Cricket may be a team game but batting is an individual process. Every man will be on his own

Bill Ricquier27-Feb-2015Batting is a very technical thing, far more technically demanding than most sporting endeavors. It is as much about mental elements as it is about physical skill. A peculiarly demanding element is the question of time and not merely in the context of strike rates and targets.One of the TV commentators – Pommie Mbangwa- recently quoted Herschelle Gibbs saying that opening the innings was the easiest job in cricket because the situation was always the same. You can see what he means. If you bat at, say, No.5, you are never sure about the situation when you go in. But when you open, the situation is clear.Batting is a unique sporting phenomenon in this respect. In all other sporting contexts, except baseball, which is similar but not identical, everybody turns up and leaves at the same time. It doesn’t matter whether it is a team game or an individual one – soccer, rugby, tennis, golf, badminton – people might be doing different things but they are working together. In cricket the same is true of the fielding side. People are doing different things – some bowl, one keeps wicket, some are close-in fielders; but it is all about collective effort. They arrive and leave together.Batting, however, is a peculiarly individual process. The pivotal number three position embodied by Don Bradman and Viv Richards, the greatest batsmen of the twentieth century, illustrates this.When Ricky Ponting won the toss and opted to bat against England on a belter at the Adelaide Oval in December 2010, he found himself facing the fifth ball of the match, delivered by James Anderson , after Simon Katich was run out without facing a ball. Ponting was dismissed in Anderson’s next over and Australia never recovered, going on to lose the match and the series. Earlier in 1989, Ponting’s Tasmanian forerunner David Boon had had a successful Ashes series, scoring over 400 runs at No.3. However, he spent the first day of the fifth Test at Trent Bridge sitting in the dressing room with his pads on watching Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor put on 301 and eventually 329 for the first wicket. You just don’t know what is going to happen.Test cricket is peculiarly susceptible to the vagaries of time but the World Cup encounter between West Indies and Zimbabwe in Canberra illustrated the games that time can play with batsmen, in this case the West Indies top four of Dwayne Smith , Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Jonathan Carter.Smith and Gayle came out to open after Jason Holder had won the toss and opted to bat. Smith faced the first ball from Tinashe Panyangara. It was a good length ball and outside off, Smith let it go, which came as a surprise, as he is not generally regarded as a member of the old-school opening club. The next ball was much fuller and straighter and it cleaned Smith up. That was it for him. Smith made the long, lonely walk back to the pavilion.In walked Samuels to face the third ball of the match. That’s the thing about batting at No.3: you might effectively be opening the innings.We all know what happened from thereon. The second – wicket pair began steadily and the score was 73 for 1 in 17 overs when drinks were taken, with Gayle on 41 and Samuels on 27. Gayle upped the ante around the 25th over and this meant that Samuels could afford to take his time till the death overs. West Indies belted 114 in the last seven overs of the innings, finishing on 372 , Gayle 215, Samuels 133*.And Jonathan Carter? Jonathan who?I thought you might ask. Carter is a 27-year old left-hand batsman from Barbados who was to bat at four. He had played five ODIs, all coming earlier this year against South Africa and had a highest score of 40.Carter played only because Darren Bravo had pulled a hamstring in the match against Pakistan. This was a huge deal for Carter, a World Cup game and an opportunity at No.4.His heart must have been in his mouth when Samuels walked out. He got a single off the first ball he faced and Gayle then prepared to face Tinashe Panyangara. Gayle would have been out lbw first ball . There was a huge appeal: not out. Zimbabwe referred it: not out and umpire’s call prevailed. It could have so easily been 1 for 2.But it just wasn’t. Carter had to sit and wait. In the 17th over Samuels was dropped. Carter must have instinctively reached for his gloves and helmet. But no, he had to wait longer. When you are in at No.6 or No.7 you can switch off a bit. But as the next man in, there is nowhere to go. You sit in a dark room, probably not a comfortable one and wait for the two minutes’ notice you’ll get to be challenged, physically and mentally, at the top level. Or not, as the case may be.By about the 35th over Carter’s natural anxiety may have morphed into something slightly different : a realization that, even if a wicket was to fall, it would not be him going out to replace his departing colleague. It would not be the rookie; it would be a ‘finisher’ like Andre Russell or Darren Sammy.As it happened Gayle was eventually dismissed off the last ball of the innings.Four batsmen, four different experiences. All on their own despite a 372-run partnership.On March 29, two opening batsmen – who knows, maybe Smith and Gayle – will walk out to open in the final in front of 90,000 fans. Despite all the chatter and glove-tapping , every man will be on his own.It’s a bit like the feeling expressed by the immortal Barry Humphries: After a busy day , getting ready in his change room and then walking out to face a packed house in a darkened Drury Lane auditorium.’All Alone’.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.

