Farbrace has no cause for guilt - Moores

#PoliteEnquiries: Would Nick Compton pose naked? You ask the man himself.

Peter Moores has dismissed suggestions that his new assistant, Paul Farbrace, should feel morally bound to sit out the Sri Lanka tour this summer because England poached him from their opponents so soon after he took charge.

Farbrace had been in charge of Sri Lanka for barely three months, a period in which they won the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, before England persuaded him to abandon a job he had only just begun and join Moores in a new-look England coaching structure.

Kumar Sangakkaka, the former Sri Lanka captain, conceded that the circumstances were "not nice" when he joined Durham this week for a brief stint ahead of the Sri Lanka tour but stopped short of criticising Farbrace, who he maintained was "a top guy and a wonderful coach".

Moores also waved aside suggestions that England should make a moral gesture, pointing out that Farbrace was English and that there was a patriotic lure in his new role.

"I don't think he should miss the Sri Lanka tour," Moores said. "Paul has made his decision and he has come in. One of the key things was for him to be in at the start of something new.

"Of course I understand why some people are uncomfortable, but the key message - and I am sure Paul won't mind me saying - is that he loved his time in Sri Lanka. He has been there twice and he went back because he loved the people, he loved the way they played their cricket and some of those senior players he has a great relationship with.

"I can understand why people aren't happy with him because he went there and was very successful. But there was a draw to come and do something in his home country and for anybody who is a patriotic bloke, as Paul is, it becomes something he wants to do. I think over time the players will understand that - they are playing for their country after all.

"We go back a long way with so I know his philosophies about coaching and they are similar to mine which I think is really important. That is about trying to create a situation where people feel free to go and play - and that is quite challenging in an international environment but I think he fits. I think the players will enjoy having him. He is an all-round coach, he covers a lot of bases, and has got great knowledge of one day cricket in particular."

Sangakkara was also reluctant to be too critical. "Paul is a big loss for us," he said. "He could understand how Sri Lanka works and his impact was really important for us in those three months. The circumstances surrounding how he left were unfortunate, it was probably not nice, but England will gain hugely from Paul.

"He's a top guy and a wonderful coach. He's very good with people and sometimes that's more important than having all the knowledge in the world."

Moores dismissed fears that Ben Stokes could miss the entire summer after his contretemps with a locker during a one-day match in Barbados in March. Stokes fractured his right hand when he lashed out after being dismissed for a golden duck. He issued an emotional apology to the team in the dressing room as he realised that he would miss World Twenty20

"I don't think he will miss the entire season. They are very confident about how he's progressing. The impression I have is that they are not saying his recovery isn't going to plan. It is going in stages as everything does so we have to just go with it.

"He's still got a bit of work to do yet - he isn't on the coaches' radar yet. I don't know with him. It was a complicated injury so it takes a bit more time. If he is not ready to play in the first Test then he isn't."

Moores has inherited other injury concerns. Stuart Broad is likely to miss the limited-overs section of Sri Lanka's tour and play Championship cricket in an attempt to be fit for the first Test at Lord's in June after seeking a rest cure for tendonitis in his knee.

"Obviously Broady is having a break to recharge and get his niggles sorted with a view to him playing a couple of rounds of county cricket but he is struggling for the one day series," he said. "With all these things we will have to monitor how it progresses, but at the moment, we are looking at the Tests for Broad. As with all key players you are desperate to pick them if you can but you have to be realistic we need to make sure he is fully fit.

Sussex are also hopeful that Matt Prior will return as a batsman against Lancashire at Old Trafford on Sunday as he seeks to rid himself of persistent Achilles trouble, but Moores was unable to commit himself to when Prior might return.

"We are upping his volume to see when he can get some cricket in, but realistically with Matt it is about preparing to compete for the Test matches so we have a bit more time. I wouldn't put a timescale on his return. We want to see him play cricket, Test matches don't start for a while and he has to show he can get through a game without it flaring up.

Steve Finn's form is also heartening, but does not yet warrant a return in one-day cricket. Here is another player being targeted at the Tests. Moores plans chats with Angus Fraser, Middlesex's director of cricket and judging by Fraser's comments on The County Show will receive a positive but cautious assessment: progress is being made, but there remains work to be done.

"There is a general perception we should give him long enough in county cricket to really get to where he wants to be before he goes and plays for England again," Moores said. "I would accept that if that is the general view - that doesn't mean I wouldn't want him in my team but I think the key here is that you have to take some advice on where a player is at.

"We don't have to cross the bridge of the first Test yet and what I do like is him taking wickets in county cricket. Having not watched him yet live but have watched the video clips, he looks like he's bowling the sort of balls you want to see a fast bowler bowling. That is exciting for us because he was missed in the winter."


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KKR's bang-it-in plan goes awry

Having left out Morne Morkel, who might have made the tactic work, KKR used Vinay Kumar to bowl short at Brendon McCullum, and he was only too happy to sit back in his crease and keep pulling

The short nature of Twenty20 makes it an extremely tactical game, especially in a match reduced to 17 overs. More rides on every captaincy move, every input from every laptop, and every bit of coaching, than it does in longer formats. Kolkata Knight Riders got one wrong today when they decided to bowl short to Brendon McCullum. It is hard to tell if it was an instinctive call from the bowler and the captain, or if indeed they had some numbers to suggest this could be a plan - although it is hard to imagine McCullum struggling against bouncers - but the end result provided a fillip to what had been an okay start from the batsman.

Also, had it been a larger plan, you would have imagined Knight Riders would get Morne Morkel to execute it and not pick Andre Russell in the XI and get R Vinay Kumar to get it into McCullum's chin. As it happened, an umpiring oversight might just have ruled out any chances of Knight Riders not going through with it.

Knight Riders had opened with two spinners, presumably to get some of their overs in before the towels came out. The outfield had taken some rain, and there had been some dew around even before it rained. Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine had been tight against the adventurous and successful Chennai Super Kings openers, and Dwayne Smith had been taken out. The ball was turning, and we were entering a crucial phase before Narine would come back to finish off. A few tight overs here, and Narine would have the upper hand, but Narine would be chasing the game if Super Kings kicked away now.

At 43 for 1 after 6 overs, on came Vinay. When he first bounced McCullum, he beat the batsman. Replays, though, showed the ball had gone over head-height. A stricter umpire might have called it a wide. Under those circumstances, you might have possibly questioned the bounce in the pitch, and asked yourself if you really want to go ahead with the bouncers. Instead you see one fly, beat the top edge, all doubts disappear, and you put one extra man back on the hook.

McCullum, though, didn't hold back on the pull, and the movement of mid-off into the circle basically told him he could sit back and wait for the short ball. McCullum said as much. He found hitting down the ground difficult so he was anyway deep in the crease to shorten the length and go horizontal. Knight Riders' plan only helped him.

McCullum got one chest-high, and those quick hands and feet helped him put it over square leg. It didn't stop Vinay from trying the short-pitched bowling in his next over. This is where McCullum's footwork proceeded to create his own length. The first two balls Vinay didn't quite bowl in his own half, but McCullum managed to pull them from the depth of the crease. Both went into the gap between the two men back, which meant McCullum kept strike.

Vinay got higher now, and McCullum didn't bother keeping the pull down. Into the gap again. The plan was hurting Knight Riders bad, but it wasn't changing. It was a little surprising that Knight Riders stuck with it for as long as they did. In all, Vinay bowled eight short or shortish balls to McCullum, who took 19 runs off them with his pull.

That over from Vinay ended with a moral victory for Knight Riders, when McCullum gloved the last ball - another short one - for four to fine leg, but by then Super Kings had already broken away. At any rate, at Vinay's pace, on an easy-paced pitch, it would really have been against the run of play had Knight Riders got the better of McCullum with short-pitched bowling.


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England identity crisis tops Moores' agenda

The Peter Moores revolution will be a gradual and balanced one, focused on creating a more confident, self-sustaining culture for English cricket

English cricket feels as if it is out of kilter and so, like England invariably does at such times, it is searching for consensus. Do you want to know what the future of English cricket will look like? "Like most things it's about balance," Peter Moores said. It will not get any more revolutionary than that.

Somewhere at the centre of this rebalancing exercise is a search for Englishness, a yearning not to follow the mindset of football and regard foreign intervention as automatically superior - imagine the scathing response if an English manager, even a highly successful one, sought to develop an egotistical persona like Jose Mourinho - but to create a feeling of national unity and pride in the manner that Stuart Lancaster has achieved with England's rugby union side.

Defining Englishness is hard enough. The Australians believe in their courage and resilience and the mystical properties of the Baggy Green, India draws strength from the passion and the wealth that cricket creates. But since the Empire retreated into history and present-day pomp and pageantry, for many, became largely a way to bring the tourists in, England has struggled to construct a true, living, sense of national identity.

Englishness seems to be about irony, self-effacement, pragmatism and, increasingly, the right to individuality. As Jeremy Paxman wrote in The English: "It is based on values that are so deeply embedded in the culture that it is almost unconscious."

None of these values fit easily with success in team sport. But after a decade of reliance upon southern African coaches - and the ordered, prescriptive ways of Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower brought many benefits - and also importing players with a powerful South African yearning to succeed, it is the aim of Moores, his self-effacing captain, Alastair Cook, and the MD of England cricket, Paul Downton, who has spent much of his life since retirement in the rarefied world of the City, to find a way to do it.

One thing there will be, says Moores, in an England dressing room overseen by himself and his assistant Paul Farbrace, is a recognition that there are times to lighten the mood.

