand of 85 in nine overs yet when last man Varun Aaron walked in, 29 were needed off 13 balls. Jadeja was given a life in the penultimate over, still 12 off three balls was cutting it fine. A four and six later it was two off one, but he could only drill the next delivery to one of the cluster of in-fielders. All square.Won by one wicket v Australia, 2015Six to win. Job done•Getty ImagesA bizarre game. Australia’s 80 for 1 became 106 for 9 in one of the most dramatic World Cup collapses (for an hour or so, anyway) as Trent Boult curved the ball through the middle order with five wickets in 17 balls. They scrambled to 151, but Brendon McCullum made minced meat of the new ball with 50 off 24 deliveries. When he found mid-off, New Zealand were 78 for 2 in the eighth over. It wasn’t even the dinner break. Then it was over to Mitchell Starc. Either side of the interval he castled Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott with consecutive balls. Still, Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson got New Zealand to within 21 when Anderson slogged to mid-on. In the blink of an eye, and a flash of zing bails, Boult walked in with Starc on a hat-trick and six required. Boult somehow survived, but Williamson wasn’t going to wait to see for how much longer. The next ball he received he drilled Pat Cummins over the short straight boundary. It wasn’t even dark, but everyone needed a lie down.Won by four wickets v South Africa, 2015Grant Elliott soaks it all in after his matchwinning innings in the World Cup semi-final•Getty ImagesDale Steyn. Grant Elliott. Six. That’s almost enough to say, but a magnificent game had many strands. South Africa were threatening to cut loose through AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis when one of the most important showers in New Zealand history blew through and zapped South Africa’s momentum. David Miller’s 18-ball 49 ensured it remained a daunting chase, but New Zealand didn’t feel it was out of sight. It was firmly in view when McCullum plundered 59 off 26 ferocious deliveries in an opening stand of 71 in 6.1 overs. Elliott arrived with consolidation needed and alongside Anderson added 103 in 16.2 overs. It came down to 23 off two overs. After Elliott was dropped, it was 12 off the last (or 11 for the tie which was also good enough for New Zealand) then 10 off 4. Daniel Vettori squirted the most important boundary of his life. Elliott was back on strike with five needed off two. It was back-of-a-length from Steyn. Elliott saw it early. Swung for the hills. Connected.Won by three wickets v Pakistan, 2016Mitchell Santner kept his cool after a chase against Pakistan got a little tight•Getty ImagesSomething a little more mundane this time, but still a frantic finish. New Zealand had appeared to time their chase pretty well needing 41 off the last five but there wasn’t much room for error. Then Anderson was given a reprieve when Billy Bowden didn’t spot an edge off Rahat Ali (Pakistan had used up their review) which was followed by consecutive sixes – 26 off 24 left breathing room and 13 off 18, after Mohammad Amir’s last over went for 13, should have been a cakewalk. Somehow, though, Pakistan pushed it out to six off the final over. Mitchell Santner pricked the tension with a crunching cover drive and after two teasing dot deliveries drilled the winning hit down the ground.Won by six runs v Australia, 2017Australia celebrate after clinging on for victory after Marcus Stoinis’ onslaught•Getty ImagesThis wasn’t looking like a thriller. For the third consecutive time at Eden Park, Australia’s top order had been blown away. From 67 for 6 chasing 287, they would even do well to just make a game of it. Marcus Stoinis, in just his second ODI, was 73 off 84 balls when Cummins, who had 36, was stumped with Australia needing 91 off nine overs. Then Stoinis really started swinging. Three sixes came off the next over from James Neesham. But just defiance, right? Starc came and went: 61 off 42 balls with one wicket in hand. Stoinis’ sixth six brought up a stunning century and three more followed off the next seven deliveries. He then survived a run out chance and a huge appeal for caught behind. Nineteen needed off 24, astonishingly the run rate wasn’t an issue. Two sixes later and the target was in single figures, the stand was worth 52 and Josh Hazlewood hadn’t faced a ball. Queue lengthy field changes. Southee them jammed in a yorker, Stoinis dug it out to Williamson at short mid-on (one of those field changes) but Hazlewood, similarly to Allan Donald in 1999 World Cup semi-final, had charged up the pitch. Williamson collected the ball, wasn’t balanced but somehow managed to back-hand it into the stumps.

Plays of the day from the third ODI between New Zealand and Australia in Hamilton

Brydon Coverdale05-Feb-2017The boundary-line acrobatics
After his heroic century in Australia’s unsuccessful chase in Auckland, Marcus Stoinis needed something spectacular if he was to live up to his new reputation. He very nearly provided it in the penultimate over of New Zealand’s innings, when Tim Southee smashed the ball high towards the midwicket boundary, where Stoinis leapt high and clutched the ball above his head, then threw it back in just as he landed. Stoinis’ momentum carried him over the boundary and Pat Cummins nearby was unable to complete the catch. After a series of intensely scrutinised replays, the third umpire decided the back of Stoinis’ foot had kissed the boundary while the ball was still in his hand, and for all of his magnificent athleticism, it was ruled a six.The non-review
One of the peripheral tasks that a stand-in captain must handle in international cricket is the decision whether to review umpiring decisions in the field, and Finch faced that challenge early in this match. In the very first over of the game, Mitchell Starc produced an excellent inswinging yorker that trapped Tom Latham dead in front, but umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge turned the appeal down. Finch opted against a review. It cost Australia little, though: Latham was out in Starc’s next over, without having scored.The comeback
Dean Brownlie had not played an international match since 2014, and he certainly impressed on his return with an innings of 63 opening the batting. However, Brownlie was almost unrecognisable to viewers who had last seen him clean-shaven in his previous incarnation as an international batsman. Here, he sported a magnificent beard in the WG Grace tradition. It was as if he had spent his two years in the metaphorical wilderness in the actual wilderness.The drop
Kane Williamson brought himself on to bowl at an important time in Australia’s chase, with Aaron Finch starting to look threatening. It proved an inspired piece of captaincy, for Williamson’s first ball was driven in the air back towards the bowler – the problem was that Williamson was slow to react and couldn’t make the catch. As if to rub it in, Finch dispatched the next two balls for a four and a six.

