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James Anderson stands on the brink of two fine achievements in his Test career, made all the more remarkable by the burden he has carried over the years

George Dobell in Antigua12-Apr-2015If there was one moment that defined the uneven battle that was the 2013-14 Ashes series, it was surely the sight of George Bailey thrashing James Anderson for a world record-equalling 28 in an over.That is James Anderson, England’s best seam bowler in a generation. James Anderson, whose bowling played such a huge role in England’s Ashes win of 2010-11 in Australia and 2013 in England. James Anderson who was praised by MS Dhoni as “the difference between the sides” when England won in India in 2012.But Anderson has carried a heavy burden for England. In that Perth Test, in temperatures that reached 47 degrees, Anderson was obliged to deliver the overs of his colleague, Stuart Broad, who was forced off the pitch with injury. He was obliged to take the field in the second innings without sufficient break due to his batsmen’s inability to bat for a day. He was asked to do too much.And there is nothing new in that. It was, after all, Anderson who had to bowl a 13-over spell to clinch the Trent Bridge Ashes Test of 2013 when all his colleagues were leaking runs and Brad Haddin was taking Australia to victory. It is Anderson who is called upon, when the pitch is slow and flat, to unlock the opposition. Anderson, who in Kolkata, or Adelaide or Nottingham or Galle, has found a way to extract life out of surfaces his colleagues have found dead.On Andrew Strauss’ captaincy: “(He was) very good at getting the best out of his players and knowing what to say at the right time to each individual.”•Getty ImagesFor Anderson is the sports car used to transport scaffolding. The stag used to pull a plough. He is the strike bowler, stock bowler, death bowler and nightwatchman. Hell, in the nets, he even bowls left-arm spin when required. It was Anderson whose batting helped save England from defeat in Cardiff in 2009 and Anderson whose batting came within an inch of saving them in Leeds in 2014 against Sri Lanka. His work is never done.So it is something of a miracle that Anderson goes into the first Test of the series against West Indies on Monday with two significant milestones within his grasp.Firstly, he will, barring injury, become the 13th England player – and only the second seamer – to win 100 Test caps and secondly, he requires four more wickets to surpass Sir Ian Botham’s England record of 383 Test victims. They are both fine achievements, made all the more remarkable for the burden his slim shoulders have been asked to carry.And it will only get worse. In the next nine months or so, England play 17 Tests. Anderson will be expected to lead the attack in the majority. It is inevitable that performances dip, bodies ache and ennui sets in. England’s schedule remains, in every sense, self-defeating.James Anderson has shown he can save games with the bat too, most notably in Cardiff in the 2009 Ashes•Getty ImagesBut Anderson’s enthusiasm remains undimmed. Even now, even as he reflects on what may be the culmination of a fine career, it is the pain of the bad times that drives him on. He has never forgotten the pain of being omitted from this side and will not, even after a grim World Cup, consider retiring from limited-overs cricket to prolong his Test career.”I’ve never forgotten sitting on the sidelines for 18 months or two years and not being able to be out there doing what I love,” Anderson said as he reflected on his career.”I had a few years where I was out of the side and didn’t know if I’d ever play again. But having experienced Test cricket and seen how amazing it is to play for England, that determination to play again has driven me on. Once I got my chance – I think it was in 2008 – I didn’t want to let it go again. The ultimate is playing for England and I want to do that for as long as possible.”You know you could get an injury at any time. You’ve got to make the most of being fit when you get out onto the field.”That period on the sidelines – he missed much of 2006 – came after Anderson was persuaded to change his bowling action to avoid a stress fracture. Instead, he bowled slower, lost his swing and suffered the very fracture they were looking to avoid.Anderson’s spell at Trent Bridge in 2013 clinched a nailbiter for England•Getty ImagesBut the experience was, in many ways, the making of him. He took responsibility for his rehabilitation. He went back to doing what he did best and decided to learn new tricks. He learned the inswinger, he learned to reverse the ball, he learned to hide the ball before delivery and he learned to bowl overseas. Since Peter Moores entrusted the new ball to him in New Zealand, in 2008, he has hardly looked back.”These are all things I’ve picked up along the way,” Anderson explained. “I didn’t start out being able to swing the ball both ways. I’ve just filled my head with as much knowledge as possible. I’ve talked to ex-players and current players and done a lot of bowling and got to know my action.”Asked what advice he would offer his 18-year-old self, Anderson replies “enjoy it” and “ignore the media” and lists his two best captains as Nasser Hussain and Andrew Strauss.”Nasser was different from anything I had experienced,” he says. “Some people got on with him, some people didn’t like the way he went about it but for me as a youngster – I was 20 – that firm hand was fantastic.”I was almost in fear of him. I felt that, if I didn’t bowl well, he was going to give me the back of his hand. That worked me for me at that age.”As for Strauss, Anderson praises him for being “very good at getting the best out of his players and knowing what to say at the right time to each individual.”He rates his best spells as that 13-over marathon at Trent Bridge, the first morning at Adelaide in 2010 – he dismissed Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke before lunch on a surface typically full of runs – and his performance in the Kolkata Test of 2012. Three wickets in each innings may appear modest, but they included Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni and the pitch offered him nothing. Indeed, some thought it was designed to thwart him.Anderson found a way to get on top of the conditions at Eden Gardens in 2012•BCCIThe low moments? The two Ashes whitewashes stand-out, he says. As does the Johannesburg Test of early 2005, when he was called into the side for just one game and bowled poorly. He also describes this winter as “awful” for England.While clearly uncomfortable talking about the impending landmarks – “I’m not thinking about it; we have a Test to win. We will prepare as we always do” – he remains a far less affable character on the pitch.Indeed, after months of testing the boundaries, he flirted with serious trouble last year after an alleged confrontation with Ravindra Jadeja resulted in the ICC charging him with a Level 3 breach of their code of conduct. While the charges were eventually dropped, the experience still weighs heavy.He claims his body is better than ever and that he has no intention to retire from limited-overs cricket to prolong his Test career. But he admits, after an “awful” World Cup, there is every chance that choice will be taken out of his hands.”I think my body is in good enough condition to cope with both formats,” he said. “If I didn’t, I’d seriously consider retiring from one. But I might not get the option to retire; I might not get selected in the next series.”My body has never been better. Once you get past 30, things get hard, so I work harder at my fitness than I ever have done and probably do less in the nets to try and keep fresh for games. I feel good. I feel like I could go on for a few more years.”All of which will be music to the ears of Alastair Cook who is quite certain to throw Anderson the new ball in the coming days. It has been a wonderful career. The sense remains, though, that had he been treasured a little more and flogged a little less, England might have coaxed even more from Anderson.They need him more than ever now. With Broad fading and the young guns not quite ready to take the mantle, the job falls – yet again – to Anderson to find something in these low, slow modern Caribbean surfaces.And that’s the problem. For England would, now as so often in the last few years, be lost without Anderson. One more over, one more spell. One more tour, one more series. Anderson’s work is never done.

