Moeen abuse shows cricket's dark side

The booing of Moeen Ali at Edgbaston revealed the ugly side of sporting rivalry and suggested intolerance remains in the UK. It should not be ignored

Dobell: Moeen boos detract from spectacle

It should have been the perfect end to an absorbing summer of international cricket. We had beautiful weather. We had a sell-out crowd. We had a run-soaked T20 that contained outrageous skills and an exciting finish.

We should have gone home talking about MS Dhoni's decision to turn down singles in the final over. His self-confidence and his preparedness to take responsibility for the team. Or, perhaps, his lack of confidence in his team-mates.

We should have gone home talking about Virat Kohli's only half-century of the tour in international cricket - the same number as James Anderson - or Eoin Morgan's brilliant innings. The England captain, so short of runs in international cricket this summer, helped England thrash 81 from the final five overs of their innings and scored 56 in the 15 balls before his dismissal. We might even have witnessed the birth of a new-look England side for both forms of the limited-overs game.

Either way, this should have been a brilliant advert for cricket. But instead there was a sour end to the summer. An unsettling end. An end that suggested, for all the progress we think we have made in creating a multicultural society in the UK, we have a long way to go.

Because, in the middle of Birmingham on a bright afternoon in 2014, we saw at least one player subjected to abuse from a far from insubstantial section of the crowd on the basis of either his religion or his national or ethnic origin.

Moeen Ali was booed when he came out to bat. He was booed when he came on to bowl. He was booed most times he touched the ball. And he was booed either because he is a player of Asian origin playing for England - Ravi Bopara also attracted some boos, though far fewer - because he is Muslim or, perhaps most pertinently, because he is of Pakistani origin and the vast majority of the crowd were India supporters.

On the back of every ticket and inside every match programme it states: "Spectators shall not engage in any conduct, act towards or speak to any player, umpire, referee or other official or other spectators in a manner which offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies that other person on the basis of that other person's race, religion, colour, national or ethnic origin."

By such a definition, it is impossible to justify these boos. It is inappropriate to dismiss them as "banter" - an invidious description used to excuse sexism, homophobia, bullying and racism in many walks of life - and it is inappropriate to dismiss them as a symptom of any rivalry that exists between Pakistan and India.

Nor should we link this with the booing experienced by Stuart Broad in Australia and James Anderson and Ravi Jadeja this summer. Those jeers, unappealing though they were, do not stem from a dislike of origin or religion. They reflected specific issues.

Nor should we fool ourselves that these are pantomime boos. Just as the monkey chants that used to shame football grounds in the UK were unacceptable, so it must be unacceptable to hear a player derided for their religion or origin. It is not funny.

And let us not mistake this issue with any pretence that this is simply a manifestation of support for India. Spectators are free to support whichever side they like and the passion for cricket from spectators of Asian origin in the UK is of huge benefit to the game. But there is a chasm between supporting one side and denigrating the players of the opposition. It would be irresponsible to link the two.

What, it might be asked, would be the reaction if an all-white crowd booed a player of Asian origin? What would be the implications if a black player was booed each time he touched the ball? If such behaviours are deemed unacceptable - and, thankfully, in this day and age, they are - why should the booing of a man on the basis of his religion or origin be any different?

Moeen was born in Birmingham and he graduated through Warwickshire's youth system. He has a mixed-heritage family with a white grandmother from the Birmingham area. His religion or ethnicity should not be issues and he has previously said that such behaviour does not affect him.

But there is an irony that Moeen has spoken of being a role model. He has spoken of showing that it is possible to be British, Muslim and proud of both. He has spoken of encouraging other Asian cricketers into mainstream league and club cricket in the UK. He has, despite his relative youth and inexperience, spoken only of inclusivity and unity. He makes an unlikely villain.

The episode proved difficult for the ground authorities to handle. Had the stewards started to eject those involved, the situation could have deteriorated. Had Morgan, who denied any knowledge of the booing, led his team from the pitch, the situation could have deteriorated.

But just because a situation is difficult, it does not mean it should be avoided. This sort of episode should not happen. It must not happen. And if we find it unacceptable - and we really should - we must not ignore it. Whatever the many mistakes of the past, 21st century Britain cannot be accepting of intolerance based around race, religion, colour, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation or any other such issue.

Cricket can unite. In Afghanistan and the Caribbean and LA and Ireland, it has been shown to bring people from differing backgrounds together. It does it in league teams around the country every week. Here it provided a peek behind the façade of multicultural Britain. It was an ugly, depressing sight. And it should not be ignored.

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Finch named Australia's T20 captain

Aaron Finch has been named as Australia's new Twenty20 captain, succeeding George Bailey, who stepped down from the role on Sunday. Finch, 27, will become the seventh man to lead Australia's T20 team when they take on Pakistan in a one-off match in Dubai on October 5.

As captain of the Melbourne Renegades for the past two Big Bash League campaigns, Finch has acquired plenty of T20 captaincy experience, and he has also led the Pune Warriors in the IPL. The No.1-ranked T20 international batsman in the world, Finch also led Australia A against the England Lions last year and the selectors were pleased with his performance.

"When George indicated that he was stepping down from the position, we thought Aaron was the obvious choice to succeed him," Rod Marsh, the national selector, said. "We know he will relish the opportunity to lead his country.

"He has a task ahead of him. He is taking on a young side that is currently ranked fifth in the world. His first challenge will be building consistent performances as they head towards the ICC World Twenty20 in 2016."

On Sunday, Bailey endorsed Finch as a potential successor, describing him as the kind of player who thrives on the leadership. Finch said he was looking forward to leading his country for the first time.

"Having the honour to captain your country in any form of the game is something that all young cricketers dream about," Finch said. "It came as a big surprise but it was a very nice phone call to receive from Rod Marsh. I never imagined when captaining in the past that it would lead to national responsibilities.

"I've just set out to be the best player that I can and luckily an opportunity like this has come my way. I have been fortunate enough to play under some fantastic captains, including Michael Clarke and George Bailey and I have learnt a lot from them. It goes without saying that I will do my utmost in this role as we lead into the ICC World T20 in about eighteen months' time. It's going to be very exciting."

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O'Keefe named in Australia's Test squad

Spinner Steve O'Keefe could finally be given a chance at Test cricket after being named in Australia's squad to play Pakistan in the UAE in October. O'Keefe was named as part of a 15-man Test squad that also includes allrounder Mitchell Marsh, who is yet to make his Test debut, while Phillip Hughes was included as the backup batsman and Glenn Maxwell as a spin-bowling allrounder.

However, Australia's major selection issue could be yet to come, with captain Michael Clarke still recovering from the hamstring injury that forced him home from the one-day series in Zimbabwe. Clarke has been named in the squad and with six weeks until the first Test in Dubai, he has time on his side, but the increasing frequency of his hamstring injuries makes him far from a certainty.

The incumbent No.3 Alex Doolan retained his place in the squad despite not fully making the position his own during the tour of South Africa earlier this year. His main rival for a place in the side will be Hughes, who is in strong form after a winter spent mostly with Australia A but will travel to the UAE early to work on his batting against spin with coaching consultant Muttiah Muralitharan.

There is also the possibility that Australia could choose Marsh as a second all-round option alongside Shane Watson, although including both in the XI would risk unbalancing the side. Marsh will also depart for the UAE with strong recent form behind him, and not just from the one-day series in Zimbabwe; he and Hughes both made first-class double-centuries for Australia A this winter.

Marsh's chances of playing alongside Watson might increase if the selectors wanted two spinners on the turning pitches in the UAE, in which case debutant O'Keefe could join Nathan Lyon. O'Keefe, 29, has long been overlooked by Australia's selectors despite his strong statistical record at domestic level, but he was the only logical selection for this trip after topping the Sheffield Shield wicket tally last summer with 41 victims at 20.43.

A left-arm orthodox bowler and useful lower-order batsman, O'Keefe would be the 14th spinner to play Test cricket for Australia since Shane Warne if he makes his debut in the UAE. He could be considered unfortunate to have been that far down the list given his first-class record of 128 wickets at 24.72, which is superior to several of his predecessors including fellow left-armers Xavier Doherty, Michael Beer and Ashton Agar.

O'Keefe's only previous international experience has come in the Twenty20 side, when he played seven matches from 2010 to 2011. However, he will have to compete with Maxwell for the position as second spinner behind Lyon after Maxwell was included having not played Test cricket since Australia's ill-fated tour of India early last year.

"We have picked Steve O'Keefe as the extra spinner for the Test tour," national selector Rod Marsh said. "We are unsure what pitch conditions we will encounter in the UAE but we need to be prepared to play two spinners. Steve was the highest wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield last season and we are confident he can perform at the next level.

"Glenn [Maxwell] is a talented allrounder who enjoys playing on dry pitches. Phil [Hughes] has been in excellent form and has been rewarded with a place in the Test squad. His attitude to his game has been first rate and he thoroughly deserves this opportunity.

"Mitch Marsh is a player of immense talent and is a bright prospect for the future of Australian cricket. His form with Australia A has been fantastic and he carried that through to the recent Zimbabwe tour. If he gets his opportunity, we know he will make the most of it."

A 14-man one-day international squad was also chosen for the three matches against Pakistan, with uncapped New South Wales allrounder Sean Abbott the most notable inclusion. Abbott, 22, topped the Ryobi Cup wicket tally last summer with 16 victims at 20.93 and after a solid Sheffield Shield season as well, he won the Steve Waugh Medal as his state's best player for 2013-14.

Abbott and David Warner, who had missed the recent tri-series for paternity leave, were the only inclusions from outside the group who toured Zimbabwe, along with Watson, who was originally named but was forced out through an ankle injury. Hughes was left out of the ODI squad despite his solid form in the tri-series, while Ben Cutting and Kane Richardson were also dropped.

Abbott has also been included in the squad for the one-off T20 in Dubai that opens the tour. Australia's first T20 squad under new captain Aaron Finch features the uncapped legspinner Cameron Boyce, while fast bowler Pat Cummins has also been named and could play his first international for two years.

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Taijul bursts out of obscurity

Taijul Islam is unlike most Bangladeshi left-arm spinners in that he picks his wickets by turning the ball and not just relying on the straighter one, a skill apparent in his five-for on Test debut

Taijul Islam is no stranger to making a great start. He took six wickets on first-class debut to help Rajshahi Division to victory in April 2011. Between that game and his five-for on Test debut in St Vincent, the left-arm spinner has gone through several hurdles to reach international cricket, much of it under the radar.

He only recently came to prominence after after a fruitful Bangladesh Cricket League, when he was top wicket-taker. He took 55 wickets in the 2013-14 first-class season, and was picked to tour West Indies for the A side. Nine wickets from two four-day games kept him on the selectors' radar. With Shakib Al Hasan suspended and Bangladesh in need of a left-arm spinner, Taijul became the first cab off the rank.

Part of a three-man bowling attack in his first Test, Taijul was never going to be Mushfiqur Rahim's go-to bowler. However, he changed his captain's mind with a steady build-up of dot balls and used his flight cleverly. West Indies might not have known of him and he hasn't carried the scars of his team's weak form. That freshness helped.

His first wicket was Kirk Edwards, a result of his attacking mindset even when the opposition was strongly poised. Taijul was making the ball dip on Chris Gayle as well, giving the bowler enough encouragement to toss the ball up and give it enough time to turn. Edwards played across the line and was caught at silly mid-off.

The next four wickets, one might say, came cheaply as the batsmen got out trying to slog. But Darren Bravo was foxed by his change of angle. Taijul was swatted for two fours before he moved around the wicket and tempted the batsman again. Bravo, going for the hat-trick, was caught at mid-off. Kraigg Brathwaite had to place the need for quick runs above his natural game. Denesh Ramdin and Jerome Taylor also fell in service to a four-plus run-rate, but Taijul was not tempted to bowl flatter and ended up with the wickets.

Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud, the man who gave Taijul his first-class break, was not surprised by the debutant's success. Mashud said that Taijul was different from other left-arm spinners in the domestic circuit because he could make the ball do more than just slide on. Perhaps that is why the 22-year old, with only three seasons' first-class experience was selected ahead of more accomplished bowlers of his variety.

"He knows that giving the ball a bit of air and letting it turn is not a bad thing," Mashud said. "He is one of the rare bowlers in Bangladesh now who doesn't just bowl the arm ball. I don't think it was surprising to get a five-wicket haul on Test debut but Taijul has been in good form this season so that has helped him too."

Taijul was in the shadow of the more established left-arm spinners like Saqlain Sajib, Suhrawadi Shuvo and Sanjamul Islam. But after Taijul had taken 14 wickets in his first three games for Rajshahi, Mashud ensured he had a place in the squad for the next three seasons. The split of the Rajshahi team to create Rangpur Division two seasons ago meant that Shuvo moved away and Taijul became a regular member of the country's most successful first-class team.

There were a spate of left-arm spinners snapping up five-fors and Taijul was part of the support-act with Rajshahi, which has contributed to him slipping under the radar. Mashud believes that Taijul got recognition from the two BPLs in 2012 and 2013, though his wicket-taking ability wasn't coming through. His only had two from three matches in 2012 and nine from as many games in 2013. But he did display maturity in certain matches where his team needed someone to bowl tightly.

"In the first season, he just played three games but his economy rate was enough to suggest he was strong enough to handle the pressure. He was a regular for the Rajshahi side last year," Mashud said.

He is the sixth Bangladeshi bowler to have taken a five-for on debut. The last man to do that was Sohag Gazi, who is out of the team for issues with his action. But Gazi's slump in form recently has shown that you need a lot more than a sparkling debut performance to survive in top-level cricket.

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Shami offers Dhoni hope for the future

Despite a heavy defeat, India had Mohammed Shami at his yorker-firing best at the death at Headingley, pointing the way for the rest of the Indian attack

Highlights: Shami takes two in late innings burst

India lost their first and only ODI of the series. They fell short by more than a few. Most of it was down to conceding 143 runs in the last 15 overs. Most of their bowlers struggled once they were put under pressure by Jos Buttler and Joe Root. It might sound ridiculous, and will be easy to miss, that those final few overs involved some of the best death bowling by an Indian fast bowler in a long time.

Mohammed Shami, who had an ordinary Test series, ran in hard and speared in yorker after yorker to bowl five overs, from the 42nd on, for just 34 runs and took two wickets. In that spell he went for five boundaries, one of which was the direct result of a horrible bounce for Shikhar Dhawan at the 30-yard circle at midwicket.

The best part about Shami's spell was it was classic, simple old-fashioned death bowling, which relied on the principle that if you bowl straight yorkers, batsmen can neither get under them nor have the space to open the face on them. The only aspect missing was that these were not the deadly yorkers of the Pakistani variety, but then again it is difficult to reverse-swing them with a ball that is going to get no older than 25 overs. While not the mean possessed toe-crushers, these weren't the soft wide-outside-off ones either.

Dhoni could give Shami mid-off and mid-on back for most of his spell so he had cover of some sort if he erred in length when striving for that yorker. And once you start getting them right with the regularity of Shami today, the only real option you leave the batsman is the ramp over short fine leg. It was tried three times against Shami in that spell. One brought him Root's wicket, one nearly bowled Ben Stokes, and the third went for four.

Once you get into this bowling rhythm, the only errors you make are by bowling too full, but once you have the batsman on the leash these low full tosses are hard to hit, and you have cover at long-on and long-off. Shami began the spell with a low full toss, which was driven for a single. Another similar delivery later in the spell went for four, but it took a special effort from Stokes to whip it past midwicket. These are less demoralising than length balls, slower or otherwise, which are deposited rows back into the stands.

Shami was at his best in the 48th over, bowling to Chris Woakes. The first ball was a yorker just outside off. Woakes had no room to play. He tried a drive, and missed. Next ball tailed in a little, at the same length. Woakes was lucky to survive this one. You could feel the leash tightening. You feel this with many bowlers and many batsmen in modern cricket, but then the bowler tries a cute slower ball for some reason. But there was no respite from Shami. The third ball was even straighter, and cleaned Woakes up.

In contrast, at the other end, Umesh Yadav tried too many things, and went for a plenty. Some of it could be put down to the confidence of the two bowlers. Yadav was making a comeback and had only this game whereas Shami has had a good ODI series, and he is also Dhoni's trusted man in the last 10 overs. Since the start of India's overseas tours with South Africa last year, Shami has bowled more balls in the last 10 overs than any other India bowler. Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 128 is a distant second to Shami's 245. And you would have thought from his first two overs that Bhuvneshwar had played one match too many on a creditable tour for him. Dhoni just bowled him eight at the top, and didn't bother him with another spell.

"His execution was great, which I feel is lacking in some of our other fast bowlers," Dhoni said of Shami. "Definitely he bowled really well today, especially those yorkers. Whenever I needed him or asked him to bowl, he bowled really well."

Dhoni would ideally have bowlers who can keep it simple by just going for those yorkers and not wander into the cute variations, but he knows how difficult it is. "The yorker is keeping things simple, but it is very difficult to execute," he said. "It takes a lot out of you, to bowl a yorker at a good pace. Especially with third man and fine leg inside, people look to use the ramp shot. You have to be aware of what is happening. To play that shot a lot of the batsmen get down very early, so you have to be aware of the field and at the same time be aware of what the batsman is trying to do. Still I feel most of the successful slog-over bowlers today are the ones who bowl the yorkers well."

After India had won the series with another facile win at Edgbaston, Dhoni said the series had been a complete performance, except that their bowlers had not yet been tested at the death. His bowlers as a unit might have taken some pasting at Headingley, but if more of them can be like Shami, and if Shami can replicate what he did here, Dhoni can be hopeful in the future.

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Root satisfies Headingley craving

Neither Boycott nor Vaughan were able to satisfy their local crowd in one-day cricket but Root finally broke the 41-year duck

Joe Root finally gave the Headingley faithful a local boy to saviour in an ODI

On a day when the complexities of British Indians' cricketing allegiances had been much to the fore, Headingley offered a scene of old-time simplicity. For once, Indian support was in a minority. In front of an expectant crowd, Joe Root assembled the first ODI hundred ever made by a Yorkshire batsman at Headingley. Loyalties do not run much deeper than that.

Level the charge of parochialism if you must, but that was the statistic that mattered most of those who were present to bear witness. Forty-one years have passed since Headingley staged its first ODI between England and the West Indies, a close-fought, suitably suspicious affair with scores under 200. Finally in a limited-overs game a Yorkshire crowd was able to hail one of its own.

It was an achievement denied to Geoffrey Boycott, who just after Root was dismissed, popped into the media box to check if his favourite Green Tea was sorted, or Michael Vaughan, resplendent in turned-up Ted Baker cuffs, Root's champion from the outset, the two of them so responsible for keeping cricket interest high in the south of the county. Two men, too, who dare to speak truths to those in charge: truths that connect with the majority of the England cricketing public, that Alastair Cook is not the best choice to lead England into a World Cup challenge.

There are no such doubts about Root. When a Yorkshire crowd applauds a Yorkshire hundred, or a five-wicket haul, it is as if every coach, every tea lady, every person who has washed the clothes left crumpled in a kit bag, or entered a raffle, or boasted loudly in the pub, claims a share of it. When Root is applauded, he is hailed as One Of Us. Chests expand, secret tears are brushed away. It is a deep connection, and it is how it should be.

Lucky is the man content in his obsession. MS Dhoni looks like a street fighter at the crease; Jos Buttler has a bashful originality. Root exudes happiness. When he brought up his hundred with a fulsome slog-swept six off Ravindra Jadeja, and the PA played Pharrell Williams' "Happy", for once the summer's unavoidable, tediously upbeat song sounded wholly appropriate.

The fact that Root also provided England's first hundred of the series was merely an afterthought. "Aye, that as well," would be the reaction of some Yorkshire diehards. But, in England terms, this was a hundred to soothe festering wounds, a hundred to prevent an India clean sweep.

There will be claims that it lifts the pressures from Cook, and it probably will, but on a Headingley surface fit for kings, Cook's innings stalled on 46, his departure to a top-edged sweep finishing a sequence which brought only 23 runs from his last 40 balls. He had got a flyer with two driven boundaries in Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first over. Twice he edged safely through the slips. We wondered if it was his day. But it was the young adventurer, Root, who relished the opportunity.

When God created Joe Root, he saw fit to give him stooping shoulders. He will need them. When this slender figure gazes out over the cricketing fields of England, and nowhere more so than his beloved Yorkshire, it is as if he has been designed to bear the weight of expectation. Most pressingly, he is charged with the delivery of the finest Yorkshire dream sequence since Game of Thrones gave everybody in Winterfell Yorkshire accents. The difference is that nobody in Yorkshire cricket fears that winter is coming. Quite the opposite.

Virtually everybody who applauded this perkiest of hundreds is awaiting confirmation that next week, only two days after England's international season is completed by a NatWest T20 at Edgbaston, Root will take on the role of emergency captain against Nottinghamshire, a match that could bring Yorkshire their first Championship win since 2001.

It is inconceivable that England will deny Yorkshire access to Root - and Gary Ballance, omitted for this game - in what is one of the most keenly-awaited Championship matches for years. The Yorkshire captain, Andrew Gale, has been suspended for two matches after a burst of temper against Ashwell Price for persistent timewasting in the Roses match. The failure of umpires to manage the game in a disciplined fashion is a burning topic in these parts, and so it should be.

England's 294 for 6 did not bring complacency. Eight years ago on this ground, England made 321 for 7 but Sri Lanka waltzed past it with more than 12 overs to spare. "The day that Fred died," somebody remarked. For the Yorkshire Greats, a surname is often superfluous. One day, Root might simply be known as Joe. It is not quite that time yet. But he is heading that way. Skippering Yorkshire to the Championship would get him a little bit closer.

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England break losing streak on Cook's landmark day

A stats review at the end of the fifth ODI between England and India at Headingley

5 England had lost five consecutive ODIs heading into Leeds. Since 1994, England have had six losing sequences of six or more in ODIs, the longest of those being the 11 straight games that they lost in 2001. The last time this happened was in 2009, when England lost six consecutive ODIs to Australia.

63 ODIs in which Alastair Cook has captained England, an English record. The previous record of 62 ODIs as captain was held by Andrew Strauss.

2 ODI centuries scored by Joe Root, the most by an English batsman by the age of 23. David Gower and Eoin Morgan also scored as many tons. The record for the most centuries by the age of 23 is held by Virat Kohli, who had 13 tons, followed by Sachin Tendulkar, who had 11.

0 Batsmen who scored at least 200 runs in this series, the first time it has happened in a bilateral series of four or more matches between India and England. At least one batsman had collected 200 runs in the previous nine bilateral series between the two teams.

11 Hundreds scored by English batsmen while batting at No. 4 in ODIs, the fewest for a top-eight team. South Africa are second from bottom in this list - their No.4 batsmen have collectively made 20 hundreds. India and Pakistan lead the way with 29 hundreds.

87 Runs scored by Ravindra Jadeja today, the second highest ODI score in England by a player at No. 7 or below. Mohammad Kaif scored 87 as well while batting at No. 7, during the NatWest series final at Lord's in 2002. Jos Buttler's 121 in a losing cause against Sri Lanka earlier this summer is the highest ODI score by a player batting in these one of these positions in England.

7 James Anderson has dismissed Virat Kohli seven times in international cricket in the last two years. The only batsmen who have been dismissed more often by a bowler in this period are Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq. Dale Steyn dismissed Hafeez ten times, while Rangana Herath removed Misbah on eight occasions.

3 Wicketkeepers run out on 49 in ODIs. The list includes two England players, Geraint Jones, who currently plays for Papua New Guinea, and now Buttler. Andy Flower was also run out on 49, against Pakistan at Sharjah in 1993.

55 Runs scored by England in the batting Powerplay, their highest score since 2011. The best Powerplay score of this series was by India - 62 in the second ODI in Cardiff.

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Mushfiqur's Nasser Hussain moment

Mushfiqur Rahim inviting West Indies to bat on a decent batting track was designed to protect his eight batsmen rather than his limited bowling attack

Bangladesh traded in their usual olive green baggy caps for a lighter shade, the kind they used in limited-overs matches, at Arnos Vale. Proceedings on the first day left one wondering if Mushfiqur Rahim was thrown off by the wardrobe change. For long passages of play, he led Bangladesh as he would in a one-day match.

He resorted to Mahmudullah, a semi-regular bowler, in the sixth over after putting the opposition in to bat. At the toss, he said his decision was based on the promise of a few hours of movement for the quicks. It is debatable if there was such help but Mushfiqur barely allowed his seamers enough time with the new ball.

Bangladesh have been in a slump in 2014 and Mushfiqur's tactics on the first day mirrored another down-on-his-luck captain. Nasser Hussain had invited Australia to bat at the Gabba in 2003 and watched his bowlers get methodically dismantled. While the fate of this Test has yet to be determined, Mushfiqur's decision may come to shape the outcome.

Mushfiqur wanted to give Bangladesh the opportunity to bat when the pitch would be at its best. But judging by how the West Indies batsmen fared, the first day wasn't a bad batting day either. His decision seemed to protect his eight batsmen rather than his three specialist bowlers, one of whom is a debutant, one who is playing only his fourth Test and another with an 80-plus bowling average. In the end, Bangladesh were left nursing a long day on the field.

Rubel Hossain's first spell was cut short at two overs and Mahmudullah replaced him, with a long-off in place. This wasn't the inspired Mushfiqur who challenged Gayle by keeping Sohag Gazi on in 2012. This was a captain looking for the most defensive ways to get through a problem.

Mahmudullah's purpose was to stymie the batsmen, but his first ball slid down leg and Gayle's sweep thundered into the boundary boards. By the end of his two overs, he had conceded more runs than Rubel. Shuvagata Hom, the debutant offspinner, then replaced Mahmudullah and was struck for two fours in two overs prompting Rubel's return. If Mushfiqur was hoping to surprise the opposition by springing his spinners, it backfired.

Bangladesh have now put in the opposition 16 times in Tests, and have conceded more than 400 runs on seven occasions. It suggests that they have opted for self-preservation even in conditions ideal for batting.

This was the fifth time Mushfiqur had won a toss in Tests, and the second time he had sent the opposition in. The first occasion was last year in Harare when Zimbabwe made 389 and went on to bowl out Bangladesh for 134 and 147 to win by a huge margin. On that occasion, there was help for the seamers, but Bangladesh didn't exploit the conditions well. Bowling first, moreover, did no favours to their three spinners.

On the three occasions that Mushfiqur decided to bat first, Bangladesh made more than 350 twice and were bowled out for 282 the other time.

Thankfully for Mushfiqur, his two debutants brought Bangladesh back into the contest after lunch. Mushfiqur didn't go on the defensive after they had dismissed Chris Gayle and Kirk Edwards, but his bowlers couldn't separate Brathwaite and Darren Bravo till they had added 128 and put West Indies back in command.

At 264 for 3, West Indies haven't run away with the game yet, but it seems a difficult ask for three specialist bowlers to restrict them to anything below 400. Mushfiqur had the chance to give them a score to bowl at, and by the end of the day may have rued his decision not to.

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Khawaja defends his work ethic

Usman Khawaja has said the communication from Australia's management around the homework saga in India last year was not strong enough, and the handling of the situation was "very disappointing". Speaking on the latest edition of Alison's Tea Break for ESPNcricinfo, Khawaja also conceded that his relaxed nature could rub people the wrong way, but that his mind was often racing at "a million miles an hour".

Throughout his short nine-Test career, Khawaja has struggled to shake off the perception that he does not work hard enough, or that he is not intense enough at the crease. That was only exacerbated in India when he was one of the four Australia players suspended for failing to complete a task set by the coach Mickey Arthur, who said he hoped it would be the catalyst for Khawaja to realise "we're pretty serious in the Australian cricket team".

"It wasn't fun. It was quite a horrible time to be honest," Khawaja said. "It was disappointing because I knew I was pretty much going to be playing in that Test match, I hadn't officially been told, but I was in. It was just disappointing how it worked out. I don't think the communication was strong enough.

"Firstly I wasn't sure ... I thought it was due before the next Test match. If someone said to me, look, you've got to hand this in by Sunday, or else you're not playing the next Test match, then I promise you, not one person would not hand it in. They'd all hand it in. So there was a bit of communication error. I'm not saying I'm not totally at fault - I should probably listen harder. But it was very disappointing how it was all handled."

Khawaja's omission from the team for the Mohali Test allowed Steven Smith to establish himself with an innings of 92; Smith has scored four centuries and has not missed a Test since then. Khawaja, on the other hand, played three Tests on last year's Ashes tour under new coach Darren Lehmann but was unable to hold his spot. He said although there were times earlier in his career when his work ethic let him down, that was no longer the case.

"I work as hard as everyone else on and off the field," Khawaja said. "I put everything into cricket. I think at time when I was younger there were times when my standards in some places weren't up to scratch and I learnt that quick. Now I make sure that I tick all the boxes, do what I need to do to be in the best state that I can be to win cricket games for my team.

"I think sometimes my relaxed nature and the way I go about things just rubs people the wrong way. I can't help it. When I'm batting and I'm doing stuff, things in my head is going a million miles an hour. When I'm doing stuff it's all going quickly.

"But my exterior is a lot different to what's happening in my head, so I think sometimes people take me in the wrong way if they don't know me well enough. It's something I fought a lot when I was younger but I think when people get to know me they see the real me."

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Fate of BCCI AGM likely to be known on Sunday

A decision over whether to convene or delay the BCCI's annual general meeting (AGM) is likely to be taken at an informal meeting of BCCI members in Chennai on Sunday. Around 20 of the 30 members are expected to attend as a show of support for the sidelined BCCI president N Srinivasan.

According to one official, "technically" the AGM already stood postponed. "There is a technical glitch as per the BCCI memorandum. The president has to sign the balance sheet. The president has to ask to postpone the AGM. But there is no president," the BCCI official said.

Doubts over the AGM, usually held in the last week of September, emerged immediately after a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court rejected Srinivasan's appeal to be reinstated as BCCI president, which would have allowed him to chair the AGM and likely stand for a third term as BCCI president.

The Court approved a two-month extension to the Mudgal Committee's probe into corruption during last year's IPL and said Srinivasan could not be reinstated in keeping with an order from the court which had said that he could resume office only at the end of the IPL investigation.

ESPNcricinfo understands that around 20 associations, those said to be on Srinivasan's side, are expected to attend the Chennai meeting. It is understood that the units from south and east zone will attend the meeting, as well as the BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel.

The staging of the meeting is being kept a secret. Several state association members who are not Srinivasan supporters, including one of the BCCI vice-presidents, said they were not even aware of such a meeting, let alone being invited.

According to a BCCI office-bearer, the Chennai meeting was not a formal board meeting, but the gathering of "a group" of people to discuss issues pertaining to the AGM. There is growing uncertainty amid member units over whether the AGM and elections could be held before September 30, the last day of BCCI's financial calendar.

The court's order to not allow Srinivasan to resume his duties has resulted in a technical conundrum over BCCI's AGM. According to the BCCI constitution, the AGM has to be convened with a 21-day notice before September 30 which means the last date to convene the AGM should be September 8.

As per the norm, the BCCI calls for a working committee meeting to finalise the date for the AGM in addition to ratifying the annual report and the accounts, which can only be done by the president. With Srinivasan barred from the post, Shivlal Yadav has taken over as the interim president.

There is no clarity over whether Yadav is eligible to ratify the annual report. While a section of BCCI members believe Yadav can sign the report, some members feel in the presence of an elected president, Yadav's signature may create a legal loophole that can be exploited by an aggrieved member later on. There is a possibility that the ruling faction within the BCCI may well prefer to postpone the AGM citing incomplete annual accounts.

The annual report is also far from being ready, according to another high-ranking BCCI official. The annual accounts have to be finalised by the finance committee and forwarded to the working committee for its approval. However, the BCCI's working committee hasn't been convened since April 20, four days after the Court confirmed that Srinivasan couldn't return to the BCCI till the end of the IPL investigation.

Multiple former office-bearers confirmed that a working committee meeting can still be held during the three-week window between circulation of the AGM notice and the AGM. And this might be feasible for the Srinivasan camp, considering opposition, if any, has so far been muted.

Some of Srinivasan's key opponents, including Lalit Modi (Rajasthan Cricket Association), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association), Niranjan Shah (Saurashtra Cricket Association), Ajay Shirke (Maharashtra Cricket Association) and even Sharad Pawar (Mumbai Cricket Association) have remained silent. One of the opposition members said "the status quo" would continue when asked if there was any plan to stall Srinivasan and his supporters from trying to postpone the AGM.

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