Given how keenly the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was contested, it is of no surprise that the key numbers between the two sides stack up in similar fashion

S Rajesh29-Mar-20171.49 The difference in averages between the two teams: India averaged 28.13 runs per wicket to Australia’s 26.64. The miniscule difference in average illustrates how close the series was. Australia scored more runs and hundreds, but India took more wickets. Both teams bowled superbly and made run-scoring extremely difficult for the opposition batsmen, which is illustrated in run-rates of under 2.9 for both teams. The minimal difference in averages was in sharp contrast to the differences in the three other Test series in India’s season – the difference was 17.35 in the India-England series, 25.09 in the India-New Zealand series, and 52.7 in the one-off Test against Bangladesh.50.66 India’s average partnership for the seventh wicket, compared to Australia’s 23.57. In a low-scoring and hard-fought series, the seventh-wicket stands made a huge difference in the last two Tests, with Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha adding 199 in Ranchi, and Saha and Ravindra Jadeja adding 96 in Dharamsala. On both occasions, those partnerships helped India take first-innings leads and put Australia under pressure. There was little to choose between the average stands for the first six wickets – India’s was 33.18, and Australia’s 33.62. Australia had 13 fifty-plus stands for the first six wickets compared to India’s eight.

Partnership stats for India and Australia

IndiaAustraliaWktAve stand100/50 p’shipsAve stand100/50 p’ships1st34.850/ 131.620/ 32nd45.571/ 236.371/ 03rd36.000/ 124.870/ 14th29.830/ 226.370/ 35th43.661/ 054.122/ 16th6.830/ 028.370/ 27th50.661/ 123.570/ 022 Wickets taken by the pace bowlers of each team; India’s pace attack averaged 30.68, compared to Australia’s 31.54. Umesh Yadav was the stand-out fast bowler from either team, taking 17 wickets at 23.41. None of the Australian fast bowlers averaged below 30.

Pace and spin for each team in the series

PaceSpinTeamWktsAveSRWktsAveSRIndia2230.6861.75224.1356.9Australia2231.5466.23824.7355.525.26 Nathan Lyon’s bowling average in the series, which was marginally better than that of India’s offspinner, R Ashwin (27.38). In the first innings, Lyon took 15 wickets at 21.73, compared to Ashwin’s seven wickets at 45. In the second innings, though, Ashwin was much better, taking 14 wickets at 18.57, to Lyon’s four wickets at 38.50.All four spinners had superb numbers in the series, with Ravindra Jadeja besting the other three•ESPNcricinfo Ltd22.71 Ravindra Jadeja’s average in the first-innings, in which he took 14 wickets at a strike rate of 47.2. Among the four leading spinners in the series, Jadeja had the best overall numbers too, taking 25 wickets at 18.56.

Comparing the four spinners in the 1st and 2nd inngs

1st inngs2nd inngsBowlerWktsAveSRWktsAveSRNathan Lyon1521.7345.4438.5079.2R Ashwin745.00120.71418.5736.2Ravindra Jadeja1422.7147.21113.2756.1Steve O’Keefe1131.7275.3811.6230.72.15 Ratio of Steven Smith’s series aggregate runs to that of the next highest for Australia. Smith scored 499 in the series, while Matt Renshaw’s 232 was the next best. The ratio of 2.15 is the second-best for any overseas batsman in India in a series of three or more Tests, next only to Matthew Hayden’s ratio of 2.25 over Steve Waugh in the 2001 series, when Hayden towered over the rest of Australia’s batsmen. Ironically, Australia lost both these series by an identical 2-1 margin. Overall, there have been four instances of a batsman aggregating twice as many runs as the next-best team-mate, in a series of three or more Tests in India.For only the fourth time in series of three or more Tests in India, one batsman scored more than twice as many runs as the next-highest from his team•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe head-to-head battles120 Smith’s average against Umesh: in 202 balls from Umesh, Smith scored 120 runs and was dismissed once. The bowler who fared best against Smith was Jadeja, dismissing him three times at an average of 40.66.

Smith v India’s top three bowlers in the series

Bowler Runs Balls Dismissals AverageR Ashwin 132 215 2 66.00Ravindra Jadeja 122 355 3 40.66Umesh Yadav 120 202 1 120.0016.6 Matt Renshaw’s average against India’s pace attack. He was dismissed three times by Umesh (average 16), and twice by Ishant Sharma (average 15). Renshaw was far more comfortable against India’s spinners, averaging nearly 50 against them. He averaged 75 against Ashwin, and 57 against Jadeja.6 Number of times David Warner was dismissed by India’s spinners, in eight innings. Unlike Renshaw, Warner was far more comfortable against pace, averaging almost 40 against them, while his average dropped to less than 20 against spin. He was dismissed three times by Ashwin (average 22.33), and twice by Jadeja (average 13).