Jude Bellingham jokingly called out teammate Endrick on social media after the Brazilian wonderkid made a training ground boast.

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• Bellingham and Endrick exchange messages
• Brazilian winger made training ground boast on social media
• Real Madrid face Atletico on Tuesday in UCL

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Endrick took to Instagram and shared an image of him racing with Real Madrid colleague Jude Bellingham during a training session. In the caption, the Brazilian wrote: "I won bro @judebellingham".

  In response, Bellingham reshared Endrick's story on his Instagram profile and wrote: "Be honest bob." Bellingham has previously admitted he's nicknamed his team-mate Bobby after he claimed to be a big fan of Sir Bobby Charlton.

  IG:@judebellingham

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  Bellingham and Endrick starred in Real Madrid's win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Copa del Rey fixture in the midweek as the English midfielder provided the assist for the Madrid wonderkid's only goal of the match in the 19th minute. The Brazil international enjoyed his best night to date in a Real Madrid shirt as he was handed only his fourth start for Los Blancos since joining them last summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While Los Blancos are on course to reach the final of Copa del Rey with a slender lead over Real Sociedad, their miseries in La Liga continued as they lost to Real Betis 2-1 on Saturday. With Atletico Madrid and Barcelona winning their respective league matches, Carlo Ancelotti's side have now slipped to the third position on the league table.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  The reigning Spanish champions will next take on Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 fixture on March 4 at home.