"Losing is tough - this winter would have been tough," he said. "Sometimes the time when the pressure is at the most extreme is when you want to be at your lightest. The general rule for me is when the pressure is on you try to take it off and when there's none there you shove it on."

Gradually, we are learning about Moores' England. As far as the coaching and support staff is concerned, the broad church will remain - it is just that they won't all be trying to cram into the pulpit.

Moores knows that knowledge is essential, but he reasserted, too, that there comes a time when it is understood that it is down to 11 players to have the talent and self-reliance and, yes, a powerful sense not just of individual ambition but of national pride, to go out and do their stuff.

This might not be revolutionary, but it is common sense. Moores' English revolution will not be jingoistic. Not for a moment will it overlook the importance of planning: essentially that is where his coaching excellence lies. But when the preparation is over, the overriding purpose will be to restate the notion that the togetherness that matters is that of the 11 players on the field.

"My basic rule of thumb on most things is that when you are preparing, a big resource of coaches is fine," Moores said, "but when you are actually playing you have to be careful there aren't too many people around because the players forget to connect to each other.

"The most important thing is that you play as a team - 11 blokes go and play against the opposition - coaches don't play the game. So you don't want the player connecting to a coach or multiple coaches rather than his team-mates.

"The job is that the players unite to play the game: and they deliver, they come off, they talk with each other. They have to be savvy and brave as players and they have to work that out amongst themselves to get out there and play. It is a balance of both - good coaching to help with preparation and then players playing."

Graham Gooch left on Thursday, replaced under the "freshen things up" mantra, perceived perhaps as a bit long in the tooth, a bit uninspiring, the fact that he is mentor to Cook unable to save him. He took his dog thrower with him, although it is unlikely he is ready yet to use it solely to throw balls for dogs.

But even Gooch is not being dispensed with entirely. "He still has great relationships with some of the batters and he plays golf with them so his bank of knowledge isn't going to disappear," Moores said. The same goes for Richard Halsall, the fielding coach, whose role will now largely be undertaken by the new assistant coach, Paul Farbrace. But Halsall will be on call, his expertise utilised from time to time.

 
 
"I hope we connect to the public so they see what we are trying to do. We want to put forward what's happening with the England team, how the lads are portraying themselves, how they are playing and portray that the future is more exciting than the past" Head coach Peter Moores
 

Others, such as Phil Neale, the England team manager, and Mark Bawden, the psychologist, might also be nervously awaiting a phone call in the coming days. Neale, who will be 60 in June, has been with the team since 1999 and has a reputation for ensuring things run smoothly behind the scenes, while Bawden's standing was strong until the Ashes but took a knock after the obvious mental disintegration of several of the squad on that tour.

Less than a week away from his first match in charge - a potential pit trap against Scotland in Aberdeen - Moores has also become the first England coach to distance himself from a cookbook.

When England issued their dietary requirements ahead of the Ashes tour in Australia last winter, the recipes themselves, taken in isolation, could not be faulted in nutritional terms - not even the quinoa, cranberry and feta salad. But to deliver a 70-page glossy cookbook in such an overbearing fashion suggested that England's ever-growing investment in a vast support staff charged with achieving marginal gains had begun to lose sight of reality.

"Like most things it's about balance," Moores said. "You look at everything to see if it's still in balance and redress any imbalances. If it has become too sciencey you wouldn't want to go all the way back to just gut feeling - you would sit somewhere in the middle and pay attention to both. Food, having a beer, relaxing: you balance them all. Crikey, they are normal people and they have to able to enjoy themselves. They don't want to eat boiled chicken every day.

"I obviously wasn't there, I was eating Lancashire hotpot. But the players we have - everyone knows what you should and shouldn't have and what affects you, you have a job to do and to stay in good shape."

So a relaxation of sorts then, but no suggestion that he go so far as to take a leave out of Nigel Farage's book and base his methodology on posing with a pint whenever a cameraman is in the vicinity.

Moores knows that he takes over with disenchantment running high among many England supporters. There were complaints about a disconnect between the England team and the public long before the 5-0 Ashes whitewash.

The subsequent removal of Kevin Pietersen is still resented by the vast majority - 75% according to one large, if unscientific, ESPNcricinfo poll - of the English cricketing public. He was a maverick, an irritant, a malcontent when things went badly, removed to make the job of Moores and Cook easier, a salutary reminder while we are considering the English national character that hypocrisy is never too far away.

"I hope we connect to the public so they see what we are trying to do," Moores said. "It is really important, I think, that Kev can have his say, but we want to put forward what's happening with the England team, how the lads are portraying themselves, how they are playing and portray that as more exciting - that the future is more exciting than the past."

In a perfect world that future would no longer be overly reliant on southern African imports or on merely the cricketing skills taught in a privileged English private education. With the help of a drive to keep cricket relevant in the inner cities, the continued influence of forces for change such as Chance to Shine and, who knows, perhaps even a more successful domestic Twenty20 tournament, the future could touch talented young cricketers in all parts of society.

In this new England what would Moores' message be? The answer was less prescriptive than many answers we have become used to in recent years.

"If I had a message to a young player it would be 'Come with your own mind. Imagine what you could try and do and then go and do it.'"


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BCB on look-out for new coach

With Shane Jurgensen set to leave as Bangladesh coach after the proposed ODI series against India in June, the BCB is on the look-out for his replacement, board president Nazmul Hassan has said. .

"If anyone wants to leave then there is no reason to keep him as he won't be able to give his 100%," Hassan said. "Shane [Jurgensen] is staying until the India series and in the meantime, possibly by next week, we will hold a board meeting. We will take a decision on whether we will try to stick with him or look for an alternative. But surely, we are looking for a new coach."

Hassan had opened the debate by saying he "foresaw many changes" after Bangladesh went down to Hong Kong in the first round and lost all their matches in the Super 10s of the World T20. While he did not specify at the time which areas had been marked for change, he has now said the statement was meant for the team and the management. The BCB chief, however, believes that statements made by a few board directors could have influenced Jurgensen to resign.

"I had said earlier that there will be a major reshuffle after the World T20, and that includes the team management, for the betterment of the team and everyone is aware of it," Hassan said. "Firstly, the performance of the team was bad, which might have prompted him to resign. On the other hand, he could feel insecure after some comments from our directors. So, he might have felt that it was better for him to leave with some dignity."

Hassan also said that the BCB had not given any clear message to Jurgensen about the latter's job being under threat. He did not rule out appointing a Bangladeshi coach, but said that would happen only if the board did not find a foreigner to take the job. After becoming a Test nation, the BCB has employed eight foreign coaches with the last three - Stuart Law, Richard Pybus and Jurgensen - resigning midway through their contract.

"When a tournament ends and the performance of the team is not up to the mark, the coach is usually changed, " Hassan said. "On most of the occasions, the coach is changed if the team fails while in some cases the coach steps down. But why he [Jurgensen] has stepped down is still not clear as he was not given any message by the board that he might get the sack.

"If necessary we will give the responsibility to a local coach if we fail to find a replacement for Jurgensen. If we can't hire a foreign coach then we will opt for a local one. But I'm sure the performance of the team won't get any worse than what we have done recently."


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Styris joins Foxes for T20 Blast

Leicestershire Foxes have signed Scott Styris, the vastly experienced New Zealand allrounder, as their second overseas player for the NatWest T20 Blast.

The move for Styris has been agreed but is subject to visa approval. Leicestershire have described the securing of a deal with Styris, who has enjoyed IPL stints with Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers, as "a massive coup" as they plan for their opening home game against Derbyshire on May 16.

Styris, unsold in the 2014 IPL auction but a finalist in two of the last four years in English T20, hit the headlines in 2012 when striking a world record 38 runs in an over for Sussex against Gloucestershire in the quarterfinal of the English domestic competition. His unbeaten century off 37 deliveries was the joint third fastest of all time.

He is closing in on 4,000 career runs in the T20 format and has a strike rate of 134.92 from 170 innings. Although now an elder statesman, he also offers a decent medium pace option and has picked up 113 wickets at an impressive economy rate of under 7.5 an over.

"I'm excited to sign for Leicestershire Foxes for the NatWest T20 Blast this season," he said. "Having played in two finals days in the last four years, I feel I have unfinished business in English T20 cricket and want to play a key role for a successful Foxes campaign. I love playing in England and I hope to add value with my skills and knowledge of the T20 game."

Leicestershire's director of cricket Phil Whitticase said: "I'm really pleased that we've managed to get a high-profile player like Scott as our second overseas player. His record is second-to-none and I'm looking forward to him playing a key role in our side. Scott has vast experience and knowledge."


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South Africa's stocks rise with Miller, Duminy

The circumstances in which the pair have scored their fifties bodes well not only for their franchises but for South Africa as well

South Africa's batsmen have often borne the blame for the ICC tournament failings, usually as a collective. Sometimes it is a simple case of them not putting on enough on the board (think Champions Trophy semi-final 2013); other times there are criticisms over the way they were composed, which dominated the aftermath of this year's World T20. An aspect there has always been consensus on is that, individually, the people picked to represent South Africa are of fine fettle, and one need not look further than a foreign-based T20 league for proof of that.

Keep in mind that the quality of bowling is inferior to what it would be at the international level, the boundaries could be smaller and the conditions different but it is still difficult not to notice the performances of JP Duminy and David Miller, in particular, and the circumstances in which they have scored their runs.