Australia’s openers v pace and spin

Batsman Bowler type Runs Balls Dismissals AverageDavid Warner Pace 78 107 2 39.00David Warner Spin 115 202 6 19.16Matt Renshaw Pace 83 226 5 16.60Matt Renshaw Spin 149 380 3 49.66104 KL Rahul’s average against Australia’s pace attack – he scored 208 runs against them and was dismissed twice. Pat Cummins dismissed him both times, conceding 51 runs, but against Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, Rahul scored 156 runs without being dismissed.1.34 Murali Vijay’s scoring rate, in terms of runs per over, against Australia’s pace attack: in 143 balls against them, he scored only 32 and was dismissed three times, for an average of 10.66. Vijay was more comfortable against the spinners, averaging 40.5 at a much healthier run rate.

India’s openers v pace and spin

Batsman Bowler type Runs Balls Dismissals AverageKL Rahul Pace 208 355 2 104.00KL Rahul Spin 185 343 4 46.25Murali Vijay Pace 32 143 3 10.66Murali Vijay Spin 81 153 2 40.50117 Cheteshwar Pujara’s average against Steve O’Keefe – he scored 117 runs off him from 342 balls, and was dismissed once. The only bowler who dismissed Pujara more than once in the series was Lyon, who got him out three times at an average of 37.

Pujara v Australia’s top bowlers

Bowler Runs BF Wkt Ave Steve O’Keefe 117 342 1 117.00Nathan Lyon 111 293 3 37.00Josh Hazlewood 98 236 1 98.00Pat Cummins 54 102 0 – Mitchell Starc 15 40 1 15.00

Just as Pakistan and their fans seemed about to dissolve into a nerve-induced puddle, Sri Lanka decided to outdo them

Jarrod Kimber in Cardiff12-Jun-20174:57

Agarkar: Smaller target eased pressure off Sarfraz

DON’T PANIC. For the love of everything that is good, KEEP CALM. Just don’t be you. Do the right thing, the safe thing, no need to get worried, just please, oh please, just don’t do it again, we can’t take it. Enough.Boom, boom? I don’t think so. That is how a heart beats in a regular cricket fan. A Pakistan heart goes boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, and in a small chase, hell, there is no way to even write it down it’s just a high-pitched squealing noise, like a heart in a vice that’s getting electrocuted as someone burns it with a cigarette butt.It’s not a steady beat, it’s a scream.AAaAAAaaaaaaAAAaäHhhhhHhHHHHhhhH.There are two sides of the brain of a Pakistan fan. The right side looks at a chase of 237 in 50 overs on a clear day and a good pitch, against a team that’s come in short on frontline bowlers and thinks, ‘we’re going to win this comfortably’. And the left side of the brain beats the right side unconscious, because the left side knows, man, it knows, that there is no such thing as an easy Pakistan chase.Opening is Azhar Ali; he’s calm, he’s in control, he can bat for long periods of time without a sniff of a rash shot. He’ll hit the balls to so many fielders you’ll start thinking the fielding team has too many guys out there.  But when he slaps the first one, it’s straight to point, and on the full. Danushka Gunathilaka drops it, catches it, drops it, clutches for it, gropes for it, begs for it before scrambling around on the ground trying to pick up the ball so quickly everyone can’t see he has dropped it.  We know that drop, we pioneered that drop.At the other end it is Fakhar Zaman slapping the ball around. Take that Lasith, and that, and that. Sharjeel who? It doesn’t matter that Azhar’s strike rate was virtually negative. Yin and yang, dark and light, contrasting forces that bring together spiritual harmony.  And that is what happens, an opening partnership of calmness. When Zaman is out, he has 50 from barely any balls, he’s done his job, he’s cracked the top off the chase, the run rate is now never going to be the problem, and over 30% of the runs needed are in the bank.And Babar Azam is here, if there is a player who seems almost unaffected by wearing green for Pakistan, it this guy. He’s a drink of ice cold cola on the hottest day of the year. He’s flicking the ball straight to short midwicket and out. But Professor Hafeez is here, he might love how unpredictable Pakistan is, but he’s not, he just chugs along, experienced, seen it all, knocks it around, gets the job done. Oh hell, hell no, no no no no no no no, what is this? That is not a shot, it’s not soft, butter is soft, this is just a vague collection of gases that looks like a poor cricket shot from a distance.I still remember, vaguely, three short-haired Pakistan bowlers running through Sri Lanka. It was marvellous, no reverse, no scary pace, just quality, clever bowling, and an anything-can-happen attitude. Sure, some random quick bowler came in and stroked us around, but really, it was awesome, we owned the ground, and we were going to go into the semi-finals of a major tournament despite our incredibly poor performance in ODIs over the last two years. All we need is two guys, out there for a while, to honour the work of our bowlers, to stand up. Or just stay upright, and not fall over.Am I worried. Is my heart racing? Yes, sure, but it’s okay, here is Shoaib Malik, solid marriage, overseas-leagues pro, eases a ball through covers. Everything’s coming up Shoaib. Oh it’s at him, and he’s flicked one off his glove, and damn. Now Imad Wasim, ha, my man, the future captain, he’s already won a match here, right here, in Wales, and he was born here, like we planted a sleeper agent for just such a moment. And with the captain, who also smashed the ball here, they don’t even need to score; they just need to stand out there. Just chill, be in the moment, Occupy Cardiff. No, Imad, what have you done, this is not slips practice, why would you think this is slips practice? This is a game, everyone is wearing their matchday clothes, there is a crowd, TV cameras, weird German drummers, and this is a must-win game, and we’re losing it, we’re losing it and you’re hanging your bat out like a fat 50-year-old fielding coach on midweek session.Sri Lanka let their inner Pakistan take hold•Getty ImagesBut we still have one more saviour, Faheem Ashraf, the new Afridi, but without the baggage of thinking he is Afridi. He smashed Bangladesh to win the warm-up game, like just a week or so ago, it was like 77 off 12 balls, or something. Not important. He can do this, he can be our man. Faheem, how can you do it when you can’t even ground your bat? Just ground your bat Faheem, we want to love you, adore you, ruin you with our praise and turn you into a semi-effective allrounder with delusions of grandeur. We can’t do that when you are run out at the non-striker’s end off a fumble, and you have left us seven wickets down with 72 runs to get. How Faheem, how Pakistan? Why?Our only chance now is that the other team is worse than us, that they panic,  throw overthrows, fumble straightforward stops, drop simple catches, let the ball go straight through their wicketkeeper’s legs, drop another catch, and put a short mid-on in front of a normal mid-on, that they lose all sense of self and become us. Oh my, they are, they have become us, they are going to win it for us, our two best players in this chase are going to be a teen prodigy who had five years off and Sri Lankan fielders. We are so Pakistan, we have made someone else Pakistan.  All we have to do is not be worse than them, all we have to do is overcome ourselves, or become ourselves, embrace our chaos, become the chaos.Ride this partnership like it’s a glorious stallion even though we know it’s a busted-up donkey with an inner-ear infection. Let our captain try run himself out every ball, hit the ball to point and take off. A single to short midwicket? Yes please. Let us run head first into risk when we know they have a three-and-a-half man attack that we can outlast.Don’t look back you glorious heroes, ride into the PANIC. Keep panicking, panic hard, panic like no one is watching. Tear your clothes off run around in circles with your hands over your eyes. Oh, for the love of everything you have ever held dear, GO INTO A WILD SWEATY FRENZY OF WORRY. Be you, be all of you, the good, the bad, the Pakistan, pour the Pakistan all over you and trip, stumble and fall into this win. We can take it; we want it, we want all of it. We demand it, be Pakistan, be all the Pakistan you can be. Pakistan, Pakistan.Do you hear that heart beat? Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAaaAaäääääääääääHhhhhHhHHHHhhhHHHH.