Colin de Grandhomme and Thomas Kelly revived the chase but the home side broke a run of eight defeats

AAP23-Dec-2022Brisbane Heat ruined former favourite son Chris Lynn’s return to the Gabba, a Sam Billings half-century helping the home side to an upset six-run win over Adelaide Strikers.Undefeated Strikers sat atop the BBL table with three wins going into Friday night’s clash against the last-placed Heat, who had lost their opening two games of the season following on from a six-game losing streak to end their last campaign.But Billings fired the Heat to 166 for 9 after the home side won the bat flip, with the Strikers losing early wickets to be 38 for 4 before finishing their 20 overs just short.Related

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Colin de Grandhomme (37) and Thomas Kelly shared a 73-run partnership, Kelly making a career-high 43 off 33 balls, and some lusty late hitting from Harry Nielsen (24) saw the visitors needing 32 runs from the final three overs.But Michael Neser took a wicket and gave up just four runs in the 19th over to put the game out of Adelaide’s reach.Mark Steketee was the most successful of the Heat bowlers with figures of 4 for 34 from his four overs.Lynn, the face of the Heat franchise for 11 seasons, made 12 before he was given out lbw in contentious circumstances in the first meeting against his old side.The all-time BBL leading run-scorer strode to the crease in the first over after Neser trapped Jake Weatherald in front with the first ball of the innings.In an eventful over, Lynn advanced down the wicket to the first ball he faced, which was one of three wides Neser bowled that over, played and missed twice and edged one past a diving second slip for four.The visitors were in trouble at 14 for 2 when Matt Short went in the second over and worse was to come when Lynn was given out off the first ball of the fourth.Strikers were left to rue a wasteful DRS challenge by Weatherald that was unsuccessful, which meant Lynn was unable to review his decision, with replays showing the ball clearly going over the stumps.Earlier, Billings, who was dropped on 22 and 42, bludgeoned 27 runs, including three sixes, off the 19th over bowled by Peter Siddle. He eventually departed for 79 off 48 deliveries, his innings including six fours and four sixes.Max Bryant was the next-best batter for the Heat, with his 46 including eight fours. Short missed out with the bat, but claimed career-best figures of 3 for 14 from his three overs of offspin.Quick Henry Thornton, the BBL’s current leading wicket-taker, finished with 1 for 37 to take his season tally to 12.

Leicester City are among the Premier League clubs who are interested in signing an attacking “machine” in January, according to a new report. The Foxes have made a steady start to life back in the top flight, picking up 10 points from a possible 30, but Steve Cooper will know performances do need to improve if they are going to stay above that dotted line.

Leicester chiefs plotting long-term transfer plan to sign £15m speedster

The Foxes would have to wait until the summer to get the deal completed.

By
Brett Worthington

Nov 4, 2024

Leicester already lining up 2025 transfer plans

Leicester and Cooper will have their eye on players who they believe can improve them for when January arrives, but they also appear to have their eye on one player who can’t move until next summer.

It was reported earlier this week that the Foxes are keeping a close eye on Ipswich Town’s Jack Clarke. The winger only joined the Tractor Boys during the summer transfer window from Sunderland, but Leicester are already weighing up whether to make a move for him in 2025. It has been a testing time for Clarke at Portman Road, as he’s yet to replicate the form he showed at the Stadium of Light.

The 23-year-old hasn’t scored for Ipswich yet, and he has found himself in and out of the starting XI in the opening 10 league games. He cannot play for a third English club this term after already turning out for Ipswich and the Black Cats though, so any move would be a summer one.

Leicester interested in signing Bayern starlet Mathys Tel

According to Caught Offside, Leicester City are interested in signing Mathys Tel on loan in January. The 19-year-old has been at Bayern Munich since July 2022, when he joined from French side Stade Rennais, and his career has really taken off since moving to Germany, as he shines playing anywhere across the front three.

Tel, who has been labelled a “two-footed ball-striking machine” in the past, played 30 times for Munich in the Bundesliga last season, scoring seven goals and recording five assists, but this season he has fallen out of favour under manager Vincent Kompany.

The winger has played seven times in all competitions, only two of which have come as starts, and it appears as though he could be allowed to leave on loan when January arrives. The report states that the German giants still see Tel as a “key part” of their long-term future, but he could now benefit from a temporary move away, and would be an exciting addition to the Premier League.

Looking at players who compare on FBRef’s statistical tools, Liverpool’s Luis Diaz ranks second by statistical profile.

Bayern want Tel to get regular first team minutes under his belt, and Leicester, as well as Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest, are all keen on landing the young star, but a final decision will be made by the player himself.