Duminy has blossomed in the shortest format since making a return from a snapped Achilles' tendon, sustained on South Africa's 2013 tour to Australia, last June. In 13 T20s between August 2013 and April this year , he scored 390 runs, averaged 55.71 (compared with 37.27 overall) and scored three half-centuries. Add to that the seven wickets he has taken and it is hardly a surprise South Africa's coach Russell Domingo calls him "our best T20 player at the moment," and Gary Kirsten wanted him in his Delhi Daredevils side.

His two fifties have come at opportune times for the team, rescuing them from 17 for 3 in their first match, which they lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore, and then helping them chase 167 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the second game.

Miller's role in Kings XI Punjab's successes was less expected and more notable because of the context in which it happened. Miller has been batting at No.5, higher than he would be at international cricket but in the same position he plays at for his domestic franchise, the Dolphins. In that spot, Miller has the perfect mix of time to settle in but not too much time so he still experiences the pressure associated with being tasked with accelerating the innings.

In the first match, Miller was at the crease in the sixth over and batted through the innings as Kings XI chased a massive 206. In the second game, Miller was playing more of the role he has been earmarked for with South Africa - finishing. He was called upon in the 14th over with Kings XI needing 66 off 37 balls and he was asked to take them over the line.

With 51 off 19 balls, Miller was at his blazing best and performed in a way he has often promised to at national level but has yet to actually do. Miller has not yet scored a fifty for South Africa in a T20 but he has also not had the right mix of opportunity and circumstance to do so.

Perhaps he has also not had the support. Glenn Maxwell has overshadowed Miller, and everyone else, in the bigger picture and he has provided the spark which has produced enough light for Miller to shine too.

The tournament is still in its early stages and all of this could become little more than a footnote once the competition is over. But the early signs are that South African stocks are rising and the resources they have at their disposal, especially Miller, when properly used, are an asset. And that's before even mentioning Jacques Kallis.

Although he is no longer available to play international T20s, Kallis wants to get as much game time in limited-overs' formats as possible before the 2015 World Cup, which he still has ambitions to play in. After scoring a half-century in Knight Riders' opener, Kallis has not crossed that mark again but he has done more than his fair share of bowling to prove his match fitness and commitment, which he will hope will earn him that World Cup spot.


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Failing openers, and flourishing quicks

The UAE leg of the IPL is done, with each team having played five matches. Fortunes of the teams have varied, with one team having won all five games and another hurtling towards the wooden spoon after having lost all five. Here is a look at some of the stand-out numbers from the 20 matches in the UAE.

International Indian tournament

The IPL, essentially a domestic tournament, has now been held outside India twice in its seven-year history. Both foreign venues, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, have contrasting playing conditions, with the pitches and weather in both countries throwing up wholly different sets of challenges. The batsmen had the toughest time in South Africa, scoring only 23.41 runs per wicket - the worst for any IPL season. Despite conditions in UAE being not so dissimilar to India, the season so far has seen the worst runs-per-wicket stat for any IPL season (24.67) since the South African edition. These two editions of the IPL have also seen the lowest run-rates as well as the highest balls-per-boundary ratio in the tournament's history.

Last year, for instance, teams averaged 24.79 per wicket and 7.67 per over, while scoring a boundary every 6.48 balls. All of those numbers have been more in favour of the bowling team this time.

One would expect more boundaries to be hit in UAE as compared to South Africa, but the balls-per-boundary in UAE and South Africa have been about the same. Clearly, the batsmen have a better time when the tournament is played on Indian shores.

Comparing IPL seasons played outside India
Season Matches Runs per Wicket Runs per Over Balls per Boundary
2008 58 26.03 8.30 5.60
2009 57 23.41 7.48 7.22
2010 60 26.20 8.12 6.09
2011 73 26.01 7.72 6.46
2012 75 26.19 7.82 6.53
2013 76 24.79 7.67 6.48
2014 20 24.67 7.55 7.23

Bowling not so thankless

In 20-over cricket, batsmen often walk away with all the awards and honours despite the bowlers putting in a lot of hard work. However, this time around, the bowlers have done enough to bag the Man-of-the-Match award in eight out of 20 matches. At a similar stage in last year's tournament, only four bowling performances had won the MoM award. Even in the 2012 edition, only six bowling performances were considered worthy of MoM awards after 20 matches (excluding a couple of all-round shows by Ravindra Jadeja and Keiron Pollard).

India shining

The Indian fast bowlers have shone brightly in this edition of the IPL. Even bowlers like Varun Aaron, who have historically been expensive, have shown far greater control and consistency. Four of the top five fast bowlers, in terms of wickets taken, are Indians - Lasith Malinga is the only non-Indian. The table below (of Indian bowlers who have bowled at least five overs and taken at least two wickets) will show that many of the Indian bowlers have gone for less than seven runs per over. Even bowlers like L Balaji and Jaidev Unadkat, who have conceded more than seven, have compensated by taking wickets. Vinay Kumar hasn't taken too many wickets, but he bowled that high-pressure last over against the Royal Challenger Bangalore. Sandeep Sharma deserves a special mention because he has taken wickets and been economical while dismissing big players at crucial junctures and has deservedly won two MoM awards.

Indian Fast Bowlers in IPL 2014
Bowler Overs Wickets BBI Average Economy Strike Rate
Sandeep Sharma 11.0 7 3/15 8.85 5.63 9.4
VR Aaron 14.5 8 3/16 10.50 5.66 11.1
STR Binny 5.0 2 1/1 14.50 5.80 15.0
IC Pandey 15.0 3 2/23 29.33 5.86 30.0
B Kumar 19.3 8 3/19 15.00 6.15 14.6
R Dhawan 13.2 4 2/14 20.50 6.15 20.0
Z Khan 18.5 5 2/21 23.60 6.26 22.6
MM Sharma 15.5 8 4/14 13.25 6.69 11.8
R Bhatia 16.0 6 2/13 18.16 6.81 16.0
AB Dinda 17.0 2 1/14 59.00 6.94 51.0
L Balaji 19.0 8 4/13 17.50 7.36 14.2
R Vinay Kumar 14.0 4 2/26 26.50 7.57 21.0
JD Unadkat 16.0 6 3/32 21.50 8.06 16.0
I Sharma 8.0 3 2/37 22.00 8.25 16.0
DS Kulkarni 11.0 3 2/23 30.33 8.27 22.0
M Shami 20.0 3 1/30 60.00 9.00 40.0
P Awana 7.0 2 1/35 37.50 10.71 21.0

Conspicuously low on this table are India regulars Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. Both of them have taken only three wickets each while conceding more than eight runs per over.

Stars not shining

In the same the way that Shami and Ishant haven't had great returns, some of India's superstar batsmen have also failed to turn up. While Gambhir's dismal form, including the three back-to-back ducks, has been well documented, many of the other Indian stalwarts have also had poor outings. Among the big names in the below table, only Virender Sehwag has a strike-rate of more than 120. Also, all of these batsmen, except Yuvraj Singh and M Vijay, have aggregated less than 120 runs in the tournament. The fact that Yuvraj Singh, despite his indifferent form, looks the best on paper (Runs: 121, Avg: 30.25, SR: 116.34) is testimony to the fact that the big-money Indians have performed poorly.

Failure of marquee Indian batsmen in IPL 2014
Batsman Innings Runs High Score Average Strike Rate
G Gambhir 5 46 45 9.20 74.19
RG Sharma 5 84 50 16.80 110.52
S Dhawan 5 85 38 17.00 114.86
SK Raina 5 99 56 19.80 119.27
V Kohli 5 105 49* 26.25 116.66
V Sehwag 5 120 37 24.00 126.31
M Vijay 5 121 52 24.20 112.03
Yuvraj Siingh 5 121 52* 30.25 116.34

The only Indian specialist batsmen to make some sort of mark on this tournament are Ajinkya Rahane (Runs: 182, Avg: 36.40, SR: 120.52) and Manish Pandey (Runs: 144, Avg: 28.80, SR: 121.00). Only one Indian, Rahane, finds a place among the top eight run-scorers in the tournament. The foreign batsmen have made an impact with Dwayne Smith, David Warner, Brendon McCullum, JP Duminy, Glenn Maxwell and David Miller all scoring two or more fifties. Apart from these six, Aaron Finch has also been quite consistent and finds a place among the top eight run-getters in this tournament. The only marquee Indian batsman to have done well is MS Dhoni who has an average of 30.00 after five innings at a strike rate of 152.54.

Openers yet to open up

Openers have typically scored heavily in the IPL, with seven of the top 15 run scorers (across all IPL seasons) being openers. However, apart from Smith, McCullum and, to a lesser extent, Finch, the openers have not found themselves among the runs so far in this tournament. Openers are expected to make optimal use of the Powerplay overs, but their strike rate in this edition of the tournament is an abysmal 117.13 - the lowest for any season. Also, they only averaged 24.28 in this UAE leg, which is lower than all seasons except 2009, when the tournament was held in South Africa. Openers have scored at least one hundred in every season of the IPL so far. While no opener has scored a hundred so far, the flat Indian wickets should ensure that this record remains intact.

Performance of openers in the IPL
Season Innings Average Strike Rate Hundreds Sixes
2008 232 29.46 130.42 4 196
2009 228 23.65 117.88 1 175
2010 240 29.56 130.21 3 196
2011 290 28.52 124.91 6 241
2012 296 29.62 125.95 4 264
2013 304 27.25 120.18 2 217
2014 80 24.28 117.13 0 49

Keeping with this trend, the number of sixes per innings has been the worst for any edition of the IPL - 0.61 sixes per innings. If not for the belligerence of Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum and Aaron Finch, who hit 29 of the 49 sixes, this stat could have made the openers look worse still.