Rising Pune Supergiant have beaten Mumbai Indians three times already this season. Another such result will give MS Dhoni his third IPL title

Bharath Seervi20-May-20174 Number of times Mumbai Indians have made the IPL final. They played finals in 2010, 2013 and 2015, all against Chennai Super Kings. They won in 2013 and 2015.7 Number of IPL final appearances for MS Dhoni, the most in the tournament’s history. He’s won two titles: in 2010 and 2011. He has 168 runs in six previous finals at a strike rate of 150.3-0 Rising Pune Supergiant’s win-loss record against Mumbai this season, having won both league games and the first Qualifier. Super Kings, in 2010, are the only other team to beat Mumbai three times in a season.17 Washington Sundar’s age. The Rising Pune offspinner will be the youngest to play an IPL final. The previous youngest was Ravindra Jadeja, who was 19 when his team Rajasthan Royals won the title in 2008. The only other teenager to play a final was Manish Pandey, for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009.

Youngest to appear in IPL final

Player	Age	Team	Against	Year
Washington Sundar	17y 228d	RPS	MI	2017
Ravindra Jadeja	19y 178d	RR	CSK	2008
Manish Pandey	19y 256d	RCB	DC	2009
Mayank Agarwal	20y 101d	RCB	CSK	2011
Saurabh Tiwary	20y 116d	MI	CSK	2010

10.71 Mumbai’s run rate in the last five overs this season, the best among all teams. They have hit more sixes (45) than fours (43) in that period.7.26 Rising Pune’s run rate in the middle overs (seventh to 15th) is the second lowest this season, marginally behind Royal Challengers Bangalore’s. Mumbai have also had troubles in that phase – their run rate is a middling 7.72. Mumbai have also lost 40 wickets – the most by a team in this phase. While Rising Pune’s batting has slipped in the middle overs, they are the most economical bowling side in the middle overs with an economy of 7.17 an over. They have also taken 40 wickets.

Rising Pune v Mumbai – phase-wise scoring rate in IPL 2017

Team	Powerplay	Middle overs	Death overs
RPS	8.30	7.26	9.75
MI	8.65	7.72	10.71

7.45 Mumbai’s economy in the Powerplay, the best for any team this season. All other teams have conceded more than eight an over. Rising Pune are second best – 8.06 per over. Mumbai’s Mitchell McClenaghan is the most prolific bowler in the first six overs, with 10 wickets.

Rising Pune v Mumbai – phase-wise economy in IPL 2017

Team	Powerplay	Middle overs	Death overs
RPS	8.06	7.17	9.28
MI	7.45	7.90	9.26

205 Kieron Pollard’s strike rate in three IPL finals. He hit 27 off 10 in 2010, 60 not out off 32 balls in 2013, and 36 off 18 in 2015. He was Man of the Match in 2013 . Pollard has the most runs, sixes and the highest strike rate for Mumbai in IPL finals.180 Runs scored by Manoj Tiwary between overs 16 and 20 this season – the most by a player in the end overs. The next three players on the list are also in the final: Hardik Pandya (176), Dhoni (162) and Pollard (158). Pandya has hit the most sixes in that phase (15).