Our correspondent is charmed by the rivers Torrens and Swan, and enjoys the public transport system in Australia even when things go wrong

Abhishek Purohit08-Mar-2015February 11
There is one conveyor belt for international arrivals at Adelaide airport. Coming from the huge terminals in Mumbai and Singapore, it feels cramped. Then you get out of the airport. Massive paved open space outside.The Torrens River, just across the road from Adelaide Oval, seems more like Torrens lake: it is that placid. Sign at the end of the bridge says an earlier one was washed away in a flood. Deceptive waters.February 12
Dash for the bus. Think it is one of those free ones. Also seem to have heard driver confirming that. Go and sit in the back. Driver waits. “So are we buying one?” Realise this is not a free ride. Sheepishly walk back up. Ticket now has to be put into a validation machine. Push it in the wrong way. Then push it in the correct way, but hold on to it longer than needed. Ticket gets stuck. Machine gets jammed. “Jesus,” goes driver. Takes off his seat belt. Hauls himself up his seat slowly. Tries to retrieve ticket. No success. Mutters something about hope and settles into seat again. “Why don’t you just walk?” some exasperated passengers call out. Hold my hands up in apology. Bus finally moves.India practising at St Peters College. Beautiful ground, dotted with buildings that look like mini-castles. There are five more such ovals on the same premises, says the manager. Six in all. You cannot be serious. Several Indian cities together don’t have six grounds like this.February 13
This has become a nice routine. Walk from hotel to West Terrace tram stop. Get down two stops later at Adelaide Railway Station. Walk through the concourse. Cross the bridge. We’re at Adelaide Oval. The new ground seems so much more intimidating, so unlike the old one remembered from TV broadcasts and photos. Like Eden Park.Afghanistan and Bangladesh fans at Manuka•Getty ImagesFebruary 14
It is a scorcher today. The walk across the Torrens involves being lashed in the face with hot air. Melinda Farrell, one of ESPNcricinfo’s video correspondents, is dragging herself along, pulled down by the weight of all her equipment. “Are you Melinda?” “Yes.” “Can I help you with your equipment?” “You don’t have to, but yes, thank you.” Nice way to meet a colleague for the first time.February 15
It is still morning, and the madness has already built up for India v Pakistan. Streets leading towards the ground filled with people chanting slogans, singing songs, shouting in general. Australian man plonks down a large bundle at an intersection and starts selling team t-shirts, caps, vuvuzuelas, the works. Enterprise always comes along with India v Pakistan.Past midnight, Hindley Street’s restaurants are overflowing with hungry fans after the game. As far as you can see, all the chairs by the road are taken.February 16
“Any buses for Manuka?” I ask at Canberra airport. Nope. The Australia capital does not do public transport too well.It is such a pleasant change covering a team other than India. The Bangladesh media manager, Rabeed Imam, is helpful as always. Watch the team train from right behind the nets. Tamim Iqbal gets into a hitting contest against fielding coach Ruwan Kalpage’s offbreaks. Steps out and crashes one high and straight. Six, he claims. Two, says Kalpage, reminding Tamim about the big outfield at Manuka Oval. Tamim turns to me for help. Four, I offer as a compromise, saying he timed it quite well. Kalpage feigns shock and gives in. “Thanks for that boundary,” Tamim tells me later.The Perth skyline from across the Swan River•Getty ImagesFebruary 17
Canberra’s streets are like those in some New Zealand town. On the 15-minute walk to the ground, you are lucky if you spot more than a person or two. Some good cafés, bars and restaurants close to the ground, though.February 18
Before the start of the game, spot an Afghanistan supporter wearing and a Bangladesh one wearing a . After the game, spot a possum on the stairs outside the press box. Creature slithers away as I try to get a closer look.February 19
First sighting of the MCG. The outfield is huge by itself, but it is still dwarfed by the scale of those magnificent stands.The brightly lit Yarra riverfront glimmers at night. Can sit on the benches at Southbank and gaze at the water and the skyline on the opposite shore for hours.Excellent tram network in Melbourne. One seems to jump out of every third street.February 21
White Night, a big cultural event. Spectacular motion illuminations projected onto buildings in the city centre. There is even one from . Walkways across the river are packed. Takes nearly half an hour to get across.All kinds of stuff happening at crowded Southbank. Man offering up to A$100 to anyone who can ride his bicycle a few metres. The catch: to turn left, you need to turn the handle right, and left if you want to move right. $20 for five tries. He must have made a small fortune that night.February 22
MCG is a short walk across Yarra Park from my hotel but I take the tram to the city centre on India v South Africa match day. And walk back along the river to the MCG. Cloudy skies make it a greater pleasure. As you cross the William Barak bridge, on which music from many countries is played, the MCG appears to your left, Rod Laver Arena to your right, separated just by train and tram tracks. Surreal.A sun-drenched WACA•Abhishek Purohit/ESPNcricinfo LtdFebruary 23
Have heard a lot about the heat in Australia, and Adelaide did give a sampler, but Perth wins hands down first day with 41 degrees. A short walk feels like your insides will boil over. Turns out to be just a rude welcome, as Perth produces several lovely days. Mild, sunny, windy.February 24
At the eastern corner of the city centre, close to the Swan River, the WACA Ground stands proud against the backdrop of a fiery setting sun. It is deserted barring the odd employee. Best time to soak the image into your soul for a lifetime. The square. The outfield. The stands. The grassbanks. The dressing rooms. The old scoreboard. Those floodlight towers.February 25
Walk down to the riverfront from the ground. The Swan River turns into an estuary in Perth and is 4.5km at its widest point. Waves hit the shore gently. The sun sets in the direction of the Indian Ocean. The sky rapidly changes colour. The lights in the skyscrapers come on. The size of the river adds to the grandeur of the scene.February 26
Annalakshmi on the Swan, a south Indian vegetarian restaurant by the river jetty, becomes a favourite. Eat as much as you can, pay what you want to. Inspired by their spiritual guru, volunteers run the place. And the food is awesome. The taste of the mixed vegetable curry reminds you of the one at Ramanayak, a popular eatery in Matunga in Mumbai.February 27
“I don’t get it when people say Perth is a small city,” says old security guard at the WACA. “It does not have too many tall buildings. But if you see, there are lots that are ten to 12 storeys high. And it is a really spread-out city too.” Perth feels similar to Adelaide in that sense. The city centre looks smaller, though, and most of it shuts down earlier.February 28
The India v UAE game lasts just a little longer than one ODI innings. Mohammad Tauqir gets his press conference done with soon. We wait for MS Dhoni. And wait. India decide to play a game of football, and the captain is in the middle of the action. The India media manager watches from the sidelines. The ICC media manager tries to tell him people with deadlines are waiting, but gives up eventually. About an hour after he should have, Dhoni walks in. Not a single word from anyone about the delay.A brightly lit building during White Night festivities in Melbourne•Abhishek Purohit/ESPNcricinfo LtdMarch 1
Tour of Fremantle. Before that, the bus takes you up to King’s Park from where you can see how Perth stretches all around the Swan estuary. The wind blowing in from the Indian Ocean takes the name of the port town it passes through: Fremantle. Endearing little town centre. Old churches, synagogue, prison, markets, brewery. Take a cruise back up the river to Perth.March 2
Somalian cab driver talks mostly about pirates during the ten-minute ride. “They don’t target Indian or Pakistani ships. We have old links, are on other side of the Indian Ocean. They go for the American or Arab ones. Solid network. Very solid. They know exactly what items a ship is carrying.”Signs off with a gem. “Where I come from, you get bazookas everywhere. Boom!”March 3
Chief selector Rod Marsh and Michael Clarke stand together having a chat in the Australia nets. George Bailey watches keenly from a distance. Captain till not so long ago, now out of the XI. Finally decides to come up slowly. As he approaches, he walks carefully around Clarke while extending a swift handshake to Marsh standing further away. Awkward moment. But the two exchange half a smile after that.March 4
Two big buses waiting to drop media personnel off at designated points in the city after the Australia-Afghanistan game. Am the only one on this trip. “There were three people before you,” says the driver. Case of slight over-capacity here. He does not understand why the big eastern cities look down on Perth. Came here from Sydney himself. Has been a Perth resident for 14 years.March 6
One final time at one of the restaurants on the riverfront, the water shimmering in the sun. As it starts to set later, ground volunteers take a lap of the WACA during the India v West Indies innings break. Perth is done with the tournament. India are done with Australia for now. After three and a half months. Dhoni is asked about the New Zealand leg.”We go to Melbourne. From Melbourne we go to Auckland. From Auckland we drive to Hamilton and we reach at midnight. That will give us less time to think about cricket.” Long journey. Time to switch off. See you on the other side of the Tasman.