No Powerplay spin

In the last few seasons of the IPL, spinners have played key roles in the Powerplays, but the same cannot be said of the UAE leg of this year's IPL. Spinners have bowled in the Powerplay in 27 innings but have taken only four wickets. Their average of 69.25 in the Powerplay is the worst for any season of the IPL. Their economy rate of 7.10 the worst since the inaugural season where spinners hardly bowled in the Powerplay (they bowled 30 overs in the whole season, whereas almost 40 overs have already been bowled in the 20 matches played this season) and went for 8.86 runs per over.

Spinners in the Powerplay - comparing seasons
Season Inninngs Run Rate Wickets Average
2008 24 8.86 8 33.25
2009 48 6.88 19 26.73
2010 77 6.98 33 28.36
2011 100 6.81 53 25.69
2012 109 6.90 35 41.65
2013 79 6.53 29 33.89
2014 27 7.10 4 69.25

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Marsh named new chairman of selectors

Rod Marsh has replaced John Inverarity as Australia's chairman of selectors in a significant shake-up of the panel that comes as the team sits on top of the world rankings in both Tests and ODIs.

Former selection chief Trevor Hohns has returned to the national selection panel for the first time since 2006, alongside first-time selector Mark Waugh, while Inverarity and Andy Bichel have departed. The coach Darren Lehmann remains part of the group, which was reduced from five men to four when captain Michael Clarke withdrew from his selection duties before last year's Ashes series in England.

Inverarity stood down after nearly three years as chairman and although he told Cricket Australia he was prepared to continue on the panel, the board decided it was time for some new faces. Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland said Inverarity had performed admirably since taking charge of the selection duties in October 2011.

"When John Inverarity took over as national selector the Australian Test team was ranked fourth in the world and its on-field performance was well short of where it is today," Sutherland said. "He leaves his post with Australian teams in a position of strength holding the number one ranking in Test and one-day international cricket. That reflects his commitment and the astute judgment he brought to the role at a challenging time for Australian cricket.

"After deciding to stand down as chair, he recently indicated that he was prepared to continue on the national selection panel for another 12 months if required. Directors determined that with John stepping down as chairman, it was the appropriate time to bring new personnel into the group.

"Rod Marsh is the right man to take on this important role having been a key member of the panel since 2011. His track record speaks for itself. He brings a wealth of experience to the position, having been a leading player, coach and most recently a selector.

"Throughout his days as a player he was the absolute embodiment of the baggy green cap and to this day is widely respected throughout the game. He has a great eye for talent and has strong relationships throughout international cricket."

The departure of Bichel, who joined the panel at the same time as Marsh in November 2011, means that there will be no fast bowlers contributing to Australia's selection discussions, a curious absence given the way the attack has been rotated at times in the past. However, Cricket Australia said in a statement that Bichel's term on the panel had "not been renewed".

"Andy Bichel made a great contribution at the selection table for two and a half years just as he also did as a player for Australia and Queensland," Sutherland said. "He faced challenges balancing the heavy travel schedule associated with being a selector, coaching at the Chennai Super Kings and raising a young family. We fully understand and respect that."

Waugh confirmed last month that he had been approached by Cricket Australia for a possible selection role and his presence as a BBL commentator for Channel 10 appears not to have prevented him from taking on the part-time position. Sutherland said Waugh would pay particular attention to the shorter formats, which would be crucial with a World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand next year.

"We think Mark will bring great experience to the role," Sutherland said. "His particular focus will be on our limited-overs program. He was one of the world's greatest one-day international players. We think he can add a lot, particularly in an important World Cup year."

The return of Hohns to the panel comes after he spent 13 years as a national selector from 1993 to 2006, including a full decade as chairman of the panel. For the past three years, Hohns has been Queensland's state talent manager and chairman of selectors, a role that he will relinquish when he rejoins the national panel.

"Trevor oversaw selection during an era when Australian teams dominated international cricket," Sutherland said. "We think he can provide great insight to the selection panel as we work to achieve long-term success."

Like Hohns, Marsh will give up an existing role as part of the selection revamp, with Cricket Australia set to begin the search to find a replacement for him as CA's manager of elite coaching development. Marsh has been given a three-year term as chairman of selectors, which will begin when the new panel officially starts on July 1.


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Lehmann has 'brought enjoyment back' - Rogers

Rogers: 'Boof has brought the enjoyment back'

Chris Rogers has hailed Australia's coach, Darren Lehmann, for bringing a sense of enjoyment back into playing for the national side. Speaking to Alison Mitchell in her latest Tea Break interview for ESPNcricinfo, Rogers praised Lehmann's "old-school mentality" as something he could relate to.

Rogers, who scored a phenomenal 241 to lead Middlesex to a magnificent victory against Yorkshire, has become a fixture in Australia's Test side at the age of 36 and also talks about his strength in adversity, saying his Ashes hundred in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG was particularly special as "there was lots of pressure there". He discusses splitting his life between England and Australia, scoring 200 for Leicestershire against his countrymen in 2005 and the possibility of going into coaching when he retires.

Rogers, who played a solitary Test in 2008, returned to the Australia squad for last year's Ashes tour, at the start of which Mickey Arthur was replaced as coach by Lehmann. Despite losing that series 3-0, Rogers said Lehmann had an immediate impact.

"I grew up a little bit in the old-school days, when it was far more relaxed, you did enjoy yourself," he said. "Now it's far more professional. I think 'Boof' has brought back that old-school mentality a little bit. I remember the first thing he did, we had a meeting and he said it won't go for more than half an hour and when it did hit half an hour, he said, 'Right, that's it, we're all going to the pub'.

"We went to the pub and I could look around and see the guys and it was almost like, 'Is this really happening?' I think he's brought that enjoyment back, where you play hard and you play to win but you also enjoy yourself and you don't take yourself too seriously. I enjoy that because I think that's the kind of mentality I try to bring to Middlesex and the other sides I play for. My Test career has coincided with his coaching career and it's worked out well for me particularly."

Since then, Rogers has scored four Tests centuries and been an important cog in the side that whitewashed England in the return Ashes in Australia and then beat South Africa on their own patch. With Australia's next Test commitment coming in the UAE against Pakistan, he will have a full season with Middlesex, for whom he scored his 67th first-class hundred against Yorkshire earlier this week.

The full interview with Chris Rogers in Alison's Tea Break will be published on Thursday


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RCA election results to be declared on May 6

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the election officer appointed to overlook the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections to declare the results on May 6. Effectively the court decided not to entertain the BCCI's petition which was filed in January to challenge Lalit Modi's participation in the RCA elections. The BCCI has said that allowing Modi, who was banned by the board's disciplinary committee for life, to return to the RCA would hurt the image of the board.

The RCA polls were held on January 19 under the observation of former Justice of the Supreme court NM Kasliwal. The votes were concealed in a sealed envelope. Today AR Dave, the judge hearing the case, asked the court to pass the envelope to the election officer who would declare results on May 6. At the same time Dave said that anyone objecting the results could take up the issue in an appropriate forum. It also told the BCCI counsel that its client was free to act under its regulations as per law.

Modi welcomed the court's decision and was optimistic of winning the elections. "I am extremely happy that the Supreme Court has taken the right decision and allowed the due democratic process to go forward. We are hoping our group will win the elections. If we do win we will have an agenda and vision which I will make clear after the results," Modi said.

While expelling Modi on multiple charges of misconduct, the BCCI had said that "he shall not in future be entitled to hold any position or office, or be admitted in any committee or any member or associate member of the board". Modi, however, got his candidature for the RCA presidency approved by the Supreme Court by exploiting a technicality that the RCA was governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act.


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Glamorgan survive after Naik strikes

Leicestershire 500 (O'Brien 133, Taylor 63, Naik 59*, Wagg 4-107) and 179 for 8 dec (Smith 97, Wagg 4-65) drew with Glamorgan 359 (Rees 72, Rudolph 65, Wagg 57) and 250 for 7 (Rudolph 63, Walters 57*, Goodwin 50)
Scorecard

Glamorgan battled to a draw against Leicestershire at Grace Road after being seven wickets down with an hour remaining.

Having set the visitors a target of 321 for victory on the final day, Glamorgan looked in trouble at 204 for 7 but Stewart Walters (57 not out) and John Glover put on 46 to deny the home side.

Leicestershire resumed on 77 for 1 in their second innings, already 218 runs ahead, and that lead was extended to 320 when they declared on 179 for 8. Graham Wagg, who took four wickets in the first innings, was again the chief threat as he added another four wickets to his haul.

Dean Cosker chipped in with the other three but it was Will Owen who denied opener Greg Smith a century with a sharp run out. The bowler got a fingertip to Jigar Naik's shot and diverted it onto the stumps at the non-striker's end when Smith was on 97.

That prompted a declaration from Leicestershire and Glamorgan made the steady start they would have hoped for. Jacques Rudolph and Gareth Rees took the visitors to 49 without loss before the latter edged Charlie Shreck behind to Niall O'Brien.

William Bragg was then bowled by Rob Taylor for 7 but Rudolph and Murray Goodwin added another 60 runs before Rudolph was caught by Ben Braine off the bowling of Naik for 63. Goodwin also chalked up a half-century but his departure for 50 was swiftly followed by Jim Allenby for a duck as Leicestershire sensed the chance of a victory.