Most runs in the death overs (16th to 20th) in IPL 2017

Batsman	Inns	Runs	Balls	SR	Ave	4s	6s
Manoj Tiwary	10	180	110	163.63	30.00	19	7
Hardik Pandya	12	176	99	177.77	44.00	8	15
MS Dhoni	11	162	103	157.28	23.14	9	10
Kieron Pollard	11	158	99	159.59	17.55	10	10
Axar Patel	9	141	83	169.87	35.25	8	7

16 Jaydev Unadkat’s wickets in the end overs, second only to Bhuvneshwar Kumar this season, at an average 8.68. The other Rising Pune bowlers have picked up 18 wickets in total in the last five overs. Their most economical bowler in the death has been Daniel Christian – 7.60 in 10 overs.

A look at the possible scenarios that could play out as the June 30 deadline approaches for Cricket Australia and the players

Brydon Coverdale04-Jun-20173:46

What exactly is the Cricket Australia-ACA pay dispute?

The June 30 deadline is rapidly approaching for Cricket Australia (CA) and their players to reach agreement on a new Memorandum of Understanding. That means less than three weeks for the two parties to bridge a chasm that has seemed to be of Grand Canyon proportions over the past few months. Here we look at three scenarios that could eventuate over the coming weeks.Agreement reached
This would require either significant compromise on both sides, or a capitulation on one. Last week, the Australian Cricketers’ Association indicated it would be willing to show some flexibility on one major sticking point: the revenue types they are entitled to share in. It is a small concession, but it could also be a start. The difficulty is that the two parties have had such rigid starting positions that negotiation has, so far, barely been possible. However, even if a new agreement is reached by June 30 – and that remains a big “if” – lasting damage has almost certainly already been done to the relationship between CA and its players. If a compromise is reached, both sides will likely believe that they were the ones who bent for the good of the game and will harbour resentment towards the other. So, whatever happens, a fractious relationship going forward is now virtually a given.Temporary compromise
One scenario that could become more and more likely with every passing day is that the two parties will agree to roll the current MoU over for one more year. This would be a stopgap measure designed to avoid the possibility of players becoming uncontracted free agents, and would give CA and the ACA another year to come to a long-term agreement. Of course, there is the chance that such a move would simply prolong the bad blood and delay the inevitable, and that by this time next year the situation will barely have changed.On the other hand, coming so close to a serious schism that would damage Australian cricket may in itself be enough for both parties to agree to a one-year extension and finally begin talking properly. And there is precedent: in 2011, CA and the ACA agreed on a one-year extension to the existing MoU. On that occasion, the issues were resolved by the next year; this time around, the sticking point is potentially much thornier. There is also the complicating factor that female players are not part of the existing MoU, and therefore would not be part of any rollover.No agreement reached
This is the great unknown. Some players would find themselves without contracts and thus effectively unemployed, and CA could find itself without the ability to field a team. It is possible that uncontracted players could find themselves locked out from national and state training facilities until the issue is resolved, and it is equally possible that players would seek opportunities to play elsewhere during the period of their unemployment.The first event on the calendar post June 30 is the Women’s World Cup, which begins on June 26: CA will pay the squad members up front and employ them until the end of their campaign (as stated above, women’s players are not part of the current MoU). Next comes an Australia A tour of South Africa, which begins in early July. If no agreement has been reached, would CA seek to do the same and pay the players up front? Would the players refuse to tour? This would be a significant move by the players, for it would show that it is not only the highly-paid international players are willing to stare down CA, but the wider playing group as well. It would be particularly revealing of the strength of the player union if cricketers on the fringe of Test selection were prepared to sit out of a tour that could lead them to higher honours.The issue is complicated by the fact that approximately half of Australia’s domestic players are believed to be on existing multi-year contracts, and therefore would technically remain employed after June 30 regardless. Cricket Australia and the state associations could therefore select squads from that group of players, and it would then be up to the players whether to honour their contracts or stick tight with their fellow players and, effectively, go on strike.The senior Australia team’s next series is likely to be a Test tour of Bangladesh in August-September, and after that the domestic players have the Matador Cup and Sheffield Shield campaigns. If players on multi-year deals agree to play, these competitions could go ahead but in a weakened condition. South Africa’s new domestic T20 league, set for November-December, would be an appealing prospect for some of the unemployed Australian cricketers at this time, but of course the majority would find themselves without an income stream, so the ACA has set up a fund to help them through until a new deal is reached.But the greatest disaster of all would be if the biggest event on Australia’s Test cricket calendar – the home Ashes series – is affected, either by cancellation or Australia fielding a sub-standard team. It would be damaging not only financially but also to the reputation of Australian cricket, both worldwide and with its own fans at home. For the good of the game, neither side can let it come to this, and even if no agreement is reached by June 30 they must find a way to compromise soon.

Ahead of his departure for South Africa, where he will lead India A team in the four-day matches, Karun Nair spoke to ESPNcricinfo in Bengaluru