Brisbane is a city that makes room for all comers, offers plenty of bright light, and a variety of paths to jog down

Firdose Moonda24-Dec-2014First light, short shadows, the westward flying plane. Only another sun chaser would understand the true value of those things. The idea of going to a place named after the golden ball of goodness itself appealed to me more than most. Fortuitously, Queensland was the first serious stop on South Africa’s tour of Australia in late 2012.The schedule took us to Sydney for a practice match but Brisbane, in the Sunshine State, was where the real Tests would begin. The locals called it Bris-Vegas in a disparaging reference to tackiness, but I was not going to be swayed so easily. Even if the city lacked soul in the way I imagine the one it is nicknamed after does, it would have warmth of the literal kind, which was fine with me.Sunlight bounced from the streets, complete with bicycle lanes, glistened on the water, and reflected off the mirrored modern structures that made up the Eagle Street Pier. The mall by the water was my introduction to Brisbane and it was every bit as expensive (because it just cannot be called cheap) and nasty as it sounds. The restaurants were flash, the patrons were flush, but it was not just good times that were flowing; the Brisbane River was too and it would prove central to my experience of the city.A river usually comes with a guarantee of an opportunity for exercise and I had previously made use of many. On the Thames’ South Bank, sightseeing was included; on the Zambezi, I shared space with baboons and a pair of elephants, and along the Waikato, moving became a form of meditation. But Brisbane was completely different because the focus was on the physical activity of running and the many interesting ways of performing the seemingly mundane task of putting one foot in front of the other over and over and over again.Walkways at Eagle Street Pier, and the Story Bridge•Getty ImagesNo matter where you start – I began at the aforementioned shopping area – over the course of two weeks, every run can be different because of the 15 bridges that connect the two sides of the city. Some routes meander through the Botanical Gardens, others force you to jostle with cyclists in narrow shared spaces. And then there is the floating walkway between the wonderfully named Story Bridge and Merthyr Street. In glorious sunshine, your eyes are treated to light of a brightness they may not have enjoyed before, footsteps and whirring wheels are the soundtrack, and the sense of community from the many other people doing exactly the same thing was more welcoming than I expected Australia to be.Without delving too deeply into the love-hate relationship between South Africans and Australians, let’s just say there is a level of aggression shared between us. It is evident on the sports field where contests between the two nations often come with some extra needle, but it also exists beyond the boundary. There are almost 150,000 South Africans living in Australia, many of whom moved there when South Africa’s transition into a democracy threatened to become violent, and there is a tension between those who stayed behind and those who left. Of course, we are not the only country that has a significant expat community in Australia because people have been flocking there for generations.My first encounter with an “Australian,” was actually with a Lebanese man, then an Italian, then a Chinese person. All that makes Australia a much more diverse place than it can come across as being.Brisbane has a significant Greek influence. My childhood was spent among people of Mediterranean heritage, so I was intrigued enough to visit the West End. Apart from the fact that it shares a name with what I regard as one of the best part of London, it was where the Greek community settled initially.Restaurants spilling over onto pavements and delicatessens that open up into massive grocery stores stand as a testament to that legacy. One of them, Delta Continental, is located on Vulture Street. The only reason I remember that is because the same road leads to the Gabba. With red and yellow seats, the ground looks like it is trying to be the sun, never mind have people sit in it. I was underwhelmed by it as a venue.The Gabba: more sin than soul•Getty ImagesThey say it used to have much more character before the revamp, which has since swallowed other Australian venues like Adelaide Oval, and I hope they are right. The Gabba I saw had the same garishness as some parts of the city it is in do. There’s too much Vegas and not enough Bris. The most interesting thing about it was an anecdote we unearthed about why the street it sits on has its name: not named after a group of birds that nested there waiting for a carcass, or even a pack of dodgy businessmen, but rather a Royal Navy warship that was in operation during the Crimean War in the 1850s, called the .What was talked up to be a fiery pitch – so much so that South Africa fielded an all-pace attack – turned out to be the opposite. Brisbane was not all sunshine and… well sunshine, either. The second day of the match was washed out, effectively forcing the draw, but that did leave me with more time to explore some of the more charming parts. The Library Bar, the old government house, the Brisbane wheel.Beyond Brisbane’s borders are attractions including a koala sanctuary, the Australia Zoo, which was home to crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, and much further afield, the Gold Coast. The schedule meant I could not get to any of them, and I was particularly disappointed not to be able to bask in the rays of a place that sounds made for nothing else. But that’s just another reason to keep chasing the sun.

Life at West Ham United for Julen Lopetegui is proving harder than first anticipated, despite having an impressive squad of players to call upon.