Naik then snared captain Mark Wallace as well and when Wagg fell, too, Glamorgan were seven down with more than 16 overs left. Leicestershire had up to seven men around the bat but Walters' unbeaten half-century and Glover, 19 not out, resisted the pressure impressively to guide Glamorgan to safety.


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Australia reclaim No.1 Test ranking

Australia have returned to the No.1 Test ranking for the first time in nearly five years, after the ICC's annual rankings update. Despite not having played a Test since their series win over South Africa in the first week of March, the Australians have edged ahead of South Africa because the rolling nature of the rankings system means results from 2010-11 have now been dropped.

Michael Clarke's men also hold the top position in the one-day rankings, meaning it is the first time since December 2008 that Australia have been No.1 in both the Test and ODI formats. It is the first time since August 2009 that they have sat at the top of the Test rankings, having originally been displaced following their unsuccessful Ashes tour of England that year.

The annual update means results from 2012-13 are reduced to a 50% weighting, so Australia's home Ashes fiasco in 2010-11 and their six Test losses across two tours of India have now either disappeared entirely from the rankings or been devalued. Their home Ashes clean-sweep over the past summer and their 2-1 win in South Africa allowed them to move ahead of South Africa, who had been No.1 since August 2012, by a fraction of a point.

India have suffered a significant fall, slipping from third down to fifth, while England and Pakistan have each gained a place, up to third and fourth respectively. New Zealand and Sri Lanka switched places, with New Zealand now ranked sixth in Tests and Sri Lanka down to seventh, while West Indies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh remain unchanged at the bottom of the table.

However, Australia's immediate reign at No.1 could be short-lived, with South Africa facing two Tests in Sri Lanka and one in Zimbabwe before Australia's next Test series, which is against Pakistan in the UAE in October. Still, the return to the top is a significant achievement after Australia slipped as low as fifth on the Test rankings in 2010 and 2011, and then went nine consecutive Tests without a win during 2013.

"We are incredibly proud to be the number-one ranked team in the world in both Test and ODI cricket, which are two of the team's most important goals," Clarke said. "There has been an enormous amount of hard work and effort on and off the field that has led to this result.

"However, the true test of a great side is sustained success and now our goal is to maintain these rankings and continue to play great cricket as we lead into challenging Test series against Pakistan and India, and the ICC Cricket World Cup at home.

"We had a fantastic home summer against England and a great series win away against South Africa earlier this year, but the challenge now is to continue that form. We have a huge amount of respect for the South Africa side, and the length it held the number-one Test ranking is testament to the great side it is. South Africa will no doubt continue to be a formidable opponent in Test match cricket."

Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann have often said that Australia's goal was to achieve the No.1 ranking in all three formats and while there is a significant way to go in T20, where they currently sit sixth, sitting on top in Test and ODIs is a considerable accomplishment. James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said Clarke and Lehmann deserved plenty of credit for the results.

"Everyone involved with the Australian team - players, coaches and support staff - should be incredibly proud of this achievement," Sutherland said. "There has been a huge amount of hard work and effort on and off the field to get to this point and it's something that those involved with the side should take time to savour.

"Australian cricket's team performance programme led by Pat Howard deserves considerable credit for this outcome. High praise needs to go to Michael Clarke and Darren Lehmann for their excellent leadership."

In the ODI rankings, the only change to result from the annual update was that England and South Africa switched positions, with England up from fifth to fourth and South Africa down from fourth to fifth. Australia, India and Sri Lanka still occupy the top three spots in the one-day list.

ICC Test Championship

1 May 2014
Team Matches Points Rating
1. Australia (+1) 32 3950 123
2. South Africa (-1) 23 2831 123
3. England (+1) 30 3131 104
4. Pakistan (+1) 20 2064 103
5. India (-2) 23 2343 102
6. New Zealand (+1) 26 2383 92
7. Sri Lanka (-1) 22 1986 90
8. West Indies 19 1442 76
9. Zimbabwe 8 322 40
10. Bangladesh 14 287 21

ICC ODI Championship

1 May 2014
Team Matches Points Rating
1. Australia 35 4020 115
2. India 53 5923 112
3. Sri Lanka 53 5890 111
4. England (+1) 36 3947 110
5. South Africa (-1) 32 3486 109
6. Pakistan 47 4716 100
7. New Zealand 31 3031 98
8. West Indies 40 3744 94
9. Bangladesh 23 1683 73
10. Zimbabwe 20 1228 61
11. Ireland 8 273 34
12. Afghanistan 9 304 34

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Patel to fight removal from BCA in court

Sanjay Patel, the BCCI secretary, has challenged his expulsion from the Baroda Cricket Association in court. Patel, who was removed as the BCA joint secretary on Saturday, has filed a suit in the Vadodara District Court.

"This act of the BCA managing committee is nothing but a premeditated act of vengeance by some of the BCA managing committee members, so I have challenged it in the court," Patel told ESPNcricinfo. "After consulting my lawyers, I am convinced that the managing committee has committed an unconstitutional move, so I will fight it out legally to be reinstated in my home association that I have been serving for over a decade."

The case will be heard on May 1.

On Saturday, the BCA managing committee cited Patel's unlawful co-option into the BCA managing committee in 2002 and ordered him to step down as an office-bearer and vacate his position from all sub-committees of the BCA. Patel was co-opted into the managing committee two years after becoming a BCA member in 2000. Since the BCA rules state a member cannot be co-opted for at least three years after his membership is approved, the managing committee removed Patel and three other members.


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Wagg of the tail saves Glamorgan

Leicestershire 500 and 77 for 1 (Smith 45*) lead Glamorgan 359 (Rees 72, Rudolph 65, Wagg 57) by 218 runs
Scorecard

Graham Wagg starred again with a fine 57 as Glamorgan made a good fist of responding to Leicestershire's first innings total of 500 all out on day three of their Championship Division Two match at Grace Road.

Wagg, who had taken four first-innings wickets to limit the Leicestershire damage, passed his half-century before he was caught by Rob Taylor off Charlie Shreck shortly after helping them to avoid the follow on, to bring an end to the Glamorgan innings at 359.

In a match delayed by bad light, Glamorgan had resumed on 126 without loss but Jacques Rudolph managed to add just two to his overnight total before he was run out in the fourth over of the day on 65. Fellow opener Gareth Rees reached 72 before he was bowled by Ben Raine as Glamorgan fell to 161 for 2. A solid 35 from Stewart Walters and 41 from Jim Allenby maintained the visitors' momentum.

Anthony Ireland was the pick of the Leicestershire bowlers with 3 for 81 off his 27 overs, figures almost matched by Shreck, for whom the wicket of Wagg gave him a total of 3 for 84 off 29.

Leicestershire launched a solid reply in their second innings with Greg Smith and Matthew Boyce putting on 63 for the first wicket before Boyce was caught by Mark Wallace off Dean Cosker for 24. Smith went to reach an unbeaten 45 and Ned Eckersley joined him as Leicestershire reached 77 for 1 at stumps for an overall lead of 218.


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Kervezee ton gives Worcs upper hand

Worcestershire 432 for 9 (Kervezee 110, Moeen 99, Andrew 71*) lead Derbyshire 219 by 213 runs
Scorecard

Alexei Kervezee's 110 and 99 from Moeen Ali put Worcestershire well on top at stumps on day three of their Championship clash with Derbyshire at New Road. Former Netherlands international Kervezee reached his ton off 132 balls and helped the hosts, responding to Derbyshire's below-par first innings total of 219, reach a hefty 432 for 9 at close.

Resuming on 31 without loss, openers Daryl Mitchell and Matthew Pardoe put on 72 for the first wicket before the Derbyshire attack had belated success when Mitchell was caught by Dan Hodgson off David Wainwright for 26. On a frustrating day in the field, spinner Wainwright was the pick of the Derbyshire attack as he finished with 3 for 102 off his 28 overs.

Pardoe followed seven overs later, one run short of his half-century, and the visitors scented a change in fortune when Tom Kohler-Cadmore fell lbw to Tony Palladino for 11. But those hopes were extinguished by a fine fourth-wicket stand of 78 between Ali and Kervezee before Ali met Wes Durston's offspin with a back-foot shot straight at Tim Groenewald just before tea.

Kervezee battled on to make his century before he was caught by Wayne Madsen off Mark Footitt to leave Worcestershire on 388 for 7. Jack Shantry's departure from the next ball left Footitt on a hat-trick, but Footitt would have to wait two more overs for his third wicket of the innings when he had Saeed Ajmal caught by Chesney Hughes for 1.

At the close, Gareth Andrew was providing sterling resistance on an unbeaten 71 with last man Charles Morris 13 not out as Worcestershire carved out a lead of 213.


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Brown 'encouraged' by Trott latest

England's Jonathan Trott joined his Warwickshire team-mates in the dressing room to witness their 98-run win over Nottinghamshire from the pavilion balcony but head coach, Dougie Brown, played down the prospect of another attempted playing comeback for the troubled batsman.

Trott, who left England's Ashes tour to Australia after the opening Test because of what was described as a stress-related illness, returned to Championship action for his county just under three weeks ago only to suffer a relapse, after which it was announced he would take an indefinite break.

"I assume he will be around the dressing room for the next little while," Brown said. "We had a good chat and we know where he is at and all I can say is what we spoke about is very encouraging."