Gaurav Kalra10-Jul-201716:33

‘Not looking too much at the past’ – Nair

Must be a little bit disappointed not being on the tour to Sri Lanka with the Test team?
Nair: It is, but I will have to respect the decision of the team management and selectors. That’s the way it goes and I am just focusing on South Africa now – the India A tour – [and] looking forward to it. It is going to be a new experience for me, I have never been to South Africa, so trying to just prepare myself and do well there.Have you thought about the reasons why you weren’t on this trip? After the triple-hundred, you did play a few Test matches. Did you let yourself down in how you performed in those?
If I look back, I got a couple of starts which I feel I could have made into substantial scores. Those two starts I got were supposed to be converted, but you know that’s how it goes for a batsman. Sometimes you get starts and you are not able to convert them. I don’t think there’s any point talking about it right now. I am just looking forward to the season coming up and trying to do better.It is another reminder of how competitive it is between several batsmen for a place in that Indian middle order. Are you aware of that all the time?
Honestly, I was fortunate enough to get to play in the XI. So I was very happy, learning new things from everyone around and playing Test cricket. I was really enjoying myself and not thinking too much about it. But like you said, the competition is very high and it’s healthy competition. There’s nothing to worry about there, I am not thinking too much, just looking forward.How are you viewing this trip to South Africa? Is it something that you see as a stepping stone to get back into national reckoning or as something for yourself to develop as an international batsman?
Like I said, it will be a new experience to go to South Africa for the first time, to experience those conditions and see how it is to play cricket there. It is a stepping stone to do well and get myself back into the Test team. Even looking at it that way, I am looking forward and just trying to be positive.How has life changed after the 300? Are you getting recognized more on the roads? Are you getting much more attention?
Yes, a little bit, not much. There is a difference in the way people look at you. Just trying to enjoy every moment, not looking too much at the past.’Till last week, I hadn’t looked back at the triple-hundred’•Associated PressDo you replay the innings in your mind often? Have you gone back to YouTube and watched clips?
Honestly, till about a week ago, I never looked back at it but in the last week, I have actually gone through that video at least three times. I am starting to miss that kind of feeling, so I want to do that once again.Was that the best you’ve felt as a batsman? You’ve made first-class triple-hundreds before, in fact in a Ranji trophy final.
More than feeling good, it was about experiencing all kinds of situations. My first hundred was a little cautious, after that the second one was a bit more open and the third was just about going after the bowling freely. I could feel all the three feelings, it was amazing to be out there.In all the history of Indian Test cricket, 85 years only you and Virender Sehwag have made triple-hundreds for India. It’s an elite club. Have you and him ever discussed this?
Not really, it was just the tweet that he had put up. I met him once during the IPL and he said, just look forward and keep scoring runs.Obviously when you do something this special, expectations rise. What’s been your takeaway from that innings in the way that people have viewed you as a batsman?
More than people looking at me as a batsman, I have certain expectations of myself. Every innings that I go into, I take that into account rather than what people are expecting out of me. Family and friends expect a lot anyway, and I can’t keep thinking about the others. I have my own expectations and try and just focus on that. It will probably be impossible to focus on other people’s expectations. So I just want to prepare well, go out there and do my best.You faced several challenges after the triple-hundred. You were left out of the playing XI in the next Test match and then you came back and endured a few failures. What have those things taught you as a cricketer?
It has just taught me that you can’t score in every game that you play. So you have to try and be the same person throughout, whether you are doing well or not. You should not get too worried [when you fail] or too joyful when you are doing well. I am trying to be the same in every moment, just take the experience and move forward.What was the series against Australia like? Did you find a difference in the way the English attack came at you and the Australians did?
Yes, there was a lot a difference. The Australians were more at you. The English were good but the Australians had more aggression, I felt. And we had lost the first game and that made it even more difficult for us and it put them on a high because England never got a sniff.’I have belief in my ability that I can play all formats’•BCCIYou must have seen some of the dismissals in the series against Australia. Is that something you work on, coming back into the nets and work on specific areas?
Honestly, I would rather not look at my dismissals. I know what mistakes I have made, so rather than keep thinking about it, I look at when I have done well and look at the good things that I do. Obviously any batsman would like to improve. I don’t generally go back and look at my dismissals, I just work on everything that I can to become a better batsman.Cricketers talk often about being able to move on from incidents. There were a couple in Dharamsala, when you dropped David Warner. Does that play on your mind? Is that hard to get over as a young player, the feeling that you’ve let the team down?
It didn’t affect me in my batting but it does affect you on the field in that moment for a few overs, till you can grab one and then that goes away. I don’t think about it when I am batting, just go out there and look at the ball and hit the ball.Is your fielding an area you focus on?
Yes, it is. Everyone has to focus on their fielding. In this day and age you have to be very good in all three departments. There are no excuses in any area, so you have to keep working on everything.You’ve been very successful in first-class cricket. What has the transition been like? Did you feel international cricket was a big leap or were you well prepared for it?
The India ‘A’ [team] is a very good platform for guys like me who are coming into the Test team from Ranji Trophy, because it is a level up. You don’t really feel the difference of jumping from Ranji level to Test cricket because of India ‘A’. If you are part of the India ‘A’ set-up, the opposition teams also have a lot of international players. Moreover, most of us are playing in the IPL now, so whoever is playing in the IPL is facing international quality bowling. So, once you play in the IPL you are prepared, you don’t have any excuses.Karun Nair’s time against Australia was particularly harrowing•Associated PressWere you disappointed at how this IPL season turned out? You were one of Delhi’s main players.
At the end of the season, after the Australia series, I don’t think I was in the right frame of mind because I was thinking too much about how I should be playing and how well I should be doing for Delhi rather than just looking at the ball and reacting. It took me half the season to realize I was doing that. The second half was a little better I felt, just looked at the ball and played how the ball came down. Those were the things I learnt this season. Like I said, what’s gone is gone, just looking forward to the new season and taking those experiences.What is your view on your white-ball cricket. Do you believe it still needs to improve?
It was just this one season that I haven’t done well. The previous seasons of IPL or white-ball cricket I have done well. People start talking when you don’t do well in one season. It actually doesn’t affect me that much. I have belief in my ability that I can play all formats. So it is just about getting the runs that I need.Do you think about the next World Cup in 2019?
Not really. Just looking forward to each season as it comes. If I can perform, I know I will be there.Karnataka players are known to form a very close bond with each other. KL Rahul, for instance, is someone you have known very well for a long time. He has grown in stature as an international cricketer over the last year or so in all formats. Do you share these experiences?
We do, we are very close. We haven’t been able to meet up since he got injured. We do share experiences when are together. We started playing together, so that bond is there.I believe your mother never watches you play, she only watches recordings. How have things changed for them since you have graduated to being an Indian cricketer?
I think they are more settled. They are happier and not very restless now. It is good to have some peace at home. They are very proud parents and I am happy that I could do them proud. I have had their complete support since I started playing, they never pressured me into doing anything. Just let me go and play my cricket.You will be captain of this India A team in South Africa. Do you enjoy leadership?
I have been captain on several occasions and I just enjoy the fact that whenever I am captain, I do well. So, I have that positive frame of mind when I am captain. It has been the case, from the Under-19 days to the Ranji trophy last year when I captained; we did well and I scored runs. It is obviously an extra responsibility, but generally when I am batting that kind of feeling doesn’t come.Does personality matter when you are captain? You seem to be a quiet, reserved sort of person who is leading a team of eleven players, does that make any difference?
I don’t think so. Everyone has their own style. I don’t think I should change who I am to try and lead eleven people. I can still lead them by being myself and do it in my way.Before we finish, what do you like doing outside of cricket?
The last one year I have started watching a lot of TV shows. The last few months when I had a break I started playing a lot of golf, so I am really enjoying that and keeping myself busy.