David Moyes wasn’t perfect—far from it—yet he managed to lead the club to its first major trophy in 40 years while leading the Irons to three top-half finishes in the Premier League across the previous four seasons.

Be careful what you wish for. The club are now languishing in 15th position, having won just twice in the top flight since the start of the campaign. The Spaniard is coming under increased pressure to get positive results.

Ten signings were made during the summer transfer window, yet the former Real Madrid boss is having to rely on someone Moyes signed in 2020 to get the team firing – Jarrod Bowen.

Jarrod Bowen’s season in numbers

The Englishman has arguably been one of the finest signings West Ham have made in the previous five years, especially when you consider his value for money.

Moyes spent £20m to bring the former Hull City star to the London Stadium in 2020. Fast-forward nearly five years later and Bowen has registered 104 goal contributions – 63 goals and 41 assists – across 212 games.

Bowen, therefore, has cost the club only £190k per goal involvement, suggesting they have gotten their value out of the winger, no doubt about that.

Last term, he scored 20 goals and grabbed ten assists, carrying on this type of form into the current campaign, already notching five goal contributions.

Not only does he rank first in the West Ham squad for big chances created (three), but the English dynamo also ranks first for key passes per game (2.5), third for successful dribbles per game (1.5) and second for shots on target per game (0.9), demonstrating how effective he has been in the final third in the Premier League this season.

If Lopetegui wishes to remain in his post for as long as possible, he will be hoping Bowen can keep up his early season form, otherwise, his position could soon become untenable.

Over the years, Bowen’s market value has risen steadily due to his wonderful performances for the club. One thing is for certain, West Ham will make a stunning profit on the winger should they have to sell in the next couple of years.

Jarrod Bowen’s market value

At the time of writing, Bowen is currently valued at €50m (£41.6m) according to Transfermarkt, representing a significant increase on the £20m fee they paid to sign him a few years ago.

Moyes reportedly slapped a £100m price tag on him towards the end of last year as Liverpool were keeping a close eye on the player.

Whether they will manage to get this sort of fee remains the question, but there is a player in the current first-team squad who is valued higher than Bowen. According to Transfermarkt, that is…

How much Lucas Paqueta cost West Ham United

As the 2022 summer transfer window was coming to an end, Moyes spent £51m on bringing Lucas Paqueta to London from Lyon.

It looked like a signing which could take the club to the next level and by the end of that season, the Brazilian had scored five times and grabbed seven assists as West Ham won the Europa Conference League trophy.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the attacking midfielder at West Ham, however, especially during the current campaign, with an FA charge regarding alleged breaches of their betting rules still hanging over him.

Lucas Paqueta’s season in numbers

Last season, Paqueta registered 15 goal contributions – eight goals and seven assists – across 43 games in all competitions, which wasn’t a bad return at all, heightening expectations heading into the current campaign.

So far, the 27-year-old has managed to record just two goals in eight Premier League games for the Irons this term, hardly the form many expected when Lopetegui took over during the summer.

He currently ranks in fifth position among the squad for shots on target per game (0.4) in the Premier League, along with ranking fifth for big chances created (one) and for successful dribbles per game (0.6), hardly the form of a £50m player.

Over the previous 365 days, Paqueta failed to rank in the top 50% for touches in the opposition box, successful take-ons and shot-creating actions per 90 when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

It is clear improvement is needed, especially if the midfielder wishes to drag West Ham back into the top half of the league table.

Former teammate Declan Rice lavished praise on the Brazilian ahead of the 2023 Conference League final, saying: “I think now you’re seeing the real Lucas. Some of the stuff he does, even in training, it’s just mind-boggling how good he is.”

Mind-boggling he hasn’t quite been this season, that’s for sure.

Lucas Paqueta’s market value

According to Transfermarkt, Paqueta is currently the highest-valued player in the West Ham squad, with a valuation of €55m (£46m), which is even higher than Bowen, despite the Englishman shining for the club this term.

That value is slightly lower than the £51m fee Moyes shelled out to sign him more than two years ago, while it also represents a drop from his peak value of £54m from back in May.

Whether or not a lengthy ban does arrive, the Hammers will need their playmaker to get firing in the short-term. Could a new manager potentially revive the attacking midfielder? Or will he finally come good under Lopetegui before Christmas?

The next few months could be very important indeed for the former Lyon starlet, that’s for sure.

West Ham wasted £37.5m on Pellegrini signing who earned way more than Kudus

West Ham wasted a huge amount of money on a player who failed to deliver.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 26, 2024

Manchester City have included no exit clauses in new contracts and January deals and reportedly expect to be fined in their long-running FFP case.

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• City spent big in winter transfer window
• Ruling in FFP case expected in the spring
• Various punishments being speculated on

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The reigning Premier League champions have had at least 115 charges relating to supposed financial mismanagement hanging over their head since early 2023, when a four-year investigation into dealings at the Etihad Stadium was completed.

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  An independent hearing came to a close in late December, but no verdict has been delivered as yet. The expectation is that official word is now a matter of weeks away, with various punishments – ranging from points deductions to expulsion from the English top flight – being touted.

• WHAT DAVID ORNSTEIN SAID

  Journalist David Ornstein has told of where the protracted saga stands at present: “It’s just over two years ago since those charges and the feeling I get from speaking to people at and around the club is that we could be looking at a springtime verdict.

  “So, maybe a month or two away and that feels pretty soon. Of course this is still subject to potential appeals in that process too, but the verdict would feel like a seismic moment whatever the outcome.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  City spent big again in the winter transfer window, bringing in the likes of Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez, while prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has been handed a lucrative 10-year contract. That business hints at the club being confident that they will avoid the harshest possible sanctions.

West Indies started the fourth day from a promising position before rain and South Africa’s bowlers combined to trigger yet another batting implosion

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town05-Jan-2015The longest second: waiting for the lift doors to open to escape a stranger’s space. The longest minute: the kettle whistling as the water reaches boiling point. The longest hour: the last on a long-haul flight. The longest session: The 48.2 overs bowled in four hours on the fourth day of the New Year’s Test between South Africa and West Indies.Only the last of those is not an exaggeration. It really was one of the longest sessions, in terms of time and overs.After rain washed out the morning and early afternoon, the umpires were allowed to extend the final session in unprecedented fashion. With the clause limiting the time for a session to no more than two-and-a-half-hours removed and the generous daylight of a Cape Town summer, play could continue past cocktails and almost encroach on dinner-time without any interruptions, in order to “maximise the playing hours”, as an ICC spokesperson put it. Lunch and tea were moved forward so the game could do the same and it would not feel like the longest day.

‘Just needed one massive effort from us’ – Morkel

With most of the morning and afternoon session lost to rain, South Africa were as much at risk of losing focus as West Indies but Hashim Amla made sure they knew what was expected of them.
“The captain spoke to us quite hard and said we had the whole morning off and as a unit it can be disjointed, so it’s important for us to start well,” Morkel said. “It’s part of the mental battles of Test cricket. We knew if we put in a solid session, we could have an easier day tomorrow. It just needed one massive effort from us, before we go to Bangladesh in six months’ time when we next play Test cricket. So we knew we could go out there and give it everything.”
South Africa were aware that the series they entered as over-riding favourites remained in the balance with two days left and wanted to show their best side in an attempt for success.
“We respect West Indies a lot. We know that most teams have a breaking point and it is important to push a batting team as far as they can go,” Morkel said. “The team who can sustain the pressure at that breaking point will come out on top in the end. For us, it’s to really try to break teams down. That’s key in Test cricket.”