However, Brown would not be drawn on the subject of a return to playing cricket, even at 2nd XI level. "Let's just see where he is at," he said. "He is dealing with something that has been ongoing for a while and the last thing I want it to be, just because he is back in the dressing room, is it turning into a circus.

"I would really like it to be understated, for him to do what he needs to do to get back into cricket and for people to leave him to do that. People now understand that this is something he has got to focus on to get himself back to where he needs to be, without it being a circus."

Interviewed before the season began, Trott insisted he was not suffering from depression but burnout in Australia, where his problems became public knowledge after he suffered a peppering from Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson in the opening Test.

He had hoped a period at home with his family, away from the pressures of an Ashes series, would enable him to make a quick recovery. However, after a low-key comeback in a pre-season University fixture, Trott was selected for Warwickshire's opening Championship match against Sussex at Edgbaston, where he looked comfortable in the first innings but again struggled against short-pitched bowling in the second, twice being hit on the head and body before he was caught at deep square leg playing a poor leg-side shot.

His troubles were compounded when he then dropped a routine catch in the slips offered by the Sussex matchwinner, Ed Joyce, and confessed to his team-mates afterwards that his problems had resurfaced.


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Gloucestershire stumble to Masters

Gloucestershire 104 for 6 (Masters 4-39) v Essex
Scorecard

Essex made a strong start to their LV= County Championship Division Two game against Gloucestershire but the visitors were frustrated as the match was interrupted by bad weather for the second day running.

David Masters led the Essex charge, taking 4 for 39 as Gloucestershire were reduced to 104 for 6 before play was prematurely stopped for bad light and rain after 31.1 overs.

Winning the toss and choosing to field, Essex looked to make up for lost time after the elements had ensured not a single ball had been bowled on the opening day.

Gloucestershire made a disastrous start as they fell to 0 for 2 after just three overs with both Michael Klinger and William Tavare removed for ducks by Masters. Klinger, who has now scored just three runs in his last three innings, was the first to go as he was clean bowled and, three balls later, Tavare joined him when he played straight into the hands of Ben Foakes.

Opener Chris Dent dug in and together with Alex Gidman, Gloucestershire looked like they might begin to build a platform. In the seventh over, however, Gidman fell to the bowling of Graham Napier, nicking the ball behind, leaving the hosts in trouble at 23 for 3.

Gloucestershire's morning went from bad to worse soon after as Napier took his ninth wicket of the Championship season when he bowled Hamish Marshall for 4.

Will Gidman managed eight better than his brother but was unable to turn an encouraging start into a big score as Masters induced the edge and Alastair Cook held on at first slip. However, Dent, fresh from a half-century at Glamorgan, kept the Gloucestershire score respectable as he hit eight fours on his way to 47.

Just as the opener looked to reach his half-century, play was stopped for bad light before heavy rain extended the delay. The action temporarily resumed later and it took just eight balls for Essex to add another scalp to their tally as Cameron Herring edged Masters' delivery to Foster.

Ian Saxelby joined Dent at the crease but in the 32nd over the umpires again sent the players back into the pavilion for bad light before more rain saw the day's play brought to an early close.


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No sign of BCCI calling AGM on Srinivasan issue

More than a week has passed since the BCCI discussed convening a special general meeting to replace N Srinivasan on the board's disciplinary committee, but now it appears as though the meeting may not happen in the near future.

An SGM requires a 21-day notice period but as of today no notice had been served by the BCCI secretary to any of the board's member units. According to BCCI regulations, for an SGM to be convened, the secretary must issue the notice within ten days of "a resolution of the working committee". However, because there was no resolution passed at the working committee meeting on April 20, neither the secretary Sanjay Patel nor acting president Shivlal Yadav, who has powers to call a meeting in special circumstances, are in a hurry to convene the meeting.

Representatives of at least one member from all five zones who attended the working committee meeting confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that despite a vocal suggestion to convene an SGM, no resolution was passed. Patel, who is set to lose his post at the Baroda Cricket Association, didn't respond to questions, but a BCCI source revealed the SGM may not be convened at all.

One of the cases waiting to be heard by the disciplinary committee, which comprises BCCI president Srinivasan and vice-presidents Yadav and Rajeev Shukla, is that of Ajit Chandila, one of three Rajasthan Royals cricketers arrested on corruption charges during the 2013 IPL. He filed a reply to the disciplinary committee in April but the case has not proceeded because the Supreme Court sidelined Srinivasan from the BCCI's affairs as a fall out of corruption allegations in the IPL.

While the ruling faction in the BCCI believes the remaining two members of the disciplinary committee can meet and decide on Chandila, a bereavement in Yadav's family has resulted in the acting president taking a break from his responsibilities.


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Chris Adams to work with Sri Lanka

Former Surrey coach Chris Adams has been appointed as a consultant for Sri Lanka for their upcoming tour of England. SLC had conducted a search for a coach with English experience since losing Paul Farbrace's services last week, and have settled on Adams, who played 331 first-class matches, scoring 48 hundreds, in addition to his five Tests and five ODIs.

The appointment was made on the recommendation of a three-man panel comprising chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, head of coaching Jerome Jayaratne and chairman of the cricket committee Ranjit Fernando - the same trio that had also recommended Marvan Atapattu be appointed interim coach.

Both the consultant and interim coach appointments were rubber-stamped by the SLC executive committee on Monday, an official release said. Ruwan Kalpage's interim role as assistant coach was also confirmed until the end of South Africa's July tour of Sri Lanka.

Adams had become Surrey coach in 2008, but a poor start to the 2013 county season following a string of mediocre results in previous years, contributed to his mid-season removal. Sri Lanka's former coach Graham Ford eventually replaced him, after Alec Stewart had borne the coach role temporarily in 2013.

One of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year in 2004, Adams had been a highly successful captain at Sussex, whom he led to their first County Championship title in 2003, then again in 2006 and 2007, as well as to limited-overs titles. Known for his bruising strokeplay, Adams had hit 19,535 first-class runs at 38.68.

He will be hoping to help Sri Lanka outwit an England side coached by Peter Moores who Adams formed a strong partnership with at Sussex as captain and coach. Moores, subsequently also a Championship winner with Lancashire, was reappointed as England coach last week - having previously held that position between 2007 and 2009.

Sri Lanka will hope Adams' local knowledge, gleaned over 20 years as a player and five as a coach, will aid them in their travels, particularly in the Tests at Lords and Headingley. They play one T20I, five ODIs and two Tests against England, starting on May 22.


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Gambhir's form tops KKR agenda

Kolkata Knight Riders are worried about Gautam Gambhir's abysmal form in the first four matches, the team's assistant coach Vijay Dahiya has said. He stressed that Gambhir remains Knight Riders' best batsman, and that he needed to find a way to spend more time at the crease to get through the rough patch.

"Things have happened in the first few balls he has faced, when he was not set," Dahiya told ESPNcricinfo, on the eve of Knight Riders' match against Rajasthan Royals. "Rewind the tape and you will see [Lasith] Malinga got him with a brilliant yorker. Then [against Delhi Daredevils] he played instinctively and the ball went straight to the short fine leg. The third match [versus Royal Challengers Bangalore], against Mitchell Starc, it was swinging a bit and he played across. That you could say was a technical mistake but it was understandable as he wanted to get a start. Then in the last match [against Kings XI Punjab] when he stepped out, the ball was there to be hit.

"Credit to him he is showing the confidence, and that he went for the shot. So things are happening too fast. And more than technical it is a bit of a mental thing."

Despite Dahiya's confidence, Gambhir, the KKR captain and one of the two players retained by the franchise, has just one half-century in his last 15 innings, with five ducks. According to Dahiya, whenever Gambhir has achieved a rhythm he is not over-thinking things. "The best frame of mind for any batsman is to see the ball and play the ball," Dahiya said. "How quickly you can reach that state of mind is important for someone who is finding it a little difficult to get runs."

In the previous match against Kings XI, Gambhir shifted from his usual opening slot to No. 3. Was that a reaction, an admission that the loss of form was having an impact? "Not at all," Dahiya said. "It was a team decision. The team knows how important he is, how important the way he plays. He can control the game for us. There was a suggestion he bat at No. 3. He agreed. In fact he was feeling guilty that Manish Pandey, who was getting runs [at No. 3] was asked to open."

Gambhir, Dahiya said, has not been doing anything "special" during the team's net sessions. Usually an intense character, Gambhir has been exchanging banter during training and throwdowns with Dahiya. "I will be lying to you that he is not feeling the pressure," Dahiya said. "Every time he holds a bat he is trying to work things out. When you go through this kind of a run you do not want to do anything special.

"We all know the way he has played his cricket, he is somebody who is gritty and always fighting it out. But sometimes it stays in your mind and you want to get out of that rut. Sometimes you want to get out very quickly."

According to Dahiya the key is to spend more time at the crease. "The best thing is Gauti knows that," Dahiya said. "He has done that in the past."

Dahiya stressed that Gambhir was Knight Riders' best batsman. "Look at the numbers," Dahiya said. "Whenever we have done well, he has always set the tone." They have done okay so far without Gambhir setting the tone, just about staying in the top four, but surely it can't be easy to sustain?


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Patel set to depart from Baroda Cricket Association

Sanjay Patel, the BCCI secretary, will have to vacate his position in the Baroda Cricket Association, his home body, following a managing committee decision to bar him on technical grounds. Though Patel's position in the BCCI remains tenable, the development is a huge setback for the man who is considered as a N Srinivasan confidante.

Patel has been serving as one of the two joint-secretaries of BCA and is into his second two-year term. Even though he resumed office after a controversial election last year, the opposition faction led by former cricketers Anshuman Gaekwad and Kiran More have the majority in the present managing committee.

As a result, a resolution was moved during the last month's managing committee meeting against Patel's unlawful co-option into the managing committee for the first time way back in 2002. After seeking legal opinion on the matter, president Samarjitsinh Gaekwad upheld the decision to cancel Patel's status as an office-bearer along with three other co-opted managing committee members. Patel will be formally asked to resign from the post on Monday.

Patel became a BCA member in 2000 and a technicality was recently pointed out that the BCA regulations doesn't allow a member to be co-opted into the managing committee before three years since his membership has been approved. Patel is expected to contest the managing committee decision in the court.

The BCA decision, however, will not have any impact on Patel completing his one-year tenure as the BCCI secretary. The BCCI rules don't require an office bearer to hold a post in his home unit. According to the BCCI rules, eligibility to contest for an office-bearer's post is "(a) Past or present office bearers or vice presidents of the board. or (b) Any person who has represented a full member in at least two annual general meetings of the board as a representative of such member."

Since 2014-15, the tenure of the BCCI office-bearers will be increased to three years.


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BCB lifts ban on Mosharraf, Mahbubul

The BCB has lifted the provisional ban on Mosharraf Hossain and Mahbubul Alam, two months after the players were cleared of wrongdoing in the BPL by the investigation tribunal. Both players are looking to play in the Bangladesh Cricket League, which will restart in early May.

The decision comes three weeks after the BCB had decided not to involve the duo in the National Cricket League, as it planned to appeal against the tribunal's decision to hand the two a clean chit. But ESPNcricinfo has learned that the charges against the duo wouldn't have resulted in suspension, which supposedly prompted the BCB's legal team to suggest lifting the ban.

BCB's acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said on Sunday that there is no bar on the duo from participating in any tournament. "They are free to take part in any form of cricket," Nizamuddin said. "We have sought legal opinion and they suggested there is no problem regarding their returning to cricket."

Mosharraf and Mahbubul were among nine individuals accused by the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit for being involved in corrupt practices or failing to report corrupt approaches made to them during the BPL's second edition. The BPL tribunal, on February 26, acquitted six players and officials and only found an owner of the defending champions, Dhaka Gladiators, guilty.

Left-arm spinner Mosharraf said that he was happy with this decision of the BCB. "I am extremely relieved," Mosharraf told New Age. "I feel that the toughest phase of my life is just over. I am expecting to play for Walton Central Zone in the BCL. I was practicing and making every effort, still I could not play.

"It was really hard. At times the future looked very bleak, making me wonder what is really in store for me. I am hoping to go to England after the BCL and see whether I can find a team in Minor County. Though their season has started, still I will try to get somewhere."

Pace bowler Mahbubul was also satisfied with the decision. "I cannot explain through words how I am feeling. For the last one year it was quite hard for me because of the mental pressure that I went through. Socially it was really hard, as these days cricket is followed by a lot of people.

"I don't know about my immediate future as there are only a few games left in the BCL. I feel that probably I will be back with the Dhaka Premier League."


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Surrey waste early opportunity

Hampshire 153 for 2 (Adams 56*) v Surrey
Scorecard

To say that not much has gone to script for Surrey over the last few years is a bit like suggesting England were a touch off their game in Australia last winter. But while the national side might start to put matters right this summer, there is a feeling Surrey may have to experience a few more lows before the good times roll again.

Thanks to morning rain delaying start of play by four hours and then returning for a time after tea to lop off another eight overs, this match is still in its early stages. Already, though, the visitors are some way short of where they hoped to be after Graeme Smith won what looked a useful toss and understandably chose to bowl.

Wickets were already tumbling elsewhere in the land and Smith hoped that a green-tinged pitch, cloud cover and his potent-looking pace attack would combine to prove a real handful for second division pace-setters Hampshire. Instead, the hosts built a promising platform with first Michael Carberry and then Jimmy Adams to the fore.

Carberry's days as an England opener may have ended - that seems to be the widely held belief, anyway - following his small part in England's Ashes humiliation, but the 33-year-old will be cherished by Hampshire supporters for as long as wants to play.

Here, he did most of the early scoring while fellow left-hander Adams took stock at the other end. And, probably to Smith's dismay, there were a few too many opportunities for Carberry to execute his shots after Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker had initially failed to make either opener play quite enough against the new ball.

Even with Chris Tremlett unable to face his old county because of a back injury, Surrey had enough firepower in the locker with Matt Dunn, who took a five-for against Essex last weekend, coming on first change. But this time he released the pressure valve, instead of tightening it, and Hampshire were up and away.

Dunn, strongly built, is a fine prospect - one of eight members of this team to have come through Surrey's academy. But the 21-year-old needs to be nurtured - and anyone expecting him, or any member of Surrey's crop of talented juniors, to be a match-winner, game in and game out, should prepare for a nasty shock.

Both Dunn and Tom Curran - even younger, at 19 - were deposited for sixes by Carberry, who pulled and cut them with the greatest of glee as Hampshire, far from being put into difficulty, reached 66 at four an over.

Curran it was, though, who stopped Carberry in his tracks by finding an outside edge that Smith snaffled low at first slip despite the chance brushing the glove of diving keeper Steven Davies on its way to Surrey's captain.

A second wicket should have come Curran's way with Liam Dawson being dropped by Davies - two hands away to his right. That missed opportunity mattered little with Dawson being pinned lbw by Meaker without addition but Hampshire were in no mood to surrender their early advantage.

Having already passed 50 twice in six innings this season, Adams made it three in seven following the evening interruption and walked away a happy captain, unbeaten on 56 out of 153 for 2. Smith, on the other hand, wandered off with a bit to ponder.


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Trescothick digs deep to gladden Somerset

Somerset 83 for 3 v Sussex
Scorecard

Marcus Trescothick has been the mainstay of Somerset cricket for so long that any sign that he is beginning to rediscover some of his old poise is bound to quicken West Country hearts. There were enough Trescothick clumps to record on an abbreviated first day at Hove, interspersed in an innings of staunch resistance, to encourage the belief that the old mastery can yet return and provide the sort of finish he deserves as the shadows lengthen on a grand career.

Sussex's seam attack has possessed an early-season potency that has carried them to the top of Division One, their first two matches won, and once the grouchy South Coast skies had finally relented, 32 overs represented a daunting proposition for Somerset: more than enough time, as events elsewhere in the country indicated, for carnage to ensue.

When Chris Jordan, in turquoise-backed boots, twinkled in with a loosener which may not be bettered all season, Chris Jones edging his first ball to the wicketkeeper, that impression was heightened, but their line was astray too often. It was only in the nick of time that Sussex made further inroads after Trescothick and Nick Compton gradually asserted themselves with impressive deliberation.

Compton was 14 balls away from seeing out the day when he became the second batsman to be caught at the wicket, this time off Steve Magoffin. Sussex looked at their most dangerous when Jordan had the slope in his favour in his second spell. He made several deliveries bounce steeply and, from one of them, the nightwatchman Jamie Overton fell to a cracking reaction catch at second slip, low to his left, by Mike Yardy.

The Sussex keeper, incidentally, remains Ben Brown as Matt Prior's Achilles problems are yet to relent. A season in which he must have yearned to make heavy runs to re-establish himself in the England side has so far deepened concerns about his longevity at international level.

Prior habitually credits cycling with assisting his recovery, but this time his ailment has been so troublesome that he might have to put in enough miles to have an outside chance of a Tour de France spot when the tour comes to Yorkshire later this summer.

Trescothick stood firm to the close. Somerset's hopes must be that when he finally retires, his 2013 Championship season will be seen as an aberration: an average of 28 and, more strikingly, no Championship century for the first time since 1998, a shortfall which encouraged much chat about whether he should reduce the burden by relinquishing the captaincy. The player himself saw no burden and remains, a player whose big presence on the county circuit continues to be prized by the crowds and whose wicket is still valued by the professionals he pits himself against.

Never particularly fleet of foot, he took his first run from a pushed drive a little slowly - setting off like a second-hand tractor on a damp morning. There are many farmers in Somerset who will tell you that a second-hand tractor is not to be trusted, but this particular variety has proved its serviceability more than most.

More than 20 overs elapsed before Trescothick's first belligerent moment - an overpitched delivery from James Anyon which he barndoored through cover. The old boy clearly got a taste for it and so nearly got out as he failed to connect with an attempted repeat against a wider delivery. But his authority had been announced and when Anyon went in search of a similar dismissal in his next over Trescothick deposited him for three boundaries in a row. A sumptuous straight drive near the close was the highlight. Another tough examination lies ahead.


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Jurgensen's Bangladesh future uncertain

Shane Jurgensen, the Bangladesh head coach, faces an uncertain future with some BCB directors wanting a new man with international experience to take charge of the team ahead of the World Cup as the fallout from Bangladesh's woeful World T20 campaign continues. However, the situation could yet be taken out of the BCB's hands with Jurgensen saying he is considering his own future.

It is far from a unanimous view of the board that a new coach is required, but BCB sources have told ESPNcricinfo that the search is on for a coach with a batting background. With less than a year before a major tournament, the appointment must be made by mid-June when Bangladesh take on India in three ODIs. The BCB are also exploring short-term specialised consultants from among the recent crop of retired international players.

"Some of the directors are trying to find a head coach who is more batting oriented," the source said. "We are trying to find a high-profile coach but they are hard to find in this market. We are targeting the 2015 World Cup, so we must have one by June.

"The board would want to make changes after a debacle. It is almost like a rule around the world. We need the right people in place, and that could be consultants who will remedy technical and mental blocks. For the time being, [Shane Jurgensen] will probably stay because we are leaning towards finding more specialists, like former international stars to help us in specific areas."

The rumour mill began whirring last month when BCB president Nazmul Hassan said he foresaw "many changes" in the national team, but he was not specific. The statement was made the day after Bangladesh lost to the West Indies in the Super 10s of the World T20. There were three further losses which fuelled the notion that it would be the coaches who would have their contracts cut short.

In subsequent press briefings, Hassan has eluded that the current set-up may be kept since they have been unable to find suitable replacements all of which has left Jurgensen feeling uneasy

"It [the situation] is not ideal and I am considering my own position at the moment," Jurgensen told ESPNcricinfo. "However I feel I have been subject to this situation ever since I have been given the honour of being the head coach. Having not played Test cricket, I knew I had to prove myself as a team coach and success along with that was important.

"I have had to work extremely hard and adapt to the conditions and circumstances given to us at times. I'd like to think that this has been a huge positive for all players, support staff and myself involved that we have had success despite the circumstances."

Bangladesh's difficult period started in January when they were crushed by Sri Lanka in the first Test, before bouncing back with a drawn game in Chittagong. They lost the T20 and ODI series, albeit through narrow defeats. The Asia Cup brought four defeats, including one to Afghanistan, while their World T20 campaign crumbled when they were shocked by Hong Kong in the first round.

Jurgensen had been asked to provide a report into the performances but he felt that a lack of T20s leading up to the tournament was always going to hold Bangladesh back. In the period between the end of the 2012 World T20 and the start of the 2014 tournament, Bangladesh played seven T20s, winning one. Only India and Zimbabwe of the Full Member nations played fewer matches.

"I gave my views in an extensive report detailing the reasons why for our recent performances," he said. "There are very valid reasons for the World T20 performance. One is purely the lesser number of T20s played before the tournament.

"This was raised as well as other concerns early last year that in 2013 we were only playing four T20 matches and usually all our T20 matches are held at the end of series when the team is decimated with injuries. However there were still quite a few positives from the World T20."

Jurgensen became full-time coach in February 2013 after doing the interim job quite successfully for one series, against West Indies, in 2012. He was given a two-year contract, up to the 2015 World Cup alongside batting and fielding coach Corey Richards, trainer David Dwyer and physio Vibhav Singh.

While Dwyer tendered his resignation last week, the focus has remained on Jurgensen and Richards, with the BCB directors set to on Monday.

What has been most surprising, however, has been the BCB's sudden change in tone with long-term appointments. When Jurgensen was given the full-time job the idea was to promote someone from within the system, as he was a bowling coach to begin with, and show how a lower-profile coach can grow into the main role. It was also important to break the thinking that only those with a batting background can be head coach in Bangladesh.

But some within the BCB have felt, particularly after the World T20 debacle, that long-term appointments are not the best way forward.

"Shane Jurgensen joined as bowling coach, but we only considered him to be head coach in 2012. We had initially wanted him until World T20, but we were convinced that he should get a longer term [deal] until the 2015 World Cup. However, we are not sure if he has delivered as a coach," said a BCB official.

"I don't see the difference between short and long-term in appointing captain or coach. Yes, it ensures job security if we make it long-term but we have to ask the question: what is he giving us? I don't think we are getting the right service."

Between becoming the interim coach until the start of the Sri Lanka series in January this year, Jurgensen was in charge of a Test win against Zimbabwe, three drawn games and four losses. In T20s, Bangladesh had won one out of five T20s while in ODIs, their strongest suit, they had won eight out of 14 games.

In 2014, however, Bangladesh have lost all seven ODIs and won just two out of nine T20s. This flip in form has made the BCB uncomfortable and is leaving some to consider more changes. Whether it translates to an easier environment for the new coach or for Jurgensen, should he stay in the job, remains to be seen.


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Stragglers seek to catch up

Match facts

Sunday, April 27, 2014
Start time 1430 local (1030 GMT, 1600 IST)

Agarkar: Duminy batting as well as Maxwell

The big picture

The last time Mumbai Indians found themselves in a situation like this, with successive losses at the start of an IPL, was in 2008.

While their frontline bowlers have struggled for wickets, in spite of looking good in patches, it's the batting that's quickly becoming their biggest worry. Their highest score in three games so far was 141, but should they want to make changes, they risk exposing an under-strength batting bench. The only high point of their loss to Chennai Super Kings was Corey Anderson's promotion to No. 3 - it allowed the New Zealand allrounder some time at the crease and he looked to be settling well as the innings wore on.

Mumbai's opponents on Sunday, Delhi Daredevils, are facing starting troubles of their own in spite of a complete revamp of the squad after last year's drubbing. Their problem of poor starts was resolved to some extent by the pair of Quinton de Kock and M Vijay, but they have been dragged down by death bowling (exacerbated by the injury to Nathan Coulter-Nile) and the failure of their spinners. Rahul Sharma was sidelined after the first game and Shahbaaz Nadeem has already given away 114 runs at an economy rate of 9. At this stage, the best spinner in the Daredevils line-up is JP Duminy.

Players to watch

Mumbai Indians will wonder how long they ought to persist with their combination of foreign batsmen and whether they should bring in a like-for-like replacement for Michael Hussey with Ben Dunk or bolster the bowling with either Krishmar Santokie or Josh Hazlewood. At this point, Dunk may be a better option. The left-handed batsman had a breakout season in the recent Big Bash League, scoring 395 runs in 10 games to finish as the highest run-getter in the league. Moreover, a large chunk of those runs came while opening the batting for Hobart Hurricanes.

Kevin Pietersen said that one of the reasons for the four-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad was a sluggish start in the first six overs. In a tall chase a couple of quiet overs can change the game but Daredevils must also consider how they use JP Duminy who has shown form in this IPL. A floating role in the middle order may be the way to go for Daredevils until Pietersen and Dinesh Karthik find form and consistency.

Stats and trivia

  • Daredevils batsmen have scored the most ducks in the IPL - 70. Mumbai Indians are a close second on 65.
  • 6-6: The record in matches between Mumbai and Daredevils
  • Mumbai's best win in terms of runs has come against Daredevils, after they defeated them by 98 runs in 2010.

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Kings XI Punjab keep winning

Agarkar: Indian batsmen still KKR's issue

Kings XI Punjab 132 for 9 (Sehwag 37, Chawla 3-19, Narine 3-24) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 109 (Suryakumar 34, Sandeep 3-21) by 23 runs
 Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Glenn Maxwell and David Miller failed for the first time this season, but that didn't prevent Kings XI Punjab from extending their winning streak to four this year, and seven overall. Sandeep Sharma had the new ball curling around, Akshar Patel showed why he is the most economical left-arm spinner in the tournament, and Rishi Dhawan also kept it tight before the spearhead Mitchell Johnson finished off the job.

It wasn't a vintage game of Twenty20 cricket, as none of the batsmen could time the ball on a surface on which the heavyweight batting line-up of Royal Challengers Bangalore had been shot out for 70 in the afternoon.

On a green track with plenty of cracks in it, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir had hoped it would be easier to bat under lights, but his decision to bowl first backfired as the ball jagged around after sunset. Set a seemingly straightforward target of 133, Knight Riders lost wickets regularly and, though Suryakumar Yadav briefly threatened to take the game close, wound up well short.

The pillars of the Knight Riders squad when the teams were revamped in 2011, Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan, continued to have miserable seasons. Gambhir pushed himself down to No. 3 after three zeroes in a row, but nearly had a golden duck again, only for Sandeep to put down a difficult, diving return catch. There was further relief for Gambhir as he got a single to fine leg to score his first run of the tournament, but minutes later he handed a catch to short extra cover.

If Gambhir's IPL troubles have been confined to this season, Yusuf has struggled to recapture the heights of the first cycle of the tournament. Once again he looked woefully out of touch, lbw for 3 after being bringing his bat down late on a Rishi Dhawan delivery. He rarely bowls these days and isn't the quickest in the field either, all of which combine to put his place under serious scrutiny.

Knight Riders openers couldn't get any momentum against Sandeep and Johnson, with both dismissed for single-digit scores. Chris Lynn couldn't recreate the form that yielded a quickfire 45 in his first game of the season earlier this week, and Knight Riders' chances were nearly extinguished once Robin Uthappa was run out by a precise throw from George Bailey at cover in the 13th over. Knight Riders were 62 for 6, looking for a miracle. It didn't arrive.

They wouldn't have expected to be in that position after the performance of their bowlers. Knight Riders' decision to bring in Piyush Chawla for Vinay Kumar, who bowled them to a last-over win two days earlier, paid off as Chawla bamboozled Virender Sehwag with a googly, and benefited from the long boundaries in Abu Dhabi by getting big guns Miller and Bailey caught in the deep.

Chawla's intervention came after some hostile new-ball bowling from Morne Morkel, who tormented the Indians in the top order with his 145-plus kmph deliveries, and got the prized scalp of Maxwell with a legstump yorker. Kings XI collapsed from 101 for 4 to 132 for 9 against the wiles of Chawla and Sunil Narine, who took three in an over. It didn't matter, though, as Knight Riders' batting woes continued.


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