West Indies remodelled their games and rediscovered their pride after a shellacking at Edgbaston. But they’ve shelled too many catches to stand a chance of victory at Headingley

Jarrod Kimber at Headingley28-Aug-2017Shannon Gabriel is standing mid-pitch and screaming; the ball has gone, Jason Holder is still on his hands and knees watching it roll off to the boundary. The ball was overpitched by Gabriel, misfielded by Holder. At stumps last night, West Indies should have won this Test.West Indies’ bad day actually started last night when they dropped Joe Root. It was not the first time they had dropped him in this Test; they’d done it in the first innings as well. Root averages over 50, and other than a failure to turn fifties into hundreds as often as his talent suggests he should, gifting him chances in successive innings is about as silly as it gets. When West Indies finally caught Root, it was a fumbled catch on the second grab. They were one panicked clutch away from dropping Root three times in one match.But when they got Root out, it wasn’t as if magical things started happening. They immediately shelled Dawid Malan instead. Shane Dowrich – the specialist wicket keeper who has managed nine runs in his three innings – dived across first slip only to move his hands like a bullfighter withdrawing his cape at the last minute. Leaving Kieran Powell with a nasty surprise, and West Indies with another drop.It wasn’t quite as heinous an error. Missing Malan doesn’t carry with it that same sense of dread, mostly because Malan’s innings never threatened to get much better than it already was. It was a collection of scratchy shuffles with about as much timing as a fart during a eulogy. Aesthetically, it didn’t get any better, but it did double: 32 from 96 balls before the drop, 29 from 90 after it.West Indies dropped another catch when Dawid Malan was shelled at first slip•Getty ImagesTo focus on the drops alone would be awful enough, but then there was West Indies’ general mismanagement of their bowlers. Devendra Bishoo was still treated like the kid who told the teacher there was supposed to be a quiz today. Holder said yesterday he preferred to use Roston Chase because of the footmarks outside the left-handers’ off stump. Hey, Jase, legspinners can aim at those footmarks too, and being that they spin the ball the stumps, it usually makes them more dangerous too.Then there was the familiar Holder trick of not taking the second new ball straight away, so that the quicks, in a five-man bowling attack, could have it after lunch and be more rested. Not that it mattered, because when they did finally take it, they wasted it. Kemar Roach aggressively ignored the stumps and barely made England play. There were full tosses as well, plus the now-customary wasted balls down the leg side.This innings, West Indies didn’t drop Stokes once, but they dropped him twice in the first innings. When they did take Stokes’ wicket, it was over an hour after the second new ball and had little to do with the quality of the bowling. Stokes was caught at long-off for 58, trying to move the game on.Then Bairstow came in, and if any batsman was going to dropped, he was the most likely candidate. Since August 2015, Bairstow has been dropped 13 times according to CricViz, the equal-most in cricket in that time (alongside Alastair Cook). This time, the drop only cost five runs.But still West Indies found ways to make mistakes. After tea, England’s bowlers were confronted with a change-of-ends over of the highest pressure from recently reported offspinner Kraigg Brathwaite, who started with a full toss. That’s not actually doing the delivery justice; it was almost a moon ball, it wouldn’t have dismissed a pot plant.When Bishoo was finally treated like a proper bowler, he found the edge of Moeen Ali. Dowrich took a very tough under-edge, maybe the best take all day, but it was a no-ball. You could certainly make some valid arguments about this being an incorrect no-ball call. Umpire S Ravi seemed to call the no ball based on where Bishoo’s foot ended up landing, and not on its first contact with the pitch, when his heel was still in the air and probably a millimetre or two behind the line. But what was a legspinner doing so close to the line in the first place?Moeen didn’t ask questions; he just made an extra 52 runs. In the grand scheme of West Indies’ errors, it wasn’t as costly as Bishoo’s double run-out errors from yesterday.But what makes all of this so sad is that West Indies could have been so much better. Their bowling was a mess in the last Test, often senseless. This time, they rolled England on day one, and then had England three-down for under 100 runs in the second innings too, even after the pitch had flattened out. In the first Test, their batting was non-existent. This time they fought, got a lead, made hundreds, and their lower order chipped in too. And after all that, after such a comprehensive remodelling of their games and such a determination to stand up to a better team, they go and drop a whole bunch of catches.According to CricViz, West Indies have the second-lowest catches per drop; only Zimbabwe are worse in Tests. West Indies take 2.74 catches per drop over the last two years, while the best team, New Zealand, take 5.17 catches per drop. West Indies are essentially half the catching team New Zealand are. They have looked about a quarter as good this Test, taking 1.71 for every drop.In this match, West Indies have dropped catches on seven occasions. It has cost them 238 runs, and their total to chase is 322. They screamed, looked confused, shook their heads, got up slowly, shrugged. They stared at boundaries of batsmen who shouldn’t still be there.When Chris Woakes brought up his fifty, West Indies had taken five wickets in the day, but England’s two-run overnight lead had grown past 300. Kyle Hope stood at midwicket with his hands on his hips. A few balls later, West Indies had a glimmer of a run-out chance, but the throw was bad, and fumbled by Dowrich, it was the last run England would score before declaring. Kyle Hope put his hands back on his hips, but also looked up at the sky. At stumps tomorrow night, West Indies should have lost this Test.