The release of the various BCCI sub-committees, announced on Monday, five weeks after the BCCI’s much-delayed AGM, pointed to a change of order

Amol Karhadkar07-Apr-2015Soon after the Supreme Court order in January made it clear that N Srinivasan would virtually be ruled out of contesting the BCCI election, a couple of BCCI veterans had confided in private, “the moment you don’t hold a post in BCCI, you find it very difficult to control the Board affairs from the outside”. The release of the various BCCI sub-committees,  announced on Monday, five weeks after the BCCI’s much-delayed AGM, appeared to indicate that Srinivasan’s era at the BCCI was all but over.Of the five committees that are extremely important in the BCCI administration, only one is headed by an official considered a part of the Srinivasan’s group of loyalists. G Gangaraju of the Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association heads the tour, programme and fixture committee, merely a ceremonial appointment on account of him being a BCCI vice-president. Besides, Gangaraju is a member of parliament from the ruling BJP party currently in power in India, and also shares political allegiances with Anurag Thakur, the new BCCI secretary, who also belongs to the same party.The other major sub-committees are headed either by officials known to be in Srinivasan’s opposition – like Jyotiraditya Scindia (Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association) and Chetan Desai (Goa Cricket Association) – or those who fall somewhere in between the two camps – Rajiv Shukla and MP Pandove. Scindia and Desai head the finance and marketing committee, Shukla has returned as the IPL governing council chairman and Pandove has been reappointed as the National Cricket Academy Board chairman.Loss of power steering

# In 2004-05, Jagmohan Dalmiya did run the BCCI for a year without holding a post through his choice of Ranbir Singh Mahendra as president. After that brief period, but many of Dalmiya’s loyal associates switched allegiance and brought in Sharad Pawar, who had lost to Mahendra in a bitterly-fought election in 2004, as the president.
# Sharad Pawar had to relinquish BCCI presidency in 2008 after his move to the ICC. The reigns were handed over to Shashank Manohar, a staunch Pawar loyalist. Manohar and then secretary N Srinivasan did not however, allow Pawar to be involved in any way in the BCCI’s activities.
Cut to 2015 and the same story seems to be repeating itself in Srinivasan’s case.

While Srinivasan loyalists still point to the fact that “almost half of the 25 BCCI sub-committees” were headed by the Srinivasan camp representatives, they also know that most of these were ceremonial posts.Two of the key Srinivasan aides, Sanjay Patel and Ranjib Biswal who held the secretary and IPL chairman’s post till the elections, do not feature in a single committee.Patel’s omission has a logical explanation: he had been expelled from his home unit of Baroda Cricket Association and the BCCI’s many sub-committee berths are allocated on the basis of the member units themselves. Biswal, it is popularly believed, has suffered due to his loyalty with Srinivasan.The appointment of the likes of Scindia, Desai and Ajay Shirke, chief of data management committee and an IPL governing council member, implied that Srinivasan had little say in the final composition of committees. Shirke’s dramatic return after he had quit in objection to Srinivasan’s handling of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal was an indication of the turning tide.A Dalmiya aide confirmed that the BCCI president and secretary finalised the committees after consulting all the factions. The sub-committee list also signified that Dalmiya and Thakur, in an attempt to give an impression that the BCCI had regained its original “democracy”, have managed to keep virtually every member unit happy.The is indicated by an increase in numbers in some of the already overloaded committees. The marketing committee, for instance had 26 members for 2013-14. In the new list, it has 29 members. Similarly, the IPL governing council, which had 10 members besides four BCCI office-bearers, has expanded to 12 members plus the four BCCI officials.

The first Twenty20 was a must-watch game for us as we wanted to show the world how much we love cricket and that Lahore is safe and sound for any team to visit us without any fear

Waqas Ahmad23-May-2015The first Twenty20 was a must-watch game for us as we wanted to show the world how much we love cricket and that Lahore is safe and sound for any team to visit us without any fear.Imaginary selfie of the day
Slogans of “selfie” welcomed Ahmed Shahzad in every part of the ground. During the 15th over of innings while fielding in front of me at long-on boundary he stretched his arm and took an imaginary selfie. The crowd behind him went mad. He was not distracted by the chants as three balls later he pouched a well-judged catch running backwards.Key performer
There were few big names playing from both sides but Mukhtar Ahmed proved a dark horse. He started Pakistan innings with a flicked four and then twice hit a hat-trick of boundaries. He also broke the record of most fours in an innings by a Pakistan player. He reached his fifty with a six over long-on and the crowd went ecstatic.One thing you’d have changed
During 1996 World cup final, the Gaddafi stadium accommodated 60,000 spectators but after many renovations, its current capacity is less than half now. And today not a single seat was unoccupied. All stands were packed; around a dozen people outside the stadium asked my group if we wanted to sell our tickets to them. Thousands of cricket lovers had to go back as they failed to find any tickets, missing a golden opportunity. So if I had the power I would have definitely enhanced the capacity of stadium.Wow moment
When the umpire Ahsan Raza, who was shot while shielding the match referee Chris Broad back in the March 2009 attacks, entered the ground, he knelt down and performed the .Wow moment 2
When the Pakistan national anthem started, emotions were at their peak and many eyes started to shed the tears of joy. There was jubilation, too, as the people wanted to show the world they were a peaceful cricket-loving nation.Catch of the day
Ground fielding from both teams was poor. Wahab Riaz missed a simple chance off his own bowling but in the 16th over of Pakistan innings when Mohammad Hafeez came down the pitch and hit the six over bowler’s head, a policeman enjoying the match in an under construction stand caught it comfortably.Shot of the day
Mukhtar Ahmed hit a straight six off Chris Mpofu off a good length delivery and made it look very simple but the shot of the day for me was the one by Shahid Afridi. The crowd cheered whenever a wicket fell during the chase expecting Afridi to show up. When he did come to bat everyone was on their feet shouting, “Boom Boom” and he did not disappoint. I already pointed my friends where he would hit the ball and my hero followed my direction, hitting the low full-toss straight down the ground.Crowd meter
All stands were choked and they did not remain silent for a single second. No opposition can get the support in the sub-continent the Zimbabweans got. Whenever a Zimbabwe player came near the boundary, the crowd went, “Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe” and players acknowledged the crowd happily. As Elton Chigumbura mentioned at the end of the day, they had never experienced such a warm support from the spectators.Banner of the day
A 30-feet long banner “We miss you, West Indies” in the Fazal Mahmood enclosure caught my eye from a long way away.Overall
The atmosphere was awesome as people had gathered around the stadium five hours prior to the match, ignoring the 45 degree heat of Lahore. The security arrangements were top notch and officials greeted spectators with smiles on every check point, something I never expected. The whole country thanked the Zimbabwe players and everyone praised the officials who helped to organise the match. At the end of the day, I am sure we have won many hearts around the globe with our .Marks out of 10
9.5/10Waqas Ahmad, known as Chaudhary, is an Electrical engineer with a telecom company. He follows cricket all around the globe and is the captain of his colony team.

The highlights of the week gone by in IPL 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2015The best innings
There were two hundreds scored in the space of five days, both by Royal Challengers Bangalore batsmen. First Chris Gayle ransacked Kings XI Punjab for 12 sixes on his way to 117 off 57 deliveries at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. AB de Villiers went ahead against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, making his highest T20 score of 133, off 59 balls. De Villiers’ style was slightly different to Gayle’s – he hit 19 fours.
The best ball
It pitched on a length around leg stump, then cut away to hit the off stump. David Warner’s reaction said it all. He had wanted to push towards midwicket but was opened up completely. That it was bowled at a searing pace by Umesh Yadav left the batsman with no time to adjust.



The goof-up
When it comes to handling post-match presentations, Ravi Shastri is a pro. So it was strange to see him forget handing out the Man-of-the-Match award in the Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians match. The broadcast moved back to the studio after Shastri’s customary, “That’s all from the presentation area”. Shastri, however, returned to complete his duties.The commentary pearl
“That was a quicker slow ball.” -Sunil Gavaskar on air.The drop
Virat Kohli was on 6 at Wankhede Stadium when Harbhajan Singh put down a sitter at slip. Kohli went on to make an unbeaten 82. He also put on 215 – the highest partnership ever in the IPL – with de Villiers.The best catch
When Shane Watson lofted Ravindra Jadeja towards the sightscreen in Chennai, he would have not expected Dwayne Bravo to come in between. Even Bravo, moving to his left from long-on, would not have expected to prevent the ball from sailing for six. But he jumped up a couple of feet anyway, stuck his right hand out and came down with the ball. He then ran towards long-off, eyes on the crowd, and pulled off his favourite celebration moves.AB de Villiers cut Mumbai Indians to ribbons during his unbeaten 133•PTI The heartbreak
Mitchell McClenaghan, steaming in on a hot day in Mumbai, was left seething. A pull by Kohli off the second ball went through Lasith Malinga at long leg for four. Two balls later, McClenaghan drew Chris Gayle’s top edge but saw his captain, Rohit Sharma, fluff the steepler. When Harbhajan dropped a sitter at slip off the next ball, McClenaghan swore and let out a cry of anguish.The unexpected hero
With 34 needed off the last 17 balls against Chennai Super Kings, Rohit Sharma signalled for Hardik Pandya to come in to bat instead of the big-hitting Harbhajan Singh. Pandya, who had been omnipresent in the field that day, carted three sixes in four balls in the penultimate over, effectively killing the chase. Not many would have heard his name before. But not anymore.




The moment of fortune
M Vijay has given away several starts this IPL but this one will probably rankle the most. Vijay was dropped as many as three times by Kolkata Knight Riders, but still made only 28. Gautam Gambhir put down a difficult chance at short extra cover, after which Brad Hogg and Umesh Yadav put down simple ones at square leg and short fine leg.The number
138 – the margin of victory for Royal Challengers Bangalore over Kings XI Punjab at Chinnaswamy Stadium. It was Royal Challengers’ biggest win in terms of runs and the second biggest ever in the IPL.Tweet of the week

Has anyone ever seen AB and superman in the same room? Didn't think so.

— Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) May 10, 2015

Stats highlights from the fourth ODI between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge

Bishen Jeswant17-Jun-20151:41

England’s chase of 350 in Nottingham was the fourth-highest successful chase in ODIs

4 Number of 50-plus scores for Eoin Morgan this series, the most by an England captain in any ODI series. This is also the joint-most by any captain in ODI history during a bilateral series.0 Number of times England had previously chased down a 300-plus target in home conditions. England’s successful chase of 350 in this game was their first biggest in ODI history having only scored 300-plus in a successful chase on two previous occasions.36 Number of balls to spare when England achieved victory in this game, the second-most in ODIs where a 350-plus target has been successfully achieved. The only instance when a team won with more balls to spare was when India achieved their target of 360 against Australia, in 2013, with 39 balls to spare.198 Partnership runs between Morgan and Root in this game, the highest for any wicket by an England pair in ODIs against New Zealand. This is also the second-highest third-wicket stand for England against any team in ODIs.73 Number of innings in which Kane Williamson reached 3000 ODI runs, the fastest by any New Zealand batsman, easily surpassing the previous record (90 innings) held by Martin Guptill. The world record is 57 innings, held by Hashim Amla.21 Number of 50-plus scores during this series, the most for any five-match bilateral ODI series played in England. The most for any bilateral ODI series in England is 24, during the seven-match Natwest Series between India and England in 2007.9 Number of century stands posted by Ross Taylor and Williamson, the joint-most for any New Zealand pair along with Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming. However, Astle and Fleming batted together 118 times while Williamson and Taylor have only been out in the middle together on 37 occasions.3 Number of times Williamson has scored 300-plus runs in a bilateral ODI series, the most by any New Zealand batsman and the second-most by any batsman. The only batsman to do this on four occasions is Rahul Dravid, between 1999 and 2005. Williamson has currently scored 346 runs this series.470 Partnership runs between Taylor and Williamson this series, the most by any New Zealand pair during a bilateral series, surpassing their own record of 463 against India at home in 2014. The world record is 590 runs, between Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed against New Zealand in 2003.3.4 Number of innings per 50-plus score for Martin Guptill when opening the batting, the best ratio for any New Zealand opener (min. 30 innings). Guptill has 26 50-plus scores from 89 innings. He scored 53 in this game.1585 Number of partnership runs posted by Guptill and Brendon McCullum when opening the batting, the most by any New Zealand opening pair. They went past Bruce Edgar and John Wright (1520) during their opening stand of 88 in this ODI.7 Number of 300-plus scores this series (both teams combined), the most in any bilateral series involving either England or New Zealand, and the second-most ever in any bilateral ODI series. The only series with more such scores (9) was between Australia and India in 2013.28 Runs scored by Mitchell Santner off the 48th over of New Zealand’s innings, the second-most by any batsman in an ODI in England. The most is 30, scored by Dimitri Mascarenhas against India at The Oval in 2007.10.3 Number of overs in which England scored their first 100 runs, their second-fastest in ODIs (since ball-by-ball data is available, i.e. 2001). Their fastest is 9.2 overs, against India in 2011, though that was a 23-overs per side game due to rain.

You can voice your choice with #BestTestPair on Twitter and Facebook

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2015Gordon Greenidge and Desmond HaynesSpan 1978-1991 Innings 148 Runs 6482 Average 47.31 100s/50s 16/26
PA PhotosThe most prolific opening pair in Test history, and also the pair to have batted together the most innings in Tests. The two greats set the tone for West Indies’ all-conquering side of the 80s, browbeating bowlers even before Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd and the rest came out to bat. Greenidge, five years older than Haynes, was the senior partner: “We always had a battle on. He wanted to face the first ball, and I would say, ‘No, you haven’t matured yet.’ I wouldn’t just let him.”Rahul Dravid and Sachin TendulkarSpan 1996-2012 Innings 143 Runs 6920 Average 50.51 100s/50s 20/29
AFPFor years, the presence of Dravid and Tendulkar in the middle was among the most reassuring sights for Indian fans, as two of Test cricket’s most reliable batsmen set about demoralising the opposition. From the time they put on two large partnerships in the Caribbean in 1997, they provided a torrent of runs for India’s third wicket. Even as late as the Boxing Day Test in 2011, they were raising Indian hopes with a century stand, but the innings unravelled after their partnership was broken. The current holders of the record for most partnership runs in Tests, a record they are set to hold for years to come.Matthew Hayden and Justin LangerSpan 1997-2007 Innings 122 Runs 6081 Average 51.53 100s/50s 14/28
Getty ImagesLike Haynes and Greenidge, this was an opening pair that laid the base for a dominant team. Hayden played only seven matches in the six years after his Test debut, and Langer only eight in nearly the same time. After Michael Slater lost form in the 2001 Ashes though, the pair spent six run-filled years at the top of the Australian order bullying attacks around the world. They began with a 158 at The Oval, before reeling off four double-century stands in the next six Tests. They kept churning out big runs till Langer retired in 2007 after England had been whitewashed and the Ashes emphatically regained.Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela JayawardeneSpan 2000-2014 Innings 120 Runs 6554 Average 56.50 100s/50s 19/27
AFPLike Langer and Hayden, Sangakkara and Jayawardene are famously good friends. Our Sri Lankan correspondent Andrew Fernando describes their relationship: “United in battles in Sri Lanka against administrators, as they have been on the field, at each end of the pitch, or at keeper and slip, Jayawardene and Sangakkara have lived out perhaps the greatest cricket bromance of all time.” The pair were the mainstays of the Sri Lankan batting order for over a decade, during which they became cricket’s second highest run-accumulators. Their monumental 624-run stand against South Africa in 2006, remains a record not just in Tests, but in first-class cricket as well.Jack Hobbs and Herbert SutcliffeSpan 1924-1930 Innings 39 Runs 3339 Average 87.86 100s/50s 15/11
The Cricketer InternationalWhen Hobbs and Sutcliffe batted at the top of the order for the first time for England in 1924, only one opening pair had put together more than 1000 runs. By the time Hobbs and Sutcliffe batted together for the last time at the top of the order, against Australia at The Oval in 1930, they had amassed more than three times that. Other pairs came along later and scored more runs, but none have scored them at such a prolific rate. In only 39 innings, they had 15 century stands; Greenidge and Haynes had one more century partnership than that, but they had 109 more Test innings. Their average per innings (87.86) is 40 more than than Haynes-Greenidge. 14-Aug-2015, 4:20am GMT: An incorrect picture had accompanied the Hobbs and Sutcliffe entry. This has been fixed

Wasim Jaffer opens up about his domestic journey and his enduring enjoyment of the game

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi09-Nov-2015You are part of the exclusive 10,000 club. Not many players have scored that many runs even in international cricket. At what point did you recognise that you could reach this milestone?
It only came to my mind when I broke Amol [Muzumdar]’s record in 2012-13 for the most number of Ranji Trophy runs. Only then it came to my mind that 10,000 was not far away. When you are playing Ranji you are not really aware of the records as the numbers are not that prominently evident.What all goes into peaking such a big mountain?
I feel happy, very lucky to have survived this long in first-class cricket. To play for this long especially for Mumbai is not an easy achievement. When I entered the Mumbai dressing room the team was full of stars, so having survived and played this long I feel very honoured. To score these many runs you need to play for long. It does not happen in five, seven, eight years. When you play for a state like Mumbai you are always challenged to become better. And that helped me because you need to keep improving your game all the time otherwise there are people waiting to take your place. So it helped me to compete and play alongside some great players in Mumbai and domestic cricket and helped me get better and better.The joy of playing domestic cricket is unique and not many possibly know it. But that joy is necessary and important, right?
People from outside sometimes get a feeling (playing domestic cricket) is not that hard and it can be very easy especially if you have played at the top level. But if you play first-class cricket continuously for a long time it is not easy: it is mentally very tiring and even physically, too. You need that motivation as well to go out there and play in an atmoshphere where you are not noticed. In international cricket whatever you do or not you get noticed, but at the first-class level, even if you get 700-800 runs every season people (fans) hardly notice that and know that you had a very good season.That is something which I feel is very important: to progress as a cricketer it is paramount to play first-class cricket. You need to play at least three seasons and prove himself. You are not going to get Sachin Tendulkar every five or 10 years. But every other player needs to play a few seasons of first-class cricket and do well. Nowadays sometimes people get carried away after one or two (good) performances in tournaments like the IPL. They are automatically pushed up very easily to India A or even India without having proved themselves in first-class cricket. Only when they play first-class cricket they realise how hard it is. When you are playing your first season people might know you, but after a while opposition will work you out easily and that is when you need to prove yourself. When you are good you will do well. You need two to three seasons of grind in first-class cricket which would stand you in good stead in international cricket.As you say it is really challenging to play in front of empty grounds, in the absence of any recognition, so how did you keep that joy alive?
I enjoy batting. When I am batting well, when I am scoring runs the joy is immense and you cannot compare it with anything. That joy is still there, to work hard, to go out and bat well, and when you feel you are batting well to make sure I get 100, 150, 200 runs. That is something which I really enjoy still. When the desire goes to grind and work hard I will give it up. But I am still enjoying playing, enjoying competing. There is no such thing as I am dragging my career. I need to help younger players in Vidarbha, to make a difference in their career based on whatever knowledge I have gained over the last many years.You have always maintained this I-am-still-good attitude at all times. Has that belief kept you mentally and physically strong?
You need to have belief in your own ability no matter what others are saying about you. But if you think bad about yourself, then there is no point playing. You need to have belief in your ability. You are bound to have ups and downs. You cannot be Sachin Tendulkar who had 24 great seasons. When you are not doing well at international level, you come back to first-class cricket, but you still need to go out and perform. You play the game because you enjoy doing what you do. You don’t do that because you only want to play international cricket. But if you can’t you still go out there and enjoy what you. That is very important: to keep playing for the love of it and not anything else. When the love goes, your priorities have changed. I feel every cricketer, especially the ones growing up, need to get their priorities right. They should play because they enjoy the sport rather than playing for IPL, the contracts and such. If you are playing well and playing well enough for long you will definitely go where you want to go.Among the various domestic milestones that you have achieved which are you most proud of?
When I got to know I am the highest run-scorer in Ranji, Duleep Trophy, Irani Trophy and Vijay Hazare, that feat gave me the most joy. Nobody else held such a record in the past or present.

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2015Tamim Iqbal, who was troubled by Tinashe Panyangara early in his innings, settled down and stitched a useful partnership of 70 with Mushfiqur Rahim•AFPSikandar Raza dismissed both Tamim and Shakib Al Hasan in quick succession to leave Bangladesh shaky•AFPMushfiqur, however, anchored the side, sharing a crucial 119-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Sabbir Rahman•AFPAlthough Bangladesh lost a few quick wickets at the end, Mushfiqur’s fourth ODI hundred set the base for their score of 273 for 9•Associated PressJongwe, promoted to open in place of Richmond Mutumbami, who injured his ankle while keeping, gave the visitors a brisk start•AFPShakib then came into the attack and rattled the chase with subtle variations in length and flight•Associated PressHe went onto claim his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs while his captain Mashrafe Mortaza passed 200 wickets•Associated PressElton Chigumbura offered some resistance with 41 off 51 balls but it was only a matter of time before Bangladesh surged to a 145-run victory•Associated Press

Stats highlights from a day when England’s two fast bowlers showed, yet again, why they are among the best in the world

S Rajesh04-Nov-20152 Number of times England have scored 284 or more in the fourth innings of a Test in Asia: they made 285 for 7 in a drawn game in Kandy in 2003, and 312 in Dubai in the previous Test.4 Number of 150-plus scores for Mohammad Hafeez in Tests, out of his nine Test hundreds. His last three centuries have all been 150-plus – 197 against New Zealand in Sharjah last year, 224 against Bangladesh in April 2015, and 151 here. It’s also his highest second-innings score, comfortably beating his previous-best of 104.2 Number of Test hundreds for Hafeez in Sharjah; it’s the only venue where he has more than one Test century.31 Wickets taken by England’s fast bowlers in the series, at an average of 24.58 and economy rate of 2.29 runs per over. England’s spinners took 20 wickets, at an average of 59.85 and an economy rate of 4.06.1.87 James Anderson’s economy rate in the series – he bowled 108.1 overs and conceded just 203 runs. It’s the first time he has gone at under two an over in a series, while Stuart Broad’s economy rate of 2.07 is also his best in a series.10 Wickets for Shoaib Malik in this series so far, at an average of 20.60. His wickets tally twice as many as his previous-highest in a series. His match haul of six wickets so far is also his best in a Test – he had never previously taken more than four in a match.9 Number of times Ian Bell has been dismissed for 0 or 1 in 24 Test innings in 2015. It’s the joint second-highest by any player in a calendar year, next only to Mervyn Dillon’s ten such dismissals in 2002. In Dillon’s case, all ten such dismissals were for ducks, while Bell has six ones and three ducks. In 181 previous innings before 2015, Bell only had 17 such dismissals.325 Runs added by Pakistan’s first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth wickets in their second innings; the even-numbered wickets contributed exactly 30 runs.