For the first four-and-a-half hours, that’s what it was shaping up to be as rain swept through the stadium, steaming in from both sides of the grandstand in the swirling wind. The teams had seen enough of that in Port Elizabeth and did not want to resort to change-room cricket and idle chat again, so they stayed away until there was a chance of play.Dead time can kill a competitive spirit and West Indies, who would have been holed up in hotel rooms, had to guard against that. They could not.Overnight, they were in a decent position. They had two settled batsmen at the crease, had whittled down the deficit to the point of turning it into a lead and could seriously challenge South Africa for a share of the series spoils. They did not need anything to interrupt that flow, especially not a lengthy rain delay.Grey, gurgling skies over a generous gust encourage lethargy in all its forms. The legs and eyelids grow heavy, the brain foggy and the reflexes slow. The idea of waiting until tomorrow to do anything seems far more tempting than emerging from a semi-slumber to concentrate. And when the ball is coming at you at pace, 140 kmph, you need to concentrate.Everyone except Marlon Samuels and, to a lesser degree, Shivnarine Chanderpaul knew that. The rest, bar Denesh Ramdin, do not have the experience to call on for this kind of situation, which is why it was up to the three stalwarts to build West Indies a lead on which they could look for a victory. Samuels seemed the likeliest to do that.He is the type of player who rubs South Africa up the wrong way. He straddles the line between talent and arrogance a little too tightly and he talks a good game on top of all that. So South Africa did their talking with the ball. Dale Steyn banged it in short, Morne Morkel went full, and induced an edge, and Vernon Philander appealed for a catch which the umpires referred. Samuels’ response at first was to pull, drive and react so dismissively to the prospect of getting out that he almost suffered that fate off the next ball when he flayed loosely.Samuels, however, did not always get to emerge as the cooler cat. He was hit on the back by Steyn, almost on the face by Morkel and consistently tested by Philander. It’s hardly a surprise then, that the one person he felt comfortable against was Simon Harmer, who he eventually played with too much freedom. Samuels was the perfect Shakespearean character – the architect of his own demise – and the opening South Africa needed.With him gone, their longest day ended and West Indies’ began. Again. For the third time in the series, their lower order gave way in spite of a more assured showing from Shivnarine Chanderpaul. If that was his last innings in South Africa, at least he left with a half-century but he did not marshal the lower-order the way senior batsman should. He played a tentative innings and edged the fourth ball he faced to gully, but it dropped just short. He was given out on 10 but reviewed successfully. He was foxed by spin and offered a chance to AB de Villiers when he was on 33.In the middle of that struggle, West Indies lost all the rest. What started out as a day of promise, faded into another day of lost potential. They ended up with a total they may not be able to defend, because South Africa’s attack were not prepared to give their batsmen a long final day. And that is the difference between a No. 1-ranked side and a No. 8 side – one of them knows that even the longest second, the longest minute, the longest hour and the longest session will end and is willing to fight through it.

India’s batting coach says the top order has merely reacted to the conditions

Sidharth Monga29-Oct-20221:11

Rathour: The conditions demanded Kohli to play in a certain way

#NewApproach has been the running joke among Indian fans ever since the new team management of Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid took over. Every time India don’t score at breakneck speed, these jokes come up. Some of it is friendly ribbing, some of it wisecracks from the fans of the previous team management.If you take out the first match because India were chasing – the target dictates the approach then – one match against Netherlands is too small a sample size even for jokes, but the one thing that stood out was that only Rohit batted with the new approach, allowing KL Rahul and Virat Kohli to start conservatively.Related

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This #NewNewApproach is not random. India have spent enough time in Australia to know the conditions. The early exchanges have been difficult for the batters. Since the start of the Super 12s, teams have scored at 6.76 in the first ten overs and at 8.61 in the last ten. The new ball has done a bit.India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour said on the eve of the match against South Africa that the top order has merely reacted to the conditions. But he didn’t say whether they have spoken of it as a team or the batters are making the call in the middle.”We are looking to adapt,” Rathour said. “Of course, playing with intent is always the goal. We are looking to score runs whenever we can. But then we need to take into account the conditions that we are playing on, the surfaces we are playing on. I don’t think these are 200, 200-plus wickets, so we’ll need to adapt, and I think we have done pretty well in that regard so far.”When you talk approach, it is shaped by the batter who has batted the most, who in this case is Kohli. Rathour was asked if that was a premeditated approach. “Not really,” Rathour said. “I think that depends on the conditions we are playing in. We pride ourselves to be a team that will take the conditions and situation into account, and that’s what we’ve been looking to do. I think the conditions or the situation demanded him [Kohli] to play in a certain way, and he has done that. He is a good enough player to change his game or adapt his game to whatever the team requires, and he’s done that brilliantly so far, and we know that he’ll carry on doing that.”That brings us to another bone of contention: Rahul’s form. There have been suggestions that India can open with Rishabh Pant, who will also bring a left-hand batter into the mix. However, India are not ready to give up on Rahul.”No, we’re not really thinking that,” Rathour said. “Two games, I don’t think that’s a good enough sample size anyways. He has been batting really well, and he has batted really well in the practice games also, so we’re not looking at any such thing at the moment.”In the hours after Rathour spoke, New Zealand went from 54 for 3 in ten overs to 167 in the end against Sri Lanka. That might suggest you don’t necessarily need wickets in hand because runs are coming in the last ten overs anyway, but then again Rathour didn’t exactly say India would bat similarly all the time. There’s scope for newer hashtags yet.

Azhar Ali’s hundred helped Pakistan boss over Australia on the opening day of the second Test but, more importantly, it showed that he was focused on ensuring his starts were not wasted

Umar Farooq in Abu Dhabi30-Oct-2014Azhar Ali was nearly dropped from the Test team after the series against South Africa in the UAE last year and it took Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq almost 40 minutes to convince the selection panel to “keep faith in him”. He survived the axe and was picked for the Tests against Sri Lanka but missed the first two games before returning for the third match in Sharjah, where he scored a match-winning 103 off 137 to help Pakistan pull off a stunning chase.Since that innings, Azhar has looked assured at the No. 3 spot in Pakistan’s line-up, a crucial one given the inconsistent opening performances. Some of that assurance was evident in his sixth Test hundred on the first day of the second Test in Abu Dhabi that helped Pakistan post 304 for 2.In 67 Test innings, Azhar has scored a century every 11 innings and while that number may not be extraordinary by international standards, it is important in the context of the team, as it suggests reliability.Azhar has the skills needed to occupy the crease and frustrate the opposition but his ability to convert half-centuries into centuries has been a talking point in his four-year career. His maiden Test hundred came in his 15th Test, against Sri Lanka in 2011, and he had scored 10 fifties, including two scores of more than 90, before that. Since the hundred against Sri Lanka in Sharjah, he has scored 30, 41, 32, 10, 53, 30.Against Australia in Abu Dhabi, he was dropped twice, while batting on 34 and 46, and had he not kept his cool and negotiated the bowling well, he would have missed out on another hundred. He batted out 223 balls at the strike rate of 45.29, higher than his career strike rate of 39.12, and shared an unbeaten stand of 208 for the third wicket with Younis Khan.”I do feel the fact that I should be converting my double figures into big hundreds,” he said. “That is always in my mind but you can only try and give your best. I have an example of Younis who has a good record in converting [starts] into big hundreds so I have this thing in my mind and as a player I do realise and I am focused for it.”All the senior players and coaches always advise me to convert my innings into big ones once I get settled. After Sri Lanka, I was trying to get myself focused as I know there is something missing because I wasn’t making it big. So, in the last two or three Test matches, I am feeling comfortable and today when I crossed 50, I had exactly the same thing in my mind and hence I managed to build it and scored in three figures. But you know we can only try; I can assure that I do put my efforts.”He struggled a little initially and then had to contend with a back spasm in the second session. While Younis, who batted at No. 4, scored his century in 128 balls, Azhar took 223 deliveries to get to the milestone.”It’s not like I was struggling with the flow but sometimes you need to take time and play according to your plan,” he said. “I picked up a spasm in my back right after the lunch break and struggled a lot until the tea break. But I got ample support from the dressing room as the physiotherapist was assisting me at regular intervals. So every run I was running made me better.”Azhar Ali: “After Sri Lanka, I was trying to get myself focused as I know there is something missing because I wasn’t making it big.”•Getty ImagesIn the 29 partnerships that Azhar and Younis have shared, the pair have had four century stands and as many fifty stands at an average of 51.53 and Azhar credited Younis for being an ‘example’ for him.”I can’t describe in words. As you know, he scored three back-to-back hundreds which is great to get motivated,” he said. “It is always great to have a partnership with him as I feel really comfortable playing with him. He guides and executes the game as well from the other end, giving me a sense of comfort.”And scoring against Australia is a big achievement. As you know, a few days ago he was telling Ahmed [Shehzad] that it took him 12 [14] years to score a hundred against Australia, so don’t let the opportunity go. So this entire thing was a source of motivation that actually worked in our case. This innings is going give a big support to my team as we are here to win our series and that is our only focus.”It’s a good sign that youngsters are taking responsibility and scoring runs. The way Ahmed responded in the first Test, and now I have scored a hundred, I think as a team we are going forward and if the youngsters are responding and scoring runs, it’s good for the team.”Azhar made his Test debut against Australia at Lord’s in 2010, coming into the line-up for the series following the retirement of Mohammad Yousuf and the exclusion of Younis Khan. He scored 16 and 42 on debut before making an impact in the next Test at Headingley, scoring 51 in a thrilling chase that helped Pakistan break a 15-year losing streak against Australia. Azhar was happy to be among the runs against the side once again.”Batting against a tough opponent is always great,” he said. “Australia are the tough side to play against and whenever you score against such a team, it always make you happy and you always enjoy every run scored against the tough bowlers. I always feel better after scoring against tough bowlers because the runs mean a lot to me.”