Statistical highlights of how the two teams fared in 2017, India’s bilateral series-winning streak and Shikhar Dhawan crossing 4000 ODI runs

Bharath Seervi17-Dec-2017Eight in eight
India marched to their eighth successive bilateral ODI series victory by beating Sri Lanka 2-1. This winning streak began with a 3-0 victory against Zimbabwe last year and they have beaten New Zealand (twice), England, West Indies, Sri Lanka (twice) and Australia since then. Overall in ODI history, only one team has had a longer streak of bilateral series wins. West Indies had won 14 consecutive bilateral series (of two or more games) between 1980 and 1988. India’s previous longest bilateral winning streak was of six series between November 2007 and June 2009.India’s glorious 2017, Sri Lanka’s worst
India finish the year in ODIs with 21 wins from 29 matches and only seven defeats. Their win-loss ratio of 3:1 this year is their best in any calendar year. Their previous best year was 2008 when they had a ratio of 2.375:1 with a 19-8 win-loss record. This year, only one team has had a better win-loss ratio than India. England have a 15-4 win-loss record with a ratio of 3.750:1. Out of England’s four losses, two were against India in the three-match series in India. India are also the only team to not lose a single bilateral ODI series this year, among the top 10 teams.On the other hand, Sri Lanka’s performance was at the other extreme. They end the year with just five wins in 29 matches and 23 defeats. Their win-loss ratio of 0.217 is the second-worst for any team that played 25 or more games in a year. The only team to fare worse was Zimbabwe in 2004. Sri Lanka’s win-loss ratio is the worst among all 16 teams that have played ODIs this year.Dhawan completes 4000 runs
Shikhar Dhawan got to 4000 ODI runs with a century in his 95th innings. Among India batsmen, only Virat Kohli got there with fewer innings, 93. Overall, five batsmen have got to the milestone in fewer innings than Dhawan. He also scored his 12th century in the format. He is the fifth-quickest to 12 ODI centuries in terms of innings. Among Indian players, Kohli got there in 83 innings. Overall, Quinton de Kock is the fastest to the feat, in just 74 innings.

The first-timers are hoping to upset the BPL’s established order with a young team that has a sprinkling of established names including Babar Azam, Liam Plunkett and Sabbir Rahman

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-2017Previous season: Did not participateBig pictureThe Sylhet franchise’s new owners have put together a relatively young side. Their star attractions would be Babar Azam, Sabbir Rahman and Liam Plunkett although the little-known Ross Whiteley’s T20 form from the English summer has gone as far as earning him this contract.Sylhet Sixers also have batting strength in the likes of Andre Fletcher, Upul Tharanga and Danushka Gunathilaka as well as local performers like Imtiaz Hossain and Nasir Hossain.Plunkett will lead the bowling attack alongside three left-arm pace bowlers — Krishmar Santokie, Usman Khan and Ghulam Mudassar. Taijul Islam and Chaturanga De Silva will play an important role with their accurate left-arm spin while Wanindu Hasaranga’s legspin will be an attacking option at some stage.Sylhet have also picked some regional talent including Imtiaz, Nabil Samad and Abul Hasan, as well as Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Mohammad Sharif, both handy medium-pacers.Key playerSylhet would expect a lot from Babar Azam, whenever he is available and free from international commitments for Pakistan. Azam has 686 runs from 25 T20 matches this year, with two fifties. But he is in form in limited-overs cricket, so he will automatically be Sylhet’s most cherished batsman.CoachZafrul Ehsan is an experienced coach who has worked in different levels of league and age-group cricket in Bangladesh. He is known to have a quiet personality, and will be challenged in his first stint as a head coach of a BPL team.Below the radarGhulam Mudassar is a 17 year old left-arm fast bowler from Karachi, who has so far played only two T20s. But he’s known to have a lot of potential, so he will be one to watch out for when Sylhet play.SquadSabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Taijul Islam, Nurul Hasan, Abul Hasan, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Mohammad Sharif, Nabil Samad, Imtiaz Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Mohammad Sharifullah, Liam Plunkett, Ross Whiteley, Andre Fletcher, Andre McCarthy, Krishmar Santokie, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Ghulam Mudassar, Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Chaturanga De Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga